30 July 2026
A new report from Nature Conservation Council NSW (NCC) has revealed that more than three million hectares of bushland across the state is at risk of clearing because of a misleading classification that labels iconic Australian species, like the coolabah tree, as invasive.
This follows last week’s news that despite the Minns government promise to rein in excessive land clearing in NSW, rates jumped by 16% in its first full year in power.
The NCC report looks at the so-called “Invasive Native Species” (INS) provision, and confirms that not only did it represent half of all authorised native vegetation clearing in NSW between 2018 and 2024, it’s a classification with no scientific basis.
NCC, the state’s peak environmental advocacy organisation, is calling on the NSW Government to make good on its three-year-old election promise and get habitat clearing rates under control.
First step, remove the INS code.
Quotes attributed to NCC Conservation Officer, Candice Bartlett:
“The rate at which habitat is being destroyed in NSW is shocking, but unsurprising considering the government has done nothing to strengthen its protection laws.
“The clearing of native vegetation under ‘INS’ provisions is the single greatest contributor to habitat destruction in NSW, and so we’ve taken a closer look at the label.
“We found ‘INS’ is a case of mistaken identity. In this instance the word ‘invasive’ is not referring to weeds but rather valuable native habitat like wattles, eucalypts, and even the coolabah tree made famous by the jolly swagman.
“The term ‘invasive’ makes these species sound harmful, like pests. This label is being used inappropriately as a blanket term for native species occurring in their natural range that provide habitat for native wildlife.
“The scale of habitat clearing caused by this irresponsible label is hard to comprehend. An area six times the size of Royal National Park was cleared under “INS” provisions between 2018 to 2024.
“What’s worse is ‘INS’ is a political construct, unique to NSW, with no scientific basis. If you search for it in a library or research database, it will return zero relevant hits.
“Habitat clearing is one of the biggest drivers of biodiversity loss in NSW and this report exposes what is behind broadscale land clearing. The ‘INS’ provisions are the cause of large-scale habitat destruction where threatened species live, like the pink cockatoo and south-eastern hooded robin.
“The government’s own scientists predict NSW will lose almost 500 wildlife species to extinction within the next century. The time for action is now.
“The first step to get habitat clearing under control is to remove the invasive native species loophole.”
NCC is calling for urgent change to protect what’s left.
“The Minns Government committed to stop excessive land clearing. To do so, it must remove the INS code as immediate priority, and then continue to put nature first, otherwise we will have no trees left to clear,” Bartlett said.
Removing the INS code would help reduce high-risk clearing, but landowners would be able to continue to clear land and thin vegetation under other lower-risk codes and would have no impact on routine land management activities.
Quote attributed to president of Australian Association of Bush Regenerators, Peter Dixon:
“NSW’s inappropriate ‘INS’ label overlooks the true conservation value landscapes provide.
“When managed properly through bush regeneration principles, natural regeneration currently considered ‘invasive’ can become some of our most valuable conservation assets.
“These areas reveal where ecosystems retain resilience, where native seedbanks remain intact, and where restoration can be achieved most efficiently.
“Rather than recognising these areas as important sources of biodiversity, habitat and connectivity, NSW’s current clearing laws often facilitate their removal and the ‘INS’ label must go.”
