| Meet the Council |
|
|
|
MEET THE COUNCIL by Malcolm McKinnon
I provided Councillor John Ladbrook with my usual set of questions. He responded with the following:
“I was born in Brisbane and started my schooling at Wilston State School during World War II. With petrol rationing and my father fighting the Japanese in New Guinea, bush adventures did not extend much further than sliding on a home made sled down the grassy slopes of vacant blocks of land near our home on the top of Days Road Grange. A move to live at Windsor and trips to Innisfail, Cloncurry and Lamington kindled my love for the outdoors and in particular rain forests. But I was primarily a petrol head during my days in the Electrical Engineering Department at Queensland University.
“The joys of walking with a day-pack were discovered during 16 years in Adelaide and two years in Indonesia, so I quickly joined NPAQ on returning to Brisbane in 1984. Like many other members I later learned that NPAQ was more than just a bush walking club. It had the knowledge and the experience to impact on Government to gain more national parks and to improve existing ones. Recently I joined the Council and am now in a third two-year term.
“High membership numbers can mean a big influence on Government policy. However to increase or even maintain membership numbers it is important that we are relevant to the younger people in today’s world. Being the oldest conservation group in Queensland is not a draw card in itself. We must demonstrate our relevance in the current world of changing climate and other threats. Maintaining and increasing National Parks and the Protected Estate can work to offset these threats and make us relevant.
“With climate change and population increase being a common enemy, and being in a comfortable financial position we can bond with other conservation groups. We can lead this united body to enlist public support and work with Government in addressing the issues affecting conservation, biodiversity and sustainable use. NPAQ has a great future but the world has changed and we must change with it.
“However we must not lose sight of the fact that most new members join to go bush walking with us and only later in their membership do they become converted to be advocates of the protected estate.
|
