I got the email today. Seems the pollies decided that it wasn't right to have someone in favour of something in cotrol of it.
So with immediate effect - no hunting in state forests.

They're also talking about refunds for R-licences.

I'm not sure just what the effects will be over all.

Here's a quote from the email.

" Therefore the NSW Government said it will immediately take the following actions:

Transfer the licensing, regulatory, enforcement, education and policy functions into the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI); and
Establish an advisory Game Board that will undertake stakeholder engagement and representation, advocate hunting, advise on research priorities and commission research, and provide independent advice to Government.

The Director General of NSW Trade & Investment, Mr Mark Paterson AO, will become the Division Head of the Game Council Division in the interim to oversee the integration of functions into DPI."

What comes after denial? Anger?

Reposted from AHN.


Independence\Arms' Length Review?
The Dunn report is claimed to be an "independent" review. It is not.
It is important to note that the author, Mr Steve Dunn, is a former senior DPI employee. This is a very important point in the context of the report's recommendations.

The author recommended that governance of the game council be placed under the management of the DPI, his former department. It is assumed that funding for the former game council of several million dollars would be absorbed by the DPI. The author did not appear to disclose his relationship with the DPI in his comprehensive report, and given his final recommendation (DPI takeover), it begs the serious question - why?

Pot calling the kettle?
Mr Dunn uses the governance of his former DPI as an example of good corporate governance. This is laughable. As witnessed by the recent ICAC hearings into the DPI and its former Ministers, the NSW DPI is living proof of how poor corporate governance failed the people of NSW, and still does. For example, the former DG of the NSW DPI was found to have altered unfavorable audit reports in relation to mining exploration licences issued by his department. See here http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/icac...-20130429-2io19.html

A biased report
Dunn's concluding remarks about potential conflicts of interest in the game council apply - but to a much greater degree - to his former department, the NSW DPI.

Dunn concludes, "it is also highlights the lack of separation between the role of being regulators whilst also engaged in
representing the interests of hunters- which will inevitably lead to potential conflicts of interest."

Potential conflicts of interest are not the sole domain of the game council.

In fact, a very senior DPI staff member currently chairs a mining advisory committee - hand in hand with a mining Company - the very same mining company to whom he is charged with regulating and ensuring compliance. http://www.newcastle.edu.au/re...e/advisory-committee

These types of conflicts of interest do arise in all government departments. What is important is that potential conflicts of interest are openly declared and made public. But Mr Dunn makes no such conclusion.

The inference of conflict of interest is portrayed by Dunn as a negative for the game council. He concludes, erroneously, that 'conflict of interest' is something that can only be negated, in his opinion, by turning the function over to his former, beloved, DPI.

"Yes Minister"
Mr Dunn's report should be read firstly in the context of his former employer the DPI, and secondly, the outcome of DPI takeover he recommends. Piecing the two together, it becomes very clear as to the motivations of it's author and the Government who commissioned him to write it.

-Galoot.

I haven't received "the email" and I'm sorry to say I don't even know what the AHN is, and can't seem to google that reference.

Could someone direct us to a clearer explanation of the situation?

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338:
I haven't received "the email" and I'm sorry to say I don't even know what the AHN is, and can't seem to google that reference.

Could someone direct us to a clearer explanation of the situation?

Well I've cut and pasted here - it won't be pretty - AHN is http://australianhunting.net.au/


Game Council NSW disbanded

On Thursday 4 July 2013 the NSW Government announced it will implement the key changes to Game Council NSW recommended by the independent Governance Review of the Game Council of NSW by Steve Dunn.

The changes are designed to improve the functions previously carried out by Game Council NSW and also acknowledge hunting as a legitimate recreational activity.

The report found that Game Council NSW had an ‘inherent conflict associated with its functions to both represent the interests of hunters, and to regulate their activities’.

Therefore the NSW Government said it will immediately take the following actions:

Transfer the licensing, regulatory, enforcement, education and policy functions into the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI); and
Establish an advisory Game Board that will undertake stakeholder engagement and representation, advocate hunting, advise on research priorities and commission research, and provide independent advice to Government.

The Director General of NSW Trade & Investment, Mr Mark Paterson AO, will become the Division Head of the Game Council Division in the interim to oversee the integration of functions into DPI.


Suspension of State forest hunting

The NSW Government also announced it will immediately suspend hunting in all 400 State forests, pending the transfer of functions and the outcome of a risk assessment.

