Batemans Marine Park - Socio-economic and commercial studies here!

[ACTAngler]

Found on the Marine Park Authority's website today:

"Socio-Economic Assessment of the Batemans Marine Park"
http://www.mpa.nsw.gov.au/bmp/pdf/BBMP%20socio-economic%20report.pdf

and

"THE ESTIMATED ECONOMIC IMPACT OF BATEMANS MARINE PARK ON COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES"
http://www.mpa.nsw.gov.au/bmp/pdf/CARE-BatemansBay.pdf

I wonder how we can fund an independent review of both these reports, checking assumptions and conclusions? I'm sure they will be rammed down our throats as gospel starting now...

I'll have a read over the weekend and post any interesting bits.

[Rod Burston]

This report:

"Socio-Economic Assessment of the Batemans Marine Park"
http://www.mpa.nsw.gov.au/bmp/pdf/BBMP%20socio-economic%20report.pdf

is an absolute discrace.

WHO IS THE AUTHOR?
WHO COMMISSIONED THE REPORT?
WHERE IS THE MINISTER"S ENDORSEMENT OF THE REPORT?
WHERE IS THE GOVERNMENT'S  DECLARATION OF CONFLICTING INTERESTS?
WHERE ARE THE FACTS?
WHERE IS THE SCIENCE?
WHERE IS THE RECOGNITION OF THE TRADITIIONAL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS OF DECENT AUSTRALIAN FAMILIES?
HOW CAN ANYONE PRODUCE A CREDIBLE SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT STATEMENT WHEN BY FAR THE LARGEST IMPACT, LOCKOUT ZONES, HAVE YET TO BE DETERMINED?

And if you ever wanted to galvanise the fishing community against this morally corrupt State Government, just read the content.

I reject it out of hand.

Rod Burston

PS: 75 pages and the bit on rec fishing would fit on the back of an envelope.

[ACTAngler]

I have further questions:

WHAT WAS THE PERCENTAGE SANCTUARY ZONES AND HABITAT PROTECTION ZONES USED IN THE ASSUMPTIONS FOR THESE REPORTS?

HOW DID THE AUTHORS COME UP WITH THESE PERCENTAGES?

THE COMMERCIAL REPORT ACKNOWLEDGES:
a)? NSW DPI FOR FOR THE FISHERY DATA;
b) NSW DEC FOR ASSISTING WITH ANALYSIS AND THE ESTIMATES OF DISPLACEMENT OF COMMERCIAL FISHING;
c) ESC AND THE COUNCIL'S BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BOARD FOR THE ECONOMIC PROFILE AND PROJECTIONS FOR THE EUROBODALLA REGION.

DID THE AUTHOR SPEAK TO LOCAL BUSINESSES AND COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN?? DID THEY EVEN STEP FOOT IN THE EUROBODALLA SHIRE?

(and that's before I even get to the table of contents)

[ACTAngler]

PS: 75 pages and the bit on rec fishing would fit on the back of an envelope.

Or on the back of a napkin used to protect a soft green hand from a too-hot Latte in inner Sydney?

WHERE IS THE GOVERNMENT'S? DECLARATION OF CONFLICTING INTERESTS?

The conflicts are made clear on p13-14 where the report states that previous studies done by DEC and DPI provided the framework for the socio-economic study!? THEY WROTE THEIR OWN TERMS AND RULES!? THIS STINKS!

[row]

Any fool can see that this "study' was done in haste and conforms to the philosphy of preference to the patron, as with all socio-economic and environmental impact studies, it will always conform to the requirements of the department which commissioned it, ie; do not bite the hand that feeds you. It is the same with any research grants, which will typically come up with the results in favour of what the commissioner of the grant wants to hear, but also will typically come up with the response that "more research needs to be done", to ensure ongoing funding.

[ACTAngler]

Any fool can see that this "study' was done in haste and conforms to the philosphy of preference to the patron, as with all socio-economic and environmental impact studies, it will always conform to the requirements of the department which commissioned it, ie; do not bite the hand that feeds you. It is the same with any research grants, which will typically come up with the results in favour of what the commissioner of the grant wants to hear, but also will typically come up with the response that "more research needs to be done", to ensure ongoing funding.

a.k.a. "opinion shopping".  Just keep looking till you find someone who will tell you what you want them to tell you.  Happens all the time.

