The
Nature Conservation Council of NSW (NCC) is concerned that the NSW Government’s
recently released proposed Biodiversity Conservation legislation will lead to
further loss of koalas in western NSW.
The
increase in land clearing resulting from this weakening of native vegetation
protection laws, plus the impact of climate change, are seen as likely to lead
to koala extinction in the west of the state.
NCC CEO
Kate Smolski said, “Land clearing is one of the biggest threats to our koalas
in NSW, particularly in the state’s western regions where its habitat has
become severely fragmented by more than 200 years of tree-clearing.”
She has
called on Premier Baird to go back to the drawing board on the legislation if
he wants to ensure the koala’s long-term survival.
Concerns
about the survival of the koala in NSW and Queensland led to its listing as
vulnerable under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act in 2012.
There is
good reason for this concern. On the
east coast koala numbers declined more than 40% between 1990 and 2010. In the west, in the Pilliga Forest for
example, an area that was formerly a stronghold for the species, a 2013 survey
found that the population had crashed by 75% in 10 years. So that population is now considered highly
endangered.
Key
threats to koala survival are habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, predation
from dogs, vehicle strike, disease, drought, climate change and inbreeding.
Koalas
are not the only species under threat from these new laws. Many other fauna and flora species will
suffer if there is a return to broadscale land clearing.
The NCC
is calling for improvements in the proposed legislation to safeguard the future
of the natural environment.
One of
these improvements is ruling out clearing bushland that is critical habitat for
threatened wildlife.
Another
is development of a scheme to pay “cash for compensation” to support farmers who
protect wildlife, healthy soils and pure water supplies.
And
another is comprehensive mapping of the state’s 1500 vegetation communities.
Submissions
can be made on the proposed legislation until 28 June.
-
Leonie Blain
This post originally appeared in the VOICES FOR THE EARTH column in The Daily Examiner on 23rd May, 2016.
