Are Chainsaws Set to Return to our

National Parks?

by Paul McCann

All bushwalkers and other users of our national parks should be aware of comments made by various state National Party MP’s about the recent additions made to the national parks estate by the present Labour Government. To quote the {National Party} Member for Northern Tablelands (who is one of many in the National Party who believe that NSW has too much national parkland} "a future {Liberal-National} coalition government will undertake a review of all national parks in NSW to determine whether any areas are surplus to requirements. Any surplus parks will be returned to multiple land use areas" (in other words opened up for logging, mining and grazing}. This review will be across the entire state and may include your favourite park. All national parks including sections of the Blue Mountains, Kanangra Boyd, Morton and Wollemi National Parks may be opened up for mining and grazing. In addition, a future coalition government will revoke wilderness declarations made by the present government.

I believe that the above is a bigger threat to our favourite bushwalking areas than by allowing certain areas to be opened up to controlled 4WD access. Hopefully controlled 4WD access means that small quiet family type groups will be using these areas instead of mobs of noisy ‘yahoos’ that currently use some areas {Yalwal Creek for example}. In my twenty five years of bushwalking I have found that I prefer quiet family groups to noisy ‘yahoos’ any day. I feel that these people (quiet family groups} can offer support to the preservation of national parks from present and future threats.

I think that bushwalkers through the Confederation should lobby the NPWS so we can be included in any discussions with the 4WD lobby. We should try to reach a compromise so some existing 4WD tracks remain for walkers only {or are closed and revegetated} and allowing other tracks to be used for controlled 4WD access. If we don’t show that we are willing to negotiate a compromise, we may be excluded from any discussions and may lose these areas for bushwalking.

The other thing we should be doing is visiting these areas and making sure the politicians don’t get the idea that "no one goes there so it’s all right to allow logging, mining and grazing". If you have a few days to spare and would like to visit some of these new park areas then call me on (02} 6772 6156 and I will try to arrange a suitable walk in a future walks program. One idea I have considered is to walk from the Victorian border to the Queensland border {or reverse) through the best of the escarpment parks in a series of walks of about one week’s duration over a period of several years. Such walks would require chartering a mini bus from a town to the the start and finish of each walk. If you are interested in this idea or can offer advice on the best route through a particular area please call me on {02} 6772 6156.