At a time when the NSW government needs to fully focus on managing the COVID crisis, the National Party’s ‘’split’’ from the Coalition over the koala protection is one the most irrational moves seen in many decades and will do a great disservice to the community, TEC said today.  

‘’Make no mistake this is the National Party showing its true colours – representing the land clearers and developers who have caused so much damage to the environment and the reputation of the rational members of the farming community.  Throw in support for massive coal and uranium mining; nuclear power; removing environmental water from our rivers; and continued plastic bag pollution – and the Nats have withdrawn from sensible politics,” said Jeff Angel, Director of the Total Environment Centre.

‘’The stand by the Deputy Premier will be massively repudiated by the community but the damage to the Liberal Party if it caves will be significant.  The community expects the government to keep to the centre of the road and not be pulled by extremists to wreck the environment.  The Koala SEPP was the first advance in koala conservation in over a decade – made all the more important by the damage from the mega bushfires and prediction the species could be extinct by 2050.’’

“’The SEPP rightly identifies core Koala habitat and key tree species for food, rather than leaving it to developers to self-assess for their development applications.  Past attempts to steer developers away from key habitat had failed and new measures were essential.’’

‘’I don’t believe the majority of the community want Koalas to go extinct and we will demonstrate that unequivocally.’’