SOME western leasehold land could be converted to freehold under a new proposal from NSW government.
This part of the government’s response to the Crown Lands White Paper released last week, nearly two years after the initial report came out in February 2014.
Environment groups expressed concern converting western leaseholds to freehold, which would include removal of conservation protections, could impact on fragile rangelands ecosystems.
More than 100 submissions were received on this issue.
The Nature Conservation Council said it didn't trust the government to maintain high standards of protection set out under the current Crown Lands Act.
The government’s White Paper response also said almost all submissions from western lands lessees said their perpetual grazing leases should be converted to freehold, and the conversion should be on equal terms to other perpetual leases.
NSW Farmers said most grazing leaseholders were content to continue under the existing system.
However, the submissions voiced strong opposition to the potential sale of crown land.
A number of submissions also raised concerns about coal seam gas exploration and mining on crown lands, including travelling stock routes (TSRs).
But support came from two state Nationals MPs whose electorates include significant grazing country and are traversed by extensive TSR networks.
Barwon’s Kevin Humphries welcomed the government’s response and said he “was determined to see that local decisions were made over local land”.
However, more work was needed around the conversion of western lands leases to freehold.
“All of the Western Division should be freehold and I will push for this outcome within the legislative process,” Mr Humphries said.
The government’s response also argued that local land and crown roads should be transferred to council management.
“Land of primarily local value can be made available to councils as ‘community land’ – this will mean councils are restricted in how they deal with it under the Local Government Act requirements around community land”.
Northern Tableland’s Adam Marshall said councils would not be forced to take on management of any further parcels of Crown Lands against their will.
“I know councils were worried about the potential for this review to be used as a cost-shifting exercise by state government, but this suggestion has been quashed in the government’s response,” Mr Marshall said.
However, the Local Government Association of NSW welcomed the governments response but with some reservations.
Association president Keith Rhoades was happy the government would not force land tranfsers to councils and had received assurances this would not happen.
“Questions remain regarding the role of some organisations in
managing Crown land and about Crown roads but we are continuing to working with the government to resolve these concerns,” Cr Rhoades said.
“It was pleasing the government’s response clarified... the process is not about selling land or further cost-shifting.”
Meanwhile, the report said the majority of the 626 submissions supported the idea of new consolidated legislation and repealing of the existing Acts.
The review of the travelling stock reserves (TSRs) will be given to Local Land Services to handle.
The response said the review’s aim was to work out who was best placed to manage TSRs and the majority of this was expected to occur during 2015-16.