Development in National Parks Policy Review
| Your Details | |||
| Your Name | Cynthia Burton | Date | 26 November 2015 |
| Organisation | Canberra Bushwalking Club | Job title or position in organisation | Conservation Officer |
| Cynthia.burton69@bigpond.com | Phone | 0488 071 203 | |
Your Review of the Draft Policy
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD CHANGE IN BUSHWALKING NSW’S DRAFT POLICY?
(e.g.’the policy as it stands could negatively impact on …’, ‘please add a reference to xyz in section [section number]’, ‘please change [quoted text] to [new text]’)
- We feel that the policy should more clearly and directly state the opposition of Bushwalking NSW to development in national parks.
- The policy should also state the criteria to which any proposal must be subjected more strongly, eg all alternatives for locating a development outside a national park must be demonstrated not to be feasible, rather than ‘all alternatives must be considered’. This will help to emphasise the ‘last resort’ nature of consideration of development within parks. We have provided our specific suggested changes to the wording of the policy in track change on the draft policy document itself.
IS THERE ANYTHING MISSING FROM THE DRAFT POLICY THAT YOU THINK SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED?
We think that specific reference should be made to proposals for commercial tourism development in national park catchment areas (outside park boundaries but impacting on park). Suggested text has been added to draft policy document in track change.
Some definitions need to be added in a footnote for greater clarity of meaning for environmental criteria such as ‘low key’, ‘sensitive’, and ‘low-impact’, as these terms can be open to wide and subjective interpretation. Perhaps the definitions and any standards developed for the 1974 act would be appropriate. We have added a few words to the draft policy for this purpose but you may wish to develop your own terminology or fill any clarity gaps from the act.
An annex could be usefully added to give an example of what Bushwalking NSW considers to have been an acceptable or well-planned development within a national park. This can help some readers to visualise the intent of the policy.
WHICH ASPECTS OF BUSHWALKING NSW’S DRAFT POLICY ON DEVELOPMENT IN NATIONAL PARKS DO YOU LIKE?
We feel that the policy recognises an increasingly important issue and source of pressure for national parks, especially in terms of commercial tourism development. We have concerns abut future tourism development in places like Royal National Park, the Blue Mountains, the Australian Alps Walking Track, etc. It may even be worth mentioning some of the important places that are coming under increasing pressure in a preamble or introductory paragraph to the policy. This would help readers who may be educating themselves on the issue.
Positioning
HOW DO YOU THINK OUR POLICY COULD IMPACT YOU AND YOUR ORGANISATION?
It could provide useful guidance when we are preparing club submissions on proposed developments in parks and reserves.
PLEASE BRIEFLY LIST ANY ASPECTS OF YOUR BACKGROUND THAT MIGHT INFLUENCE YOUR ASSESSMENT OF THIS POLICY DRAFT. (e.g. education; training; interests; work history; you are a paid outdoor guide; your family owns a mining corporation; you are a bushwalker, etc)
We are a bushwalking club that also has conservation values.
DO YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT POLICY?
Thank you for taking the initiative to fill this policy gap
| Follow-up Details | ||
| Questions | Yes. | No, thanks. |
| Would you be interested in attending a stakeholders meeting to discuss the feedback we receive from this policy review? But the 30 Nov date may not be feasible for us to do phone hook-up to mtg. Will advise. | X | |
| Would you like Bushwalking NSW to keep you informed about this policy review? | X | |
| Would you be interested in participating in future reviews and consultations relating to Bushwalking NSW? | X |
Bushwalking NSW values your input. Please return this form and all further inquiries or comments on this matter to:
Sierra Classen (Conservation Officer) Email: angelina.willow@gmail.com Or
Kirsten Mayer (Executive Officer)Email: admin@bushwalkingnsw.org.au