Trust critical of biodiversity draft

The Killcare Wafstaffe Trust has joined with other community groups in criticizing the current draft Gosford Biodiversity Strategy as "a weak document that does not address the key issues for protecting biodiversity".

The groups have issued a statement claiming the draft Gosford Biodiversity Strategy did not address important issues such as climate change, threatened species, wildlife corridors and aquatic and marine biodiversity.

The alliance is made up of the Community Environment Network, The Killcare Wagstaffe Trust, Australian Conservation Foundation (Central Coast), Forresters Bushrangers, Greens Central Coast, Gosford Combined Progress Association and a number of Gosford Bushcare groups.

The Community Environment Network chairman Mr John Asquith said that the alliance was supported in its concerns by the Nature Conservation Council of NSW.

Mr Asquith said that the previous draft Gosford Biodiversity Strategy was a substantial 200-page document prepared over several years which had been tabled and discussed with key stakeholders since 2005 but the recently-tabled revised strategy of only 20 pages had been "decimated", had "few real actions" and was of "limited use".

He said that the reduction of 90 per cent of the content of the strategy has left council rudderless in managing biodiversity.

Ms Ann Bowe from the Kilcare Wagstaffe Trust said: "We had a roadmap for the future.

"Now the revised strategy is a backward slide that shows no interest in protecting the environment.

"For example, no vegetation maps are included even though council has previously prepared the maps."

The groups are calling for council to reinstate the former draft strategy so that biodiversity is "adequately protected in Gosford and meaningful actions are undertaken by council".

Mr Asquith said: "Council's own Sustainability Report identifies many threats to local biodiversity that need to be addressed, including; clearing, weeds, pests such as foxes, filling of wetlands and water extraction.

"Now we have evidence that climate change is affecting species and ecosystems.

"Studies suggest climate change will cause substantial changes in species distribution, reproduction, growth and interactions and possibly the loss of 30 per cent of all species."

Australian Conservation Foundation Central Coast branch president Mr Mark Snell said: "Gosford needs a detailed Biodiversity Strategy to ensure that the unique environment of the Central Coast is protected.

"The new Local Environment Plan for Gosford is about to go on public exhibition and it will be a flawed plan without a good biodiversity strategy."

Gosford council has agreed to extend the public exhibition period of the strategy until February 1.

Members of the public are asked to put in a submission and to call for the previous draft strategy to be reinstated.

Press release, 17 Dec 2007 Community Environment Network