The NSW government has abandoned plans for a bill to amend environmental planning and assessment laws to parliament with the goal of taking local councils out of the process and extending private logging approvals to 30 years. Source: Timberbiz
Under environmental planning laws, councils have the power to require landowners to obtain a development approval if they wish to undertake logging on their properties.
New South Wales’ Agriculture Minister Dugald Saunders said when announcing the bill that the current 15-year maximum “creates the perverse outcome of landholders harvesting before forests reach ecological and commercial maturity”.
However Local Government NSW condemned the move likening it to a repeat of the infamous “Koala Wars” of 2020.
Koala habitat is a sensitive issue that almost blew up the NSW coalition in 2020 when then deputy premier John Barilaro threatened to move the Nationals to the crossbench.
But Mr Saunders this week issued a brief statement saying the government would not proceed with the bill.
“While this bill upholds all existing protections for the environment, we will continue to have further conversations with local councils to progress legislation that unites communities and industry,” he said.
The bill had been opposed by three Liberal MPs including North Shore MP Felicity Wilson, Tweed MP Geoff Provest and Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams.
Mr Saunders defended the spirit of the bill in parliament on Tuesday, saying the Nationals would continue to consult on removing dual planning consent from local and state governments.
“It’s also okay to have different views that you want to put forward,” he said.
“We will keep working on this and continue to keep supporting communities.”
Timber NSW general manager Maree McCaskill said the State Opposition had simply wedged the Coalition because the Bill was introduced too late in the cycle.
She said the ALP pretended they weren’t consulted, but along with the new Private Native Forestry codes that resulted in 20-25% less harvestable timber, they were told about the removal of dual consent early in 2022 and by press release in March 2021.
Ms McCaskill said the Greens had targeted key members of the Liberals and Nationals who were on a knife edge holding onto their seats or vulnerable to statements made while trying to woo the conservation vote.
“What you are witnessing is what is traded to hold your seat in Parliament,” she said.
“This was not about koalas but simply a demonstration of self-interest and politicians who don’t read.”
Mark Banasiak, MLC of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party also accused both sides of politics as being responsible for decimating the NSW timber industry.
“The dual consent bill is not a koala bill. Robust protections for koalas exist in the codes that govern forestry, with a 20% reduction in harvestable land,” he said.
“The Government failed to articulate what removing dual consent means, and Labor failed to do their research.
“The removal of dual consent means that approvals for native forestry will not be duplicated at a local government level.
“Local councils do not have the expertise to authorise private native forestry, and the duplication is long and expensive,” Mr Banasiak said.
“Councils are opposed to this bill claiming concerns on the impact to roads, yet most applications are rejected based on environmental reasons, despite the lack of expertise.
“Playing politics with the timber industry instead of taking action means we won’t have a timber industry in 12 months.”
