National Parks Journal, DECEMBER 1998, pages 3 to 5

From the President

Recent storms have brought a sad reminder that conservation is not just about aesthetics, or scientific curiosity, or adventure, or quiet recreation. Failure to conserve nature wisely can lead to practical problems that affect everyone. For example, we are working to rectify deficiencies in the Mining Act to avoid repetition of disasters such as the recent collapse of the Wingecarribee Swamp into the drinking water supply for the Southern Highlands.

The fight for the remaining old growth forests continues. Near Eden we have some new park areas declared where previous governments had delivered nothing. Meanwhile, unsustainable forest practices continue, with the prospect of even less public scrutiny in future.

The government also faces an awkward decision about Perisher: between conservation principles and the aspirations of big business.

The news is better in the western part of the state. The expansion of Gundabooka National Park by the acquisition of Mulgowan Station, west of Bourke, is most welcome. There are also exciting, but as yet unannounced, developments for protection of wetlands in western NSW through the international Ramsar Convention.

NPA recognises a demand for outdoor recreation in places where nature would not be unduly harmed by horse riding, dog walking and so on. We are developing proposals for suitable locations that would both satisfy a public need and reduce pressure for harmful activities in sensitive natural areas.

I wish all members and friends a joyful and safe outdoor Christmas.

Tom Fink

Western NSW at the Frontline
Noel Plumb Executive Officer

In October this year, some members of the Association and I toured the north-west of NSW looking at a number of current nature reserves and national parks as well as some potential new reserve areas.

Our tour came at a time that many would say was very unusual for far western NSW. Instead of the usual vista of red earth and rocky, worndown orange ranges with a threadbare cover of brown and grey scrub, we saw a land cloaked in green with swathes of wildflowers, yellow and white, purple and blue.

In fact this was a typical time if you recognise the natural pattern of drought and flood, of scarcity and plenty, which dominates this land. A pattern which early pastoralists and farmers failed to recognise with consequent enormous environmental damage to the land. The legacy of unsustainable pastoralism has been compounded by the lack of a significant system of nature conservation reserves: only slightly more than 2% of western NSW is conserved.

Missing from the landscape are many species of small mammals, birds and plants, which are either extinct, regionally extinct or reduced to nominal populations under the impact of overgrazing, land clearing, feral animals (ranging from foxes to goats) and the loss of the traditional land management of the Aboriginal people.

But the Aboriginal people are still here in western NSW, despite their dispossession by pastoral interests, in ways that are not evident or possible in the crowded east. Many traditional owners and tribal groups retain local identity and a continuing association with their traditional language, land and ways. Sadly, many live marginal lives on the fringes of regional towns, divorced from the care of their traditional lands and beset by health and social problems.

There is a strong case for Aboriginal ownership and joint management of many national parks in western NSW as part of the spectrum of reconciliation and support to rebuild Aboriginal lives and aspirations. There are real opportunities under the Aboriginal ownership provisions of the National Parks and Wildlife Act to achieve some better connections between Aboriginal people and their traditional lands; to mitigate some of the inequalities of employment, training and economic benefits which beset western communities; and at the same time extend the national parks system in western NSW.

The NPA has supported this approach with the handover and leaseback of Mutawintji NP to traditional owners. We have also encouraged the Minister for the Environment to pursue discussions concerning possible Aboriginal ownership of Gundabooka NP, following its recent extension by 50% through the acquisition of land with significant Aboriginal heritage.

Unfortunately, our support for this approach is still strongly qualified because of deficiencies in the Aboriginal ownership provisions, which do not give sufficient assurance of long-term tenure as national parks, and are too open ended as to the extent of the public national parks estate that can be claimed for transfer to `private' Aboriginal ownership. The legislation also leaves open possibilities of economic development and occupation unrelated to the primary nature conservation purposes of a national park, and sows the seeds of future conflict through an unbalanced structure for the boards of management for such parks.

NPA has brought most of these problems to the attention of the government and we are hopeful that, assisted by goodwill and cooperation from the NSW Aboriginal Land Council, a satisfactory resolution can be reached. This will clear the way for whole-hearted support for many such arrangements in the west of NSW.

p4 DECEMBER 1998

News

NPA goes west
Tag-along tour to the west of NSW, 17-25 October 1998
This tour was organised by NPA Sydney Branch as an adjunct to the Western lecture series, the idea being to learn more about the wild West. Twenty of us in five vehicles set off from Springwood apprehensive about the chances of the weather allowing us to follow the original itinerary of our guide, Roger Lembit.

