Letter

The Hon Bob Debus also to Director Gen NPWS and Bob Carr
Minister for the Environment

ACQUISITION NECESSARY FOR THREATENED SPECIES

Dear Mr Debus

Our Association notes that Lot 2 DP 725902 Termeil, City of Shoalhaven, is once again on the market. We urge the government to acquire the land for addition to the Murramarang National Park. If the NSW NPWS does not have sufficient money in its land acquisition fund then it should be advanced enough for the purchase.

We strongly believe that adding the land to the National Park is the only sound course of action both economically and environmentally

REASONS

Economic

If the land is subdivided (as approved) it will inevitably cost the government (taxpayers) more in the long run than acquisition of the property now.

Fire hazard management in adjoining areas, increased fire fighting due to escapes into the park, and "disaster" relief or compensation to land owners if they are affected by fire from the park, will all be more costly with subdivision of the land. The NPWS will also face additional costs in both time and money negotiating with the extra neighbours about such things as pets, fencing, and access for horses, etc. Monitoring and regulating activities that could impact on the Park and threatened species will be particularly difficult and costly.

Environmental

The Fauna and Flora Assessment only deals with some of the threatened species that are likely to be affected. For instance, it does not say that the CRA Assessments identified the area as core habitat for Spotted-tail (= Tiger) Quoll, Squirrel Gliders and White-footed Dunnart. The Flora and Fauna Assessment also incorrectly claims there are no significant rock overhangs which could be used by bats. One of our members has visited some of the drainage lines on the property where there are such overhangs.

Even so the Flora and Fauna Assessment clearly states that, to avoid significant impacts on threatened species, conditions of consent must be in place "to ensure that habitat removal and modification are minimal and that extensive clearing is not necessary for bushfire control purposes" (p 29)

However, the recommendations to mitigate effects on habitat will not work in practice. Once the land is subdivided and in private ownership it is virtually impossible to ensure that habitat is not removed or modified.

Who is going to police these conditions? How often will private properties be checked? When it occurs, how can habitat destruction be remedied before threatened species are affected?

It is dishonest to pretend that properties will not be significantly cleared or underscrubbed for fire hazard reduction, grazing, etc, or that big old hollow trees will not be felled for safety reasons. In fact such clearing is probably required by new planning instruments covering building in bushfire prone areas.

So many threatened species are likely to be affected that the only environmentally sound decision is to add the land to Murramarang National Park.

CONCLUSION

We would like to congratulate the government on extending the boundaries of Murramarang National Park to the low tide mark. This should somewhat simplify management for the protection of breeding endangered shore birds.

Extension of the National Park by the addition of the Termeil property will also simplify management and significantly benefit many other endangered species.