Illegal land clearing will still attract a $1.1 million fine but farmers will be given more scope to clear land after coalition agreed to elements of Shooter and Fisher Party Bill. Picture Facebook Source: Facebook

THE state government has refused to support law changes that reduce fines for illegal land clearing following the shooting death of Environment officer Glen Turner.

After a cabinet meeting this morning, the coalition party room unanimously resolved to support elements of a Shooters and Fishers Party bill to amend the Native Vegetation Act, that would give farmers more power to clear trees on their properties.

Glen Turner, who was shot dead on a property at Cropper Creek (Moree) during a dispute over land clearing. Glen is believed to have been shot by a local man, Ian Turnbull Source: Supplied

But the reduction of fines will not be supported by the government, with no-one in the coalition party room speaking against this decision.

The bill was pulled from the Upper House schedule last week by roads minister Duncan Gay, after concerns were expressed within the government about the sensitivity of the potential fine decrease after Mr Turners death.

Ian Turnbull has been charged with the murder in Moree of Glen Turner. Source: News Corp Australia

Mr Turner was allegedly murdered by farmer Ian Turnbull, after he visited the property due to reports of illegal land clearing.

The changes supported by the government include changes to the control of broadscale clearing of single paddock trees- allowing one single-paddock tree to be cleared each year, and farmers will be allowed to clear native vegetation where it poses a risk to people or property.

The government will not support the reduction of penalties for illegal clearing from $1.1 million to $1100.

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No reduction in fines for land clearing

Let #39;s Play 7 Days To Die w/ Waffle - S3 Episode 10 - Land Clearing
Welcome to the a world unknown. A world where the dead hunt the living. And the only thing between and death is your allies. Watch as me and my buddy Waffle,...

By: EShadowComm

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Let's Play 7 Days To Die w/ Waffle - S3 Episode 10 - Land Clearing - Video

THE National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) has been urged to reconstitute the Baguio Ancestral Land Clearing Committee (BALCC) as a safeguard against bogus claims.

The City Council approved on Monday Resolution 219, series of 2014, authored by Councilor Leandro Yangot Jr., urging the NCIP to void a resolution that set aside a 2009 measure abolishing the BALCC.

We strongly urge the (NCIP) en banc to reconsider or set aside NCIP en banc Resolution No. 06-025-2013 entitled A Resolution Revoking En Banc Resolution No. 090 series of 2009, the body said.

(BALCCs creation aims) to ensure that the manner by which lands within the jurisdiction of the City of Baguio are identified as ancestral be done with much diligence and to forestall future problems that may arise as a result of such declaration. The creation of the BALCC allowed the City of Baguio to actively participate in recommending to the NCIP lands in the City which are qualified or open for clearing taking cognizance of many important factors which include among others the presence of prior private claims, reserved lands and facilities for public use, the resolution stated.

In voiding the BALCC, the NCIP cited reasons that the BALCC failed to come up with internal rules subject to approval by the commission, that the internal rules could not be made as it will violate the provisions of the Indigenous Peoples Right Act and existing guidelines on delineation that exclusively places the authority to issue Certificate of Ancestral Land Title (CALT) with the NCIP; and that the city nevertheless and other stakeholders are protected as the specified claims will be processed where the city is duly represented.

It is worthy to emphasize that the spirit of City Resolution creating the BALCC does not in any way amend the provisions of the IPRA law, the City Council said. (Aileen Refuerzo)

Published in the Sun.Star Baguio newspaper on September 15, 2014.

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NCIP asked to revive ancestral land clearing body

'It's not an isolated incident, just the worst of a range of incidents': Barnaby Joyce on Mr Turner's death. Photo: Marina Neil

The family of an NSW environment compliance officer killed in the line of duty, Glen Turner, has decried potential changes to land clearing laws and says itis "appalled" by a push to reduce penalties for impeding the work of those enforcing them.

In an emotional submission to an independent review of land clearing laws ordered by the state government, the Turner family also criticises the responses of senior Nationals MPs to Mr Turner's death in July after he was allegedly shot by Moree farmer Ian Turnbull, who has been charged with murder.

Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner said the laws "have been a sore point in farming communities", while federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce said the shooting "is not an isolated incident, this is just the worst of a range of incidents".

Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner. Photo: James Brickwood

Coffs Harbour MP Andrew Fraser said the "tragic" death was "brought about by bad legislation".

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The Turners say the comments "exhibited a degree of vitriol and contempt for existing law, that has no place in a tolerant democratic society".

