Three corporate defendants appearing in the Land and Environment Court have been ordered to pay a total of $139,000 in fines and court costs after pleading guilty to illegally clearing more than 20 hectares of River Red Gum forest on the banks of the Murray River, near Tocumwal.
The court heard that during 2006 and 2007 an officer of GD & JA Williams Pty Ltd trading as Jerilderie Earthmoving, supervised the clearing of 21 hectares on behalf of the landholders, Calman Australia Pty Ltd and Iroch Pty Ltd.
The defendants did not make any enquires as to whether approval would be required for the clearing nor did they make inquiries as to what requirements were necessary prior to clearing vegetation on the property.
Some areas were mechanically levelled after the clearing operations with branch debris and ground cover being burnt and other timber cut up for firewood.
The landholders have agreed to undertake remediation work in the cleared area setting aside a total of 47 hectares of land that will be preserved and enhanced as native vegetation and fenced with an electric fence.
Remedial work has begun and is to be completed by this year.
The court fined each of the three defendants $22,000 and ordered that each pay court costs of $24,333.
The clearing was carried out in order to provide for cattle grazing.
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