Colong Foundation for Wilderness
Media Releases
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Colong Foundation Media Releases (2003 archive)
Guy Fawkes Horse Plan Sets New Benchmark for NSW Park Management - 19 Dec 03
Main Road 92 a waste of money - will be a white elephant - 7 Nov. 03
RTA road grab will cause unacceptable fragmentation of Kosciuszko National Park - 28 Oct. 03
States must resist Federal move to char our wilderness - 6 Oct. 03
Katoomba meeting rejects Newnes Junct. sand mine & calls for national park prot. - 24 Oct. 03
Meeting tonight in Katoomba against plans for Blue Mountains sand mine - 23 Oct. 03
There are many better alternatives to sand mining at Newnes Junction - 17 Oct. 03
Opposition grows against the proposed Newnes Junction Quarry - 29 Sept. 03
Comment period on Sand quarry proposal extended; EIS no good - 6 Sept. 03
Strategic Plan threatens Blue Mountains World Heritage - 8 August 2003
The Colong Foundation turns 35 years old - 2 August, 2003
Call to Protect the Yengo wilderness - Tuesday 29 July, 2003
Call to de-register the Outdoor Recreation Party - 10 July 2003
National Parks, Not Telco Parks - 26 June 03
Kosciuszko handed over to feral animals - 20 June 2003
Call to protect Deua wilderness - June 12, 2003
Environment groups welcome Chief Minister's stand on feral horses - 11 June 2003
4WD’s have no place in Canberra’s catchments and wilderness areas - 5 June 03
BHP Dendrobium Mine pushes weaker protection in catchment - 5 June, 2003
BHP Dendrobium Mine threatens dam and catchment safety - 4 June, 2003
Land Values increase with Wilderness - Friday 7 March 2003
Wilderness the Essential Green Credential - Wednesday 5 March 2003
Blue Mountains’ new Plan should prevent further unsewered development - 11 Feb 03
Guy
Fawkes Horse Plan Set New Benchmark
for NSW Park Management
COLONG FOUNDATION FOR WILDERNESS
NATIONAL PARKS ASSOCIATION OF NSW
19 December 2003
Environment groups today praised a newly released horse management plan for Guy Fawkes River National Park for its objective to rid the park of feral horses. However, the groups continue to be concerned about the limitations placed on the National Parks and Wildlife Service due to the NSW Government's ban on aerial shooting and its lack of commitment to eradication of feral horses from other parks such as Kosciuszko.
"The Guy Fawkes Plan released on Wednesday aims to remove all feral horses from the Park within 5 years, setting up checks and balances to ensure that this is achieved effectively, humanely, and with minimal impact on the sensitive national park environment. " said Fiona McCrossin, Assistant Director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.
"The Colong Foundation and the National Parks Association of NSW welcome the fact that Guy Fawkes, unlike Kosciuszko, has not sought to introduce the ineffective, inhumane and ecologically damaging method of roping and will only use mustering as a last resort. However, we believe that the Guy Fawkes’ plan to trap horses in yards and paddocks will be ineffective in reducing numbers faster than the horses will breed," said Ms McCrossin.
"The Colong Foundation and National Parks Association of NSW believe that the Guy Fawkes’ Plan is set to fail unless aerial shooting is reinstated as a control method. Aerial shooting of horses was banned by Environment Minister, Bob Debus in 2000," said Andrew Cox, NPA Executive Officer.
"Aerial shooting has been proven to be the most humane and effective method to control large numbers of horses, provided it is done by professionally trained shooters under RSPCA agreed protocols. This fact is acknowledged in the Plan. In the rugged gorges of Guy Fawkes, it will be the only way that most horses will be removed."
"We welcome the objective of the Plan to make Guy Fawkes free of feral horses. This is in stark contrast to Kosciuszko National Park and surrounding areas, where more than 2,000 feral horses have been without an effective control program for more than 10 years."
"We call on the Minister for the Environment to remove the state-wide ban on aerial shooting of horses and initiate a whole-of-park feral horse management plan, modelled on the Guy Fawkes Horse Management Plan, for other parks in NSW, including Kosciuszko." Said Mr Cox.
"To exclude effective and humane methods of feral horse control for political expediency will do a disservice to NSW national parks and the feral horses themselves." concluded Ms McCrossin and Mr Cox.
For further information please contact: Fiona McCrossin 9261 2400 (W) 9568 1309 (AH)
Andrew Cox 9299 0000 (W); 0438 588 040 (mob)
Main Road 92 Upgrade a waste of money
Green group predicts road upgrade will be a White Elephant
Friday 7 November 2003
ATTENTION: CHIEF OF STAFF, NEWS DESK, ENVIRONMENT WRITER
“The economic assessment for the Nowra to Nerriga Road upgrade has “cooked the books” by including the benefits of future works west of Nerriga. The assessment relies on Tallaganda and Mulwaree councils sealing many kilometres of road and without these works the upgrade is a complete waste of money”, said Keith Muir director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.
“The Nerriga Road upgrade must connect with the State’s major road arteries. The economic assessment has also ignored the need to upgrade major crossings. It is ludicrous that the road’s economic assessment did not provide for the necessary bridges, but incorporated the future benefits of a fully upgraded road system as if these bridges existed” said Mr Muir.
“The project is claimed to be the future link joining the Illawarra with Canberra and Melbourne. Yet the economic assessment assumes that the Oallen Ford across the Shoalhaven River and the single lane wooden Charleyong Bridge across the Mongarlowe River would be retained. Both crossings are inappropriate for a major road and dangerous,” Mr Muir said.
