The Nature Conservation Council urges all candidates in the Upper Hunter by-election to put climate change, air quality, the protection of wildlife habitat, and river health at the top of their agendas.

“Climate change is the number-one economic and environmental challenge facing communities of the Upper Hunter and Liverpool Plains, so all candidates need to make clear what they will do for the region on climate,” Nature Conservation Council Chief Executive Chris Gambian said.

“Any candidate who does not have climate change at the top of their platform is not really representing the true interests of the community.

“All candidates need a plan for meaningful action to cut emissions, and ensure that Hunter communities have a realistic pathway to new economic opportunities in a low carbon economy.

“Change is coming to the Upper Hunter, one way or another. These changes could be very positive, or they could be very negative – it all depends on how our politicians and governments handle it.

“So far, the major parties are putting the Upper Hunter on the road to ruin by refusing to deal frankly with climate change and the decline of the coal industry.

“The coal and electricity generation industries in the Upper Hunter contribute more than any other electorate to climate change in NSW, so it must play a leading role in slashing our state’s emissions.

“It is not fair to expect people in this region to carry the burden of that alone, which is why we are calling on the NSW Government to establish a Community and Industry Transition Fund and Transition Authority.”

Mr Gambian said candidates must also advocate strongly to improve very poor air quality in some parts of the electorate, and support measures to reverse the decline in native bushland and species under threat from logging and land clearing for mines, farming and urban development.

The Nature Conservation Council calls on all candidates to support the following measures:

Support communities

• Use coal royalties to create a multi-billion-dollar Community and Industry Support Fund.
• Establish a Community and Industry Support Authority to collaborate with workers, communities, and industry on Community and Industry Support Plans tailored to different coal communities.

End the expansion of coal and gas

• Stop releasing farmland and wildlife habitat for coal and gas developments.
  Rescind the recent release of land around Rylstone and Wollar for coal exploration.
• Stop issuing coal and gas exploration and mining licences in the Upper Hunter, Liverpool Plains and Central West.
• Ban new coal mines and gas fields.

Improve local air quality

• Set air quality standards in line with world’s best practice and improve air quality monitoring.
• Implement an air-pollution reduction strategy across NSW to improve air quality by slashing emissions.
• Reduce emissions from coal-fired power stations by installing readily available technology, updating pollution licences and improving monitoring.

Protect, restore and reconnect wildlife habitat

• End native-forest logging, a key driver of the decline of koalas and other forest wildlife.
• Stop land-clearing for mining, agriculture and urban development.
• Create a network of revegetated wildlife corridors through the Hunter and Liverpool Plains.
• End the use of biodiversity offsets, except in exceptional circumstances.
• Ban the burning of native forests for electricity and reject the proposed recommissioning of Redbank Power Station to burn forest biomass.

Restore rivers and wetlands

• Mandate environmental flows to keep our rivers healthy.
• Tighten the water-use monitoring regime to end water theft and give certainty to all water users.
• Enforce the law regarding floodplain harvesting, and ensure all floodplain harvesting regulations guarantee sustainable water flow for river health and downstream communities.
• No new dams.

The Nature Conservation Council of NSW is the peak conservation organisation for NSW, representing more than 160 local, regional, state-wide environment organisations.

The Nature Conservation Council will today refer to ICAC the sale of biodiversity offset credits in relation to major roadworks in Western Sydney.

Lisa Cox at the Guardian Australia today has revealed more details of windfall profits made by those associated with EcoLogical, a company that advised the government on biodiversity offsets in relation to the proposed M12 motorway and the Northern Road expansion. [1]

“These reports are deeply concerning and undermine public confidence in the whole offsetting system,” Nature Conservation Council Chief Executive Chris Gambian said.  

“They also raise many unanswered questions about how this scheme is being administered. 

“The community must be satisfied that people who have made huge windfall profits through the sale of biodiversity offset credits did not have access to private reports and other insights that may have given them an unfair advantage. 

“The government must explain who and on what basis credits were issued for the offset sites, how the sites were selected for purchase, and how the prices for those offsets were set.  

“How was it possible for windfall profits to be made by a very small number of people in a very short period of time? 

“We are writing to ICAC today asking it to look into this matter using its powers to investigate matters affecting community confidence in public administration.  Only ICAC can properly investigate, examine and cross-examine all the issues. 

