Community Health
The Community Health Centre to be built at Pottsville has been approved by the Tweed Shire Council. This is a NSW Government Project for Community Health (Northern NSW Local Health District) . This is an important initiative for the increasing populations of the Tweed Coast Region, and is deemed to be worth $2.5mill. This Community Health Centre is to be built on Tweed Shire Council owned land, Elizabeth St, Pottsville, next to the Pottsville Neighbourhood Centre.
Koala and Wildlife Community Health
Key Koala habitat trees, situated along the southern and eastern section of the land are deemed to be earmarked for destruction, so that the community health centre can be created, according to local Koala advocates – Team Koala
Projects such as these are designed by architects and engineers. They are then approved by the NSW Government. I would guess a tender process would have been involved, followed by design of the centre, then the approval by a committee of some sort? I am not sure when the local wildlife people were involved in the community wildlife consultation process. Was there any prior community wildlife consultation?
Agreements and Regional Visions
The Northern NSW Local Health District Board is set up in accordance with the National Health and Hospital Agreement.
Information concerning the NATIONAL HEALTH REFORM AGREEMENT can be found at the COAG ( Council of Australian Governments) website. (1) see below for more info on where COAG fits in the scheme of this article.
As outlined in the Northern Rivers Regional Plan 2011 – vision to 2020 ( published by Regional Development Australia – Northern Rivers Board), our Regional Issues and Priorities APPEAR TO BE as follows:-
BIODIVERSITY * IMPACTS FROM CLIMATE VARIABILITY * LACK of JOBS * AGEING INFRASTRUCTURE & STRESSING OF SERVICES * HIGH RATIO of AGED to WORKING POPULATION * HIGH RATIO of SOCIO-ECONOMIC DISADVANTAGE * EXPENSIVE HOUSING * LIMITED TRANSPORT OPTIONS * HIGH RELIANCE on a SMALL & AGEING VOLUNTEER SECTOR * TELECOMMUNICATION “BLACKSPOTS” & LIMITED INTERNET CAPACITIES * CROSS-BORDER REGIONAL IMPACTS
The guiding principles from the above Regional Plan (page 12) were “adopted from the Northern Rivers Regional Strategy work based on legislated sustainability principles from the NSW LOCAL GOVERNMENT AMENDMENT (Ecologically Sustainable Development Act 1997 that were signed off by key regional stakeholders (Northern Rivers regional Economic Development Organisation, NOROC, NSW Department of Urban affairs and Planning, NSW Premiers Department and North Coast Environment Council in 1998)” They are based on Sustainability Principles.
AND NOW, back to the POTTSVILLE COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE KOALA CORE HABITAT TREES:-
- The Tweed Shire Council believes that trees and Koalas are so important, they should be “protected”. However, this protection is governed by “rules and regulations”.
- The NSW Government believes that trees and Koalas are so important, they should be “protected”. However, this protection is governed by “rules and regulations”.
- The Australian Government believes that Habitat and Wildlife are so important, they should be protected. However, this protection is governed by “rules and regulations”. The Australian Government does not consider the Koala merits legal protection. There are however some plans and guidelines
- VOLUNTEERS of the TWEED COMMUNITY CONSIDER KOALAS a PRECIOUS Australian Native MARSUPIAL that is worth every effort to SAVE. WHY are these “on the ground community volunteers not being listened to??? If proper consultation had occurred before any design process was created, then perhaps this article would not even be here. The trees would be properly design about, and everyone could get on with the joy of living.
- Other towns and cities go to great lengths to protect their trees. What is so different about this developing coastal town, Pottsville, on the Tweed Coast of NSW?????
Large Eucalypt in Adelaide protected, not cut down because it was in the way
?
Let us now look at BIODIVERSITY.
The definition of BIODIVERSITY, according to the Australian Government biodiversity conservation research – AUSTRALIA’s PRIORITIES is this:- (from the Australian Government Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities )
“biodiversity means the variability among living organisms from all sources (including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part) and includes:
a. diversity within species and between species; and
b. diversity of ecosystems.”
