**Newsflash** – HELP PREVENT THE RETURN of the ‘Kill Koala Bill’

Have your say in this quick online submissionbefore the deadline this Friday February 5th! The Nature Conservation Council of NSW is calling for help to prevent the return of the governments “Kill Koala Bill” which is currently being reviewed by a parliamentary committee. We need to keep the government under pressure over koalas so they ditch…

NEFA Weekly Forest News: Forest Media 6

From NEFA [North East Forest Alliance]: We did well with our Kill the Bill demonstrations, with good stories on Prime and NBN, though the National Party’s standard response is that we are ignorant and misguided. Bangalow Koalas also organised a successful event with 50 kids from the Byron Community Primary School. The hypocrisy of Gladys…

Thunberg and Attenborough were at the Regent!

“The story of teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg is told through compelling, never-before-seen footage in this intimate documentary from Swedish director Nathan Grossman. Starting with her one-person school strike for climate action outside the Swedish Parliament, Grossman follows Greta — a shy student with Asperger’s — in her rise to prominence and her galvanizing global…

Cutting Down Native Forests on Private Land Draft Codes of Practice

The Draft Private Native Forestry Code of Practice have been open for public submissions. We have read the Draft Codes of Practice, and highlighted the bits of the document for you to read quickly, to focus and save time. It is ‘A permission-booklet for ecologically significant native forests destruction on privately held land.’ For further…

The UN 2020 Fossil Fuel Production Gap Report

The world is ‘doubling down’ on fossil fuels despite the climate crisis. “Between 2020 and 2030, global coal, oil, and gas production would have to decline annually by 11%, 4%, and 3%, respectively, to be consistent with a 1.5°C pathway. But governments’ plans and projections indicate an average 2% annual increase for each fuel. “Continued…

Big Scrub Landcare online event focused on the bushfires in and around Nightcap National Park and their impact on our Gondwana and lowland subtropical rainforests in north east NSW:

  ‘Saving our Rainforests from Fire’ – Expert panel discussion:  Big Scrub Landcare invited the community to listen to experts who were involved in fighting the fires and assessing their impacts on the Nightcap discuss these critically important issues in two online panel discussions, facilitated by Kerry O’Brien and Mick O’Regan. This free online event…

Day of Action to Save our Koalas

On a Day of Action to Save our Koalas, August 16th, individuals and community groups across NSW organised small ‘pop-up protests’ and virtual actions to attempt to cause nsw.gov to act now to implement the recomendations of the NSW Govt. Inquiry Report: ‘Koala Populations and Habitat in New South Wales’. Tweed representatives took the day of…

Local National Parks Have Been Directed To Implement Tourism

National Parks, directed by nsw.gov, for economic reasons, are to increase national park use tourism, especially here in the Caldera. Eg is a 4 day 45km walking trail starting at Mt Jerusalem to Minyon Falls. Marketed to the early adopters. The DA for the day 1 part of the track (‘Unicorn Falls’) closed for comments…

Draft State Strategic Plan for Crown Land

Government has prioritised the commercialisation of Crown Lands and misses both The Ecological Importance of Crown Lands and the need to move towards First Nations stewardship and co-management. Crown Land is our land, it belongs to the people of NSW and should be managed in the way we believe is appropriate. We have highlighted the interesting bits for…

Again, NO Byrrill Creek Dam

Dear Friends of the Environment. The NSW Natural Resources Commission (NRC) is undertaking a Review, including submissions from the public, of the existing Tweed Water Sharing Plan (WSP) which expires next year. Currently there is a Clause 48 (1) that prohibits the building of a dam at Byrrill Creek. 10 years ago Save Byrrill Creek…

TSC Towards Zero Waste Strategy Proposed, TSC Asks Your Feedback

Council has prepared a draft Towards Zero Waste policy and is seeking feedback on or before Tuesday 21 July 2020. The CEC would like to encourage public endorsement and adoption by Council. The towards zero waste concept means designing and managing products to reduce the volume of waste and materials, to conserve and recover all materials where…

THE NOBBYS CREEK WATER EXTRACTION D.A. HAS BEEN FORMALLY REJECTED BY COUNCIL – HURRAH

From Nimbin EC: “There’s a bit of reading here, but it is well worth it ……………………………………… You will recall that Council had deemed the Nobbys Creek water extraction expansion application would be refused, so Appleby lodged an appeal in the Land and Environment Court. As part of the court process, Council was required to formally…

NCC, AFCA to ARENA Bioenergy Roadmap: “Exclude forest derived biomass … FDB is not a credible or desirable energy source or route out of fossil fuel dependence.”