“The road upgrade will only be economic if it generates significant levels of traffic. The economic assessment for the road upgrade assumes the road will become both a major tourist link and a heavy freight road. This again raises safety concerns and suggests that perhaps the study invented the traffic to generate an economic return”, he said.
“The Nerriga Road upgrade project is half-baked and the road money should be spent elsewhere. Currently less than 120 vehicles use the road on an average daily basis, and this compares with 4,000 vehicles a day using the Princes Highway at Termil. The money would be obviously better spent on the Princes Highway south of Nowra, than on this White Elephant,” said Mr Muir.
“It is a mathematical certainty that more wildlife related road accidents will result from the increased traffic speeds through remote national park areas if the upgrade goes ahead. The destruction of wildlife and 54 hectares of forest within the national park for a road not connected to the rest of the state just does not make sense,” Mr Muir said.
“The NSW Government should reject this dodgy proposal and consider more environmentally friendly ways of improving the safety of the existing road” said Mr Muir.
For more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550 3615 (ah)
RTA road grab will cause unacceptable
fragmentation
of Kosciuszko National Park
28 October, 2003
“A NSW Government proposal to amend the National Parks and Wildlife Act was released today that if passed would excise roads from the Kosciuszko National Park. The legislation is essentially unnecessary and would further fragment park management”, said Keith Muir director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.
“The proposed excision of the Alpine Way and Kosciuszko Road is unwarranted as administrative measures to ensure road stability and safety do not require alienation of parklands,” he said.
“The RTA would be more susceptible than the NPWS to pressure from ski resort operators to upgrade roads. Such road development plans will be strongly opposed. And any push for the RTA to conduct snow clearing to Charlottes Pass will also be strongly opposed. Such initiatives would further encourage private vehicle use and lead to further damaging development within the park”, said Mr Muir.
“The Alpine Way and Kosciuszko Road have an unacceptably high level of wildlife kills due to the amount and excessive speed of the traffic accessing the ski resorts. If the Alpine Way and Kosciuszko Road are upgraded the number of serious accidents with wildlife would only increase”, Mr Muir said.
“The foreshadowed bill to excise park roads will further entrench private vehicle use instead of encouraging public transport, such as the Ski Tube,” Mr Muir said.
“The draft plan of management for Kosciuszko National Park has not been released and already there are moves to alienate more parkland”, he said.
“Placing a management priority on access for private vehicles is an old fashioned approach to park management that fails to minimise the ecological footprint of visitor use. The new plan should strengthen protection for the park and develop a public transport vision for Kosciuszko National Park,” Mr Muir said.
For more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550 3615 (ah)
STATES
MUST RESIST FEDERAL MOVE
TO CHAR OUR WILDERNESS
Thursday 6 October 2003
The release of the Nairn Report into last summer’s bushfires was met with a cautious response from a NSW Environment Group today. The Colong Foundation for Wilderness warned that the report was tainted with many long held views that our last natural areas needed to be charred.
“A strategic approach to inevitable fire events is always welcome. However, the Nairn Report’s references to possible changes in the management of Australia’s last remaining natural areas, including wilderness, need to be read with caution. said Fiona McCrossin, assistant Director of the Colong Foundation.
“Further, the Colong Foundation deplores that the Federal Government for tying state access to “National Heritage Trust and like programmes” to the provision of “comprehensive bush fire management plans” (Recommendation 58). Just who will determine how “comprehensive “ a fire plan is? This conditional access to public funds could be construed as a blatant attempt by the Federal Government to instigate ecologically damaging land use practices on the States and the Australian people.” said Ms McCrossin
“The Report’s recommendations would lead to: increased burning in national parks; increased grazing, even in alpine and subalpine areas; and increased vehicular access to wilderness areas.” stressed Ms McCrossin.
“The State Government did not submit to the Nairn Committee because of its predicted bias and we support the NSW Minister for the Environment, Bob Debus, in his stand on the report. Further, we agree with the Member for Cunningham, Michael Organ, who said in his dissenting report that “rather than simply “burn more” …It is important for us to remember that bushfires will always be a part of life in Australia – we cannot avoid them”.” cited Ms McCrossin.
“It is absolutely paramount that we do not implement fire management regimes that will put the last remnants of Australia’s natural environment at risk. This is already happening in the United States, where President Bush has, through a Bill currently before government, plans to let the US Forest Service speed its so-called "fuel-reduction projects" — the burning of underbrush and thinning of trees — on 20 million acres of federal woodlands.” concluded Ms McCrossin.
For further comment please ring Fiona McCrossin on 9261 2400 or 9568 1309 (AH)
Colong Foundation for Wilderness
National Parks Association of NSW
Blue Mountains Conservation Society
Katoomba meeting rejects Newnes Junction sand mine and calls for national park protection
24 October 2003
ATTENTION: CHIEF OF STAFF, NEWS DESK
Last night a public meeting in Katoomba overwhelming opposed the Newnes Junction sand mine, the National Parks Association of NSW, Blue Mountains Conservation Society and the Colong Foundation for Wilderness reported.
“A packed hall strongly supported two strategic motions designed to set the framework for the next stage of the campaign, with a tiny lobby for the mining company being the only opposition”, Mr Andrew Cox, Executive Officer of the National Parks Association said.
“The meeting opposed the location of a 27 million tonne sand quarry proposal adjoining the World Heritage listed Blue Mountains National Park at Newnes Junction and called on the Government to develop a strategic plan for the supply of construction materials by the extractive industry that would protect areas of conservation value in the Greater Sydney Region and environs” said Mr Cox.
“A second motion passed unanimously supported expansion of the Gardens of Stone National Park to cover the Newnes Plateau, preventing any new mines, logging or other exploitative proposals,” he said.
