Meeting debates protection of NSW national parks
By Chris Spindler
SYDNEY — The Carr Labor government is taking NSW national parks down the commercialisation road via its recently drafted "Access Strategy Plan".
Up to 300 people attended a lively meeting in Glebe Town Hall on November 7 to oppose the plan, which will give greater access to national parks by commercial tourist ventures and high-impact recreation groups.
The Total Environment Centre, the National Parks Association, Australian Conservation Foundation, the Wilderness Society and the Confederation of Bushwalking Clubs have banded together to oppose this strategy and the soon to be released Tourism Strategy Plan, which can open the door to tourist resort developments in national parks.
The lively meeting heard Penny Figgis, vice-president of ACF, Felicity Wade, NSW campaign coordinator for the Wilderness Society, and Greens MLC Ian Cohen state the case for a strategy which puts wilderness protection of national parks at the top of the agenda.
Wade, who is also the coordinator of the Hinchinbrook campaign for the Wilderness Society, detailed the impact of four wheel driving, such as road construction cutting the forest canopy, the crushing of vegetation and soil compaction. Under the government's strategy, an extra 7000 kilometres of roads may be opened up to vehicle users.
Cohen detailed a political strategy which includes a highly visible campaign leading into the state election in 18 months. Cohen indicated that Labor can't automatically rely on the support of environmentalists.
Two motions were passed at the end of the meeting. The first called on Pam Allan, state minister for the environment, to scrap the draft strategy and give precedence to nature conservation above commercial development and access to four wheel drivers and other high-impact activities such as horse riding. The second condemned Allan for her overt encouragement of high-impact recreation options.
Both motions were carried almost unanimously, only those representing the Outdoor Recreation Party, the Public Land Users Alliance and the Four Wheel Drive Association voting against.