In the Flora Reserves News: Winter Edition 2024 NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) announces that dogs are now banned entirely from the Flora Reserves. (Jellore & Meryla). The justification for this heavy handed action is that dogs pose a threat to the wildlife, particularly birds. The abstract of one study is quoted, but this study is not freely available to the general public to scrutinise.
It is worth considering that dingos roamed freely throughout this area until European settlement brutally pushed them to the verge of extinction. It is entirely ludicrous to claim that well fed companion dogs pose more of a threat to the native animals and birds than dingos did.

The Flora Reserves fall under the Forestry Act 2012. They are NOT National Parks. Nowhere in the Act is there any mention of restricting access to dogs. NWPS as land managers have no authority to introduce new regulations that restrict access to these beautiful areas to an entire segment of the community.

In summary:

• There is no coherent, logical justification to exclude companion dogs.
• It prevents a whole segment of the community from savouring the uplifting experience that comes from walking in nature with their closest friends.
• For women in particular, a companion dog provides an added feeling of security when walking alone in the bush.
• The mental health benefits of walking in the bush should never be underestimated and this proposal will deny that benefit to many.
• Before NPWS became involved the whole community had unrestricted access to this area and now that is being taken away.

We, the undersigned, are demanding that the restriction on access to the Flora Reserves for walkers with their companion dogs be abandoned.