[Rod Burston]

The socio-economic snow job has alienated Narooma. See below:

MEDIA RELEASE - Narooma Port Committee
9th April 2006

The Chairperson of the Narooma Port Committee, Dr. Philip Creagh, announces that the Narooma Port Committee voted at an extraordinary general meeting held at the Narooma Bowling Club on 9th April 2006 to withdraw its support for the Batemans Marine Park.

We also call on the Government to cease with any further planning until a competent socio-economic report and the necessary scientific studies are finalised so that the zoning system can have integrity.

 On 4th December 2005, the Narooma Port Committee, which consists of representatives of Recreational fishers, Commercial fishers, Charter boat operators, fishing tackle store owners and other marine businesses, voted to support the concept of the Batemans Marine Park, announced on 30th November 2005.  We were the first community organization to publicly support the Batemans Marine Park

It was the overwhelming feeling of the meeting on 9th. April 2006 that this support was not a tenable position for the Committee to hold following developments since the Marine Park was announced. 

We would reconsider our support for a Marine Park if the following issues were addressed:

* Minister Debus to meet with the Community to hear its concerns.

* A lack of transparency and openness in dealings with the community and the Eurobodalla Shire Council.

* Confusion, at Ministerial level, which has the potential to severely damage the economic health of the Eurobodalla Shire

*  A proper and correct Socio-Economic report addressing ALL the issues that are likely to affect the Eurobodalla Shire.  We applaud the Eurobodalla Shire Council for their initiative in establishing a committee to address the Socio-Economic issues as the current studies on the MPA web-site we believe are inaccurate and fundamentally flawed.

Philip Creagh Chairman

John Moore Secretary

[Tarki]

  NAROOMA  PORTS  COMMITTEE:  A typical MPA snow job. What else did you expect? Remember this is the same mob, with the same Minister, who conned, deceived and lied to the communities in the Cape Byron Political Park saga! Now do you see the necessity for a group like ECOfishers? Politicians will do, say, promise anything to get re-elected. They are not interested in the biodiversity. The only thing they are interested in protecting is their seats in Parliament! So now you have finally and formally withdrawn your support for the marine park, what now? Are you going to join with the rest of those communities who have been conned, deceived and lied to? Communities who are being robbed blind and all for Green preferences! Why not get with the strength and join ECOfishers and defend your rights and show the rest of the state what pure tokenism, what a total sham, this whole closed, un-transparent (opaque) process really is?                      Tarki.

[Rod Burston]

Daily Telegraph
Sunk by sham report

By SAMANTHA WILLIAMS

April 13, 2006

THE State Government's socio-economic study on a marine park gazetted on the South Coast has been branded a "sham" by businesses, who claim they were not consulted.

The Marine Parks Authority released the 72-page report on Friday ? the same time the Government gazetted the 85,000ha Batemans Bay Marine Park that stretches from northern end of Murramarang Beach to Wallaga Lake

While the Government rejected those claims, saying the authority's report provided a good snapshot of the local economy, the Bateman's Bay Chamber of Commerce, which represents 200 businesses in the Eurobodalla Shire, disagreed.

"There is no information that has any relevance to Batemans Bay or surrounding area," Chamber president Darren Condon-Green said.

"The report is a sham. No businesses were spoken to. It's another example of bureaucrats overlooking little people."

 
 
 
Mr Condon-Green said the report did mention the commercial fishing sector but loss of tourism was not covered.

He said the community was worried it would cost the Batemans Bay area $50 million in lost business and jobs.

"There is information on other parks but you can't draw a link between other areas and here because they are all different," he said.

Eurobodalla Shire Mayor Neil Mumme has estimated the park will cost the region 25 per cent of the $250 million it earns from tourism annually.

A spokesman for Environment Minister Bob Debus said the report gave an overview of the potential impact of the marine park, which was considered to be negligible.

"I don't know how you can call this report a sham when it sources information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Federal Department of Employment and Workplace Relations and the NSW Recreational Saltwater Fishing Trust," the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, maps of the Port Stephens Marine Park are circulating in what fishermen described as a "Green" attempt to sway the final draft of zoning for the 97,200ha Port Stephens to Great Lakes park, which stretches from Cape Hawk near Forster to Stockton Beach.

A spokesman for Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald refused to comment on the maps, saying there were "hundreds of maps" about and the only one which counted would be the final draft, which would be on public exhibition in a few weeks.