NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet faces a damaging internal battle in the final week of parliament as Liberals threaten to cross the floor over the revival of the so-called koala wars which almost tore apart the Coalition two years ago.

As NSW parliament sits for the last time before the March election, the bitter issue of protecting koala habitat could split the Coalition, with Liberals who face challenges from teal candidates fearing it would ignite a backlash against the government.

The Nationals have introduced a bill to make it easier for landholders to clear private native forestry without duplicate approval processes between state and local governments. However, critics have warned it could water down environmental regulation and destroy koala habitat.

Climate 200 founder Simon Holmes a Court described revisiting the koala wars as a “gift” for the teal movement in NSW, which would seize on the NSW government’s position in northern Sydney seats.

Holmes a Court said Perrottet had made three significant environmental missteps in recent weeks, which included committing to raising the Warragamba Dam Wall and appointing former Sydney Hydro boss Paul Broad as a special adviser.

Broad, who was appointed by Perrottet while Energy Minister Matt Kean was overseas, has been a critic of NSW’s energy road map, which provides long-term contracts for renewable generation and grid services. Broad has called the plan, devised by Kean, “fundamentally flawed”.

He also backed the former federal government in its push for a large new gas-fired power plant in the Hunter Valley.

“Until recently, it’s been hard for the teals to find strong differentiation in states with almost-good-enough environmental credentials like Victoria and NSW,” Holmes a Court said.

“Dominic Perrottet has handed the movement a gift through deciding to flood a UNESCO site with many significant Aboriginal sites, reopening the koala wars and putting Angus Taylor’s gas man in the Premier’s office.”

READ MORE:

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/perrottet-faces-bitter-internal-split-over-new-koala-wars-outbreak-20221113-p5bxuf.html

FREE JULIAN ASSANGE NOW ≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥≥