State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) (Koala habitat Protection) 2021, in the Ministers words: 1. SEPP21 Gets land zoned for primary production or forestry out of the SEPP “Land zoned for primary production or forestry in regional NSW will not be subject to the new SEPP.” 2. SEPP21 Gets the Koala-Habitat-Protection-Laws out of the SEPP “Koala…
Submission opposing DA21/0010 ‘Nightcap on Minjungbul’. A concept development application (DA) was lodged with Tweed Shire Council on 14 January 2021 over land at 2924, 2956, 2984 and 3222 Kyogle Road, Kunghur & Mount Burrell, hereafter referred to as “the site”. The application seeks approval for: Integrated Development – staged concept development application under s4.22 of…
NRG sponsored a public meeting on Sunday, 14 March, to air information and views on (Tweed Shire) DA21/0010 for a proposed development known as Nightcap on Minjungbal, located off Kyogle Road between Mount Burrell and Kunghur. Turnout for the meeting was good, and much information was shared. This message is to let you know that…
MEDIA RELEASENorthern Rivers Guardians Inc. Koala advocates demand Koala habitat protection The clouds parted and the sun was shining on koala advocates who gathered at Knox Park in Murwillumbah on Saturday, for the Northern Rivers Guardians (NRG) hosted #SaveOurKoalas Day of Action. The Murwillumbah event was one of many similar public gatherings scheduled to be held across…
NEFA: Forest Media Koalas continue to be the key issue. Kean came under attack from the ALP and the right-wing shock-jocks when it was revealed that he had been strongly advised not to set a target for Koalas before he announced he was going to double their populations. He thought it was good politics. His…
From the Bob Brown Foundation: “We have important, exciting news. Today, we made an application to appeal the Great Forest Case to the High Court. While we are not guaranteed a High Court hearing, we believe this case is of major public importance, dealing with a matter of national environmental significance, and deserves to be…
Conserving and recovering Tweed’s koala populations The issues on which we seek representation: 1. Local Land Services Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2020 – Adverse impact of Private Native Forestry (PNF) Amendments and ‘Allowable Activity Land’ The amendments to the discredited Local Land Services Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2020 not only sought to double the duration for PNF…
NEFA considers it reprehensible that the NSW Government have refused to approve Tweed Shire Council’s Koala Plan of Management for the past 6 years because they wanted it weakened, even though two Government agencies helped draft it. The National’s Local Land Services Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill sought to limit accreditation of Koala Plans of Management under…
The Bob Brown Foundation campaign and court action to end native forest logging (!), a monumental legal case challenging the regulation of native forest logging. The Great Forest Case is the best chance in a generation of ending native forest logging. UPDATE 1: The Great Forest Case hearings were on 2nd and 3rd of December! The Bob…
Forest Media Review from the North East Forest Alliance (NEFA) Burning forests for electricity not on: The Nambucca Guardian had an in-depth story on biomass (with a focus on Way Way, Newry, Tarkeeth, and Redbank) (citing Michael Jones, Susie Russell, Dailan Pugh). https://www.nambuccaguardian.com.au/story/7118714/will-nambuccas-forests-be-burnt-for-electricity/ … A group of over 500 international scientists have written to…
Tweed Shire Council Towards Zero Waste Strategy is on exhibition until Wednesday 28 April. The Towards Zero Waste Strategy that aims to guide Council on future actions and targets towards zero waste practices. To view the details, and to have your say about it please visit www.yoursaytweed.com.au/zerowaste at the TSC website.
NCC: “… we are subsidising the destruction of our remaining native forests. Over the past seven years, we have propped up the uneconomic native forests logging industry to the tune of $79 million.” Taxpayer handouts to destroy the ecology. “End subsidised and unprofitable logging of our public state forests.” Read the full report here. The NCC…
“Biodiversity is collapsing. Ecosystems are disappearing before our eyes. Human activities are at the root of our descent toward chaos.” The UN Secretary General listed the human-inflicted wounds on the natural world: the spread of deserts; wetlands lost; forests cut down; oceans overfished and choked with plastic; dying coral reefs; air pollution, … “Next year…
The need to stop logging in public native forests did not receive majority support from committee members and is therefore not a recommendation in the report. The government is required to respond to the recommendations of the report within six months. A highlighted copy of the report is attached below, and is available also on…
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…
Forest Defenders: The Fight to Protect Tasmania’s Native Forests, takes you straight to where ordinary people are stepping up to protect some of the most incredible forests in the world from the archaic practice of native forest logging. Made entirely by those involved in the fight, this film has a simple aim: To inspire you…
From NEFA [North East Forest Alliance]: Hunter Energy is currently seeking expressions of interest for timber from across north-east NSW to fuel their ex-coal Redbank Power Station, with plans to restart the facility in mid 2021 fed by native forests to make it one of world’s ten biggest biomass power plants. Estimates are that just…
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…
From NEFA [North East Forest Alliance]: The NSW Government’s Upper House will debate legislation next week that would “remove most of the hard won gains made over the past 25 years”. Far from arresting the decline in Koala numbers, changes to the LLS Act will see Koalas extinct in NSW before 2050. NEFA and other…
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…
‘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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
The NSW Government has recommended approval of an 850-well coal seam gas field in the Pilliga forest wilderness and farmland near Narrabri. The Pilliga is the largest temperate forest we have left in the state. Turning it into an industrial gas field will poison groundwater, carve up the forest with roads and pipelines, endanger koalas…
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…
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…
The Caldera Environment Centre (CEC) strongly supports the Draft Climate Change Policy – Net Zero 2030. This draft policy builds on the framework of the Tweed Shire Council Community Strategic Plan 2017-2027 – in particular regarding its goals of decreasing the carbon footprint of the Tweed Shire, progressing toward 100% self sufficiency in renewable energy…
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.…
“… 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…
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…
A number of groups have appeared before the NSW Legislative Council inquiry into Koala populations and habitat in New South Wales and have requested the committee actively call on the NSW Government to put in place a moratorium on logging koala habitat across public and private lands as an emergency response to the loss of thousands…
School students around the world are taking the day off to join in a ‘Global Climate Strike’ three days before the United Nations Emergency Climate Summit. There will be a ‘Global Climate Strike’ rally in the Tweed Shire at Ambrose Brown Park on the Tweed Coast Road Pottsville Beach at 11am on Friday, 20 September…
