Land clearing in NSW threatens coastal and marine recreation as well as the environment
23 February 2023 - The Greens are joining calls from marine conservation and recreation groups to end the out of control rate of land clearing in NSW. The rate of land clearing has increased 13-fold in NSW since 2016 and is having a serious impact on coastal and marine environments. There is a review of the NSW Native Vegetation Codes currently underway and marine groups are demanding that the review assess the effect of land clearing on water quality.
Greens MP Sue Higginson and spokesperson for the environment said “NSW is a global hotspot for land clearing and this review needs to look at the full scope of the impacts that it has on the natural environment,
“The coastal and marine environments are beloved resources and a vital component of regional tourism and community amenity. We cannot ignore the impacts that inland land clearing has on downstream environments and communities,
“Recreational fishers, surfers and divers are uniting to call for the Government to take water quality issues seriously and our coastal environments all rely on clean water flowing down rivers and into estuaries,
“The Greens want inland and coastal communities to work together to protect our environment but it requires the Government to properly regulate land management. This review needs to take into account all of the impacts that land clearing is having throughout NSW,” Ms Higginson said.