National Parks says no to ecological restoration
At a meeting on July 13th, Byron Shire Chemical Free Landcare and Save Tyagarah Nature Reserve Facebook Page groups offered an alternative to the aerial spraying of pesticides in Tyagarah Nature Reserve. However, we heard yesterday by email that our proposal has being refused. Sue Walker, National Parks Local Area Manager wrote in an email, “As agreed I met with Yvonne Stewart, Chief Executive Officer of the Arakwal Custodians, late on 24 July 2013 and Yvonne has confirmed that she supported the planned aerial spray Bitou Bush control program.”
Our Group proposed to help do the work on the ground using the ecological restoration principles we have developed, a methodology that will protect biodiversity as a whole.
We would need funding. National Parks, just in the year 2006-2007, spent a budget of $4 million on aerial spraying some of the NSW coast at a cost exceeding $5000 per km (Bitou Bush Treatment Abatement Programme – TAP). Our method would be far cheaper than that.
Save Tyagarah Nature Reserve, on their pesticide aerial spraying facebook page, calls for a meeting to form an action group that will aim to halt the spraying. Please come to TNR Picnic area, at the end of Grays Lane, on Sunday 28 July, at 11 am.
Go to the Facebook: Save Tyagarah Nature Reserve page and confirm that you are coming.
National Parks intended aerial spraying of Tyagarah Nature Reserve with the pesticide metsulfuron-methyl to ‘control Bitou Bush’. This herbicide goes by trade names such as “Brush-off” and “Brushkiller 600”. We are seriously concerned about the immediate and the long-term impacts of the aerial spraying operations on Threatened Species like the Pink Nodding Orchid, and the regeneration of Threatened Ecological Communities like Littoral Rainforest. In a letter to The Byron Shire Echo, July 27, 2010, p. 13, ‘Aerial Spraying has its impacts”, Ellen White documented that the 2003 aerial spraying of Dirawong Reserve (and Bundjalung National Park) caused the loss of native species, including the reduction to a single plant of the threatened Pink Nodding Orchid. The death of animal species from the coastal littoral zone was also noted.
Bundjalung National Park was just sprayed again on Monday 22nd July. Is that what is coming for Tyagarah Nature Reserve – 11 years of aerial spraying or more? Is that why they won’t tell us how many applications they will need to control Bitou Bush in Tyagarah?
The Hon. Richard Jones has also corresponded with National Parks and their Minister requesting answers to a number of serious questions regarding the scientific background (or lack of it) re aerial spraying (please see the attached below). This is important information that we must have before any spraying goes ahead. We don’t want what is happening in Bundjalung National Park to happen in our Shire.
In accordance with requirements under the Pesticides Regulation 1995 and the NPWS Pesticide Use Notification Plan, notice of the intention to aerial spray from the 15th – 26th of July was in
The Echo, volume 28#01
On 19th July, Terry Hamill was told by National Parks staff that no aerial spraying would happen that week, but would occur any day up to the 16th of August. The advertisement that we saw in the local newspaper said nothing about August. National Parks said that, legally, there would not be a need to advertise further. Signs have already been changed on the Lighthouse walk to ‘August’. The Pesticide Act is very loose when it comes to protecting the community from pesticide exposure! So community pressure must grow to improve it.
We would like to support National Parks. We are caring people with knowledge of coastal restoration without pesticides; our eyes have been on the dunes for years. Imagine how satisfying it would be to restore Tyagarah Nature Reserve without pesticides. Imagine all the beautiful stories that we would tell our children, as we move along the land, learning about the country.
Tyagarah Nature Reserve is surrounded by people whose voices about how National Parks should manage public land in Byron Shire can make a difference.
If you care for our coast, please call National Parks (Byron Coast Area Manager 6620 9300), ask your questions, and tell them your concerns about this operation. There is also a petition going around.
Byron Shire Chemical Free Landcare
www.byronshirechemicalfreelandcare.org
Nadia de Souza Pietramale
0478 272 300
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