Good law, but what's the policy? Draft tree clearing laws welcome but need tough annual caps to deliver

Media Release
The Wilderness Society Inc
29 March 2011

Today The Wilderness Society (TWS) cautiously welcomed the NT government's announcement to deliver on its 2008 election promise to end major destructive tree clearing, but warned that the setting of annual tree clearing caps will determine whether the Territory government was serious.

The NT government has moved to deliver on the commitment by releasing two bills – the Native Vegetation Management Bill and Pastoral Lands Amendment Bill.

The Wilderness Society's Northern Australia Campaigner Gavan McFadzean said; "Ending broad scale tree clearing has been a five year campaign by environment groups."

"The announcement is a very welcome start and sends the signal that the Territory government intends to deliver on this important 2008 election commitment before the end of the year."

"This is not only good for protecting the Top End's world famous natural environment but ensures the Territory is doing its bit to reduce carbon pollution from tree clearing. The laws will also help protect catchment health which is good for protecting fish stocks in rivers like the Daly."

"The Native Vegetation Management Bill sets up a good framework with strong objects, and enables the setting of annual hectare caps on tree clearing."

"However the Bill is silent on setting tree clearing caps. Until we know at what level clearing caps are being set, it's impossible to assess whether the legislation will end destructive tree clearing."

"No one knows when or at what level the annual cap will be set, or whether the cap will progressively fall from year to year. Hence the policy objective of the Bill is still not clear. Until then the jury is out on the Territory government's resolve to end broad scale tree clearing."

Another improvement is that the Pastoral Lands Amendment Bill removes the responsibility for assessing and approving land clearing on pastoral leases away from the Pastoral Lands Board and places it in the Native Vegetation Management Bill instead where the decision maker is the head of the Environment & Natural Resources Department. This is significant because almost half the Territory is under pastoral lease.

The Bill also removes the mandatory requirement to run cows on a pastoral lease, enabling organizations that run private wildlife sanctuaries to destock leases they acquire and manage.