MEDIA RELEASES
Youth Justice reveals cost of imprisoning children $713 940 per child per year
Youth Justice yesterday revealed in Budget Estimates hearings that the cost of holding youth in detention in NSW has risen to $1956 per child per day, totalling $713 940 per child per year. Across the six youth detention centres in NSW, 205 young people are currently in detention and of...
Scathing report by the Auditor General lays bare the failures of the NSW Biodiversity Offsets Scheme
The Department for Planning and Environment has fundamentally failed to design or implement an effective scheme for biodiversity offsets according to the NSW Auditor General who has today tabled the final report into the Effectiveness of the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme.
Attorney General Admits No Plan to Raise the Age of Criminal Responsibility
Attorney General Mark Speakman has yesterday in Budget Estimates revealed the NSW Coalition Government will not be Raising the Age of criminal responsibility in this term of Government and children between the age of 10 and 14 will remain subject to terms of imprisonment.
The Time Has Come to End Native Forest Logging on Public Land
More than 22 forest advocacy groups and community organisations came together from around the state over the weekend in Bellingen to make a plan for the end of native forest logging on public land in NSW. The groups are backed by the evidence of the economic and social potential of...
Failed biosecurity measures lead to risk of ongoing infestation of Varroa mite and increased use of potentially dangerous pesticides
Sentinel hives located around major ports such as Newcastle that are intended to detect invasive species have failed to stop the spread of the deadly Varroa Mite and the blame for this failure lies squarely with the Department of Primary Industries and the lack of professional and regular screening. There...
Lismore Mayor's position is untenable following his calls for Council to be sacked
Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg last night called for his own Council to be sacked and replaced with an autocratic administrator following the catastrophic floods that struck Lismore in March of this year. His calls for Council to be sacked come despite his council ticket winning a working majority at the...
Fundamental democratic right to protest under threat in NSW
Civil society and human rights organisations will assemble today at Hyde Park ahead of bail hearings for the Blockade Australia activists who were arrested during recent police actions that threaten the right to protest in a healthy democracy. New laws that were rushed into effect by the Liberal National Government,...
Greater Glider uplisted to endangered status just 6 years after it was declared as vulnerable
The federal Environment Minister has today listed the Greater Glider as endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act just 6 years after it was first listed as vulnerable. The Greater Glider announcement follows the uplisting of the Koala from vulnerable to endangered in February of this year...
Small scale bee keepers in NSW must not be left out of any Government compensation as Varroa Mite spread worsens
Small scale and hobby apiarists must be included in any compensation plan for Varroa mite infestations in NSW and not just the large scale commercial operators and agribusiness. Non-commercial beekeepers provide vital pollination services throughout NSW and often at personal cost and should be supported by any Government grant that...
Vegetation changes in NSW point to an out of control land clearing agenda in NSW
Alarming new data shows that the NSW Government has lost control of land clearing in NSW with the annual clearing rates up 47% since the introduction of new land clearing codes in 2017. More than 500,000 hectares of land clearing was approved by the Liberal National Government between 2017 and...