NATURAL COASTLINE BEING WIPED OUT BY DEVELOPER GREED AND GOVERNMENT INACTION
Tuesday, 12 August 2003 10:00
The NSW coastline is being lost at an unprecedented rate as developer demands and pro-development councils overwhelm the environment, Total Environment Centre said today when releasing the results of a survey of development and clearing proposals, approvals and activity along the NSW coastline.
"The results indicate that an environmental and social disaster are in the making. And the speed with which proposals are being lodged has already outdated the survey, which involved surveying over 450 cases outside Sydney and consulting with over 130 community groups," said Fran Kelly, the Centre's Coastal Campaigner.
"Those who have the power to strengthen regulatory instruments should do so as a matter of urgency. In particular the State Government needs to act to show it can protect community and environmental interests."
"The combination of land prices spiralling out of control, with intense speculation, pre-emptive clearing and a mega development push, shows there is little sense of a sustainable future. Good planning and the land's environmental constraints and capability are given short shrift compared to demands by developers and land owners for rezoning and development approvals."
"While the natural coastline with its native vegetation, wildlife, creeks, rivers, lakes, dunes, beaches, wetlands, forests and headlands are being turned into great sprawling concrete housing estates, small low cost coastal cottages are being turned into empty investment mansions depriving long term residents and younger generations of affordable housing. The increase in flooding incidents from the hardening and loss of permeable surfaces, creeks and natural drainage lines and collapsing infrastructure such as overflowing sewage systems and degrading water supplies - should be warning enough that the tide has to turn," said Ms Kelly.
"From Tweed Shire in the far north to Bega Shire in the far south each council area is overseeing the destruction of natural areas and their replacement by monolithic concrete housing estates and mansions with little sense of place. The extent of destruction depends on how much the council is captured by the major developers operating in their areas. The more a council considers the environment and community the more likely there is that some sort of sensible strategic planning is in place - but by and large almost all have placed developer demands first."
"To the north Tweed, Ballina, Richmond, Maclean, Kempsey, Hastings, Taree, Great Lakes and Gosford are the ones that stand out. In the south Wollongong, Shellharbour and the Shoalhaven are the worst. But Eurobodalla and Bega are also under enormous pressures. In areas like Byron Bay huge pressure is on the council from developers resorting to obtaining approvals via the Land and Environment Court when council refuses to bow to their demands."
"We desperately need a major overhaul. Local government reform by removing real estate interests; improved planning regulations with unambiguous mandatory rules about what can and cannot be done based on the land's environmental capability and suitability, and strategic planning on a catchment level that protects coastal waters, native vegetation and the last of coastal habitats so vital for our wildlife."
Further information Fran Kelly or Jeff Angel on 9299 5599 or 9299 5680.
Copies of the report can be obtained from: www.tec.org.au, click on 'Save the Coast'
For further information
Contact
:
Fran Kelly - Coastal Campaigner
Phone
:
61 2 9299 5599
Email
:
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WWW
:
http://www.tec.org.au/
