31 August 2023 Dr Ken Henry AC Lead Independent Reviewer Independent Review of the Biodiversity Conservation Act Dear Dr Henry, Re: Final Report -Review of the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 | write to object to your final report on the review of the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 because its recommendations will only further exacerbate the housing affordability crisis’. This is a housing affordability crisis that has seen house values rise by 449% over the past 20 years? - 80% of this growth is attributable to higher land values*. This increase is reflected in the square metre rate of land rising from $1,000 per square metre in 2012 to $2,500 in 2022 in Sydney’ ‘The recommendations contained within your report will further reduce the land available for urban uses, thus further contributing to the growth in land values. This is despite urban uses making up less than two percent of NSW, marking Australia one of the most urbanised countries at 86%". Your report also does not recognise the conservation that is achieved by new communities, For example, in three of our current communities: ‘The Bower ~ 70ha (55%) of the site was provided to National Parks®, 2. Monarch’s Rise- 69ha (51%) of the site is to be dedicated to Council for conservation’, and 3. Regrowth ~ 770ha (40%) of the site will be placed in Stewardship Site, which will cost $7 million to establish and then maintain in accordance with the Stewardship Agreement. This is of course represented across the whole State. Without these communities there would be no economic incentive to manage conservation land for weeds, bushfire and revegetation. This oversight is representative of the scope of your review being so narrowly focused on the effectiveness of its current objectives, rather than looking for opportunities to work with an industry that is already delivering conservation outcomes. This is an industry that has already paid $114 million into the Biodiversity Conservation Fund (BCF However, this funding has failed to deliver the outcomes desired due to the significant cost site acquisition, establishment and land maintenance. In turn, we understand that these payments may Suite 2, Ground Floor 317 Hunter Street Newcastle NSW 2200 | PO BOX 2214 Dangar NSW 2307 P02 4945 7500 | F:02.49296872. | We mecloygroup.com auMeCLOYGROUP have been rolled into general revenue. The NSW Government should not be naive to the costs of maintaining land given that 9.5% of the State of is defined as National Park" At a national scale, Australia is identified as having the most national parks in the world at 685. The next closest is Thailand at 147 and then India at 116". The Government's inability to manage such a significant land area is a contributing factor to the catastrophic loss of biodiversity that occurred during the Black Summer Bushfires. In response, land managers have turned towards an indigenous knowledge base to understand how we can have a more harmonious relationship with the land through techniques known as firestick farming and cool burning”. The two books that accompany this letter titled ‘The Great Koala Scam’ and 'Firestick Ecology’ challenge the status quo in arguing that there are more koalas occupying Australia today then prior to European Colonialisation. This is further summarised by my letter to John Barilaro. The dire need to adopt these land management practices is paramount given the long-term and short-term forecast for increased bushfires. The National Council for Fire and Emergency Services (AFAC) recently released their prediction for spring, stating: ‘For spring 2023, increased risk of bushfire has been identified for large areas of NSW’ THE REAL ENDANGERED SPECIES IS THE AUSTRLAIAN FAMILY WHO CAN NO LONGER AFFORD A HOME DUE TO THIS CONTINUED UNSUSTAINALE APPROACH TAKEN TO BIODIVERSITY'® Your recommendations will only further contribute to this unaffordability, which ina country as large an Australia is nonsensical. Housing affordability for the regions is caused by a lack of supply. The first major reason for a lack of supply is the operation of the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 to already zoned lands primarily because of the interpretation of the word ‘avoid’ within the Act. This means that much of the zoned land cannot be developed. The second major reason for the lack of supply is the application of this Act in the rezoning of land. For a country so large, with so much untouched bushland this is seriously stupid for Australians. In conclusion, | put the following questions to you: 1. During your review, did you speak to young families trying to get their foot on the property ladder and/or consider how your recommendations will impact on the National Cabinet's target to build 1.2 million well-located new homes over five years? 2. During your review, did you ask any regional developers about the difficulties they are currently experiencing in delivering housing on zoned land, which is directly attribute to the complexity and uncertainty provided by the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016? I will welcome an opportunity to discuss this with you further on 0418 798 883 or via email at ieff@meccloygroup.com.au.McCLOYGROUP Yours sincerely, a “ChairmanFootnotes: ‘Mehra, Prashant, 24 May 2023, ‘Australian Housing Crisis: The High Price We're Paying’ (Online), Forbes, Source: , Accessed: 29 August 2023 2 Soho, 20 June 2023, ‘Sydney House Price Growth in the Last 20 Years: Trends & Predictions’, Source: , Accessed: 29 August 2023 * Daley, John & Coates, Brendon, March 2018, ‘Housing Affordability, Re-imagining the Australian Dream, Source: , Accessed: 29 August 2023 “Yardney, Byrce, 12 February 2023, ‘House land sizes shrinking as cost per square metre increases’, Source: , Accessed: 29 August 2023 5 The McCloy Group, 2023, ‘The Bower, Medowie’, Source’ , Accessed: 29 August 2023. ° The McCloy Group, 2023, ‘Monarch’s Rise, Kings Hill’, Source: , Accessed: 29 August 2023, The McCloy Group, 2023, ‘Regrowth — Kurri Kurr’, Source: , Accessed: 29 August 2023. ® NSW Government, 2023, ‘Statutory Review of the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016’, Source: https://wwwenvironment.nsw.gov.au/topics/animals-and-plants/biodiversity/overview-of- biodiversity-reform/statutory-review-of-the-biodiversity-conservation-act-2016>, Accessed: 29 August 2023. * NSW Government, 5 October 2022, ‘Biodiversity Conservation Trust — Annual Report (2021- 2022), Source: , Accessed: 29 August 2023. © NSW Government, 2023, ‘NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Blog’, Source: , Accessed: 29 August 2023. Suite 2, Ground Floor 317 Hunter Street Newcastle NSW 2300 | PO BOX 2214 Dangar NSW 2309 P:02 4945 7500 | F:02 49296472 | W: mecloygroup.comauMeCLOYGROUP ” Safaris Africana, 2023, ‘Which Country Has the Most National Parks?", Source: , Accessed: 29 August 2023. NSW Government, 2020, ‘NSW Bushfire Inquiry’, Source: , Accessed: 29 August 2023. 8 Jurskis, Vic, 2016, ‘Firestick Ecology, Fairdinkum Science in Plain English’, Connor Court Publishing Pty Ltd, Ballart, Victoria ¥ National Council for Fire and Emergency Services, 23 August 2023, ‘Seasonal Bushfire Outlook Spring 2023', Source: < https:/Awww.afac.com.au/auxiliary/publications/newsletter/article/seasonal-bushfire-outlook- spring-2023>, Accessed: 29 August 2023. +S Sydney Morning Herald, 15 February 2023, ‘What have we done to our young? The great Australian dream is dead’, Source: < https://ww.smh.com.au/national/nsw/what-have-we-done- to-our-young-the-great-australian-dream-is-dead-20230215-pSckno.html>, Accessed: 29 August 2023. Attachments: Jurskis, V. 2015, ‘Firestick Ecology’, Connor Court Publishing Pty Ltd, Ballart, Victoria Jurskis, Vic. 2020, ‘The Great Koala Scam: Green Propaganda, Junk Science, Government Waste & Cruelty to Animals’, Connor Court Publishing Pty Ltd, Ballart, Victoria The McCloy Group, 8 September 2020, ‘State Environmental Planning Policy (Koala Habitat Protection) 2019, “Green Tape” and Environmental Land Management in New South Wales.