Koala Wars | Barilaro backs down

The NSW Deputy Premier has reneged on his threat to stop supporting Government legislation.

The Premier Gladys Berejiklian this morning asked John Barilaro for a commitment that the Nationals would stay in the state’s Coalition Government

Mr Barilaro agreed to that and says his MPs will support Government legislation.

He asked the Premier to convene a special meeting on koalas on September 21 and it is understood that Premier refused

It is understood that John Barilaro did offer to his resignation to the Nationals Party yesterday, but his party refused it.

They've held a united front on this issue but with their leader rolling over, there are questions around whether his position is still tenable.

There is now a big question mark over the leadership of John Barilaro as the Nationals.

Privately Liberals are saying this leaves this leadership in tatters & a lot of Liberal MPs would like that.

But the party was united behind John Barilaro over this issue. They came almost as one to this decision.

So, it will be interesting to see exactly what happens with his leadership now. We do understand that yesterday he did offer his resignation but his party said no to that.

But what will happen now, he has pushed this and he's pushed this and he's upped the ante and he has come off second best.

Koala Wars | The Back Story :

Yesterday (10-09-20) Nationals leader John Barilaro declared his party would no longer support Government legislation and would sit on the crossbench as a row over koala policy reached breaking point.

But Premier Gladys Berejiklian shot back and said they could not have it both ways.

"It is not possible to be the Deputy Premier or a Minister of the Crown and sit on the crossbench," she said in a statement yesterday.

Ms Berejiklian gave the Nationals until 9.00am today (11-09-20) to withdraw their threat or be sacked as ministers. Word has come down that the Nats have caved in leaving John Barilaro leadership in question.

Earlier this morning Mr Barilaro had told Sky News no decision had been made on the Premier's ultimatum, despite holding crisis talks last night.

"This won't be about backing down. I can hit the pause button for a second but at some point in the next two to three weeks we are going to have to confront the issue."

They did back down.

If the Nationals don't back down, the Premier can no longer count on the vote of 13 Lower House National MPs and six Upper House MPs.

The Premier has warned she is prepared to swear in a new ministry at Government House today.

Yesterday Mr Barilaro told the media he knew the Liberals would "love" to see him resign "but that would be giving in".

The political crisis, which puts Ms Berejiklian's two-seat majority in jeopardy, has been prompted by a policy which aims to protect the habitat of koalas.

The Koala Habitat Protection State Environment Planning Policy (SEPP), means famers and property owners must jump through more hoops if they want to clear land.

Previously, the policy identified 10 koala feed trees based on science from 1995, and studies localised to NSW's North Coast.

But the new regulations expand that definition, and include 123 trees identified by experts who said they were used by koalas for things like food, shelter and social needs.

Mr Barilaro said the new guidelines went too far, stripped landholders of rights and did nothing to support koalas.

"If we were to support that we would become the laughing stock of regional and rural NSW," he said.

"This is the right thing to fight for on behalf of the community."

The Nature Conservation said the regulations would ensure koalas didn't become extinct in NSW by 2050 as previously predicted.

Chief executive Chris Gambian said it was an "extraordinary hill for the Nationals to die on".

Last night Planning Minister Rob Stokes told Nine Mr Barilaro was spreading "mistruths" about the policy and asked "why on earth" he was trying to weaken koala laws.