The Liberal Party must not bow to National Party bullying and retain and strengthen environmental protections for the state's threatened koala populations.
“Wanting to retain the right to kill koalas is an extraordinary hill for the Nationals to want to die on, but here we are," Nature Conservation Council CEO Chris Gambian said.
“The departure of Mr Barilaro from the government benches could only be good news for nature, and I imagine his hot-headed, reckless voice won’t be missed from the joint party room.
“The Nationals have dictated environmental policy to the Liberal Party and the whole state for a decade.
“They’ve ramped up land clearing, defended feral pests, bungled water management, and intensified logging after the bushfires.
“They have promoted extremist fringe ideas that have been debunked decades ago, like uranium mining and coal seam gas.
“The koala policy is one small measure to ensure koalas don’t become extinct in NSW by 2050
“It is designed to give landholders more certainty and more information about critical habitat on their land.
“People who have lived on the land for generations love the bush and share our goal of ensuring koalas survive and thrive into the future.
“Mr Barilaro says he is for farmers and the bush but all of his actions show he is the mouthpiece of the minerals industry, multinational irrigation corporations and big agribusinesses.”