Business
17 January, 2025
DECCEW moves fence posts on local farmers
Errors in the Native Vegetation Map lead to further incorrect accusations of illegal clearing.
The Landholder’s Right to Farm Group continues to question the accuracy of NSW ALP Minister Penny Sharpe’s Department of Environment, Climate Change, Energy and Water (DECCEW) Native Vegetation Map (NVM), after errors on the NVM resulted in another case of incorrect accusations of illegal land clearing being levelled at local couple who’s family have owned the land in the West Wyalong area for nearly a century.
Mavis and Gordon Oxenbridge’s family have owned their farm in the area for almost 100 years have been left shaken by the allegations.
“We received a Notice of illegal clearing along our boundary fence. This is a ridiculous accusation,” said Gordon Oxenbridge.
“I personally worked up the vegetation along that fence line in 1967, that’s 57 years ago and it has remained clear ever since!”.
“When I pointed out to the Officer that there wasn’t a tree on it, they accused me of moving the boundary fence!” Gordon said.
Landholder’s Right to Farm spokesperson Annabelle Davis said, “Mavis and Gordon Oxenbridge are victims of errors in the Native Vegetation Map, which has led to the wrongful accusation of illegal land clearing. Inaccuracies are unfairly impacting landowners, and this situation highlights the urgent need for a thorough review of the accuracy of the Native Vegetation Map”.
This latest case of bureaucracy gone mad comes as our NSW Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke, has returned to West Wyalong again for a meeting with landowners in a bid to get a detailed response from the NSW Government DECCEW Minister Penny Sharpe, as well as the Department of Agriculture, Minister Tara Moriarty.
In the meantime, Gordon and Mavis Oxenbridge remain on edge waiting for common sense to prevail.
“The DECCEW sent us an image with ‘pink-shading along the fence-line stating that it contained a ‘critically endangered ecological community’ and that it is illegal to clear. That was the first we had ever heard of it. They also sent a blurry photo highlighting areas we had apparently cleared,” said Mavis.
“If the DECEEW had come out and taken two-minute drive along the boundary fence first of all then this unnecessary stress would have been stopped before it stated”.
Gordon added, “for an DECCEW Officer to even suggest to a farmer that they moved the boundary fence is completely ridiculous. It is a complete waste of my time, taxpayers money and has caused us a great deal of unnecessary angst and stress”.
The introduction of the Native Vegetation Map by the DECCEW has changed the land use rules in areas across the State. Areas in West Wyalong have been listed as containing the ‘critically endangered ecological community’ (CEEC) of Mallee and Mallee-Broombush lacking Tridodia, which comes with a very limited range of allowable activities for landholders.
“We have now learnt that in 2010 the Mallee and Mallee-Broombush was listed as a critically endangered ecological community. Not one of the landholders in the Group had been informed of this listing and there has been no additional management of the CEEC over the past 15 years, which makes us question if the listing is still relevant,” Annabelle Davis said.
“The DECCEW states - an ecological community may be listed as critically endangered if the Scientific Committee determines it is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in Australia in the immediate future.
“After 15 years this CEEC does not appear to be facing extinction. The Landholder’s Right to Farm Group seeks to have the Mallee and Mallee-Broombush lacking Triodia in the West Wyalong area re-evaluated. If after a re-evaluation this ecological community is deemed as ‘endangered’,rather than as ‘critically endangered’, landholders would have more flexibility with their land management,” Davis said.
“This accusation of illegal land clearing facing the Oxenbridges, is yet another instance where landowners are being wrongly implicated due to inaccuracies in the Native Vegetation Map. These errors are leading to unjust claims against landowners. We once again urge Minister Penny Sharpe and Minister for Agriculture, Tara Moriarty, to prioritise an urgent review of the regulation and listing of this CEEC which is immensely impacting the lives of farmers in the West Wyalong area”.
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