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Residents deride phantom parrot

Posted on July 10, 2009, 8:08am and updated on July 11, 2009 at 9:08 am

A Port MacDonnell resident has offered to drive the bulldozer for Grant District mayor Don Pegler to clear native vegetation at the historic Port MacDonnell Cemetery site.

“I am prepared go to jail for it in his place,” Jim Mason, who lives behind the cemetery, said.

Feathers flew earlier this week over the impact on the endangered orange-bellied parrot and other bird species if council clears a 10-metre strip of land adjoining the cemetery.

Mr Pegler warned he would drive the bulldozer himself and said he was prepared to go to jail for it.

Mr Pegler took on the Native Vegetation Council and Environment Minister Jay Weatherill for not allowing council to extend the cemetery for people to be buried with their forefathers.

“It’s ridiculous,” Mr Mason told The Border Watch.

“I have been living on my seven acres of land behind the cemetery for over 10 years and I have never even seen a single orange-bellied parrot here.

“I exclusively preserve my land for wildlife and birds and there is hundreds of acres of land around for them.

“It is only a small amount of land council wants to take compared to what is available for wildlife.

“It is council land, not land that belongs to anyone else.”

Mr Mason said he was sure Mr Pegler would not get into trouble if he bulldozed the strip of bush.

“I bulldozed a strip of land next to the fence between my land and the cemetery some years ago and did not get into trouble,” he said.

“A wildlife officer arrived and questioned me, but he left quieter than he came.”

Another resident, Richard Ferguson, also claimed he has never seen an orange-bellied parrot in the area.

Writing on The Border Watch website, Mr Ferguson said it’s about time politicians started to look after people as well as the environment.

“It is not right to deny families of loved ones buried at the Port MacDonnell Cemetery to be buried with them,” Mr Ferguson said.

Mr Pegler said he appreciated the offers of support he has received.

“I must have had about 100 calls this week from just about everyone in this region that can drive a bulldozer,” he said.

“It is sheer stupidity not to let council extend the site; commonsense has left them and everyone agrees.

“There’s thousands of acres of land available for wildlife, but they won’t let us have a small strip so people can be buried with their forefathers.”

Mr Pegler said he had invited Mr Weatherill to visit the site and discuss the situation.

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Comments

3 Responses to “Residents deride phantom parrot”

  1. kelly on July 10th, 2009 3:29 pm 1

    “I bulldozed a strip of land next to the fence between my land and the cemetery some years ago and did not get into trouble,” he said.
    consider yourself lucky — if you tried it today you would end up with a very large fine

    “There’s thousands of acres of land available for wildlife” — you must be living in the 19th century — anyone with eyes in their heads knows that the region has very little vegetation remaining!

  2. ex-pat on July 10th, 2009 9:33 pm 2

    Kelly — that comment sums up everything that is wrong with Australia.

  3. Jaydos on July 14th, 2009 12:16 am 3

    “I have been living on my seven acres of land behind the cemetery for over 10 years and I have never even seen a single orange-bellied parrot here.“
    An aweful lot of people who actually have a bit of bird watching experience have never seen a single orange-bellied parrot here. They’re quite endangered actually if you hadn’t heard.. Oh around 180 birds left I think?
    Talk to Mr Wetherill, work something out for this tiny little space, sure… But getting all hardcore and claiming you’ll go to jail for it and all the rest?? Oh puh-leease, give us a break for goodness sake and grow up.

    We cut down and destroy forever like all but a few percent of our native vegetation solely for human benefit and people still whinge that the government should care more about people (normally me, me, me) and less about the environment. THAT is what is wrong with Australia. It’s unbelievable.

    Mother nature-hating must be the new fad or something, making a revival from the stupid ages (or maybe the South East is just stuck in the stupid ages still, far more likely!); this issue, the green bashing after the bushfires, climate skeptics trying to get in the way of greener policies.… Come on, everyone, seriously…