A great advantage of living in Gippsland East is the range of natural landscapes available within easy reach. From the finest alpine scenery anywhere in Australia, spectacular river gorges, tranquil lakes with a wonderful variety of bird life to a coastline where the battle between land and water is never ending.
It is appropriate that these assets should be protected so that future generations can also be able to relax and enjoy the gifts that nature has bestowed on this region. It is hard to imagine why anyone living in East Gippsland, so greatly favoured by nature, should feel uneasy or discontented.

Nevertheless, it is becoming increasingly evident that management of our parks, national as well as other types of parks, is causing increasing disquiet among local people. The problems seem to have their origins in a complete lack of consideration for local people in the decision-making processes. Stratford Highway Park has been closed down, the Knob Reserve cannot meet the demands of the government to contribute towards its upkeep and Rotomah Island Bird Sanctuary is battling the same problem.

The Annual Report of the National Parks Advisory Council recommends using municipal rates to raise money for National Parks. "Historically, municipal rates have covered local open space and parks", the report states. The Council has come to that view because, it believes that "the 'Parks Charge' levied under the Water Industry Act 1994 has been generally accepted by the public".

Parks within the metropolitan area add to the value to surrounding properties and ratepayers should be happy to contribute. They are subject to intense management and, apart from a few human pests that they attract, are welcome in any community. Those in the country are an entirely different proposition and are a liability to the municipality as well as neighbouring landowners.

The government is currently being sued by a landowner forced off his farm by the ravages of wild dogs breeding up in a forest, protected apparently on the advice of this Council. The government barred the farmer from trying to keep these pests under control. This so-called "Advisory Council", appointed by the Minister is even more out of touch with reality than the Minister is.

Rather than hoping to lead the world as a "Knowledge Nation", our political parties should learn the lesson from African nations that National Parks must be a benefit to the people that live in the vicinity, not a liability. Successive governments have refused to even contribute to the upkeep of roads used to access its parks. They refuse to make a contribution to local council revenue on the basis of rate income forgone because land is tied up "in the national interest".