The latest snapshot around the health of the biodiversity and ecology in NSW has been released, with figures showing more decline of threatened species and the ecosystems that support them.
The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Chief Executive Officer, Tony Chappel, outlined the impacts of climate change in the State of the Environment report.
He added, ‘The ability of remaining habitats in NSW to support native plants, animals and ecosystems has dropped to 29 per cent of their original capacity since pre-industrialisation’.
‘The number of threatened species listings in NSW has increased by 36 since December 2020. In 2024, more than 600 plant species and 300 animal species in NSW are threatened and risk extinction.
‘River condition remains poor or very poor for many areas of the Murray-Darling Basin. Coastal rivers are generally in better condition, particularly on the southern coasts’.
Delayed report
Greens MLC Sue Higginson said the 676-page report was delayed for release for nearly eight months by the government.
She said in a statement, ‘The delayed report has confirmed that the natural systems in NSW that we all rely on are continuing to decline, and comes just one day after the government revealed they underspent on environment protection by $446 million in the last year’.
‘We should all be furious at the NSW government underspending on environment protection by $446 million.
‘It’s a clear sign that they are just not taking this crisis seriously.
‘They have spent the lowest proportion on environment protection of any government since at least 2016, and the results today in this report show what their disregard has bought’, she said.
Very little improvement
‘Of the 70 key indicators covered in this report, just seven of them show any improvement.
‘The number of indicators that are going backwards is more than three times higher with close to double remaining unknown.
‘I have come to realise this city-based, city-focused Labor Party is not getting it. When Country suffers, we all suffer,’ Ms Higginson said.
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