GREEN UMBRELLA FOR COAST ESSENTIAL

Thursday, 24 January 2002 10:00

"Clearly the voluntary system encompassed by the current Coastal Policy is not working. While we welcome the Minister calling-in the most suspect development plans, a full scale green umbrella needs to be placed over the coast. Otherwise the endemic problems causing the extensive threats will not be removed," said Jeff Angel, Director of Total Environment Centre.

"The Coastal Council points to several key problems including bushland clearance without consent; inappropriate development proposals and ill-conceived planning schemes. And the lack of cooperation by a number of councils and state agencies with the Coastal Council, is a another glaring alarm bell that must be heeded."

"Total Environment Centre has been in contact with over 100 local environment and community groups in the last year about threats to the coast. The flood of concern cannot be ignored," Mr Angel said.

"We have identified dozens of unacceptable developments in the last several months. We'd like to find some good developments with high standard environmental outcomes, but it is very hard. Most of the time environmental matters are simply treated as greenwash in publicity brochures, with very little to back them up."