MARINE PARKS TO DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENT !

[CEO]

NOW LOOK WHAT THE GREENIES ARE UP TO!  SEE HOW THEY GET THINGS DONE?  THEY WRITE LETTERS, SEND EMAILS AND FAXES. NO WONDER THEY WIN ALL THE TIME. THEY MAKE THE MOST NOISE. AND IT'S THE "SQUEAKY WHEEL" THAT GETS ALL THE OIL. There is a special Caucus meeting about this issue (See below) early next week to determine the outcome. We wonder how they knew about it, when nobody else did? We must get our state Secretary to draft a response! We also wonder how you get recreational fishers to write letters, send emails and faxes? Do they need an apprenticeship of "tree hugging," first so they become familiar with paper!

[Nete-Quette]

Dear NPA~Marine Supporters,

Help ensure that the recent landmark changes to marine parks and threatened species management are not reversed.

The changes this month gave the NSW Environment Minister long sought-after independent supervision of environmental issues such as marine parks, aquatic threatened species, aquatic reserves, vegetation, water, and catchment management.
This means there is more hope of proper conservation of our Grey Nurse Sharks and other wildlife in NSW

NPA believes there is growing opposition to these ground-breaking changes. This means this huge win for the environment could be undone at any time.

Please send an URGENT fax to NSW Premier Morris Iemma asking to preserve the recent changes. Please copy to the new Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water, Phil Koperberg.

Action Needed:

Send a Fax now!

Faxes are preferred. If you cannot get access to a fax, please write a letter or send an email.

Use the sample letter below. Feel free to add your own words. Pass this email onto your friends so they can add to the pressure.

Sample Letter to the Premier:

 

[Your name and address]

 

Hon Morris Iemma
Premier of NSW
Level 40, Governor Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Place
Sydney NSW  2000

 

[Date]
Copy: Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water

 

Dear Premier,

Support for Improved Environment Ministry

Congratulations on your recent restructure of the environment and natural resource ministries. 

I expect that there will be a reaction from some interest groups that may seek to reverse the changes. This must be resisted.

Management of marine parks, vegetation and catchment management authorities must remain under the Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water.

This arrangement ensures that there is a much closer alignment between the objectives of the legislation and the role of the Minister. It will ensure that there is a strong and independent regulator and environmental manager. This alleviates conflicts of interest that have arisen many times in the past when Ministers responsible for environmental interest were also representing industry interests.

Changes, such as the movement of responsibility of marine protected areas, also mirrors Federal, state and territory government arrangements, assisting inter-governmental cooperation.

These changes will help assist in natural resources targets prominently outlined in the State Plan and they will be an important signal showing the seriousness that you hold for protection of the environment.

Yours sincerely
[Your name]

Send your letter to:

NSW Premier, Morris Iemma
Address (see letter above for address)
Fax: 9228 3934
Email: thepremier@www.nsw.gov.au
Phone: 9228 5239

Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water, Phil Koperberg
Address: PO Box A250, Sydney South NSW 1232
Fax: 9995 6654
Email: office@koperberg.minister.nsw.gov.au
Phone: 9995 6750
 

Further Background:

On 2 April, when the new Ministers were announced, the new Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water received exclusive control of Marine Parks and aquatic threatened species.

Previously Marine Parks responsibility was shared with the Minister for Primary Industries who also had sole responsibility for aquatic threatened species.

At the same time the Department of Natural Resources was abolished and responsibility for native vegetation, water, and oversight of catchment management authorities was also passed to the same Environment Minister.

These changes follow constant criticism from environment groups over the last decade that saw the old arrangements fail the environment due to conflicts between government departments, environmental interests being overshadowed by industry interests and lack of enforcement on native vegetation, catchment management and marine and freshwater conservation.

The landmark improvements will ensure that the role of Minister is better aligned with the legislative objectives. In other words it ensures our Environment Minister is responsible for our environmental conservation. It will also avoid conflicts of interest that occurred in the past when the ministers responsible also represented industry interests.

The changes are a great step forward for conservation of marine habitats, threatened aquatic species, native vegetation and water.
We need your support to ensure these improvements are not reversed.

Please help make a difference and write your letter now!

[Nete-Quette]

The Hon. Morris Iemma
Premier NSW.

Dear Mr Iemma,

REVERSE INAPPROPRIATE & ILLOGICAL MINISTRY CHANGES

ECOfishers NSW, contend, the administration and management of your marine parks, is more appropriately done by the Minister for NSW Fisheries.
We refer to the following:-
1)   Loss of Labor seats at Tweed and Port Stephens and Lake Macquarie, where the local communities strongly objected to the imposition of Labor?s marine parks. Significant swings against the Government were also recorded in seats such as Ballina, Clarence, Coffs Harbour, Newcastle, South Coast and Batemans Bay, where marine parks were a significant electoral issue.

2)   NSW recreational fishers are generally not opposed to the marine park concept. What they are vigorously opposed to is the way the zoning plans and especially the so called, ?sanctuary zones,? are derived and implemented, without any scientific justification.


3)   With the previous DEC overbearing influence, the consultation process was nothing more than pure tokenism.

4)   Meetings my colleagues and I have had with marine park staff from DEC, demonstrated quite clearly, they are ?terrestrial ecologists,? and literally haven?t got a clue what they are talking about, in relation to the marine environment and ecology. Nor do they appreciate or understand the dynamics of the marine environment. They consider marine parks to be terrestrial National Parks in water! They are not!


5)   Communities have been constantly lied to, conned and deceived by the Marine Park Authority. This alienated the communities as is reflected in the recent election results.

6)   To have 99% of one type of habitat zoned as a representative sample and locked-up, in so called sanctuary zone, is ridiculous. (Cape Byron Political Park)

7)   Communities feel no ?ownership? of Labor?s marine parks. Hence, as in the Cape Byron park, non-compliance is rife. The local communities simply say, ?It is not our park!?


   The NSW Greens, through DEC, have politicised the marine park process. This too, has alienated the NSW fishing communities, both commercial and recreational.

9)   Through previous DEC influence, the community now has, non- scientifically based zoning plans, where neither perceived or real threats (to the biodiversity) by recreational fishers, have either been identified or defined. Yet real threats to the marine environment (eg land based management practices and run-off,) continue to go unaddressed.

Therefore, clearly, reorganization is desperately required, but not in the manner currently proposed. There are a number of other issues we can highlight, if required, on behalf of the state?s recreational fishers that impinge unnecessarily and negatively, on coastal communities, because of your marine parks.

THE SOLUTION:

a)Return Fisheries Management Act (1994) No. 38 Sec 7 to NSW Fisheries, where it rightly and logically belongs.

b)Transfer the Marine Park Authority, holus bolus, (including, budget, Fisheries staff, vehicles, vessels etc to NSW  Fisheries, where it may become the NSW Fisheries ?Marine Parks and Conservation Unit.?

Trusting you will give this submission, on behalf of NSW recreational fishers, every consideration and we look forward to your response;
Regards
Ken Thurlow
CEO.  ECOfishers  NSW.

[CEO]

 BROWN MINISTERS:  And yes, copies have already been faxed to the "Brown Ministers," as well as the Premier. What do you think?
                               It's quite possible Labor's Macdonald wants to shed himself of their marine parks portfolio. After all ,it did cause he and the Government, considerable grief. I'll have more information for you all, soon. I'm talking with Macdonald's Office again tomorrow, Monday.