What We Believe
The great outdoors are meant to be enjoyed by all, with individuals and communities contributing to the environmental value of our natural landscape. We reject the view taken by the major parties, and particularly the extreme Greens, who seek to restrict public land access to who they choose.
National Parks and State Forests were never meant to be "no go" areas but were to be developed to encourage people to visit, and to promote mental and physical health by furthering people's understanding of that environment.
To appease the Green movement, there has been a desperate movement by both sides of politics to lock away public land and think about the implications later. Regrettably, vast areas of NSW National Parks and reserves have increasingly been made off-limits to many popular recreational and sporting activities.
In line with our support for regional communities and economies, we believe that one of the most effective ways to grow regional communities in NSW is through recreational tourism. Vast areas of public land in this State are blocked to access by the public. Access needs to be opened for people to visit these natural places and contribute to regional economies.
Our Action Plan
Public lands for the public!
Whether you’re a recreational fisher, hunter, four-wheel drive and off-road enthusiasts, public lands and recreational opportunities across NSW are for everyone to enjoy. To that end, we support greater access to public lands.
Greater investment into outdoor recreation
We believe in a sustainable and active recreational tourism sector in NSW, particularly through regional development opportunities. Greater investment infrastructure development including jetties and boat ramps, Fish Aggregating Devices (FAD’s), artificial reefs, and shooting facilities can offer exiting outcomes for the tourism sector.
Encourage young people to get involved in outdoor recreation
Scouting and Guide movements in NSW need to be expanded in order to encourage more young people to participate and enjoy outdoor recreational activities. On the whole we support greater opportunities for young people to engage in camping, bushwalking, abseiling, caving, horseback riding, fishing, shooting, rock climbing and diving.
Fossicking
Fossicking is a popular and culturally important recreational activity in NSW. We will facilitate legislation to encourage the participation and development of fossicking.
Bow hunting
We strongly support bow hunting as a legitimate and cultural important recreational activity. We will work to expand bow hunting opportunities across the State.
Make outdoor recreation a part of Aussie life again
Support surfing and surf lifesaving throughout the State by appropriately managing public access to beaches and coastal areas. Engage with other outdoor recreational user groups including horse riders, mountain bike riders, climbers and bushwalker to identify concerns and redress issues.
What This Means For You
The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party supports open access to public lands and water to participate in, and enjoy the many great recreational pursuits that are possible in NSW. We will work tirelessly, to expand and improve access to all public lands and waters in NSW is needed to enable all citizens to enjoy their cultural outdoor, sporting and recreational activities.
We will campaign to return National Parks to wider uses to enable better prospects of conversation. We will work to ensure that National Parks are returned to controlled, mixed-use active management that allows native forestry, grazing and recreational use for the betterment of sustainability.