Branches and stems cut from the native blue mallee have long provided livelihoods for farming families on The Bland, near West Wyalong, but while their traditional sustainable harvesting practices have been halted, the species is now under threat from the insidious strangle vine. Photo: Steph Cooke.
Farmers in Bland Shire still cannot resume their traditional tree-cutting practices after a bill to allow it was rejected in NSW Parliament this month.
The decision has effectively brought one of the region’s key specialty industries to a standstill, leaving many families without income while long-managed native tree stands are left vulnerable to a parasitic native plant, escalating fire and environmental risks.
Coppicing – cutting native broombrush (Melaleuca uncinata) and blue mallee (Eucalyptus polybractea) close to the ground to encourage vigorous regrowth – has been practised in the shire since the 1930s.
For some families, it remains a generations-long livelihood and a backbone of the local economy.
The harvested blue mallee is used to produce high-cineole eucalyptus oil, prized for its antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and aromatic properties, while broombush provides fencing, garden uses, windbreaks and habitat for small birds.
Coppicing in Bland Shire came to an abrupt stop in late 2024 after new regulations, combined with the controversial “pink mapping” system, restricted the practice across large areas of farmland.
Introduced in 2017 to protect areas of high environmental value, these zones are shaded pink on the Native Vegetation Regulatory (NVR) map and classified as Category 2 – Sensitive Regulated Land.
The designation prohibits clearing or disturbing native vegetation, meaning even sustainable, regenerative practices such as coppicing are now restricted.
Some farmers have even received legal notices for harvesting on their own property, despite following traditional methods.
In response, Steph Cooke and other local MPs championed legislative relief, advocating on behalf of affected farmers and the local industry.
Farmers attended parliament in May to outline the impacts of the restrictions, which helped inform the Biodiversity Conservation and Local Land Services Legislation Amendment (Broombush and Blue Mallee Coppicing) Bill 2025.
The amendment aimed to allow limited, sustainable harvesting of blue mallee and broombush while ongoing ecological mapping and reviews were completed – a compromise intended to protect both livelihoods and the environment.
However, the bill was ultimately defeated at its second reading just weeks ago, leaving farmers unable to legally resume coppicing.
Images captured on Keith Rowe’s property near West Wyalong show Mallee strangle vine spreading from tree to tree leaving thick blankets of dead vine littered throughout the landscape, posing a significant fire risk. Photo: Steph Cooke.
Ms Cooke said it was deeply disappointing the government failed to explain why the bill could not work alongside current reviews of mapping errors and the critically endangered ecological community status.
“The bill was a straightforward and sensible proposal which would have allowed farmers to resume traditional coppicing practices on land that has been sustainably managed for generations,” she said.
“It would not have expanded operations or interfered with environmental reviews. It aimed to give farmers certainty while allowing necessary mapping and ecological work to continue”.
The consequences extend beyond livelihoods.
The rapid spread of a parasitic plant in Bland Shire is causing serious ecological damage and raising alarms among local firefighters as temperatures climb and strong winds return ahead of peak fire season conditions.
Mallee strangle vine, a native species, survives by latching onto a host tree or shrub, smothering its branches and drawing out nutrients until the plant dies.
It can only be controlled through manual removal, as the use of pesticides would risk killing the host plant beneath.
Bland Shire farmers used coppicing not only to harvest the blue mallee and broombush, but also to keep the spread of mallee strangle vine under control.
Landowner Keith Rowe, who has been working with NSW Local Land Services (LLS) to protect the native mallee fowl, has witnessed significant degradation on his property due to the vine’s spread.
“As you can see by just looking around, the birds are going to struggle to survive in this,” Mr Rowe said.
Images captured on his property show the vine spreading from tree to tree like fencing wire, and thick blankets of dead vine littered throughout the landscape, posing a significant fire risk.
Mr Rowe, an active member of the local RFS, said the conditions would be too unsafe for crews if a fire were to break out.
“If you look at how dry the vine is, the leaf litter on the ground … if we get a fire through this, it’s going to be horrendous,” Mr Rowe said.
“You just can’t safely navigate a truck through any of this country anymore. It’s an absolute tragedy waiting to happen.”
Ms Cooke has proposed listing mallee strangle vine as an invasive native species.
In the meantime, she plans to regroup with affected farmers to determine the next path forward.
