<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/nov/29/nsw-farmer-fined-land-clearning-koala-habitat>
"The former graincorp chair and prominent wheat farmer Ronald Greentree has
been handed a record fine of more than $1m for illegal land-clearing in the
north-west of New South Wales.
Greentree and his company Auen Grain were sentenced in the state’s land and
environment court on Friday for offences related to illegal clearing of an area
larger than Sydney airport on the property “Boolcarrol”, north-west of
Narrabri.
The sentence follows a 2022 court decision that found Greentree and Auen Grain
guilty of eight separate land-clearing events at the property between December
2016 and January 2019.
The 1,262 hectares (3,120 acres) of native vegetation cleared included critical
habitat for 30 threatened species, including the koala and Glossy Black
Cockatoo, to make way for a private airstrip, crops and cattle yards, the NSW
government’s environment department said.
Greentree was fined $1,015,200, the largest ever fine for an individual for
unlawful land-clearing in the state. Auen Grain was fined $1,072,800. The court
also ordered Greentree and his company to pay $278,000 for the prosecution’s
legal costs.
Ingrid Emery, from the NSW environment department, said: “We are pleased with
the outcome of this case, particularly given the landholder’s prior convictions
for similar offences.”
A judgment published on Friday said the prosecutor had noted there was “no
evidence of insight, contrition, or remorse from the defendants and the
defendants concede that there is no evidence of remorse.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
