FOKE
Biodiversity Laws
Biodiversity laws weakened
The NSW State Liberal Government voted in November 2016 for extinction with their flawed, reckless and biased Biodiversity Conservation and Local Land Services Amendment Act. Despite thousands of submissions against these anti-environment laws, the Liberal Party shamefully caved into pressure from the National Party. The Liberal Party’s environmental credibility is now severely damaged by these new laws which seriously put wildlife, trees and climate at risk.
To this extent, one of the Premier’s senior advisors on this legislation, Professor Possingham, resigned in November 2016 stating that the package is bad for biodiversity. Similarly, The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists have described this funding as a “taxpayer subsidy for farmers to degrade land”. These laws will put Ku-ring-gai’s environment at risk.
The Nature Conservation Council of NSW, the umbrella group for NSW’s environment groups (including FOKE), promised that the campaign to repeal these laws that exacerbate extinction will not go away until they are repealed. We need a new vision to protect, restore and ensure resilience for our precious biodiversity.
See our Media Release, detailing FOKE’s arguments against these draft Biodiversity laws Media Release 27 June 2016 Draft NSW Biodiversity and Conservation Laws taking a Giant Leap Backwards
Again in 2020, the Environment Groups have petitioned the NSW Government not to add to further biodiversity destruction with new amendments to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Laws. See FOKE EPBC Act Review Submission