Media Releases – Page 27 – National Parks Association of NSW

The big blue: Coalition Party infighting is failing our marine environment

Posted by NPA NSWon March 28, 2017May 2, 2017in Campaigns and Conservation, Media ReleasesLeave a comment

Sydney’s blue backyard is central to our way of life, reputation and economy, yet less than 1% of the harbour cities coastal waters are protected. The NSW government has dragged the anchor on meaningful marine protection in NSW for 6 years, ignoring evidence and stalling their own reform process initiated three Premiers ago in 2010. Key stakeholders fatigued by years of consultation with no substantive progress to show for it, fear there is little true commitment from this government to strengthen marine protection.

Reversing declines of Australian forests should be a national priority

Posted by NPA NSWon March 21, 2017March 21, 2017in Media Releases, Native Forest LoggingLeave a comment

High rates of forest clearing in Queensland and Western Australia—with NSW set to follow—act in concert with intense native forest logging as an all-out assault on Australian forest environments says the National Parks Association of NSW (NPA).

It’s easy to become blasé about forests when living on the eastern seaboard of Australia, because most settlements (including the large urban areas of Sydney and Brisbane) are fringed by forests and daily life puts millions in contact with forests and forest animals like king parrots and kookaburras.

Natural values of Kosciuszko National Park must not be overlooked in Snowy 2.0

Posted by NPA NSWon March 20, 2017March 21, 2017in Media ReleasesLeave a comment

The National Parks Association of NSW (NPA) has cautiously welcomed the federal government finally appearing to embrace renewable energy in the context of Snowy 2.0. But politicians still haven’t outlined how the scheme would avoid damaging the natural values of the unique alpine ecosystems and judgement must therefore be reserved.

NPA CEO, Mr Kevin Evans said: “The vulnerability of the alpine ecosystems to climate change encapsulates perfectly why we urgently need to transition to renewables.

Have you seen a Dragon lately?

Posted by NPA NSWon March 2, 2017March 2, 2017in Media ReleasesLeave a comment

On the morning of Tuesday 21^st March, local residents of northern Sydney will head to the Field of Mars Reserve, East Ryde, to see if they can find local water dragons and help with water quality testing and bush regeneration.

The Dragons of Sydney project is an initiative run by the National Parks Association of NSW (NPA) in partnership with Macquarie University to conserve Sydney’s urban Water Dragons through revegetation and citizen science.

Expiry of first Regional Forest Agreement offers opportunity to end the forest wars

Posted by NPA NSWon February 16, 2017March 2, 2017in Media ReleasesLeave a comment

Wednesday the 3rd February is a milestone in the long and chequered history of native forest management in Australia. The first Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) expires in East Gippsland following 20 years of destructive logging. Instead of just extending them, prolonging conflict and driving species towards the edge, now is the time to chart a new course says the National Parks Association of NSW (NPA).

Regional Forest Agreements are 20-year deals between the state and federal governments that permit the logging of public native forests. Across Australia, almost 7 million hectares of native eucalyptus forests are logged under 10 RFAs[1]. The RFAs were an attempt to marry conservation, logging and recreation to bring an end to the ‘forest wars’ that pitted conservationists against the logging industry. They haven’t worked.

Evidence Mounts that Native Vegetation Focus for Climate Mitigation is a Rort

Posted by NPA NSWon November 23, 2016March 2, 2017in Media ReleasesLeave a comment

Yesterday’s revelations in the Sydney Morning Herald[1] (SMH) that the Baird government has dipped into the Climate Change Fund to find the $240 million for private land conservation is the latest piece of worrying Coalition climate policy says the National Parks Association of NSW (NPA).

The $240 million has been repeatedly touted by the government as being a safety net against a return to broad scale land clearing resulting from the repeal of the Native Vegetation Act, but has been labelled by the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists as ‘a taxpayer subsidy to farmers to clear land’[2].