Batemans Marine Park - Next round of public meetings

[ACTAngler]

This is from the Batemans Marine Park website and was pointed out to me last night. I have sent off an email to find out what the purpose of the meetings will be:

Upcoming meetings for Batemans Marine Park

Wednesday 19th April

   2.00pm - 4.00pm - Marine Science - Moruya Golf Club

   4.30pm - Advisory Committee Meeting Council Chambers, Moruya

Friday 21st April

   Recreational Fishers - 9 am-11.00am - Batemans Bay Bowling Club

   Open day - Batemans Bay - Stockland Mall

   Recreational Fishers - 5.30pm - 7.30pm - Kiola\Bawley Point Community Centre

Wednesday 26th April

   Conservation Groups 3.00-5.00pm - Congo\Bingie - Luhana Motel, Moruya

   Recreational Fishers - Congo\Bingie - 5.30pm - 7.30pm - Luhana Motel, Moruya

Thursday 27th April

   Open day Narooma - Narooma Plaza

   Recreational Fishers 5.30pm - 7.30pm - Narooma Golf Club

Tuesday 2nd May

   Commercial Fishers - Batemans Bay Bowling Club

   9.30 - Estuary General /Ocean Haul/Ocean Trawl/Trawl

   11.30-Abalone /Lobster/Urchin

Wednesday 3rd May

   Commercial Fishers Narooma Golf Club

   9.30 - Estuary General/Ocean Haul/Ocean Trawl/Trawl

   11.30 - Abalone/Lobster/Urchin

[Tarki]

 Other than the meetings for commercial fishers, recreational fishers are entitled to go to ALL other group meetings, including tourism operators. After all, rec fishers are "conservationists," too. So get out there and go along. It's your park. You need to keep it that way!   Tarki.

[Rod Burston]

Recreational fishers have led the charge in marine conservation for over 100 years.
These Johny come lately, know nothing, greens have little to contribute
Fishers should attend the conservation meetings and put them back in their box.

[Tarki]

 Wednesday 19th......Marine Science Meeting   2pm to 4pm.
 Curious time to have such a vitally important meeting?
 Everybody in the community would be so interested in the marine science!
 Of course it will be SITE SPECIFIC, ie relate specifically to Batemans Bay! Won't it?
 And of course it will be current!
 And of course it won't be a descriptive narrative done latitudinally ie a description of the habitats (and some of the organisms) from one end (Northern) of the park to the other (Southern) That's not science! It's school kid stuff!
  They tried that "trick," in the Cape Byron Political Park, until the real scientists, including Ken Thurlow, politely corrected them.......and the female scientific presenter left in tears!
  It was another attempt at another con. And they even had the temerity to start extolling the virtues of the Great Barrier Reef Park.....to scientists and fishers!
  SCIENTISTS DON'T COMPARE APPLES AND ORANGES!  ONLY SITE SPECIFIC SCIENCE WILL DO!  ANYTHING ELSE IS TOTALLY IRRELEVANT!
  So it could/should be an interesting meeting!

[rookies]

Well so much for the hope that at long last the MPA were willing to talk science!!!
I got all dressed up and ready to head down to Moruya for this afternoons " Marine Science" meeting that was advertised on the MPA website under Invitation to attend focus group meetings and also hoping to sit in on the advisary committee meting at 4:30pm.
As luck would have it I received an email from Phil that tipped me off that it was not for the public to at last show us their science for all this but was in fact a closed meeting.

Also those who look at the MPA web-site would have noticed the "Marine Science" meeting set down for Wednesday 19th April 2-4pm.(today)? I made a polite request for John Moore and myself to attend, on behalf of Narooma Port Committee, and this was their response:
 
Phil
I kicked this request and a similar request from another local upstairs and the response is as follows

"The focus group meeting aims to elicit information on scientific values? ?
and places of importance from a? marine science perspective within the? ?
marine park.? It is not a presentation of the science underpinning Marine? parks, nor does it deal with the? socio-economic reports.? As such this? meeting needs to be restricted to practising marine scientists.

MPA staff will be? happy to discuss other issues with you at any of the other focus group meetings? listed on the MPA website".? ?

So it appears that the "places of importance" are going to be decided "in camera" - so much for "inclusion and consultation"

So much for the MPA's open consultation
Dave...
 

[BOB SMITH]

Dave

It's the world ruled by NSW lies, lies and deceipt. The spin is making me giddy.

Why is it that only a few can see it.(or admit it) Why isn't there a revolt taking place.

Past history has seen people hung from trees for less of a crime. And they say there is no corruption in NSW.


Bob Smith

[ACTAngler]

I heard back from Cameron about the purpose of this round of meetings:

"to present and review the information we have already gathered and to ground truth it with the community ie if we say people fish here and everyone says no thats a load of coblers we really fish here etc."

[Rod Burston]

This letter got the flick pass from the Premier's Office. Iemma's private speach to the greens can only be taken one way. The inclusion of nearly all of the favourate fishing spots into no take zones at Byron is proof enough. Tell them nothing.

