Lee Rhiannon (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) the Gardens of Stone in New South Wales and adjacent Ben Bullen, Newnes and Wolgan State Forests are spectacular landscapes that are habitats for many plants and wildlife, including national and state-listed threatened species,

(ii) in October 2014 the New South Wales Planning Assessment Commission found that the pagoda landforms in that area should be afforded special significance status and the highest possible level of protection, and

(iii) the Gardens of Stone and adjacent areas continue to be threatened by open cut and longwall mining proposals and will continue to be vulnerable to mining impacts until permanent protection is granted; and

(b) calls on the Federal Government to support the call for the New South Wales State Government to extend national parks protection for the Gardens of Stone stage two reserve proposal.