Issue No 4 May 1999 Max Kitchell — PWS Director’s Address to the WildCARE Conference 1999 Good Morning and welcome to the there is huge community interest in and implementing solutions. first WildCARE Incorporated these things, with 800 people joining At the launch of WildCARE at the conference and annual general the organisation since its launch in Springs on Mt Wellington in meeting. December 1997. During that time it December 1997 I described it as a What a spectacular setting for a has been the fastest growing defining moment in the history of the conference and Annual General community group supporting Parks and Wildlife Service, and it is Meeting. I would like to begin by conservation in the State, and is now certainly proving to be so. thanking Freycinet Lodge for one of the largest and most dynamic I congratulate and thank all members providing the venue free of charge, community groups dedicated to for the work you have undertaken, as their way of supporting caring for our natural and cultural and support you have provided, for WildCARE, and congratulate the heritage. the Parks and Wildlife Service. Your staff of Freycinet National Park for Well over 10,000 hours have been actual physical work has been TIMES being the inaugural hosts for this provided by volunteers, and $22,000 wonderful, and the projects would historic event. donated to joint projects, …real never have been completed without It is always great to visit Freycinet projects, …all around the State. your help. National Park — because there is Freycinet National Park, and the Knowing that there is such real and always something exciting east coast reserves, in fact have committed support for the work of happening. Mike Garner, the Senior benefited greatly from the the Parks and Wildlife Service is Ranger here at Freycinet National existence of WildCARE, — with very good for our morale — which Park will be enlightening us about cliffs repaired, compost toilet makes work, and life, so much more what has been happening in recent times, and Stephanie Van der Schans, the information Ranger, will be talking about some of the great projects undertaken with community Wild support. It is easy to imagine that the gentle autumn breeze here at Freycinet is bearing a significant change, for us to recognise and grasp during this conference. A change for the better, SNAKES ARTICLE PAGE 9 and a necessary change, for the sake of our natural and cultural heritage. WildCARE Incorporated is a major installed, tracks created, birdhides enjoyable. I hope that the knowledge part of a new way of working and removed, campsites upgraded, that the Service wants to listen to and thinking for the Parks and Wildlife visitors led and educated and work with you is good for your Service. An inclusive community weeds eradicated. Some of these morale too. focus. A partnership with projects will be spoken of in more The Service now has in place community, for the good of your detail during the day. community consultation and reserves, your natural and cultural There is still a lot of development involvement networks at heritage. And it is yours — the Parks work to be completed with State/Policy, District/Strategic and CARE Incorporated and Wildlife Service is charged with WildCARE, and changes within the local/operational levels. But the care and management of those Parks and Wildlife Service, to make community partnership programs are Wild things, on behalf of Tasmanians. We sure this partnership is effective. also have an obligation to protect the Networks need to be developed IN THIS ISSUE natural and cultural values of the within the greater organisation — State for Australia as a whole, and in for such activities as Caring for • WildCARE conference the case of the World Heritage Area Wildlife, Whale Rescue, Oil Spill and AGM in particular, for the world. A big job, Response, Community Education • Snakes that undoubtedly we need to be doing and Adopt a Track. Community Newsletter of Section,Community Partnership Service Wildlife & Parks GPO Box 44A Hobart 7001 03 6223 8308 E-mail:Ph 03 6233 2185 Fax [email protected] together, if we are to do it effectively. Action in Reserves groups are now • WildCARE Warden at So, just how much support does the beginning to form for specific Waterfall Parks and Wildlife Service have for reserves. It is hoped that these • Snow Pole Project the work it does, and how concerned groups will develop a truly are Tasmanians about the collaborative relationship with the • Making Tracks conservation of their land, their local Rangers and Senior Rangers to Newsletter insert wildlife and their cultural heritage? ensure that members get involved in • And More… WildCARE has demonstrated that identifying issues, and in developing 2 still developing, and our relationship other in pursuit of our common goals. now recognising that we all have with you, the community, will also I hope that you find the presentations something we can contribute to continue to develop. If we are to be today interesting and inspiring. I conservation, and we need each other for it to be effective. We need to do it successful in implementing this shift encourage you to participate in together. Going it alone may be in the way we work and think, it is discussions openly and tempting at times but it is like playing essential that you, the community, are enthusiastically. This time is here for willing to get involved. patience with an incomplete pack of you to participate in developing the cards — it goes along OK for a while, If we are to each benefit from a more direction of WildCARE, and but then goes round in circles and is co-operative approach, we all need to ultimately the way in which never finished. listen, state our case honestly, be WildCARE works with the Parks and The principle of partnership is one of willing to share concerns and make Wildlife Service to conserve mutual benefit and support. adjustments, recognise and respect Tasmania’s fantastic natural and Partnerships operate in the area where our differences, and support each cultural assets. interests overlap. You don’t have to be the same as me, just share some common objectives. It’s about Andrew Smith — Chairperson’s conversation, not conversion. Spend address WildCARE Conference and enough time in the area of common interest and the size of the overlap will AGM 1999 grow. Almost two years ago, the Community It’s a pretty well accepted fact that sustained and these programs are as Partnership program was created at to have sustainable conservation the much about cultural change within Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania community needs to be actively community, and government, as they with the objective of creating involved in conservation activities. are about environmental change. It has community partnerships at all levels It’s all about government not seeing been demonstrated, time and again, of decision making and across all the public as the problem, but that funding science/government activities and responsibilities of the rather as part of the solution. And alone will not achieve the long term Service. We now have community it’s about the public recognising cultural changes necessary for a engagement programs in place at the their role and responsibilities, and sustainable environment. State, District and local levels. We seeing themselves as part of the Tasmania’s ability to meet manage the Bushcare Tasmania solution. environmental threats is inextricably program, Land for Wildlife program, There are a number of programs linked with the priority it places on Coastcare in the south, consultative around that use this principle of effective environmental education and committees at State and District community partnership very community involvement. One of the levels, are working on Good effectively, particularly Bushcare, real joys of my job now, after 15 years Neighbour Agreements and Coastcare and other NHT programs, of being involved in environmental developed, and now support, the Land for Wildlife and of course education, is working with those community action program WildCARE. This is not an people who understand the issues and WildCARE Incorporated. WildCARE automatically recognised principle now want to be actively involved in Incorporated is not original in its bits for some scientists and public getting the job done. and pieces, but I think it is very servants. Some have real A community which understands different in its scale and scope and the problems with NHT environmental issues and has way it is put together. I believe we programs, for example, opportunities for direct personal have been able to create an because the money is action reduces the sense of organisation that incorporates the best being delivered to the helplessness which might emerge in of many of the programs operating in community rather than the face of environmental challenges. the community, in National Parks, government. That is It means that the necessary zoos and botanical gardens here and in missing the point. behavioural changes occur, within other parts of the world. Conservation community and within government. It WildCARE was launched in depends on means that a whole lot of essential December 1997 and incorporated in social and work is completed which otherwise August 1998. It is a membership- cultural would not have been. paying organisation ($20 pa) with change if it Partnership is about interdependence, members receiving a range of is to be not dependence or independence. We benefits, including a $20 discount on have been through the stages of Annual National Park Passes. government organisations believing Since its launch, membership has they know it all and telling the grown to 800, spread right around the community to leave it to them State.