"Given that this review into the vegetation laws was already under way and taking submissions, their comments were highly inappropriate, inexcusable and the source of great hurt to Glen's immediate and extended family, friends and associates," they say.

Shot dead: Glen Turner. Photo: Supplied

More here:
'Vitriolic' ministers under fire

'It's not an isolated incident, just the worst of a range of incidents': Barnaby Joyce on Mr Turner's death. Photo: Marina Neil

The family of an NSW environment compliance officer killed in the line of duty, Glen Turner, has decried potential changes to land clearing laws and says itis "appalled" by a push to reduce penalties for impeding the work of those enforcing them.

In an emotional submission to an independent review of land clearing laws ordered by the state government, the Turner family also criticises the responses of senior Nationals MPs to Mr Turner's death in July after he was allegedly shot by Moree farmer Ian Turnbull, who has been charged with murder.

Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner said the laws "have been a sore point in farming communities", while federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce said the shooting "is not an isolated incident, this is just the worst of a range of incidents".

Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner. Photo: James Brickwood

Coffs Harbour MP Andrew Fraser said the "tragic" death was "brought about by bad legislation".

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The Turners say the comments "exhibited a degree of vitriol and contempt for existing law, that has no place in a tolerant democratic society".

"Given that this review into the vegetation laws was already under way and taking submissions, their comments were highly inappropriate, inexcusable and the source of great hurt to Glen's immediate and extended family, friends and associates," they say.

Shot dead: Glen Turner. Photo: Supplied

Read more here:
Ministers under fire for 'vitriolic' comments

'It's not an isolated incident, just the worst of a range of incidents': Barnaby Joyce on Mr Turner's death. Photo: Marina Neil

The family of an NSW environment compliance officer killed in the line of duty, Glen Turner, has decried potential changes to land clearing laws and says itis "appalled" by a push to reduce penalties for impeding the work of those enforcing them.

In an emotional submission to an independent review of land clearing laws ordered by the state government, the Turner family also criticises the responses of senior Nationals MPs to Mr Turner's death in July after he was allegedly shot by Moree farmer Ian Turnbull, who has been charged with murder.

Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner said the laws "have been a sore point in farming communities", while federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce said the shooting "is not an isolated incident, this is just the worst of a range of incidents".

Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner. Photo: James Brickwood

Coffs Harbour MP Andrew Fraser said the "tragic" death was "brought about by bad legislation".

Advertisement

The Turners say the comments "exhibited a degree of vitriol and contempt for existing law, that has no place in a tolerant democratic society".

"Given that this review into the vegetation laws was already under way and taking submissions, their comments were highly inappropriate, inexcusable and the source of great hurt to Glen's immediate and extended family, friends and associates," they say.

Shot dead: Glen Turner. Photo: Supplied

Link:
Ministers slammed for 'vitriolic' comments

'It's not an isolated incident, just the worst of a range of incidents': Barnaby Joyce on Mr Turner's death. Photo: Marina Neil

The family of an NSW environment compliance officer killed in the line of duty, Glen Turner, has decried potential changes to land clearing laws and says itis "appalled" by a push to reduce penalties for impeding the work of those enforcing them.

In an emotional submission to an independent review of land clearing laws ordered by the state government, the Turner family also criticises the responses of senior Nationals MPs to Mr Turner's death in July after he was allegedly shot by Moree farmer Ian Turnbull, who has been charged with murder.

Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner said the laws "have been a sore point in farming communities", while federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce said the shooting "is not an isolated incident, this is just the worst of a range of incidents".

Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner. Photo: James Brickwood

Coffs Harbour MP Andrew Fraser said the "tragic" death was "brought about by bad legislation".

Advertisement

The Turners say the comments "exhibited a degree of vitriol and contempt for existing law, that has no place in a tolerant democratic society".

"Given that this review into the vegetation laws was already under way and taking submissions, their comments were highly inappropriate, inexcusable and the source of great hurt to Glen's immediate and extended family, friends and associates," they say.

