Qld State of Environment Reporting .

NSW State of Environment Report 2009 .

Australian Government State of the Environment Reporting

North Coast Bioregion (NE NSW and SE QLD, Australia)

Ongoing habitat clearing is a main cause of biodiversity loss in the Northern Rivers of NSW and in SE QLD. Habitat clearing, on large scale,  is done by wealthy corporations, individuals and governments that seek to create growth in the name of  “SUSTAINABILITY”. The habitat destroying infrastructures, developments and industries that are created by greedy, selfish people are usually created under the guise of  “Sustainable Enterprise“, Social wellbeing and more recently, saving the world.

B is for beauty,  wild bounty blessed
I is for insects, not seen as a pest
O only treads with respect on the ground
D dreams of nature’s deep secrets  and sounds
I is for instinct, information, ideas
V is variety, birds voices you hear
E is for earth, as it welcomes each day
R  respects  nature and its complex way
S is for  simple life, to use less is more
I instructs industry to respect nature’s law
T takes the time to heal our earth’s health
Y is young futures that share nature’s wealth

environmental advocacy collage showing Biodiversity, Bioenergy, Biofuels and Wisdom thereof, concerning the Northern Rivers, NSW, Australia approach to Camphor Laurel Habitat harvesting

The people who condone, support and profit from habitat destroying  infrastructures, industries and developments are seen to be holding money, power and prestige as their “God”. In the light of eternity, these moneybag people are the destroyers of earth’s biodiversity. They create lies and deceptions, social myths and fear agendas in an attempt to control the populations of Australia.

Bluecray calls these people “moneybags“.  They are often mean spirited people who pretend to be caring, loving and supporting of the future world for our youth. They are far from that.  The moneybag people are takers and userers. They act without honour. The moneybag people usually hold more possessions, land and monetary assets than others. Moneybag people support unequal distribution of wealth. Moneybag people create, support and profit from the insanity that is called war. Not all wealthy people are “moneybags”. Not all people fighting wars are “moneybags”.

The moneybag people are often hidden from public scrutiny or behind overwhelmingly complex  man made laws, technologies and physical barriers. The “LAWS” that the moneybag people create and support, on close scrutiny, are either against the founding laws of our Australian Nation or against International laws agreed upon to preserve the human rights of our innocent youth .

These moneybag people work against the Law of God and the Law of Nature. Often these moneybag people are seen to exhibit great religious self righteousness and Socially accepted responsibility. Often they have friends, associates  and colleagues who are also corrupt and greedy. These moneybag people profit from the victimisation, propaganda and powerplay of the average Australian citizen. They are often sociopaths. They often operate under the guise of being “needed” for the well being of the Australian people.

Moneybag people like to be “in CONTROL”…………of everything they can see, hear, feel, and think of. Moneybag people have been on earth for a long time, through many generations. They feed off  the “depowering” of individuals. They create people power structures and values via indoctrination, fear, propaganda and other manipulative human tools. Moneybag people create wars, insanity, suffering, co-dependent social structures, market based “realities” and toxic wastes to help with their survival.

The moneybag people are destroying our beautiful biodiverse world. In the end, all that they will destroy is their souls. Mostly, moneybag people know that what they are doing is wrong, evil, unfair, without honour. Mostly they have sociopathic sickness, that creates a false reality in their minds. They work hard to ignore that they are heading down the path towards their soul’s destruction. The harder they work to cover up their lies and false realities, the more others see them. Little children and animals see them for what they are, increasingly, these days. God always saw them, and always will see them for what they are.

said the “Powerful” moneybag………..

Peaceful koala asleep in your tree
can you find a new home?
‘cos I want this for ME!
My smart homes of luxury,
devices and cars
Can you find a new place please?
we’re beginning to tar
the roads to our golf courses, shops and afar
dear Koala, please move
‘cos I want this for me!

