On August 1, the Australian government announced that it was dropping actions against hundreds of farmers for breaching the 2003 Native Vegetation Act that has since been repealed. According to energy and environment minister Matt Kean and agriculture minister Adam Marshall, the actions were dropped to "deliver fairness" to farmers by ensuring that those engaged in activity that is now legal are not punished under historic laws. The decision contradicts statements made by former environment minister Gabrielle Upton, who told reporters in 2017 that there would be no amnesty for potentially unlawful clearing activity that occurred before new laws allowing such activity were enacted. For the full story, see https://www.smh.com.au/environment/sustainability/disgusted-nsw-governm….