Myall Lakes MP Stephen Bromhead says he wants to see our koala population thriving and the National Party has made "reasonable recommendations on how the population can be doubled."
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The NSW Nationals party room today (Thursday, September 10) agreed the party will no longer attend joint party room or parliamentary leadership meetings until the koala habitat protection issue of State Environment Planning Policy (SEPP) is resolved.
The Myall Lakes MP says this effectively puts the party on the crossbench.
"We will abstain from voting on government bills, but reserve the right to support bills and motions that are important to regional NSW."
Mr Bromhead said next Tuesday (September 15) the National Party will introduce a bill to the Legislative Assembly to repeal the State Environmental Planning Policy Koala Habitat Protection.
This policy is asking rural and regional communities to become an environmental offset as we see koala habitat destroyed to accommodate city developments in places like Western Sydney without a second thought.
- Myall Lakes and Nationals MP Stephen Bromhead
"The new SEPP will not protect even one koala and is simply here to make citycentric law makers feel good.
"The city bureaucrats who propose this law are the same ones that locked up our forests, failed to maintain them in effect leading to the devastating bushfires that decimated the koala population."
Mr Bromhead said the National Party is standing behind farmers, property owners and the growth of regional and rural areas.
"This policy is asking rural and regional communities to become an environmental offset as we see koala habitat destroyed to accommodate city developments in places like Western Sydney without a second thought.
"Since October last year the National Party has brought a number of constructive and reasonable proposals to the Liberal Minister but unfortunately their response suggests a lack of urgency and unwillingness to give ground on any substantive matters that greatly affect our regional communities.
Mr Bromhead said the National parties proposed changes strike a balance that protects both koalas, our farmers, property owners and rural and regional growth. "We can protect the koala population without burying farmers, property owners and developments in regional NSW in green tape."
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