“For next to no jobs, the sand mine will create a big crater dug to within 50 metres of the National Park and World Heritage boundary, in the upper catchment of the pristine Wollangambe River. Newnes Plateau, just to the north-east of Lithgow, is a very special place with very high plant diversity. It must not become Sydney’s sand pit. A park plan is the only way to stop these environmentally damaging proposals,” Kevin Bell, President of the Blue Mountains Conservation Society said.
“The area proposed for destructive sand mining at Newnes Junction, as well as the Newnes Plateau, has been previously proposed as an addition to the National Park estate as early as 1932 by the National Parks and Primitive Areas Council, and later in 1985 and again in 1993. It is now time for the Carr Government to stop the damage before the sand miners create a moonscape of the whole area”, Mr Keith Muir, Director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness said.
“To bring the issue to the decision makers, a rally will be held outside Parliament House at lunchtime Tuesday November 18th starting at noon. Greens Parliamentarian Ian Cohen has already agreed to speak at the rally. The local community has said it wants to properly look after the Blue Mountains World Heritage area and protect it from damaging developments. The Parliamentarians need to hear this message”, said Mr Muir.
For more information contact:
Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550 3615 (ah)
Andrew Cox (02) 9299 0000 (wk) or 0438 588 040 (mob)
Kevin Bell (02) 4787 6436 (ph/fax)
For more details see the Colong website http://www.colongwilderness.org.au
Meeting tonight in Katoomba
against plans for
Blue Mountains sand mine
23 October 2003
“Tonight, an important public meeting in Katoomba will protest against a proposed quarry planned right next to the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area at Newnes Junction. The meeting has been convened by the Blue Mountains Conservation Society and the Colong Foundation”, said Keith Muir Director of the Foundation.
“Greens Parliamentarian, Ian Cohen, will open the meeting explaining that the proposal will be a major test case for the World Heritage listing of the Mountains. He will be followed by Haydn Washington, who played a key role in the struggle to reserve the Wollemi National Park in 1974. Haydn will describe the environmental values of the site. Sean Butler, resident of Newnes Junction, will then describe the potential impact of the mine on the local community. Fiona McCrossin, Assistant Director of the Colong Foundation will present the alternatives to mining at Newnes Junction and Andrew Cox, Executive Officer of the National Parks Association will put the case for protecting the area,” Mr Muir said.
“It is up to the community to keep the protection measures of the World Heritage Convention strong. The quarry is a major development that would destroy an important bushland area. If World Heritage listing is to mean anything then this major sand mining proposal next to it must be rejected. There are better alternatives for sand mining than putting the World Heritage area at risk”, he said.
“The Blue Mountains City Council unanimously resolved to oppose the sand mine, demonstrating the bipartisan support for protection of this World Heritage area. We will be calling on the NSW Government to drop the proposal, sending a strong signal that the World Heritage area will be protected from inappropriate developments. A previous sand mining proposal on the same site was rejected on this site in 1996”, said Mr Muir.
For more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550 3615 (ah)
The
public meeting will take place at 7pm, the Uniting Church Hall,
Katoomba Street, Katoomba.
There are many better alternatives to sand mining at Newnes Junction
17 October 03
“There are many superior alternative sites around Sydney in which to mine sand than at Newnes Junction adjoining the internationally significant Blue Mountains National Park”, said Keith Muir director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.
“The current sand mining proposal adjoining both the Newnes Junction Village and the World Heritage Area would have to be the least suitable site for sand mining within 300 km of Sydney,” said Mr Muir.
“The Sydney Regional Plan for sand and clay lists several deposits regional significance. Some of these sites may be constrained, but none so much as the site at Newnes Junction. A planning study supporting this Plan has previously identified 7 existing and 11 potential sites of sand extraction,” Mr Muir said.
“The Sydney Basin sits on sandstone. Sand is everywhere. There is no justification for sand mining within important conservation areas,” he said.
“The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure should refuse the Newnes Junction proposal and call for a review of the sand and clay resources available in the Greater Sydney Region. Such a process should enable the community to identify the most appropriate places to develop sand and clay mining,” he said.
It is not appropriate for some miners to pick a controversial site that has been avoided by the big time sand and gravel operators, and then, if they do not get their way, to cry foul”, Mr Muir said.
“Development of sand and clay resources should be a matter of considering all options and making the best choices. Perhaps sand deposits located deep off shore should be reconsidered,” he said.
For more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550 3615 (ah)
Opposition grows against the proposed Newnes Junction Quarry
29 Sept. 03
“Last Wednesday night, September 24th, the Blue Mountains City Council unanimously passed an urgency motion opposing the giant sand mining proposal at Newnes Junction right next to the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area” said Keith Muir director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.
“The resolution noted that a previous proposal to mine sand and clay had been refused by various government agencies because it conflicted with adjoining areas, Mr Muir said.
“The adjoining Blue Mountains National Park has since been inscribed on the World Heritage list of properties, so the case for refusing the mine is stronger than before. The quarry would scar a spectacular wilderness valley and runoff from the mine would pollute the Wollangambe River,” said Mr Muir.
“If approved, the proposed quarry would also destroy two rare Newnes Plateau Shrub Swamps. This type of swamp has even been recognised by the developer’s environmental consultant (International Environment Consultations) as being of high conservation value,” he said.
“It is not possible to adequately buffer the World Heritage Area from the sand mining proposal because it is tightly sandwiched between the national park and Newnes Junction village. The mine would ruin the rustic character of this historic village with dust and noise pollution” Mr Muir said.
“Council’s resolution backs up the position taken by the Member for the Blue Mountains, Bob Debus, who has publicly expressed his concern about the proposal,” said Mr Muir.
