Speech in NSW Parliament

GAME AND FERAL ANIMAL CONTROL BILL 2012

The Hon. HELEN WESTWOOD [6.23 p.m.]: I speak against the Game and Feral Animal Control Amendment Bill 2012. Let us be very clear as to what this bill is about. It has nothing to do with feral animal control and it is certainly not about conservation. This bill is about securing the numbers for the O'Farrell Government's election back-flip on electricity privatisation. That is the only reason it is before us today. Interestingly, it is being dealt with before the workers compensation legislation. Just as the electors of New South Wales do not trust the Government's word on anything, the Shooters and Fishers Party are making sure the bill is passed so that the O'Farrell Government does not do the dirty on its deal with them. Our colleagues in the Shooters and Fishers Party are no fools. They have been clever enough to ensure that the bill is voted on and in the bag before the House considers the workers compensation legislation later this evening.

The Shooters and Fishers Party members have been in this place long enough to know that a number of the deals they were promised by the Government have been broken, as have a number of the promises made to the people of this State in the lead-up to election by those opposite. This bill is but one example of that. One has to admire the capacity of the Shooters and Fishers Party to see through this mob, and the people of New South Wales will also see through this mob at the next election. Those opposite can try to camouflage this issue in furs and fuzzI understand that the Minister for the Environment, and Minister for Heritage was wearing a bit of fur today. The Government will no doubt endeavour to convince us that it is in the State's best interest to allow individuals armed with weapons loose in national parks to shoot unsupervised. This is madness. Even those of the shooting fraternity think it is madness. In fact, a recent article in the Mudgee Courier stated:

The Cudgegong Valley Hunting Club has slammed new laws allowing recreational hunting of feral animals in national parks, labelling the changes as "absolute madness". "It's not a case of if but when someone gets shot that it will come back to haunt the lot of us," said club treasurer and Mudgee gun dealer, Jim Pirie.

The real value of this bill is at best questionable. It is yet another clear breach of trust to the people of New South Wales. Members are painfully aware that the Premier made an unequivocal guarantee in the national media in the lead-up to the election when he said: There will not be a decision made to turn your national parks into hunting reserves. We are not going to replace literacy and numeracy in our schools with how to dismantle a gun in 5 seconds.

I suppose we can predict what will happen next when this Government tries to sell off the next piece of State infrastructure. It does not stop with the Premier's public promise. On 2 August 2011, in a question to Minister Parker in the other place, my colleague Mr Ryan Park said: My question is directed to the Minister for the Environment what assurances can the Minister give that hunting in national parks will not be reconsidered in return for the support of the Shooters and Fishers Party for her Government's legislative agenda?

Minister Parker replied: How predictable. The policy of the New South Wales Government is clear: hunting in national parks is not permitted. I say that very slowly for the slow learner on the Opposition backbench. The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps: Point of order: My point of order is that this is tedious repetition. I request the Chair instruct the member to move onto the next part of her contribution. This quote has already been given several times in this debate.

The Hon. HELEN WESTWOOD: To the point of order: Those are not my words. If they are tedious, the Hon. Dr Peter Phelps should direct his comments elsewhere. I

am making a point.

The DEPUTY-PRESIDENT (The Hon. Jennifer Gardiner) : Order! There is no point of order. The comment has been made previously by another member, but not by the member with the call.

The Hon. HELEN WESTWOOD: I continue quoting the Hon. Robyn Parker's words. She said: Parks receive over 35 million visits per year and we provide, among other things, facilities for visitors to our State. I advise the member opposite that shooting is not compatible with visitations to our national parks. The member has wasted yet another question. For the benefit of those opposite I repeat that the policy of the New South Wales Government is clear: Hunting in national parks is not and will not be permitted. Obviously, hunting in national parks will not be permitted unless the Liberal-Nationals need to flog off another piece of infrastructure. How clear can it be? The Coalition made unequivocal statements before and after the election, yet this bill is an absolute backflip. It is a betrayal of the commitment that was given to electors and the community of New South Wales. Under this bill, the same Minister, the Hon. Robyn Parker, will have the power to determine which national park land is available for game hunting. At the moment almost 40 per cent of New South Wales' national parks, including several containing World Heritage areas, are on the list provided by the Premier as being available for feral animal hunting. The list identifies 79 parks, conservation areas and nature reserves.

