Imagine having two metre regrowth with 20 per cent foliage classed as high conservation regrowth in NSW.
That is just one of the recent changes to vegetation regulations in Queensland that could be adopted under a federal Labor plan for land management nation-wide.
We are already losing biodiversity and production capacity in NSW due to vegetation thickening, which also increases the risk and severity of wild fires.
While far from perfect, the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act is delivering real benefits.
The current laws in NSW have attempted to re-establish a balance between agriculture and the environment in the improvement of our biodiversity.
We believe they are superior to the laws operating in Qld and will fight tooth and nail for their retention under any national scheme.
They are based upon the findings of an independent, scientific panel which found the former legislation delivered reduced biodiversity outcomes.
Locking up country so it cannot be used for productive purposes has been shown to deliver worse environmental outcomes than allowing for proper, practical and scientific landscape management.
For the first time we are seeing a genuine bipartisan attempt at a federal level to reward farmers.
We welcome federal Labor's commitment to financial incentives for farmers to protect areas of high biodiversity value, and the federal government announcement of a $34 million Agriculture Stewardship Package in this week's budget.
Biodiversity stewardship payments must recognise the significant value of high biodiversity conservation zones and reward farmers accordingly.
Farmers are our environment's greatest stewards, advocates and defenders and trusting them to improve our biodiversity is an important step.
- Bronwyn Petrie is the chair of NSW Farmers conservation & resource management committee.
