Category: Submissions
CEC Submission to TSC Economic Development Strategy- 05 July 2013
The Tweed Shire Council is developing an Economic Strategy document that is designed to help guide the future economic development of the Tweed Shire. The Caldera Environment Centre has been involved in planning sessions hosted by the council and has responded to the draft strategy (a copy of the draft discussion paper is available via the link below) with the following submission.
CEC Submission PDF: Submission-to-Draft-Economic-Strategy_Final_2013-07-25
The major issue that the CEC has with economic analyses such as these is their inherent selfishness and lack of consideration of social and ecological considerations. Recent trends (as demonstrated by the prominence economic discussion receives in the media) seem to be emphasising the importance of economic success above other aspects of life and personal well-being. The CEC submission highlights the failures of economic “science” in not being a proper scientific discipline, but rather a pseudo-science, and outlines alternative economic views that have their roots in ancient thinkers such as Aristotle.
Rural Land Strategy- CEC Submission to Tweed Shire Council 31-May-2013
Submitted 31 May 2013
The Caldera Environment Centre (CEC) would like to make the following submission to the Tweed Shire Council Rural Land Strategy.
Introduction
As discussed below, The CEC promotes a sustainable ecological ethic of housing development. We disagree with the concept of small rural subdivisions, and would promote an alternative paradigm of rural settlement based on the ideas of Multiple Occupancies (MOs). This would enable the ‘best of both worlds’ where land parcels are kept intact from renegade industrialists, local communities are fostered and population growth can be maintained. There are lessons to be learned from past experiences with MOs, particularly in terms of land management and self-sufficiency. However, that should not be a reason to limit them in favour of cloning city-suburbs (like what is being proposed for Mooball or at Mebbin Springs) in the middle of nowhere. It is important with this ruralising development that wildlife corridors are an integral part of the planning proposals. Effort needs to be made so that there is no further fragmentation or degradation of ecosystems and that the riparian zone is protected. If well managed, these corridors may be expanded with agroforestry and could provide the timber required to eventually replace the housing in the clusters by selective logging.
SUBMISSION TO THE SENATE INQUIRY INTO EPBC AMENDMENT BILL 2013
Committee Secretary
Senate Standing Committees on Environment and Communications
(Submitted online)
4 April 2013
Dear madam or sir
SUBMISSION TO THE SENATE INQUIRY INTO THE ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AMENDMENT BILL 2013
Thank you for the opportunity to submit the views of the Caldera Environment Centre (CEC) in relation to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment Bill 2013
The Caldera Environment Centre is located in Murwillumbah on the Far North Coast of NSW, and its membership extends across the Northern Rivers region. The CEC has consistently opposed coal seam gas (CSG) exploration in the Northern Rivers for reasons outlined below.
Environmental
Scientific investigation of the potential impacts of CSG and other unconventional gas mining activities is inadequate; there simply have not been sufficient independent scientific studies to form a view on the risks these activities pose for the natural environment. Further, while they are currently unquantified, the scale of the environmental damage that could arise from a serious accident – including very serious air and water pollution and (as recent research conducted by the Southern Cross University demonstrates), significant contributions to the phenomena of climate change – are so appalling that they should, at very least, warrant a very cautious approach; very unlike the cavalier approach that has been taken to-date.
CEC Submission to TSC- Planning Reforms – Draft LEP 2012
The General Manager
Tweed Shire Council
PO Box 816
Murwillumbah NSW 2482
18 January 2013
Planning Reforms – Draft LEP 2012
Caldera Environment Centre (CEC) is extremely disappointed that Tweed Shire Council has rushed the draft LEP to exhibition due to pressure from the Minister for Planning. The Minister’s media release appears to be the justification for placing the Standard Instrument LEP on exhibition without giving full consideration to the protection of environmentally significant areas by zoning these areas E2 and E3. The media release in September 2012 stated the Minister “will not endorse the use of the E2 and E3 environmental zones on land that is clearly rural in council LEPs on the Far North Coast”.
TSC should have placed the protection of environmentally significant areas within the shire above the intent of the state government. The inclusion of E2 and E3 zones proposed in the draft LEP 2010 would not impact on “clearly rural land” as the areas are generally bushland. The Minister for Planning’s media release is not grounds to proceed with the draft LEP 2012 without full consideration of issues detailed in this submission.
Draft Tweed Shire LEP 2012- CEC Comment
Draft Tweed Shire LEP 2012 – Coastal Koala habitat loses over 1200ha of protection
The Tweed Shire draft LEP 2012 is currently on exhibition for public comment. During the exhibition period there have been four public workshops to explain the draft LEP, with a fifth workshop to be held at Tweed Heads in early January.
Council promotes the draft LEP as a rollover of the current Tweed LEP 2000. This current LEP includes environmental protection zones in the west of the shire. The LEP 2000 was revised in 2010 when a draft LEP 2010 was put on public exhibition. This draft LEP provoked a public response with over 400 submissions with the majority being concerned about the loss of environmental protection zones in the west of the shire. Tweed Council did not proceed with the draft LEP. Amendment 21 which was adopted by council and supported by the Department of Planning in 2010 provided environmental protection zoning to the majority of areas of native vegetation remaining east of the Pacific Motorway.
Kings Forest- Letter to LEDA 14-Dec-2012
Mr Reg van Rij
Regional Manager – Residential
LEDA Developments Pty Ltd
PO Box 1914
Surfers Paradise QLD 4217
14 December 2012
Dear Mr van Rij
Thank you for your letter of 6 November 2012, and for the invitation to engage with your company in relation to the Preferred Project Report (PPR) for the proposed Kings Forest development.
