3. HELP! - Save Access to Seal Rocks Beach. Thunder From Down Under Blog
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3. HELP! - Save Access to Seal Rocks Beach.
By - Grant Moss
" ". . . the foot access points to be provided are also minimal and commence miles from the beach. The next step will be charging people to enter the Seals area." - opinion by Grant Moss"
The National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) took control over a large parcel of land, including the lighthouse, at Seal Rocks after the Forster Local Aboriginal Land Council (FLALC) handed back most of the land they won in a MABO land claim.
The conditions applied to the hand-back by FLALC were that the NPWS must involve the local community & interested users in any plan of management of the Seal Rocks area.
The NPWS called a meeting of residents at Bungwahl Hall in Sept 2004. (This meeting was never advertised, according to NPWS they contacted the local newspaper to lodge an advertisement but for some "unexplained reason" it never appeared in the paper).
At the meeting thoughts on the "values" people wanted protected in Seal Rocks were called for. Of the 40 members of the public in attendance approximately 5 people wanted 4WD access to all beaches denied. Under the plan of management already in place 4WD access is only legally permitted on Lighthouse Beach. Treachery & Yagon Beaches, although never blocked off, are illegal to drive on.
At the meeting, NPWS said they would not undertake any management actions until a new management plan was gazetted (note, these management plans are an act of parliament and once gazetted are virtually impossible to change due to the almost non-existent time allotted in state parliament to amending existing legislation). In particular NPWS said that no action of any kind would be taken on Lighthouse Beach as "it would have a separate management plan".
Of course NPWS are liars. Firstly, Lighthouse Beach is included in the overall plan. Secondly, they blocked off all access tracks to Yellow Rock, Koolgardie, and Rooty Hill. Next, they blocked off all clearings in the bush at South Lighthouse so no-one could camp there. Then they blocked off access to Yagon Beach. Then they blocked off access to the rutile Road leading to Hawkes Nest (at the Bungwahl meeting in Sept 2004 we were told that this road would be torn up because it is an "environmental disaster".
However NPWS have now spent $700,000 re-surfacing this road so that they can drive to Hawkes Nest in comfort. Apparently environmental disasters are tolerated if it benefits an insignificant number of NPWS personnel, but anything with the slightest environmental impact must be stamped out if it benefits the public).
They are not blocking off Treachery at the moment as part of a stooge they are using to let people think that you will still have 4WD access to that beach after they shut down Lighthouse to 4WD vehicles, but once Lighthouse is gazetted in the Plan of Management as being off limits to 4WD vehicles they will block off Treachery. Recently the "Draft Plan of Management" (POM) was published.
The winter timing of its release is also another NPWS con job designed to limit the number of active non-local users from protesting its contents as Seals is more a summertime destination. Although only about 5 out of the 40 people at the Sept 2004 public meeting wanted 4WD vehicle access to Lighthouse Beach stopped, the new plan provides 2 options, one stopping 4WD and the other maintaining 4WD access. The plan reiterates the fact that Treachery & Yagon will not have 4WD access. In fact the foot access points to be provided are also minimal and commence miles from the beach. The next step will be charging people to enter the Seals area.
Try going to the Booti Booti, they said they'd never charge there as well, but now you have to pay $6 for a surf. I'm not a 4WD "enthusiast", and I'm young enough to walk to anywhere on any of the beaches at Seal Rocks, but when I had young children, or when I've got grandchildren, or when my parents are around, and when I'm an old fart myself, I'm not going to be able to access any of these beaches.
NPWS and Bob Carr are locking up Seal Rocks and denying access to its beautiful resources to young kids, and old and disabled people.
If you want to retain 4WD access to at least one beach in Seals, that is Lighthouse Beach, then you and as many people as you can muster must write to the address below before submissions close on Friday 16th Sept 2005.
State that "the proposed Amendments to the Myall National Park Plan Of Management with respect to Part B Management Strategies, Visitor Use, 4.6 Beach Access, should include option 1 in order to maintain 4WD access and provide an upgraded carpark and improved pedestrian access to Lighthouse Beach".
Please immediately write to:
Myall Lakes National Park POM Amendment
Booti Booti National Park
"The Ruins" Camp Ground
The Lakes Way,
Pacific Palms NSW
2428
People have already started a campaign of public disobedience in Seal rocks by ripping out the gates and stanchions NPWS put up to deny public access to what is a public resource.
I'm not a big fan of this type of action as it plays into NPWS hands by giving them examples of the problem children they like to keep out of National Parks when brainwashing the politicians who will have to vote on the plan of management. However, if a lack of written submissions fails to stop NPWS from legislating another pristine piece of NSW for their own private personal use, then all hell is going to break loose in Seal Rocks.
by -
Grant Moss
grant@bnm.com.au "
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