On this page you will find letters that have been sent to the Game Council, the NSW Minister for Primary Industries and others, reproduced here by kind permission of the authors.

Petitions that are currently open or that have already been tabled in NSW parliament also appear on this page.

If you are thinking of starting a petition, read the Rules Regarding Form and Content of Petitions Presented to the Legislative Assembly or the Rules for Presenting Petitions to the Legislative Council first to ensure it will be accepted.

If you have a letter or petition you wish to add, please contact us.

Nowhere left to go

Published in the Merimbula News Weekly Online and the
Bega District News Online on Sunday, 11 June 2006

90% of the state forests in our region are about to be declared open for hunting. Adjoining landowners and users of these forests remain deeply concerned at the safety issues in having to share forests with armed amateurs.

A big yellow sign will warn that "firearms are used in this forest" but since the Game Council refuses to tell the public exactly where and when, people may have to choose to go elsewhere. However, as the Minister responsible has already declared 156 state forests for hunting, where else will people go?

The Game Council - a statutory authority of the NSW Government - and members of the NSW Parliament make no secret of the fact that they want this scheme extended to National Parks.

Nullica, Bermagui, Bruces Creek, Cathcart, East Boyd, Mogo, Mumbulla, Murrah, Nadgee, Nalbaugh, Nullica, Nungatta, Tantawangalo and Timbillica state forests are being declared for hunting from 9 July 2006.

The Nullica SF consultation report showed no support from landowners for the scheme, nor were any feral animal problems identified by landowners. The Game Council refuses to consider opt-in buffer zones for adjoining landowners.

If feral animal control programs are needed by Forests NSW, let them be properly coordinated and monitored by professionals with conservation experience. Opening up whole forests to amateurs who choose to go for a bit of a hunt now and again is not good feral animal control and the scheme is already costing NSW taxpayers up to $2.3 million a year.

"People power" is needed here. Concerned residents should write to their local MP and to the Minister for Primary Industries, The Hon Ian Macdonald MLC, Level 33 Governor Macquarie Tower, 1 Farrer Place, Sydney NSW 2000.

Community Angry as Safety Ignored

Published in the Merimbula News Weekly on 14 June 2006

You may recall the Merimbula News Weekly article on the Nullica State Forest hunting declaration (Staring down the barrel, 22 Feb 2006).

90% of the forests in our region are or are about to become hunting zones, from Bermagui to Eden, across to Bombala and Nimmatabel. The latest round of declarations by the Minister for Primary Industries will bring the total number of forests open for hunting to 154, with more to come.

In February this year, local landowners and forest users managed to delay the declaration of Nullica State Forest until consultation had taken place. Our campaign has never been anti-hunter or anti-feral animal control. Rather it is about the scheme’s threat to public safety and whether the risk is really justified.

Consultation, of sorts, has taken place. Practically everyone was excluded - only those actually owning adjoining land were consulted and only some of those were asked. The vast majority of forest users do not own adjoining land.

The Game Council didn’t bother to address the concerns of those who responded. In a form letter reply, all it managed was "your comments have been noted".

According to the Game Council's Nullica consultation report, no feral animal problems were identified by landowners and not one person who responded supported the proposal. In spite of this, the Game Council has recommended that Nullica be declared for hunting in July 2006.

Experts and landowners agree that feral animal control must be a coordinated and managed approach, with appropriate monitoring by conservation rangers. Forests NSW wants the western section of Nullica declared for a controlled feral animal program using specific hunters.

It is within the Minister's power not to declare certain areas of a forest. Why then is the eastern section of Nullica State Forest, including the popular Nethercote Falls, the Pipeclay Road area popular with trailbikers and horseriders, historic mine sites, picnic areas and flora reserves proposed for declaration? Hunting there will be happen whenever individual hunters feel like getting a permit - hardly a controlled approach.

The public are entitled to know EXACTLY when hunters are sharing the forest. A vague sign about firearms being used to control feral animals doesn't keep people informed. The Game Council knows when there are going to be hunters in the forest – why shouldn’t we? The Game Council rejected a proposal to post dates of access permits granted on its website and for hunters to post signs when they in the forest.

The Game Council says it is only declaring "low use" areas. Why then have twelve of the twenty MOST visited forests in NSW been declared for hunting?

Enforcement of the hunting legislation is the responsibility of a mere FIVE Game Managers for the whole of NSW. NSW Police are expected to take up the slack. The NSW Police Association recently stated that extra demands on frontline police are already compromising police capacity to respond to calls from the public. A Game Council spokesperson conceded that police could only be "reactive" when it came to enforcement.

This is not just a local issue. Communities near Orange and Lithgow are angry at the lack of consultation and frustrated that the Game Council's signage is simply encouraging illegal practices, including injury to livestock on adjoining properties.

The safety of our families, our community and our visitors must come first. The Game Council is out of control and the Minister for Primary Industries must now step in and bring accountability to bear. We urge anyone concerned about this issue to write to their local member (Andrew Constance or Steve Whan) and the NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald

Hunting in State Forests

Published in the Merimbula News Weekly 15 February 2006 and in the Eden Magnet on 23 February 2006

As of 1 March 2006, amateur hunters can apply to hunt in many NSW State Forests. This includes Nullica State Forest, which borders properties around South Pambula, Lochiel, Nethercote, Nullica and Greig's Flat.

We object to having armed amateurs in the bush adjoining our properties.

The main concern is safety. Everybody who lives in, works in, enjoys or simply passes by a State Forest will be at increased risk of being shot.

The stated goal of the system is control of feral animals. No evidence has been presented by the Game Council showing the extent of the problem in Nullica, or whether amateur hunting will help.

The licensing arrangements for access to the State Forests are very dubious. Licencing is administered by the Game Council - a majority of whose councillors are from hunting organisations - and access to the forest will be managed by a booking system operated by the Game Council on behalf of and in consultation with the land managers. 

Hunting associations will receive a commission from the Game Council for every licence issued to one of their members. There will be no penalty for an association if a shooter it has trained or recommended subsequently breaks the rules. This is a system that provides no incentive for shooters to be properly trained.

Enforcement will be difficult or impossible if shooters do not follow the rules or cause accidental injury. Shooters are responsible for reporting kills, but will be fined up to $5500 if they shoot a native animal. It seems unlikely that a shooter would report him or herself in such a case. Will our already stretched law enforcement resources be stretched even thinner? Or will extra resources be made available?

We want this legislation repealed. Failing that we want Nullica State Forest removed from the list of State Forests where amateur hunting is permitted. Failing that we want no permits to be issued by Forests NSW to hunt in Nullica State Forest.

Information on the changes can be found at:
www.gamecouncil.nsw.gov.au, or email kfs(at)biplane.com.au if you would like to help us oppose this.

Yours sincerely

Karl Auer
Lis Shelley
Merlene Stuart
Russell Stuart
Gunnar Gohlich
Monica Gohlich
John Samuels

Lochiel

Letter to the Editor of theBega District News deploring the impact that hunting will have on recreational forest use in south east forests.

http://bega.yourguide.com.au/detailops.asp?class=your+say&opinion_id=117980&current_page=1