Zapraszamy do przestudiowania korespondencji Rady Naczelnej Polonii Australijskiej i NZ z Ministrem B. Debusem.

In reply please quote: MOF20950

Mr Janusz Rygielski

Polish Community Council of Australia and New Zealand Inc PO[] Box 10595
Adelaide Street BRISBANE QLD 4000
23 JAN 2006

Dear Mr Rygielski

Thank you for your recent letter concerning the possible dual naming of Kosciuszko National Park.

Let me say at the outset that `Mount Kosciuszko' will remain the name of the highest mountain in Australia. No one from the NSW Government has suggested that it be changed. What has been suggested in a draft Plan of Management is that a dual name for Kosciuszko National Park, or portions of it, be considered.

The NSW Government is committed to recognising the state's Aboriginal cultural heritage. One way this can be achieved is by using the original place names given by Aboriginal people, so they sit alongside European names.

The practice of dual naming of geographical features is not unique to NSW and can be found in other parts of Australia and around the world. Milford Sound in New Zealand, for example, is also known as Piopiotahi, while Mount Egmont is known as Mount Taranaki. Ayers Rock is also known as Uluru and the Olgas are known as Kata Tjuta.

The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) has a state-wide park names policy that supports the use of appropriate Aboriginal names for the dual naming of parks, and places within parks. I stress again that these names do not replace European names, but rather they sit alongside them.

I can assure you that the NSW Government recognises the high regard in which Tadeusz Kosciuszko is held by both the Polish and wider communities. There is a strong Polish community in the Cooma area as a legacy of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme, and the Government recognises members of this community have a real attachment and sense of pride related to Kosciuszko.

The public exhibition period for the draft plan of management for Kosciuszko National Park took place in 2004, and all submissions and comments are being carefully considered.

Ifthe proposal to further explore the dual naming of Kosciuszko National Park is adopted in the final plan of management, then DEC will embark on a comprehensive community consultation process to consider the most appropriate name or names.

Your sincerely Bob Debus

A OTO ODPOWIED¬ RADY NACZELNEJ:

Brisbane, 1 February 2006

Mr Bob Debus, MP Attorney General, Minister for Environment Level 36, Governor Macquarie Tower 1 Farrer Place, SYDNEY NSW 2000

Ref. MOF20950

Dear Mr Debus,

Thank you for your letter dated 23 January 2006.

From your letter I can see that you realise and appreciate that the name and the location of Mount Kosciuszko is the most important and significant aspect for Polish-Australians and therefore has an extremely strong emotional connection with the whole of the Polish community in Australia.

For your information I have much pleasure in enclosing my recent letter to the Productivity Commission which shows that both the NSW Government and the Polish Community Council of Australia and New Zealand (PCCA&NZ) are in agreement and of a similar opinion as to the trends and complexity of places being named.

We strongly believe that the Aboriginal heritage should be recognised and hence we proposed a few possible solutions with respect to the Kosciuszko National Park.

As you indicated in your letter all the 2004 submissions and comments are being considered and the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) will conduct a further comprehensive community consultation process and we look forward to taking part in this process.

However, PCCA&NZ strongly believes that the historical authenticity and veracity are far more important than a short term political gain.

Yours sincerely

Janusz Rygielski, President Polish Community Council of Australia & New Zealand

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Komunikat Prezydium Rady Naczelnej Polonii Australijskiej i Nowozelandzkiej

W dniu 3 lutego br. Productivity Commission przyby³a do Brisbane, gdzie m. in. odby³o siê publiczne przes³uchanie prezesa Rady Naczelnej PA i NZ w zwi±zku ze z³o¿onym przez niego wnioskiem wprowadzenia w Australii ustawowej ochrony nazw o du¿ym znaczeniu historycznym.

Podczas pó³godzinnej sesji z udzia³em publiczno¶ci dr Rygielski przedstawi³ za³o¿enia swej koncepcji zwi±zanej z Mt. Ko¶ciuszko stwierdzaj±c, ¿e wszyscy Australijczycy polskiego pochodzenia czuj± siê kustoszami (custodians) tej nazwy. Poza tym, powiedzia³ dr Rygielski, nazwa ta utrwali³a siê na mapie Australii jako atrakcja dla miêdzynarodowych turystów.

Komisja by³a zainteresowana na jakim etapie znajduje siê sprawa ewentualnej zmiany nazwy najwy¿szego szczytu Australii i otrzyma³a wyczerpuj±ce wyja¶nienie jak równie¿ zosta³a poinformowana o genezie tej propozycji (zainicjowanej przez polityka czwartej kategorii – jak okre¶li³ burmistrza Tumbarumby J. Rygielski).

Komisja otrzyma³a Biuletyn Rady Naczelnej po¶wiêcony Mt Ko¶ciuszko.

Rzecznik RNPAiNZ