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Eva and Arnfried Duden

NSW

Productivity Commission
LB2, Collins Street Last
Ivielbourne, Victoria 8003
Fax: 03‑96532302	 18.07.03

To whom it may concern,

in response to your inquiry we would like to state some points of concern.

We bought our property about two years ago as an investment, superannuation or in prospect of our children inheriting real estate to make a living it they like to decide for this. It one child sees a good chance to make a living on the property it may be more willing also to look after the parents as elderly people. This property has all requirements in respect to locality, fertility, water, aspect and legality to earn income with agriculture now or when ever we want. Your plans in practice try to make us to care takers of our free hold land.

We do not see any need for any of your native vegetation plans. People are already concerned about the environment. Look back about 15 to 25 years ‑ this area we are living in was very barren. Now it looks great and promising with all its forests and vegetation. No law was needed.

Further we rather see a thread for the environment if your plans are pushed into practice. The government already does not employ enough personnel to keep up with the work in the National Parks. Excess roads get closed which are essential fire trails and safety tracks for fire fighters ‑ presumably because of lack of funds. The NPs and other areas are for vegetation, animals and taxpayers to live and to recover. Your plans will cause an enormous fuel buildup on pasture with blady grass and in woodland. We have ample  experience in this area as well as in other parts of Australia, that the fuel buildup is responsible for the dangerous tree killing heat with fires. Fires will come, you cannot avoid it. The damage to the environment will be greater than ever it your plans go through.

Our forests are threatened because bell miner birds thrive. The most reasonable compromise to prevent the tree dieback would be a controlled regular burning of the open sclerophyl forests about every five years.

We know of a lot of people which already stopped planting native trees, because of your plans. They see no reasonable way to manage and harvest these trees or their products in the future. As more dams are build, as less runoff there is with good rain as more environmental pockets will be created. Where do you find the most amphibians and reptiles? Of course close to the water ways and moist areas.

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At our darn the frog concert is at times deafening. Your plans will restrict farmers planning in this line.

We cannot see a genuine Interest in protecting the environment while essential social living is threatened, the basics of many years of experience of fire impact on our nature Is ignored. We are living on the country and see what happens there. Unfortunately most votes come from the cities and many of these voters you are utilising for your plans cannot judge environmental behaviour or country living at all. To come closer, to an Australian natural balance we need to burn as regular as they** did and manage also wildlife reasonably. I, Arnfried, am a trained wildlife. manager. But what I see in Australia in this regard is chaos. Your plans will – I prophesy ‑ create more chaos. My question is: who is really pushing this, for what purpose and to whose advantage?

My our letter be food for thought to the better.

Yours sincerely

** as they, the natives of Australia just before the white settlement