Iconic koala, so high in your tree
can you find a new home, cos your home pleases ME!
I know that since owning your home many years
my promise to plant more has gone in arrears
But my bank balance thins, and development’s slow
so dearest Koala – could you please go?
My token tree plantings show ALL that I care
My bulldozer mates made a nursery with flair
cleared ground, sterile landscape, is full of gum trees
waiting to plant out in near coming years

so, Koala please go
‘cos I want this for ME!

Maaate, Koala, climbing slowly, to tree top so high
could you please come down quickly, my bulldozer’s nigh
My authority’s sanctioned, I’ve owned this land years
So Koala, please come down, and please disappear

Hey Koala, dear icon, I’ve found a great zoo
I can put you in bars, charge a fortune to view
Now my lots are all ready, the buyers are here
So Koala, please answer – you’ve nothing to fear

I see that you’re ill, fevered, trembling and scarred
relocators are here, so don’t make this hard
How can you stay, when I’ve planned all my life
to get rich from your home. Stop giving ME strife!

Koala in MY tree, My lots worth much more
Please come down, I promise to plant trees – lots more
I promise, I will, though I know it takes time
my bank balance dwindles – it’s no longer PRIME
I need this development to help me spend more
on energy rich lifestyle that opens the door
To boys’ clubs, and honour, as I sponsor the host
to gaming, recreation, shopping centres and most
of the god given pleasures that make me prestige
I’m rich, and your poor – you’re out of my league

So Koala, marsupial, dwindling here
I’ve made millions from your home – and much more through next year
yes, Koala, I ignore that your sick, threatened, ill
cos this home is ALL MINE and the money’s a thrill

I’m hidden from scrutiny, my buddies back all
I’ve invested in infrastructures, parks and a mall
So, Koala – please leave here, and live by the road
While I wait at heaven’s gate, with my life soul’s great load

Oh koala – what’s this, you’ve escaped – now you’re here
In god’s arms, oh so peaceful now ’tis i have the fear
And god’s angels tell me, the gate here is closed
and my goods and great doings are ALL now MY LOAD
Dear god, can I pay you, my hotels, and shops,
my real estate legacies – though they’re all at a stop
But I promise, the trees, that I never got round
to planting – well, god, can I offer bare ground?

I see that the gates to the heavens stay shut
Oh god, please tell me why, I’m in purgatory’s rut?
My chattels and cargo, are heavy and bleak,
I am grand! I WANT heaven! what’s that? I’m not meek?

said the Koala……
w’ell you were warned, Maaaate

Concreting the Coastal 2003 : Clearing and Development Pressures on the NSW Coast 2003 Total Environment Centre PDF – this compiled resource by the TOTAL ENVIRONMENT CENTRE show problematic development, land clearing activity, approvals and proposals in coastal nsw 2002 -2003. It looks at the larger, more controversial, uncompleted developments at that time – (not the smaller, under the radar ones, nor the already completed ones). This is an excellent recent historic resource.

“The toolkit comprises a step by step guide to the Part 3A process with information on opportunities for public participation and ideas for how to achieve best practice outcomes” (from EDO website)

The EDO  Major Projects Toolkit is a simply presented 21 page downloadable PDF that outlines how people in NSW can interact and become involved in Major Project applications.

This interaction is essential because:-

• cumbersome Laws relating to Environment and Planning in NSW reflect a complicated, alienating and basically not easy to understand environmental planning process.
• the needs of  only the Developers and other beneficiaries of the Part 3A Projects clearly disadvantage many smaller community groups and individuals in the NSW Planning process.

• the wider community and more importantly, the Future Generations of Australians, and those of the wildlife that may be impacted by the Part 3A Development are almost totally unrepresented within the Part 3A planning Law. Education about Part 3A is essential.

• Environmental & Planning Law in Australia has become a cumbersome and largely inaccessible component of many peoples’ lives. There are  Environmental & Planning Laws in place that people just don’t know about.
• Given knowledge of these Laws, then cost and time can still make it virtually impossible to interact with, and understand the LAWS.
• The EDO is a precious Australian Resource of dedicated people and knowledge, that can help us understand Environmental Planning and Law in easy to read words and methodologies. This is practical Environmental Advocacy.

