16th meeting of the National Parks and Wildlife Advisory Council: 7 November 2006
The following is a summary of matters considered by the Advisory Council at its meeting held on 7 November 2006, of relevance to Advisory Committees.
New Council members
- Council welcomed Glenda Chalker, James Ingram, Norma Shankie-Williams and Patrick Sutcliffe to their first Advisory Council meeting.
- Norma Shankie Williams has been appointed to Council as a person with expertise in rural and regional development and planning issues
- Patrick Sutcliffe is appointed as a person representing a peak recreational body and has been nominated by 4WD NSW and ACT
- Glenda Chalker and James Ingram have been nominated by the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee to the Advisory Council and are currently awaiting the finalisation of their appointments.
Plans of Management
Council made recommendations that the Minister adopt the plans of management for these areas:
Northern
- Kumbatine National Park and SCA (Mid North Coast Region)
- Coramba Nature Reserve (North Coast Region)
- Carrai National Park and SCA (Northern Tablelands Region)
Western
- Copperhannia Nature Reserve (Western Rivers Region)
- Wambool Nature Reserve (Western Rivers Region)
- Winburndale Nature Reserve (Western Rivers Region)
Southern
- Tumbalong State Conservation Area (South West Slopes Region)
Advisory Committee matters discussed by Council:
- Proposed Crown land lease sell-off:
The Northern Tablelands Region Advisory Committee forwarded to Council a copy of the Committee's letter concerning a proposed perpetual Crown land lease sell-off. Council discussed the issues raised by the Advisory Committee and referred the matter to Council's Reservation and Conservation Planning Sub Committee for further discussion.
- Longwall mining:
The Sydney South Region Advisory Committee wrote to Council concerning a proposed commission of inquiry into longwall mining adjacent to and/or underneath rivers and their tributaries. Council noted the Advisory Committee's letter and agreed to seek further information on this matter.
Deputy Director General's report to Council
The following is a summary of issues Tony Fleming discussed with Council.
- Retirement of Minister for the Environment
- The Hon Bob Debus MP, who has been Minister for the Environment since 1999, and has overseen major reforms and improvements in environmental management, has announced his retirement in March 2007.
- State Plan
- The NSW State Plan, recently announced by Premier Morris Iemma, will lay out priority directions for next few years. Many of these will involve use of NPWS lands.
- The Plan will be presented shortly and copies will be will be available on the internet.
- Fire season update: 2006/2007 Fire Season
- Season has started early
- To date in this fire season there have been a total of 98 fires that involved a NPWS response. 77 of these fires involved NPWS land
- 42 fires started ON-park, with 93% being controlled ON-park
- 35 fires started OFF-park, and then moved ON-park
- In addition, NPWS fire fighters have assisted with a further 21 OFF-park fires
- Location of fires by Branch:
- 38% of fires have occurred within Central Branch
- 36% within Northern
- 20% within Southern
- 6% within Western
- A total of 18,925.80 hectares of NPWS land has been burnt by bushfire this fire season. Cause of fires:
- 18% of fires were arson or suspected arson
- 13% of fires were started by lightning
- 12% started due to legal burning off
- 5% started due to illegal burning off
- The remaining 52% were started by either campfire/cooking, farm equipment, power-line, smoking or other causes
- Quarantine Station
- Lease has been signed and is now underway
- Lower Hunter Regional Conservation Plan
- 30,000ha of new reserves which are additions to National Parks or new State Conservation Areas and Voluntary Conservation Agreements. Details can be viewed at /publications/hunterdraft.htm#lhrcp
- Sets out plan for urban development in Hunter
- Will provide protection for high conservation priority areas
- Marine Parks
- Zoning Plans for Port Stephens and Batemans Marine Parks expected to be finalised this year
- Helicopter Accidents
- Two recent helicopter accidents involving NPWS, one during a fire suppression incident and one during an aerial shooting program
- Investigations into the causes of these accidents is ongoing
Council matters arising from previous minutes and general business:
- Bushfire management
Council held a focused discussion on bushfire management in parks. Tom Bagnat, Regional Manager Central Coast Hunter Range Region of DEC, provided a presentation to Council on fire management on the ground, the roles and responsibilities of the Parks and Wildlife Division. Professor Ross Bradstock, Director of the Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires, University of Wollongong, provided a presentation to Council on the science addressing the current and emerging issues in fire management including prescribed burning and global change. Anne Reeves provided a presentation on the Hotspots program. Council discussed various issues arising out of the presentations and identified what they considered to be priority areas.
- Use of coastal lagoons for the discharge of sewerage effluent
Council received a report on the use of coastal lagoons for the discharge of sewerage effluent. Council requested that a copy of this report is included with this summary, for the information of Advisory Committees.
- "Connect to Protect: Eastern Links"
The Council's Reservation and Conservation Planning Sub Committee considered the NPA report "Connect to protect: Eastern Links" and Council passed resolutions supporting the recommendations in the report. The report concerns a proposed Victoria to Queensland protected area network.
- Tomaree National Park
Council noted that in adopting the plan of management for Tomaree National Park the Minister has allowed for camping at Samurai Beach. Council expressed concerned about the environmental impacts of any camping in this highly eroded area.
- Game Council shooting licences in state forests adjoining national parks
Council noted that during most field inspections by the Management Planning Sub Committee the issue of shooting in state forests has been raised as an issue of concern. Council advised the Minister that it is unsatisfactory that there is no notification to adjoining property owners, including NPWS, if shooting is to occur in neighbouring state forests.
- Procedural guidelines for the public notice, exhibition and consideration of submissions for draft conservation agreements
Council discussed these guidelines, which apply to conservation agreements between DEC and other public land holders, with the Manager Conservation Partnerships.
Further Information
If you require further information on any matters in this summary please contact Alison Verwey, Stakeholder Liaison Officer on (02) 9585 6337, alison.verwey@environment,nsw.gov.au or Lynne Moyce, Manager Stakeholder Liaison and Strategic Projects on (02) 9585 6344, lynne.moyce@environment.nsw.gov.au
Page last updated: 22 September 2008