It is 5 years since new laws for biodiversity conservation and native vegetation clearing were introduced in NSW. It is time to ask – are those laws working to protect biodiversity and appropriately regulate land clearing?
In the last 5 years we have seen a significant increase in rural land clearing since the rules were relaxed; species added to our threatened lists; impacts of drought, bushfire, floods; changes to climate policy; serious concerns raised around relaxed biodiversity offsetting rules; and ongoing koala policy debates. The NSW Audit Office, Natural Resources Commission and a parliamentary inquiry have all already raised serious concerns about the regulation of habitat clearing and the regulatory framework in NSW.
This submission guide identifies how you can be involved in the review process and explains key issues with the land clearing laws that you can highlight in your submission.
