Happy 40th National Parks & Wildlife - 5 October 2007

Greens MP Ian Cohen today congratulated the National Parks and Wildlife Service on their 40th anniversary and urged the community to enjoy the generous offer from NPWS to visit their local park for free this Sunday.

“Go and enjoy a visit to a national park this Sunday and celebrate the achievements of the conservation movement and the superb efforts of the NPWS to preserve these areas for future generations,” said Mr Cohen.

“I have spent the best years of my life campaigning to protect areas like the lush World Heritage-listed rainforest of Nightcap near Nimbin and the old-growth of Chaelundi north-west of Dorrigo. Protection of important ecosystems in our national parks remains to this day the holy grail of conservation.

“I thank the campaigners who fought alongside me 25 years ago to protect the amazing rainforests of northern NSW.

“As with any 40th birthday though, there is always the prospect of a mid-life crisis. With the NPWS, I think that crisis could be a loss of momentum to protect the iconic red gum forests along the Murray River.

“In 1987 Bob Carr introduced the Wilderness Bill and said to the Parliament: ‘… if we fail in the task now before us, if we do not accept the responsibility to protect some of what remains, then we must surely and rightly expect the condemnation of this and future generations’”.

“20 years after this speech a new generation condemns Bob Carr’s colleagues in NSW Labor who continue to drag the chain on protection of the last great iconic red gum forests.

“The Victorians have protected red gums on their side of the Murray and are looking at including more high conservation areas in their parks system. On our side of the river none of our red gum forests are protected by National Park status.

“In northern NSW the conservatives who once opposed new national parks now recognise the economic benefits of eco-tourism. I’m convinced that rural communities along the Murray will reach the same conclusion in future, should the government move to protect the red gums,” concluded Mr Cohen.


Further Information: Ian Cohen: 0409 989 466, or to arrange an interview call Nic Clyde on 0417 742 754.