In response to spending in the environment portfolio announced in today’s state budget, Nature Conservation Council Chief Executive Chris Gambian said:
“We welcome new funding in the budget for national parks and private land conservation – farmers should be supported to do the right thing on their land.
“We’ve been calling for some time for the government to do more to support farmers who want to conserve biodiversity.
“This is very welcome, but government policy is contradictory and pushing farmers in opposite directions.
“On the one hand the government forks out millions to support conservation projects on farms.
“On the other, it has land clearing laws that incentivise habitat destruction, which is now happening at record rates.
“The measures announced in today’s budget will not halt habitat destruction that is facilitated by weak protections in the government’s land clearing laws.
“Habitat loss from land clearing and logging is the biggest threat to koalas and other wildlife.
“If the government is serious about tackling the biodiversity crisis, it must embrace reform in this area.”
