Greens MP Jamie Parker questioned the Premier in Parliament about the government’s plan to allow amateur shooters into National Parks, saying it was time for the government to finally dump the dangerous policy.
In response, the Premier stated that the government’s policy had not changed, and that it was in fact the former Labor government that had originally introduced shooting in NSW forests.
Greens MP Jamie Parker said:
“The Liberal government’s decision to allow shooting in national parks, nature reserves and conservation areas is dangerous, ineffective and hugely expensive.
“In a deal with the gun lobby, the former Labor government opened up state forests for amateur recreational hunting and now the Liberal government is going even further.
“The government’s own risk assessment says that hunting in national parks brings significant risk of injury and death to park visitors and rangers.
“Amateur recreational hunting is not an effective or humane way to control feral pests. The millions of dollars wasted on these programs should be spent on professional control strategies backed by science.
“Residents in high-density areas like the Inner West greatly value our national parks as places to escape and enjoy nature.
“We need to protect national parks to ensure the safety of those who use the parks while safeguarding long-term environmental biodiversity,” Mr Parker said.
The Premier stated that the plan to allow amateur shooters into National Parks would not commence until the review into the Game Council had been completed and the Government had responded.
Full transcript of Mr Parker’s question and the Minister’s answer here:
http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LA20130501038?open&refNavID=HA8_1
Media contact: Alison Martin 9660 7586 or 0432 941 533
May 03, 2013 at 12pm
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