BY CHARLIE PROUDLOCK
The Nature Conservation Council of NSW is calling on the state government to re-think the Hunter Transmission Project.
The major initiative is set to incur a sweep of deforestation across a large portion of the Hunter's bushland, with the Conservation Council asking for additional nature reserves to offset it's predicted impact.
It follows submissions from fellow environmental groups slamming the planned deforestation which will take place during to the project's construction, including at Olney, Watagan and Pokolbin state forests.
In an effort to combat the impacts, the Conservation Council has released a report identifying 11 new strategic reserves to be added in conjunction with the major project, set to strengthen ecological connectivity across the region.
The listed reserves include 700 hectares of former BHP land at West Wallsend, 580 hectares adjacent to Newcastle Link Road, and about 3,000 hectares of land in the Hunter Economic Zone at Tomalpin.
The Conservation Council's Policy and Advocacy Director Brad Smith said their main goal is to stop the decline in some of the State's most critically endangered species.
"The [Hunter Transmission] Project itself is about 100 kilometres long and the area it will disturb is about 1,000 hectares," he said.
"Of the 1,000 hectares, around 200 is endangered bushland.
"We're saying to just give those State forests back to National Parks.
"At the moment, they're being logged, and by removing the logging threat from those State forests, it would have a great impact for nature in the region."
Mr Smith went further to call on Newcastle Council to back them in their push for renewed ecological health in the region.
"We hope everyone would be on our side, because this is a good outcome for nature," he said.
"We know we need to get ahead with this transmission line and bring the solar, wind power to the businesses and home who need it, but we don't want to see nature sidelined in the process.
"This is really a once-in-a-generation opportunity to really take hold of some of these beautiful natural areas in the Hunter and protect them for everyone into the future."
Currently, project refinements are continuing to be made following field surveys, agency consultation and community feedback.
