Since the opening of hunting by Game Council NSW in March 2006, voluntary hunters have removed from state forests over 11,000 feral animals, including namely 4952 rabbits, 2059 goats, 1791 pigs, 1015 foxes, 242 cats and 88 wild dogs.

This was all for free. This is of course while the already stretched and under staffed government agencies do their control measures in those respected areas.

In Victoria hunting in parks has been for years an accepted practice in their culture of recreation outdoors.

In Victoria a successful trial by parks and the Sporting Shooters Authority resulted in a 25 per cent reduction in the feral goat population in the southern part of a 633,000 ha public land area.

Similarly in South Australia a program called Operation Bounceback, hunters have culled more than 25,000 wild goats from the Flinders Ranges.

So as you can statistically see, we are trained in the job of culling.

Also if you cannot tell the difference between a feral cat and a koala, please come and ask my two and four-year-olds, they already know.

I, for one would welcome the prospect to bring our special talents and skills to revive the native species imbalance created in the national parks.

After all the parks were created by the people for the people.

Terry Leiper

Bega

Great

entertainment

Well what a morning’s entertainment was held at Candelo School recently.

The students of Candelo School, with the help of its teachers, put on a really lovely play of Pinnochio.

The costumes, the songs and acting, a really grand show.

This was all thoroughly enjoyed along with a delicious morning tea served by the young students.

The residents of Hillgrove House are so happy to have been invited to the school and to see and hear of the great enthusiasm our young people have and for these young persons to share their young ways and thoughts with our senior citizens.

Well done all you Candelo school children. You are indeed a credit to your parents and teachers.

Take a bow.

All the residents of Hillgrove House look forward to seeing you all again.

Happy Christmas

Nigel Wiggins

Bega

Hillgrove House

Do they think?

Do climate sceptics think business as usual is the way to go: digging up and burning polluting fossil fuels, destroying soil carbon, and clearing, logging and woodchipping forests with the subsequent loss of species and water supplies?

Considering population growth, how would they live with decreasing natural resources and environmental destruction?

Prue Acton

Wallagoot

Asylum seekers

The following is some information countering recent reports re asylum seekers.

Australia signed the Geneva Convention to Refugees in the early 1950s which gives us a legal obligation to accept asylum seekers, something I have been proud of since being 12 years old.

The term “asylum seeker” is someone who has fled their home and is seeking protection from another country and can legally cross any boarder to seek asylum.

In Australia asylum seekers must prove they are refugees before they are granted a visa to stay.

They must prove to government agencies that if they return home they face persecution, imprisonment or harm (including death) for reasons of race, religion, nationality, their social group or political opinion.

The UNHCR has calculated the average number of asylum seekers accepted by a country in the global context is 197 per million of population.

Using these calculations, for the first six months of this year Canada received six times the number of applications.

In the global context the average rate of asylum seeker intake according to population ranks Australia 20th of 44 countries, behind UK, Ireland, Canada and Malta (which tops the list)

Last year of the 13,500 people granted asylum here only 206 of those arriving without visas came by boat; 2,291 came by plane well over 90 per cent and as far as I know are allowed into the community, not kept in detention until they have passed all checks.

Of those arriving by air 55 per cent are rejected, where only 2-15 per cent arriving by boat are rejected.

This is very small when compared to the people who overstay on travelling visas, the majority from English speaking countries.

These amount to 50,000 each year.

A media statement re 13,500 asylum seekers were granted refugee status here last year was incorrect as 11,000 of those people came via our offshore resettlement program and therefore had a visa when they arrived.

From January to June this year 2,504 people have lodged asylum applications compared to the same months in 2000 were 13,000 and 2001 over 12,000.

The increases are related to changing world events, and are very small in comparison to eight and nine years ago.

Re refugees are a burden as stated by some media recently.

Centrelink has no data supporting this.

Of Newstart recipients only three per cent held a refugee and humanitarian or permanent protection visa.

As asylum seekers arrive they undergo thorough security checks from ASIO in conjuction with Indonesia.

In reality the threat of terrorists entering the country in this way is described by experts as “infinesimally small”.

Comparisons with the US found those involved in terrorist activities on September 11, 2001 arrived with valid visas and flying first class.

I am extremely disappointed in the present Government’s prime ministers have joined the previous government’s prime minister and ministers’ use of words to denigrate asylum seekers.

The use of those words then makes it easy for those of us who do not understand to misjudge these people who are desperately trying to save their and their family’s lives.

I want to believe the majority of Australians have it in their hearts,( when they know the true facts) to welcome these people and be proud to do so.

For me the shame I felt re the way the media demonised asylum seekers and the way our Government demonised and treated asylum seekers in 2001 is fast returning.

Barb Lynn

Brogo