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On the day the NSW government was forced into an embarrassing backdown over proposed changes to private native forestry approvals, a council on the state's north coast has voted to give up the powers at the centre of the controversy.
Key points:
- Kyogle Council will scrap dual approvals for native forestry on private land
- The mayor says other forestry protections are already in place
- The NSW government has just abandoned similar legislation
Kyogle Council voted to scrap the dual approval process for native forestry on private land, leaving approvals entirely in the hands of Local Land Services (LLS).
"We've got a history in Kyogle of a strong timber industry, and the fact that it is still functioning today is a testament to generations past and present and how well they're managing their land," Mayor Kylie Thomas said.
"Why would we get in the way of that?"
The council's general manager, Graham Kennett, said proper resourcing and staff for forestry regulation would cost the council up to $200,000 a year.
"We are struggling to deliver the regulatory and environmental outcomes that are our responsibility," he said.
"What we really don't need to be doing is adding more to it."
The meeting heard there were 133 private native forestry (PNF) plans in place across the Kyogle Shire which have been approved by the LLS but have not been put forward to the council.
A staff report said the council would struggle to approve any PNF plans, because it could not approve proposals that would have an adverse effect on the environment.
It argued that scrapping the dual-approval process would help address the regulatory stalemate.
'Sensible, sane, sustainable'
The council's vote came on the same day the state government announced it would not proceed with contentious private native forestry legislation.
Under the current law, landholders need approval from both their local council and a state authority (LLS).
The bill would have removed the requirement to go to council, but it was abandoned after concerns were raised about its impact on koala habitat.
The Nationals member for Tweed, Geoff Provest, threatened to cross the floor on the issue.
"In my whole political life, I've never crossed the floor, so to speak, or voted against a government policy," he said.
"In this case I have a strong belief and I think I've got the support of my wider community that this is not good legislation."
Timber NSW chairman Andrew Hurford thinks the debate has become too political.
"Unfortunately, I think we've got lost in the so-called 'koala wars'", he said.
"This is nothing to do with koala wars. This is about sensible, sane, sustainable management of private land and there is a process in place for that.
"You can get an approval to clear your land from LLS and councils are not involved in that discussion — but you try to manage your land for sustainable forestry and suddenly councils have say."