By Frances Kelly
SYDNEY — Whinge about something often enough via talkback radio and, no matter how much it reeks of myth and misinformation, the NSW government might start listening. In the case of attacks on the fundamental conservation purpose of national parks, the government has started to accommodate the whingers.
Deb and Merv from Struggle Street in Anytown were being denied their "right" to earn a living, go for a four wheel drive romp or gallop through wilderness, and they were angry. Guided by groups like the Public Land Users Alliance and Outdoor Recreation Party, they turned up the heat, resulting in the government producing a draft access strategy which environment minister Pam Allan announced on the Alan Jones radio program earlier this year.
The strategy focuses on the "importance of public access" and looks at opening parks up to more four wheel driving, horse riding, commercial tourism development and other high impact uses at the expense of nature conservation. It's a curious and loaded document, considering that NPWS surveys have revealed that the majority of the 22 million annual park visitors like the parks as they are.
There are thousands of kilometres of accessible roads in national parks. Some are capable of being used by two wheel drive vehicles, most by four wheel drives. There are board walks and lookouts, walking tracks, signs, visitor centres, information booklets and boards. You can't fault the NPWS in its efforts to make the parks accessible to visitors.
But the four wheel drivers, horse riding groups and others insist they are being "locked out" and "denied access". At a series of public forums accompanying the public exhibition period of the access strategy, those seeking more access have been predominant.
The majority of submissions to a document that discusses access are from those who believe they have the right to do what they want in national parks. Demands emerging from the forums go as far as "rights" to shoot, log, trail bike, pig dog and so on in a national park.
Not that this is new. It is just that this time the state government has started a process that legitimises demands that in the past would have been laughed off, and in the process has opened a Pandora's box.
Bit by bit, core park areas, currently restricted management trails and environmentally sensitive areas are being conceded to those wanting to use them for their form of recreation. The four wheel drivers have controlled access system arrangements ready to go, where certain clubs and tour operators get keys to locked gates.
The horse riders are having trails checked out for them by the NPWS, and the commercial tourism industry is identifying suitable promotions and developments in national parks.
Already 17 park areas are reported to be suffering significant impacts from legal and illegal four wheel drive recreation. Horse riding has been reported as a major concern in nine park areas, has caused severe impacts in a further seven and is a significant conservation issue for another eight.
Opening more core park areas will lead to more rubbish dumping, arson, illicit hunting, stealing of flora and fauna, pig dogging, bush rock gathering, erosion, soil compaction, vegetation damage, waterway siltation and pollution and wildlife road kills. Yet the government is willing to risk this.
For the 5% of NSW that is devoted to nature conservation, things are not looking good unless those concerned about the future of our national parks start making one hell of a lot of noise about it. Unless the draft access strategy is dropped, the government will dig a grave for national parks in NSW.
Send your protest letter to Pam Allan (Level 9, St James Centre, 111 Elizabeth St, Sydney 2000 (fax 9233 3617) asking her to replace the draft access strategy with an environmentally sound visitor management policy which gives precedence to nature conservation, prohibits commercial tourist development in national parks and does not give increased access to four wheel driving, horse riding or other high impact activities.
Ask her to count it as a submission to the NPWS public access strategy. You can also attend two public meetings: November 7 in Glebe or November 14 at Katoomba. For more information, contact Total Environment Centre on (02) 9247 4714.