If you’re a developer, the coming NSW biodiversity conservation and land management reforms mean you need to sit up and pay attention. Mired in considerable complexity, the Land Management and Biodiversity Conservation Reform Package includes two bills. These will replace the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995, Native Vegetation Act 2003 and Nature Conservation Trust Act 2001. As part of the reforms, the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (BC Act) and Local Land Services Amendment Act 2016, assented to on 23 November 2016, are scheduled to commence in mid-2017. The State Government says the NSW biodiversity conservation and land management reforms will “cut red tape, facilitate ecologically sustainable development and conserve biodiversity across NSW”. While the government’s intentions are positive, the NSW biodiversity conservation and land management reforms are complex and represent a major overhaul of the State’s biodiversity conservation laws. In simple terms, they pave the way to significant changes in the way biodiversity impacts are considered in the development assessment and approval process. It’s also worth noting, the BC Act is yet to come into force formally, that regulations accompanying the BC Act have not yet been released – and most significantly – the BC Act does not contain transitional provisions, … Continue reading What developers need to know about NSW biodiversity conservation and land management reforms