Native vegetation codes open way for destructive clearing: environmental groups

Native vegetation codes irk both environmental and farm groups.

Proposed loosening of land-clearing codes by the O'Farrell government will allow NSW farmers to slash, burn and rip will little oversight, environmental groups claim.

Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner and Environment Minister Robyn Parker on Thursday unveiled for public comment the first three self-assessable codes for clearing native vegetation.

The codes - for managing invasive native species, thinning native vegetation and clearing paddock trees in cultivated areas will help ensure we strike the balance between conservation and efficient agricultural management, Mr Stoner said.

This places trust in landholders to manage their property sustainably while maintaining environmental standards.

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Environmental groups, though, say the codes permit the use of chains dragged by bulldozers and blade ploughs that run counter to the recommendations in the Native Vegetation Regulation Review completed a year ago by agricultural consultant Joe Lane.

Self-assessable clearing should only include methods such as burning or clearing individual plants with nil to minimal disturbance to soil and groundcover, Mr Lane's review said.

The codes will obviously lead to a lot more destructive land-clearing when we need to be protecting [native vegetation] as much as possible and moving to a more sustainable agriculture - not slash, burn and rip, said Jeff Angel, director of the Total Environment Centre.

Pepe Clarke, chief executive officer of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW, said the prospect of large-scale clearing creates a substantial environment risk while placing landholders at risk of breaking laws if their self-assessment proves to be erroneous.

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Native vegetation codes open way for destructive clearing: environmental groups