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BY ROBBIE MASON
A report on state environmental legislation, tabled in NSW Parliament yesterday, has provided a damning assessment of state biodiversity. The report paints a grim picture of weeds out competing native vegetations and endangered species racing towards extinction.
The two statutory reviews – one examining the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016, the other reviewing native vegetation provisions, as per the Local Land Services Act 2013 – both highlight the systemic failures of environmental protections in NSW.
According to the findings, this situation is unlikely to change unless there is a substantial overhaul of environmental laws.
The independent review suggests major changes to land-clearing rules and NSW’s biodiversity offset scheme.
Critics have long argued that the environmental offset system in NSW is broken, rife with conflicts of interest and in desperate need of overhaul. Prior to the last state election, NSW Labor pledged to fix the state’s haphazard environmental offset system within the first 18 months of government, if elected.
The Minister for the Environment, Penny Sharpe said, “the previous government presided over 12 years of environmental neglect that led to record numbers of threatened species, increased land clearing and saw koalas become endangered and on track to extinction.”
Both reviews found the government’s consultation with First Nations people was lacking and needed to improve.
Greens MP and spokesperson for the environment Sue Higginson said this finding was both unsurprising and unacceptable.
She stated, “The report calls for broad expansions of First Nations ranger programs and in perpetuity stewardship agreements. This is critical to any reform going forward to ensuring land management practices recognise and centre First Nations peoples.”
Critics have called for the Labor government to intervene.
Higginson said, “the former Coalition Government’s legislatively entrenched assault on nature can now be seen for what it is and must come to an end.”
“Our environmental regulatory framework provides greater protection for developer interests and exploitation than for our precious environment.”
“The question now is will the Minns Government do this? I am genuinely worried about whether this Government has what it takes, because it hasn’t yet stopped logging the heart of the Great Koala National Park on the mid north coast which was an environmental election commitment,” she continued.
Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said, “the Minns Government will closely consider the report’s recommendations, as we deliver on our election commitments to fix the Biodiversity Offset Scheme, strengthen environmental protections and stop runaway land clearing.”
The Environmental Defenders Office Special Counsel (Nature) Cerin Loane stated, “it’s hard to imagine a more damning assessment of the state’s most important biodiversity laws.”
“We have known for some time that biodiversity in NSW is in trouble – consecutive State of the Environment reports have shown that biodiversity continues to decline.”
“Inadequate safeguards, significant decision-maker discretion, and lax biodiversity offsetting rules have left our native species and natural landscapes at risk”.
