31 August, 2016
Destruction of endangered woodland for Westconnex is a taste of what’s to come under Baird’s new biodiversity laws
The NSW Nature Conservation Council has called on the Baird government to protect a patch of Cooks River/Castlereagh Ironbark Forest [1] that is slated for destruction for the Westconnex motoroway development this week. [2]
NCC Campaigns director Daisy Barham said less than 7 per cent of the critically endangered woodlands was left in the Sydney region, and the 1.87ha site near Canterbury Golf Course must be protected.
“Cooks River/Castlereagh Ironbark Forest and many other critically endangered ecosystems in the Sydney region are suffering death by a thousands cuts under the Baird government, mostly as a result of land clearing for development,” Ms Barham said.
“The Baird government has had a terrible record of fast-tracking destruction of wildlife habitat in the name of development and economic growth.
“On Mike Baird’s watch we have already lost hundreds of landmark trees in the Centennial Parklands and in other parts of Sydney for light rail and motorways. When will Mike Baird draw a line in the sand and refuse to allow more losses?
“The biodiversity offsetting laws that have been used to permit the developer of Westconnex to destroy almost 2ha of Cooks River/Castlereagh Ironbark Forest are currently only available for major developments and in a few other limited instances.
“However, the Baird government proposes expanding the use of biodiversity offsetting to a much wider range of smaller-scale developments.
“This will significantly increase the impact of development on our precious native wildlife and dwindling remnants of bushland across Sydney and the rest of the state.
“What we are seeing happen in the inner southwest of Sydney is just a glimpse of what’s to come if the government introduces its new land-clearing laws with weaker environmental protections and increased use of biodiversity offsetting later this year.”
The government is expected to introduce its Biodiversity Conservation Bill and Local Land Services Amendment Bill to parliament in October, and to repeal the Native Vegetation Act and Threatened Species Conservation Act early next year.
References
[1] Cooks River/Castlereagh Ironbark Forest in the Sydney Basin Bioregion - profile
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedspeciesapp/profile.aspx?id=10174
[2] 'Extinction by decree': Remnant forest in Wolli Creek faces the chop
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/extinction-by-decree-remnant-forest-in-wolli-creek-faces-the-chop-20160830-gr4bbi.html
Tags
Forests and wildlife
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