While uncertain about management practices in other catchments involved in the research. There is some certainty that for more than 20 years, public forests in the catchment have not been subjected to the usual logging and burning, generally associated with native forest management.

Regrettably, I understand this is going to change as broad acre burning is now planned, supposedly to protect koalas.

The plan has been dreamt up by a consortium of groups, including state government agencies, Bega Valley Shire Council, Aboriginal groups and the conservation movement.

Of course deliberate burning will not help koalas and it will not stop a fire from starting or reduce the impact of a wildfire should one start.

The problem is that none of the aforementioned dreamers support the National Forest Policy Statement (NFPS), which the federal and all state governments signed back in 1992.

If the NFPS was supported, those allowed to be involved in koala habitat management would be working to increase biodiversity, as opposed to destroying it. 

For the oyster growers, the negative impacts from broad acre burning are most likely to include reduced water quality.

President of the Bega Valley Shire Residents and Ratepayers Association (BVSRRA), Peter Rogers, has made a submission to Andrew Constance, the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure and Member for Bega, requesting him to urgently consider placing a hold on state government funding of the project to expand Merimbula Airport.

The BVSRRA is concerned that the impact of the proposal to expand the airport on the community has not been adequately addressed, as well as the failure of Bega Valley Shire Council (BVSC) to engage and consult with the local community before determining to pursue the project.

The BVSRRA notes the decision of the NSW Government to engage and consult with the community regarding the prospect of deregulating the Sydney-Moruya-Merimbula air route.

It believes that if it is good enough for the state government to make that effort, then it should not be too much to expect council to undertake the same process in respect of its project.

The BVSRRA has also pointed out to Mr Constance the potential for his government to be embarrassed by the failure of council to adequately explore the implications of its project, as well as to engage and consult with the community, before arbitrarily deciding to proceed.

The BVSRRA believes that the potential for that embarrassment is all the greater considering the state government is underwriting the bulk of the project’s funding requirements.

In calling on Mr Constance for his intervention, the BVSRRA has confirmed that it recently wrote to all Bega Valley Shire councillors requesting them to consider placing a “pause” on the project, pending the completion of further studies and a process of consultation with the community.

However, it was disappointed to say that it not received a response, let alone an acknowledgement of its submission from any of the councillors.

The BVSRRA has called on Mr Constance to place a “pause” on the availability of funding for the airport project – other than for works already commenced – until such time that council agrees to pursue the additional proposed studies on the implications of the project and to engage and consult with the community on its likely outcomes, before deciding to proceed with the project.