NSW NATURE LAW REFORMS MUST GO FURTHER TO STOP RUNAWAY LAND CLEARING

The NSW Government has taken an important step toward fixing the state’s failing nature laws, but WWF-Australia said further reforms are urgently needed to stop runaway land clearing.

The government today released its response to an independent review of the Biodiversity Conservation Act led by former federal treasury secretary Ken Henry and an internal review of the Local Land Services Act.

In its response, the government pledged to overhaul the much-criticised biodiversity offsets scheme and introduce a NSW Nature Strategy to guide actions to protect and restore ecosystems.

"We’re pleased to see the NSW Government taking the first step in reforming and rewriting the state's broken nature laws to regenerate wildlife and ecosystems,” said Dr Stuart Blanch, WWF-Australia’s forest policy manager.

"WWF welcomes commitments to legislate a NSW Nature Strategy, improve the offsets scheme, grow high-integrity natural capital markets and implement global biodiversity goals.

“Plans to tighten land clearing exemptions, reinstate caps on clearing and reduce landholders’ self-assessment are positive steps. However, these must only be interim measures until new native vegetation laws are legislated.

“It's good to see the government recognise that biodiversity in NSW is in crisis and accept many of the recommendations proposed by Ken Henry, WWF and other conservation organisations.

“However, Labor went to the last NSW election promising to stop runaway land clearing, and these reforms won’t do that.

“Instead, they will delay strong native vegetation laws for another two years pending a further review. Our wildlife and wild places cannot afford to wait any longer for action.

“Since the Biodiversity Conservation Act was established in 2017, some of our most iconic species have edged closer to extinction.

“Koalas and greater gliders have been listed as endangered, yet deforestation and industrial native forest logging continue to destroy and damage tens of thousands of hectares of their habitat and release millions of tonnes of carbon each year.

“The Henry Review recommended some far-reaching and necessary reforms that have been rejected, such as declaring no-go zones for damaging developments and making nature laws override planning and mining laws.

“These strong laws are essential if we’re going to tackle the biodiversity crisis and truly regenerate nature by 2030.

“We also need to see billion-dollar levels of investment to support farmers and regional communities to end deforestation and restore degraded ecosystems.”