Closed outback areas

[Tony Russell <>]

Hugo, thank you for your considered response. I have, in turn, made
responses to your comments below.


At 10:48  25/09/00 +1000, you wrote:
> Tony - 
>
> This is already being done, to some extent, through the Atlas
> project.  If
> any atlasser wants to get access to a private property for 
> atlassing
> purposes (talking large outback grazing leases rather than suburban
> blocks)
> and has been refused access by the management, they can call the
> Atlas
> project here to try and facilitate it.
************ Hugo, this sounds
OK, but the very people who first who raised the issue were 
atlassers, who in fact generated some 200 odd reports during the rest of
their trip.      They asked the manager at
Clifton Hills for permission but he was then and still is totally
refusing access to anyone. He stated that he didn't care who applied,
there is no access to his lands for whatever reason. At this point in
time the SA Pastoral Act supports him.

>  Atlassers can show their Atlas ID 
> ***********  Sure, and many of us carry
> them all the time, but if the managers/proprietors are unaware of the
> atlas project, as indeed most of them are, showing a card doesn't get you
> too far. This is exactly what the problem is. Some outback landholders
> know nothing of BA or it's activities and only see hopeful visitors as a
> nuisance.

>  so that property managers can note the
> numbers and call BA for
> confirmation or more information about the project.
> ******** Again, sounds good, but will they
> in fact bother to call in given that some of them are opposed to granting
> access anyway, and further, would BA be good enough to convince
> them.


>  If all such people are
> meticulous about asking permission and adhering to all condirtions
> they
> will make it easier for those who follow them.  I also think that it
> is
> worthwhile trying to get the landowners interested in the project and
> the
> birds on their land - it is a good idea to send a thankyou letter
> later,
> with a list of birds seen and comments on anything of
> interest.

> ************* 
> Agree with all of this, I've said it publicly before.  But whose job
> is it to help get the landholders interested and contributing to the
> project?  There's no one better positioned than BA to do
> this.

> However, although BA can try to help with
> access for people involved in the
> Atlas and other projects, I do not believe that we can take
> responsibility
> for anyone who may claim to be a birdwatcher. 
> ************ Not asking that BA take
> responsibility for the behaviour of anyone. That has to be up to the
> individual, whoever it is, to try to do the right thing at the
> time. 
*********************************************************************************************************
But if BA has no qualms about accepting membership subscriptions
and donations towards the purchase of properties then it also has an
obligation to represent those people who make those contributions,
twitchers or scientists equally, in areas where they may be having
difficulties in their birding pursuits. 
**********************************************************************************************************
> There will probably always
> be some landowners who do not want anyone on their land (for
> whatever
> reason - appropriate, prejudiced or paranoid).  There is also at
> least the
> occasional birder (or someone the landowner mistakenly sees as a
> typical
> birder) who behaves badly and stuffs it up for everyone else. 

*********** Yes, these are, unfortunately,
common truths.


> It is not much use calling upon the
> traditional land access rights of medieval Europe
> to justify behaving in a way inappropriate to the political and
> cultural
> realities of Australia today.   Change these through education
> and the
> ballot-box if you like, but this won't happen overnight.
> ********* I'm not calling for any mediaeval
> land rights to be exercised, it's too late for that (at least in SA it
> is), we're talking about State Pastoral Acts which completely ignore what
> Henry 8th did, and which allow Cockies to do what they like. Of course it
> needs education and the ballot box. But if BA, as the leading national
> bird organisation, isn't going to take up the cause, then it's not just
> overnight we have to worry about, it's forever.

Tony Russell, in reply to:

> Hugo Phillipps
> Communications Coordinator
> Birds Australia
> 415 Riversdale Road
> HAWTHORN EAST 3123, Australia
> Tel: (03) 9882 2622, fax: (03) 9882 2677
> Email: <>
> Web site:
> <http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au>
>
> Are you a member of Birds Australia?  If not, why not join
> us?   Oooops!

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