WHY is Biodiversity important?
Well, why don’t we firstly look at the NORTHERN RIVERS REGIONAL PLAN 2011 – vision to 2020. The Regional plan says it is important.
And i will tell you why it is important. Without biodiversity, the planet will cease to be able to support life as we currently know it.
The building blocks of life, the biological components, the ORGANIC components – these are the little pieces of the JIGSAW PUZZLE that make up life. If the jigsaw puzzle is made up of only the same pieces, all colored red, say, then all you will have is a red picture. If the jigsaw puzzle is made up of many different colors, then you will have a multi colored jigsaw puzzle. AND, if each piece is made up of multi colors, in many combinations, then what you get is a magnificent picture, that has many compnonents. THIS IS LIFE. A jigsaw puzzle made up of many different little pieces, each with its own unique color and combination AND SHAPE and SIZE. THIS is BIODIVERSITY.
Let me put it another way. If most of the bats and many of the birds of australia were to disappear, and the bees , ants and butterflies along with them, then most of the flowering plants of australia would disappear. These animals are necessary for the pollination of most australian native flowering plants. Sure, wind may pollinate some (such as grasses), and water may help the ferns and mosses grow, but mainly, it is the animals, in varying sizes and forms that carry out pollination of the FLOWERING (Angiosperm) PLANTS. The food, that we grow would also disappear, as the food needs these little pollinators as well. And then, there are the birds and marsupials that rely very much on the flowering trees for food and shelter. Some will feed from the PINES and CONIFERS (Gymniosperms) (such as cockatoos), but mainly, it is the flowering plants that give the great biodiversity to the world. Australia, with its beautiful flowering biodiversity, is a home to hundreds of species of Australian native birds. Everything in the world, that is living, relies on many other living things. These living things help each other to stay alive.
The fabric of life is a complex wonder. As each species disappears, other species also disappear with them, eventually leading to LACK of biodiversity. When all the little insects, marsupials and reptiles, frogs, spiders, birds and other beautiful animals of the world disappear, then life becomes less, and the bigger elements of life begin to take over, such as the wind, the rain, the sun, the heat, the cold, the fires, and life becomes even less. Life is a fragile, balance, made stronger by the biodiversity that holds the larger elemental forces at bay.
Australia is losing its biodiversity at an unprecedented rate. Hundreds and hundreds of species are at risk, and are threatened or endangered. Some have gone forever. The koala may be one of these soon. It WILL be one of the locally extinct marsupials on the Tweed Coast, if we keep clearing “just one more tree” at a time. This WILL occur in your life time, and definitely your children’s lifetime, if we keep clearing the tweed at it’s present rate of land clearance. It has come down to this. This sad and shameful fact. WE are all responsible now, every single one of us, for saving the biodiversity of our region.
Why people want to help Koalas from local extinction.
“Appeal to save Pottsville KOALA tree” – article at Tweed Shire Echo (5/1/2012 by Luis Feliu) in this article Jenny Hayes, the president of Tweed-based Team Koala told The Echo “that the redgum, grey gum, swamp mahogany and tallowood on the vacant block were vital to the survival of the Tweed Coast’s endangered koalas which numbered around 140…….. that the health centre and the trees could co-exist.”
These KOALA TREES are considered by LOCAL WILDLIFE CARERS to be critical for the local POTTSVILLE KOALA populations to maintain HEALTH and to remain in existence, in this highly developed part of the TWEED COAST SOUTHERN KOALA CORE HABITAT.
TEAM KOALA has raised very serious BIODIVERSITY and THREATENED SPECIES issues concerning Eucalypt Trees that are KEY Koala corridor trees for the local Pottsville KOALA POPULATION. You can view a VIDEO of the trees and area at Elizabeth St, Pottsville HERE.
