THE National Parks Association of NSW (NPA) is urging people to have their say about the native vegetation provisions of the Local Land Services Act.

The consultation period was originally set to expire on December 19, but according to the NPA, because of pressure from conservation groups, the NSW Government has extended the consultation for the Native Vegetation Codes until January 27.

The NPA says the rollback of strong biodiversity laws has led to a thirteen-fold increase in land clearing, putting vulnerable wildlife and habitats at risk.

Danielle Ryan, a conservation campaigner for the NPA and Coffs Coast resident said, “I feel that if more locals are aware about this consultation, they would want to participate and share their views.”

She is urging people to inform themselves of the issues and respond to the consultation.

The NPA has a number of issues with the review and has made a series of recommendations.

It wants the current review suspended in favour of a more comprehensive review that acknowledges the impacts of the current regulations on biodiversity and adheres to principles that ensure no further species or ecosystem losses.

This would entail an immediate moratorium on large-scale land clearing and clearing of known threatened ecosystems and habitat for wildlife, pending the outcomes of the review.

The NPA asks the NSW Government separately investigates options for providing greater support for regenerative agricultural practices that enhance vegetation, biodiversity, nutrition, water cycling, soils, forests, perennial pastures and catchments.

Other recommendations include better education of involved parties, improved monitoring and greater penalties for non-compliance.

“My great grandfather was a red cedar cutter in the northern rivers, before society understood the widespread impacts of clearing native forest,” Ms Ryan said.

“I believe it is up to current generations to right a wrong – ignorance is no longer an excuse for pushing species towards extinction.”

Ms Ryan said that to compensate for the part her family played in wiping out the highly-prized red cedar, she intends to restore a 40-hectare bush block established by her grandfather that she has co-inherited.

“As a private landholder, I want to see an end to large-scale clearing today,” she said.

“I want to restore and protect this patch of forest for my daughter and generations to come.”

The NPA said it encourages the community to take advantage of the extended consultation deadline because it is a vital opportunity for the public to share their views about why they want to see biodiversity laws reformed, to protect NSW’s vulnerable wildlife and habitats for generations to come.

Submissions can be emailed to policy@lls.nsw.gov.au.

By Andrew VIVIAN