By Tom McLoughlin, recounting an experience a good 5 years before ever getting involved in environmental politics, as a science and law student at Australian National University.

It was about 1987, a clear biting cold autumn night in the Brindabella Ranges. I had cycled up the unsealed roads of the Brindabella Ranges west of Canberra. It was a blessed relief from the planned government town and the memories of stuffy libraries. I took the trip on my own, the typical lone adventurer, or in this case almost misadventure.

I was “bushed”, worn out, buggered, stuffed, caked in sweat by this time of early evening. The junction of three tracks appeared ahead of the corrugated dirt track I was glaring at from my bike seat, known grandly as Piccadilly Circus at the low summit of  the approach ridge line. Time to rest, time to map read. After some food I thought about what next?

Keep going? Out of the question.

Kip down next to the intersection? Mmm could be log trucks, could be hoons, could be crazies. (What a prescient thought.) It was only two legged wildlife that worried me even as a brash 25 year old.

There was a big clearing of bracken and fallen logs to one side about 50 metres wide so in there would have to do. The night sky was spectacular. It didn’t worry me being out in the isolated bush having undertaken any number of walks, especially the celebrated “Inward Bound” annual competition at ANU.

First hide the bike from view of prying eyes. Then tired limbs struggled with creating some comfort zone inside the tight sleeping bag due to layers of clothes. Sleep of the honest was fast approaching. Then the hum of a car engine from afar.

I first saw the flaring headlights shoving aside the star shine,  winding their way between the trees heralding a more dangerous reality . The engine got louder and the tyres dragged on the dessicated dirt and stones. Was I really out of sight? Could the visitors see the bicycle reflectors? What if I announced myself at this late stage? Best to play possum I thought.

Engines off. Headlights off.

Then the blazing spotlight launched over the clearing methodically moving from one side and edging across scanning each fallen log and frond of green. Then off as abruptly as it violently cut the night. My heart was in my mouth. If I moved would I be shot … by accident, a two legged bush pig. Would I be buried with the negligent crime not a word to be spoken? My weary head raced to full alert. 

The silent blacker than black seconds passed then wham, the beam of light cut the night again. I could feel the searching intelligence fan over my bivouac again. Then again all silence. It was only a minute since they arrived but it was half an hour in my head and I remember it like yesterday even if it was 20 years ago. Fear does that. Real fear, not the movie theatre kind. 

No shots rang out. Just light to flush a kangaroo or wild pig or rabbit. Then deathly silence and black. This happened twice more. I never regretted laying low. I thank God I was out of sight not just by intention but also by luck. It was passing traffic I was worried about not a laser like searchlight backed with the precision of a 303.

Just as those shooters were not thinking a student refugee from the concreted Canberra would be traipsing around alone in ‘their’ forest territory. Obviously theirs, not by title deeds, not by law, or even general knowledge, theirs by the domestic real politik of their gun. 

The stuff of fatal accidents and a bad memory that has only arisen after reading about the Iemma Govt intention to open perhaps 400,000 hectares of public tenure forest to sporting shooters of mixed reliability and reputation. A change prefaced by the 2^nd most powerful man in the USA, Dick Cheney, shooting a friend by accident recently. 

But it would have been an accident if I had panicked, had moved, had been shot clean through dying in the middle of no where to sounds of anguished curses of the shooter, before I had climbed Mt Aspiring, before several relationships, before walking the Kokoda Track or seeing the huge obelisk in St Peters Square or the 5000 year old stone shelter in Ireland.

It would have been an accident, the difference is today it is a totally foreseeable, preventable accident in NSW public forests.

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National Parks Association of NSW

2 March 2006

National Parks Association of NSW are outraged that massive areas of State forests across NSW have been handed over this week to recreational hunters for their exclusive use for at least five years.

The orders to declare 34 State forests as dedicated hunting areas comes into effect on 1 March 2006. This will mean that a massive 400,000 hectares of State forests will be out of bounds unless you have written permission. See the full list of areas attached.

"The latest hunting orders, along with orders covering four other State forests issued in February, will be the first time the Game Council has used its special powers to close off State forests to all but hunters," said Andrew Cox, NPA Executive Officer.

"We do not believe that the Game Council can manage hunting responsibility. It is a statutory body governed by a majority of hunters, created by the Labor Government at the insistence of the Shooters Party in 2001."

"The Game Council is dressing up its work to appear to assist with feral animal control, but there is no evidence that they are adopting a strategic approach to feral animal control. Behind the scenes they have been working to undermine efforts to protect threatened species, such as their opposition to the listing of deer as a 'key threatening process' under the Threatened Species Conservation Act."

"Recreational hunters are notorious for introducing feral pigs, dogs and deer into new areas, and limiting the numbers of feral animals shot for later visits." said Mr Cox. For example pigs now common in national parks in the Yerranderie area near Oberon were deliberately introduced by recreational hunters.

"The Game Council is required to give 30 days notice before the declarations are made, but there is no process to consider objections. The hunting areas automatically take effect 30 days after the notice is advertised, regardless of the issues raised."

"Most of the state forests now closed for hunting were used by the public for a range of passive recreational pursuits, including walking, birdwatching, camping and car touring."

"Now the forests, many within close proximity to large towns on the north coast, south coast, central west and the Riverina, will be ringing to the sound of bullets."

"The Iemma Government must abandon its support for the gun lobby and hand back our public places for everybody to safely enjoy," concluded Mr Cox.

