[Greens-Media] MEDIA RELEASE: 'NSW to Return to Broadscale Clearing Under Proposed Native Veg Bill' (Greens MPS Dr Mehreen Faruqi MLC and Jeremy Buckinham MLC)

[Mehreen Faruqi]

Media Release
29.05.14
NSW to Return to Broadscale Clearing Under Proposed Native Veg Bill
Greens NSW MP and Environment spokesperson, Dr Mehreen Faruqi MLC's has warned that NSW is set to return to the bad old days of broadscale clearing after the Shooters and Fishers Party introduced legislation to gut the Native Vegetation Act. The Shooters and Fishers Party has introduced the Native Vegetation Amendment Bill 2014, which will allow broadscale clearing in certain circumstances. Greens NSW Spokesperson for Agriculture, Jeremy Buckingham MLC, has called the bill a massive overreach.

Dr Faruqi said "What the Shooters and Fishers Party have introduced today, heralds a return to broadscale clearing in New South Wales.

"This bill reduces penalties for unauthorised clearing, green lights broadscale clearing in many cases and downgrades the importance of ecologically sustainable development - in short a recipe for environmental disaster.

"The Greens will vigorously oppose any attempt to weaken our environmental laws.

"The Environment Minister has a very clear choice. He can commit the government to defeating this bill or be the Minister that took New South Wales back to the bad old days of broadscale clearing.

"I call on the Environment Minister to nip this bill in the bud and protect our biodiversity for the future.

"A gutting of the Native Vegetation Act was foreshadowed by the National Party so it now seems they have found a willing sponsor to do this.

"The Government has already started down the road of weakening this Act through a weakened Native Vegetation Regulation, a regulation which the Greens moved to disallow when it was introduced.

"A recent report by WWF estimates that the introduction of the Native Vegetation Act saw an 88 fold decrease of felling - this act was essential to stopping the broadscale clearing that was devastating the New South Wales environment and rural Australia.

"Since 1788, 61% of the original native vegetation of NSW has been cleared, thinned or significantly disturbed, most of which has occurred in the last 50 years. A healthy environment, economy and farming sector depends on strong biodiversity outcomes.

"Native vegetation also controls erosion through protecting soils and river banks, and improves water quality and availability. Farms with good native vegetation coverage can improve land value, increase production outcomes and reduce operating costs.

"Conserving native vegetation has become even more critical because of the threats climate change poses for biodiversity," she concluded.

Greens agriculture spokesperson Jeremy Buckingham said: "This is massive overreach and the last thing farmers in NSW need is a return to broad-scale land clearing and a new war over native vegetation.

"To allow years of sensible environmental restoration by groups such as Landcare to be undone is a mistake that government must reject.

"Just like the wind back of Marine Parks, it seems the Baird Government is happy to outsource environmental law-making to the Shooters Party", he stated.

Media contact:
Matt Hilton for Dr Faruqi 0423 106 247
Max Phillips for Jeremy Buckingham 0419 444 916


Matt Hilton
Legislative, Policy and Media Adviser

Office of Dr Mehreen Faruqi MLC
Legislative Council | NSW Parliament
E: matthew.hilton at parliament.nsw.gov.au<mailto:matthew.hilton at parliament.nsw.gov.au>
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