EDITORIAL

Calling for the repeal of the NSW Native Vegetation Act 2003: Minister for Agriculture Barnaby Joyce. Photo: Fairfax Media

Glen Turner was shot in the back on Tuesday last week. He was shot multiple times. When he was killed he was working beside a public road near Moree. He was not serving an infringement notice in his capacity as a senior compliance officer with the Office of Environment and Heritage, enforcing the law against illegal land clearing.

The killing of this 51-year-old father of two, which police will allege was the result of a calculated ambush, is a grave matter of public concern. People in the central west are appalled that the killing has attached itself to the local farming community. In this context, the Herald believes some of the comments by elected officials have been unhelpful.

Starting at the top, the federal Minister for Agriculture, Barnaby Joyce, responded to the killing by calling for the repeal of the NSW Native Vegetation Act 2003.

This is not helpful, even though Mr Joyce decried the killing of a man who wasnt the architect of this law ... just doing his job. The NSW Farmers Association has described the Native Vegetation Act as one of the biggest impediments to sustainable food and fibre production in NSW. Mr Joyce went further over the weekend, telling The Northern Daily Leader: You have this crazy situation where you dont own the vegetation on your land, the state government does, and many people have had enough ... Im calling on the state government to repeal it, get rid of these laws ... they shouldnt be the responsibility of anyone to try and enforce.

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While his comments, and the views of the NSW Farmers Association, offer insights into the gravity of this issue to many farmers who feel they have to bear an excessive burden, the killing of Mr Turner cannot be attached to even a semblance of justification because of a state law that many farmers regard as onerous.

Not helpful, also, was the comment by the mayor of Moree Plains Shire Council, Katrina Humphries, who said she had feared the land-clearing issue would erupt in violence. The mayor was in no way offering any rationalisation for the crime, but her comment is only a few steps away from creating an image of farmers with guns wanting to protect their land from meddling ideologues.

Also unhelpful was the comment by the local state MP, Kevin Humphries, the member for Barwon, who said this case had become very personal because of the protracted nature of the dispute between the family of the accused killer, Ian Turnbull, and the Office of Environment and Heritage. Many people become involved in protracted litigation. The law moves with infamous slowness. But almost never does a commercial legal dispute lead to a death. This outcome was highly unusual.

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A death in Moree: no cause, no justification

GUA MUSANG, Aug 5 (Bernama) -- A mini command centre will be created early next month to combat increasingly rampant illegal opening of land in Cameron Highlands and its surrounding areas, said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri G. Palanivel.

He said the aim of the centre was to map out strategies and gather information on illegal encroachment on land in the area.

He said the centre would involve representatives from numerous agencies such as the Department of Environment, Drainage and Irrigation Department, Forestry Department and the Cameron Highlands District and Land Office.

"Whatever information from the command centre would be reported to the ministry weekly after the post-Cabinet meeting," he told reporters after checking on an illegal land clearing site at Gunung Yong Belar, Lojing near here Tuesday.

Gunung Yong Belar, which is located eight kilometres from Kampung Raja, Cameron Highlands, can only be reached using four-wheel drive vehicles.

"Illegal opening of land is becoming a very serious issue here, it must be stopped immediately but action must be taken with care.

"We cannot arrest people indiscriminately as we have to conform to the provisions of the law. We must have firm proof before taking any action," he said.

He said illegal land encroachment must be tackled in a determined manner to protect highland areas which would otherwise impact negatively on the environment.

Palanivel said Temporary Occupation Licences (TOL) would be given out to those who opened farms illegally to check the activity (from spreading).

"We cannot chase them (the culprits) out, we must maintain the area which have been encroached and turned into agriculture farms by giving them TOL," he said.

Continue reading here:
Mini Command Centre To Tackle Illegal Land Clearing In Cameron Highlands

Crime scene: Police block off the road at Talga Lane on the Newell Highway at Croppa Creek last week. Photo: Cady Anderson, Moree Champion

Wheat farmer Ian Turnbull ambushed Glen Turner on a public road and opened fire while the environment compliance officer was inspecting an unrelated site, police will allege.

Mr Turner was not on the Turnbull family's properties and was not serving a notice for illegal land clearing when he was allegedly shot several times, throwing serious doubt on claims by Mr Turnbull's family that the 79-year-old farmer had been pushed to the edge by repeated harassment.

Detective Inspector Gavin Rattenbury said police will allege Mr Turner and a colleague from the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) were carrying out unrelated duties on the side of Talga Lane, near Moree, last Tuesday evening when Mr Turnbull allegedly pulled up beside them, armed himself with a rifle and opened fire.