(Some people like Koalas because they think they can make money from them. ”Koalas could be a tourism booster” article in Northern Star (12/1/2012 by Dominic Feain) concerning the Lismore City Council’s Koala Plan of Management for SE Lismore).
Who is caring for WHO?
The Health District Board and Cheif Executive are responsible for:-
“Improving local patient outcomes and responding to issues that arise throughout our Local Health District.
Monitoring the performance of our Local Health District against performance measures in the LHD Service Agreement.
Delivering services and performance standards within an agreed budget, based on annual strategic and operating plans. This forms the basis of our Local Health District Service Agreement.
Ensuring services are provided efficiently and accountably. Production of Annual Reports that are subject to State financial accountability and audit frameworks.
Maintaining effective communication with local and State public health stakeholders.”
(from Northern NSW Local Health District Website)
The Tweed Shire Council has 3 Tree Preservation Orders (at time of writing this article – 12/01/2012). You can find these Tree Preservation Orders HERE. “With these principles in mind, Council’s TPOs seek to retain trees that contribute to the general health and well being of the Shire’s residents” (from Tweed Shire Council website). The Tweed Byron Bush Futures Project can be found HERE, at the Tweed Shire Council website. There are many other rules, regulations and policies that the Tweed Shire Council endorses, to help protect Koalas and Habitat.
The NSW Government cares for Koalas, however, under guidelines and legislative actions, Koalas can be treated like pawns in a chess game. The NSW Government can approve bargains to create something for Kolas “here”, while something for koalas “there” can be taken away. Biobanking, offsets, viable populations – things like these are now also in the equation of caring for KOALAS.
THE DESIGN PROCESS and ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The architects and engineers associated with the design of this Community Health Project???
It appears that they were unable to design a Community Health Project that incorporated ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE PRINCIPLES, thus encompassing a community local wildlife knowledge, and hence, local wildlife populations that are on the point of local extinction, into the design process.
People can create wondrous engineering and architectural feats, however, if the design principles have a fundamental flaw in them, they will not work to their full capacity.
The design process of this Community Health Centre has a fundamental flaw.
THE DESIGN SHOULD BE FIXED to incorporate these critical habitat trees. These types of trees are at the species edge of local extinction.
These trees are PRECIOUS to our children’s children’s children. These trees are precious to the KOALA’s future generations, as well.
The design process should not be wasting valuable regional community volunteer resources. The design process should have had a strong consulting element in it, whereby the local wildlife carers were consulted and listened to.
The design process is flawed. It can be fixed. However, this is the job of the NSW Government, District Health Boards, Tweed Shire Council. It should not be up to the valuable regional volunteers to fix it.
And, as for the NSW threatened species – KOALA ? I am pretty sure they do not even have a say in this at all. They are just too busy surviving.
Notes for this article:-
(1)”The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) is the peak intergovernmental forum in Australia. COAG comprises the Prime Minister, State Premiers, Territory Chief Ministers and the President of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA). The then Prime Minister, Premiers and Chief Ministers agreed to establish COAG in May 1992. It first met in December 1992. The Prime Minister chairs COAG. The COAG Secretariat is located within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.“
from http://www.coag.gov.au/about_coag/index.cfm
(2) the following is taken from http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/publications/research-priorities/appendix3.html
- “ ecologically sustainable use of natural resources means use of the natural resources within their capacity to sustain natural processes while maintaining the life-support systems of nature and ensuring that the benefit of the use to the present generation does not diminish the potential to meet the needs and aspirations of future generations.”
- “Habitat means the biophysical medium or media: a. occupied (continuously, periodically or occasionally) by an organism or group of organisms; or b. once occupied (continuously, periodically or occasionally) by an organism, or group of organisms, and into which organisms of that kind have the potential to be reintroduced.”
- “threatening process has the meaning given by subsection 188(3)… it threatens, or may threaten, the survival, abundance or evolutionary development of a native species or ecological community.”
KOALA * HEALTH * BIODIVERSITY * ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE * HEALTH * COMMON SENSE * THREATENED SPECIES