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Federal Election 2013

The Ginninderra Falls Association has asked candidates for their views on our proposal. See below for the text of our message. Responses will be recorded here.

 
Candidate Support Comments
Adam VERWEY Yes, the Greens support the establishment of the National Park.
Adrian VAN DER BYL    
Andrew LEIGH I’m sorry for the delay in responding. I just wanted to touch base quickly with a hope of providing further assistance in the future if I am re-elected.
As you would remember, I’ve met with representatives of the Ginninderra Falls Association on a number of occasions, and if re-elected, I look forward to working with you on this issue in the future.
Andrew THALER From the quick review of the information on your website, I can say that I would support the creation of this park. I would hope that there would never be any admission fee. I believe all national parks should be fee for everyone to enter and enjoy.
Angus TAYLOR I have visited your website, and seen the progress that has been taken towards the park. Congratulations, a National Park in that spot is a very worthy aspiration.
It is very difficult to make a clear commitment to supporting it in the middle week of a federal election campaign in circumstances where I have only the superficial knowledge of the proposal. In principle, I am very much in favour of preserving nature and I am a great fan of all our wonderful National Parks. Having grown up in the Snowy Mountains and being a very keen bushwalker, competitive cross country skier and camper, I have spent and continue to spend huge amounts of time with my family in the Kosciuszko National Park. I have visited and stayed in National Parks in Australia and overseas, and for all the obvious reasons they are a great thing. In principle, therefore, I regard the proposal as a very good idea. But I would need to know much, much more about the proposal and the potential impacts before I can make an all-out commitment. These kinds of projects are always years in their making, and require a lot of ground work, careful preparation, and co-operation between governments at all levels. If I am elected, can I ask that you contact me again so that I can speak with you and your group, and understand the proposal in more detail, with a view to lending a hand to make it happen?
Bruce NICHOLSON Thanks Chris, at this stage I don’t know enough about it to make an informed comment. As you will be aware I will be fairly busy over the next 3 weeks and don’t have the time to devote to researching this properly. I have saved this email to refer back to after the election and will comment then if your still interested. If I get elected, I’d ask you send me a reminder so I don’t forget.
Catherine MOORE

As Greens candidate for Eden-Monaro and as a citizen of Australia, I strongly support the creation of National Parks, and the importance of such areas is increasing as we destroy more and more of our natural environment through logging and woodchipping, mining and development.

I also support

  • greater funding for National Parks so staff can carry out their important work properly, and
  • the protection of National Parks through strengthened federal legislation.

Thanks for the website and the information it contains and best wishes for the campaign. I look forward to joining the celebrations when the Park is created.

Chris BUCKNELL    
Chris SANT    
Costas GOUMAS    
Damien MAHER    
Darren CHURCHILL YES There should be more National Parks.
Dean LYNCH    
Deborah AVERY Unable to contact
Elizabeth LEE    
Emmanuel EZEKIEL-HART

I very strongly support the park and will like to have further updates.

Thank you and have a pleasant week, I must say that you are an architect of the preservation of the future generations by your efforts. A vote for me will keep your vision and voice alive in the Senate.

Freddy ALCAZAR    
Gai BRODTMANN    
Indra ESGUERRA I am responding on behalf of the ACT Greens candidates for the Federal election. My apologies for the delay in responding.
The ACT Greens support the proposal to establish a Murrumbidgee - Ginninderra Gorges National Park. We note that this is an issue which the ACT Greens MLAs have actively supported in the past. However, we note that this is largely a NSW Government issue, despite it being an area which many ACT residents would enjoy using.
If elected, we would certainly work with the relevant regional and state jurisdictions to push for this area to be protected as a national park.
Irwin ROSS    
James HARKER-MORTLOCK I support the proposal for the National Park. I believe that it is critical to preserve areas of natural beauty and original environment in order to protect them from what is becoming the ever expanding urban sprawl of Canberra. Cities such as Sydney have benefitted from the decision early on to preserve areas such as the Lane Cove National Park – I see this park proposal as being similar.
I believe that whilst it is good for the region’s economy for Canberra to be healthy and expanding as an economic driver the way in which Canberra is growing needs to be reviewed urgently. Areas of natural beauty and also farming activity should be retained between areas of settlement. An unending urban sprawl reaching from Canberra relentlessly north west to Yass and beyond would not be a healthy result and is the danger we face without more imaginative planning.
I see the proposed Murrumbidgee-Ginninderra Gorges National Park as being an integral part of such improved planning outcomes for the region.
Good luck with your campaign for the park!
Jamie MILLER Unable to contact
Jason CORNELIUS    
Jessica MONTAGNE    
Jill ROSS    
Joe ARNOLD Please forgive my delay in responding to you. I have read through the proposal contained on the website below. I agree that the area is a strikingly beautiful area that deserves to be sustained and protected for future generations. Equally important is the heritage in the area descendant from both traditional and modern Australians.
From the information that you have provided, I would happily offer my support to this undertaking.
Jose HENRIQUEZ    
Julie MELROSE See Indra ESGUERRA  
Kate LUNDY    
Lindsay COSGROVE    
Lynette STYLES    
Merinda NASH    
Michael LEMMEY    
Michael PILBROW    
Mike KELLY    
Nicolle BURT The Secular Party bases its policies on judgements concerning the long-term public interest so we welcome the opportunity to respond to your request about the establishment of the Murrumbidgee - Ginninderra Gorges National Park.
Whilst the Secular Party has no specific policy in place for this proposal, we strongly support the continued efforts of the proposed Cross-Border Working Group comprised of government, landowner and community representatives to develop ways and means of achieving a sustainable and equitable outcome for the benefit for the whole community, including the establishment of a national park.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment about this matter.
Paul CUBITT

