Manning Valley protests against proposed Marine National Parks

A story by Helen Manusu in the Manning River Times reported on local protests to proposals by the National Parks Association of NSW to lock up large portions of the NSW coast in new marine national parks.

Reading Helen's article, there is a degree of special pleading in the local protests. That said, there is also a serious point.

I used to be a strong supporter of national parks and indeed of the NPA. I now have very serious reservations.

We have got to the stage where there is constant argument by special interest groups for new national parks. There is no rigorous analysis of the justification and costs of new parks, nor can we in fact to afford to manage the parks we already have.

I think that we need a completely new discussion on the issues involved, one that centres on the role and management of national parks rather than the desirability or otherwise of specific park proposals.