I once thought that the Australian Nation prided itself in a fair go for the individual. Slowly but surely, Laws have invaded our privacy, right to defend, right to know and freedom of reasonable expression.

Those who have vast resources available to them (such as having connections  in the government), access to large amounts of money,  consultants,  specialised LEGAL knowledge  – these people have a clear  advantage over  the individuals / community who believe that a particular planning process is abhorrent and non environmentally sustainable for future generations, but are unable to understand the Legal context.

The cost of going to court, in large development V’s community cases is beyond most of the population of Australia.

That Laws can be enacted to deny basic survival rights to Native Australian Wildlife, when other Australian Laws are working ever so hard to create a sustainable future for these Animals paints a very harsh picture of the intent of some “Lawmakers” and “Lawmaking” processes.

The  dichotomy is this:-

Environmental Sustainability is largely a hollow statement these days. Current and past methods of infrastructure building and development processes are brutal to any wildlife habitats on and nearby to such development. Mostly, when the developments are created, the wildlife is either locked up in nearby “corridors” and reserves or given token pathways in which they are presumed to live. Meanwhile, in reality:-they can be killed, maimed, their food chains and habitats disrupted horrifically and cruelly.

• Fences, landscaping, infrastructure, concrete drains, catchment and water table alteration, acid sulphate soil disturbance, new DAM requirements for increased urban water use, increased fires, traffic, noise, light, interference, toxins in food chains, dogs, cats, translocation, heavy machinery use, drastic change in micro habitat and native seedbank destruction are just some of the stressful challenges that wildlife face when non sustainable development occurs

• Animals DO NOT keep dwelling stress free in developing areas full of  machinery, noise, light, fencing, water catchment alteration and environments altered by  (human engineered) Chemical useage.

• When a development is commenced, it may be that the *developer has owned the land for some time, and gradually degraded the land so that the Native Australian Wildlife gradually disappear – this is called LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY.

• When a development is created on paper, it doesn’t account for changes to all the tiny micro biological components that are occurring within the future “REAL” development. The paper law only focuses on those components of the natural environment that it is required to by LAW. The multiplicity of  consequences, when the smaller units of BIODIVERSITY are killed and stressed ARE NOT TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT by the paper LAW. This is called loss of BIODIVERSITY.

• Loss of biodiversity and associated stresses to Australian native wildlife occur in many (most) of the developments that have proceeded and continue to proceed, unimpeded along the Coastline of SE QLD and NE NSW.

• Alteration of Catchments, both above and below the Ground can have long lasting consequences on biodiversity. (MURRAY-DARLING Catchment is a global example of  this; The Hunter Region in NSW is another example.)

If current Paper Laws enacted out the Environmentally Sustainable Vision that they supposedly say they do, then harmful and degrading engineering principles, machinery and chemical destruction of biodiversity,  and water catchment ill health would become a thing of the past.

This does not appear to be happening. Non renewable energy consumption, reliance of old, proven non sustainable infrastructure development practices are increasingly killing off our Australian Biodiversity and ecological communities.

However, there is a way. But it requires an honest approach to the real issues, instead of the focus on paper laws and processes that address issues largely unrelated to the reality of what is actually happening.

The Six Clusters of Denial—Death by Storytelling at candobetter.org

The Part 3A component of the NSW Planning Process hijacks much of the
current knowledge about the intricacies of Biodiversity, Water Catchment health and Air Quality. Part 3A creates a playing field that is ARTIFICIAL, not related to Future Environment(al sustainability). Part 3A  is  brutal to the beautiful and diverse habitats of our many smaller Australian native fauna that are struggling to survive in our quickly changing Australian Environment.

