Coast law welcomed
Monday, 28 October 2002 10:00
The Carr Government's coastal protection policy has been welcomed by a peak environment group that has been working for the last few years to prevent the worst excesses of coastal development in NSW. TEC also said "it would monitor the implementation of the SEPP.
Total Environment Centre's coastal campaigner Fran Kelly said the State Environment Planning Policy (SEPP) 71 was a "desperately needed coastal protection measure in the face of rampant clearing, development and destruction of the NSW coastline."
"For the past few years we have been urging the NSW Government to take control of coastal planning powers in some of the worst council areas, where councillors see fit to approve almost anything no matter how damaging," said Ms Kelly.
"We have received numerous complaints from local residents, and seen 100s of inappropriate developments that are too big, out of character, too destructive or simply in the wrong location. Wetlands, coastal forests, dunes, beaches, creeks, headlands, estuaries and coastal lakes have all suffered from excess subdivisions, apartments or resorts built around or over them," said Ms Kelly.
"From the Gold Coast style of Tweed Council where the trend is to concrete thwe coast, to the clearing of anything that resembles native vegetation in Taree and Great Lakes to the excesses of Shoalhaven's develop-at-any cost attitude, the problems are the same."
"There has been no thought for the future, for the ability of the natural environment to cope with this destruction, for wildlife, good planning, or sustainability. It has been all about satisfying and bowing to developers' demands," said Ms Kelly.
"Although this SEPP won't solve all the problems, it is a fantastic start and will go a long way to reining in the worst excesses that we have seen. At last things are taking a turn for the better and there is some hope for the future of the coast. The quality of implementation will be important and TEC will be working with local groups to monitor the performance of the State Governemnt and local councils under the SEPP," said Ms Kelly.
