We have been advocating for a suite of policies to protect the environment, to the main parties and key independent candidates in the NSW State Election on 25 March 2023

We are now pleased to provide their responses to you and our rankings. While the ALP and Liberals did not accede to all our requests - there is very significant support from candidates that may hold the balance of power and of course, the Greens.

This is not the end of our work and despite the differing responses, TEC will continue to press for implementation of these critical advances in environment protection over the next term of Parliament. 

How the Major Parties Plan to Support The Environment

You can see the responses to seven key areas that we requested from the candidates below. A broader set of responses from the independents and smaller parties for these seats can be found here.

Detailed Position on Environmental Protection for each Major Party

We have also included detailed responses to our 25 detailed requests across these 7 crucial environmental topics. 

Science-Based Climate Action and Energy Transition 

We asked the parties whether they were willing to:

1. Set science-based greenhouse emissions targets by ensuring  greenhouse emissions targets, and progress toward those targets, are assessed through an independent review process that has regard to Paris Agreement aligned temperature goals and emissions reduction scenarios. 
2. Continue and accelerate the transition to 100% clean energy by 2030. You can read more on our campaign for pollution-free power accessible to all here. 
3. Address the cost-of-living crisis by implementing household energy efficiency package, including minimum efficiency standards for rental properties, solar on community and public housing, and additional rebates to help more households to get off gas and improve the efficiency of their home and appliances.
4. Develop a gas decarbonisation roadmap
5. Implement an offshore wind strategy for NSW

The parties responded as follows:

X - The Government (NSW Liberal/National Coalition) relied on its current policies which have set the stage for positive results on emissions reduction, offshore wind, hydrogen strategy; and energy efficiency in low income and new homes (BASIX).  They did not commit to an independent review process of targets and progress.  

½ - The NSW ALP agreed to create an independent Net Zero Commission and legislate emission reduction targets; as well as improving access to energy efficiency in social housing, a gas road map to advance electrification of homes and offshore wind strategy.  

√ - The Greens undertook to progress all our asks including phase out coal and gas by 2030; 100% renewable energy and just transition for workers. 

Protect Koalas and their Habitat

You can read our full review on how the major political parties, independents and smaller parties plan to protect Koala habitat and remove development threats in-depth here. You can also read more about our 2023 Sydney Basin Koala Campaign here. 

Habitat Protection and Biodiversity

We asked the parties whether they were willing to:

1. End native forest logging and transition NSW timber supply to 100% sustainable plantations
2. Reduce rates of land clearing to below pre-2016 levels
3. Reform the Biodiversity Offsetting Scheme to prevent the use of offsets for development in the habitat of endangered and critically endangered species and to ensure any future offsets scheme is based on best-practice principles, while strictly limiting offsetting to losses accrued as a result of genuinely essential and unavoidable development impact.
4. Rule out raising the Warragamba dam wall, which would drown 4700 hectares of World Heritage-listed national parks.
5. Achieve the 30-by-30 target by adding 14 million hectares of protected areas by 2030

The parties responded as follows:

X - The Government (NSW Liberal/National Coalition) will not end native forest logging, nor commit to reduce land clearing rates. It supports continuous improvement to the offsets scheme and will obtain advice on how NSW can contribute to the 30 by 30 protected lands target. It will raise the Warragamba Dam wall. 

½ - The NSW ALP did not agree to end native forest logging.  It intends to fix the biodiversity offsets scheme so they are genuinely a last resort. It will not raise the Warragamba Dam wall.  It will contribute to the 30 by 30 target.    

√ - The Greens support ending native forest logging; reducing land clearing to below 2016 levels; and protect a minimum of 30% of land and water by 2030.

Waste and Recycling, in collaboration with Boomerang Alliance

In collaboration with Boomerang Alliance, we asked the parties whether they were willing to:

1. Ban more single-use plastics by urgently reviewing the Plastic Action Plan in 2023, Incorporating reusable products and practices into the solutions agenda, ban single-use foodware for dine-in, ban heavier plastic bags and adopt a reusables standard as proposed by the Boomerang Alliance.
2. Regulate packaging by ensuring the Packaging Targets will be met and reject the voluntary approach, the introduction of a NSW mandatory product stewardship regulations if national arrangements are not forthcoming in 2023, strengthen the Waste Strategy to mandate recycled content in products purchased by government and for producers generally, and continue the Recycling Modernisation Fund
3. Expand container deposit scheme
4. Support plastic free programs and microplastic reduction strategies by supporting Plastic Free Places and AUSMAP, and adopting microplastic reduction strategies.

