22/1/01
Environment Minister Cheryl Edwardes said the ALP’s forest policy showed it was nothing but a late arrival on the issue of conservation.
“In the past eight years, this Government has created to date over 920,000ha of conservation reserves, including five national parks (Mitchell River National Park, Lawley River National Park, the promised Wellington National Park under the RFA, Goldfields Woodland National Park and one at the Blackwood River), five conservation parks and over 50 nature reserves,” she said.
“This is in addition to the commitment to add a further 150,000ha to conservation reserves, including a further 14 new national parks resulting in more than one million hectares of various forest ecosystems being set aside in reserves.
“The ALP policy on national parks is just a glib bid to grab votes by calling out big numbers and saying we are creating more national parks, therefore we must be better.
“The public are smarter than that. They will also realise the ALP have no costing for the continued up-keep of these national parks and no scientific evaluation.
“Our national parks and conservation reserves are based upon solid scientific investigation and evidence to ensure important, representative conservation areas are protected for our children and their children.”
Media contact: Steve Manchee on 9421 7777
