Minister Hazzard abolishes E Zones and sentences Koalas to E-xtinction
The Caldera Environment Centre is appalled by the recent announcement by the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure and local representatives Don Page and Thomas George to remove environmental protection zones (E2 and E3) from draft LEPs on the north coast. Claims by the farming lobby about restrictive constraints imposed by the new E zones are deliberately misleading and are a hyped-up scare campaign designed to provide an excuse for state intervention. The state government made the “promise” upon election to return control of planning decisions back to councils; this move to abolish E zones is state government interference and overruling of local planning decisions.
The Tweed Shire has a unique ecology that needs to be better appreciated. Current land management practices leave a lot to be desired, claims about private property “rights” forget to mention “responsibility”. If you have the right to own property, you have the responsibility to look after the flora and fauna on that property as well. This is the intent of the E zones, to send a signal that there are important environmental values in an area; this is a fact they should be proud of instead of being frightened.Contrary to assertions made by the farming lobby, the usual activities of agriculture can be carried out without requiring a Development Application under the proposed E zones.
The intent to remove environmental protection zones from rural land sets the Tweed back to the dark ages when there were no constraints on clearing of native vegetation. The existing LEP (2000) provided protection by way of Environmental Protection Zones (7a, 7l and 7d) on land which provided habitat for native flora and fauna or scenic values. Coastal lands were later provided additional protection by the introduction of an amendment to protect the remaining fragmented vegetation which is under constant pressure for development purposes. A tree preservation order (TPO) also protected the four main Koala food trees on the Tweed Coast (east of the Pacific Motorway).
This protection is now to be abandoned under the guise of restricting activities by rural landholders.
There will be no protection of high conservation value vegetation or opportunity for the community to challenge clearing of native vegetation. The state legislation, Native Vegetation Act, is also being rendered useless under current changes proposed by the state government to weaken the Act. Though this Act does (and has) provide for rights of the farming community to continue routine farming activities which were not proposed to be impacted by E2 and E3 zonings.
The draft LEP significantly reduces the area of land zoned for environmental protection (E2, E3 and E4) particularly in the west of the shire. The area of environmental protection should have been increased to reflect the bushland layer prepared as part of the Tweed Vegetation Management Strategy (2004). Although an extended E zone may not ensure protection and retention of native vegetation, the zone indicates to landholders that the native vegetation has been identified for protection and constraints apply. The replacement with the RU2 zone does not flag constraints as would an E zoning.
Along with reduction of environmental protection the controls over vegetation clearing in the proposed E zoning will be virtually ineffective as the Draft LEP does not include ‘clearing’ as an activity that requires development approval. Removal of the E zones altogether is a sign that the state government has forsaken all pretence of valuing Australia’s unique natural heritage.
Compliance is another important issue to be considered with council losing control of clearing as per the current LEP. Controls under the Native Vegetation Act will be useless in this shire as the current record of following up on clearing has been insignificant or nil. In this highly biodiverse shire a small area of native vegetation can be highly significant and recognized by classification under the Threatened Species Conservation Act (1995).
The Koala Plan of Management being prepared by Tweed Shire Council to protect the remaining small population of Koalas struggling to survive on the Tweed Coast will be toothless unless there is protection and extension of Koala habitat. Koalas and other native flora and fauna require core areas of habitat linked together to provide connectivity. The removal of the current environmental protection zones and tree preservation orders from the Tweed Coast will result in no protection of native vegetation thus heralding the death knell of Tweed Coastal Koalas and significant flora and fauna.
The current plight of the Koala on the east coast is a testament to the fact that current land management practices have got it wrong. The proposed new E zones aren’t even as extensive or as restrictive as the previous LEP. The proposal to abolish them is a statement by the current NSW state government that it is digging a grave for environmental protection.
The pressure on native bushland is obvious, koalas are becoming extinct. The current proposal to abolish the E zones proposed by the state Minister Hazzard is a sentence of E-xtinction for our Koalas.
Sincerely,
Samuel K. Dawson,
Coordinator, Caldera Environment Centre.
Please feel free to copy this letter or write your own and send it to the ministers and council
Contact Details for ministers:
Brad Hazzard, Minister for Planning office@hazzard.minister.nsw.
Don Page, Minister for Local Government office@page.minister.nsw.gov.
Thomas George MP for Lismore lismore@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Contact for council
Attn: General Manager tsc@tweed.nsw.gov.au
Councillors…
Councillor Barry Longland (Mayor)
blongland@tweed.nsw.gov.au
Councillor Michael Armstrong (Deputy Mayor)
marmstrong@tweed.nsw.gov.au
Councillor Gary Bagnall
gbagnall@tweed.nsw.gov.au
Councillor Carolyn Byrne
cbyrne@tweed.nsw.gov.au
Councillor Katie Milne
kmilne@tweed.nsw.gov.au
Councillor Warren Polglase
wpolglase@tweed.nsw.gov.au
Councillor Phil Youngblutt
pyoungblutt@tweed.nsw.gov.au
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