some links:-

• EDO Northern Rivers :
• The EDO discussion paper entitled ‘Planning in NSW: Reconnecting the community with the planning system’ – search results at bluecray environmental search
• EDO Planning Survey :- I am not too sure if this survey is still current, but have a look anyway
• EDO NSW Ltd WORKSHOPS :
• Total Environment Centre :-
• The Big Scrub Environment Centre :-
• EDO Planning Discussion Paper :-
• Planning Institute of Australia : – try searching for their “BIODIVERSITY” sections – appear very limited. Also try the NSW and QLD divisions….. “money talks”… as the song goes
• URBAN TASKFORCE :- their news 15th March 2010 “$1.8 billion in projects quietly rejected in just eight months”
  Media Release 15 March 2010
  “The NSW Government has quietly denied “Part 3A” status to 14 major development projects worth $1.8 billion since July last year, according to documents obtained by the Urban Taskforce“
• Independent Commission Against Corruption – media release, 13th December 2010 “ICAC recommends reforms to Part 3A of the NSW Planning legislation” following the release of the report  ”The exercise of discretion under Part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and the State Environmental Planning Policy (Major Development) 2005″

…..“money talks”… as the song goes – there is a huge gap between the multi million dollar money sector of development groups in Australia and grass roots biodiversity and regional sustainability issues. It is time that this gap was breached. Money may talk, but unfortunately, if money is not the issue, then biodiversity has few advocates in a practical sense, when it comes to development in NSW and QLD. Not many people seek  to admit this, or even try to breach the gap. However, the EDO has come some way in attempts to breach this gap by openly informing people about the practical legalities surrounding development approvals and the rights of communities and individuals.

Revolutionary thinking is required to breach this gap – politically, socially, through development, infrastructure & market reform based on authentic Land and Water Stewardship and Custodianship. Self seeking profit takers within the development industry do little to enhance the situation. Self seeking egos within the environmental industry sustain the current system. ……. a little humility may go a long way.

• EDO Queensland, – there are a number of FACT SHEETS that the Queensland EDO publishes, concerning accessing information, coastal protection and management, climate change law and biodiversity, defamation, nature conservation, mining, heritage, planning and challenging development, water, vegetation protection, regional planning and planning schemes to name a few. Have a look at this website, and think about giving donations to the EDO to help their cause. Whilst there is a “paper” boundary showing separation of NE NSW and SE QLD, native fauna do not read maps, and are not necessarily permanent residents of just one state.

In SE Qld,  development is forging ahead, despite all the motherhood statements about “iconic” Koalas, environmental sustainability and how wonderful the SE Qld WATER GRID (stream stealing) is. In reality, development  has decimated the wetlands south of Brisbane and the Koala is disappearing.

Sprawling urban development  is riddled with vaste industrial developments, highways (existing and in the pipeline) and disappearing wildlife habitats. Coastal hinterland housing estates  are promoted as “real estate investment opportunities” and do little to enhance the decreasing habitats of many native wildlife species.

The website candobetter has some good information concerning the state of affairs in SE QLD, and makes good reading. The Koala is still a political football, and still disappearing at alarming rates.The koala is only one of many many threatened species at risk in SE QLD from habitat clearing for development and infrastructure creation.

below are some search engine results from bluecray for:-

koala SE QLD : there are no doubt plenty of other links to search, but this is a start

candobetter koala se qld : some very nice summaries about the state of play for KOALAS in SE QLD

*An example of inappropriateness and community concern regarding the Part 3A Planning Law in NE NSW can be found in the process surrounding the Kings Forest Development by Bob Ell’s LEDA Group (Project 28) in the Tweed Shire (Northern Rivers, NSW, Australia) :-

Environmental Sustainability as a guiding principle is found to be extremely hollow when connected with the NSW and Tweed Shire planning processes and Part 3A of the NSW Planning Law. In Luis Feliu’s article  “What’s the Hurry?” ( Tweed Shire Echo – March 11th, 2010) “Councillors are set to vote next Tuesday on a rescission motion aimed at scuttling a move which originally endorsed council planners’ submission to the planning department on the massive Cobaki Lakes and Kings Forest residential subdivisions.” READ the rest of the Article HERE , and view some of the Tweed Shire Echo’s more recent letters concerning this Kings Forest Development . Kings Forest is a State Significant Site, and hence comes under the Part 3A of NSW’s Planning Law.