The proposed mine, located between an historic village and a World Heritage Area, is the last place to establish a giant sand mine to fuel Sydney’s urban sprawl,” he said.
For more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550 3615 (ah)
Comment period on Sand
quarry proposal extended;
EIS no good
6 Sept. 03
“The public comment period for the controversial sand quarry at the Newnes Junction village has been extended by three weeks, following appeals by conservation groups and intervention by Bob Debus, Minister for the Environment”, said Keith Muir director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.
“The proposal on about 25 hectares of the Village Reserve adjoining the World Heritage Area is to quarry 27 million tonnes of sand during a 21 year operation. The environmental report accompanying the proposal provides no certainty regarding the products produced, the processes used or the impacts upon the Blue Mountains National Park and the local community of Newnes Village”, Mr Muir said.
“Everything is up in the air with this project. For example, local product is proposed to be transported by truck but the mine plan does not provide for sand washing, sedimentation or settling ponds that are necessary to minimise pollution in the adjoining the World Heritage area”, he said.
“Serious pollution is likely to result from these uncertainties, as has occurred with the existing sand quarries in the area. The environmentally sensitive nature of the site and the adjoining the World Heritage area makes these impacts much more significant”, said Mr Muir.
The flora and fauna section of the proposal’s environmental impact report has already been found to be completely inadequate. Environmentally significant upland swamps were overlooked, even though these rare areas are obvious to the casual observer who visits the site,” he said.
“Recent surveys of native plant species on the site have found more than double the number of species listed in the environmental report. The site is good bushland and not degraded as the proponent suggests”, Mr Muir said.
For more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550 3615 (ah)
Strategic Plan threatens Blue Mountains World Heritage
8 August 2003
ATTENTION: CHIEF OF STAFF, NEWS DESK, ENVIRONMENT WRITER
“A Freedom of Information request has revealed a serious threat to the integrity of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area”, Keith Muir director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness said today.
“Instead of improving protection of the area, a Strategy Plan promotes a damaging 4WD road that would bisect the Wollemi Wilderness, our largest wilderness and other inappropriate use,” Mr Muir said.
“If adopted, the Plan would open up access for recreational 4WD vehicles and horseriders into environmentally sensitive areas, including the inner catchment of the Warragamba Special Area. The Warragamba catchment has been closed for generations so as to protect Sydney’s drinking water supplies. It is regrettable that World Heritage processes should facilitate inappropriate access to wilderness and water catchments areas,” Mr Muir said.
He said that “The World Heritage vision for the Greater Blue Mountains was to ensure that the core areas of national park are protected for all time in wilderness areas. This vision had been achieved after a campaign spanning 60 years of effort.”
“The World Heritage nomination document, signed off by the State Government in 1999, recognised the value of wilderness in providing natural areas protection from development and tourism pressures, and in reducing the risk of unnatural fires. The nomination also noted that roads and facilities are located toward the edges of national parks and accommodation is provided in adjoining rural districts,” he said.
“For the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to prepare a World Heritage Strategic Plan compromising our biggest and best protected wilderness areas in NSW is a breathtakingly cynical action aimed at appeasing damaging recreational interests,” Mr Muir said.
“World Heritage listing of the Blue Mountains was achieved with broad community support and the Strategic Plan for the area must not become an instrument for the degradation of the area”, Mr Muir said.
“There are ample opportunities for recreation in the million hectare Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. The NPWS should not weaken protection for National Parks and Wilderness Areas in the Blue Mountains”, he said.
“The Colong Foundation calls on the Government to ensure that the Strategic Plan for the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area does not fragment the area but enhances the level of protect now granted over its precious wilderness and water supply areas,” said Mr Muir.
For more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550 3615 (ah)
The Colong Foundation turns 35 years old
Celebrate our birthday with us, make a donation to help purchase the Green Gully Wilderness
2 August, 2003
ATTENTION: CHIEF OF STAFF, NEWS DESK, ENVIRONMENT WRITER
“Thirty five years ago, Milo Dunphy convened a public meeting at Sydney University that resulted in the formation of the Colong Committee. The group was initially devoted to saving the southern Blue Mountains from the threat of a giant limestone mine at Mount Colong, just above the beautiful Kowmung River”, said Keith Muir director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness, as the group is now called.
“Today is a special day for the Colong Foundation, for 35 years ago we published our first Bulletin outlining a bold campaign strategy to save Colong. By widely communicating the case for protection, we enlisted broad public support. In 1974 the Colong area was secured within the Blue Mountains National Park and eventually World Heritage listed in 2000”, Mr Muir said.
“To celebrate our birthday, the Colong Foundation is asking members of the community to make a donation to the Dunphy Wilderness Fund. Every dollar donated will be used buy the Green Gully wilderness,” Mr Muir said.
“The 13,000 hectare Green Gully area is in the rugged Macleay Gorges near Walcha. The purchase of the Green Gully property would link a further 3,456 hectares of currently isolated national park in the Yarrowitch Gorge with the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, so that over 16,000 hectares would be better protected by the purchase,” said Mr Muir.
“The property is a key part of the last great stronghold for the Brush-trailed Rock-wallaby in NSW. Only last month the wallaby was listed as an endangered species, and the Macleay Gorges contains 85 per cent of its remaining numbers in NSW,” he said.
“You can become a real wallaby supporter, as every $100 donation to the Dunphy Wilderness Fund will save a hectare of their territory! Community contributions have so far raised enough funds to buy 850 hectares. There are still have many more hectares to buy, so we need all the support we can get,” Mr Muir said.
