The Berejiklian Government's policies of allowing unchecked land clearing, clearing of koala habitat in public forests and rampant over development are to blame for an alarming increase in the number of threatened species in NSW, says Greens MP and environment spokesperson Cate Faehrmann.
The NSW Government has just released its overdue State of the Environment 2018 Report. In the three years to December 2017 the number of listings of threatened species increased by 26, or 3%, to 1,025. There are also 57 populations and 112 ecological communities listed as threatened.
The announcement comes after a UN Report on Biodiversity showed that one million species are on the verge of extinction and that the rate of species loss is accelerating.
"The very week the United Nations releases its distressing report that one million species are at risk from extinction globally, the NSW government confirms it's part of the problem," said Ms. Faehrmann.
"This is unacceptable in a wealthy country like ours - we should be able to prioritise resourcing the environment adequately enough to protect it. That's what the community expects governments to do, however this report confirms the NSW Government doesn't care when it comes to protecting our environment.
"This government has passed laws allowing the bulldozing of native vegetation on private property and the clear felling of threatened species habitat in public native forests, much of it koala habitat. It's no wonder the rate of threatened species is on the rise under its watch."
"The increase in the number of threatened species from 999 in the 2015 report to 1,025 in the 2018 report is a disgrace and shows the blatant disregard the government has for the environment."
"This government has taken us back to the bad old days of allowing wholesale destruction of our environment, and this report reflects that."
"This report card on the Berejiklian Government's responsibility as caretaker for our precious environment is a massive F for Fail," said Ms Faehrmann.
