Government weak on landclearing law enforcement - 3 April 2006

Greens MLC Ian Cohen says environment groups are being forced to become this state’s land clearing policeman because the Government will not properly control the loss of precious native vegetation.

“Today’s revelations show this Government is weak on law enforcement when it comes to landclearing,” Mr Cohen said.

“The Wilderness Society is having to do the Government’s work for it: first by exposing the environmentally destructive landclearing, then by taking civil action in the Land and Environment Court to try and control it.

“One of this Government’s great environmental failures during this parliament has been its failure to get tough on landclearing controls.

“In other areas of policing the Government likes to sound hairy chested but when it comes to this state’s wild environmental heritage they are missing in action.

“Since 2003 there have been over 800 of cases of reported illegal land clearing. Last year alone somewhere between 12 000 and 40 000 hectares were cleared illegally.

“Overall it is estimated that the equivalent of six Sydney Criket Grounds of native bush are cleared every single hour in NSW.

“In the lead up to the 2007 election Morris Iemma must show he is capable of upholding environmental law and order in NSW,” Mr Cohen said.