| BULLDOZED MOONSCAPE TO BECOME RIVER OF WEEDS | |
30 May 2001
The environmental disaster caused by Transgrid is set to become a river of weeds as it was announced today that hay bales are being placed in the national parks to prevent erosion.
"The Minister for the Environment must suspend the control program using hay bales and act quickly to stabilise erosion with benign material", said Andrew Cox, Executive Officer of the National Parks Association of NSW.
"The hay bales will be a major source of seeds, regardless of how weed-free the paddock it is sourced appears to be."
"Hay bales will also attract native wildlife to the regenerating scars. Grazing wallabies and other animals will then prevent natural regeneration."
"The NPA seeks a major change to the way easements in national parks are managed."
"Current guidelines controlling easements must become legally binding with severe penalties for any breeches and NPWS notification and supervision for all works. A serious breach should see the powerline removed from the national park."
"Powerline easements create environmental impacts, even when well managed, and the powerline authorities must make contributions to national park management, especially feral animal, pest species and fire management programs."
"The Government should uncover the facts in the NSW park system’s worst environmental vandalism ever."
"Transgrid must receive the maximum fines, pay for all costs for the long-term remediation program, and offset the damage with further contributions to the environmental management of the affected parks."
"And we don’t know where the vegetation, rock and other material cleared from the 60km clearing has disappeared to."
"Even though you can see the clearing from Canberra suburbs, it took several weeks for a stop work order to be issued, and then the media had to uncover the disaster," concluded Mr Cox.
Contact: Andrew Cox 9299 0000 or 0438 588 040