Mr Muir continued that “The Dunphy Wilderness Fund was established in 1996 in memory of the Dunphy family. The Fund has so far saved 52,600 hectares of wilderness, including key parts of Chaelundi and Guy Fawkes areas west of Coffs Harbour, as well as additions to Washpool area further north.”
The fundraising organisation behind the Dunphy Wilderness Fund is the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife, and was also set up in 1968 to support nature conservation. To help the wallabies bounce back, through a tax-deductible contribution to the Dunphy Wilderness Fund appeal, call the Foundation’s office on 9299 1949 or send a donation to:
Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife GPO Box 2666, SYDNEY NSW 2001.
Also website www.fnpw.com.au/apGreenGully.htm
For more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or
9550 3615 (ah) or
Carmen Welss, Public Relations Manager for the
Foundation
for National Parks and Wildlife 9221 1949 (wk)
Call to Protect the Yengo wilderness
Tuesday 29 July, 2003
ATTN: CHIEF OF STAFF, NEWS DESK, ENVIRONMENT WRITER
“Yengo National Park contains a classic wilderness of interlocking sandstone ridges that rises to the south east above the lower Hunter Valley. This magnificent wilderness is part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, and the Colong Foundation calls on the Environment Minister, Bob Debus to formally protect it under our wilderness laws,” said Keith Muir director of the Foundation.
“The pubic exhibition process for the Yengo wilderness assessment was completed over a year ago and all its wilderness values merit protection without further delay”, he said.
“At the heart of the wilderness lies Mount Yengo – a prominent basalt peak of spiritual significance to Aboriginal people. Park visitors are drawn to this peak, for it provides commanding views over the surrounding area, Mr Muir said.
“Adjoining the mountain is the isolated Big Yango property, which was recently acquired by the NPWS. It is likely that the 1,582 hectare property will become a tourist destination for those wishing to visit the mountain. Camping and educational uses are proposed and in the future these uses will create considerable visitor pressure on Mount Yengo,” he said.
“But the money the NPWS spent on acquiring Big Yango may be wasted unless area is adequately protected.”
“Considerable damage has occurred to Aboriginal engravings at nearby Burragurra and Finchley due to 4WD vehicle access. Declaring Mount Yengo as wilderness would prevent vehicle and horseriding related damage to the important cultural heritage sites located on and around the mountain.”
Mr Muir said that “The inclusion of Mount Yengo in the Yengo wilderness area would limit the damage to Aboriginal engravings.”
“Vehicle access should be restricted to the Big Yango property and, at most, a track to the foot of Mount Yengo. The proposal for a circular tour around Mount Yengo traversing the foothills would repeat the mistakes made at Uluru in Central Australia. Vehicle access ruins the area for those who will come to enjoy the solitude”, said Mr Muir.
For more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550 3615 (ah)
Call to de-register the OUTDOOR RECREATION PARTY
10 July 2003
ATTENTION: CHIEF OF STAFF, NEWS DESK, ENVIRONMENT WRITER
“The Outdoor Recreation Party should be de-registered, following the ICAC findings that Mr Malcom Jones had ‘engaged in conduct that was corrupt within the meaning of the ICAC Act in relation to his use of parliamentary entitlements’,” said Keith Muir director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.
“The Party has been heavily implicated in the ICAC finding regarding the misuse of Parliamentary entitlements to set up bogus parties. The Outdoor Recreation Party and its campaign against wilderness protection in NSW are now completely discredited. It should be de-registered,” he said.
Independent Commission Against Corruption has also recommended that ‘consideration should be given to the expulsion of Mr Jones from the Upper House.’ The Outdoor Recreation Party may soon not have a mover for its damaging anti-wilderness bill before the Parliament”, he said.
The Outdoor Recreation Party has pushed a strong anti-conservation agenda. It has secured damaging concessions from Government, such as the memorandum of understanding for 4WD vehicle access into previously protected bushland areas. Last month, the NPWS described as ‘disgraceful’ the damage caused by 4WD vehicles to the Deua National Park,” he said.
For more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550 3615 (ah)
National Parks, Not Telco Parks
26 June 03
ATTENTION: CHIEF OF STAFF, NEWS DESK, ENVIRONMENT WRITER
Pristine wilderness is again being put at risk by legislation currently before the NSW Upper House that would allow phone towers, major clearing and bulldozing of access trails to despoil these areas. The legislation would be another nail in the coffin for nature-based park management.
“Virgin” mountaintops are an increasingly rare resource and this bill will see these pristine areas bristling with new towers and roads. Many hilltops that are culturally significant for Aboriginal people could be developed under this scheme. And most visitors to national park also do not want to see national parks despoiled by telco corporates, reminding everyone that nothing is sacred in this modern world.
The proliferation of phone towers on visually prominent, pristine mountains would be accompanied by extensive clearing to prevent damage to these facilities by wildfire. And once a tower is built, nature conservation will be the last consideration.
The NPWS current policy of no new facilities on “virgin” mountaintops will be replaced with corporate partnerships and the promise of lucrative lease payments in a new telco resource grab. No mountain or hilltop would be safe as telcos, having more money than sense compete for mountains and coverage, and the environmental assessment processes would be mainly window dressing.
The promise of a new communication technology with near-zero environmental impact will be replaced with a race to develop coverage of protected areas at the expense of telco shareholders.
Environment Minister, Bob Debus, has offered the spurious justification for mobile phone towers in national parks as safety devices. Mobile phones, however are dangerous as safety communication devices. A forest of mobile phone towers throughout our reserves would not provide coverage necessary to remote valleys and gorges, and would discourage use of “EPIRB” emergency beacons and satellite phones which do provide such coverage.
