Submission on “Improved” Native Forest Management (INFM) by focusing on Carbon Credits!

* CEC is highly sceptical of the Government’s reliance on ACCUs to offset emissions while approving coal mine extensions and the Narrabri CSG project and pipeline. * There is a significant danger that this will result in more intensive logging activity on other lands to make up the shortfall, which will result in no carbon benefit at all. * Carbon credits should only be created when an area of forest is permanently protected from logging. * Permanent monitoring plots be established with regular surveys undertaken to ensure long term compliance is achieved.

Continue ReadingSubmission on “Improved” Native Forest Management (INFM) by focusing on Carbon Credits!

Submission: NPWS consultation paper on camping fees

Our recommendations are: * better definition of all terms used (e.g. ghost camping) particularly in relation to key policy settings (e.g. high and low seasons) * more context to the proposed policy changes, with data on national park visitation clearly linked to camping use specific to each of the State’s regions, so it is directly relevant to the topic of the consultation paper and the locality of each campground * a guarantee that camping fees are directly used to benefit the environment of the local parks and increase the presence of NPWS staff in those parks * removal of additional day use fees for campers * ceasing the practice of contracting campground management in national parks to private companies more used to managing hotels or caravan parks, with management returned to NPWS control * stopping the use of market-based competitive neutrality to set camping fees in national parks

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Submission to the Review of the Water Sharing Plan for the Clarence River

Fundamentally, we believe there has been an overallocation of licensed extraction in the Orara River which occurred without due consideration of the harvestable rights of all properties along that river for domestic and stock purposes. The Clarence WSP appears to be trying to mask the problems that water extraction poses for that river by including it in a broad, catchment-wide water sharing plan. The CEC believes that the Clarence WSP is also flawed by the lack of lack of fine detail in defining the extraction management units, which has allowed the dealing (or trading) in water access licences between disparate sub-catchments and micro-catchments.

Continue ReadingSubmission to the Review of the Water Sharing Plan for the Clarence River

Submission to the Forestry Industry Action Plan

The CEC has long been a vocal critic of Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW), and its previous manifestations as a state government agency known as Forests NSW, State Forests of NSW and the Forestry Commission of NSW. This corporation, irrespective of its name and corporate branding, continues to blatantly conduct an unacceptable and unsustainable assault on the publicly owned native forest estate. This assault has continued for more than half a century since the widespread adoption of industrial logging practices.

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CEC submission to the Zombie Developments Inquiry

Submission to the Inquiry into Historical development consents in NSW by the LA Committee on Environment and Planning The Clarence Environment Centre (CEC) has had a long history of environmental advocacy and has been frustrated by seeing historic legacy developments (i.e. “zombie developments”) going ahead with no requirement to comply with today’s laws or regulations.

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SUBMISSION: Opposing the granting of Minerals Exploration Licence

Mining poses an unacceptable threat to water quality, particularly in high rainfall regions such as the Clarence Valley, where soil instability is also a problem. All of the exploration companies that are currently operating in the valley have failed to engage in, or adequately follow-through with community consultation. This indicates that those companies are deliberately ignoring the public’s concern, and the fact that they have no social licence to operate.

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SUBMISSION: to the review of The Biodiversity Conservation Act

The conservation of Australia's natural environment, both terrestrial and marine, has always been our priority, and we believe the maintenance of healthy ecosystems and biodiversity is of paramount importance. As a result, we believe it is crucial that laws in place to protect the environment, actually serve that purpose.

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SUBMISSION ADDEMDUM : Proposed delisting of Boronia hapalophylla as endangered

Scientists are predicting the possible loss of 30% of the planet’s biodiversity through the impacts of climate change within 80 years, less than one human lifespan. To suggest any species is “secure” is stretching credibility, much less one with such a restricted range as B. hapalophylla.

Continue ReadingSUBMISSION ADDEMDUM : Proposed delisting of Boronia hapalophylla as endangered

SUBMISSION: Proposed delisting of Boronia hapalophylla as endangered

In conclusion it seems that, given the modern genetic testing that is available, perhaps some effort could have been made to determine if those other populations are in fact B. hapalophylla, or possibly even an undescribed species, before proceeding with the delisting.

Continue ReadingSUBMISSION: Proposed delisting of Boronia hapalophylla as endangered