• candobetter.org also has some great information concerning the above development here and here .
• some search results for recent Tweed News concerning Kings Forest and Cobaki Lakes Development
• also try Tweed Link Issues at the Tweed Shire Council.
• Environmental Justice Society – “environmentally conscious lawyers, doctors, scientists and campaigners who want to empower individuals and communities with the knowledge and resources to rally support and take action to bring negligent companies to account“

Well, congratulations, if you have reached the end of this article, as it is, like many of my long winded posts – um, rather sprawling…

However, if you have reached the end, then, do not forget to have a look at the EDO websites in the above links.

The above photos show introduced honey bees foraging on introduced pasture grass flowers. Native bees will also forage on this grass. Bees have communities that all work for the common good, from the leader down to the workers.

Educate yourself courtesy of the work done by the EDO, and above all, do keep your mind clear of worry. LAWS, such as the Part 3A, created and used by elected members of the NSW Parliament and Developers, define the individuals who make and use these Laws to their advantage.

Eventually, greater wheels turn than those impressive wheels of the “development must go ahead” vehicle. The compulsive and obsessive  habits  that promote wasteful, non sustainable economy of scale infrastructures, industrial centres, earthmoving businesses, large shopping centre complexes, monocultured nurseries, insatiable greed, need to control and pugnacious courtroom battle scenarios define those who seek to prosper from such habits.

Perhaps you would like to see  other recipients of these developer awards? Try Sylvia Hale’s website – it has all the details. And while you are there, why not give them some support for their work in trying to make our children’s earth environment a little safer, and more secure.

Environmental Advocacy collage reminding us that Caring for our Country is also about Caring for Our Children

And now, a poem about an innocent child, and the questions she asks of some developers,  who are environmental vandals, and who are taking away her future safety by their actions,  perceived intentions and lack of integrity.

Phantom Koala and the Crow
An earthmover grinding the earth to a pulp
ignored the quiet pleas of wildlife it gulped
A single white gum tree alone bare and frail
did little to stop it with it’s lonely wail
Phantom Koala had run to escape
the metal equipment that made the earth shake.

And the Crow flew above seeing real from the fake……..

The grey suited gentlemen clothed in their greed
surveyed the bare landscape – “We’ll spray all THAT weed!”

“We’ll build a great golf course, – town centre or two
we’ve got the approval – it’s from (YOU KNOW WHO)
We’ll plant it with trees from our nursery stand
The Tweed Folk will pay us back tenfold our grand”

Then suddenly out of the dust and the fray
A small child came playing – she was heading their way.
The crow looked on smiling – Pk laughed on too
THEY knew what would happen-what that small child would do!
She fronted the grey suited money men then,
she took out a notebook and proceeded with pen
“My classmates and I wondered why you all lie?
My classmate are asking which drugs make you high?
My classmates and me see you just as you are
takers, deceivers, your game’s ‘below par‘!!”
“My classmates are young yet our lives pay for you,
so my classmates are wondering WHAT IS it you do
with this fortune you take from our years, from our life?
Do you mean to keep taking and give the young strife?”
The grey suited gentlemen, now covered in dust
from the earthmovers’ rampage and their lives filled with lust
puffed up their fat cheeks to start lies afresh
but by now it was out and they’d been caught in a mesh
of innocence asking WHAT WAS IT they did?
and WHY where they hiding – WHAT WAS IT THEY HID?

Then as the grey men tooted plans, power, law, the child ran off laughing saying , “you are a bore!”

and Phantom Koala, who’d found a good tree,laughed at the grey guys, and gave the child cheer!
The Crow flew off with her, to her classmates in school
and they all got together to write a new rule
Let the freedom of children and life for the young
be respected by those with power far flung
let the food land and animals waken
each day to loving and caring- a more
honest way.

Links:-

NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water : Summaries of Legislation (ACTS) that the Department operates under

“Administrative Law in an Environmental Context” search results at bluecray Environmental search engine

NSW Department of Planning : … and the legislation and planning instruments associated with it. Including Part 3A of the Planning Law and State Significant Sites.

