|
|
|
Farmers, greenies take an axe to land-clearing bureaucracy
16 Oct 2003
NSW farmers and environmentalists have welcomed a $406 million deal to end broad-scale land clearing and rescue damaged land. Natural resource management will be handed to local communities and bureaucracy slashed. The president of the NSW Farmers' Federation, Mal Peters, described it as "a great step forward for farmers".
Most of the funds in the deal will go to projects such as tree planting and fencing waterways to counter salinity and erosion, but local authorities may also compensate farmers for not clearing land.
Natural resource management will be devolved to 13 catchment management authorities, replacing 19 existing catchment management boards, 20 regional vegetation committees and 33 water management committees.
In addition, $65 million in staffing and resources from the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources will be transferred to the authorities. An "independent" Natural Resource Commission will oversee the performance of natural resource management.
Property owners will now have to produce farm management plans which, once approved, will last 15 years and free them of having to constantly request bureaucratic approval for what they do.
Sydney Morning Herald, 16/10/03.
|
|
