ISSUES ARISING FROM THE CONSULTATION PROGRAM
Virtually all sectors of utilisation were raised, to at least some extent, in the written submissions and the public hearings.
Biodiversity and kangaroo management were the issues most often raised in submissions. A few submissions attempted to respond to all of the questions posed in the Discussion Paper, but most provided views and information restricted to a particular area of interest or to the sector in which they were involved.
A number of submissions indicated a sense of frustration with current regulations and their administration; others considered that the controls needed to be more restrictive.
Strongly held and diametrically opposed views were presented about the killing of native fauna as part of utilisation programs. Some considered the killing of any wild animal to be unacceptable. Others advocated making use of animals being killed as part of culling programs to avoid `waste' of the resource.
The point was made by some that other States had long permitted forms of utilisation that were not permitted in this State, such as the commercial harvesting of kangaroos and the wild harvest of wildflowers. They advocated that Victoria follow these examples. A view was also presented that some newly developing sectors, such as bushfoods and privately run ecotourism ventures and conservation parks, were areas that Victoria should support.
Virtually all submissions making comment on particular forms of utilisation stressed the need for a precautionary approach to be taken in response to potential environmental impacts and/or for activity to be undertaken in an `ESD' manner.
While many submissions supported the need for utilisation to be environmentally or ecologically sustainable, comparatively few made detailed comment on the Committee's proposed ESD framework. A proportion did, however, use the Committee's sector-based questions (which had been framed from an ESD perspective) to argue the case of their sector's sustainability.
There were comparatively few submissions that addressed the issue of economic viability in detail or from a cost-benefit perspective.
While about 25 per cent of submissions made reference to existing regulatory controls, few made detailed suggestions concerning methods to overcome perceived shortcomings.
1 Hattah-Kulkyne National Park is in the dry north-west of the State. It is comparatively small and surrounded by agricultural lands. Large sections had in the past been subject to grazing by cattle and a major management objective is the restoration of ground flora. It has permanent water and movement of its marsupial fauna is restricted to a series of management blocks by fencing. Their population numbers had increased through natural breeding to such an extent that revegetation programs were at risk. This led to the decision to reduce their numbers by way of a cull.
2 For example, M. Delahunty, Professional hunter, Minutes of Evidence, 3 May 1999.
3 Environment and Natural Resources Committee (1995), Problems in Victoria Caused by Long-billed Corellas, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos and Galahs, Parliament of Victoria.
4 Senate Rural Affairs and Regional Affairs and Transport Reference Committee (1998), Commercial Utilisation of Australian Native Wildlife, Report of the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee, Canberra.
5 The only form of utilisation specifically excluded in the Senate Committee's Report is the harvesting of adult birds from the wild for the avicultural industry, and even in this instance it provides for limited harvesting if certain conditions can be met.
6 Victoria Government Gazette, G39, 2 October 1997, p. 2763.
7 Parliamentary Committee Act 1968, s. 4EA.
8 The relevant strategies and inquiries were not, however, defined.
9 The Committee has chosen to take this to include species of estuarine fish.
10 As defined by the Wildlife Act 1975.
11 Being `noxious weeds' and `pest animals' defined under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994.
12 Macquarie University NSW (1990), The Macquarie Dictionary, p. 888.
13 Senate Rural Affairs and Regional Affairs and Transport Reference Committee (1998), Commercial Utilisation of Australian Native Wildlife, Report of the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee, Canberra, p. 10.
15 For example local laws made by municipal councils under the Local Government Act 1989.
16 Campbell, E. (1998), Administrative Law Reading Guide, Monash University, Faculty of Law, p. 19.
17 The Act that authorises the making of a code may impose criminal penalties for breach of the Code.
18 World Commission on Environment and Development (1987), Our Common Future, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
19 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (1992), Earth Summit '92, Regency Press, London.
20 Council of Australian Governments (1992), The National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, p.12.
21 World Commission on Environment and Development (1987), Our Common Future, Oxford University Press, Oxford, p. 8.
22 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (1992), Earth Summit '92, Regency Press, London.
23 Resolution adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations, 19 September 1997 (Internet site: gopher://gopher.un.org/00/ga/recs/spec/RES-S19.2).
24 United Nations (1992), Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Annex 1: Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, Principle 1.
25 The role of the Commission is threefold : to review progress on implementing the three main outputs of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development: the Rio Declaration, Agenda 21 (which is, in effect, the associated action plan), and the `Forest Principles; to undertake further work on policy and activities; and to promote dialogue and build partnerships. (Internet site: http://www.unorg/esa/sustdev/csdback.htm - 15/06/1999). It meets annually for a period of two to three weeks, most recently in New York in April 1999 - its seventh session (see htpp:// www.un.org/esa/sustdev/csd7prog.htm for additional program details of this session).
26 Council of Australian Governments (1992), The National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, p. 6.
29 As is discussed further in Chapter 2.
30 Standing Committee on Agriculture and Resource Management (1993), Sustainable Agriculture: Tracking the Indicators for Australia and New Zealand, Report No. 51, CSIRO publications.
31 Malcolm, L.W., Sale, P. and Egan, A. (1996), Agriculture in Australia: An Introduction, Oxford University Press, Chapter 7.
32 Independent Committee of Inquiry, National Competition Policy, (the `Hilmer Report'). It was signed by the Council of Australian Governments in April 1995.
34 Section 4R of the Parliamentary Committees Act 1968 states that material shall be made available "unless in the opinion of the Committee special circumstances make it undesirable to do so". Such special circumstances could, for example, include evidence given in private (see s. 4J (3)) or confidential submissions.
35 Environment and Natural Resources Committee (1998), Utilisation of Victorian Native Flora and Fauna - Discussion Paper, ENRC, Parliament of Victoria.
36 Late submissions were accepted and, to the extent possible, taken into account.
