THE NSW Nationals says it will sit on the crossbench and not support Coalition legislation until the government changes planning regulations that would give farmers responsibility for managing koalas on their properties.
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The Nationals say the laws, designed to protect koala habit, will drastically limit the way farmers and property owners can manage their land.
The laws have been in place since December and were signed off on the advice of an executive council that had two Nationals ministers; Kevin Anderson and Bronnie Taylor.
In a statement, the NSW Nationals said the party would no longer attend joint party room or parliamentary leadership meetings and would abstain from voting on government bills, effectively placing the whole party on the crossbench.
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However, the party said it reserved the right to support bills and motions important to regional NSW.
"The National Party wants to see a thriving koala population NSW, even a doubling of the population but this [policy] does not achieve this," the party's statement says.
"It is a blunt instrument to make city-centric law makers feel good about themselves."
The Nationals have put forward a number of proposed amendments, which the Liberal Party has so far rejected.
It's understood no Nationals ministers will give up their portfolios.