Game and Feral Control Amendment Bill 2009

July 31, 2009

Recently a state politician in New South Wales introduced a private member’s bill – the Game and Feral Control Amendment Bill 2009 – that would, if adopted by the New South Wales Government, allow for the shooting of native animals in national parks and the creation of private game parks right here in Australia!  I join thousands of angered Australians in dismissing this proposal by the ‘Shooters Party’ as not only disastrous for both animal and public safety but also offensive! That a gun-toting minority would be allowed by an Australian state government to shoot defenceless native animals within the national parks where they seek sanctuary is appalling. 
 
Listed amongst the native animals that this bill would permit to be shot include:
 

·       Australian Shelduck (or Mountain Duck)

·         Australian Wood Duck (or Maned Duck)

·         Black Duck (or Pacific Black Duck)

·         Blue-winged Shoveler

·         Chestnut Teal

·         Grass Duck

·         Grey Teal

·         Hardhead Duck

·         Pink-eared Duck

·         Water Whistling Duck

·         Brown Quail

·         Stubble Quail

·         Australian White Ibis

·         Black Swan

·         Common Bronze-wing Pigeon

·         Galah

·         Little Corella

·         Purple Swamphen

·         Straw-necked ibis

·         Sulphur Crested Cockatoo

·         Topknot Pigeon

·         Eastern Grey Kangaroos

·         Euro

·         Red Kangaroo

·         Western Grey Kangaroo

 
The following is a letter that I sent to the NSWs environmental minister expressing my concerns regarding the proposal.  I hope you that are as angered by this bill as I am, and I urge you to express your concern by writing to the NSW and federal environmental ministers, in addition to signing the following petitions:
 
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/8/Stop-Hunting-of-Australian-wildlife
 
http://www.gopetition.com/online/29233.html



The Hon. Carmel Tebbutt
Minister for Climate Change and the Environment
Level 30,
Governor Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Place
Sydney  NSW     2000

          dpoffice@tebbutt.minister.nsw.gov.au

Dear Madam,

Re: Proposal to allow recreation shooting in New South Wales National Parks
 
I write in reference to the recent proposal by the NSWs Shooters Party to allow hunting by recreational shooters in New South Wales’ National Parks.  I find the proposal absolutely disgusting and join in supporting the thousands of outraged community members who believe the bill to be not only repulsive, but also ridiculous.

That the Shooters Party have attempted to pass off what is blatantly recreational hunting as ‘conservation’ and ‘wildlife management’ is absurd.  Slaughtering wildlife for sport is NOT conservation.  With increasing urbanisation and habitat encroachment, oftentimes National Parks are the only strongholds left for wildlife that have been otherwise displaced.  If the NSW government pass the bill amendments proposed by Shooters Party, what will be left for our wildlife?  Where will they have sanctuary??  Not to mention who is going to monitor the proposed ghastly destruction of our wildlife, and ensure that the hunting is carried out in a quick and humane manner so that the animals don’t suffer long and torturous deaths. 

Not only have national parks long been remnant strongholds for wildlife, but for generations the Australian public have enjoyed the peace and quiet of the escape that national parks provide.  If the amendments to the bill are passed then how do we guarantee safety for the visitors to our national parks?  National Park Rangers are already few and far between, and nationwide the department of environments are understaffed.  Surely National Park Employees cannot be expected to monitor the bleak activities of the shooters?  The National Parks of NSW and indeed Australia are for the enjoyment of all members of the general public; not just a minority of murderous hunters who wish to destroy our wildlife for recreation.

I trust that the NSW government will realise the magnitude of the ramifications of their decision in relation to these proposed amendments, and act to make conservation, biodiversity education and public safety their priority, and not be swayed by a gun toting minority!

Bob Irwin

Below are emails from concerned groups.  In the final email below, you'll notice the list of our beautiful native animals, whose lives will be lost or mamed, if this bill goes ahead.

Email 1 from Wildlife Protection Assoc. of Australia Inc,
 

From the NSW Nature Conservation Council

This is to inform you of a number of meetings that are taking place around the threats to our NSW National Parks and Wildlife, particularly the threats posed by the NSW Shooters Party's proposed changes to the Game and Feral Animal Control Act, not least of which is opening up National Parks to hunters.

If this of particular interest to you and your associates please consider whether your group has the capacity to hold a public meeting in your local area and if you would like assistance from the NCC to do this. We are being told that the threats are very real with the Shooters Party pushing hard for more access to parks and the establishment of game reserves.

The NCC is coordinating a big town hall meeting on the proposed Shooters Bill in Ku-ring-gai on Tuesday 25th August. I will send another email in the next couple of days with links to a webpage we're currently setting up with information on this meeting, the Bill and relevant downloads.

Email 2 from Melanie @ Ecoterrestrial (melanie@ecoterrestrial.com)

Rally to reject the Shooters Party Bill in NSW - before someone is killed‏.http://www.gopetition.com/online/29233.html

Email 3 from RSPCA Australia

National parks are for everyone, not just a select few.
If you enjoy the freedom of walking in a national park in (especially in NSW) then please sign this petition. Soon people who wander into national parks risk being shot by stray bullets from hunters.

Hunters in New South Wales could soon be allowed to go into national parks and kill native animals including black swans, sulphur crested cockatoos and kangaroos if the NSW Labor party supports a Bill currently before parliament.

RSPCA NSW has condemned the Shooters Party Bill saying it's a blatant attempt to disguise recreational hunting as conservation.

"There is no possible conservation benefit to be derived from letting untrained shooters loose in our national parks," said the RSPCA's Chief Scientist, Dr Bidda Jones.

PLEASE PASS ON.

 

Email 4 from Ozark:
 

Dear fellow OZARK members

I have only recently rejoined the OZARK forum so please accept my apologies if the following message has already been discussed at length in my absence.

For those of you who are not aware, the Hon. Robert Brown (Shooters Party) has introduced into the NSW parliament a private member's bill - the Game and Feral Control Amendment Bill 2009 - that would, if adopted, allow for the shooting of native animals in national parks and to allow the creation of private game parks.  Listed amongst the native animals this bill would permit to be shot include:

- Australian Shelduck (or Maountain Duck)
- Australian Wood Duck (or Maned Duck)
- Black Duck (or Pacific Black Duck)
- Blue-winged Shoveler
- Chestnut Teal
- Grass Duck
- Grey Teal
- Hardhead Duck
- Pink-eared Duck
- Water Whistling Duck
- Brown Quali
- Stubble Quali
- Australian White Ibis
- Black Swan
- Common Bronzewing Pidgeon
- Galah
- Little Corella
- Purple Swamphen
- Staw-necked ibis
- Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
- Topknot Pigeon
- Eastern Grey Kangaroos
- Euro
- Red Kangaroo
- Western Grey Kangaroo

Wildlife Advocate Inc, a national not-for-profit organisation dedicated to representing the needs of our Australian native wildlife, would like to work with like-minded organisations and individuals to oppose this bill.

To this end, Wildlife Advocate has established an on-line petition at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/8/Stop-Hunting-of-Australian-wildlife

We encourage you to visit that site and, if you so desire, register your opposition to the Hon Robert Brown's plans to amend the law to permit the hunting of native Australian wildlife in NSW national parks.

Yours sincerely



Guy Wilmington
President
Wildlife Advocate Inc.

Ph:    0413 591762
Email: wildlife@wildlifeadvocate.com
Web:   www.wildlifeadvocate.com