“The problem with commodifying natural assets like water and biodiversity is they inevitably become prey to speculative investors rather than being managed and protected for in public interest. 

“We believe the whole system of offsetting now must be the subject of an urgent review to ensure it does what the public expects -- protects threatened wildlife and bushland in a rigorous and transparent way.”

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/apr/28/deeply-concerning-government-consultant-made-millions-from-nsw-environmental-offsets

The NSW Government must refer to ICAC the sale of biodiversity offset credits in relation to major roadworks in Western Sydney and conduct a comprehensive review of the state’s biodiversity offsets regime following revelations byThe Guardian Australia today. [1]

In a sensational piece of investigative journalism, Guardian environment reporter Lisa Cox has exposed significant flaws in the NSW biodiversity offsets scheme and potentially corrupt conduct by consultant ecologists and government officials.

The Guardian found two consultant ecologists who worked for Ecological, a company that advised the government on biodiversity offsets in relation to the proposed M12 motorway and the Northern Road expansion, had a significant interest in another company, Meridolum No 1, which made millions selling offset credits for the same projects.

“This episode raises very serious questions about the integrity of the whole system and should trigger a thorough review,” Nature Conservation Council Chief Executive Chris Gambian said.

“The issues highlighted by Ms Cox’s excellent report must be investigated by ICAC. If the government refuses to refer the matter to the corruption watchdog, we will.

“This report leaves numerous questions unanswered about transparency, integrity and credibility of the whole system.

“It is extremely concerning that enormous amounts of public money are buying biodiversity offsets from the very consultants who are assessing the offset requirements for major projects.

“The public must have confidence that their taxes are being spent on genuine ecological stewardship and not just providing windfall gains for private investors.

“We warned the government of the risks of corruption and species decline if it introduced its flawed biodiversity offset scheme as part of its planning and conservation law reforms five years ago. Sadly, our warnings were ignored and this is the result.

“Whether or not this matter is found to have involved corrupt conduct, it brings the whole system into serious disrepute and erodes public confidence in public administration.

“The government cannot simply conduct an internal investigation and sweep this scandal under the rug. There must be a thorough, public investigation to ensure this never happens again.”

 References

[1] ‘Enormous sum of money’: $40m windfall from NSW environmental offsets sparks calls for inquiry, 16-4-21, The Guardian

The Nature Conservation Council has renewed calls for an end to native forest logging in State forests following revelations that up to 30% of the quality timber in some regions was destroyed by the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires.

The losses detailed in a Forestry Corporation report dated December 2020 but only made public on March 26 after a parliamentary inquiry forced its release. [1]

“This report shows yet again that logging in NSW State forests is both financially unviable and ecological unsustainable,” Nature Conservation Council Chief Executive Chris Gambian said.

“The government now needs to outline its plan to transition out of native forest logging to a sustainable plantation based industry.

“The EPA slowed Forestry Corp’s destructive behaviour by enforcing post-fire logging rules, but the corporation has now gone rogue, defying EPA controls and resuming pre-fire logging practices. 

“The NSW Government must resume control of the state’s public forests and manage them for all of us, not just the big resources companies.

“The Coalition government’s decision in 2012 to let a state-owned corporation manage our forests has cost taxpayers millions and degraded a priceless community asset. 

“It is time to end this failed experiment.

“Our public forests are in serious decline because of decades of unsustainable logging, and the Black Summer bushfires were a massive hit. They must be given time to recover.

"Logging at rates Forestry Corp wants to set will convert our public forests from stands of big old trees to thickets of saplings destined for the chip mill. There is nothing sustainable about that.” 

REFERENCES

[1] 2019–20 Wildfires, NSW Coastal Hardwood Forests Sustainable Yield Review, NSW Forestry Corporation, December 2020.  See also NSW urged to stop logging native forests after fires wipe out up to 30% of timber supply, The Guardian, 30-3-21 

MEDIA CONTACT: James Tremain | 0419 22 254

The Nature Conservation Council welcomes the NSW Government’s approval of Koala Plans of Management (KPoMs) for Tweed and Byron local government areas. [1]

“This is a step forward for koala conservation on the North Coast, although they do have limitations and the government took more than five years to approve them,” Nature Conservation Council Chief Executive Chris Gambian said. 

“These plans cover less than a quarter of the Tweed and Byron local government areas by focussing primarily on the coastal strip.

“That makes sense because these areas face the most intense development pressure, but it means significant koala habitat in the hinterland still lacks the protection.

