North Coast Environment Council IncRegistered

North Coast Environment Council Annual Report 202324. Jim Morrison, President Introduction Most of the focus of NCEC for the past year has been on Forestry related matters. After last year s election win by NSW Labor hopes for the creation of the Great Koala National Park were high. However, logging has continued at an accelerated pace within the proposed park boundary and only intense lobbying and action by environment groups have saved some of the koala hubs and several other important forests from the logging machines so far, NCEC convened a GKNP Working Group which meets fortnightly to share information on progress in the parks development and we also have a seat on the Community Advisory Panel along with other environment groups and a raft of other stakeholders. While the timber industry is lobbying hard for a minimalist area to be protected, we still remain hopeful that the full proposal for the protection of some 176,000 hectares will be implemented. We expect a final decision is imminent, hopefully before the end of this year. At a federal level there is extreme disappointment that the proposed Nature Positive legislation has been shelved, possibly until after next year s Federal election. It was hoped that the EPBC Act exemption for forestry activities under the RFAs would be removed, as recommended in the Samuels report. We live in hope. Other issues of concern to NCEC include the Iron Gates development which despite a number of community wins against it over the years just will not go away. The roll out of renewable energy proposals in the Richmond Valley is a concern regarding the clearing of native vegetation and other environmental impacts. Although we support the roll out in principle, to get off fossil fuels, we will always lobby for the best environmental outcomes of these developments and oppose them where warranted. Redbank, the proposed woodfired power station, in the Hunter Valley is another socalled renewable project that would be an unmitigated ecological disaster, also refuses to die. The rush to develop critical mineral resources has been accelerated after a recent $250 million dollars worth of State Government funding subsidies for exploration was announced as well as the wavering of royalties for five years. The Clarence Catchment Alliance has been very successful in developing a campaign against mining in the Clarence Valley. Bellingen EC recently contacted NCEC regarding a restart of Antimony mining on the Mid North Coast.I have encouraged NCC to form a Critical Minerals Working Group to assist groups develop a coordinated approach to this emerging state wide issue. If sufficient interest is shown from member groups this new working group will form in the new year. I expect Forestry, land clearing, management of the renewables roll out and associated critical minerals mining will be dominant issues for us over the next year.