Media Releases

January 18, 2022

The Federal Government today committed Australian taxpayers to effectively pay a record $20,000 per megalitre to recover water in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. [1]  Federal Environment Minister Keith Pitt has announced the government will allocate $126 million for water efficiency infrastructure to recover possibly just 7.4 gigalitres of water, with only 6.3 gigalitres to be returned to the environment  “That means every megalitre of water saved will cost taxpayers $20,076,” Nature Conservation Council Acting Chief...

December 20, 2021

Labor and the crossbenchers should disallow the ecologically unsustainable and socially inequitable floodplain harvesting regulations that outgoing Water Minister Melinda Pavey rushed through last Friday. [1]    “These rotten regulations, virtually Ms Pavey’s last act as Water Minister, will leave a wretched legacy if they are allowed to stand,” Nature Conservation Council Chief Executive Jacqui Mumford said.  “Ms Pavey promised to listen to river...

December 20, 2021

Nature Conservation Council Acting Chief Executive Jacqui Mumford said: “I heartily welcome the appointment of James Griffin as the state’s next Environment Minister and urge him to continue to build on the solid foundations laid by his predecessor.  “Mr Griffin clearly has a strong interest in the portfolio. In...

December 17, 2021

Koala lovers are celebrating today after almost 200 hectares of prime habitat near Port Macquarie were put beyond the reach of property developers.  NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean announced this morning the government, with a $3.5 million contribution from Koala Conservation Australia, had bought a 194ha block of forest next to Lake Innes...

December 16, 2021

Water Minister Melinda Pavey’s announcement she intends to issue floodplain licences before Christmas [1] recklessly disregards most of the 25 recommendations and 14 findings of yesterday’s parliamentary committee report. [2]  “Ms Pavey hardly had a moment to consider the Floodplain Harvesting committee’s report before declaring in the media that...

December 15, 2021

Vales Point power station will continue to be a major source of respiratory illness for children on the Central Coast after the Environment Protection Authority granted the facility a further five-year exemption from air quality standards.   While the EPA did marginally tighten standards in the licence, the changes will...

December 15, 2021

The NSW Government should implement all the recommendations of the Legislative Council’s Floodplain Harvesting report to ensure the sustainable and prudent management of one of the state’s largest water resources. [1]   “We welcome the key findings of the report and urge the government to adopt all 25 recommendations,” Nature Conservation Council Chief Executive Jacqui...

December 14, 2021

The Land and Environment Court begins a five-day hearing from today (Tuesday) into whether the Redbank power station in the Hunter Valley can substitute wood for coal and be subject to no further assessments.  The Nature Conservation Council of NSW, North East Forest Alliance and the Australian Forest and Climate Alliance are scheduled to give...

December 10, 2021

The conservation movement welcomes the intention of the NSW Government’s draft Design and Place SEPP to make the planning system better serve the needs of people and the environment.    They warned, however, that government will have to resist the developer wrecking ball.  Total Environment...

December 02, 2021

A coalition of concerned leaders and organisations has called on the NSW government to take urgent action to rectify out-of-date fisheries laws that result in unjust prosecutions of Aboriginal fishers. The call comes after the NSW Legislative Council passed a resolution last week supporting...