Shot dead: Glen Turner. Photo: Supplied

See original here:
Family of Glen Turner appalled at proposed changes to land clearing laws

Released: 3-Sep-2014 10:00 AM EDT Embargo expired: 10-Sep-2014 8:00 PM EDT Source Newsroom: Forest Trends Contact Information

Available for logged-in reporters only

Editors Note: The full report as well as supplementary materials are available at http://www.forest-trends.org/illegal-deforestation.php; username: embargoed, password: deforestation

Newswise WASHINGTON, DC (11 September 2014)A comprehensive new analysis released today says that nearly half (49%) of all recent tropical deforestation is the result of illegal clearing for commercial agriculture. The study also finds that the majority of this illegal destruction was driven by overseas demand for agricultural commodities including palm oil, beef, soy, and wood products. In addition to devastating impacts on forest-dependent people and biodiversity, the illegal conversion of tropical forests for commercial agriculture is estimated to produce 1.47 gigatonnes of carbon each yearequivalent to 25% of the EUs annual fossil fuel-based emissions.

Weve known that the production of agricultural commodities is a principal driving force behind deforestation, but this is the first report to show the outsize role that illegal activities play in the production of hundreds of food and household products consumed worldwide, said Michael Jenkins, President and CEO of Forest Trends, a Washington-based NGO that published the report.

"Increased agricultural production will be necessary for food security and to meet the demand of the emerging global middle class. However, the world must also wake up to the scale of how much of this agricultural production is taking place on land that has been illegally cleared. Urgent action is needed to help countries where these agricultural products are being grown, both for governments to enforce their own laws and regulations, and for businesses aiming to produce commodities legally and sustainably."

According to the study, Consumer Goods and Deforestation: An Analysis of the Extent and Nature of Illegality in Forest Conversion for Agriculture, 90% of the deforestation in Brazil from 2000 to 2012 was illegal, primarily due to the failure to conserve a percentage of natural forests in large-scale cattle and soy plantations, as required by Brazilian law. (Much of this occurred prior to 2004, when the Brazilian government took steps to successfully reduce deforestation.) And in the forests of Indonesia, 80% of deforestation was illegalmostly for large-scale plantations producing palm oil and timber, 75% of which is exported. While other countries also experience high levels of illegal deforestation, Brazil and Indonesia produce the highest level of agricultural commodities destined for global markets, many of which wind up in cosmetics or household goods (palm oil), animal feed (soy), and packaging (wood products).

Illegal deforestation is also rampant in most other countries across Asia, Latin America, and Africa losing large areas of tropical forest. Examples include the following:

In Papua New Guinea, millions of hectares of forest have been illegally licensed for deforestation in recent years; a recent Parliamentary inquiry in the country found that 90% of these licenses were issued by corrupt or fraudulent means. In Tanzania, forests have been illegally razed to make way for jatropha, a plant commonly used to produce biofuels. Cambodia, along with neighboring Laos, is experiencing unprecedented growth in commercial agriculture. By the end of 2012, the government handed 2.6 million hectares of land, much of it forested, to large-scale agriculture producers. In Bolivia, soy75% of which is exportedis the main engine behind illegal deforestation in the countrys stretch of Amazon.

In most cases, the companies that illegally razed forests to grow these crops had some form of government permit in hand. However, the report finds that it was also often the case that these permits were corruptly issued or fraudulently obtained; that these companies were missing additional required permits and licenses; or that these companies violated laws when clearing and planting, causing significant negative impacts on the environment and the rights of local people who have lived in these forests for generations and who depend on them for their food and incomes.

Link:
New Report: Illegal Land Clearing for Commercial Agriculture Responsible for Half of Tropical Deforestation

9 hours ago

A comprehensive new analysis released today says that nearly half (49%) of all recent tropical deforestation is the result of illegal clearing for commercial agriculture. The study also finds that the majority of this illegal destruction was driven by overseas demand for agricultural commodities including palm oil, beef, soy, and wood products. In addition to devastating impacts on forest-dependent people and biodiversity, the illegal conversion of tropical forests for commercial agriculture is estimated to produce 1.47 gigatonnes of carbon each yearequivalent to 25% of the EU's annual fossil fuel-based emissions.

"We've known that the production of agricultural commodities is a principal driving force behind deforestation, but this is the first report to show the outsize role that illegal activities play in the production of hundreds of food and household products consumed worldwide," said Michael Jenkins, President and CEO of Forest Trends, a Washington-based NGO that published the report.

"Increased agricultural production will be necessary for food security and to meet the demand of the emerging global middle class. However, the world must also wake up to the scale of how much of this agricultural production is taking place on land that has been illegally cleared. Urgent action is needed to help countries where these agricultural products are being grown, both for governments to enforce their own laws and regulations, and for businesses aiming to produce commodities legally and sustainably."

