The NSW
Government’s proposed biodiversity reforms have been criticised by conservationists
and scientists who fear that the weakening of native vegetation laws will lead
to an increase in widespread land clearing
and an acceleration of native flora and
fauna extinctions.
These reforms
replace other legislation including the Native Vegetation Act 2003 and the
Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995.
They
have also been criticised by some farmers for similar reasons.
Towards
the end of June Inverell beef farmer Glenn Morris rode his horse across the
Harbour Bridge to draw attention to the problems he saw with the new
legislation.
He said
that soil and vegetation were not the
most popular things to talk about “but if we don’t start getting a culture of
respect and love for nature, we’re in big trouble.”
Echonet recently
reported on a statement from a group of farmers calling on the state government
to make significant changes to the proposed legislation - the Local Land
Services Amendment Bill and the Biodiversity Conservation Bill.
These
concerned farmers, including two former Young Farmers of the Year and a former
regional director of the NSW Agriculture Department and CEO of Landcare, are
urging the government to set bold goals for improving native vegetation and
farm sustainability. They want the new
laws to ensure that soil health, salinity and water quality are protected and
that there is a significant increase in funds for stewardship and private land
conservation.
.
Northern
Rivers Macadamia farmer Pam Brook is concerned that the proposed legislation
will lead to more land clearing rather than regenerating and restoring
farmland. She points to her experience
where the reintroduction of rainforest on her property paid big dividends.
“In the
early days we used spray for everything,” she said. “One of the things we’ve
discovered with the rainforest is that it’s a great source of predator bugs and
insects that provide a rich balance for our macadamia orchards.”
Another
statement signatory, Alstonville avocado farmer Michael Hogan pointed out, “Any
stock and station agent will tell you that a well-treed property will attract a
higher price than a cleared farm.”
- Leonie Blain
This article was originally published in the VOICES FOR THE EARTH column in The Daily Examiner on August 15, 2016.
