Broad-scale land clearing is an unsustainable farming practice that threatens our water and soils and undermines the long-term productivity of our land.
This practice has turned whole regions of NSW into treeless prairielands full of feral animals and weeds, degraded by overgrazing, erosion, and salinity.
We need new, sensitive approaches to farming, not the same old discredited practices that have done so much harm.
Bushland's benefits for farmers
In addition to protecting fresh water supplies and native wildlife, bushland:
- Improves crop and pasture yields
- Provides shelter for stock and crops
- Harbours beneficial plants and animals such as pollinators and predators of crop pests
- Controls erosion
- Reduces land degradation and salinity
- Improves water quality and water retention in catchments, and
- Moderates global and regional climates.
Cash for conservation
We believe farmers who retain native vegetation on their land deserve the community's support. That's why we are advocating stewardship payments for farmers who do the right thing.