9 October, 2014
Rally to stop Premier Baird’s war on trees
What: Rally to tell the Baird government to scrap its destructive 10/50 urban land-clearing laws.
Where: Macquarie Street, Sydney (outside Parliament House)
When: 12.30pm, Tuesday, October 14
Why: Chainsaws are still ripping through Sydney suburbs and across the state, despite the government’s minor concessions. Help end the senseless destruction. Join us to demand a moratorium on the 10/50 laws now!
People from across Sydney will rally outside Parliament House on Tuesday to demand the immediate suspension of the 10/50 urban land-clearing law pending a full inquiry.
“Hundreds of landmark trees have already been cut down because of this rule without any meaningful improvement in bushfire risk,” NCC CEO Kate Smolski said.
“There had been many reports of people using the new rules to remove trees to improve their views or facilitate development, not for genuine bushfire risk management.
“In some areas where councils have been recording the carnage, less than 5 per cent of trees removed were taken down for legitimate fire risk management reasons.
“Concessions the government made in response to the public outcry were good PR for the government but have done little to stop the senseless loss of many landmark trees.
“The Nature Conservation Council is calling on all people who love Sydney’s trees to join us on Tuesday to ensure the government hears the community loud and clear.”
Ms Smolski said the government’s reduction of the 10/50 entitlement area from 350m to 150m, announced two weeks ago (September 30), applies only to category 2 bushfire prone lands.
“This is only a tiny proportion of bushfire prone lands. The government’s changes have not removed the risks to trees in most urban bushland areas. People are justifiably angry that the changes have not addressed their legitimate concerns.
“The chainsaws will not stop until the government suspends this law and consults genuinely with the community.”
Tags
Forests and wildlife
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