General news
27 June, 2025
DECCEW response hardly comforting for farmers
Waiting game for farmers impacted by Balmain bush bureaucracy
AFTER last week’s visit by NSW Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) reps as well as Local Land Services, the response from the tour shows answers are still some way off - which is cold comfort for many Bland landholders like the Hardie family who are unable to work their land and with litigation hanging over their heads.
A DECCEW spokesperson said that “Clearing of Broombush in West Wyalong has been an issue since 2010 when the ecological community, in which Broombush is harvested, was determined to be critically endangered by the independent NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee.
“Since becoming aware of the problem, the NSW Minister for Environment has met with the impacted farmers and continues to work with them through these issues.
“The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) and Local Land Services are working together to assist landholders through the issue.”
Local Land Services meanwhile said, “it is working with impacted landholders to trial the assessments required to support ongoing harvesting of broombush and mallee.”
“This includes supporting reviews of the Draft Native Vegetation Regulatory Map and a trial of the potential use of the Native Vegetation Panel as an approval pathway.”
For families in the Bland Shire like Ken and Susan Hardie - nothing has changed and they still can’t work their land.
Like many, so long as they can’t use their land they continue to haemorrhage money - which only adds to stress and anxiety for the couple.
“A third of our land has been classed as pink for two years now meaning we haven’t been able to do anything with it,” Ken Hardie said.
“We are walking on eggshells on our own property.
“It’s not sustainable for us and I’m sure there are others in the same boat.”
Sadly, there is no respite in sight for the Hardies or other landholders as yet another chance to reverse draconian policy slips by with a wafer-thin response from Balmain bureaucracy.
“This process has taken so much from us - money, time and desire.
“At this rate there soon won’t be much left to take.”
Background:
• The NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) is responsible for developing and administering the Draft Native Vegetation Regulatory Map (NVR), as well as determining and reviewing map categories.
• Landholders who have concerns about how their land has been categorised on the Draft NVR Map can request a free category explanation report or a free map review from the DCCEEW Map Review Team.
• Local Land Services can assist landholders with these enquiries to the Map Review Team by providing advice about the types of information or evidence landholders should supply with their request.
Read More: West Wyalong