The parties responded as follows:

½ - The Government (NSW Liberal/National Coalition)  will review bans on more single use plastics and support reform the regulation of packaging by 2025. It will implement preference for products that contain recycled content and develop a Protection of Environment Policy which will require public infrastructure to decarbonise and use recycled building materials. 

½ - The NSW ALP will review the NSW Plastics Action Plan for more single-use plastic bans, support circular economy actions to transition to zero incineration and landfill, supports packaging targets and aims to be more ambitious than current government, yet does not commit to a mandatory product stewardship regulations. Supports incorporating more recycled products in government procurement & the expansion of the NSW container deposit scheme. Would investigate banning of heavyweight bags, coffee cups.

√ - The Greens have a detailed list of single use items to be banned incl. heavyweight bags & coffee cups + mandate procurement targets for recycled plastic content, support plastic free programs & microplastic reduction strategies.

Urban Planning and Green Space

We asked the parties whether they were willing to:

1. Implement the draft Design and Place SEPP, to put net zero strategies at the heart of urban planning, including EV ready apartments; deep soil to retain and plant trees; urban heat mitigation
2. Reinstate the neutral or beneficial effect test on water quality (NorBE) on all developments in the Sydney drinking water catchment, including extensions and expansions.
3. Create the Sydney Blue-Green Grid identified by the Government Architect, and detailed in our Green Spaces Policy for NSW, including all remnant bushland of endangered and critically endangered ecological communities.
4. Maintain the mature tree canopy on public and private land by cataloguing park lands and significant trees/canopy in the Sydney metro area, and by making information available digitally, live, and publicly. The quality of open spaces and significant trees/canopy should be measured via connectivity, tree type, understory, and grass cover and species to create a dashboard to assess the importance and ongoing management of the open space and canopy.
5. Prohibit the sale of parkland and ensure protection from adjoining developments and establishing an Open Space Defenders Office that is independent of government and can challenge rezoning, impacts and sales that are not in the public or environmental interest. 

If you wish to read more about why we asked these questions, you can read our full Green Spaces Policy for NSW here. 

The parties responded as follows:

X  - The Government (NSW Liberal/National Coalition)  did not commit to reinstate the Design & Place SEPP to put net zero, tree retention and urban heat mitigation at heart of urban planning.  It has upgraded BASIX (including all large commercial and state significant development to submit a Net Zero Statement) and will continue tree planting.  It made no commitments on the neutral or beneficial effect (NorBE) test on development in the drinking water catchments, nor further work of the Blue-Green space grid.

½ - The NSW ALP’s Net Zero Commission will develop plans for urban development; and work with the Blue-Green Grid committee under the Greater Sydney Parklands Act.  It will complete the Wolli Creek Regional Park.  It made no commitments on the neutral or beneficial effect test on development in the drinking water catchments.

 √ - The Greens support reinstating Design and Place SEPP, NorBE on development; create the Sydney Blue-Green Grid, maintain mature tree canopy, prohibit the sale of parkland and ensure protection from adjoining developments. 

Rivers and Wetlands

We asked the parties whether they were willing to:

1. Commit to achieving the water recovery targets in the Murray-Darling Basin Plan by the legislated deadline of July 2024.
2. Fix the cap on the “drought of record” so that all drought data to the present day is considered in determining water allocations from public dams, including modelled future climate impacts on water availability.
3. Improve First Nations access to water.

The parties responded as follows:

X – The Government (NSW Liberal/National Coalition)  made no meaningful commitments.

√ - The NSW ALP will work to address over allocation of water resources in the Murray Darling Basin and its full implementation.

√ - The Greens support achieving the water recovery targets in the Murray-Darling Basin, Fix the cap on the “drought of record”, and improve First Nations access to water.

Oceans

We asked the parties whether they were willing to meet the 30-by-30 target of marine waters in sanctuary zones on a bioregional basis and:

1. Create marine parks, including sanctuary zones, for the Sydney and Eden bioregions.
2. Return management of marine parks to the department of environment. 
3. Reinstate the sanctuary zones that have been cut since 2013.

The parties responded as follows:

X – The Government (NSW Liberal/National Coalition)  made no meaningful commitments.  

½ - The NSW ALP will work with the Commonwealth to achieve 30% marine protected areas by 2030.  

√ - The Greens support meeting the 30-by-30 target of marine waters in sanctuary zones on a bioregional basis. including a Sydney Marine Park and ban offshore, exploration and mining of fossil fuels.

This work was completed in collaboration with Nature Conservation Council and Boomerang Alliance. This work was made possible through your support. Please consider continuing your support by donating today.