Push to make farmers koala protectors with cash payments

Deputy NSW Premier John Barilaro is seeking middle ground with his Coalition partners to make sure farm rights are protected in any future koala SEPP.

Changes to the Koala SEPP under the new Local Land Services Miscellaneous Bill were scuttled by a rebel Coalition North Coast Liberal who voted the changes down in the NSW Upper House.

The NSW Government then withdrew the whole SEPP, setting out another consultation period between the Coaltion partners on a revised Koala SEPP.

Money from the Biodiversity Conservation Trust (BCT) would be used to pay for any protected koala habitat on a farm under the new plan. Interestingly, The Land has found that the system is already up and running on the North Coast with the LLS and a Koala conservation partnership already offering the BCT scheme to farmers in the Hastings River area (see below).

The Land featured a story on the BCT earlier this year. Farmers were paid an annual fee per hectare for the protected land. The value was assessed independently depending on the conservation rating. It amounted to one farmer on the Namoi River near Walgett getting $100 a hectare for putting 210 hectares aside, an annual payment of $21,000.

The changes in land use were reflected in the farmer's land title. The farmer was required to maintain the area in as far as keeping it weed free and making sure it wasn't fire prone.

Mr Barilaro said: "It's putting in place stewardship payments to private landholders that want to give up some of their land for conservation, and in this case for koala habitat. Let's pay them for it like we do under the biodiversity legislation".

"The NSW Nationals are as committed as anyone to increasing koala populations across the state.

"Most colonies are in regional NSW and we need to protect those koalas, while also safeguarding property rights for landholders.

"Landholders are in fact part of the solution, not part of the problem.

"That is why we are examining the concept of stewardship payments to landholders to preserve areas that are identified, on-ground, as core koala habitat.

"This could be funded from the Biodiversity Conservation Fund, to help deliver tangible results for koala numbers on private property, as well as the public estate, across NSW."

Meantime, the North Coast LLS and the Hastings-Macleay Koala Recovery Partnership have invited expressions of interest from landholders to "enter into ongoing conservation agreements that will protect key koala habitat in the south Macleay/north Hastings area of NSW". They have until February 8 to submit a proposal. The invitation was issued the same day as Mr Barilaro's plan was revealed.

The Koala Partnership release says re the Hastings River: "You could receive a grant of up to $15,000 per annum for three years to manage an in-perpetuity conservation area on your property, with ongoing support options thereafter. You could also be eligible for exemptions on your Council Rates and Land Tax. Conservation agreements will be developed with the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust (BCT), guided by their experts on private land conservation."

Also the government is pushing to stop dog attacks on koalas.

Clarence Valley Council secured a $3900 grant to help protect local koalas from dog attacks, Clarence Nationals MP Chris Gulaptis said.

"This is part of a comprehensive Government strategy to boost the local population with the help and support of local landholders who are ultimately the koalas' best friends,' Mr Gulaptis said.

He said the government had committed $44.7 million to support the implementation of the NSW Koala Strategy, "the biggest commitment by any state government to secure koalas in the wild".