Clarence Valley Council highlights hypocrisy of the Nationals

Tamara Smith, Ballina MP

Tamara Smith MP, Member for Ballina and NSW Greens spokesperson for the North Coast, and Greens Clarence Valley Councillor Greg Clancy, today revealed just how out of touch the Nationals Member for Clarence and his party are.

Ms Smith said, “Clarence Valley Council’s submission on the Draft NSW Koala Habitat Protection SEPP on 30 March this year said that the Planning Instrument did not go far enough to protect koalas on the North Coast.”

“Five months later the Member for Clarence sent the Nationals into a death spiral because he claimed people in his community were outraged by the new Koala laws”, said Ms Smith.

“Clarence Valley Council not only supported the new SEPP but they proposed broadening the number of tree species that are considered core koala habitat”, said Ms Smith.
Mr Clancy said, “Clarence Valley Council made detailed submissions on the Draft SEPP because the consensus amongst councillors was that the laws were not strong enough to reverse the path of extinction for koalas in our area.”

“We called for a broadening of the definition of the types of areas that should come under protection because the government’s maps did not fully address the scientific evidence around core koala habitat in our region”, said Mr Clancy.

“We are in total disbelief that the Member for Clarence falsely presented our community’s concerns about koalas and it’s as if he didn’t even read or know about the views of most people in his electorate”, said Mr Clancy.

Ms Smith said, “After the devastating bushfires, people across the regions want the government to be doing more to protect koalas, not less.”

“The Member for Clarence’s crusade against koalas isn’t supported by the evidence, the community or even his local Clarence Valley Council!”, said Ms Smith.

“Normal farming won’t be affected by this SEPP. The Nationals threats are about their developer mates who want to re-zone farmland for huge residential developments and their big agri-business mates who don’t want to have to stop clearing millions of hectares of land with dynamite” said Ms Smith.

Ms Smith said, “The fact that the Nationals are backing developers and huge corporations over the community and local councils shows just how out of touch they have become.”