AUSTRALIA: Tuckey urges sacked timber workers to become fire wardens
© 2001 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
November 15, 2001
The Federal Forestry and Conservation Minister, Wilson Tuckey, is calling on the WA Government to employ sacked timber workers as fire wardens.
Mr Tuckey says there are nearly 100 people, who are now unemployed because of the Gallop Government's forest policy, who could be recruited to help reduce the damage caused by forest fires.
A recent report by naturalist Ted Middleton shows a fire at the Nuyts Wilderness, west of Walpole, earlier this year had a devastating effect on wildlife.
Mr Tuckey says the fire reduced 50 kilometres of creek lines and gullies that served as refuges for animals like quokkas to little more than 250 metres.
"Are they going to let that situation be repeated?" he said.
"I mean, I wasn't aware until recently we even had any quokka left on the mainland, but here is one of the few remaining colonies wiped out by government neglect in terms of its management of the areas it says it's reserved to save them."