REVIEWS of the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 and the native vegetation provisions of the Local Land Services Act 2013 have identified concerns that Mid North Coast conservationists have long held about the effectiveness of environmental laws.

Last Wednesday, the NSW Government released a response to those statutory reviews.

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The Government says the response “signals a shift in the way the state fulfills its responsibilities to protect the environment and manage native vegetation across the State, now and into the future”.

It has developed a plan it says will deliver on three key election commitments in this term of government – to reform the biodiversity offsets scheme, to end excess land clearing, and strengthen environmental protections.

The response is said to be ‘nature positive’, which means the environment is being repaired and regenerated, in contrast with traditional sustainability approaches, which have sought to minimise negative impacts by slowing or stabilising the rate of biodiversity loss.

“We cannot ignore the truth: biodiversity in NSW is in crisis,” Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said.

“Our goal must be to leave nature better off than we have found it.

“It’s clear we need new approaches, and that additional effort must be directed into proactive landscape-scale biodiversity protection, restoration, and management.

“The response sets out our immediate priorities and directions, but this is the start of concerted action, reform, investment.”

However, while the response is replete with references to consultation, acknowledgments and support, a lack of details about timely action have resulted in criticisms of what the Government hoped would be viewed as a positive step forward.

Greens MP and spokesperson for the environment Sue Higginson said the reviews showed the present Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 is “not meeting its primary purpose of maintaining a healthy, productive and resilient environment, and is never likely to do so”.

“It’s unbelievable we have waited so long for a response that essentially amounts to a promise to fix the dreadfully broken offsets system many months from now,” she said.

“The response acknowledges the depth and breadth of the extinction and biodiversity loss crisis in NSW, then assumes nature can wait for the development of more plans and strategies, but it can’t.

“A crisis requires an emergency response.”

Member for Coffs Harbour and Deputy Leader of the Nationals, Gurmesh Singh, feels changes are unnecessary however.

“The previous reforms to the State’s native vegetation laws in 2016 ensured environmental protection while allowing farmers to manage their land effectively,” he said.

“Current laws require any significant change to native vegetation on a farm to involve and ultimately gain the agreement of Local Land Services (LLS).

“Existing land use codes and laws deliver proper environmental outcomes and allow farmers to feed and clothe us – we do not need to fight over this again.”

NSW Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said, “The NSW Government is committed to improving the management of native vegetation on private rural land and supporting landholders to improve environmental outcomes and access emerging natural capital markets.

“To support further improvements to native vegetation management on private land, there will be an independent review by the Natural Resources Commission commencing in 2025, to provide Government with advice and options to further protect and restore biodiversity in regional landscapes and enhance value and support for landholders.

“Importantly, we will be working with farmers to deliver the actions outlined in this response to ensure we better protect native vegetation and promote sustainable agricultural production.”

The full Government response is available at www.nsw.gov.au/nsw-plan-for-nature

Farmers or landholders who have questions about native vegetation management can contact their closest Local Land Services office: www.lls.nsw.gov.au/i-want-to/contact-my-local-office.

By Andrew VIVIAN