There is a real risk that park visitors, with limited map and compass navigation skills, attempting adventures in challenging country, simply because they possess a mobile phone.
Kosciuszko handed over to feral animals
20 June 2003
ATTENTION: CHIEF OF STAFF, NEWS DESK, ENVIRONMENT WRITER
A new plan for managing wild horses in Kosciuszko National Park has been condemned as handing over one of the most endangered ecosystems in NSW to feral animals.
The Colong Foundation for Wilderness said today that the Horse Management Plan for Kosciuszko would result in the degradation of the threatened high alpine area for the sake of pleasing those who believe that feral horses have more rights than any other animal in NSW.
“ The government is spending millions of dollars on public consultation and independent scientific advice yet it continues to produce plans which minimise environmental protection and maximise degradation,” said Ms McCrossin.
“Kosciusko National Park is being overrun by feral horses. Despite a window of opportunity to reduce their numbers, after the summer fires and before spring, the government has again defied the policies of the Australian Veterinary Association and Environment Australia in rejecting the most effective and humane method for their removal – aerial shooting.”
“We are astounded that the government is allowing this infestation of horses to continue. The Plan acknowledges the environmental degradation that the horses are causing but does not follow the next logical step – an effective and humane plan for their removal. Instead it is relying on methods that just don’t work for this number of horses – roping, trapping and mustering” said Ms McCrossin.
‘I would love to ask Banjo Paterson about his views on a plan that endangers the very environment which he loved so much. Yes, he rode a horse, but I wonder what he would think of a government which is placing his beloved Snowy environment at such risk?” Ms McCrossin continued.
“So much of our natural heritage has disappeared due to ignorance of the impacts we inflict on our environment. We can no longer use ignorance as a defence for our actions. The facts are there. Feral horses place our precious land and waters at risk. The government needs to remove them. And they need to remove them now.” concluded Ms McCrossin
For further information/ a more detailed analysis please contact :
Fiona McCrossin (02) 9261 2400 (bh) (02) 9568 1309 (ah)
Keith Muir (02) 9261 2400
Call to protect Deua wilderness
June 12, 2003
“A
second damage event in the Deua Valley over the June long weekend by 4WD
thrill seekers proves that these damaging activities should not allowed
into remote wilderness areas”, said Keith Muir director of the Colong
Foundation for Wilderness.
“The
Minister for the Environment, Bob Debus, should step in and protect Deua
wilderness to stop the damage”, Mr Muir said.
“The 4WD literature and even the
motor industry’s advertisements are covered in images of vehicle
users displaying a disregard for the Australian bush. The Colong Foundation
for Wilderness has collected hundreds of images of bushland abuse from
the 4WD enthusiast and club web sites. There is a major emphasis on extreme
and damaging motor sports that runs throughout the 4WD subculture. Yet
it has taken this recent spate of wilful vandalism in the Deua valley
to make any impression on the NPWS,” Mr Muir said.
“Yes,
there are responsible 4WD groups, but it must be accepted that a major
tone of 4WD activities is motor sport orientated, not nature-focused recreation,
and undertaking these extreme activities in wilderness will continue to
cause serious environmental damage. For this reason the NPWS needs to
re-examine the wilderness decisions in southern NSW” he said.
“The
Deua wilderness is a very special place and it is tragic that this wild
valley is being wrecked by macho hoons in powerful 4WDs.”
“Seventy
per cent of people who made submissions to the recent wilderness process
supported the protection of the Deua wilderness. This majority view new
needs to be accepted by the NPWS,” said Mr Muir.
“The
NPWS has now seen the results of their political misjudgment and pandering
to the access lobby, and Minister Debus should now reserve the Deua under
our wilderness laws,” Mr Muir said.
For more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550 3615 (ah)
Environment
groups welcome Chief Minister’s
stand on feral horses
11 June 2003
NSW environment
groups today welcomed the ACT Chief Minister, John Stanhope’s, stance
last weekend regarding the necessity to humanely destroy feral horses
to protect the Alps.
“Mr Stanhope's
remarks regarding the essential need to protect the natural values of
Namadgi National Park threatened by feral horses sets a strong example
for the Carr Government," said Andrew Cox, Executive Officer of National
Parks Association of NSW.
"The Chief Minister's
decision is the right one because to do otherwise would allow horses to
damage critical water supplies and wilderness areas," said Mr Cox.
"National Parks
Association of NSW and Colong Foundation for Wilderness want real nature-based
park management for our alpine parks, which means ensuring feral horses
are excluded from not only the ACT but from Kosciuszko National Park as
well," said Mr Cox.
"At present
horse numbers in Kosciuszko National Park are continuing to rise because
of the failure of current control programs, resulting in extensive environmental
damage," said Ms Fiona McCrossin, assistant director of the Colong Foundation
for Wilderness.
"A joint approach
between NSW and the ACT is essential and the Colong Foundation will ask
Mr Stanhope to approach Bob Carr with a plan to remove feral horses which
are trampling the high country and compromising the fire recovery of the
Alps.”
“NSW is
not doing enough. Feral animals do not respect state boundaries and the
only solution to keeping Namadgi National Park free of these damaging
animals is to work with NSW on a joint eradication program,” Ms
McCrossin said.
Contact:
Andrew Cox ph 9299 0000; mob 0438 588 040
Fiona
McCrossin ph 9261 2400 (wh);
9568 1309 (ah)
4WD’s have no place in Canberra’s
catchments and wilderness areas
5 June 03
“The destruction at Bendethera by
Canberra’s 4WD drivers (Canberra Times, 4/6/03) should
act as a warning to Environment ACT not to open up Canberra’s water
supply and other sensitive park areas,” said Keith Muir director
of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.
