Questions on national parks funding
By Darin Huddy
ADELAIDE — Following serious concerns about funding levels to national parks, a federal parliamentary committee has projected that $200 million will be spent nationally on acquiring land as part of a National Reserves Program, in an effort to protect endangered species.
The chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Environment, John Langmore, was quoted in the Advertiser of February 2 as saying that "expansion of the parks system was essential to the survival of some species".
The plan is to protect endangered species by acquiring and managing new tracts of land over a six-year period.
Areas involved include land around Lake Eyre in SA and western and northern plains grass communities in Victoria. Funding would include $150 million by the Commonwealth for land acquisition and management and a another $50 million by the states for further land purchases.
Tony MacHarper, assistant secretary of the State Public Service Association in SA, told Â鶹´«Ã½ Weekly, "The principal problem with the whole scenario is the fact that existing land under government protection is not being managed sufficiently. On the contrary, parks are relying on volunteers to keep weeds and feral animals under control.
"In this light, increasing the area allocated to parks and reserves could only tighten the strain on park rangers and volunteers, who are already hard pressed to maintain adequate upkeep of land, let alone assess the needs of individual species."
MacHarper emphasised the need for coordination between local communities, councils and indigenous peoples in an effort to maintain consciousness around the real issue of saving existing species of wildlife, rather than merely acquiring tracts of land.