17 July 2007 

Regulatory Burdens – Primary Sector
Productivity Commission
PO Box 80
BELCONNEN  ACT  2616

Dear Sir/Madam,

Re: Annual Review of Regulatory Burdens on Business – Primary Sector

The Country Women’s Association of NSW, representing approximately 11,000 members, would like to support the submission by NSW Farmers’ Association to the above review.

As part of the Rural Alliance, the CWA has joined with key stakeholders to identify and address issues facing rural and regional NSW, and Regulatory burden has been identified as one of the major concerns. 

The CWA of NSW requests that the Review places particular attention on the following points, especially with regards to legislation concerning Native Vegetation: 
•	The overlap or duplication with other regulations
•	Undue prescription and complexity, including excessive paperwork
•	Inconsistent and disjointed approach by different agencies

Our Association has been increasingly concerned at the escalation in antagonistic behaviour, by both sides over the last 12 months, mainly in relation to issues surrounding Invasive Native Scrub. Stress levels are already high and the prescriptive nature of this legislation and the inadequacies of the PVP software are forcing land managers to stand by and watch productive land being reduced to unusable, heavily eroded, wasteland.

We look forward to some positive outcomes from the review.

Yours sincerely,

Donna Wilkins
Executive Officer