Real ‘crime’ in culling
In view of the proposed changes to be made to the culling of our native wildlife I’d like to point out a real crime – that farmers are not able to capitalise on the native and feral animals that they are forced to cull on their properties.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Some years ago I wrote a letter to the National Parks and Wildlife Service asking their permission to donate kangaroo carcasses culled under their tail tag system to Potoroo Palace to feed their endangered carnivore species such as their Alpine dingoes and to our local NSW Forestry dog and fox culler to be used as wild dog and fox baits.
I received a resounding ‘no’ from the service.
They explained that because it was a commercial venture and Eastern grey kangaroos were not a commercial species they were unable to give me permission. I replied that there was no commerce involved as these carcasses were being donated.
NPWS stated that the mere fact that I was subsidising both Potoroo Palace and the NSW Forestry from buying meat made it a commercial venture.
It seems NPWS would sooner have us leave carcasses laying in situ to rot on the ground rather than put them to a good use.
Thousands of Eastern grey kangaroos get culled every year and by law we are forced to leave them where they were shot to feed the myriad feral carnivores and insects such as the European wasp that are plaguing our forests rather than utilise them.
This antiquated and ill-conceived law not only goes against our hunter ethics but flies in the face of first world conservation and sustainable wildlife use initiatives.
As long as this misguided law remains we shall continue to wantonly waste our precious wild life.
Being brought up in a family that has culturally and traditionally hunted and gathered I was taught from a young age to have a reverence for the animals that I harvested and that killing was not a right but a privilege and something that put food on the family table. So for me and my fellow hunters to kill an animal and have to leave it to rot on the ground is not only against basic common sense but our hunting ethics, culture and tradition.
Clyde Thomas, Kiah
Educational hub
In reference to the discussion and proposition by some of the new council to purchase the old Bega hospital site, personally I would welcome the expansion of educational facilities in the region, including tertiary and vocational, if those accountable for providing such services believe there are sound reasons for pursuing them.
I am sure everyone would welcome the necessary investment from both the state and federal governments, but again on the basis that there is a sound business case.
I do not consider it appropriate to use ratepayers’ funds to purchase surplus real estate from the state government, allegedly to support such a proposal, when clearly it is a state/federal government responsibility which should be worked-through with the relevant providers.
The suggestion that the community should fund the purchase of the old hospital site to underwrite the establishment of an educational facility is ridiculous and totally outside the responsibility of local government.
Council put up a similar argument when it purchased the Auswide building in Merimbula, even today claiming it is running a “learning hub”, when in fact, it is running a simple serviced office facility as a subsidy for training organisations from outside the shire to come and offer their dubious training programs, while undercutting the activities of our local TAFE organisation, one of the finest institutions we have.
If we ask the question "who benefited" from the Auswide purchase, it was the organisation's creditors, including the ANZ Bank and State Training Services ... certainly not the shire's residents and ratepayers.