According to the study, Consumer Goods and Deforestation: An Analysis of the Extent and Nature of Illegality in Forest Conversion for Agriculture, 90% of the deforestation in Brazil from 2000 to 2012 was illegal, primarily due to the failure to conserve a percentage of natural forests in large-scale cattle and soy plantations, as required by Brazilian law. (Much of this occurred prior to 2004, when the Brazilian government took steps to successfully reduce deforestation.) And in the forests of Indonesia, 80% of deforestation was illegalmostly for large-scale plantations producing palm oil and timber, 75% of which is exported. While other countries also experience high levels of illegal deforestation, Brazil and Indonesia produce the highest level of agricultural commodities destined for global markets, many of which wind up in cosmetics or household goods (palm oil), animal feed (soy), and packaging (wood products).

Illegal deforestation is also rampant in most other countries across Asia, Latin America, and Africa losing large areas of tropical forest. Examples include the following:

In most cases, the companies that illegally razed forests to grow these crops had some form of government permit in hand. However, the report finds that it was also often the case that these permits were corruptly issued or fraudulently obtained; that these companies were missing additional required permits and licenses; or that these companies violated laws when clearing and planting, causing significant negative impacts on the environment and the rights of local people who have lived in these forests for generations and who depend on them for their food and incomes.

"All over the tropics, companies are bribing officials to obtain permits, trampling the legal or customary rights of Indigenous Peoples and other forest-dwelling communities, clearing more forest than they are allowed, and causing pollution and environmental devastation by flouting the law," said Sam Lawson, the report author.

Export Agriculture a Key Driver of Illegal Deforestation

According to the report, the international trade in agricultural commodities (beef, leather, soy, palm oil, and wood products, including paper) produced on land illegally converted from tropical forest is worth an estimated US$61 billion per year. The EU, China, India, Russia, and the US are among the largest buyers of these commodities.

Read the original post:
Illegal land clearing for commercial agriculture responsible for half of tropical deforestation

press release

Washington, DC A comprehensive new analysis released today says that nearly half (49%) of all recent tropical deforestation is the result of illegal clearing for commercial agriculture.

The study also finds that around half of this illegal destruction was driven by overseas demand for agricultural commodities including palm oil, beef, soy, and wood products.

In addition to devastating impacts on forest-dependent people and biodiversity, the illegal conversion of tropical forests for commercial agriculture is estimated to produce 1.47 gigatonnes of carbon each year-- equivalent to 25% of the EU's annual fossil fuel-based emissions.

"We've known that the production of agricultural commodities is a principal driving force behind deforestation, but this is the first report to show the outsize role that illegal activities play in the production of hundreds of food and household products consumed worldwide," said Michael Jenkins, President and CEO of Forest Trends, a Washington-based NGO that published the report.

"Increased agricultural production will be necessary for food security and to meet the demand of the emerging global middle class. However, the world must also wake up to the scale of how much of this agricultural production is taking place on land that has been illegally cleared. Urgent action is needed to help countries where these agricultural products are being grown, both for governments to enforce their own laws and regulations, and for businesses aiming to produce commodities legally and sustainably."

According to the study, Consumer Goods and Deforestation: An Analysis of the Extent and Nature of Illegality in Forest Conversion for Agriculture, 90% of the deforestation in Brazil from 2000 to 2012 was illegal, primarily due to the failure to conserve a percentage of natural forests in large-scale cattle and soy plantations, as required by Brazilian law. (Much of this occurred prior to 2004, when the Brazilian government took steps to successfully reduce deforestation.)

And in the forests of Indonesia, 80% of deforestation was illegal--mostly for large-scale plantations producing palm oil and timber, 75% of which is exported. While other countries also experience high levels of illegal deforestation, Brazil and Indonesia produce the highest level of agricultural commodities destined for global markets, many of which wind up in cosmetics or household goods (palm oil), animal feed (soy), and packaging (wood products).

Illegal deforestation is also rampant in most other countries across Asia, Latin America, and Africa losing large areas of tropical forest. Examples include the following:

In most cases, the companies that illegally razed forests to grow these crops had some form of government permit in hand. However, the report finds that it was also often the case that these permits were corruptly issued or fraudulently obtained; that these companies were missing additional required permits and licenses; or that these companies violated laws when clearing and planting, causing significant negative impacts on the environment and the rights of local people who have lived in these forests for generations and who depend on them for their food and incomes.

More:
Africa: Illegal Land Clearing for Commercial Agriculture Responsible for Half of Tropical Deforestation