Excited to be Invited!

From Drummoyne, a lover of Royal National Park writes: “I spent childhood years in the Shire and frequently rambled in the Park. And though marriage took me away, I regularly brought my four children back for ‘explorations’ of the Park. So I’m excited to be invited to the Launch of Dr Mosley’s book… Yes, I’ll certainly come!” (Elizabeth Hirschl)

A Very Special Book Launch

We printed a thousand copies of this 240-page book.

Already a copy has been sent to all members of the NSW Parliament.

A team is ready to post a copy to all members of the Federal Parliament and to other VIPs.

*You can attend this historic event: Tuesday 16 April at 6.30pm in the Multi-Purpose Centre, Flora Street, Sutherland. (A supper will follow.) Close 8.30 to 9.00pm.

Campaign Against Shooting Intensifies!

Question: Has there ever been a campaign against a NSW Premier to equal the current community condemnation of shooting in national parks?

The O’Farrell Shooting Policy has united Labor, Liberal, Green and Independent citizens in a shout of protest. Here are just a dozen of the most recent protests. Note: The shooting in 79 national parks begins from April 30th.

  1. In a long denunciation of the O’Farrell Policy, the Herald political editor Sean Nicholls accuses the Premier of a “gamble” by risking death or injury to a park visitor in order to gain the votes of a couple of Shooters Party MPs (SMH, 23-24.2.13)
  2. A Sawtell resident’s letter says, “[Premier] we remember the promises you made before the election about no hunting at all in national parks. How much, exactly, is your word worth?” (SMH, 27.2.13)
  3. Former Premier Nathan Rees told Parliament, “The Shooters and Fishers Party is leading the Government around by the nose.” (Sun-Herald, 24.2.13)
  4. Influential Herald cartoonist Moir depicts a rough gun-toting shooter behind a gagged Premier. (SMH, 27.2.13)
  5. The Public Service Association is considering directing its members (including Parks officers) not to enter any national park.
  6. The Premier has bowed to public pressure by forbidding hunters to use silencers on their guns. [Well, loud reports will warn visitors to clear out of the Park!]
  7. Fairfax media warns of a “major risk” that someone will be killed or seriously injured when the shooting goes ahead. (Sun-Herald, 24.2.13)
  8. Many bushwalking clubs say they will have to keep away from national parks when hunting begins.
  9. Though Royal is not itself one of the 79 Parks designated for shooting, fears are being expressed that a yahoo element will surely interpret the Premier’s sanction of hunting as “It’s OK to shoot anywhere”.
  10. A Rose Bay resident’s letter declares, “There have been four deaths in New Zealand” from shooting in national parks – so “it’s not a matter of if but when there will be human fatalities in NSW.” For feral pest control, “let professional, supervised shooters carry it out.” (Sun-Herald, 24.2.13)
  11. Another correspondent has said, “Last year in New Zealand a hunter Alexander McDonald was fatally shot through the head when his orange beanie was mistaken for the red skin of a deer.” (SMH, 2-3.3.13)
  12. “The Government knows it has a dud policy on its hands,” Opposition spokesman Luke Foley told Parliament, and he scorned attempts to involve police in “aggressive confrontations” between hunters and the public. (Sun-Herald, 24.2.13)

Share

SHOOTING Could Bring Down Premier!

The Dire Warning. “Barry O’Farrell has been warned of a ‘major risk’ that bushwalkers and parks staff will be killed or seriously injured if the state government goes ahead with its plan to allow amateur hunters into national parks.” (Heath Aston, Political Editor, Sun-Herald, 23 Dec 2012).

The Premier Is Responsible. Against his government’s . . . → Read More: SHOOTING Could Bring Down Premier!

Promotional pamphlet for World Heritage Listing of the Royal Reserves

Copy of the content of our pamphlet promoting world heritage listing of the Royal Reserves . . . → Read More: Promotional pamphlet for World Heritage Listing of the Royal Reserves

Report to the Director DEP on Helensburgh fro discussion at Urban Planning and Development Committee Meeting 1985

The second of three seminal reports in the urban development of Helensburgh. . . . → Read More: Report to the Director DEP on Helensburgh fro discussion at Urban Planning and Development Committee Meeting 1985

Impact of Helensburgh, Otford and Stanwell Tops on their surrounding natural environment, report to DEP 1984

This is a copy of one of the seminal reports in the planning for the urban development of Helensburgh. . . . → Read More: Impact of Helensburgh, Otford and Stanwell Tops on their surrounding natural environment, report to DEP 1984

A Thousand Books in a Great Cause!

Plus Pictures of Park, Plants, Possums…

Excitement here! We are taking delivery of the thousand books that will underpin our submission for World Heritage Listing of Royal National Park.

It’s a big book, it’s full of powerful arguments, and its adorned by supporting colour pictures – a handful presented here.

We’ll get the book . . . → Read More: A Thousand Books in a Great Cause!

A Leap Forward at the Start of 2012!

Excitement is building in our campaign to achieve World Heritage Listing of the “Royal Reserves” – that is, the trio of Royal National Park and its adjacent Heathcote National Park and Garawarra State Recreation Area.

The immediate stimulus comes from completion of the draft of our comprehensive Mosley Report, drafted by Dr Geoff Mosley, . . . → Read More: A Leap Forward at the Start of 2012!

Organising to Hasten a Result

Uloola Falls, RNP. Photograph: Phil Smith

Support for World Heritage Listing of Royal National Park (RNP) continues to widen – confronting leaders of the campaign with great expectations of a not-too-distant decision, first by the Australian Government, second by the United Nations agency UNESCO.

Special visit to Sydney. Dr Geoff Mosley, leading authority . . . → Read More: Organising to Hasten a Result

More on the Widening Campaign for Royal’s Listing

Great interest was aroused when this column announced the reserving in 1824 of the Bundanoon Gullies in the Southern Highlands in recognition of their immense natural beauty and recreational value. In 1824!

Hey, that was much less than half a century since the Colony of New South Wales was set up by Governor Phillip’s . . . → Read More: More on the Widening Campaign for Royal’s Listing

The Campaign for Royal’s Recognition Keeps Widening

We are surprised! Even we who are in executive position in the campaign for World Heritage Listing of Royal National Park keep being surprised – at times astonished – as research into early NSW’s history reveals very early moves to preserve wilderness areas in the colony founded in 1770.

Unexpected enlightenment! It prefigures the . . . → Read More: The Campaign for Royal’s Recognition Keeps Widening