Proposed changes to the Native Vegetation Act are being hailed as a win for farmers, who will have greater powers to manage their own land when the reforms are legislated later this year, although conservationists are concerned the reforms go too far.
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Deputy Premier John Barilaro hosted a NSW Farmers Q&A at Loomberah on Friday, and said that the Native Vegetation Act has been limiting productivity on farms for over 20 years.
“It’s that simple,” Mr Barilaro said.
“Unfortunately over the last 20 years, Sydney, bureaucrats, and former governments have used words and have implied that land holders and farmers don’t have the ability around conservation.”
“The new biodiversity laws will bring certainty around productivity for farmers to make sure we get the best efficiencies on land, at the same time rewarding farmers that want to invest in conservation.”
The Native Vegetation Act of 2003 placed many restrictions on farmers, which, up until the Act was repealed late last year, required them to get government approval for all but the most basic clearing.
This new act, which is set to take effect from August 25 will see the implementation of a $240 million Biodiversity Conservation Trust, which will be used for stewardship, conservation and wildlife refuge agreements.
Other changes will include biodiversity offsets, such as some mining companies use, while the state is also drawing up land clearing maps which will define which areas can be self managed by landholders and which need to be regulated by the government.
“The greatest conservationists have always been the landholders, they conserve their land because they need it to remain productive, and have done for generations,” Mr Barilaro said.
“Like always, whenever you have new reforms some people will be opposed to it. Our studies are based on science and evidence. The legislation allows great productivity for our farmers at the same time as investing in conservation and protecting the environment.”
However local conservationist Phil Spark said the new legislation is “the greatest environmental issue in the north west.”
“The legislation goes way above what are the legitimate needs for farmers to maintain their land, the government has no idea of the extent of clearing that the new regulations will allow.” Mr Spark said. “Thousands of hectares of endangered ecological communities will fall to the bulldozers.”