The EDO (Environmental Defenders Office) has created a Major Projects Toolkit for the people of NSW, Australia. The Toolkit can be found at the EDO website. It is easy to read and understand.

Cumbersome Laws relating to Environment and Planning in NSW reflect a
complicated, alienated and basically not easy to understand environmental planning process.

The EDO  Major Projects Toolkit is a simply presented 21 page downloadable PDF that outlines how people in NSW can interact and become involved in Major Project applications.

Duty of care and the precautionary principle : search results at bluecray environmental search engine.

Coastal Development & Sea Levels – some Australian Links:-

• National Sea Change Taskforce: Link to – Conference at Byron Bay 2-3 March 2010 “The program will focus on the complex issues currently facing coastal LGAs including sea level rise, the legal implications of climate change and ageing populations………Byron Bay has been selected to host the event because of its relevance in terms of coastal hazards, development pressures and issues associated with climate change impacts”

• The 18th NSW Coastal Conference 2009 – 3rd-6th November 2009 to be held at Ballina,  Mt Warning (Wollumbin) Caldera Region, NE NSW. The Theme is “Staying Afloat – Rising to the Challenges”. The Conference involve government sectors, planners, consultants, engineers, community and user groups & will present awards for outstanding achievement in coastal zone management activities. ABC  North Coast News has nice updates for local info, including this Coastal Conference.
• Planned retreat, climate change & biodiversity – Byron Bay :- this is a workshop by the EDO Northern Rivers on 3rd December 2009

• Sea level Rise Policy Statement by NSW Government (late October 2009), and
• the Draft Coast and Flood Risk Assessment Guidelines – that are now open for submissions at the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water NSW (Urban & Coastal Water Reform Branch). Closing date for comments are December 11th 2009
• National Sea Change Taskforce : “national body to represent the interests of coastal councils and communities experiencing the effects of rapid growth and development” – includes Conference, Committee, Publications & links to the Federal Parliamentary Coastal Inquiry (report released 26th October 2009)

• EDO NSW (Environmental Defender’s Office) also has the following publications available:-   Climate change and the legal framework for biodiversity protection in Australia: a legal and scientific analysis &   Climate change and the legal framework for biodiversity protection in NSW: a legal and scientific analysis

The TWEED COAST is also experiencing engineered non sustainable development:-

Maps for the Tweed Coast Area near Casuarina, Kings Forest, Cudgen, Cudgen Creek , Wooyung – in fact much of the coastal area of the Tweed Shire!

Koala planning habitat loss se qld - search results environmental search engine at bluecray

Koala planning habitat loss ne nsw – search results environmental search engine at bluecray

“A Balance of Faeries” 1989 by Alison Polistchuk :- a story about Koala Habitat destruction west of Brisbane, SE QLD :- Why the Koalas’ Habitats, when slowly taken from them, over time, piece by piece, leads to increased biodiversity loss on a much larger scale for many of the other Australian Native Wildlife and Vegetation Communities AND why it is important to respect the “LITTLE THINGS” in life.

Land and Water Stewardship : Rescuing Remnants .

• The Hinterland of the Gold Coast, SE QLD and the Scenic Rim Region of SE QLD  adjoin NE NSW. The Mt Warning Caldera Region contains important habitat areas that are at risk to native wildlife. This Region is under increasing pressure from development and infrastructure implementation, as well as exceedingly poor land & water stewardship.
• The Koala is just one of many native Australian marsupials at risk by over clearing and fragmentation of habitat, largely due poor planning on the part of the Qld & NSW Governments.

• The concept of rescuing remnants and degraded landscape enhancement via participation of school educational systems, community involvement and dedication of State Planning Authorities lacks integration with developers of land, infrastructure and townships.

