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Abolishing the state's Office of Environment and Heritage shows Premier Gladys Berejiklian places little importance on protecting water, national parks and threatened species, shadow treasurer Ryan Park said. The move, announced after Ms Berejiklian's emphatic election win, will involve heritage functions becoming part of the Arts Minister's department, while environmental advice and regulation will now sit under a department of planning and industry. Mr Park said the move was a "betrayal". "This move brings into question the ability of the Office of Environment to provide frank and fearless independent advice on the management of the environment in NSW," he said. "This is a shocking move by the Premier that further disempowers the Office of Environment and reduces it to little more than a back office function supporting planning and development. Read more: Coalcliff cokeworks site will be largely conservation land, developer says "The Premier has made herself very clear in terms of how little importance she places on the protection of the natural environment, our water, our national parks and our threatened species." The Mercury asked Ms Berejiklian's office whether the environment function would be less effective when it clashed with industry promotion. But no answer came. The Premier's spokeswoman instead referred the Mercury to a press conference on Tuesday - where Ms Berejiklian had also deflected a similar question. Then, Ms Berejiklian had said: "We're also making sure that the environment takes increased prominence in the new Government. It has a prominent place in planning, to make sure that every decision we take considers the environment, whether it's in the urban context, or whether it's in a regional context. "The [EPA] is still there, in fact it's strengthened. And we've made sure not only have we boosted the prominence of the environment, but obviously along with energy, will be a key focus of the Government."

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