Ambushed: Glen Turner. Photo: Supplied

A bullet in the back killed Mr Turner but it is understood that more than one shot hit the 51-year-old father-of-two. Mr Turnbull then drove home, where he was arrested four hours later.

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After several reports last week that the OEH workers had arrived, unannounced, on Mr Turnbull's Croppa Creek property to serve a notice for illegal vegetation clearing, his family painted a picture of an elderly man constantly targetedby an aggressive government about clearing his land.

The incident generated widespread debate on native vegetation legislation, and came after years of mounting tension between farmers, environmentalists and governments about landowners' rights to clear vegetation for cropping.

Moree Plains Shire Council mayor Katrina Humphries said violence was "always going to happen". Federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce said: You have this crazy situation where you dont own the vegetation on your land, the state government does, and many people have had enough."

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Police to allege Glen Turner gunned down while inspecting an unrelated site in Croppa Creek

Crime scene: Police block off the road at Talga Lane on the Newell Highway at Croppa Creek last week. Photo: Cady Anderson, Moree Champion

Wheat farmer Ian Turnbull ambushed Glen Turner on a public road and opened fire while the environment compliance officer was inspecting an unrelated site, police will allege.

Mr Turner was not on the Turnbull family's properties and was not serving a notice for illegal land clearing when he was allegedly shot several times, throwing serious doubt on claims by Mr Turnbull's family that the 79-year-old farmer had been pushed to the edge by repeated harassment.

Detective Inspector Gavin Rattenbury said police will allege Mr Turner and a colleague from the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) were carrying out unrelated duties on the side of Talga Lane, near Moree, last Tuesday evening when Mr Turnbull allegedly pulled up beside them, armed himself with a rifle and opened fire.

Ambushed: Glen Turner. Photo: Supplied

A bullet in the back killed Mr Turner but it is understood that more than one shot hit the 51-year-old father-of-two. Mr Turnbull then drove home, where he was arrested four hours later.

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After several reports last week that the OEH workers had arrived, unannounced, on Mr Turnbull's Croppa Creek property to serve a notice for illegal vegetation clearing, his family painted a picture of an elderly man constantly targetedby an aggressive government about clearing his land.

The incident generated widespread debate on native vegetation legislation, and came after years of mounting tension between farmers, environmentalists and governments about landowners' rights to clear vegetation for cropping.

Moree Plains Shire Council mayor Katrina Humphries said violence was "always going to happen". Federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce said: You have this crazy situation where you dont own the vegetation on your land, the state government does, and many people have had enough."

Excerpt from:
'Ambushed' on public road

Christina Chin

The Star

Publication Date : 03-08-2014

Rampant land clearing for development and farming near buffer zones is putting a strain on Malaysias water catchment areas and preventing our dams from filling up despite sporadic rain and cloud seeding efforts.

Forestry and environment experts here have cautioned that unless water catchment areas are gazetted and protected, water basins are in danger of rapidly drying up.

Peninsular Malaysia forestry department director-general Dr Abdul Rahman Abdul Rahim said forests function like sponges to absorb water but the ground could not retain water if there are disturbances to the hydrological cycle caused by development and farming activities in surrounding areas.

The existing minimum 10m buffer zone surrounding water catchments is insufficient.

Buffer zones should vary according to the size of the forests and water bodies, he said, adding that de-gazetting of non-permanent forest reserves came under the state and local authorities jurisdiction.

There are one million hectares of forests under state control which can be developed. As a technical department, we can only advise the state authorities not to (approve development plans) but the final decision is theirs, he explained.

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Catchments in Malaysia not retaining water

The simmering tensions over land clearing have reached a fatal boiling point in northern NSW.

Elderly farmer Ian Robert Turnbull has been accused of the shooting death of environmental inspector Glen Turner on a property north of Moree, in Croppa Creek, on Tuesday afternoon.

Tamworth-based Mr Turner, a father of two, visited the 79-year-old Turnbull over alleged vegetation clearing.

Police arrived to find the body of the 51-year-old senior compliance officer about 5.40pm (AEST) and Turnbull was arrested five hours later at a nearby property and charged with murder.

Turnbull had past run-ins with the environment department over land clearing, including a case that reached the Land and Environment Court involving the alleged clearing of more than 3000 trees.

Moree Shire Plains mayor Katrina Humphries said the community had been embroiled in tensions over environmental issues ranging from coal seam gas to land clearing.

"I am not saying it flippantly and I mean it, I am not surprised this has happened," she told AAP.

"Because I know people have been pushed and pushed and pushed.

