20 January, 2015
How will you fix the mapping flaws on your environmental law, Mr Baird?
The Baird government must now explain how it plans to accurately map the state’s threatened plant communities after media reports exposed its preferred mapping methodology as a failure. [1]
An independent review found maps created using the Office of Environment and Heritage’s computer model could accurately identified only 17% of the vegetation communities of the Upper Hunter where a pilot program was conducted.
Most of the Hunter’s other vegetation communities, including several Threatened Ecological Communities and core habitat for threatened birds and mammals, were not identified.
Mr Baird plans to scrap the Native Vegetation Act and Threatened Species Conservation Act this year and set up a new regime to fast-track land-clearing approvals, potentially using the Office of Environment and Heritage’s flawed mapping methodology.
“If the Office of Environment and Heritage’s defective maps are used to assess land-clearing and development requests, we will see waves of government-sanctioned local extinctions all over the state,” Nature Conservation Council CEO Kate Smolski said.
“It is vital that the information used by decision makers is accurate and up to date, but at this stage the government seems clueless about how to create maps that are up to the job.”
Mr Baird, Environment Minister Mark Speakman and Planning Minister Rob Stokes have remained silent on how they intend to overcome this fatal flaw in their proposed new regime.
“It’s time the Premier and his ministers came clean. Do they plan to use OEH’s dodgy maps, and if not, how do they plan to compile an atlas of the states bushland and wildlife communities in time for the new regime?” Ms Smolski said.
“This regressive legislation will cause irreversible damage to wildlife across the state, and take wildlife conservation in NSW backwards 10 years.
“Mr Baird’s environment law reform package, as it currently stands, will fast-track land-clearing approvals to please extremists in the National Party and land-hungry developers, and increase threats faced by our wildlife and bushland.
“Mr Baird is surrendering our natural heritage by failing to show leadership in these reforms. It’s time he pressed pause on this process and thought about what sort of environmental legacy his government will leave if he continues down this path.”
Mr Baird is getting bossed around by a few climate-skeptic, backwards-facing Nationals and land-hungry developers and is surrendering our natural heritage by failing to show leadership in these reforms.
REFERENCES
[1] www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/losing-the-plot-how-native-vegetation-mapping-went-feral-20160114-gm5xj9.html
www.smh.com.au/environment/native-vegetation-mapping-saga-cover-up-and-money-wastage-claims-20160114-gm5zst.html
Tags
Forests and wildlife
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