In response to this, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and The Wilderness Society have initiated a joint campaign to ensure that the NSW Government acts to control land clearing. I have a background in threatened species conservation and spent many years working with landholders and volunteers to address the impacts of land clearing — now I have been employed to lead their NSW Landclearing Campaign.

Over 1,100 animals and plants listed as nationally threatened are declining as a result of land clearing. Native mammals and birds play a vital role in the ecosystem and help control insect pests, pollinate plants, and provide the unique sights and sounds of the Australian bush. Their decline indicates serious degradation of natural systems crucial to the maintenance and cycling of water, soil and nutrients.

The Squirrel Glider, Regent Honeyeater, Black-striped Wallaby, and Spotted-tailed Quoll are just some of the many animals at risk. Their habitat is being destroyed. Over 20 bird species are threatened with extinction in the woodland belt of NSW alone.

It isn’t just the wildlife that suffers because of land clearing. Land clearing causes salting and degradation of healthy soil and clean water. Dryland salinity — the salting of valuable farming country — will continue to escalate whilst the NSW Government allows excessive land clearing of woodlands and grasslands. The resulting soil and water degradation costs us all millions of dollars already.

Whilst growing numbers of farmers recognise the valuable role native vegetation plays in keeping their land productive, their efforts are being undermined by the NSW Government. Farmers downstream are suffering land degradation on their land, through the land-clearing activities of others further upstream – all thanks to the lack of action and leadership from the NSW Government.

Given the disastrous long-term costs and impacts of overclearing, not just to farmers but to the whole community, the NSW Government must urgently improve and enforce existing land-clearing controls.

You can help protect species and landscapes. We hope to see significant improvements in the management of native vegetation in NSW, but will need your support to achieve this.