The Bellinger River National Park turned 21 in September, and one of the people responsible for having it converted from its previous status as state forest, Leif Lemke, says it’s time for action on the longstanding proposal that it be included in the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage List.
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The 2,830 hectare area links New England National Park and Dorrigo National Park, both of which are world heritage listed, and it has been sitting on UNESCO’s Tentative List as a proposed extension since May 2010.
The proposal to add it to the Gondwana Rainforests goes back further than that, however, as it was mooted in the Bellinger River National Park (BRNP) Plan of Management prepared by the National Parks and Wildlife Service in May 2000.
The management plan noted that BRNP is “an important link in the conservation of protected forested habitat along the Great Escarpment”, and that like its neighbours, New England and Dorrigo national parks, it receives very high rainfall and contains tributaries of the Bellinger River flowing off the Dorrigo plateau.
In September this year, Mr Lemke wrote to Federal and state environment ministers putting the proposal yet again that BRNP be added to the Gondwana Rainforests, saying that although small, it is significant as a vital corridor and contains several areas with endangered ecological communities.
“It was realised from the beginning that the area set aside for the Gondwana Rainforests was inadequate to fully protect the flora and fauna,” Mr Lemke said. “Unfortunately the Federal and state governments have not followed through on the addition required, although they all agree that it should be done.”
He received a reply last month, via the NPWS, saying that Australia’s World Heritage Tentative List had been reviewed in December 2016, and it had been decided that the proposed extensions would stay on the list.
“A timeframe for the preparation of a nomination for extending the property has not yet been developed,” the reply said.
The local Labor Party branch has taken up the cause, voting at its November 14 meeting to call upon “Federal and NSW Labor in Government to expedite the inclusion of the Bellinger River National Park into the World Heritage Listed Gondwana Rainforests, fixing the ‘missing link’ between the New England and Dorrigo National Parks (which are included in the Gondwana Rainforests)”.
They plan to invite the Federal Shadow Minister for the Environment, Tony Burke, and the NSW Shadow Minister for the Environment, Penny Sharpe, to visit Bellingen and inspect the National Park.
“Including Bellinger River National Park in the listing sends a powerful signal that that we live in one of the most precious environmental places on earth,” President of the Bellinger River Branch of Labor, Andrew Woodward said.
“The rainforests have the same ecological significance as the Galapagos Islands. We need to do what we can to give it the best protection we can.”
Senior ecologist with the NSW National Parks Association Dr Oisín Sweeney said it was a longstanding community initiative that fully deserved to be progressed.
“NSW Labor leader Luke Foley took a very ambitious World Heritage proposal to the last election which NPA fully supported,” Dr Sweeney said. “We'd love to see state and Federal governments once again get serious about progressing World Heritage - it's a badge of honour, and a huge tourist attraction to boot.”
Mr Lemke noted that several landholders with Volunteer Conservation Agreements are also keen on seeing their land with remnant Gondwana Rainforest fully protected, and would like to have them included in the nomination.