The Drug Law Reform Party (ACT) would like to provide our in principle support for the proposal. Given that some land acquisition will be required, we would like to ensure thorough community engagement occurs and the interests of all concerned parties are taken into consideration.

Although it may seem peculiar that a political group with a specific aim would provide an opinion on such a diverse topic. I would like to state that our primary objective, once achieved, will have a broad range of positive social and economic outcomes. With one aim of improving family structures, we believe that it follows that the protection of natural resources within and around the ACT is important to continue the maintenance of our environment.

Paul TEERMAN I am very passionate about this topic, so much so that I took time out from the campaigning to visit the area itself. A bit about me first though so that you will understand my philosophical position in respect of this question.
I am an Indigenous Australia man of Darug / Gamillaroi heritage and am currently an Aboriginal Ranger with an organisation in Western Sydney engaged in several significant bush regeneration projects including those associated with the Penrith lakes Scheme and former mine site at Castlereagh (near Penrith).
As a result of working on my Nura (Country) I am very much in tune with the land and find the work I undertake important and satisfying. I work with some of the most wonderful people and it is excellent to see such commitment to the environment at the grass roots or coalface if you like.
I don't want to see remnants of the region where the proposed national park is to be situated in plastic containers on a shelf somewhere or behind Perspex display cases at a museum I want to see it living and breathing. I want my daughter's great grand children to be able to experience it as we had done ourselves. For that reason I support unconditionally the proposal and will use my vote accordingly (if elected) to see that the dream becomes a reality.
Dr Watson I would love to chat more about this subject so please give me a call when you have a spare moment and we can discuss this in more detail. Bottom line is I support the proposal 100% I think it is a wonderful idea and I am glad to throw my support behind the wonderful work you guys are doing.
Peter HENDY    
Philip NITSCHKE    
Sam HUGGINS    
Simon SHEIKH See Indra ESGUERRA  
Stacey DOWSON    
Steven BAILEY    
Susan MACDOUGALL Ginninderra Falls is near the ACT/NSW border and our family enjoyed visiting it when it was open to the public.  The Falls themselves are spectacular and I think they and the surrounding area should be preserved as part of a national park and re-opened to the public.  I concur with previous comments about issues of boundaries, land ownership and funding.  There might also be a safety issue to be addressed - I remember seeing people standing on top of the waterfall.  The climb down the gorge is steep and rocky.  Maybe raised wooden pathways with railings would make it safer.  I understand that Australia's national parks are poorly staffed and need more funding, so funding is certainly a big issue.
Tom SEFTON    
Tony HANLEY    
Valma PETERSEN Unable to contact
Warren CATTON    
Wayne SLATTERY    
Zaza CHEVALIER    
Zed SESELJA    

The Australian Electoral Commission listed you as a candidate for the 2013 Federal election to be held on Saturday, 7 September 2013.

I am writing to all candidates, who have released their email addresses, to give you an opportunity to state your support, or otherwise, for the proposed Murrumbidgee - Ginninderra Gorges National Park.

Please note that, unless you request otherwise, your responses will be posted on our website at Federal Election 2013.

Specifically,

Do you support the establishment of the Murrumbidgee - Ginninderra Gorges National Park?

Do you have any comments you would like to add?

Would you like to receive regular updates about the proposal? If so, please indicate in your reply or just send an email to support-subscribe@ginninderra.org.au.

Thank you,

Dr Chris Watson
President
Ginninderra Falls Association

 

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