“Koalas in NSW are on track for extinction by 2050 so further delays are literally a matter of life and death for this iconic species.

“There are also several Koala Plans of Management that other councils have lodged, including Clarence Valley and Coffs Harbour, that have sat on the government’s desk for many months, sometimes years.

“These need to be approved as a matter of urgency.”

REFERENCES

[1] Stronger protections for North Coast koalas, Media Release, Minister Stokes, Minister Barilaro, 31-3-21

Attempts to make Transport NSW slash 40m-wide strips of forest along every state highway in NSW shows why bushfire policy must be guided by science and expert advice, not ministerial decree. [1] 

“The directive to chainsaw 40m-wide strips along all the state highways in NSW would have been devastating for koalas and other wildlife,” Nature Conservation Council Chief Executive Chris Gambian said.

“Buffers that big would have destroyed tens of thousands of hectares of forest when wildlife were at their most vulnerable after the devastating fires.

“Thankfully, we live in a democracy with checks and balances that set reasonable limits on the powers of ministers.”

Mr Gambian said the directive to Transport NSW was not just possibly unlawful, it was not supported by the Independent NSW Bushfire Inquiry the government established to recommend ways to improve public safety and bushfire preparedness.

“Even before the experts handed down their report, one minister thought he knew better,” Mr Gambian said.

“That was a knee-jerk reaction, which is terrible way to make good policy in this very complex area. 

“We should let the experts, not politicians, decide how we should best prepare for bushfires.

“The directive to clear 40m buffers was not based on science. It would have had very questionable benefits and was not recommended by the Independent NSW Bushfire Inquiry. 

“I acknowledge the Black Summer fires were extremely traumatic for those communities that lived through them. 

“But to get the best results, rational policy responses must be developed by experts who have looked at all the evidence.”

References

[1] Minister's tree-clearing direction prompted legal concerns, SMH, 10-3-21 

The deal struck between the Liberals and the Nationals to minimise koala protections in rural areas will push the species to the brink.

“Excising farming and forestry zones from the koala SEPP is a catastrophic setback for the species,” Nature Conservation Council Chief Executive Chris Gambian said.

“These are where most of the koalas live and where most koala habitat destruction is happening right now.

“If you remove protections from these areas, you have basically given up on the species and signed its death warrant.”

Recent research shows that logging and land-clearing on forestry and agricultural land accounts for 90% of all koala habitat destruction. [1] 

The new deal between the Liberals and the Nationals puts rural and forestry lands out of reach of the koala SEPP.  

“Planning Minister Rob Stokes’ policy of appeasement has given Nationals Leader John Barilaro everything he wanted,” Mr Gambian said.

“Big agribusiness and property developers will be popping champagne corks tonight.

“This policy makes a mockery of the government's claim it plans to double koala numbers by 2050. This policy will only serve to speed up koala extinction. 

“This is a backroom deal, where once again koalas are the big losers. 

“But the people of NSW will not cop the loss of koalas and destruction of koala habitat. We will fight this measure all the way to polling day if need be.”

References

[1] Logging 62%, land clearing 28%, Development 10% - WWF. WWF-Australia (2020), Another 37 million Australian animals could be lost next decade if the government fails to properly enforce national environment laws.

The NSW Government must order NSW Forestry Corporation to abide by post-fire logging rules established by the Environment Protection Authority, then put the corporation under direct government control to ensure forests are managed for the public good.

The Guardian has reported Forestry Corporation will resume logging in bushfire-affected forests despite warnings from the environmental regulator.  [1]

The dispute between the state-owned forestry agency and the EPA has escalated after Forestry Corporation indicated it would not operate under rules set to protect forests on the state’s south coast after the 2019-20 summer fires.

“NSW Forestry Corporation is a rogue organisation that continues to flout environmental laws and trash our public forests,” Nature Conservation Council Chief Executive Chris Gambian said.

“Forestry Corp keeps being pinged for environmental breeches and refuses to accept the rules the EPA has put in place to protect wildlife, forests, soils and water resources.

“Enough is enough. It’s time the government yanked the corporation’s chain and brought it to heel.

“The NSW Government must take back control of the state’s public forests to ensure they are managed for the benefit of all citizens, not just a handful of large resource companies.

“Giving our forests to a state-owned corporation to manage is a failed experiment that has cost taxpayers millions and degraded a priceless community asset.”

