State government right on land clearing, but now is the time for vigilance

It is a promising time for environmental management in New South Wales, with the State Government recently undertaking to end broad scale land clearing.

The Environmental Defender’s Office (NSW) supports the $406 million resource management plan announced by Premier Bob Carr.

Under the plan:

• broad scale clearing will cease and native vegetation laws be simplified;
• environmental standards will be established and responsibilities clarified;
• farmers will be given financial support to encourage private conservation and environmentally friendly farm practices.

The EDO urges the Government to ensure any exemptions facilitating land clearing under the new plan are tightly defined so there is no ambiguity, and so that the laws can be properly enforced. Under the old regime, a number of exemptions have provided loopholes and allowed extensive clearing.

“It is also important that the new laws are properly enforced when they are up and running” says EDO Director, Jeff Smith. “After so much goodwill has gone into designing a workable approach, it is crucial that the reform process is not derailed by the actions of a few”.

“In the meantime, the EDO urges the government to be vigilant in monitoring the existing laws until the new regime is enacted in January,” says Smith.

The plan builds on the model of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists. This group last year investigated landscape conservation issues in response to concerns about the environmental and social consequences of natural resource exploitation.

Since late 2002 the EDO has provided legal and policy advice to WWF and environmental groups involved in the Native Vegetation Implementation Group- the next stage of the discussion. That group was notable for its cooperation between farmers and environmentalists. Much of the work centered on making the Wentworth Model practical. Advice included analysis of problems under the existing regime, how to strengthen and simplify the new laws and how property vegetation plans (PVPs) would work on the ground.

October 22, 2003

For more details contact:
Jeff Smith, Director, Environmental Defender’s Office on (02) 9262 6989