Our wild environment

I would like to say first of all that after putting in many submissions and emails over the years in most of the states of this country I as an individual am horrified at the decimation of the native wildlife or fauna of this country. There are species of flora also under threat but we have a state government in NSW for example who utterly deny there is a massive problem and the attitude to endangered or critically endangered species should not happen in the first place but the out of control land clearing that has been well publicized along with vested interests on mining whether it be coal CSG or sand mining along with deforestation has taken so much of a toll we are now faced with huge problems for rescue groups and rangers etc to help with the collateral of injured or dead wildlife all over urban areas or regional.

This has got to stop and the public are now becoming increasingly angered at the cruelty towards wildlife often sanctioned by state governments or federal environment dept basing reports on test sites with irregular and sometimes inaccurate figures that are then used for traps, shooting or the even worse baiting which can have secondary affects to for instance.

The National Parks Association, describe the Act as a “powerless, toothless law”.

We have the Threatened Species Commissioner, but they’re not independent of government,” says Euan. “They don’t have the ability to criticise the government when they see policy that might potentially have a negative effect on the environment.

We need an independent umpire that can really oversee what’s happening with environmental protection in .” Politics only thwart rather than assist with red tape.

The Australian public are also becoming increasingly incensed over the extent to which all manner of poisons; Pindone used to kill rabbits, (1080 (Sodium monofluoroacetate) and PAPP (Para-aminopropiophenone) used to kill various species and ‘CURIOSITY ’(encapsulated PAPP) developed to kill cats. Most of these poisons were banned over a decade ago in the rest of the developed world as too cruel and inhumane; but are “poisons to Australia as guns are to America”?

New Zealand, where small vulnerable flightless birds are common, is reaping wide criticism for going down the track of a multiple poisoning responses due to concerns now with the net result that wildlife has declined and becoming scarce. Repetitive poison programs with counter poisoning are certainly the only major steps being taken by all levels of our Australian Government while the major causes to wildlife depletion and the prevention of reproduction and feral take up of target species is simply being ignored(!). Poisons are costly and unethical but easy while the effective alternatives are all dismissed as troublesome and politically incorrect.

Australia’s government-owned parks and open space are becoming undesirable places for human species to be as most people today have a moral conscience or seek out the facts about all the poisons in use. The public are also greeted and reminded by both failures to prevent bushfire carnage or morose signs warning us that non-pest and native, as well as target pests are all being quietly cruelly and mercilessly smitten. Humane options show marked advantages to steadily adopting more nasty poisons but still await our Government’s interest or development.

it is ‘human development’ which is endangering threatened species and wildlife, the failure to tackle wide scale fire prevention and access to water and ad hoc reproduction of strays due to absence of any national registration requirements for the ownership and breeding of companion ; all of which our Government still fails to act on.

Some NSW councils are now taking lead providing funding to wildlife corridors eg Georges River Council to restore the Peakhurst habitat of the Powerful and Shoalhaven Council has put in funds along with NSW OEH for flying foxes but then NSW government as it has increased land clearing in NSW for either housing eg cumberland plains predicted freeways thru the national park south of Sydney and roads , mining and land clearing in northern NSW near Ballina where colonies have been decimated.

To this day. Governments are more interested in soliciting donations to raise corporate profile than actually protecting wildlife and the environment.

Excerpt from 2012 4corners on (it is much worse now with more logging, roads & mining)

"I often think to myself that, you know, if we can't save the koalas, what can we save? " Dr Michael Pyne, senior vet Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary In key parts of Australia, koalas are dying in big numbers. In , and the Australian Capital Territory the attrition rate has been so high the Federal Government responded by placing koalas on the Threatened Species "at risk" list. "The only reason we've had to intervene at all is the states on their own have allowed numbers to continue to go into freefall ." Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke Why is this happening? The answer is simple. Development, cars, dogs, disease and climate change are making life tough for these fascinating creatures. The bigger question is, what can be done to save them? Four Corners travels to three koala hot spots to try to understand the problems they confront. First, reporter Marian Wilkinson looks at South Eastern Queensland, an area where development is exploding. Large tracts of bushland have been set aside for housing and other urban developments, which means koalas will lose their homes and food. She meets a group of scientists forced to play catch up, trying to devise a plan that will save the endangered animals. In New South Wales koalas are also finding the going tough. West of the , conservation programs have tried to create places where the animals can live and be protected from predators, but rising temperatures are putting them at risk. In ultra-hot weather koalas simply dehydrate and die. In the situation is very different, but equally as troubling. In that State the koala population was revived with descendants from a small colony on French Island, south- east of Melbourne. Unfortunately, because this revived population came from a small group, there is a limited gene pool, which means major environmental changes leaves many of them at risk too. There is no doubt Australians want to save this much-loved national icon, but are we prepared to compromise development to protect the koalas' natural habitat? "

SUBMISSION by KERRY HEWSON TO SENATE INQUIRY CHAIRED BY JANET RICE 2018