26 August 2026

 

CEN Chair, Mr Gary Chestnut, said he was delighted to announce that Ms Higginson, who has been a long-term warrior for wetlands in NSW, would be speaking at the forum to be held in the auditorium of the Gosford Regional Library.

 

“Sue has an amazing and inspiring track record of working to strengthen environmental legal frameworks including the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act and state environmental planning policies (SEPPs) to better protect our fragile wetland ecosystems,” Mr Chestnut said.

 

“Now in her role as NSW Greens Spokesperson for Environment and Planning in the NSW Legislative Council, she continues to take an active role in wetland conservation.

 

“Her approach combines direct parliamentary advocacy, legal and planning reform campaigns, and support for grassroots community efforts.”

Sue’s recent campaigns have included:

 

Save the Riverstone Wetlands: Higginson has led a key campaign focused on the preservation of the Riverstone Wetlands in Western Sydney.

 

She has publicly pressed the NSW Government to secure permanent conservation protections for this critical bird habitat and threatened ecological community against urban sprawl and industrial development pressures.

 

Floodplain and Coastal Wetland Development: Sue has strongly opposed inappropriate developments on low-lying floodplains and coastal wetlands. In early 2024, she tabled parliamentary petitions backed by hundreds of Northern Rivers residents calling for immediate stop-work orders on developments at Yamba. She argued that burying fragile wetland ecosystems exacerbates flood risks for local communities and leads to irreversible biodiversity loss.

 

"Wetlands make up only around 6% of the earth's surface, yet some 40% of all plants and animals depend on them to survive.  Wetlands are critical to all life and their protection now more than ever is essential as they are part of the frontline defence of nature and communities from the impacts of climate change," Sue Higginson said.

 

"We have a planning system that disregards community safety at the same time as it wrecks habitat for the most threatened species by developing wetlands. We must act together, to get  the reform we need to protect our wetlands as the vital intergenerational assets that they are," she said.

 

The Central Coast Community Wetlands Forum is free to attend. In addition to Sue Higginson, speakers include Sam Johnson from the NSW Nature Conservation Council and CEN Chair, Gary Chestnut.

 

The forum will also include presentations from local wetlands groups with information stalls and even some wetlands trivia (with a prize).

 

Registration is essential here: Upcoming Events | Community Environment Network

 

If you are part of a local community group looking after a wetland, you can express interest in having your own information table at the forum via our email here.

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