3 October 2017

Mayor Daryl Quilliam has joined other local organisations in a call to re-establish the management committee for the Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area.

Circular Head Mayor Daryl Quilliam has joined leaders of the Circular Head Aboriginal Corporation (CHAC) and the Circular Head Progress Group in a call to re-establish the management committee for the Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area.

Mayor Quilliam, CHAC Chairman Peter Benson and Circular Head Progress Group chair John McNab all said it was time for the government to move to have the committee reappointed.

The committee has been in recess since 2015, with ongoing court proceedings regarding State Government plans to reopen four-wheel drive tracks in the area.

Mayor Quilliam said the tracks were only one part of the issue.

“The committee was formed for the overall management of the Arthur-Pieman area, not just the tracks,” Mayor Quilliam said.

“Since the committee was put into recess, there has been no direction for people to go forward on the management of the area.

“One of the issues I’ve seen for example is when there were fires down there last year and there was no fire management plan in place,” Mayor Quilliam said.

“I believe that if the area was managed by local people, the amount of issue down there would be less because people have got an affinity with this area and they want to keep it in a pristine condition, like it is at this point in time.”

Peter Benson said the inclusion of a CHAC representative was the most important objective in the re-establishment of the committee.

“I think the government has done the right thing by recognising more aboriginal corporations and they should be taking input from CHAC on local issues,” Mr Benson said.

“We have a policy at CHAC of inclusion, not exclusion. We like to be included in things that happen in the community and we like the wider community to be involved in our activities as well.”

John McNab of the Circular Head Progress Group said there was widespread community support, not only for reopening the tracks, but also for getting the consultative committee back up and running again. 

“We are one voice with the same objective,” Mr McNab said.