Media Releases - 19 July 2024
NSW government’s biodiversity reforms ambitious yet lacking urgency
The NSW government has unveiled an ambitious reform plan in response to the Henry Review of the state's Biodiversity Conservation Act. While the plan overall has been welcomed by the Wilderness Society, concerns have been raised regarding the urgency of its implementation.
The government's reform plan addresses several critical issues that the environment movement has long advocated for. However, the Wilderness Society cautions that a lack of urgency in implementing these reforms could have dire consequences for the state's threatened species.
The current NSW land management framework allows for the destruction of thousands of hectares of native forest every year. The government’s reform plan includes a revision of this framework—however that process is not slated to begin until 2025 and will likely take many years to complete. In this time, dwindling habitat for NSW’s endangered species, like koalas, regent honeyeaters, spotted-tailed quolls and brush-tailed rock wallabies, will continue to be destroyed by bad actors such as huge multinational agribusinesses.
The longer the implementation is delayed, the closer NSW's threatened species will inch towards extinction. Urgent action is required to protect and preserve the state's unique biodiversity.
Plans to set legal targets for conservation and restoration, and incorporate new objectives into the Biodiversity Conservation Act, including those that consider First Nations cultural values and traditional knowledge, climate change and cumulative impacts, are a significant step forward for NSW’s environment laws.
Victoria Jack, NSW Campaigns Manager for the Wilderness Society, said, "The clock is ticking, and nature cannot afford any further delays. We urge the government to prioritise the implementation of these critical reforms to safeguard our precious ecosystems and the species that depend on them."
The NSW government's reform plan is a step in the right direction, but swift and decisive action is needed to ensure the long-term survival of the state's biodiversity. The Wilderness Society calls on the government to expedite the implementation process and work collaboratively with environmental organisations to address the urgent challenges facing NSW's natural environment.