NSW ENVIRONMENT GROUP CONDEMNS NATIONAL PARKS BOSS FOR BOWING TO 4WD BULLY BOYS

Friday, 20 October 2000 10:00

"The deal between the NPWS and the Recreational Four Wheel Drive Clubs of NSW and ACT giving a privileged say over national park management should be condemned for the 'rights' it delivers to a high-impact but minority group of park users," said natural areas campaigner Fran Kelly.

"This MOU seems to be a letter of defeat from the head of NPWS to a group that has done nothing but unjustifiably criticise the Service and national parks relentlessly over the past few years. What a great precedent it sets," said Ms Kelly.

"Following the logic in this MOU, every possible interest group could get special rights and attention from the NPWS regardless of how damaging their wishes are. What about MOUs with two-wheel-drivers to tar over all dirt roads so they can get access too, or MOUs with developers wanting to build hotels in national parks?" said Ms Kelly. Why stop at four-wheel-drivers?"

"National Parks make up about 5% of the State and are meant to be primarily for nature conservation. The key to protecting these areas from impacts such as rubbish dumping, firewood and bushrock removal, arson, and vandalism is controlling vehicle access, but this MOU flies in the face of this," said Ms Kelly.

"Four-wheel-drivers already have enormous access rights to thousands of kilometres of road through national parks and State Forest. They don't need more," said Ms Kelly.

"When is the NPWS boss going to get the guts to stand up to groups that don't represent the interests of the vast majority of parks users and who believe parks are primarily for their use and not for their intended purpose - nature conservation," said Ms Kelly.