This was, until recently, Leard State Forest. Soon it will be a hole in the ground. We continue to lose huge tracts of native vegetation and wildlife habitat to the mining industry, as well as to the Pacific Highway upgrades and the development industry. This photo was taken by Ron and Joyce Webster. The clearing of 200 ha of this forest for the Boggabri coal project was approved before the enactment of the Threatened Species Conservation Act in 1995, and the Environmental Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act in 1999, and yet the State Government allowed this outdated approval to remain in force.  The Minister for Primary Industries (who is also the Minister for conserving the land and water impacted by primary industries) told Budget Estimates hearings in parliament in September that this project is under the control of the Minister for Planning, not him. If you want to let them both know that this this kind of buck-passing and wanton destruction is not okay, give them both a call.

• Planning Minister Frank Sartor 9228 4700
• Primary Industries AND Natural Resources Minister, Ian MacDonald 9228 3344