Are you intending to volunteer for Splendour In The Grass (SITG) in order to get an admission ticket?
We ask you to reconsider please from an ethical perspective.
Conservation Of North Ocean Shores Inc. have been tirelessly protecting the environment to the north of the shire for more than 25 years.
CONOS is opposed to SITG situating their massive festival in the middle of one of the last wildlife corridors which connects the coastal nature reserves with the hinterland World Heritage reserves.
The SITG festival site is in a biological hotspot (within a biologically hot shire) with more than 50 threatened species in the locality and numerous Aboriginal heritage values.
SITG relies upon a large number of volunteers to boost their profit margin. We urge potential volunteers not to trade the environmental and heritage values of the site for the price of admission.
As Dr Benwell (40 years as a local ecologist) stated: ‘Is it ethically acceptable to use a high conservation value area to study the effects of human disturbance on wildlife?’ Dr Benwell is one of many professionals that we quote on our FaceBook page (CONOS Inc). Please acquaint yourselves with this information source and consider your stance from an informed basis.
The festival can be moved but the environmental and Aboriginal heritage values cannot be moved.
We hope some of the Bentley magic will rub off and guide your decision.
Bob Oehlman, President CONOS Inc.
On the basis of the review completed by Dr Benwell and Dave Scotts it is clear that holding Splendour in the Grass at a site in the middle of a really important wildlife corridors is a problem that is of great concern.
But Dr Benwell’s query “Is it ethically acceptable to use a high conservation value area to study the effects of human disturbance on wildlife?” must be met with questions of his own professional conduct.
Dr Benwell:
1. is it ethically acceptable to professionally advocate for, provide support to and act on behalf of the (former) Roads and Traffic Authority for road building activities that will create (and have created) massive and irreversible impacts on biodiversity in some of the most biodiverse landscapes in our region?
2. is it ethically acceptable to argue that substandard environmental assessment work undertaken by contractors to the RTA for a proposed major deviation of the Pacific Highway between Broadwater and Coolgardie is in any way acceptable?
3. is it ethically acceptable to profit from the above?
People….Glass… Houses…. Andy 😉