My fear is that this is not the end of the list but just the beginning. The area identified makes up about 2.6 million hectares, or almost 40 per cent, of the State's 6.8 million hectares of national parks. The list also features several parks containing World Heritage-listed areas, including Barrington Tops, Nightcap and Dorrigo. The fact that Premier O'Farrell can say in one breath that the Government will exclude World Heritage areas and in another breath identify six World Heritage-listed parks for shooting is yet another demonstration of how neither he nor his Government can be trusted. I point out that the Game Council New South Wales is inconsistent in its

views about the real value of recreational hunting to control feral animals. This was outlined in a response paper produced in July 2009 by Dr Carol Booth and Tim Low of the Invasive Species Council of Australia. In that paper they point out that, on the one hand, the Game Council claims that shooting just one fox will save 26 native birds. However, the 2007-08 Game Council annual report acknowledges that hunting should be part of an "integrated" control plan of management. I quote: Even this limited acknowledgement undermines the conservation rationale for the hunting conducted in state forests2 million hectares of which are now open to huntersfor it is almost all ad hoc and not part of "strategic" or "integrated" or "coordinated" programs. In fact, the Game Council's computerised licensing system is designed to spread the hunters out as much as possible (at most 1 per 400 hectares), which limits their capacity to exert pressure on feral animal populations, but presumably offers the best hunting experience.

If the Government is serious about pest control it would invest more in developing an integrated pest management program for New South Wales, not making deals for political gain and then trying to spin that it is in our best interests and in the best interests of the environment. I recognise that there is a feral animal problem in this State. Some types of introduced animals inhabit more than 95 per cent of New South Wales. These wild game and feral animals include species such as foxes, feral pigs and rabbits that are well known for their agricultural and environmental impacts. These animals also include less well-known species such as feral goats, wild deer and camels. The most recent Commonwealth Government figures estimate that Australia has 7.2 million foxes, 2.6 million feral goats and up to 23 million feral pigs.

We are all aware of the damage that can be, and has been, caused by introduced species of animals and birds. They eat native vegetation and damage sensitive environments. They destroy crops, pasture and fencing, and they can also spread parasites and disease. A number of studies show clearly that the majority of feral animals are highly mobile and very fertile, breeding quickly to replace those that are killed. The Invasive Species Council has produced several key documents that give a scientific critique of the effectiveness of volunteer and recreational hunting in

controlling feral animals. One such paper entitled "Is recreational hunting effective for feral animal control?" covered these very issues. It states: To date, it is likely that greater harm than good has resulted from recreational hunting of feral animals, with most species having expanded in range and numbers despite hunting and, in some cases, because of hunting. The evidence indicates that recreational hunting is not effective as a major or primary method of feral animal control. Where there has been a comparison, professional cullers (using the same or different methods) are far more effective.

For many invasive species, more than 50 per cent of the population must be culled each year just to maintain the status quo; for foxes in Victoria the estimate is more than 65 per cent.

In recent years best practice for feral animal control has moved beyond a simple "kill as many as possible" approach due to its repeated failures. A large cull may not reduce populations or have environmental benefits, and may even result in perverse outcomes of expanded distributions and increased densities of targeted and non-targeted feral animals.

I strongly support greater investment in whole-of-government, strategic, integrated pest management strategies. I support employing appropriate methods that may include trapping, baiting, aerial shooting and ground shooting by professional shooters under stringent National Parks and Wildlife Service conditions. However, there is strong evidence to suggest that using volunteer hunters is not an effective strategy and can actually do environmental harm. To deal effectively with this problem, previous Labor governments established a strong legislative framework to control the impact of these animalsfor example, the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995, with provisions to manage key threatening processes and help populations of threatened species recover, and the Rural Lands Protection Act 1998, with provisions requiring pest animals to be controlled.

