Conservation Hunters

We need your help....

As you can see below NPWS today launched their draft pest management strategies for NSW and are calling for public comment. It's critical that we get the message across loud and clear on the importance of Game Council NSW and Volunteer Conservation Hunters in controlling feral animals and protecting biodiversity in NSW.

No need for a lengthy submission, just a single page letter would be great. Obviously the more submissions we can generate the better!

And please remember it is most important to ask NPWS for a reply to your letter.

Regards
Steve

http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/pestsweeds/RegionPestManagement.htm

Regional pest management strategies
Draft strategies open for public comment until 29 February 2012
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is currently preparing new Regional Pest Management Strategies for weed and pest animal management of national parks and reserves across NSW.
The strategies have been prepared to provide a strategic approach to pest management on lands managed by the NPWS under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974. The strategies aim to minimise adverse impacts of pests on biodiversity, protected areas and the community. The strategies achieve this through identifying and focusing on the highest priority programs, ensuring that actions are achievable and delivering measurable outcomes. These strategies recognise that pest species are a problem across the landscape. Programs are developed and often carried out in collaboration with neighbours, other government agencies, Livestock Health and Pest Authorities, local councils, regional pest committees, universities and community groups.

As part of the process of developing these strategies, a comprehensive stakeholder and community consultation process was undertaken during August and September 2011, to identify areas of interest and issues which needed to be addressed in the preparation of the strategy.

Fifteen regional consultation forums were held across NSW and were attended by more than 380 stakeholders. NPWS would like to thank all those who attended the consultation forums. Your involvement at the forums was greatly appreciated and your contribution will help to ensure the Regional Pest Management Strategies for 2012 to 2015 result in improved outcomes for the environment, as well as for rural communities and agricultural enterprises who neighbour national parks.

A state-level stakeholder roundtable forum was held on 15 November 2011. It was hosted by the Minister for the Environment and attended by high level representatives from government departments and non-government organisations involved in pest management across NSW. The outcomes of the forum were positive with agreement to improve coordination of pest management across the landscape in NSW.

Each of the 14 NPWS regions has prepared a new Draft Regional Pest Management Strategy for public exhibition until 29 February 2012. Members of the public are invited to provide comment on these draft strategies during this time. All submissions received before the end of the exhibition period will be considered before finalising the strategies early in 2012. We welcome comments from neighbours, landholders and other interested parties on specific pest problems and their priorities, on how NPWS can do things differently and on how you would like us to communicate with you about our work.

The new Regional Pest Management Strategies are divided into Part A and Part B. Part A is common to all 14 regions and provides the broader planning framework for the management of pests by NPWS. Part B describes the local circumstances within each NPWS Region and applies the Part A framework to prioritise specific pest management programs.

Electronic copies of the draft strategies can be downloaded below or paper copies are available from NPWS offices across NSW. Submission of comments can be made electronically to the contact email for each strategy below or paper copies can be submitted to NPWS offices.
Draft Regional Pest Management Strategies 2012-2015
Draft Regional Pest Management Strategy Part A: 2012-2015
Part A documents the corporate environment, legislation and policy context and describes the logic used for identifying, prioritising and monitoring pest management programs. Comments can be submitted electronically to pest.forum@environment.nsw.gov.au

Draft Northern Rivers Regional Pest Management Strategy Part B: 2012-2015
This region includes the Byron Coast, Tweed, Richmond River and Clarence North areas. Comments can be submitted electronically to northernrivers.region@environment.nsw.gov.au

Draft North Coast Regional Pest Management Strategy Part B: 2012-2015
This region includes the Clarence South, Coffs Coast, Dorrigo Plateau, Macleay and Hastings areas. Comments can be submitted electronically to Northcoast.region@environment.nsw.gov.au

Draft Hunter Regional Pest Management Strategy Part B: 2012-2015
This region includes the Manning, Barrington Tops, Great Lakes, Upper Hunter and Hunter Coast areas. Comments can be submitted electronically to ruth.armstrong@environment.nsw.gov.au or adam.fawcett@environment.nsw.gov.au

Draft Central Coast Hunter Range Regional Pest Management Strategy Part B: 2012-2015
This region includes the Newcastle, Hunter Range, Yango, Lakes and Gosford areas. Comments can be submitted electronically to richard.ali@environment.nsw.gov.au

Draft Metro North East Regional Pest Management Strategy Part B: 2012-2015
This region includes the Northern Beaches, Lower Hawkesbury, Lane Cove, Harbour North and Harbour South areas. Comments can be submitted electronically to pwg.mne@environment.nsw.gov.au

Draft Blue Mountains Regional Pest Management Strategy Part B: 2012-2015
This region includes the Hawkesbury, Upper Mountains, Kanangra and Mudgee areas. Comments can be submitted electronically to glenn.meade@environment.nsw.gov.au

Draft Metro South West Regional Pest Management Strategy Part B: 2012-2015
This region includes the Cumberland North, Cumberland South, Botany Bay, Royal and Nattai areas. Comments can be submitted electronically to pest.msw@environment.nsw.gov.au

Draft South Coast Regional Pest Management Strategy Part B: 2012-2015
This region includes the Illawarra, Nowra, Fitzroy Falls and Highlands areas. Comments can be submitted electronically to pwg.scr@environment.nsw.gov.au

Draft Far South Coast Regional Pest Management Strategy Part B: 2012-2015
This region includes the North, Central, Merimbula and Bombala areas. Comments can be submitted electronically to stephen.raczkowski@environment.nsw.gov.au

Draft Southern Ranges Regional Pest Management Strategy Part B: 2012-2015
This region includes the Queanbeyan, Murrumbidgee, Riverina Highlands, Upper Murray, Alpine and Snowy River areas. Comments can be submitted electronically to frazer.muir@environment.nsw.gov.au

Draft Northern Tablelands Regional Pest Management Strategy Part B: 2012-2015
This region includes the Tenterfield, Glen Innes, Armidale and Walcha areas. Comments can be submitted electronically to PWGNorthernTablelandsRegionMailbox@environment.nsw.gov.au

Draft Northern Plains Regional Pest Management Strategy Part B: 2012-2015
This region includes the Narrabri, Baradine, Coonabarabran and Dubbo areas. Comments can be submitted electronically to northern.plains@environment.nsw.gov.au

Draft Western Rivers Regional Pest Management Strategy Part B: 2012-2015
This region includes the Macquarie, Lachlan, Cobar, Griffith, Murray and Hay areas. Comments can be submitted electronically to john.brickhill@environment.nsw.gov.au

Draft Far West Regional Pest Management Strategy Part B: 2012-2015
This region includes the Bourke, Tibooburra, Broken Hill, Mutawintji and Lower Darling areas. Comments can be submitted electronically to brett.norman@environment.nsw.gov.au