Contact:        Andrew Cox 9299 0000 (w); 0438 588 040 (mob)

STATE FORESTS DECLARED HUNTING AREAS FOR FIVE YEARS FROM 1 MARCH 2006

 

NATIONAL PARKS ASSOCIATION OF NSW

Hon. Morris Iemma

NSW Premier

Level 40 GMT

1 Farrer Place

Sydney NSW 2000

Copy:    Hon. Ian MacDonald, Minister for Primary Industries

            Hon. Bob Debus, Minister for the Environment

7 March 2006

Dear Premier,

National Parks Association of NSW (NPA) is concerned about the implementation of the Game and Animal Control Act and the proposed creation of hunting areas in State forests.

Over the last two months the Minister for Primary Industries has published draft orders proposing to declare 38 State forests as hunting areas under the Game and Feral Animal Control Act. The publication of the final order is due to take place this Friday, 10 March that will proceed with 31 of the proposed 38 areas. The hunting orders will impact on the environmental values and public use of 31 State forests, covering a total area of close to 400,000 hectares.

 NPA believes that the Game Council has failed to properly consult with the public for a major change in the activities on public land and appears unable to respond to legitimate concerns already raised.

NPA supports improved efforts to better deal with the serious impact of invasive species. We do not believe that the model advanced by the Game Council will achieve the improvement needed.

NPA urges your Government to delay the imminent finalisation of the hunting order declarations.

We are concerned with proceeding with the current system for the following reasons:

1.      There was no genuine consultation with the community on the suitability of allowing hunting in the proposed State forests. Consultation had taken place with recreational hunters and most immediate landholders, however regular users of the State forests and conservation groups were not consulted. I was told that NPA’s views on the Game Council were well known, thus it appears our comments on four draft orders were dismissed for this reason.

2.      There was insufficient time to respond to the proposed areas and draft orders. The draft order for 34 areas was first published in the Government Gazette on 3 February and local papers at a similar time. The Game Council planned to finalise the order on 3 March, but has since delayed it one week, to 10 March. This gives:

a)     a short time for notification before the order is implemented (about five weeks) and

b)     no time for the Game Council or other party to review and analyse the results of any public feedback, consider how the comments should be taken into consideration and advise the Minister. Any similar process would allow for up to three months public consultation and one month or more for analysis of comments prior to consideration by the Minister.

3.      No demonstrated link between the role of hunters and existing feral animal control programs or threatened species/threat abatement plans. At this stage the Game Council is only making general statements about its role in feral animal control. There is no detail about how hunters will strategically assist with feral animal threats, why and how.

4.      Lack of clarity about the impact on continuing public access to State forests. It has been suggested by an advisor to the Minister for Primary Industries that the public will be excluded from the areas used by hunters, but the details on this are lacking. The Game Council says they will not be excluded. The public would be extremely interested because:

a)     Many areas are popular with campers, walkers, field naturalists, birdwatchers and car tourers.

b)     There are legitimate safety concerns that the public needs to consider in order to make meaningful comment

c)     Many areas have sensitive natural environments and contain threatened species

d)     The mechanism to exclude the public is unclear. Is this done via the Game Council through hunting orders, or by Forests NSW?

5.      There is no information about the next step in the process about refining the areas and timing of the use of hunting areas. What happens next and how is the broader public involved in providing input into this?

6.      There is no independent process for supervising the hunting system, dealing with complaints or enforcing the rules. Monitoring and compliance is currently conducted by the Game Council, a hunting dominated body

7.      The analysis of response by landholders already conducted by the Game Council has been biased and incorrectly suggesting greater support than was demonstrated by the responses.

8.      It is difficult in developing confidence in a body whose governing body has a majority of recreational hunters.

9.      Areas of State forest conserved for conservation (Forestry Management Zones 1, 2 or 3b) will be available for hunting

10.  The boundaries of State forests are often indistinguishable on the ground and bullets could travel into adjacent areas such as national parks or private property

11.  There has been no environmental assessment of:

a)     the use of dogs by hunters

b)     the impact of hunting on threatened species, including those that may be mistakenly shot for a target feral species due to their similar appearance

NPA would appreciate an urgent response to our concerns.

Yours sincerely

Andrew Cox

Executive Officer
National Parks Association of NSW
PO Box A96, Sydney South NSW 1235
Tel: 02 9299 0000; Fax: 02 9290 2525
Email: execofficer@npansw.org.au
Website: www.npansw.org.au

'working together to protect natural areas'

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[2nd letter by diverse regional green umbrella group for south eastern NSW]

SOUTH EAST REGION CONSERVATION ALLIANCE

Hon Ian Macdonald

Minister for Primary Industries                     
Level 33 Governor Macquarie Tower  

Farrer Place Sydney

28 February 2005

Proposed recreational hunting in state forests (Gov. Gazette 3 Feb 2006 pp. 605 to 740)

Dear Mr  Macdonald,

At a meeting of the South East Region Conservation Alliance (SERCA) in Narooma on 18 February 2005 it was resolved that the organisation did not support recreational hunting in state forests. It considers it neither effective nor humane. The meeting asked me to convey the following areas of concern.

a) Results of hunting trials that have been conducted in the region need to be made available to the public.

b) The process may increase the number and range of feral animals in the region, including national parks, due to illegal stocking.

c) Negative impacts on the environment may range from physical damage and introduction of weeds to accidental death of non-target endemic species.

d) Hunting will impact on the safety and enjoyment of the public in the state forests and adjacent lands, including recreational users of national parks.

e) There is a need for baseline data on current feral animal population numbers in order to validate any conclusions that may be made relating to the impact of “conservation hunting” on such populations

f) There is a need for independent monitoring of the process and outcomes

g) The Regulatory Authority should not be the hunters

yours sincerely

Fiona McCrossin

(Hon Secretary)

cc Brian Boyle Acting CEO, Game Council

cc Hon Bob Debus

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