Last year the Environment Protection Authority investigated Forestry Corporation for serious breaches of environmental laws and issued stop-work orders. Instances include:

• Felling protected giant trees in Wild Cattle Creek SF (ABC, EPA release).

• Damaging four giant 'hollow-bearing trees' and six marked small tallowwood koala feed trees in Wild Cattle Creek SF (North East Forest Alliance Audit).

• Felling dozens of protected hollow-bearing trees in South Brooman SF (Beagle Weekly, EPA release).

• Felling protected hollow-bearing trees in Mogo SF (Beagle Weekly).

• Choosing the most heavily burnt forests to meet retention requirements of wildlife habitat clumps in Myrtle SF (against the protocol which states that priority must be to establish wildlife habitat clumps in unburned areas, North East Forests Alliance Audit).

It was revealed last month that the corporation’s revenue is set to decline $100 million or 25 per cent from next financial year and there would be losses of about $15 million a year from 2022 to 2024. [2]

REFERENCES 

[1] Logging to resume in bushfire-affected forests on NSW south coast despite environmental warning, The Guardian, 18-2-21

[2] Forestry Corp facing massive revenue drop after record bushfire season, SMH, 22-1-2021 

The NSW Government must take back control of the state’s public forests to ensure they are managed for the benefit of all citizens, not just a handful of large resource companies.

“NSW Forestry Corporation has become a rogue organisation that disregards the law and has trashed thousands of hectares of public forests,” Nature Conservation Council Chief Executive Chris Gambian said.

“We can now see that giving management of our forests to a state-owned corporation is a failed experiment that has cost taxpayers millions and degraded a priceless community asset.

“In the past 12 months, the Corporation has repeatedly broken environmental laws to meet unsustainable wood supply contracts it should never have signed.

“Today it is revealed the corporation’s revenue is set to decline $100 million or 25 per cent from next financial year and there would be losses of about $15 million a year from 2022 to 2024. [1]

“NSW taxpayers are effectively subsidising the loss of habitat and species in the name of retaining the hardwood timber industry that does not have an economically viable plan for its future. 

“Hardwood timber supply management in public forests should be a direct role for government to ensure that genuine timber supply needs are balanced with the needs of ecosystems and communities.”

Last year the Environment Protection Authority investigated Forestry Corporation for serious breaches of environmental laws and issued stop-work orders. Instances include:

• Felling protected giant trees in Wild Cattle Creek SF (ABC, EPA release).
• Damaging four giant 'hollow-bearing trees' and six marked small tallowwood koala feed trees in Wild Cattle Creek SF (North East Forest Alliance Audit).
• Felling dozens of protected hollow-bearing trees in South Brooman SF (Beagle Weekly, EPA release).
• Felling protected hollow-bearing trees in Mogo SF (Beagle Weekly).
• Choosing the most heavily burnt forests to meet retention requirements of wildlife habitat clumps in Myrtle SF (against the protocol which states that priority must be to establish wildlife habitat clumps in unburned areas, North East Forests Alliance Audit).

REFERENCES 

[1] Forestry Corp facing massive revenue drop after record bushfire season, SMH, 22-1-2021 

The NSW Government’s response [1] to the 42 recommendations of the NSW Parliament’s koala inquiry [2] is woefully inadequate, according to the Nature Conservation Council of NSW. 

“The government’s response is alarmingly relaxed about the looming extinction of an iconic native species,” Nature Conservation Council Acting Chief Executive Jacqui Mumford said.

“There is nothing new in the government’s response, which just rehashes policies that have already patently failed to deliver the protection our koalas need.

“Basically the government response says ‘relax, we’ve got it covered – no need to do more’.

“But koalas are more at risk now than they were late last year because the National Party has torn down the koala SEPP and the obliteration of koala habitat continues.

“Any response that does not stop the destruction of koala habitat for agriculture, logging and urban development falls catastrophically short of what’s required.

“Several studies have warned that koalas will be extinct by 2050 without urgent action - we have a duty to ensure that does not happen.”

An adequate response would include:

• Implementing a strong, effective koala planning policy 
• Committing to the creation of the Great Koala National Park proposal
• Ending native forest logging
• Ending the clearing of koala habitat for agriculture, urban development 

REFERENCES

[1] Government response.  

[2] Report of the Legislative Council committee on Koala populations and habitat in New South Wales.