Coalition states challenge Federal controls on State national parks

The Governments of NSW, Victoria and Western Australia are challenging the Federal Government's plans to impose new controls over state national parks.

In July, Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke announced plans to add Commonwealth protection to Australia's national parks, enabling the Federal Governement to veto activities such as grazing, mining, logging and large-scale land clearing of national parks.

The plans gained media attention when Minister Burke last month advised that he would prevent grazing in Victoria's Alpine National Park by deeming threats to such parks a trigger for intervention.

Representatives of the Governments of three Coalition states subsequently issued a statement saying "Victoria, NSW and Western Australia express concern that proposed regulations regarding national parks to be made under the (Federal Environment) act are not in keeping with a collaborative approach to the agenda for environmental reform."

Minister Burke has accused the Victorian Government of Ted Baillieu of putting national parks "up for grabs" with its decision to graze cattle in the Alpine National Park to trial effectiveness in reducing bushfire risk.

Western Australia Environment Minister Bill Marmion has expressed concern at the Federal Government's proposals, saying that Western Australia's conservation legislation and environmental impact assessment process already provided strong protection for the State's national parks and nature reserves.

Minister Marmion raised his concerns with Minister Burke at the national environment ministers' meeting in Canberra last Friday.

Minister Marmion went on to state "essentially what the Commonwealth is proposing is that any significant management activity, improvement in visitor access or facilities or development in a national park or nature reserve would have to be referred under the Federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.

"I have told Mr Burke that I do not support this unnecessary Commonwealth intrusion into this State responsibility.

"Not only would it add another layer of uncertainty, bureaucracy and delays in decision making, it would make it more difficult to get support in some quarters to establish new national parks and nature reserves in this Western Australia.

"The environment ministers from Victoria and New South Wales also shared my concerns. This is simply another unnecessary level of bureaucracy."

27th July 2011 - FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL PUT THE ‘NATIONAL’ INTO NATIONAL PARKS