The Berejiklian government has granted amnesty to hundreds of farmers who faced penalties for clearing land ahead of the introduction of looser controls, breaking a promise it made two years ago.

Energy and Environment Minister Matt Kean and Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall said the dropping of a range of actions against farmers for breaching the 2003 native vegetation laws would "deliver fairness" as the laws had since been repealed.

Despite stating there would be no amnesty for illegal land clearing, the Berejiklian government has dropped action against potentially hundreds of farmers.

“[Thursday's] announcement is about delivering fairness for farmers - ensuring those who undertook activities that would now be legal under our new framework aren’t punished under historic laws," Mr Kean said.

However, the decision contradicted statements made by former environment minister Gabrielle Upton, who told the Herald in August 2017: "There will not be an amnesty for potentially unlawful clearing that has taken place before the start date of the new laws."