Nationals Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke, has introduced the Biodiversity Conservation and Local Land Services Legislation Amendment (Broombush and Blue Mallee Coppicing) Bill 2025 to the NSW Parliament.
The bill seeks to amend the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 and the Local Land Services Act 2013 to enable the lawful coppicing of broombush and blue mallee in the Bland Shire-an area where current legislation has effectively brought the harvesting of these native species, as well as the eucalyptus oil and broombush industries they support, to a halt.
The bill also provides a clear legal definition of 'coppicing', describing it as the practice of cutting back a plant's above-ground stems or branches – without removing or destroying the plant – to promote natural regeneration from the rootstock or lignotuber.
Ms Cooke has worked closely with local landholders on the ongoing 'pink mapping' issue, recently welcoming more than 40 residents from the West Wyalong region to NSW Parliament to speak directly with NSW MPs.
"This bill is the next big step in allowing hardworking families in the Bland Shire to resume their livelihoods," Ms Cooke said.
"Coppicing is a historic and sustainable farming practice that allows native plants to regenerate time and time again.
"For more than a century, this environmentally conscious method has helped put food on the table for farming families across our region."
She added that the careful land management long upheld in Central NSW has helped protect these species from invasive threats.
"Local stewardship has shielded broombush and blue mallee from the devastating effects of strangle vine, which smothers native shrubs and prevents their growth," Ms Cooke said.
Without regular coppicing and active land management, strangle vine has spread at an alarming rate – particularly in areas marked on regional maps as ecologically sensitive, where harvesting is restricted. The situation is expected to worsen in spring when the vine goes to seed.
"Strangle vine is catastrophic for our ecosystems, and the longer farmers are prevented from managing their land, the worse the damage will become," Ms Cooke warned.
If passed, the legislation would provide a two-year window for farmers to recommence coppicing without the threat of legal action, giving the NSW Government time to develop a long-term, sustainable solution that safeguards both the environment and these unique industries.
"The broombush and blue mallee industries are a prime example of sustainable farming and proof of how agriculture and the environmental work hand-in-hand," Ms Cooke said.
"As the government continues to seek a solution, landholders are burdened with taxes on unusable land, while workers face dwindling or no income.
"Allegations of illegal land clearing have also deeply affected the mental wellbeing of farmers who have spent decades caring for these plants.
"As the Member for Cootamundra, I'm proud to stand with them and call on all Members of the NSW Parliament to support this important bill."
