The first ‘land swap’ which has taken place today under the Government’s controversial Biobanking scheme could signal the local extinction of some threatened plant and animal species, the NSW Greens said today.
“Rather than Biobanking being the environmental success story the Environment Minister Frank Sartor depicts it as, it signals the end for some vital bushland and habitat,” said Ian Cohen, NSW Greens MLC today.
“The site conserved today in Camden is at the expense of some remnant Cumberland Plain Woodland, an endangered ecological community which will now be destroyed.
“Biobanking is a backward step for threatened species conservation in NSW because it allows land of significant ecological value to be destroyed if land of supposed ‘equal value’ is protected elsewhere.
“Most of the land the Government claims they will be conserving under Biobanking is either already earmarked for protection or unsuitable to be developed.
“Biobanking is essentially greenwashing some development, while being a backward step for conservation.
“The biobanking scheme can allow a developer to develop in an area that has a listed endangered ecological community by purchasing credits to protect a site elsewhere.
“At present NSW has 957 species listed as threatened including 91 ecological communities and this number looks set to increase. It beggers belief that the NSW Government can now trade these species and ecological communities off for development.
“The fundamental principle behind native plant and animal species being listed as threatened is so they can be conserved and protected. Apparently not any longer.
“The only possible outcome under Biobanking is the continued loss of bushland and an increase in extinction rates,” said Mr Cohen.
Further Information: Cate Faehrmann 0412 207 043
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