August | 2024 | Friends of Casuarina Coastal Reserve

In recent years, uncontrolled fires, weeds and insufficient operational funding have combined to put the natural values of Casuarina Coastal Reserve into decline. Nearby clearing of the bush combined with increasing numbers of human visitors mean that it is a more precious asset than ever, and yet this isn’t reflected in Government spending priorities.

Friends of Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Rapid Creek and Casuarina Coastal Reserve Landcare Groups asked candidates in the upcoming Territory election four questions about their plans for the Reserve, funding and Landcare.

NT Labor and the Greens party answered each question, and no reply was received from the Country Liberal Party. Five independents replied: Justine Davis, Graeme Sawyer, Justine Glover, Belinda Kolstad and Martin Jackson. Lauren Moss and Natasha Fyles wrote separate letters detailing their commitment to local landcare and the Reserve.

Authorised by Deborah Hall, Kapalga Street Tiwi.

What we asked candidates:

If elected, will you commit to increase operational funding to the Parks and Wildlife Commission NT by at least 20% by 2026?
If elected, will you ensure that cleaning of visitor facilities in Casuarina Coastal Reserve is no longer the responsibility of rangers?
If elected, will you pledge to establish dedicated weed management and feral animal control rangers in Casuarina Coastal Reserve?
If elected, will you commit to ongoing operational funding for LandcareNT as per the rest of Australia, to support the important work of volunteer landcarers?

Below are response snippets from their individual submissions/replies. Text in italics indicates a missing or unclear response. The individual responses are linked as PDFs at the end of this page.

	Increase of operational funding?	Responsibilities of rangers?	Dedicated management?	Operational funding for LandcareNT?
Eva Lawler	No clear financial commitment but continued Implementation of NT Parks 10 Year Activation Plan	No answer	Will consider	$150,000 this financial year; will work on long-term funding agreement
Lauren Moss	Not clear	Costing for waste removal and maintenance work is underway	Supports looking for options	Involved with the Casuarina Landcare for a decade; will continue to advocate for increased operational funding
Natasha Files	Will advocate for increased funding	Some work underway in understanding the costs associated with waste and maintenance.	Understands the changes over the years of what needs to be done in maintaining the Reserve	Involved in the Rapid Creek Landcare Group since 2012
NT Greens	Yes, will commit to increasing funding to Park and Wildlife	Yes, will advocate for systems that support rangers to focus their time on the key environmental work	Yes, will advocate within parliament for biodiversity to be protected	Yes, this promise is explicitly included in our “Healthy country, thriving nature – Water, Environment and biodiversity” election platform
Belinda Kolstad	Will be guided by Constituents if the matter arises	Will be guided by Constituents if the matter arises	Will be guided by Constituents if the matter arises	Will be guided by Constituents if the matter arises
Graeme Sawyer	Yes, our park estate is badly underfunded	Yes, rangers have a much more important role to play in the management of Biodiversity	Yes, feral plants and animals are destroying the Biodiversity	Yes, there is a significant need for organisations such as Landcare and NRM to coordinate management
Justine Davis	Yes, support this	Yes, freeing up ranger time to protect and care for the natural values of the Reserve	Yes, this is essential	Absolutely
Justine Glover	Yes, as has been underfunded	Yes, rangers have more important work to do	Yes, weeds are causing significant damage	Yes, the NT is way behind and needs to fully fund this important group
Martin Jackson	Don’t know, need to know how and what is already spent	Don’t know the issues	Don’t know the issues	Supports Landcare but hesitant to commit