STATE forests have become a loaded gun in the community.
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In January 2014, five state forests in the Highlands were declared on a list of forests to be opened for amateur hunters pending a risk assessment.
Councillor Jim Clark, who is a Greens member, will put a motion before council at tonight’s ordinary meeting to put it on notice that council is against amateur hunting in the area’s state forests.
“I want to get council to give an official position on the issue instead of the current situation where the public is unaware of the issue because it’s been brought in under the radar and the public doesn’t know until it’s too late,” Cr Clark said.
Cr Clark’s position was supported by Greens State Member David Shoebridge who visited the region in a tour of state forests last week.
“There are five forests in the Southern Highlands where the Minister for Primary Industries Katrina Hodgkinson has declared her intention to open them, but it hasn’t happened yet,” Mr Shoebridge said.
“The Highlands anti-hunting community is one of the strongest across the state and there is a strong community sense that forests are there for everyone not just a small, well-armed minority.”
Mr Shoebridge highlighted several issues regarding amateur hunters in state forests, including the animal cruelty of hunting methods such as pig dogging and bow hunting and the difficulty of regulation.
“Gunshots from a licensed hunter don’t sound any different to gunshots from an unlicensed hunter,” he said.
“There is an inability to regulate the 950,000 hectares of open public forest with only five inspectors hired to police that.”
State Member for Goulburn Pru Goward said the NSW Government supported the important role licensed recreational hunters played in contributing to co-ordinated pest management programs across the state.
“The NSW Game Licensing Unit works closely with the Forestry Corporation the NSW Police Force and communities to combat illegal activities in state forests using surveillance cameras in forests and holding joint operations with other agencies,” she said.
A spokesperson from the Forestry Corporation said compliance and licensing was the responsibility of the Department of Primary Industries, but policing of illegal hunting was the responsibility of NSW Police.
The Forestry Corporation is responsible for the control of feral animals.
“Amateur hunting in state forests is not to control feral animals,” the spokesperson said.
“Hunting in state forests is a recreational activity and we have our own animal control in place.”
Department of Primary Industry’s spokesperson said that every NSW police officer was an inspector under the Game and Feral Animal Control Act 2002.
“The Department of Primary Industries is undergoing recruitment of more compliance officers that will see 12 employed across the state,” the spokesperson said.
State forests that have been declared include Belanglo, Penrose, Meryla, Jellore and Wingello.
