Action Needed Now to Stop Coastal Land Clearing Epidemic

Monday, 03 November 2003 10:00

A peak environment group has called on local and state governments to take urgent, serious and meaningful action now to stem an epidemic of pre-emptive clearing on the coast.

Pointing to one north coast council - Coffs Harbour - who are acting to stop pre-emptive clearing, Total Environment Centre coastal campaigner Fran Kelly said "it is possible to stall the epidemic of tree and bushland clearing along the coast, all that is needed is the will to act at local and state levels. Coffs Harbour have shown they're serious, there is nothing to stop every other council and state government getting serious too."

"Without the will to act, all the studies, words, lamenting and promises are meaningless. The clearing will continue, and eventually there won't be much left to save outside protected areas," said Ms Kelly.

"Sadly there are quite a few landowners and developers out there, with dollar signs in their eyes, or with the belief that they have the right to do what they want on their land or even on public foreshore land, regardless of the impact on others, and the environment," said Ms Kelly.
"However, there are an awful lot more people who are sick and tired of watching people get away with chopping down trees for their views, or razing woodlands, forests, wetlands and heath to destroy conservation values, in the hope of getting development approvals.

"Most residents don't want to see the natural coastline become more degraded and isolated. Most residents want to retain natural areas that provide habitat for other species, and allow for a sustainable future. Their voice is the strongest, and it is the voice that all local and state governments should listen to and act upon," said Ms Kelly.

"The clearing is done on dunes and foreshores to gain views and "privatise" beaches. It is done in bushland and forests to pre-empt rezoning or development. It is often done under the excuses of bushfire protection or weed control or under 2 ha clearing exemptions in the Native Vegetation Conservation Act," said Ms Kelly.

"However and for whatever reasons it is done it has to stop because when the sum of all the separate clearing incidents are added up, from Tweed in the far north of NSW to Bega in the far South the clearing of fragile ecosystems such as threatened species habitat, creek and river or catchment vegetation, wetlands and foreshores is unsustainable."

Ms Kelly said every council area suffered from the problem, which was compounded by the lack of action by State Government bodies. She said it was important for the State Government to speed up the Comprehensive Coastal Assessment and to deal with legislation that enabled some of the clearing to occur.

For more information contact Fran Kelly or Jeff Angel 9299 5599/5680
 

For further information

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