Dear Premier,
 
On the 29-11-2005, you hosted a party for 120 of the State's leading preservationists at Parliament House, Sydney. There you announced $30 million for the creation of new Marine Parks at Port Stephens, Batemans Bay and the final zoning plan for the Cape Byron Marine Park.

I quote from your speech:
 
"The second new marine park will be located in he southern section of the Batemans Shelf Marine Bioregion. Its exact name has yet to be decided. While precise boundaries will be finalised by early April, it will cover around 85,000 hectares from Brush Is to Wallaga Lake in the south.
 
LIKE EACH OF THE STATES EXISTING MARINE PARKS, ACCESS TO FAVOURITE FISHING SPOTS IN THESE NEW MARINE PARKS WILL BE FULLY PROTECTED." 
 
This statement is ambiguous and is confusing the community. Do you mean that access to favourite fishing spots will be fully protected for fishing or do you mean that favourite fishing spots will be fully protected from fishing?
 
If the former is the case, can you explain why nearly all of the favourite fishing spots in the Cape Byron Marine Park have been declared no take zones?
 
If the latter is the case, will you publicly reassure the community in this regard and reinforce your position by immediately suspending the zoning plan for Cape Byron Marine Park?
 
Rod Burston
CEO ECOfishers
 
 

[rookies]

This is what was in the local paper today (19/04/06)
More marine park meetings
The Marine Parks Authority will begin a second round of focus group meetings this week to discuss with stakeholders how they want the new Batemans Marine Park to be zoned.

Batemans Marine Park manager Cameron Westaway said the first round of focus group meetings held three weeks ago achieved a lot but more information was required before a draft zoning plan could be developed.
"The first meetings we held with various groups throughout the region tended towards the MPA providing information about the marine park," Mr Westaway said.

"Now that the park has been formally gazetted and people have a better understanding of what a marine park is we are hoping that we'll receive more detailed information about the way the coast is being used.

"Our focus for the next meetings is to check the information about usage that we have received through the questionnaires and previous meetings and ask what people want from the zoning plan.
"We are really hoping to get information that will allow us to develop a zoning plan that meets the community needs and desires.
"These meetings will be an opportunity, for example, for recreational fishers to tell us where they don't want a sanctuary zone."

The MPA will also hold two open house sessions at Stockland Mall in Batemans Bay on Friday and at Narooma Plaza on April 27 to provide information about the new marine park.

Recreational fishers are also invited to meet on Friday, from 9am until llam, at the Batemans Bay Bowling Club and at the Kiola\Bawley Point Community Centre from 5.30pm to 7.30pm.
Conservation groups are invited to meet from 3pm to 5pm at the Luhana Motel, Moruya, on Wednesday, April 26, while recreational fishers will meet at the same venue from 5.30pm to 7.30pm.

On April 27 there will be an open house at Narooma Plaza, from 10am until noon and recreational fishers will meet at the Narooma Golf Club from 5.30pm to 7.30pm.

A series of meetings will be held on May 2 at the Batemans Bay Bowling Club for commercial fishers.
The schedule is: 9.30am - Estuary General/Ocean Haul/Ocean Trap and Line/Trawl; 11.30am - Abalone/ Lobster/ Urchin.

Dave...

[rookies]

I guess what annoyed me most about finding out that todays meetings were closed to the public was that only yesterday we had Paul Winn, NPA and PS advisory committee member on the local news saying that the level of fear in this area was unbelievable and that locals should be wary of misinformation. He said that the best way to overcome that fear was to speak directly to our committee members. I was going to take the list of members from the MPA website hoping to get some contact details as no one knows how to contact them. Here is a link to a snippet with Winn, from 2EC news, and also one from the Mayor talking about what the government is doing for us (marina etc...) all sounds like bribery to me. If any one would like to see more detail I can scan an article form todays paper tis interesting reading.

Dave

[ACTAngler]

Was that in the Bay Post?

[rookies]

yeah Shane,
Todays Bay Post, it had a bit from the Mayor about a meeting with Sartor where he (Mummy) told him what he wanted and put a dollar on the table to get it.
Dave...

[Spiney]

Despite repeated attempts to have MPA reveal contact details of the advisory committee members for the PSGLMP they have refused. The only person on the committee I found an easy contact was the local council representative. She( a councillor) was the only one from the local council who volunteered or was even interested. Information from her indicated there was not one member on the advisory committee opposed to marine parks including the representatives for Recreational fishing although there was opposition to santaury zones. Paul Winn is on the PSGLMP advisory committee and has been on local radio speaking about the zoning plan that is not yet public information. Again I have written to MPA to complain and I did get a reply for once, from the new manager,Max Haste but anymore information from him soon ceased as he was pulled into line. Max told me Paull Winn was in his rights to speak to anyone about the park as long he was not representing the advisory committee.

Spiney

[rookies]

How on earth can these people (the committee members) represent us when they can't even make themselves available to listen to us?
Dave...

[ACTAngler]

Anyone who wants to contact Ian Smith (who is one of the rec fishing reps on the Batemans Marine Park Advisory Committee), send me a PM and I will put you in touch.