OEH gets cut - will WIRES get clipped?

Details: Published on Thursday, 19 July 2012 07:30

An article published in the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday leaves us here at rw.com wondering what is in store for wildlife rehabilitation in NSW.

Parks will go unstaffed as environment jobs slashed

The article says that "deregulating wildlife licensing where appropriate" is among the changes to be implemented at the Office of Environment and Heritage. What exactly does that mean? What licenses will be affected?

Under the current wildlife rehabilitation licensing system in NSW, anyone willing to rehabilitate native animals is forced to join a group like WIRES. That individual's authority is under the complete control of this licensed group. It is through this regulatory limitation that WIRES, and other groups, retain their members even when the members receive little to no support, and it also keeps those members quite about abuse, waste and corruption within the organisation.

One can only hope that the "deregulation" being considered would allow these selfless and dedicated volunteers to free themselves from the stranglehold WIRES has over them. Now would be a good time to email the Environment Minister with your ideas about removing WIRES' stranglehold on licensing and give your support to any change in regulation that might bring this about.

Email the minister: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Comments

# If Only — guest 2012-07-22 23:14

Deregulation of wildlife licensing? Oh, if only. The only chance of wildlife actually being assured of rescue most of the time. The only chance of wildlife actually being appropriately cared for most of the time. The only chance of wildife carers actually accesing appropriate and adequite training. The only chance of wildlife not being abused and neglected a lot of the time. The only chance of wildlife carers not being bullied and abused by group psychopaths. Could this be a dream? If only.

I can only beg the Minister to actually go ahead and take the plunge - save our wildlife and our wildlife carers from their current abuse. It would be the best thing that's ever happened for wildife and genuine carers in NSW for many, many years.

# Yagottabeedreamn — Stuw P Didiot 2012-07-21 01:49

Silly Billy Baby.
Could you please document the animals the job numbers and a brief description of your input as stated in your nomination This is important to establish your Quote:

integrity

should you wish to become involved with animal care at a future date.
Should you not verify the data. We will have to assume. Please help us to understand as we are mere hands on volunteers with integrity unblemished

# RE: OEH gets cut - will WIRES get clipped? — white ant 2012-07-20 07:48

I also believe this would not be good for wildlife or their carers. The Government as it is does not do enough to help less staff will mean less service, less help and less money for grants.
Volunteers are not employees and therefore choose to work and for what time period. There is no way that accountability or responsbility can be legally binding for a volunteer especially in a management position.

# RE: OEH gets cut - will WIRES get clipped? — Apache 2012-07-20 14:44

I'm not so sure we should get too hung up about this. when i first heard this I thought they meant that wires would regulate itself - self-regulation - but that's what they do now.
Parker said deregulation which is really different. She might want to remove the general licence category and allow people to rescue animals at their own risk still accountable to pocta and able to be prosecuted by rspca just like any other animal.
I think that's good - get rid of the group's hold over their members. wires keeps no records now and has almost no control of its members and no accounting for its spending or any other actions so why give them control over licenses.
deregulation won't make animals worse off because they are pretty badly handled now in the system we have. all deregulation will do is stop wires being able to bully people and use donors money for their own political purposes.

# RE: OEH gets cut - will WIRES get clipped? — Apache 2012-07-20 14:50

(I tidied this up a bit for clarity. S.)

another point.....
Quote:

less staff means less service

we have staff now and nothing happens. no inspections and no investigation of wires. Nat parks does nothing when it comes to wildlife rehabilitation so i don't think losing staff will make [any] real difference.
i think anything that removes wires and groups control of licenses is a step in the right direction. it would mean good people who were forced out of wires over internal politics and banned by wires from ever helping again could get back to caring for animals.

# RE: OEH gets cut - will WIRES get clipped? — margaret 2012-07-20 15:25

What you say Apache makes a lot of sense and if the govt intends no regulation then guess the function of WIRES and other groups would be to provide training. It would certainly solve the current problems for volunteers, as you rightly point out. The rspca is very professional and experienced in investigating and prosecuting under the act and I personally would prefer the rspca as the investigator to the currrent system.

# RE: OEH gets cut - will WIRES get clipped? — Magnum P.I. 2012-07-20 17:35

Nicely spotted Apache. I hadn't thought about it like that.

Deregulation could be the thing we need. After all at the moment the law is so useless it would need a major rewrite to make it work and it would need extra funding for inspectors which the government won't fund. Let the current provisions against cruelty to animals apply to natives as well.

Also the groups like WIRES are not doing anything for their members or the animals. Deregulating general licenses would mean that competition could come into the area - like a proper phone service that an unlicensed group is trying to create right now but is getting all this grief from WIRES. Also other things might happen now that WIRES and the groups can't intimidate people with loss of license. WIRES might have to actually give their members some service and support in order to attract and keep them.

Deregulation would be really bad news for the groups, like WIRES, but I don't think it would make anything that much worse in terms of care standards and I in fact think it will improve things overall. It might be bad for WIRES but it would be much better for carers and that usually means better for animals.

The more I think about this the more I like it. I really hope you're right Apache - lets hope so.

# RE: OEH gets cut - will WIRES get clipped? — an eagle 2012-07-20 06:29

I read this article with horror (SMH 18.7.12) which reported that the NSW Environment Minister is considering deregulation of certain wildlife licences. My thoughts are that the plan is to allow self regulation or give powers to the NSW Wildlife Council to regulate NSW wildlife organisations. Such a proposal would clearly be unsatisfactory as investigations would not be impartial and independent and would create conflicts of interest. There are certainly problems with the current system with regulation by the Office of the Environment with allegations of protecting WIRES and failing to give proper attention to the investigation of complaints but self regulation would be a retrograde step and impact on the rights of our injured wildlife to receive proper care. An independent body to regulate, with no ties to any group would be the best outcome.

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