We identified the need for trained, licensed, responsible hunters, and this was

addressed by provisions in the Game and Feral Animal Control Act, which also contains provisions to regulate game hunting. The objectives of the Game and Feral Animal Control Act are to provide for effective management of introduced species of game animals, and to promote responsible and orderly hunting of those animals on both private and public land, and hunting of certain pest animals on public land. As I said, the methods employed to rid our environs of introduced pests must be undertaken in a responsible manner. As Mr Cahill from the Public Service Association rightly argued: Recreational shooting of pest animals in National Parks is an unproven, untested, expensive and unsafe activity.

Opening the gate for recreational hunting in 79 national parks and other conservation areas in NSW poses a serious risk to the safety of park rangers, visitors, wildlife and the environment.

Our park rangers should not have to work in fear for their own safety. Our members have expressed serious concerns about the dangers to themselves and the community when shooting is allowed in bushland popular with walkers and picnickers.

Our members have been working very hard to control and manage feral animals in parks. Recreational shooting will compromise the professional and scientifically proven feral animal control programs run by national parks staff, placing native plants and animals at risk.

This move is another shot across the bow of our national parks, with the Shooters and other vested interest groups clamouring for greater access at the expense of the environment and the people who look after them.

Veteran National Parks and Wildlife Service ranger Kim de Govrik told a rally outside Parliament House that shooting in national parks would jeopardise the safety of rangers and bushwalkers. He said:

We are entitled to feel safe at work. We want our members' safety to be guaranteed and we want the safety of 35 million visitors per annum to also be guaranteed.

On 5 June the Australian Workers Union stated in a media release: Field workers are the main interface between the general public, local residents and shooters. Their primary issue is safety of all concerned as there are too many examples of so-called 'accidental' shootings.

I am deeply concerned by reports of hunters catching feral animals and, instead of acting responsibly, releasing them as a game resource for their own entertainment. I find it abhorrent that hunters would intentionally capture feral animals and remove them to forest areas close to Sydney to create a reserve of hunting opportunities. How can this be effectively policed under the proposed new system? I have heard the argument advanced that volunteer hunting is a cost-effective method of culling feral animals. I completely reject that assertion. The Game Council New South Wales was given $2.556 million in taxpayer funding last year and raised licence fee income of $974,000. Each of the animals killed by recreational hunters cost the taxpayer $249. That is much more expensive than professionally run feraleradication programs.

In comparison, only $8 million was allocated to the National Parks and Wildlife Service in the last financial year for pest, weed and bushfire control in national parks. Visitation rates to New South Wales parks were estimated at around 38 million visits in 2010. Some 58 per cent of visits by Australians were to parks outside the Sydney metropolitan area. Whilst no figures are publicly available for State forest visitation, it would seem likely that they are far lower, given that only about 34,000 hectares of State forests are zoned primarily for visual aesthetics or recreation. That compares with the total area of national parks in New South Wales, which is 5,185,370 hectares. Visitation rates in national parks are higher than in State forests. There is a high probability that the chance of a shooting-related accident occurring in a national park is greater than in a State forest. Therefore, it is rational to conclude that a significantly increased level of risk to families, recreational park users and park workers accompanies shooting in our national parks.

Those opposite should hang their heads in shame at this bill. They have betrayed the people of this State. Those opposite have lied to the electors of this State, and they continue to lie. They are doing a deal to sell off the assets of this State in return for a practice that is going to put people at risk in our national parks. Our national parks are places where the community should feel safe and confident. They are places where people can go in order to enjoy the beautiful natural environment of this State's national parks. People should feel confident that they can share that space with their family and enjoy the environs and activities such as picnicking, bushwalking or bird watching confident in the knowledge that they and their families are safe to do so. In the interest of public safety I urge every member in the Chamber not to support the Game and Feral Animal Control Amendment Bill 2012. I certainly will not be supporting it.