20 June, 2017
Premier Berejiklian poised to let developers write cheques to clear North Shore bushland
A large community rally will be held outside Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s electorate office tomorrow to demand changes to draft laws allowing developers to remove trees and bushland in exchange for cash payments.
The Nature Conservation Council and Total Environment Centre are spearheading a campaign to oppose proposed new tree-clearing rules that are part of the government’s scrapping of nature laws in NSW.
“These laws have been proposed by extreme elements in the Coalition and will cause lasting harm to wildlife and bushland across the North Shore and the state if they are not significantly strengthened,” Nature Conservation Council Campaigns Director Daisy Barham said.
“Premier Gladys Berejiklian has been missing in action while the Coalition government has eroded hard-fought environment protections to please developers and big agribusiness.
“We are bringing the message directly to her electorate in the hope she will at last give this issue the attention it requires.”
Total Environment Centre Executive Director Jeff Angel said: “These proposed laws will let developers ‘unlock’ what’s left of Sydney’s protected lands, and destroy havens for Sydney’s endangered plant and animal communities.
“Buried within the legislation is an offsets scheme that allows developers to remove trees in exchange for paying cash into a government fund –a cash-for-trees scheme.
“Ms Berejiklian must remove the loopholes in her scheme to provide real protection for our special places.”
BREAKING: Lane Cove Council on Monday night (June 19) unanimously passed a motion opposing the use of cash offsets in exchange for clearing environmentally sensitive lands.
RALLY DETAILS
When: 10am to 11am, Wednesday, June 20
Where: Premier Glady Berejiklian’s electorate office, 280 Willoughby Rd, Naremburn
RALLY SPEAKERS
Shadow Minister for the Environment Penny Sharpe, MLC
Greens NSW Environment Spokesperson Dr Mehreen Faruqi
Nature Conservation Council Campaigns Director Daisy Barham
Total Environment Centre Executive Director Director Jeff Angel
Tags
Forests and wildlife
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