The Caldera Environment Centre (CEC) acknowledges some improvements on previous proposals. In particular, the CEC welcomes commitments to ensure that littoral rainforest will remain intact, to install water tanks at residences, to design road crossings that facilitate safe fish passage, to prohibit the keeping of cats, and to utilise appropriate native plant species in landscaping projects. The CEC also acknowledges some nominal improvements to the Threatened Species Management Plan.
IWCM Review- Byrrill Creek Landcare Group- Dec 2012
Robyn Campbell
Hydrosphere Consulting
robyn.campbell@hydrosphere.com.au
SUBMISSION: Tweed Integrated Water Cycle Management Review (IWCM) Paper
Byrrill Creek Landcare Group thanks you for the opportunity to be involved in the process of helping to formulate the future IWCM Strategy.
As a landcare group, who have been revegetating riparian areas in the upper Tweed catchment, our priority is in maintaining healthy water ways, and pursuing sustainable solutions to water management. We consider the proposed dam at Byrrill Creek not an option due to the environmental destruction to the highest priority riparian conservation area in the Tweed. As coordinator of the Landcare group, and as a member of the CWG committee who examined Tweeds Water Augmentation options, below are comments on points that you have highlighted in your background paper.
Couchy Creek Nature Reserve Submission
Submission to the Office of Environment and Heritage
Couchy Creek Nature Reserve – Draft Plan of Management
The Caldera Environment Centre (CEC) welcomes the OEH initiative to develop a plan of Management for the Couchy Creek Nature Reserve. Our organisation strongly supports the efforts of National Parks and Wildlife Service to manage problem weeds and other threatening processes that undermine the ecological integrity of these protected areas.
We wish to make the following specific comments about the plan:
- There is no specific budget allocated for the work. Is the proposed work to be undertaken within the annual budget of NPWS?
- There is no mention of whether the annual budget is to be increased to take account of this new responsibility
- There are no specific dates of commencement for the work detailed in the plan of management.
- Table 3: Actions. 17 of the 19 management responses are listed as a “high priority” which is defined as “must be undertaken in the near future”. The phrase is somewhat ambiguous and the CEC would like to know, when is that to be?
- Management responses 5.1.1, 5.1.3, 5.5.2, 5.7.3 and 5.7.4 require ongoing financial and physical resources. What capacity does OEH or NPWS have to employ new staff or sub-contractors to undertake this work?
- Myrtle Rust is mentioned as a specific threat to species in the familyMyrtaceae; is this disease already a problem in Couchy Creek NR; and other than good hygiene on the part of OEH staff and contracted workers, are there any plans to actively control this disease in the park?
General Comments:
Bush Regeneration is mentioned repeatedly through the document as a means of weed control, but no details are provided about the types of regeneration activities to be undertaken or what chemical herbicides are allowed to be used. There is some debate within the community about the use of herbicides and whether this is appropriate in a natural resource management context. While we acknowledge the limitations of financial constraints prevent organic techniques being employed and understand that productivity of weed control increases when herbicides are used, the explicit adoption of the methodology as outlined by the Big Scrub Rainforest Landcare Group (2005) Subtropical Rainforest Restoration Manual would ensure that contractors have clear guidelines and prevent ‘cavalier’ herbicide use. This would also help alleviate public uncertainty about work practices within NPWS boundaries.
Tweed Heritage Submission- March 2012
Submission from the Caldera Environment Centre to the Tweed Shire Council in regards to the recent Heritage study.
The Tweed has several remarkable characteristics which make certain buildings in the region of special or heritage significance.
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IWCM- Review by Save Byrrill Creek Group February 2102
To the General Manager, Mr Mike Rayner
Tweed Water Staff Tweed Shire Council tsc@tweed.nsw.gov.au
The Save Byrrill Creek group welcomes the opportunity for an Independent Review of the IWCM
For this to be a truly independent Review we request that both Hunter Water and MWH are not contracted to do the Review. We support an independent body such as the Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of NSW who could review this whole process with fresh eyes.
Our reasons for the exclusion of Hunter Water and MWH are:
MWH have a long history linked to Tweed Council. They are the authors of the Tweed DMS and were involved in the selection process for Tweeds Water Augmentation Options. MWH also authored a lot of the documentation, that was found to be inaccurate, on the Traveston Dam SE QLD which was banned by the Federal Government. Hunter Water are the authors of the IWCMS 2006 and were also proponents for the failed Tillegra Dam, Newcastle.
Development Tweed Coast- Submission
The Director General
NSW Government
Crown Lands Division
GPO Box 15
Sydney NSW 2001
Tweed Coast Holiday Parks Reserve Trust (TCHPRT) and Land and Property Management Authority (LPMA
Bogangar, Cabarita South Precinct Plan
Introduction/Summary
The Tweed Coast has been under constant threat of wave and wind erosion for millennia, but the rate of sea level rise and extreme storm events seem to have increased exponentially in recent times, due to increased atmospheric pollution. The current erosion situation at Kingscliff should give the Council pause to reflect on the wisdom of building on coastal foreshore dunes.
The Tweed Coast has also been under constant attack/exploitation from the 1950’s to the naughties and today. Drainage of wetlands, clearing, poisoning, mowing and frequent burning of heaths and bushland, the removal of littoral rainforests for beach sand mining, unrelenting urbanisation, the dumping of rubbish etc., the list goes on. There comes a time when ENOUGH IS ENOUGH; a time to conserve the few remaining stands of natural vegetation.