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http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/bulldozed-a-vital-wetland/2007/05/20/1179601244335.html Bulldozed: a vital wetland May 21, 2007 ONE of the nation's most significant waterbird breeding habitats
- the size of up to 750 football fields - has allegedly been cleared by a Moree farmer. If proven, the case may turn out to be one of the worst since
legislation was introduced in 2003 to protect native vegetation. The new Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water, Phil
Koperberg, has lashed out at anyone who continues to flout laws that protect remnant bush. "I find it very hard to understand how anyone could think it was
acceptable to mow down a large tract of native vegetation at a time when climate change is so crucial," Mr Koperberg told
the Herald. "This case is being investigated by the Department of Environment
and Climate Change so I'm not going to comment on the specifics of it. But in general terms I'm very concerned about any incidents
that not only damage our natural environment but also threaten important breeding grounds for bird life." Fines of more than $1 million are possible, but the State Government's
prosecution record on this issue has been woeful. It is believed that the Government was alerted in early April
to allegations that a vast area of floodplain had been bulldozed. Between 500 and 750 hectares of Gwydir River floodplain wetland,
consisting of lignum, coolabah and a type of wattle known as River Cooba, were allegedly flattened on a property known as
Yarrol. It is owned by John and Lynette Hudson. Yesterday, when the Herald called the property, the couple
who answered refused to give their names and said they were not aware of the clearance. They declined to comment further. While the facts of the case are still emerging, it is thought
that the Border Rivers Gwydir Catchment Management Authority had a meeting with the landowner. It is not known whether the
authority knew of or approved any clearing. A river and waterbird expert at the University of NSW, Richard
Kingsford, said that in the mid-1990s more than 100,000 birds had bred at the property. These included egrets, several species
of ibis and a variety of native ducks. "It's the death knell of this colony," Professor Kingsford said.
"Firstly there hasn't been enough water allocated to allow them to breed and now their essential nesting habitat has been
destroyed. "These birds faithfully return to the same place to breed but
when the next flood comes they will have nowhere to lay their eggs and keep their nests out of the water. "I am shocked at the scale of the clearing and the fact that it
had occurred on one of the most important waterbird breeding sites in Australia." The federal Environment Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, is also investigating
the allegations to determine if any Commonwealth legislation has been breached. If the reports of land clearing are confirmed
then the Gwydir case will be the first big test of the State Government's resolve to halt broadscale clearing since it handed
native vegetation management to the Department of Environment and Climate Change. Amy Hankinson, the co-ordinator of the Inland Rivers Network,
said it was devastating to see such a priceless area cleared: "We are going to see more wetlands destroyed if the NSW and
Commonwealth governments continue to fail their international obligations to wetlands and the birds that depend on them,"
she said. ............................. http://www.wilderness.org.au/campaigns/landclearing/nsw/land-clearing-gwydir/ The Wilderness Society (Sydney) Inc The Wilderness Society has condemned the clearing of between 500
and 750 hectares of native vegetation on a property within the Gwydir River floodplain adjacent to internationally recognised
RAMSAR wetlands. “The bulldozing of native bush on this scale in the Gwydir
wetlands region will be catastrophic to the huge array of migratory birdlife it supports. It is almost inconceivable that
someone would deliberately set out to destroy the environmental values of this wetland”, said Reece Turner, NSW Campaigner
with The Wilderness Society. Stern words from the new Minister for Climate Change, Environment
and Water, Phil Koperberg have been welcomed by The Wilderness Society. “It is good to hear that Minister Koperberg has responded
with vigor in this case but there is a huge task ahead for the Premier and the new minister to address the broader issue of
land clearing in this state”, said Turner. “We know that illegal and legal land clearing is out of
control in NSW. Premier Iemma has made a clear election promise to address clearing and now is the time to show the public
that he and his new Minister are serious”, continued Turner. New legislation to end broadscale land clearing was brought into
operation in December 2005. Since then there has been only one known prosecution under the laws. “When the Queensland Government is achieving between 20
and 50 successful prosecutions per year and we know that clearing breaches are being reported to the Government, it is simply
not satisfactory”, said Turner. “The NSW Government needs get tough with illegal land clearers
by refining the laws to give more powers to investigating officers, expand monitoring and vegetation classification programs
to track vegetation changes and start sending messages that this environmental vandalism will not be tolerated”. “We know the impacts of broadscale clearing - it is the
number one cause of wildlife extinctions, leads to dryland salinity, and is a significant cause of greenhouse gas pollution.
