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🇦🇺 Australia /Environment & Climate

Code that deems native plants 'invasive' sparks clearing fears

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • A code classifying native plants as "invasive" in New South Wales has led to millions of hectares being approved for clearing.
  • Conservationists argue there is no scientific basis for this classification and it creates a pathway to destroy native vegetation.
  • The NSW government defends the code, stating it supports farm management and can improve environmental outcomes.

Millions of hectares of land in New South Wales are approved for clearing under a controversial code that classifies native plants as "invasive," according to the Nature Conservation Council of New South Wales (NCC). The NCC is urging the government to scrap the classification, which it says allows for excessive land clearing.

INS is a term unique to NSW and it's creating a legal pathway to destroy native vegetation.

— Candice BartlettCandice Bartlett, a conservation officer at the Nature Conservation Council of New South Wales, explains the impact of the 'invasive native species' code.

Candice Bartlett, a conservation officer at the NCC and author of a new report, stated that the "invasive native species" (INS) label is unique to NSW and provides a legal route for vegetation destruction. Her investigation found no scientific basis for labeling 44 of the 45 listed species as invasive, as they occur within their natural ranges. The INS code permits the removal of up to 90 percent of native vegetation from large land blocks.

It is a huge risk to biodiversity if [these approvals] were to be acted on.

— Candice BartlettCandice Bartlett highlights the potential threat to biodiversity posed by land clearing approvals under the INS code.

The report, "NSW's INS Label: How a misleading classification is driving broadscale clearing in NSW," reveals that the 3.2 million hectares approved for clearing include 2.3 million hectares under legacy permits issued before the Native Vegetation Act was repealed in 2017. An additional 922,000 hectares have been approved since 2018 under the current Land Management Code. At least 171 threatened plant and animal species inhabit these INS areas, posing a significant biodiversity risk if clearing proceeds.

Invasive native species are native woody plants that either regenerate thickly following disturbance, or encroach on vegetation communities where they previously did not occur.

— Local Land Services spokespersonA spokesperson for Local Land Services defends the INS code, defining what constitutes an invasive native species.

Land-clearing rates in NSW rose 16 percent between 2023 and 2024, with nearly half of authorized clearing occurring under INS provisions. Local Land Services, responsible for the INS list and permit assessments, defends the code. They state it supports farm management and can benefit other species by promoting regeneration, preventing soil erosion, and maintaining habitat. However, NSW Farmers Association suggests the total permit numbers do not reflect actual clearing activity.

Clearing invasive native species can promote regeneration and regrowth of native vegetation and improve environmental outcomes such as avoiding soil erosion and maintaining habitat in mature vegetation.

— Local Land Services spokespersonA spokesperson for Local Land Services explains the perceived environmental benefits of clearing invasive native species.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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