The Office of Environment and Heritage’s decision to suspend operations in the Croppa Creek area is the only sensible course of action.

Grief-stricken colleagues of Mr Turner’s should not be forced to confront farmers on issues of land clearing at such an incendiary time.

Even before the victim has been buried, the shooting has unlocked a torrent of accusation and hand-wringing.

Of course, hair-trigger tensions between farmers and authorities are nothing new.

That same pressure point – productivity versus protectionism – is also being felt daily in our region in the mining debate.

How long until a life is lost at Maules Creek or another mining hotspot due to escalating conflict between protesters and miners?

On a fundamental level, at the heart of the Croppa Creek issue is the question of how far a farmer’s rights extend to manage his own land.

The Native Vegetation Act is a blunt instrument policy and will continue to cause ructions until it is softened.

But the fact a long-running feud over a contentious government policy may have led to the death of an innocent man is unforgiveable.

And there must be accountability.

While the judicial system will determine the culpability of the gunman, the government must also conduct a thorough investigation into the death of one of their own.

NSW Environment Minister Rob Stokes yesterday conceded he was aware of the simmering tensions over illegal land clearing in Croppa Creek.

Other politicians, including Moree mayor Katrina Humphries, believe it was inevitable the issue would cause a death.

It is therefor incumbent upon Mr Stokes to reveal precisely how much he knew of the accused’s case file and what potential risk he posed to officers.

When quizzed by journalists yesterday, the minister refused to answer questions about whether he had read letters from locals warning of the powderkeg situation in Croppa Creek.

It’s time for the minister to come clean.

Glen Turner should not be made a martyr, but neither should his death be in vain.