Land-clearing laws struck down
The Land and Environment court has ruled the NSW Government's land-clearing laws are invalid.
The Nature Conservation Council launched legal action against the Berejiklian Government’s legislation, which permitted private landholders to clear large areas of native vegetation without prior approval or environmental assessment.
The conservationists - represented by the Environmental Defenders Office - argued that the laws were invalid because, Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair did not reach an agreement with Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton before making the codes last year.
The court agreed that the laws were made unlawfully, and so were invalid.
A spokesperson for the Minister for Primary Industries said the NSW Government was “moving quickly to respond to (the) court's declaration”.
“Its top priority is providing legal and operational certainty to ensure the benefits of the reform continue to be realised”.
The department says the government is “absolutely committed to delivering on this important reform and meeting its obligation to act on the recommendations of the Independent Panel”.