“The recently released ACT Recreation Opportunity
Spectrum Zoning proposal has flagged a ‘Semi-Remote Motorised’
Zone centred on the Bendora Dam area of Namadgi National Park. The 4WD
and trail bike hoons may have temporarily lost their pine forest playgrounds
west of Canberra, but such activities should not be allowed in wilderness
areas, national parks and water catchments,” Mr Muir said.
“There is no point Environment
ACT banning bushwalkers from camping in sensitive catchment areas and
then opening these areas up to 4WD motor sports. Canberra’s urban
cowboys are dying to tear into a new bit of bush. The damage caused at
Bendethera in the Deua wilderness is only half the story. 4WD Clubs are
being specifically set up in Canberra to foster extreme 4Wding and competition
events, like rock crawling on granite boulders,” he said.
“Dirt roads are the
main source of sediment pollution in remote areas. Sediment pollution
that reaches streams increases with road usage, with typical rates being
30-90 tonnes/ha/year, compared to 0.3 tonnes/ha/year from undisturbed
forest. Anti-social 4WD behaviour, like hooning around cutting doughnuts
into the grass at picnic grounds or performing hill climbs through the
bush, is also associated with arson. The very last thing Canberra’s
wonderful bush hinterland needs is another fire,” he said.
“4WD enthusiasts present themselves as
family types, but you only have to look at their literature and web sites
to see the beast behind the hype. There is a place for 4WDs, yes, but
not in Canberra’s water catchments or wilderness areas of Namadgi
National Park.”
“It is irresponsible,
in the extreme, to allow four-wheel-drive vehicles into wilderness areas
or water catchments. The only way to conserve Canberra’s valuable
wilderness and catchment areas is for Environment ACT to learn from the
mistakes made at Bendethera and place an embargo on 4WD vehicles and other
types high impact recreation using these areas”, Mr Muir said.
For more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550 3615 (ah)
BHP Dendrobium Mine pushes weaker protection
in catchment
5 June,
2003
On the eve of the
first coal coming out of the controversial Dendrobium mine, environment
groups have warned that BHP is demanding changes to mining controls so
that subsidence damage can be increased by 25 per cent.
“The Dam Safety Committee
has already acted to block some of the proposed mining activity closest
to Lake Cordeaux. We understand that BHP is wanting approval for a more
damaging mine plan than what was approved by the Minister for Planning
eighteen months ago”, said Mr Jeff Angel, director of the Total
Environment Centre.
“BHP Billiton are determined
to increase coal production at Dendrobium and cause more subsidence damage
in the drinking water supply area”, Mr Angel said.
Total Environment Centre and
the Colong Foundation for Wilderness are calling for new environmental
impact assessment because the subsidence effects are significantly greater
than those predicted in the original proposal.
“BHP can’t propose one
plan with smaller impacts and then do another mine plan with greater subsidence
damage to the drinking water catchments. The development approval was
quite clear regarding environmental damage. If subsidence effects were
greater than predicted in the EIS, then BHP has to go back and rethink
its mine methods and mine layout. Public confidence in the EIS and catchment
protection process is ebbing away, like a river fractured by BHP’s
mining subsidence”, Mr Muir director of the Colong Foundation for
Wilderness said.
“This flexible pro-industry
approach will place our water supply catchments at risk. The water supply
areas of Sydney and Wollongong require stronger rules, with protection
that prevents damage to streams and significant features”, Mr Muir
said.
For more information contact: Jeff Angel (02) 9299 5599
BHP
Dendrobium Mine threatens dam and catchment safety
4 June, 2003
ATTENTION: CHIEF OF STAFF, NEWS DESK,
ENVIRONMENT WRITER
The controversial
BHP Dendrobium mine, in Sydney’s water catchemt, has had to move
away from dam storage areas to ensure dam safety, environment groups revealed
today. However, alternative plans also pose grave dangers, they said.
“The
Dam Safety Committee has been sufficiently worried by the Dendrobium mine
to block approval for some of the proposed mining activity. The original
mine panel closest to Lake Cordeaux has been removed from the mine plan,
but the remaining longwall panels have been greatly widened. This will
cause the surface of the water supply catchment area to subside up to
2.8 metres, which is 25 per cent greater than originally proposed”,
said Mr Jeff Angel, director of the Total Environment Centre.
Total
Environment Centre and the Colong Foundation for Wilderness are calling
for any of the Dam Safety Committee’s considerations and reports
regarding the Dendrobium mine to be made public, and further protection
of the catchment area.
“BHP Billiton seems determined
to push its Dendrobium development beyond reasonable limits. The detailed
recommendations of the public inquiry as set down in the development consent
conditions should not be overturned to accommodate BHP Billiton’s
new mining ideas. This new high impact mine plan would lower the protection
of the water supply catchments by allowing even greater damage to irreplaceable
water supply areas,” Keith Muir
director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.
“The new wider longwall mine panels associated with the new proposal may also have a greater risk of catastrophic failure. The Dendrobium Commission of Inquiry found that longwall mining must not occur within 1000 metres of the Illawarra Escarpment. But the mine plan approaches this danger zone. A cliff failure on the escarpment could fall on the Moss Vale railway line and disrupt transport for months. Due to the gaping fissures on the escarpment created by past mining abuse in the area it would not take much to bring about a major cliff fall”, Mr Muir said.
For more information contact: Jeff Angel
(02) 9299 5599
Keith Muir (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550
3615 (ah)
Land Values increase with Wilderness
Friday
7 March 2003
“Farmers
should benefit from wilderness identification as the NPWS would be the
only organisation interested in buying wilderness land,” said Keith
Muir director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.