Greenhouse pollution is released into the atmosphere when trees are bulldozed, logged or burnt”, concluded Turner. ........................... http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200705/s1928063.htm Last Update:
Monday, May 21, 2007. 7:02am (AEST)
Authorities investigate Gwydir wetlands clearingThe New South Wales and federal governments are investigating the clearing of part of a crucial wetland recognised for its huge array of waterbirds. The Gwydir wetlands in north-western NSW are an internationally recognised breeding and nesting site for a huge colony of waterbirds, including the ibis and the egret. But about 750 hectares has been cleared by a local landholder. Richard Kingsford from the University of NSW says it will have a devastating impact on an already struggling colony of birds. "There are only a handful of sites in the whole of the Murray-Darling Basin that were as important as this for waterbird breeding". NSW Environment Minister Phil Koperberg says officers from the department will spend the next week investigating the claims. "If they are proven and if it leads to prosecution and conviction then there are a range of somewhat complex penalties for an individual, depending on the seriousness of the breach," he said. "It can be $1,000 - $5,000 for a corporation. But in the event of the breach being sufficiently serious, which this may well be, fines of up to $1 million can apply." Federal Minister for the Environment Malcolm Turnbull says he is also concerned. "We are aware of the issue. We've received complaints about it and I've asked my department to investigate and report back to me," he said. ................................. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21766850-29277,00.html Probe of bird-breeding wetland clearing
COMMONWEALTH and NSW authorities are investigating claims a large wetland important for bird-breeding has been illegally cleared.Between 500 and 750 hectares of wooded Gwydir River floodplain have allegedly been flattened on a northern NSW property. NSW Environment Minister Phil Koperberg said today the clearing was potentially disastrous. "The site is just so significant as to make one wonder what on earth may have possessed the owners to do this - if in fact they did," Mr Koperberg told ABC radio today. The Federal Government is also responsible for the wetland because it attracts migratory birds. Federal Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull said today his department was currently acting on complaints about the clearing. A river and water bird expert at the University of NSW, Richard Kingsford, said that in the mid-1990s more than 100,000 birds had bred at the property. "It's the death knell of this colony," Professor Kingsford told the Sydney Morning Herald. A complex system of penalties applies to illegal land clearing, depending on the seriousness of the breach, and who is responsible. Fines ranging between $1000 and $5000 apply for a corporation, but in the event of the breach being sufficiently serious fines of up to $1 million can apply. .............................. Update on broader clearing disasters in Australia:
............................... Wednesday, 30 May 2007
Steve Truman of 'Agmates' of Gympie Qld - the 2nd hand farm machinery seller who likes land clearing
Mood:  downTopic: ecology
Crikey.com.au runs this story today, as per similar advert in The Land this week threatening possibly illegal land clearing from 1st July 2007: 3. Each day more trees will dieSteve
Truman, renegade farmer [actually not a farmer as admitted to Dan Lewis journo at the Sydney Morning Herald
pers comm 30/5/07] and member of the Commonwealth Property Protection Association writes: Australian farmers have had enough of federal and state governments' reclamation of their land by stealth. So, on Sunday 1 July as a form of civil disobedience, thousands of farmers across Queensland, NSW and Victoria will cut down a tree. On 2 July they will cut down two trees and so on. How has it come to this? The Federal Government sent Senator Ian Campbell to the Kyoto Conference in 1997 with a simple instruction. Only sign the agreement if the Australian government could insert a clause that allowed them to count the carbon credits accrued from stopping landing clearing in Australia. The clause 3.7 is known internationally as "The Australian Clause"................ The end result of Governments acting unfairly and unjustly towards its citizens is civil disobedience. History has shown that in a strong democracy, if its citizens can’t rely on their judicial system to uphold their democratically won rights, civil disobedience is the only course of action. The result of Governments behaving badly towards its citizens is, in turn, a protest in the form of its citizens behaving badly. Send your tips to boss@crikey.com.au or submit them anonymously here. ........ Nor is this the only anti environmental ratbag in the last few days rushing into the media: Don Burke the determined anti recycler and green baiter was at it for the rippoff of the Australian Conservation Foundation with a real democratic basis. Burke calls his bogus group the Australian Environment Foundation in a clear attempt at misleading and deceptive conduct on the opinion page of the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday. A good legal case under the Trade Practices Act by the ACF would be our view: Farmers' offer too good to refuse - Opinion - smh.com.au It's mostly hogwash trying to cover up the outrageous criminal clearing of the Gwydir Wetlands here page 1 21st May 2007 Bulldozed: a vital wetland - National - smh.com.au And we notice this story running of Rio Tinto paying farmers $1M for not clearing to get the carbon credits, which is just no good for someone like Steve Truman in the farm machinery land clearing business May 26th Farmer makes $1m for doing nothing at all | NEWS.com.au with this heartening image captioned "Tree change ... Queensland farmer Peter Allen and his wife were ready to chop down their trees until Rio Tinto stepped in / Annette Dew"
The following is a tip sent to Crikey.com.au this afternoon: ......................
Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 4:26 PM
Subject: Steve Truman 2nd hand farm machinery seller for ...... land clearing
some astute googling of "Steve Truman" brings up Wesfarmers business link back in 2001
Store cattle producers in the Far West of New South Wales are ... then "Steve Truman livestock brings up this massive financial conflict of interest as a seller of farm
machinery to do the clearing, ploughing etc etc
At first I thought he must be one of the Shooters Party 'cede from Australia' ultra right wingers
but now I get it, another financial angle, not a gun seller but a dozer etc seller.
Tom McLoughlin, ecology action
[links with evidence attached of Steve Truman financial vested interest in pushing land clearing as a
2nd hand farm machinery seller based in Gympie Qld]
..........................................#1 of 2
Truman Livestock
Farmers Dealing Direct With FarmersWe call you now in 5 seconds.
Listed In:
..................................... #2 of 2
http://agmates.blogspot.com/2007/03/australian-farmers-really-what-hope.html AUSTRALIAN FARMERS - Really, what hope have you got?Labels: Carbon Credits G'day Agmates, But the problem is getting that information, and THE STORY
OF THIS SCANDALOUS SITUATION to the 120,000 farmers across Australia. Postscript #1 Steve Truman makes a gracious respone in the comments section below, and interestingly hails from the Gwydir wetlands area. He denies directly (but obviously still indirectly) benefits from agri machinery trade but he also makes no apology for the clearing of wetlands which has really angered the broad community. There may well be some degree of truth in his notion the miners and other industry are getting away with greenhouse murder at the expense of farmers. On the other hand my experience of agri industry (in particular the National Party)is that they are usually very gracious and personable folks - and just keep on killing the environment ...however nicely. We agree carbon pricing to keep bush upright would be a good way forward. We also note Prof Peter Cullen comment that much farming on marginal land should have been shut down decades ago. Harsh but true. .........................
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