Park Watch is a new group comprised of former National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) officers, scientists, researchers and former government officials. It is concerned with the sound management of protected areas so that the diversity and beauty of our natural wild places and landscapes is maintained for all to enjoy - now and by future generations.
Park Watch believes it is important to alert the NSW public to the consequences of the cut-backs to visitor services, control of weeds and introduced animals, loss of species, degraded walking tracks and vandalising of our natural areas.
Park Watch outlined some of its concerns in a media release on 1st November.
PARK WATCH MEDIA RELEASE
Park Watch spokesperson on National Park
Operations, Mr Ross McKinney has stated that “Under the Berejiklian Government
the 10 years of relentless NPWS ‘decimation-by-restructure’ has caused the
highest rates of employee stress that has now reached a point where sources
within the NPWS are concerned that some staff may be at serious risk of harm.
“I have recently seen a letter of desperation
written by a staff member to an NPWS executive Director which paints a
disturbing picture of what is happening to staff in this once, world renowned
organisation. Unfortunately, based on the the present NPWS executive’s record, the
letter may prove to be career ending for this courageous officer but it clearly
demonstrates the anger and sheer desperation of the remaining staff in NPWS”,
Mr McKinney said.
“Other sources from within the NPWS have also mentioned
a groundswell of Branch based staff who want to send a formal no-confidence message
to the government over the existing NPWS executive’s inability to consult,
continual movement of the restructure goalposts, lack of leadership and
direction, unmanageable work loads, bullying, the direct appointment of
favourites to positions that clearly should have been advertised and the loss
of positions held by those who have spoken out against the restructure, not to
mention the massive funding cuts and decade-long restructure time frame,” he
said.
Mr McKinney went on to say, “Based on the numerous
pleas for help from NPWS staff and information they have provided to Park Watch,
it is obvious the Berejiklian Coalition Government
is hell-bent on dismantling the NPWS by setting it up to fail completely, well
before the 2019 March election. The NPWS failure as a conservation land
management agency then allows the government to introduce a ‘common-tenure’
approach to the state’s remaining forested areas as proposed by Timber NSW,
which essentially opens the State’s protected areas to destructive logging
operations.
