Below is a simple letter-writing guide developed by the North Coast
Environment Council on the proposed new land clearing regulations in
NSW. The draft Regulations will allow extensive clearing to continue
through numerous loopholes and exemptions, so if you are at all
concerned about the future of birds in NSW, particularly in the
central west, then please consider writing a letter/submission.
For more detailed information see the North Coast Environment Council
review at www.ncec.org.au/landclearing/ or the website of the
Nature Conservation Council of NSW at
www.nccnsw.org.au/veg/projects/LandClearing/
Landclearing in NSW - Submissions Needed!!!
In March 2003, the NSW Government promised to end broadscale
landclearing of remnant vegetation and protected regrowth as outlined
in the report by the Wentworth Group of concerned scientists. A
Native Vegetation Regulation 2004 and supporting documents that are
supposed to implement this promise are now on public exhibition (see
www.dipnr.nsw.gov.au). Submissions on these documents close on the
21st December, 2004.
The draft Regulation and other documents will not deliver on the
Governments promise to end broadscale landclearing for the following
reasons:
Ø There is no ban on clearing of remnant vegetation. Instead, a
system of offsets has been introduced which will mean that putting a
fence around one patch of remnant vegetation can be used to gain
approval to legally clear another area of remnant vegetation.
Ø In addition, there are numerous loopholes and flaws that will allow
extensive clearing without any environmental assessment or approvals
being required. Added to this is the fact that core provisions are
essentially unenforceable.
The impacts from clearing native vegetation are severe and many are
irreversible - the destruction of wildlife and habitat, erosion,
widespread salinity, the release of greenhouse gases, and the
extinction of species. And yet this regulation gives more of the
same and will not solve the problem of landclearing.
Please write a letter asking for substantial amendments to the Native
Vegetation Regulation 2004 so that it really does stop landclearing.
Send a copy to Premier Carr. Write to Minister Debus and tell him
that the Regulation should not be given 'biodiversity certification'.
Contact details below.
Make sure to include these key points:
1. The offset system proposed is contrary to the Governments promise
to end broadscale landclearing, and should be replaced with a direct
ban on clearing of remnant vegetation.
2. A state-wide mapping program is urgently required for native
vegetation in NSW.
3. High conservation value regrowth must be identified and protected
immediately across the State in an environmental planning instrument.
4. Regrowth must have identification criteria and strict evidentiary
requirements must be met before it can be cleared.
5. Rotational farming practices must only apply to secondary
groundcover regeneration where there is indisputable evidence of
successive rotational cropping.
6. Routine agricultural management activities must be reduced in
number, and those remaining must be controlled in a strict and
enforceable manner with much reduced clearing widths.
7. There must be strong regulation of private land logging that
demonstrably protects all oldgrowth forests, rainforest, rare,
endangered and vulnerable ecosystems,
threatened species habitats, corridors, large old trees and other key
habitat features.
8. There must be a genuine public register of clearing approvals that
is available to all, and mandatory provision of PVP data to other
pertinent Government agencies and
bodies.
9. Firewood collection is a listed Key Threatening Process and must
be properly regulated.
CONTACT DETAILS
Native Vegetation Reform Submissions
DIPNR
GPO Box 39, Sydney NSW 2001
Fax: (02) 9762 8701
Email:
Premier Bob Carr
Level 40, GMT
1 Farrer Place, Sydney NSW 2000
Fax: (02) 9228 3935
Email:
Minister Bob Debus
Level 33, GMT
1 Farrer Place, Sydney NSW 2000
Fax: (02) 9228 3166 Email:
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