9 November, 2017
Report shows new biodiversity laws were designed to save profits, not species
A leaked NSW Cabinet document shows company profits, not wildlife conservation, was the prime motivation behind the new biodiversity laws the Coalition introduced in NSW last November.
A cost-benefit analysis commissioned by the government and obtained by Fairfax Media found coal giant Glencore would have saved $80 million in environmental obligations for just one of its open-cut projects if it had been assessed under the Berejiklian government’s new biodiversity offset rules. [1]
The analysis also found the new rules would have saved a rare-earths mine, the Dubbo Zirconia Project, almost $13 million by requiring fewer offset credits.
“Greed trumps nature every time for this government,” said Nature Conservation Council CEO Kate Smolski.
“These changes weren’t designed to save species. They were designed to fast-track development and save companies millions of dollars in environmental obligations.
“Meanwhile, the state’s 1000 threatened species in NSW are being pushed closer to extinction.”
Ms Smolski said Premier Berejiklian should make public all internal government reports into the potential environmental impacts of her new Biodiversity Conservation Act, if any such reports were ever prepared.
“The government claims the new laws will be good for nature, but it has never provided evidence. I suspect it has none,” Ms Smolski said.
“Liberal Premiers over the past six years have abdicated responsibility for environmental policy to the National Party, at great cost to nature in NSW.
“The Nationals have mangled water policy and gutted the land clearing laws.
“They have rewarded their big agribusiness mates, rogue irrigators and illegal land clearers by undermining environmental protections.
“The Liberals, for their part, have frequently rewritten environmental laws when developers and mining companies come unstuck.”
[1] www.smh.com.au/environment/greed-trumps-nature-leaked-report-points-to-big-offset-savings-for-developers-20171108-gzhnln.html
Tags
Forests and wildlifePlanning and DevelopmentCoal and gas
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