"This is their life and this is their livelihood."

Ecologist Phil Spark, who has worked in the Croppa Creek community, says some land holders knew they couldn't afford to lose another tree on the sparse landscape.

Go here to read the rest:
Land clearing linked to NSW farm killing

The family of an elderly farmer accused of murdering an environment officer says their father crumbled after a long-running dispute over land clearing.

Ian Robert Turnbull is accused of shooting Environment and Heritage Office inspector Glen Turner north of Moree, in northern NSW, on Tuesday.

Mr Turner, 51, was carrying out land clearing inspection duties at rural Croppa Creek when he was allegedly shot dead.

Turnbull, 79, had been locked in an ongoing dispute with the environment office over clearing of vegetation on properties in the area.

His family told News Corp that Turnbull was pushed beyond what he thought he was ever capable of.

"What happened I don't know, I was not in his mind," a family member said.

The Turnbulls said the contentious issue of land clearing - regulated by the controversial Native Vegetation Act - had become all-consuming.

Turnbull was not a "hermit who lived away in a cave" but an active community member who volunteered and helped build old people's homes, the family said.

"He has held this all in, he has crumbled, he has tried to carry this all to himself," the Turnbulls said.

The Turnbull family sent their condolences to Glen Turner's family.

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Land clearing 'all consuming' for farmer

AAP NSW Premier Mike Baird has called for calm following the shooting death of an environment officer.

NSW Premier Mike Baird has called for cool heads to prevail after the shooting death of an environment officer sparked fresh debate over land clearing laws.

Farmer Ian Robert Turnbull, 79, is accused of killing environment officer Glen Turner in northern NSW on Tuesday.

Mr Turner, 51, was carrying out duties related to land clearing north of Moree at Croppa Creek when he was allegedly murdered.

NSW Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner has criticised land clearing rules since the death.

But Mr Baird says that's the wrong attitude.

"The events we saw are tragic and when you see something like this emotions bubble to the top and commentary will follow," he told reporters in Ashcroft in Sydney's southwest on Friday.

"Supporting this family and completing the criminal case, that's the priority.

"The onus is on everyone to have a cool head."

Turnbull was charged with murder and refused bail on Wednesday. The case was adjourned to August 5.

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Baird urges cool heads over land clearing

Facebook The site of alleged illegal land clearing at Croppa Creek, NSW.

The volatile issue of land clearing has emerged after the shooting death of a government environment officer in northern NSW.

Police found the body of a 51-year-old NSW Environment and Heritage Office worker at a property north of Moree on Tuesday afternoon.

The Tamworth-based worker, named by The Moree Champion as Glendon Turner, was reportedly at the property to serve a notice in relation to the clearing of vegetation.

Ian Turnbull, 79, a long-standing farmer in the area, has been charged with murder and faced Moree local court on Wednesday.

Glendon Turner died after he was allegedly hit in the back with a bullet, after several shots were fired.

Moree Plains Shire mayor Katrina Humphries says environmental issues including land clearing and coal seam gas exploration have been a source of frustration in the rural community.

"Because I know people have been pushed and pushed and pushed. This is their life and this is their livelihood."

Northern NSW ecologist Phil Spark said the farmer had cleared about 100 hectares of land.

"... and a lot of that is koala habitat so that has been a real conflict between conservation and this farmer having the right to clear his land," he told ABC Radio.

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'They've been pushed and pushed': Mayor not surprised by shooting

ABC NSW environment officer Glen Turner was fatally shot on Tuesday.

A farmer whose property had been at the centre of an illegal land-clearing dispute has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting dead an environment officer.

Ian Robert Turnbull, 79, is accused of killing 51-year-old NSW Environment Department compliance and regulation officer Glen Turner at Croppa Creek, 55 kilometres north of Moree in northern New South Wales.

On Wednesday the Moree Local Court was told Turnbull had been in a long-running dispute with the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, and had a criminal history.

Illegal land-clearing on Turnbull's property was the subject of a case in the NSW Land and Environment Court this year.

The victim, a father of two from Tamworth, had been in charge of some of Turnbull's matters before the court.

Mr Turner had been serving a notice on a property near Talga Lane over the illegal clearing of land when Turnbull fired a number of shots towards him, with one hitting him in the back, the court was told.

Turnbull was denied bail after the prosecution requested it be refused due to the seriousness of the charge.

He will be back in court on August 5.

Police and ambulance paramedics were called to the property about 5:40pm yesterday, police said in a statement.

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Man, 79, charged with murdering environment officer after alleged shooting at Moree, NSW