RECENT demonstration of biodiversity draft mapping and regulations at Environment and Heritage workshops raises serious concerns for many landholders – NSW Farmers has taken this up with government urgently.
The gross inaccuracies on the draft regulatory maps have disastrous implications for agriculture if allowed to become law. Many farmers are finding much of their land incorrectly regulated.
This will inevitably devalue productive land, reduce potential investment and ability to borrow, while also restricting land use, unless rectified.
NSW Farmers has been critical of the regulatory mapping process and the minister last year committed not to sign off on the maps until farmers are satisfied with their accuracy.
For us this is light years away. Using soil disturbance as a proxy from post-1990 satellite imagery to distinguish improved pasture from native grasses is flawed, and leaves much pre-1990 established pasture regulated.
If the defective mapping continues, it will lead confuse decent landholders trying to engage an overly complex system.
It is untenable.
NSW Farmers’ native vegetation working group engaged in consultation in good faith with the NSW government, and at no stage was it discussed that annual grasses, medics and clovers would be excluded in a native grassland assessment.
This is contrary to what was expressed in the independent biodiversity legislation review panel’s report and the recommendations adopted by government.
It has significant implications for grassland areas such as the Monaro, by dramatically increasing the amount of regulated land while restricting management options and production.
Government must amend these serious errors and reinforce this reform in the manner it was intended. Farmers are part of the solution to positive biodiversity reform and should be engaged as such.
- NSW Farmers’ conservation and resource management committee chairman Mitchell Clapham.
