Dear Sir,
Why do Governments waste money on environmental studies, judicial enquiries, and natural resource assessments, when they have no intention of accepting recommendations contrary to their wishes?
The Wran Government in NSW held a judicial enquiry into harvesting the forests of Terrania Creek. The judge found in favour of harvesting but the Government ignored the finding and locked the forest up.
The Bracks Government in Victoria pre-empted the Otways investigation by announcing extensive National Park dedication.
It took the Victorian Environment Assessment Council three years to sanitise a River Red Gum Park dedication recommendation after their investigation found the forests in best condition were those that had been managed by State Forests rather than those in long standing National Parks.
Now Nathan Rees has announced the creation of a 42,077ha River Red Gum National Park in the Millewa Group of State Forests to the east of Deniliquin on the Murray River. [Rees has since been replaced as Premier].
This announcement pre-empts the Natural Resource Commission’s River Red Gum Assessment Report, due to be presented on the 21st of this month.
Is the Natural Resource Commission now expected to ensure its report will not embarrass this Government?
The people of NSW and Victoria deserve to know how much of their State’s resources are being wasted on pointless environmental assessments, enquiries, and investigations.
We are also entitled to know how many private enterprise, tax paying jobs, are being lost and replaced by the Government’s new employees whose wages are paid entirely out of our taxes.
We are also entitled to know what carbon polluting, environmentally damaging products we are expected to use in place of the environmentally friendly wood that these forests could have supplied.
Yours faithfully
Victor. I.P. Eddy BSc(For)