The Nature Conservation Council and the Australian Forest and Climate Alliance have made the following joint submission to the ARENA Bioenergy Roadmap:  “Exclude forest derived biomass.”  FDB is not a credible or desirable energy source or route out of fossil fuel dependence.  We call on ARENA to contribute to responsible action on the climate crisis by…

TSC: Dear Community Member, …

I write to advise you that the Tweed Local Environmental Plan 2014 Amendment No. 28 – to remove the enabling ‘Clause 7.15 Water Bottling Facilities’ – has been legally made, effective Friday 29 May 2020. The outcome of this amendment is that water bottling facilities are now a prohibited land use in the RU2 Rural Landscape…

TSC 18.6.20 Meeting Agenda

Agenda for the Council Meeting – 18 June 2020 on Thursday, 18 June 2020  3:00 PM. The Meeting will be held remotely via Lifestream. Click here to View the Meeting Agenda. Especially noteworthy: 17 REPORTS FROM THE DIRECTOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES AND ENVIRONMENT  1. Climate Change Emergency Report Report Note: A revised Climate Change Management Policy is attached to…

Art Auction – “Artists for Climate Online”

Zoom in, to raise funds for the Climate Council! It’s an online auction of art items contributed by fabulous artists from Tweed and Byron Shires. All proceeds will go to The Climate Council. Barry Firth is raising funds for the Climate Council, after joining “Tassie Trek 2020”, a week-long trip through the Tarkine Wilderness, that…

To: Department of Planning Industry & Environment. Re: Koala Habitat Protection SEPP

The new koala protection guidelines rely heavily on the “Koala Development Application Map”. However, land clearing for “logging operations” on private lands” are exempt from these guidelines, as these operations do not normally require DA approval.   For logging on private lands Koala protection is supposed to be based on local “Comprehensive Koala Plans of…

Ancient trees cut down

The government’s own logging corporation has been caught red-handed cutting down giant trees that were earmarked for protection in Wild Cattle Creek State Forest near Coffs Harbour.  This outrageous destruction shows NSW Forestry Corporation can’t be trusted to obey already weak forest protection laws. It’s clear we need to end native forest logging.  This is…

The Million Jobs Plan

Beyond Zero Emissions https://bze.org.au/the-million-jobs-plan/ The Million Jobs Plan is the framework to restore our economy. We’ve mapped out how we can rebuild our nation through practical projects that can restore our economy, modernise our industry, reskill our workforce and deliver a bright and secure economic future. We’ve identified seven key sectors across our economy where…

Review of Native vegetation clearing in NSW (Natural Resources Commission, NRC)

The level of clearing confirmed by expert report shows that rather than helping the environment our laws are now operating to put greater stress on native landscapes that are already suffering the impacts of climate change, drought and bushfires.  Instead of building resilience and ensuring healthy and productive country, our laws are degrading the land.…

ACTIVE HOPE AND RESILIENCE IN A TIME OF CRISIS

A community event held by Extinction Rebellion Tweed Valley. We are living through difficult times that have only gotten harder the last six months as we face regular new waves of social and environmental crises. In this time we are witnessing immense growing social injustices and the sixth mass extinction of life on Earth. Many…

NSWG Plastic Plan

The NSWG Plastic Plan speaks of redesign laws and fairly lightweight ban promises, not very impressive given the situation we are now in regarding plastic.

Caldera pics

Caldera pic

. https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0PG4Tcsm8QKYf . . . . . .

GONDWANA BURNING – Frontline Films [David Bradbury] > 9 Minute Pre Film Preview

Dear Invitee. David has asked our [CEC] attention and interest, he has provided the 9 minute Pre Film Preview and requested feedback regarding the degree of interest shown. … Northern NSW native forests are to be fed into European furnaces as fuel to make electricity. Here is the 10 minute Pre Film Preview – Gondwana…

DEAR EU PARLIAMENT, REGARDING FOREST BIOMASS

“… the renewable energy directive … amend the present directive … avoid expansive harm to the world’s forests and the acceleration of climate change. “The flaw in the directive lies in provisions that would let countries, power plants and factories claim credit toward renewable energy targets for deliberately cutting down trees to burn them for…

Managing Native Vegetation

The NSW Govt Audit Office report found the clearing of native vegetation on rural land is not effectively regulated and managed. “The processes supporting the regulatory framework are weak and there is no evidence-based assurance that clearing of native vegetation is carried out in accordance with approvals.” https://www.audit.nsw.gov.au/our-work/reports/managing-native-vegetation

Land-Clearing Must Stop

The North East Forest Alliance is calling for an immediate halt to land-clearing in the light of the Natural Resources Commission’s damning review showing that land-clearing has skyrocketed, the promised off-setting is not being implemented, Areas of Outstanding Biodiversity Value are not being protected, the regulatory map has not been released, and that land-clearing represents a…

Climate Council > getting a “green recovery” after the epidemic > support

The Climate Council is at the forefront of studies aimed at getting a “green recovery” after the epidemic.  We are therefore facilitating opportunities to join with them in this endeavour. Australia’s economic response to the coronavirus crisis is being decided. Right now, we have an opportunity that we didn’t have before, to craft the future we…

TSC Draft Climate Change Policy targets net zero by 2030

TSC Draft Climate Change Policy targets net zero by 2030  Tweed Shire Council is stepping up its response to climate change by laying a firm policy foundation for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting the Tweed to the impacts of climate change.  Mayor of Tweed Councillor Katie Milne said the Tweed needed to respond to the…