“The
nominated areas consists mainly of escarpments that surround Mount Kaputar,
comprising cliffs, mountains, rocky gorges and wet forests. These lands
are too steep to clear and have no potential for stock grazing or agriculture.
The image of farmers being driven off prime agricultural land is a fantasy,”
Mr Muir said.
“Kaputar
Wilderness Group allegation that the Wilderness Act was created at the
request of the Greens is incorrect (see Northern Daily Leader, 18 Feb).
The Act was created in 1987 following representations by environment groups
such as the National Parks Association, Colong Foundation for Wilderness
and The Wilderness Society, Mr Muir said.
“For
some reason the Kaputar Wilderness Group is ideologically opposed to wilderness.
It may be easy to blame wilderness for everything except the drought,
but wilderness is not a threat to anyone,” he said.
“Key
areas nominated for wilderness protection included Castle Top Mountain,
Deep Creek gorge, Bobbiwaa Peak and some of the most rugged parts of the
Nandawar Range. Unfortunately these areas were omitted from the protection
recommendations of the NPWS because of the hostility being whipped up
against wilderness. I hope that one day soon locals will appreciate the
financial benefits of wilderness, and these wild escarpment lands can
be acquired by the NPWS and protected in the national park”, said
Mr Muir.
For
more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550 3615
(ah)
Wilderness
the Essential Green Credential
Wednesday
5 March 2003
“The
Colong Foundation for Wilderness challenges the Member for Monaro Peter
Webb to state whether he supports removal of all wilderness within Kosciuszko
National Park and elsewhere, said Keith Muir director of the Colong Foundation
for Wilderness.
“Polling
has shown that 76 per cent of people in Eden Monaro region favour wilderness
protection #,
so it’s time that Webb came out and said whether he supports wilderness
or will push for its abolition.” Mr Muir said.
Mr
Webb attacked the National Parks and Wildlife Service during the recent
fire crisis and has been pushing for a return to grazing of stock in national
parks. His allegation that the Coalition allowed grazing in national parks
during the 1994/95 drought is unsubstantiated. No Liberal Environment
Minister has permitted grazing in a national park since it was abolished
due to its environmental impacts. In any event, the research of an Independent
Scientific Committee (ISC), currently reporting on Kosciuszko National
Park, has revealed that past grazing/ burning regimes increased fire hazards
in the region,” Mr Muir said.
“What
I am hearing from Mr Webb suggests that he is ideologically opposed to
precious wilderness. Voters have a right to know if he will continue his
push to remove wilderness protection from parks and have this adopted
as Coalition policy”, said Mr Muir.
“In
1974, 54 per cent of the
park was protected as wilderness. Now only 44 per cent is protected. The
declaration of Government’s wilderness announcements of September
2002 will almost return the protection to 1974 levels. Environment groups
are seeking further protection of wilderness in Kosciuszko, as a defence
against increased resort development and commercial use of the Park,”
Mr Muir said.
#
Roy Morgan Research, July 2001
For
more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550 3615
(ah)
Wilderness
declared : (ha)
Bimberi
(in KNP)
27,633
Bogong
Peaks
27,307
Goobarrangandra
31,205
Jangungal
61,746
Pilot
76,798
Byadbo
78,018
Total
302,707
These
figures represent 44 per cent of the 690,425 ha Kosicuszko National Park.
(These
figures are from the 2000/2001 NPWS annual report, except for Bimberi
that uses the figure from the Gov. Gaz. No 118, pg 5753 of 14/9/94 and
Gov. Gaz. 46, pg 1738 of 12/4/96).
Blue
Mountains’ new Plan should prevent further unsewered development
11
Feb 03
Mr
Alex Colley, Hon. Secretary of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness, who
instigated the Blue Mountains World Heritage listing, today said “Blue
Mountains City Council has an obligation to protect the World Heritage
area from any damage caused by its future development plans, particularly
from sewage pollution. Any sanctioning unsewered residential development
would eliminate the significant environmental benefits gained from the
$300 million so far invested in removing sewage wastes from the World
Heritage area.”
“The
‘City within a World Heritage National Park’ is running a
grave risk of drawing international scrutiny if it does not act to effectively
prevent further sewage pollution under its proposed planning scheme. Part
of the reason for Australia’s success with the Blue Mountains World
Heritage nomination was the outstanding pollution reductions achieved
due to Sydney Water’s sewage transfer scheme”, Mr Colley said.
“The
Colong Foundation for Wilderness calls on the Minister for the Environment
and local member, Bob Debus and the Minister for Planning, Dr Andrew Refshauge
to step in and prohibit further unserviced residential development in
the Mountains. This would significantly reduce further adverse impacts
on the World Heritage property arising from residential development within
the City,” said Mr Colley.
“Unserviced
residential development is not only polluting, it is unhealthy, and I
am very surprised that the Environment Protection Authority considers
it appropriate in the Blue Mountains. Porous sandstone soils do not effectively
absorb effluent or nutrients, that instead flow into streams and environmentally
sensitive upland swamps poisoning waterways and risking massive weed outbreaks,”
he said.
“The
plans for expanding sewage pump out systems are unwise as these systems
are only a temporary fix, as they are open to abuse and very costly to
operate. Given these limitations, pump outs should not be a permanent
arrangement and in these circumstances the Government pump out subsidy
mainly benefits developers who then do not have to pay for the installation
of sewage services to their subdivisions”, Mr Colley said.
“It
would be a great pity if Australia is brought before the World Heritage
Committee for not protecting the Blue Mountains,” he said.
For
more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550 3615
(ah)
To comment on this site, email: foundaton@colongwilderness.org.au
Last updated Sunday 09-Mar-2008
