National parks may shut gates, staff warn
By Andrew Stevenson
April 19, 2004
The public could be shut out of some NSW national parks because of budget cuts that are expected to result in about 300 jobs being cut from the Department of Environment and Conservation.
Although the area of land managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has risen by 30 per cent in the past five years, the targeted job cuts would mean some
reserves could no longer be managed safely, staff and unions have warned.
The $20 million budget cut will also curtail vital work by the NPWS to protect threatened species and maintain fire trails.
The executive director of the NSW National Parks Association, Andrew Cox, said the cuts will have a huge impact on the management of environmental
reserves, which cover 7.4 per cent of the state.
"It's going to become increasingly difficult to support [Premier] Bob Carr's environmental platform," Mr Cox said.
"There's likely to be less people on the ground, it will be far more difficult to provide good advice on natural resource management and it will affect threatened species recovery efforts."
Stephen Spencer, an industrial officer with the Public Service Association, said NPWS staff are angry and worried about the organisation's future.
"We were told last week by the director-general [Lisa Corbyn] that the department expected to cut in the near future about 300 jobs, approximately a 10 per cent cut in the workforce," he said.
The total size of national parks in NSW has risen 30 per cent in the five years to June 2003, to a total of 5.9 million hectares. More parks to manage on less money was affecting staff morale, Mr Spencer said.
Ms Corbyn confirmed the search for savings would take place in every section of her department, which includes the Environment Protection Authority, the Royal Botanic Gardens and Resource NSW.
"It's really too early to say what the numbers will be," she said.
"It is going to be significant, there's no question about that, and we've certainly been working with staff and unions to try and understand what the implications will be."
A park
ranger, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said archaic equipment and
infrastructure already hampered work. If staff levels were cut, the battle against weeds and feral animals would have to be scaled back.
"We're getting to the point where parks may have to close," he warned. "It's a question of duty of care to the public. If we don't have the money to maintain those areas in a safe manner, then they'll have to be closed."