The Environmental Record of the NSW Government (2011-2015)
Nine leading environmental advocacy organisations in NSW have worked together over several months to develop a major document that both assesses the state of the NSW environment and offers a coherent set of environmental policies to make it a better place.
The document is entitled "Our Environment, Our Future".
A small but key section of this document summarises the government's record so far. This summary is shown in italics below.
For decades, people across NSW have been working hard to protect and improve our environment. We have made many gains in protecting our clean water, forests and world renowned national parks. We have strived to reduce waste, live more sustainably and reduce our contribution to climate change. Yet since coming into office in 2011 the NSW Government has declared war on our environment. Since its election, the current government has:
- Weakened and abandoned forest and woodland protections.
- Slashed funding for energy efficiency and catchment management.
- Rolled back marine sanctuaries and allowed recreational fishing in coastal sanctuaries.
- Reduced environmental water allocations and cut funding for native fish conservation.
- Failed to present a credible plan for responding to climate change and, specifically, reducing carbon emissions in NSW.
- Changed the state mining policy to place the economic significance as the primary consideration for approving mining projects, above the environment and communities.
- Cut funding for important public interest environmental services including EDO NSW and Legal Aid.
We can no longer allow the government to place vested interests and political deals above clean air, water and iconic natural places. Together we must tell the NSW Government that enough is enough: we will not stand by and watch our environment be destroyed."
In addition to the above summary you may also like to examine a more detailed month by month record of the government's major environmental legislation and proposals prepared by Blue Mountains Conservation Society. This detailed track record can be found here
