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Tell Tanya Plibersek what you think of her “Nature Positive” reforms

Tell Tanya Plibersek what you think of her “Nature Positive” reforms

The Albanese government is planning reforms with the catchy title of “Nature Positive” but in reality the proposed laws will open the floodgates for clearing of native vegetation and destruction of habitat which is likely to turbocharge Australia’s climate crisis and result in further biodiversity collapse. Deadline: Sunday, 31st March 2024 Remind Tanya Plibersek’s her reforms will do NOTHING to prevent a repetition of the scandalous destruction of critically endangered habitat as occurred at the Leard State Forest, when a previous Labor Government approved coal mines to excavate and destroy white box grassy…continue reading →
Post bushfire in the Pilliga Forest and what Santos are doing

Post bushfire in the Pilliga Forest and what Santos are doing

Following on from the aerial observations conducted over the Pilliga in January 2024, Northwest Protection Advocacy recently spent four days in the Pilliga Forest in an effort to observe and document the impact of the Duck Creek bushfire on the forest and Santos’ infrastructure. The days were very hot with extreme UV, with the forest floor in some places reaching 45° – 50°+ in the late afternoon. Our inspections explicitly show that despite Santos’ claims to the media that the Pilliga fire did not pose a risk to “facilities” the fire encroached right…continue reading →
Unravelling the Private Native Forestry Puzzle: Kyogle Council at the crossroads

Unravelling the Private Native Forestry Puzzle: Kyogle Council at the crossroads

Article is the third in a series written by Kyogle Environment Group The proposed Local Environmental Plan (LEP) Amendment, seeking to eliminate Dual Consent and exempt Private Native Forestry (PNF) from the Development Application (DA) process on RU1 zoned land, is poised to enter a pivotal phase. The Department of Planning & Environment is now tasked with determining the fate of this planning proposal, a decision that continues to evoke concerns on multiple fronts. A shroud of secrecy envelops private property logging, and the Local Land Services (LLS), responsible for greenlighting PNF plans,…continue reading →
Private Native Forestry in Kyogle LGA: Balancing Conservation and Sustainability

Private Native Forestry in Kyogle LGA: Balancing Conservation and Sustainability

Article is the second in a series written by Kyogle Environment Group Kyogle Local Government Area (LGA) is home to one of the largest private native forestry estates in New South Wales, covering 160,000 hectares of land, half the LGA. At the heart of the regulation governing private forestry is the commitment to Ecologically Sustainable Forest Management (ESFM), designed to protect the rich biodiversity and ecosystems under the Local Land Service Act. Private Native Forestry (PNF) refers to the practice of harvesting and managing native forests on private land, as opposed to public…continue reading →
“Garden of Eden next to a hole”: Whitehaven Coal Senior Counsel

“Garden of Eden next to a hole”: Whitehaven Coal Senior Counsel

Covering the case: Sydney Knitting Nannas Regional communities thank the Sydney Knitting Nannas for their reportage of the Maules Creek Coal prosecution. Keeping vigil and observing the witnesses and legal argument, Sydney Knitting Nannas have become the modern-day “tricoteuses”, a reference to women who knitted while they observed the revolutionary trials and guillotining during the French Revolution. https://twitter.com/knitnannasSYD/status/1724361930813714536?s=20 Knitting Nannas consist of many retired professional women  and grandmothers committed to climate justice in the name of future generations. Their motto is “saving the land, air and water for the kiddies”. https://knitting-nannas.com/ The final…continue reading →
Whitehaven Coal fails in Court of Criminal Appeal to derail blasting prosecutions

Whitehaven Coal fails in Court of Criminal Appeal to derail blasting prosecutions

The NSW Court of Criminal Appeal has rejected an appeal by Whitehaven’s Maules Creek Coal mine to interrupt and derail a series of four blasting prosecutions, based on accusations of “apprehended bias” of Justice Sarah Pritchard who has been presiding over the cases since February 2023. As reported by ABC New England & North West: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/abc-new-england-north-west-local-news/abc-new-england-north-west-local-news/103047124 (At 1:28 mins of this ABC Report) Rejecting Whitehaven’s argument, the urgent judgment issued by five Judges said the Court will not entertain “frivolous and speculative” cases. Image: NWPA (February 2023) Boggabri Coal mine which suffered impacts…continue reading →
Public interest outweighs disclosure on Private Native Forestry

Public interest outweighs disclosure on Private Native Forestry

Article is the first in a series written by Kyogle Environment Group Amidst a climate crisis and the looming threat of species extinction, logging native forests faces growing public opposition. Safeguarding these forests from industrial logging has become paramount, especially with the anticipated decline in log supply from public lands and the increasing prevalence of private native forestry operations, as evidenced by the constant presence of heavy haulage log trucks on our roads. Under the Private Native Forestry (PNF) framework, landowners must submit a PNF Plan for approval by Local Land Services (LLS).…continue reading →
Who are the companies, contractors and suppliers helping Santos build their NSW gasfield?

Who are the companies, contractors and suppliers helping Santos build their NSW gasfield?

Santos engages a multitude of contractors, companies and suppliers across its Australian operations. This list mostly focuses on the east coast and is by no means exhaustive. Many of these companies are active in NSW. Please get in touch if you would like to contribute to this list. A Acil Allen Consulting Economics AECOM* Infrastructure consulting firm AIR Environment Consulting Air quality researchers APA* Pipeline projects Atomix Web Design Website management B BeneTerra Wastewater treatment/ disposal BMA Energy Power Station upgrade C CDM Smith Environmental Consultancy CH2MHILL Engineering/ project delivery Clarke Energy Engineering…continue reading →
Stranded Vickery Scoping Paper contains material omissions about tyre landfilling and heritage

Stranded Vickery Scoping Paper contains material omissions about tyre landfilling and heritage

Feature image supplied: Steven O’Donoghue, Director of Resource Assessments, spruiked the now-failing Vickery Coal mine at a public meeting, Boggabri, 2017. A Scoping Paper addressed to Stephen O’Donoghue, the Director or Resource Assessments, NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) on 5th July 2023, contains material omissions in relation to a matter of significant heritage value and falsely claims the revised project would be “substantially the same” as the approved Vickery Extension Project even though the latter does not have approval to landfill tyres. The Vickery mine project is located adjacent to the…continue reading →
Gas Leaks and Vents captured on Camera ‘Pouring Out’

Gas Leaks and Vents captured on Camera ‘Pouring Out’

A field trip to the NSW and Queensland gasfields was undertaken earlier this year. Of the eight active wells checked in the Pilliga, New South Wales by Clean Air Taskforce Thermographer Théophile Humann-Guilleminot four were found to be releasing gas and two of these were identified by the NSW EPA in 2019 as needing repair. Santos is now only required to check for leaks once every 12 months. This frequency is insufficient. NWPA previously reported on this issue here. See the latest stories on the thermography investigation here: https://theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/08/climate-heating-gas-released-from-dozens-of-australian-fossil-fuel-sites-environmental-group-claims and https://reneweconomy.com.au/methane-pollution-pouring-out-of-australian-gas-infrastructure-study-finds/ Humann-Guilleminot says…continue reading →