TAREE COUNCIL'S NEW PLAN TURNS HALLIDAYS POINT INTO UGLY SUBURBIA

Thursday, 27 May 2004 10:00

 A review of strategic planning by Taree Council will turn what remains of the natural environment of Hallidays Point into suburban sprawl warns a NSW environment orgnisation.
Total Environment Centre coastal campaigner Fran Kelly said the new Hallidays Point Strategic Planning Review 2004 exemplified all that was wrong with a planning system driven solely by the demands of developers and land speculators.

"At least a third of this Plan details requests by landowners in environmentally significant rural zones for rezoning to allow more intense development. Despite the plan's rhetoric, it's obvious what is driving it," said Ms Kelly.

"Like the original 1996 then 2000 planning strategy, the latest review has stated aims and objectives that include the need to protect the natural environment, to retain the physical separation of villages, consider that land is finite and to designate appropriate land uses in areas between villages to maintain Halliday's natural and scenic qualities. The contents and resulting actions clearly contradict these principles," said Ms Kelly.

"The Council has over the years gradually downgraded and overturned its environmentally protected areas and corridors in favour of a rezoning bonanza for certain landowners. Despite spending huge amounts of money on numerous environmental reports and maps to guide its planning, it has chosen to ignore them".

"Its attitude towards retention and protection of native vegetation, foreshore areas, forests and threatened species habitat, wetlands and wildlife corridors verges on contempt. Does the council really think the area can remain sustainable after the loss of so much of the natural environment?" said Ms Kelly.

'What makes matters worse is that whenever it is challenged on its environmental planning record, Taree Council responds goes on about how much it is doing for the environment. It says one thing, while plainly doing the opposite.".

"We are urging the State Government to intervene to ensure the latest review is rejected and the original Hallidays Point Development Strategy is revisited to set mandatory wildlife corridors, environmentally protected areas and to bring any areas earmarked for development under the scrutiny of the head office of the Department of Infrastructure Planning and Natural Resources (DIPNR). We have also requested a moratorium be placed on rezoning until an environmentally responsible plan is in place." said Ms Kelly. 
 

For further information

Contact
:
Fran Kelly - Coastal Campaigner
Phone
:
61 2 9299 5599
Email
:
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:
http://www.tec.org.au/