Points the National Parks Association of NSW petitioned for included asking for stronger laws to protect nature in NSW:
“We need laws that actually protected the most precious species, habitats and landscapes, not discredited offset schemes that end up paying blood money to government agencies instead of protecting nature.
Real laws mean a red line, a refusal of approval, for any development that threatens the extinction of a species or ecological community.
Red lines must also apply to development in National Parks, Protected Areas and important habitat corridors.
All applications for biodiversity approvals should be assessed in the context of NSW’s commitment to protect a minimum of 30% of our land and seas for biodiversity conservation.
The biodiversity offsetting provisions, which were meant to be used in exceptional circumstances, have resulted in putting a price on destroying threatened species and habitats, accelerating their path towards extinction.
Disturbingly, offsets have been used to enable approval of massive infrastructure developments in national parks and impacts on connectivity and species distribution.
Adequate protection from the mass epidemic of large-scale clearing of native vegetation is falling through the cracks.
And, our fish and aquatic species are not covered by the BC Act. Currently, there is a very low listing of marine species and ecological communities.
We hope you will join us in saving our iconic wildlife habitats for generations to come.
The NSW Environmental Defenders Office has prepared a comprehensive submission guide, see https://www.edo.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/EDO-Submission-Guide-5-year-statutory-review-of-NSW-Biodiversity-Conservation-Act-.pdf
The Biodiversity Conservation Act and the related Local Land Services Act were introduced in 2016 and was supposed to protect our state’s precious biodiversity from inappropriate development, large scale clearing and species. The reality is that under these ‘new’ laws nature has never been under more threat, with a tripling of land clearing rates, unprecedented loss of natural habitat and more species than ever plummeting towards extinction. We’ve even seen massive industrial developments in the irreplaceable Kosciuszko National Park and NSW’s iconic koala heading into history!
Please send your submissions by 21 April 2023 to biodiversity.review@environment.nsw.gov.au
Alternately the NSW Government have an online survey here: https://www.nsw.gov.au/have-your-say/review-of-biodiversity-conservation-act
Have your say
National Parks Association of NSW
PO Box 528
Pyrmont, NSW 2009
Australia”
