Keep Our Protected Areas Protected

Dear Committee Members,
I am writing to express my strong support for the protection of public lands and waterways in New South Wales, and to raise serious concerns about the direction of the current inquiry into “access restrictions.”
Our National Parks, Marine Parks, and other conservation areas are among the most important public assets in the state. These places protect unique and threatened ecosystems, provide refuge for biodiversity, and offer millions of people a chance to connect with nature. They are vital for our health, our communities, and our future.
Every year, more than 60 million visits are made to NSW’s parks and protected areas. These visits support more than $19 billion in economic activity, especially in regional and local communities. Parks already support a vast range of accessible, environmentally sustainable activities including walking, camping, cycling, swimming, kayaking, sightseeing, birdwatching and more. The idea that these areas are “inaccessible” simply does not reflect reality.
I am very concerned that this inquiry, initiated by the Shooters Party and supported by the Government, is being used as a vehicle to attack long-standing environmental protections. While I support fair and equitable public access to nature, this must not come at the cost of conservation, cultural heritage, or public safety.
Specifically, I oppose any attempt to:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 300;" aria-level="1">Introduce hunting or shooting into National Parks and conservation areas </li>
<li style="font-weight: 300;" aria-level="1">Allow off-road vehicles or unauthorised trail construction that damages ecosystems </li>
<li style="font-weight: 300;" aria-level="1">Permit mining, prospecting or other extractive activities in protected areas </li>
<li style="font-weight: 300;" aria-level="1">Undermine First Nations community control over culturally significant lands </li>
<li style="font-weight: 300;" aria-level="1">Weaken the role of environmental science in managing public land access </li>
<li style="font-weight: 300;" aria-level="1">Commercialise public land in ways that compromise natural values </li>
</ul>
Protected areas are not “locked up.” They are living landscapes that offer abundant opportunities for recreation that treads lightly on nature. They are also critical to our climate and extinction responses. Weakening these protections would be short-sighted and deeply damaging.
I urge the Government and the Committee to:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 300;" aria-level="1">Reject any proposal that would reduce environmental, cultural or safety standards in protected areas </li>
<li style="font-weight: 300;" aria-level="1">Acknowledge the existing public access already enjoyed across the estate </li>
<li style="font-weight: 300;" aria-level="1">Protect and expand National Parks and Marine Parks as part of a nature-positive future </li>
<li style="font-weight: 300;" aria-level="1">Respect First Nations rights and ensure those communities have a central voice in land and water management </li>
<li style="font-weight: 300;" aria-level="1">Prioritise conservation over recreational or commercial pressures where values are at risk </li>
</ul>
Please ensure that this inquiry does not become a pathway to damaging our most treasured public places.
NSW should be a leader in protecting our natural heritage—not a jurisdiction that trades environmental integrity for short-term gain. Our protected area network here in NSW is currently just over only 10% of the lands and waters of NSW. Right now work should be focussed on expanding our protected areas to at least 30% of land and waters by 2030.

I would like to BCC myself

Keep Our Protected Areas Protected

The Minns Labor Government has teamed up with the Shooters Party to launch a dangerous inquiry into “access restrictions” on public lands and waterways in NSW. This inquiry isn’t about genuine public access or fairness, it’s about undermining protections for some of our most precious public places.

National Parks, Marine Parks, and other conservation reserves are among the most important and valued public assets in NSW. They safeguard nature, protect threatened species, and give us all places to breathe, reflect and reconnect. With more than 60 million visits each year, these parks contribute over $19 billion to the NSW economy and support communities across the state.

The idea that conservation lands are not publicly accessible is simply untrue. Right now, our parks offer an abundance of low-impact recreation opportunities: walking, picnicking, cycling, camping, swimming, kayaking, sightseeing, wildlife observation, and more. These are activities that tread lightly and allow millions of people to enjoy nature without harming it.

This inquiry, chaired by the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party, opens the door to destructive and dangerous activities like:

Hunting and shooting in National Parks and conservation areas
Off-road vehicle access and unauthorised track building
Prospecting, fossicking, and extractive use
Commercial developments that compromise park values
Pressure to reduce First Nations control over culturally significant sites

We must draw a clear line: our protected areas are for nature and people, not for guns, motors and extraction. We want to see:

No expansion of high-impact activities in protected areas
Strengthened environmental protections across all public land categories
Proper funding for NPWS and local councils to maintain low-impact access
Respect for First Nations land rights and community control
A commitment to expand the National Parks and Marine Parks estate in response to the climate and extinction crises

This is not just about one policy. It’s about what kind of future we want for our public lands and shared environment. Make a submission to the inquiry before the deadline and tell them: we value our parks, and we will defend them.

Keep Our Protected Areas Protected

Keep Our Protected Areas Protected

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