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(NO) Hunting in National Parks

Position Statement

The Protected Areas Workers Association of NSW (PAWA) is fully committed to worlds best practice control of vertebrate pests in protected areas in NSW especially in this State’s world class system of Nature Reserves, National Parks and State Conservation Areas.  The introduction of recreational hunting within this reserve system will have major long-term negative impacts to the safety of the people who visit these reserves, to the employees who work in these reserves and most of all, to the considerable and highly effective vertebrate pest management strategies that are already in place.

PAWA is committed to representing its membership and conveying their concerns to the NSW government on its decision to allow recreational hunting, under the false premise of ‘conservation hunting’, in this states protected areas.  PAWA will also undertake a substantial media campaign, working with other conservation organisations and groups in opposing this decision and to provide accurate information to the public of NSW concerning the impacts of recreational hunting and the true relationship between recreational hunting and vertebrate pest control within the reserve system of NSW.

PAWA has formally approached the Office of Environment and Heritage and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to request open and frank discussions on the issue of recreational hunting in the NSW reserve system. PAWA has access to the collective knowledge of the Australian Ranger Federation and the International Ranger Federation on this issue.

Tuesday May 29 2012

The Premier of NSW has today broken a pre-election promise to keep recreational shooting out of our National Parks. He has announced that the government will be opening up 34 National Parks, 31 Nature Reserves and 14 State Conservation Areas across the state to recreational hunters.

During his first week in government, the Premier made a strong promise to environment groups and the people of NSW that he would not allow shooting in National Parks. Now he has done a deal with the Shooters and Fishers Party so that they will support his electricity privatisation bill.

National Parks are for the protection of nature and for the enjoyment of the NSW public, not for blood sport. This decision by the government shows complete disregard for public safety and for the purpose of our National Park system.

The government is ‘greenwashing’ this deal as a way of managing feral animals, but control of feral animals is best achieved by professionals, not by sporting hunters.

If you are as horrified about this as we are, please take a few quick actions:

1) Visit theses pages to sign the petitions that are going around:
Go Petition: Stop Hunting In NSW National Parks  to sign the petition
Cate Faehrmann to send an online letter to your local member; &/or
Nohunting.wildwalks to sign their petition.

2) Alternatively, call your local member and tell them how you feel about this appalling decision. Follow this link to look up your local MP's contact details.

3) It would also be useful if you could write a letter to the editor (either of your local paper or one of the State-wide papers), and/or make a call to talkback radio about this issue.

A map of the reserves earmarked for recreation hunting can be found here

More information is available in PAWA's media release and PAWA's facebook page where you can find links, photos and articles on this issue

The website of the Invasive Species Council has more information about why so called 'conservation hunting' by amateur hunters is not an effective means of controlling feral animals.

What follows are all the PAWA events that are coming up and reports on PAWA events that are now past.

what's coming up for pawa

  • 31 July 2012 - World Ranger Day - Presentation Night - Blackheath; details soon

  • Sept 2012 - PAWA Annual General Meeting; - all the details will be sent out to members and updates here when finalised

PAWA'S Past news & events

  • 12 - 14 August 2011 - PAWA AGM - incorporating the CARA AGM - Mt Keira
    The 2011 PAWA AGM and CARA AGM will be held at the Mt Keira Scout Camp in the Illawarra escarpment....

  • 2 - 3 April 2011 - PAWA General Meeting - Potato Point, Eurobadella NP
    PAWA meeting held on Saturday 2nd April at Beachcombers Holiday Park, Eurobodalla National Park.

    PAWA hosted a Pizza oven and BBQ dinner for members on Saturday night. Local Area Manager Tony Baxter lead a field trip around Eurobodalla NP on Sunday.

    The gathering was a great opportunity to catch up on what PAWA has been doing over the last while, contribute to what we will be doing in the coming months, catch up with friends and colleagues, and with the field trip on Sunday there’s no argument it’s not professional development. download event poster

  • 25 November 2010 - PAWA TRIVIA NIGHT - Katoomba

    PAWA held a Trivia Night. The event was supported by the Blue Mountains World Heritage Unit. A quick presentation on PAWA with a cheese platter and nuts at each table was provided. Mixed dozen Wandin Valley Estate - approx value $300, was presented to the trivia team winners. Other prizes were given out through a raffle draw on the night.

    The questions will focused on general and local issues surrounding current affairs, environmental, conservation, world heritage, sports and some quirky questions for a laugh. The night was relaxed and enjoyabled by all that attended. Download the poster from the event

  • 14 October 2010 - PAWA AGM - Camp Cypress, Baradine
    PAWA joined our Western colleagues and held our AGM hot on the heels of the Western Branch Rangers Conference, Camp Cypress, Baradine. The minutes are downloadable here

  • 4 September 2010 - Equip Tanzania Fundraising Dinner
    PAWA dinner to raise funds to assist the village game scouts in southern Tanzania in their fight against wildlife poaching...download the poster here

  • 15 August 2010 - PAWA signs up to the Boobook Declaration. The Declaration is a celebration of and for Australia’s biodiversity in all its variety: ecosystems, species and genes. It also calls on the Australian Government to act decisively to fulfil its international and national promises to protect biodiversity. Specifically in 2010; the International Year of Biodiversity. Read the full Boobook Declaration here. Read more obout Boobook.org here, Biodiversity is life.  Biodiversity is our life.
  • 31 July 2010 - World Ranger Day

    This is the day to commemorate the many Rangers killed or injured in the line of duty. It is also the day to celebrate Rangers and the work they do to protect the world’s natural and cultural treasures. Read more here...

2009

  • 5 November 2009 - PAWA AGM at the 6th WRC in Bolivia.
    •  12 PAWA members attended this Congress in Bolivia where PAWA became a formal member of the IRF and we handed over much needed fire fighting equipment GPSs and digital cameras to the APITKATXI indigenous rangers of north east Brazil. Read the AGM Minutes here.
  • 19 - 20 September 2009 - 2nd Annual Canoe Challenge and PAWA's 3rd AGM

    • Canoe Challenge 2009 a fantastic opportunity for an overnight camp, paddle and explore in the wilds of Wollemi National Park.
      ...all monies raised went to PAWA's "Equip the Amazon" project, providing vital equipment for indigenous rangers in the NE Amazon.

  • 31 July 2009 - World Ranger Day Presentation Night- Blackheath Auditorium, Blues Mountains
    • At this PAWA hosted event, Ranger and PAWA member Tegan Burton shared her experiences of ranger training in Amapa, Brazil; Den Barber, Sharyn Halls and Michael Jackson gave an overview of indigenous co-management in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, and Ranger Chris Banffy shared his experiences in ‘working with the mob’ (local indigenous communities) in protected area management in the Northern Territory and in Western Australia. With more than 40 people attending the event, PAWA raised $416 for the Thin Green Line Foundation / Ranger Dependents Fund through door entry and $855 for Equip the Amazon through a fundraising raffle drawn on the night.
  • 13 May 2009 - PAWA Treasurer Steve Woodhall sent a submission to the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission. The commissions website is www.royalcommission.vic.gov.au and the PAWA submission can be read by downloading the file here.

To see the archive of PAWA's past events of 2007 - 08 click here