The NSW government will renew its approach to developing draft standards and guidelines for pet shops and breeders of cats and dogs.

Through this process, I heard loud and clear, as did the Minister for Primary Industries, Niall Blair that some elements of the S&Gs would unduly impact dog and cat breeders and people selling pets.

The Minister has listened to the feedback from stakeholders and has directed the Department of Primary Industries to start again, working from the ground up.

We want to make sure the S&Gs have clear objectives and that all stakeholders are involved in their development. The majority of dog and cat breeders in this region do the right thing, however we need to make sure NSW practices meet community expectations.

The NSW Government remains committed to ensuring that breeding practices for companion animals are safe, ethical and meet community expectations.

The existing Animal Welfare Codes of Practice that apply to pet shops and companion animals breeding will be in place until the new S&Gs are successfully implemented.

Nominations open for the 2018 NSW Green Globe Awards

Sustainability leaders in our community are encouraged to nominate for the 19th Green Globe Awards, celebrating leadership, commitment and innovation in sustainability across NSW.

These leading environmental awards honour people and projects making real progress toward sustainability across all sectors in NSW.

The Green Globe Awards showcase a range of business, local organisations and individuals who are setting the standard for environmental action in our community.

I encourage everyone to get involved and nominate the environmental initiatives in our community that inspire you.

You can nominate yourself or others working on sustainability in any sector from fashion to food, built environment to biodiversity.

The Awards will be judged by a panel of independent experts and presented at a gala awards night on October 4.

Nominations are open until 5pm, June 8. To enter your project, organisation or nominate as an individual, go to environment.nsw.gov.au/greenglobes