At Goonoo State Forest, just north of Dubbo, Don Nicholson and Warwick Brady gave us a good talk on the forest. Then up the Kidman Way from Cobar to Gundabooka NP, where Tim Lanyon briefed us and showed us some of the Aboriginal art sites before we had to leave because of rain. At Nocoleche NR, near Wanaaring, Wayne Crawford took us on a most informative tour of the reserve, which has seldom been so green and the Paroo River so swollen at this time of year.

At Mutawintji NP Mark Sutton, one of the Aboriginal owners, greeted us. A tour of a few of the rich art sites in the park was enhanced because our guide, Gerald Quayle, was so knowledgable about his ancestors. The party split into smaller groups to do a variety of walks the next day.

Then after 400 km mostly on the Barrier Highway, we joined Rob Hurst at Mount Grenfell for a tour of the historic site. A welcome hot shower at the Cobar Caravan Park refreshed us for the next day's drive to the northern end of Goobang NP, near Parkes, where we were met and shown round by Colin Macdonald, President of Lachlan Valley Branch.

A very rewarding trip, made possible by the work of Sydney Branch's Julie Senior and many helpful NPWS staff.

Peter Caldwell
Sydney Branch President

Western Project & RACAC assessment
After decades of focus on an adequate reserve system for the east coast, some real attention is finally turning to western NSW. The NSW Government - through the Resource Conservation and Assessment Council - is slowly, oh so slowly, beginning the process of comprehensive data collection and assessment, hopefully leading to expansion of the reserve system. Although a major datacollation project was ostensibly initiated in December 1997, after 6 months of discussion with RACAC it is only now beginning to happen - it even took 6 months to appoint the RACAC project manager! With less than 5% of any central or western land system in conservation reserves, with many systems represented by less than 1%, conservation is a priority. It is also clear that with little unencumbered public land available, some innovative conservation partnerships will be needed.

The NPA/WWF joint Western NSW Conservation Project has been urging RACAC to action, and has now taken responsibility for one of the data-collation projects, a review of parallel processes of data collection. That is, identifying the sources and extent of existing information, so that we can minimise duplication and waste of resources. We are preparing to facilitate community input to the first assessment areas: the redgum and native-pine forests and box-ironbark woodlands.

The NPA/WWF project team has prepared public information sheets on these areas; calling the NPA Office on 02 9233 4660 if you are interested.

Rochelle Thompson Western Project Forests Officer

Western scene - River Murray near Picnic Point, Millewa SF/Barmah State Park (Vic) ROB JUNG PHOTO NO 2 CROP WHITE BORDER REDUCE BY 25%

DECEMBER 1998 p5

Latham Report #2
Sydney Branch has commissioned Helen Latham to undertake a major revision of her report on national park proposals for the greater Sydney region.

The initial report, produced in 1995, contained detailed descriptions and maps of over 100 proposal areas. It provided NPA and the NPWS with a wellresearched compilation of the conservation values for many of the unprotected natural lands near Sydney. Thankfully, a few areas have been added to the national park estate since the first report - notably Scheyville National Park, Castlereagh Nature Reserve and Berowra Valley Regional Park.

The second edition of Helen's report will build on the first, by adding many new areas to our list of proposals. This will provide the NSW Government with important information for providing Sydney with a representative and adequate reserve system for the next millenium. NPA will launch the report this summer.

Stephen Lord NPA Vice-President NPA hosts national meetings The Annual Meeting of the Australian National Parks Council was hosted by NPA NSW in October. It was agreed at the meeting to change the name of the Council to "National Parks Australia Council" (NPAC).

Anne Reeves, NPA Vice-President, was elected President of the Council.

NPAC members shared information on the year's work and future initiatives, and agreed to investigate options for better sharing of information and policies. A national conference on national parks in 1999 was also proposed. If you would like more information about the NPAC contact the NPA office to receive copies of their newsletter.

NPA also hosted the first community information workshop on the National Reserves System Program, on 19 October. Presentations were given by Environment Australia, State agencies and other organisations involved in the funding and acquisition of new reserves.

NPAC is overseeing a project to help disseminate information on the NRS, and will be producing an information package for community groups early next year. More information on the NPAC project can be obtained from Mike Thompson at NPA; and general information on the National Reserves System Program from the Environment Australia website.

Pip Walsh NPA delegate to NPAC

NPA website change We have a temporary? new address, to cut a long story short, at http://NPANSW.cjb.net

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