Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Contact . . Page.. 651 ..

and understanding its importance to Aboriginal Australia. It is not a possession to be sold. It is not a possession to be handed over willy-nilly to other people. It is a precious possession that has to be handled with kid gloves. It has to be preserved, and it has to be maintained.

The role of the public sector in managing Namadgi involves protection of its habitats, management of the sensitive alpine areas, maintenance of and protection of the Aboriginal sites, identifying and documenting the native species in the park and offering education programs to the many visitors. The Liberals would say that the private sector could do that. But the profits are different when the public sector manages these things. The profits are the retention of the park as an asset for the Territory; whereas on the other side, the economic rationalist side of things, it is a matter of what profit one can make out of managing this particular facility. Namadgi holds two of our dams and is the source of much of our water. The trees in Namadgi clean our air. The park is a source of beauty and enjoyment for us all. It is very much the bush of our bush capital. There are very few places in Australia, or in the world for that matter, where local residents can gain access to such an important natural park so close to their homes. It is well maintained by a dedicated group of people who know it in detail.

Mr Speaker, I would like to draw attention to some of the groups who have an interest in the bush in the ACT. They appear in our Contact book. We have, under the heading of bushwalking, ACT Walking for Pleasure Inc., Canberra Alpine Club Inc., Canberra Bushwalking Club, Canberra Speleological Society, Family Bushwalkers, Namadgi National Park - which is managed by DELP - National Parks Association of the ACT, New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service, Off the Wall Adventure Program and Omnia Adventure and Social Club Inc. There are a range of groups who have an interest in Namadgi National Park, and all of whom would be concerned about the way it is managed. They know the special characteristics and they know how to look after the park. As the Liberals opposite have already found out, they can manage the park cheaper than their New South Wales counterparts could. They are not only dedicated but also efficient and cost-effective. Of course, public sector management is something that is not guaranteed under the options which Mrs Carnell says that she does not want to rule out.

I believe that I speak for the majority of this community when I say that there are many options which should be ruled out. Specifically, handing over Namadgi National Park to New South Wales or the private sector to manage is one of them, as I have mentioned. The Minister for the Environment has said that he was just trying to get consideration started. I think the message ought to be sent loud and clear now that what has been proposed as an option is not on. This message has to be got through. This kite flying exercise is not something that does any credit to the Government opposite. When you look at options for Namadgi, when you fly kites about what you are considering, the outrageous ones have to be ruled out before you start, because they do nothing but cause disquiet in the community.

Namadgi is an important issue which the Government has to take responsibility for. It is too important to hand over to anybody else. As the writer to the Canberra Times said, why bother standing for government if you are not prepared to manage it, if you want to hand it over to somebody else? This is a precious resource for the community which I am sure we all intend to preserve. The protection of Namadgi for future generations is a big responsibility. It is a responsibility that cannot be abrogated. It is a responsibility that we all have to carry on our shoulders, narrow and broad. To quote that Garran resident - - -

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .