FERAL HORSE HERITAGE STUDY ROAD TO RUIN FOR NATIONAL PARKS

Wednesday, 21 March 2001 10:00

The Total Environment Centre (TEC), which - with other peak environment groups - has called on the government to restore the option of aerial culling feral horses in national parks, has demanded the Government start putting national park protection and scientific facts ahead of talk back opinion.

"We can't believe that the government is going this far. First it prevents effective control of feral horse numbers by banning the previously condoned method of aerial culling. Now it wants to give the run of national parks to these destructive feral animals," said TEC natural areas campaigner Fran Kelly.

"Why doesn't the Government go the whole way and call for heritage protection for rats, pigs, goats, rabbits, foxes or any other introduced feral. After all anything could be considered heritage to anyone who feels sympathy for it, but it doesn't mean it should therefore be protected," said Ms Kelly.

"Everyone is aware of the huge damage done to the natural environment by large hoofed feral animals - soil erosion, damage to creeks and rivers, loss of habitat and food for native animals are some of the impacts. The Government should be protecting the natural environment in our national parks, not condemning it to further destruction."

"Anyone who wants to protect these animals should keep them on their own private land not in the 6% of NSW that has been set aside for nature conservation in our National Parks," said Ms Kelly.

"If the Government was really serious about protecting what is left of our natural environment, it would be defending our national parks and the National Parks and Wildlife Service for doing a great job in managing them, not making it hard to protect them," said Ms Kelly.