8 Mount Street, South Gundagai NSW 2722, RE Snowy Mountains Highway- B72

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1 8 Mount Street, South Gundagai NSW 2722, The Hon. Melinda Pavey M.P. Member for Oxley, Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight G.P.O Sydney NSW 2001 Dear Minister, RE Snowy Mountains Highway- B72 Please find this submission presented by and on behalf of the memberships of Snowy Mountains Brumby and Sustainability and Management Group (SMBSMG), Snowy Mountains Bush Users Group (SMBUG) and snowy brumby supporters generally. This submission proposes a change in speed limit down from 100 kilometres per hour to 80 kilometres per hour be applied to a certain section of the Snowy Mountains Highway, B72, commencing at Yarrangobilly locality, approximately 64 kms south of Tumut extending to Sawyers Hill locality approximately 98 kms south of Tumut. This submission is based on factors relative to the presence in the subject section of populations of the snowy mountains brumbies that may present as in close proximity to the highway at any particular time. Horse droppings indicating presence in close proximity to roadway.

2 The subject section of the Snowy Mountains Highway, B72, is deemed to be a shared zone relative to both highway traffic and the localised snowy mountains brumby mobs. A generally held opinion based on local knowledge and observation is that the disparate mobs have become institutionalised and range this corridor resultant, initially from NPWS wild horse trapping utilising salt as a bait lure at trap sites in close proximity to the highway acting to draw horses from further within the Park. Secondary to this phenomena is that the wild horses are now attracted to salt particulate residues that occur along the roadway verges resultant from R.M.S. Winter snow and ice management strategies. Snowy brumbies attracted to roadside salt residues. As the snowy brumby populations have a high public profile their presence has become a tourist/photographer attraction for some road users either viewing the mobs as the motorists travel along the highway or as the motorists travel to destinations within Kosciuszko National Park. The primary issue of the presence and proximity of the snowy brumby mobs has a history, the issue was one of a number of resolutions raised at a number of community interest meetings conducted by SMBSMG throughout the Snowy Mountains from 2013 onward, attended by NPWS personnel as part of the community interaction. No response regarding this issue was received subsequent to any of these meetings. The issue was raised again at a meeting between SMBSMG, NPWS senior personnel and Member for Wagga Wagga, Daryl Maguire, again no attempt at any resolution to the issue was made by either individual.

3 Resolution (6)-That this community interest meeting unanimously demand a suspension of all current horse-trapping programmes inside Kosciuszko National Park until the issue of inhumane treatment of horses has been resolved, except in the case of public interest, the safety of motorists on the Snowy Mountains Highway. We demand that any horses trapped in this circumstance be treated according to a horse welfare management plan that allows horses to be re-homed or repatriated further into the Park before consideration is given to removal for destruction. Resolution as presented at community interest meeting. Page 19 - Risks to Visitor Safety - SMBSMG submit that NPWS are in gross, systemic breach of the duty of care owed by NPWS to the motoring public that use the Snowy Mountains Highway, in particular, that section of the corridor between Yarrangobilly and Kiandra by NPWS as agents of the NSW State Government. A breach in the duty of care owed to the wild horse population, as sentient animals, also is identified. NPWS, as land tenure managers of the land either side of that section of the Snowy Mountains Highway corridor, have failed to ensure that there is sufficient descriptive signage at either end of the corridor and along the length of the mentioned section to inform motorists as to the possible presence of horses within close proximity of that section of the highway. NPWS and the regional State Member for Wagga Wagga have been made aware, NPWS in particular on three separate occasions, of SMBSMG concerns for both the motoring public and the wild horse populations but have resolutely failed to engage with SMBSMG in any form of consultation with respect to an outcome that addresses all aspects of the issue. SMBSMG note that NPWS are currently lobbying for support for a ground-shooting management option to exterminate all the wild horse populations that exists in this locality. SMBSMG note that standard warning signs are evident in only six locations between Yarrangobilly and Kiandra. SMBSMG submit that a more complex and descriptive warning system should be implemented along the mentioned corridor at more frequent intervals. SMBSMG further submit that a speed limit of 80 kilometres per hour is imposed along that section of the Snowy Mountains Highway.

4 SMBSMG submission to Wild Horse Draft Plan of Management- cl. 19 RELATIVE FACTORS. Current signage- An insufficient number,(14 approx.) of posted signs on either side of the highway between the Yarrangobilly and Sawyer's Hill localities appear to be of a standard dimension and colouring- yellow and black- pictorial representation with no text warning with two exceptions where a clear message is evident. Current signage, standard size and colour with part of the warning laying in the grass The signs fail comprehensively, apart from the two large text or worded caution signs, to articulate the hazard that the snowy brumbies may represent to motorists and may constitute a failure in the duty of care owed to both road users and the snowy brumbies as sentient animals. Recommended- Placement of larger, more descriptive and more highly visible signage at either end of the subject highway corridor and placement of a series of

5 more descriptive and more visible signage throughout the corridor. Snowy 2.0 feasibility project- Worksite at Bullock's Hill has sign-posted speed limit signs with a speed of 80 k.p.h. As part of Traffic Management Plan imposed by NPWS. It is reasonable to assume that there will be an exponential increase in localised traffic volumes if the project is realised and there is no valid argument that the speed limit of 80 k.p.h. at Bullock's Hill cannot be extended to the entire length of the subject corridor. Recommended-That the speed limit of 80 k.p.h is extended the length of the subject corridor. Speed limit sign-snowy 2.0 worksite, Bullocks Hill Alpine/mountain vegetation and terrain- The dense vegetation, foliage and tree growth that line the highway in parts of the subject section and the mountainous nature of the surrounding terrain may act to camouflage grazing and transient brumbies at any time, either day or night, possibly compromising road user visibility and reaction response. Snowy brumbies grazing in close proximity to highway.

6 Alpine/mountain weather impacts- Alpine/mountain weather and weather patterns can and do influence road user awareness, visibility and reaction or response to adverse motoring and road conditions as well as the possibility of near-by wildlife. Recommended- Signage as recommended elsewhere. Same signage as above but demonstrating effect of Alpine/mountain weather on visibility etc. Snowy Mountains Brumby Sustainability and M anagement Group and Snowy Mountains Bush Users Group look forward to your response, any and all correspondence can be directed to the contact points at the beginning of this submission. Yours sincerely, Alan Lanyon President, SMBSMG President, SMBUG