The “Plan for Nature” released by the NSW Government today recognises the biodiversity crisis but falls short of addressing the threat, particularly from major coal and gas projects.
Please attribute to Lock the Gate Head of Research Georgina Woods:
“The plan does not give primacy to biodiversity in law as recommended by the Henry Review, stopping short of providing the Environment Minister a consent power for state significant development that harms biodiversity or of creating strong ‘no go’ zones.
“Stricter constraints are urgently needed because there are 18 coal mine expansions proposed that will clear bushland and wildlife habitat, including the Moolarben coal expansion near Mudgee that will clear habitat recognised as critical to the survival of the koala.
“We’re pleased to see that the reforms include closing a decade-old loophole which has allowed claims about some distant future proposals for mine site rehabilitation to be counted as biodiversity offsets.
“This policy has facilitated the clearing of hundreds of hectares of endangered woodland in the Hunter region while claiming future rehabilitation of the same area as its own ‘biodiversity offset.’
“The government says it is committed to improving consideration of climate change and intergenerational equity in decision-making. The test of this commitment will come quickly - will it reject the damaging coal mine expansions to be decided this year?”
ENDS