Hon. Ian Macdonald MLC,
Minister for Primary Industries
Level 33 Gov Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Place
SYDNEY. NSW. 2000.
REF; MP108/3311 8/10/08
Minister,
One often hears the saying ?Never trust a Politician? and your letter dated 8/10/08 does little to encourage us to have any confidence in the undertakings you have previously given to us.
Members of ECOfishers (Tweed) including the members of the Pottsville Fishing Club and the Tweed Coast Fishing Clubs Assn., sought relief on access to the Intertidal areas fronting the Coastal Nature Reserves in the Tweed Shire. Your remarks regarding ?Submerged land being finalised in the future? seems nothing more than a betrayal of your previous commitment to seek access for amateur fishermen to these intertidal areas, this access has been denied by the Dept of Environment.
Our Members know for certain that Submissions to the Draft Plan of Management ? Wooyung Nature Reserve ? were not considered by the National Parks Advisory Council in the area that concerns Licensed Amateur Vehicles access to these intertidal areas fronting Coastal Nature Reserves. The way the Draft Plan was constructed, there was little hope of Amateur Fishermen being treated in a similar manner to Professional Fishermen who have ready access to all of these areas. SO MUCH FOR A CONSULTATIVE APPROACH ? IT WAS A FARCE
Nothing is impossible in politics if there is goodwill to right wrongs and you must be well aware from our discussions that what has been done to fishermen on he Tweed Coast is very wrong. However whether you are prepared to help rectify this wring is another matter. Your advice that 4WD Beach access will not be permitted as a condition of the Plan for the Wooyung Nature Reserve is not acceptable to ECOfishers (Tweed) members and we ask that you honour your previous commitment and discuss with the Deputy Premier, the Hon Carmel Tebbutt, Minister for Environment and Climate Change, an amendment of the PoM for the Wooyung Nature Reserve to permit amateur fishermen holding Tweed Council Beach Permits for 4WD Vehicles similar access to that allowed Professional Fishermen.
There are not enough vehicles using this beach to present a problem and anecdotal evidence shows no damage has occurred in this area except that caused by waves, swells, currents, tides and wind. We mainly have an older population, many with health problems and some holding Disability Parking Permits who cannot access the Intertidal areas except by their 4WD Vehicle.
The current Legislation is all wrong and amendments to the PoM have to be made to conform with local conditions.
I trust Mr. Macdonald, that you will use your position, as a Senior Minister, as you offered to do during our discussion, to instigate changes acceptable to both your Govt., and the local community.
??..
David Cranwell
Spokesperson
ECOfishers (Tweed Branch)
Pottsville Fishing Club
Tweed Coast Fishing Clubs Assn.
Hon Carmel Tebbutt,
Deputy Premier,
Minister for Conservation and the Environment.
Level 31, Governor Macquarie Tower,
1 Farrer Place.
SYDNEY. N.S.W. 2000
REF: TWEED COAST NATURE RESERVES.
Minister,
The silence is deafening when it comes to the Dept of Conservation and the Environment. It will not answer any correspondence addressed to the Minister heading that Dept.
What does an organization or an individual have to do to enter into dialogue with your Dept?
You draft regulations that affect the end user and no matter how bad this decision may be, you expect the recipients of the regulations to blindly accept its implementation.
I have again been asked by Members of the Pottsville Club to continue with efforts to get the Minister to enter into dialogue on the matter of Licensed 4WD access to the intertidal area of the Wooyung Coastal Nature Reserve.
The stupid situation that exists whereby you have banned Tweed Shire Council Licensed 4WD Vehicles from driving on the beach fronting this Reserve, while allowing Professional Fishermen in 4WD Vehicles to access the same area, has only upset the local community. We hold the proof that no harm has come to these beaches over the last 100 years, that has been caused by Vehicle use.
This Dept. has previously advised it has no objection to people fishing in front of the Reserve. However this only shows how ill informed the person who makes this kind of statement is. The majority of persons who hold Beach Access Licences and live in the area are retired Pensioners, and need a vehicle to get around, not being capable of walking many kilometres in search of a catch.
Other more mobile persons who have parked their vehicles adjacent to the Reserve have returned to a damaged vehicle, as vandalism and theft from parked vehicles is common to the area. Another barrier to walking through to the beach is the 4strand wire fence that protects the plant menace Bitou, and Native Wattle, and which runs approximately 33% of the length of the Reserve and is impassable.
Once again I submit to the Hon. Minister that she accept the proposed amendment allowing similar access to these areas to amateur fishermen as is permitted for Professional Fishermen, as there is no real reason not to. Waves, swells, currents tides, wind and other impacts of climate variability have a greater effect than is possible from limited vehicle access.
This may be a trivial matter to the Dept of the Environment. But I can assure you it is a ?BIG? issue here and a damning indictment on the NSW Labor Govt.
Attached are extracts taken from the Draft PoM of the Wooyung Nature Reserve, and that include a recommendation on how a satisfactory amendment can be effected to resolve this conflict.
We the fishermen and women of the Pottsville Fishing Club know the area better than any Advisory Council or Sydney based Govt Dept., and can categorically demonstrate that no harm has befallen our beaches as a result of 4WD use in the living memory of any person resident in the area.
I trust the Minister is prepared to listen and act to restore the faith that local people have lost in the Dept of Conservation and the Environment when there is no logical reason given and which impacts so heavily on the lives on so many people in the Pottsville area.
Members of the Pottsville Fishing Club look to you for a favourable reply.
Yours Sincerely,
..
David Cranwell
Spokesperson
ECOfishers Tweed Branch
Tweed Fishing Clubs Assn
Pottsville Fishing Club.
