NSW FARMERS’ has warned the state’s national parks have become ticking time bombs for bushfires this summer.
As authorities continued to confiscate large swathes of land to form national parks, NSW Farmers’ President Xavier Martin said vital resources to properly manage bushfire risks on public land had failed to follow.
“Farmers and communities have done a lot of work to prepare for this year’s fire season, but we’ve got a serious danger that’s out of our hands and out here on our doorstep,” Mr Martin said.
“This isn’t just a few fallen branches in these parks – we’re talking about huge tinderboxes of timber and vegetation that are just sitting here, simply waiting to explode.
“Fuel loads haven’t been managed at all well, and burn-offs aren’t happening when they should – so there’s real question marks about how safe we are living and working near these parks here in NSW.”
NSW Farmers’ Western Division Chair Gerard Glover said the state government must step up and implement a serious regime to manage bushfire risks in national parks, with farmers in the west among those facing an uncertain summer ahead.
“Before they can even think about declaring another square inch of land as a mecca for pests, our governments have got to stop, think and invest real resources to reduce the bushfire risk in the national parks they’ve already got,” Mr Glover said.
“Some of these parks in the west of the state span hundreds of thousands of acres, and often there’s barely anyone monitoring them.
“Apparently it’s going to be another hot summer ahead, and as any Aussie can tell you, there is simply no room for complacency when it comes to bushfire season.
“If the average citizen had an opportunity to prevent a bad fire from becoming far worse, they’d take it.
“The question is, would our governments do the same,” he asked.
