A committee of the Upper House of the NSW Parliament,
the Legislative Council, will be inquiring into some of the states' national
parks.
The Inquiry has been called by the Chair of the
General Purpose Standing Committee No. 5, Robert Brown (Shooters and Fishers
Party) and three National Party members.
This Inquiry into Public Land Management in New
South Wales intends to examine the "process of conversion of Crown
Lands, State Forests and agricultural land into National Park estate or other
types of conservation areas". It is aimed particularly at the River Red
Gum forests of the Southern Riverina and parks created from native hardwood forests
in northern NSW.
There is widespread concern that this is the
beginning of a further push by the Shooters and Fishers to open up national
parks to hunters. Robert Brown has been campaigning for this for years.
Another possible motive for targeting national parks
relates to NSW State Forests long-term over-commitment of timber resources in
this state. According to the North East
Forest Alliance (NEFA) spokesperson Dailan Pugh, "The National Party was well aware of the supply crisis before the
election and some members expressed their preference for opening up national
parks for logging, though the Coalition denied they had any intent to do so."
Following
concerns expressed by NEFA, the Nature Conservation Council of NSW and the
Wilderness Society, the NSW Minister for the Environment, Robyn Parker, issued
a media release denying there would be any reversal of the Red Gum forests
legislation or that hunting would be allowed in national parks. The media release dealt in some detail with
what the government was doing with the River Red Gum parks but did not allay
concern about whether the government had any plans for logging in national parks.
NEFA is
calling on people to contact their local State Government member to ask them
for personal commitments that they will not support either the revoking of
national parks or opening them up for logging and shooting. Concerned people
could also contact the Premier, Barry O'Farrell.
Politician Contact Details:
Chris
Gulaptis M.P., Member for Clarence
11 Prince
Street, Grafton, NSW 2460
Andrew
Fraser, M.P., Member for Coffs Harbour
1/9 Park Avenue,
Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450
Phone: (02)
66526500
Thomas
George M.P., Member for Lismore
PO Box 52,
Lismore, NSW 2480
Phone: (02)
66213624
Hon.
Barry O'Farrell
Premier of
NSW
Parliament
House
Macquarie St
Sydney NSW 2000
Email: office@premier.nsw.gov.au
