Farmers able to clear land more easily as new laws pass in NSW
by Guardian staff and agencies from on (#21Y1T)
Conservation groups warn watered down native vegetation rules threaten wildlife and will increase greenhouse gas emissions
The New South Wales government's controversial biodiversity laws have passed their final hurdle in parliament, with farmers winning greater power to clear their land from next year.
The changes, which the government says were developed through a "rigorous, transparent, scientific and evidence-based process", allow farmers more freedom to clear land without having to find equivalent areas of offsets.