PRIMARY Industries minister Niall Blair is adamant the new native vegetation codes and regulations that come into effect tomorrow have struck a middle ground that serves the greater good: a package that improves biodiversity and empowers farmers as custodians of the land.
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Mr Blair said the final reforms were by no means locked in stone, with mechanisms available to both sides to argue for tweaks, should it not be working.
The Biodiversity reforms, and the process of crafting them, has proved deeply divisive among both producers and conservationists.
Farmers complain the laws remain a complex, onerous system that has been shackled through an internal arm wrestle between the Department of Primary Industries and the Office of Environment and Heritage.
Green groups maintain the laws are tailored to suit big agribusiness, and care little for habitat destruction or species extinction.
The reforms – through a series of self-assessable clearing codes and offset mechanisms - are designed to operate without the regulatory vegetation mapping that is due to be released mid-2018.
NSW Farmers said, despite lingering “significant issues” with the reforms, including a skewed biodiversity offset balance, it would encourage landholders to talk to the LLS about what may be available to them.
“We are hopeful there are some opportunities within the codes for farmers,” said Native Vegetation Working Group chairman Mitchell Clapham.
“However as we’ve always maintained there are significant issues with some of the offset requirements in particular and the level of complexity.”
On the other side of the table are conservation groups, who, along with NSW Labor and the Greens, fear irreversible environmental damage.
Mr Blair said he was confident the reforms had struck a balance, and were also strong enough to withstand any future change of government.
“This has been something that’s been coming for over two decades,” he said from AgQuip this week.
“We’ve worked hard to get the legislation through the parliament, we’ve worked with all the stakeholders.
“I believe that it’s the best balance we’ve seen for many generations in this area.
“We want to see productivity increase, but just as importantly, we want to see biodiversity increase, and that’s what this is about.”
Biodiversity Trust unveiled
As part of the reforms, the Biodiversity Conservation Trust will be established to manage the reform’s $240 million private land conservation program.
Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton said the Biodiversity Conservation Trust Board would bring extensive experience in conservation of biodiversity, rural and regional land and resource management, financial management, and law and governance.
The Biodiversity Conservation Trust Board consists of:
- The Hon Robert Hill AC (Chairman) – Mr Hill is a former Commonwealth Government Environment Minister and a former Permanent Representative to the United Nations for Australia. He is a member of the Asia Pacific Board of The Nature Conservancy and a Governor of WWF Australia. He Chairs the Cooperative Research Centre on Low Carbon Living at UNSW.
- Virginia Malley (Deputy Chair) – Ms Malley is a non-executive director of Perpetual Superannuation Limited, a member of the Clean Energy Regulator and a former director of the Nature Conservation Trust. She has 30 years’ experience in the investment and banking sectors, as well as in conservation and environmental initiatives.
- The Hon Gary Nairn AO – Mr Nairn became the Chairman of the Mulloon Institute following a 12-year term as the Federal Member for Eden-Monaro. He has extensive experience as a surveyor and he was the inaugural Chairman of the Northern Territory Planning Commission and on the board of the Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority.
- Renata Brooks – Ms Brooks is currently a Commissioner of the Australian Fisheries Management Authority and was previously Deputy Director General, Land and Natural Resources, in the NSW Department of Primary Industries.
- Russell Taylor AM – Mr Taylor is on the Council of the University of Technology, he is a senior Indigenous leader on a number of boards including The Australian and Torres Strait Islander Healing Foundation, and he was a member of the Nature Conservation Trust.
- Duncan McGregor – Mr McGregor is an environment and planning law specialist. He is a former partner and remains a Legal Consultant at MinterEllison. He was the inaugural Chair of the Commonwealth Domestic Offsets Integrity Committee as part of the Carbon Farming Initiative.
- With The Land
