Commercial Activities
by Project Coordinator 2:45pm, 31 August 2009“What do you think about commercial activities in Sydney Harbour National Park?’
For more information www.environment.nsw.gov.au/commercial/commercialActivity.htm
roundup Comment 1
5:25pm, 1 September 2009
5
1 
Commercial activities should be welcome along the lines described in the link above. The key point being that activity, whether commercial or not, should be compatible with the nature of the park and not cause other visitors to have their activities degraded.
For example, I would see no harm in someone running a scuba diving tour from within a NP; as a counter example under no circumstance should trail bike or 4WD rallys be considered compatible with other uses of a park.
In many cases it would be preferable to have properly run commercial services than to rely on the public. A concession to sell drinks could require the operator to collect any rubbish whereas, left to the public, the rubbish is just discarded leaving NPWS staff to clean it up.
interested_sydneysider Comment 1.1
10:14pm, 3 September 2009
3
0
While I agree with the main points in this post, the one I strongly agree with - though from perhaps another perspective - is the point about incompatibility with the uses of a park.
Parks play a number of key roles, many relating to humans but one notably being (especially in a large urban centre) a small haven for the encouragement of biodiversity and appropriate habitats for native flora and fauna.
We have lost so much of our native forests and landscapes that to introduce activities that create an unnecessary disturbance to natural ecosystems should be strictly forbidden in our few remaining natural parks and reserves.
So while permitting some commercial (controlled and regulated) activity in national parks can be allowed, we should not lose sight of the fact that one of the primary roles of these areas is encouraging and sustaining biodiversity and appropriate habitats for native flora and fauna.
CommOp Comment 2
5:42pm, 14 September 2009
1
0
I am an existing commercial operator within a National Park. Licensed commercial operations like mine enable National Parks & DECC to simultaneously control commercial activites and benefit from tapping the potential commercial returns the activities can provide. The control can be achieved through conditional licenses, stipulating permitted activities, operating hours etc. The returns generated can contribute toward upkeep & betterment of the facilities provided for broader public use. A robust & constructive relationship between the Parks and the operator has enabled an evolution in the permitted activities. Medium to long-term tenure for the operator say 10 years, enables investment with reasonable prospect of return.
This notion of achieving control and commercial return is, to my mind, far preferable to the current uncontrolled opportunistic use of the park by commercial operators. Control through licensing can address the issues of suitable qualifications of operators, public liability for participants in activities in parks and ensuring a balance is achieved between commercial and non-commercial users.
Project Coordinator Comment 3
Project Team
3:29pm, 16 September 2009
5
3
"RECEIVED FROM A REGISTERED SITE VISITOR"
Please do not permit the integrity of SHNP and any future World Heritage listing of Sydney Harbour to be compromised by further commercial development under any guise.
The Quarantine Station's effective privatisation and alienation from public use is a sad indictment of successive State Governments and NPWS senior management.
We must find public or not-for-profit uses for appropriate items such as buildings,wharves,docks etc located within our shared national estate.
Kelly Comment 3.1
9:12am, 10 January 2010
1
2
What do you mean "alienation from public use"? Have you actually been to the Quarantine Station lately? When I was there I saw more people visiting & enjoying it than ever before!
If you are one of the people who were under the misunderstanding that JUST ANYONE could walk in UNTIL "the hotel took over" you're wrong. The public have NEVER had public use of the Quarantine Station. Access to the site had always been on tours or conferences ONLY with the exception of Community Days held every now and again.
If you are one of the people who just walked in when you felt like it - illegally - well I hold you partly responsible for the destruction of one of the buildings deliberately lit a few years ago.
edyptula Comment 3.2
6:18pm, 10 January 2010
2
1
I whole heartedly agree.
The beauty of our environment, be it of natural, indigenous or built heritage, should be preserved and kept in public ownership for all the people to share. Commercial interests corrupt it's integrity.
Edyptula
Kim Comment 4
6:14pm, 23 May 2010
0
0
Commercial activities can play an important part in the viability of our National Parks if managed effectively by NPWS. Often they can provide desperately needed revenue to NPWS as well as provide nice extras to visitors in the form of food, drink and a venue for private functions in addition to other services. However, NPWS should mandate that commercial operations' hours conform to the parks operating hours and not continually allow after park closing hours events. Neither should NPWS change the operating hours of the park to conform to the commercial operators' chosen operating hours. In the case of the Nielsen Park function business, late night events continuing well after park closing hours of 10 pm with revelers spilling onto the adjoining streets (no parking within Nielsen Park) promotes a late-night pub-like atmosphere. Commercial operations should be managed by NPWS in the public interest and not the other way around.
