NSW GOVERNMENT'S LATEST PLANNING SYSTEM DECISIONS CONDEMNED

Late last year the NSW Government failed to have its controversial new planning system passed in the Upper House, the Legislative Council. The Government is now intending to by-pass the legislature in order to implement planning changes which favour developers and disempower the general community. The Better Planning Network , an affiliation of over 400 groups around the state, condemned this move in a media release published on 28th February.
 
“The O’Farrell Government has failed to convince either the Parliament or the community of the merit of its proposed planning laws and now they intend to introduce them by the back door without any public scrutiny,” said Better Planning Network’s Corinne Fisher.

This Government came to power on the back of its promise for a visionary planning system that would enable the State’s necessary growth, guard against corruption, provide greater certainty and transparency, return planning powers to local communities and ensure that community views are again heard and respected,” said Ms Fisher. “However, the Minister has failed to deliver on these promises.”

“This Minister initially emphasised his willingness to listen and to consult with the community so it is very disappointing to hear that he is going to press ahead using his Ministerial power to implement changes the public doesn’t want.”

Ms Fisher pointed out that the overwhelming majority of 5,000 submissions on the White Paper rejected the Minister’s proposed Code Assessment and fast tracking of development. “Under the weight of public opinion, the NSW Parliament (Upper House) rejected the proposed legislation,” she said.

“We urge the Minister not to crash through using his existing Ministerial powers. What is needed now is a return to the drawing board and a genuine attempt to accommodate the community as well as the developers.”

The Better Planning Network believes that a way forward in planning is desperately needed and will host a forum on different ways to achieve this in NSW. The forum will include presentations by respected professionals and academics.

“We extend an invitation to the Minister to attend and hope we can work together on a genuinely collaborative approach to planning which will provide a healthy community, economy and environment.”


The proposed new planning system was discussed in a number of CVCC posts in 2013 including NSW Planning Bill Amended in the Upper House  (27 November).

BALLINA KOALAS THREATENED BY PROPOSED NEW PACIFIC HIGHWAY ROUTE

Roads and Maritime Services, or RMS (the former RTA), is planning to upgrade the Pacific Highway between Woolgoolga and Ballina on the NSW North Coast.  Some sections of the proposal will have very severe impacts on biodiversity as they pass through areas of native vegetation which are home to a range of native species, some of which are threatened.

One such section is Section 10 from the Richmond River to Coolgardie Road, Wardell.  This section cuts through the Blackwall Range wildlife corridor, including the regionally and nationally significant Lower Richmond Koala population.

Friends of the Koala, Ballina Environment Society and Ballina Councillor Jeff Johnson are running a campaign to have the route on this part of the new highway changed because of the impact it will have on the local koala population.  Koalas in NSW, along with those in the Australian Capital Territory and South-east Queensland, were listed in 2013 as vulnerable under the Federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.

For the RMS to be planning to put a major highway through prime koala habitat is inexcusable. There are other route options that do not impact on this important biodiversity hotspot, including widening the existing route.

The entire upgrade has been declared a controlled action under the EPBC Act.  So the proponents require approval from the Federal Minister for the Environment, Greg Hunt, as well as from the NSW Minister for Planning, Brad Hazzard.  Whether these politicians will protect the koalas in this area by forcing RMS to change its plans is debatable.  What may force them to do so is the pressure of public opinion. So letters or emails to these politicians may help - as may signing the on-line petition -  Save Ballina Koalas

WIRES' RECORDS RAISE AWARENESS OF KOALAS IN THE CLARENCE VALLEY

For many years the Clarence Valley was not exactly seen as a hotspot for koalas. In fact many residents did not suspect we even had koalas in the Valley. In a landscape of sugar cane, cattle and sprawling rural development, koalas did not readily spring to mind.

A small but viable koala population was known around Ashby, for which the then Maclean Shire Council developed a plan of management to try to maintain it in perpetuity. But it seemed isolated. The previous Iluka colony was believed extinct, and only a few forestry workers and local landowners with eucalypts on their properties mentioned seeing an occasional koala.

With the introduction of the NSW Wildlife Atlas and the advent of WIRES into the Valley things began to change. At first WIRES' records were hazy - jottings in dog-eared notebooks with little information about where an animal was found. But as the significance of location became clearer so the importance of WIRES' records began to be noticed. No other group was able to collect so much data, about so many different species, in a short space of time, totally free of charge.

Due mainly to WIRES' records we now know koalas survive in scattered numbers along the rivers, creeks and tributaries in a rough crescent around the floodplains. We also know they still exist in Iluka, from where a small but regular inflow of records triggered another survey by ecologist Steve Phillips, whose ensuing report warned Council to tread carefully around Iluka because koalas were returning.

Now the Clarence Valley has been mapped as hosting two meta koala populations, Coffs Harbour/Guy Fawkes to the South and Clarence/Richmond to the north.

Clarence Valley WIRES will hold their next training course on 22-23 March. Anyone interested in rescuing and caring for native wildlife should book by the hotline 6643 4055

Patricia Edwards

Young koala in care