GAME Council employee Greg McFarland will face court in Cobar next month on alleged offences of trespassing and intends to plead not guilty, according to his solicitor David King-Christopher.
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Just after 4pm yesterday Mr McFarland answered a knock on his door at his home in Orange and was handed a Field Court Attendance Notice by police, which outlined claims he trespassed on several properties in the Byrock and Cobar area on December 27 and 28 last year.
Mr King-Christopher said he was bewildered by the court notices handed to his client yesterday, as they did not relate to the original claim of illegal hunting by Mr McFarland on December 28 last year.
These claims were the catalyst for his suspension from his role as acting chief executive officer of the NSW Game Council.
“These allegations are, in my opinion, unrelated to the reason my client was originally suspended on allegations of unlawfully killing an animal,” Mr King-Christopher said.
Through his solicitor, Mr McFarland said he had tried to protect the NSW government’s reputation in what were unfounded allegations of illegal hunting of feral animals, with no evidence produced.
“However, if the NSW government insists on going through with this charade, then I feel I have done my best under the circumstances,” he said.
Mr McFarland said he was a public servant with an impeccable record who could not understand the NSW government’s determination to make him a scapegoat for the various issues relating to hunting in national parks.
McFarland was suspended on full pay by NSW Minister for Agriculture Katrina Hodgkinson in late January.
Two weeks ago Mr King Christopher lodged an application to the Industrial Relations Commission on behalf of Mr McFarland, claiming his client had been unfairly treated by the NSW Game Council.
janice.harris@fairfaxmedia.com.au