This means that individuals with written permission to hunt on declared public land areas such as State forests and Crown Lands must no longer do so and must abide by the suspension until further advised.

Game Council and the Forestry Corporation of NSW will be contacting licence holders who have booked Written Permissions as soon as possible.

Advice is also being sought from the NSW Government on the status of licensing arrangements.


Game Bird Management Program

Game Bird Management regulatory functions will continue to be undertaken by the Office of Environment and Heritage in 2013 and will transfer to DPI in 2014.

Updates on the changes to Game Council NSW will be published on the website www.gamecouncil.nsw.gov.au. Game Council will also communicate changes to licence holders via email. If you would like to add an email address to your licence, or update your address, please email info@gamecouncil.nsw.gov.au


Review report

The Governance Review of the Game Council of NSW by Steve Dunn and the NSW Government’s response are also published on the website.


R-licence refunds
The NSW Government has advised that refunds are available on NSW Restricted (not General) Game Hunting Licence applications and renewals under limited circumstances.

Please note that the NSW R-licence will continue to convey the same provisions as a NSW G-Licence (General Game Hunting Licence) relating to the hunting of game animals (including deer) and gaining access to duck mitigation on the NSW rice fields.

If your NSW Restricted Game Hunting Licence application or renewal was processed in the one month from Tuesday 4 June 2013 to Thursday 4 July 2013, you are eligible for a full refund of your licence fee.

Please download, fill in all the required information, and submit the R-licence Refund Request Form to Game Council NSW. This form is available on the Game Council NSW website www.gamecouncil.nsw.gov.au

For licences processed one month ago or earlier, the NSW Government has made the following commitments:

If access to State forests or Crown Lands is permitted in the next six months, your NSW Restricted Game Hunting Licence will be extended for the equivalent time of the suspension.
If access to State forests or Crown Lands is not permitted in the next six months you will be entitled to a pro-rata refund for the time you have been unable to use your licence.

REFUNDS WILL NOT BE PAID FOR NSW GENERAL GAME HUNTING LICENCES.

All NSW Game Hunting Licences may still be used to hunt game animals on private land, with the permission of the landholder, and are still a pre-requisite for participation in duck mitigation in the NSW rice fields under the NSW Game Bird Management Program administered by NPWS. NSW Game Hunting Licences will also continue to provide holders with $20 million Public Liability Insurance.

If your R licence application has been recently lodged with Game Council, however not yet processed, you may instruct Game Council to either return the form to you or to proceed with your application.

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Copyright © 2013 Game Council NSW, All rights reserved.
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ORANGE, NSW 2800
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Here is a press release from the ADA


The ADA is questioning why the NSW government needed to suspend public land hunting to deliver improvements to the administrative and governance functions of the Game Council, as suggested in the Dunn report. ADA National President David Voss said today "The legitimacy and safety record of public land hunting in NSW was never in doubt. The Dunn report makes no mention of the need to suspend or dismantle the current arrangements for public land hunting to remediate the perceived back office shortcomings of the Game Council.”
“The ADA will be watching closely to ensure that the transition to DPI delivers the bureaucratic improvements promised as a result of this decision, and that any changes are limited to those absolutely necessary in order to address the specific issues raised by Dunn” said Mr Voss.
“Any divergence from that scope will simply prove what many of our members suspect; that the report was just a smokescreen to further some other agenda. The honest and law abiding hunters who have contributed their time and money to the NSW Government in good faith via an R license have not been afforded a fair go”.
“Given the enviable safety record enjoyed by the 20,000+ hunters operating in NSW state forests, we believe there is no need to change the current access arrangements”.
“Although not widely reported, Dunn acknowledged the good work carried out by the Game Council in the last 10 years. With a reported Gross Regional Product of $58.9 million in 2012-13, hunting provided a welcome boost to the economies of regional NSW. The opportunity cost (both social and environmental) resulting from the temporary suspension of hunting in state forests should be kept to an absolute minimum by those in Macquarie Street”.
“The Australian Deer Association has a proud history of working with government and the private sector to deliver practical deer management outcomes” Mr Voss commented. “The ADA looks forward to assisting the Game Board and DPI to meet

Thanks Bren 7x64 but "That's a bummer, man."

Trouble is I suspect I can see three things that may have brought it on: the prominent poaching allegation; Four Corners' revving the issues up; and some wedge tactic linked to the upcoming Federal election.

Strangely, it seems that the freedom of hunters in this country is inversely related to the size of the state they live in.