NPWS threatened

NPWS threatened

SYDNEY — The National Parks and Wildlife Service in NSW is to be dismembered in new cabinet arrangements being made by the Greiner Liberal government.

Greiner has proposed splitting the NPWS into a National Parks Service responsible solely for management of existing reserves, and a separate identification and acquisition policy unit directly responsible to environment minister Tim Moore.

This means, says the Wilderness Society, that the crucial task of determining NSW nature conservation needs would be taken "out of the hands of the experts and given to the politicians".

"The NPWS, by continuing to identify areas worthy of protection, and by presenting the government with facts regarding our nature conservation needs, have obviously rocked the boat once too often", said society spokesperson Karen Jurd.

"State recreation areas will now be managed by Garry West, under the umbrella of 'Conservation and Land Management'. We will end up with multiple-use areas, with forestry and mining running rampant. It looks like the first step towards 'resource security' in NSW."

From GLW issue 16