• The native Australian plant nursery and seed bank distribution industry for local endemic (provincial) native plants is largely  unsupported by all sectors of Australian Society. Reliance is on volunteers and government funding for programs such as Remnant to Remnant to succeed.
• Developers of towns, urban and regional centres, infrastructure and recreational facilities rarely support authentic Land and Water Stewardship on a scale that is meaningful to lasting and real outcomes. This needs to change, and State and Federal Government planning is responsible, in a large part for implementing the change.

National Sustainability Initiatives at the Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage & the Arts. This website page includes links to the related areas of :-  EPBC Reporting, Indicators & Local Agenda 21, as well as to  Ecologically Sustainable Development LINKS .

The Ecologically Sustainable Development LINKS page includes :-

• Conferences and Events
• Sustainability Networks and Discussion Groups
• State Government Sites
• Australian Government Environment Sites
• Local Government Sites
• Non-Government Organisations

Coastal Development : search reslults at Environmental Search Engine

Planned retreat, climate change & biodiversity – Byron Bay :- this is a workshop by the EDO Northern Rivers on 3rd December 2009. Whilst this is for Byron Bay, you may find some interesting information at the EDO website

Giri and the 22 Arrows of Truth – Myths for a Modern Age Part 3 A bluecray story about integrity and honesty and the machiavellian nature of a person who was once a key political “behind the scenes” player.

Kings Forest Project Development – sleepless days & nights to come for endangered species at Balance of Faeries bluecray blog

“Kings Forest and the future Tweed” – search results at Bluecray ENVIRONMENTAL SEARCH ENGINE – a search engine designed mainly for the Mt Warning Caldera Region, NE NSW and SE QLD. It’s up the top of the page, on the RHS – ENVIRONMENT SEARCH – can you see it? you may like to try your own “keywords” search. We are still improving it, to make it even more useful.

Syrma – Al Ghafar – a fixed star – relating ASAD, stenography and great fortunes and much more than meets the eye. The Sun is currently, as I write this, at approx. 1-2 degrees Scorpio. In a few days, it will reach a conjunction with this Fixed Star.

National Toxics Network .

I have struggled to complete this article, so sorry if it has seemed abit over the place. Have been in hospital having an operation and the internet has been not working.   However, from what I can glean,   this Ecological Community HAS been listed as endangered by the NSW Government, – as of 2008. I have just updated this on the 14th October, 2009. And  to echo Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.‘s words of Kilgore Trout in Timequake – I have been sick, now I’m well and there’s work to be done……….And so it goes:-

Callitris columellaris and some of the native grass species found in association with it

• Threatened species  recorded in Coastal Cypress “Pine” Forest or associated vegetation, including Acronychia littoralis (scented acronychia), Archidendron hendersonii (white lace flower), Geodorum densiflorum (pink nodding orchid) and Drynaria rigidula (basket fern)

• “Kings Forest sent back to the Drawing Board” at the Tweed Shire Echo 9th July 2009 article by Luis Feliu.
• “Administrative Law in an Environmental Context” search results at bluecray Environmental search engine
• Kings Forest – State Significant Site – information that is provided by the NSW Department of Planning .
• NSW Far North Coast Regional Strategy at NSW Government Planning
• Planned retreat, climate change & biodiversity – Byron Bay :- this is a workshop by the EDO Northern Rivers on 3rd December 2009. Whilst this is for Byron Bay, you may find some interesting information at the EDO website
• Projected non-environmentally sustainable construction based development and the Tweed Shire Council – article at Tweednews.com.au 17th September 2009
• kings forest land release part 3a : search results at bluecray environmental search
• Planning Workshop Australia – Kings Forest and some other State Significant Sites’ work for developers : this uses Part3A of the NSW Planning Law

• Meanwhile, at Kingscliff,NE NSW:-  large developments (that will further fragment our native wildlife habitats) are planned nearby (Kings Forest, Cobaki Lakes ) and the sea is moving inwards – “Hungry Mother Nature bares her teeth” -  infrastructure damage at Kingscliff on the NSW North Coast -  by coastal erosion (2010): SMH article by Saffron Howden

• Kingscliff battles beach erosion (story 11th august 2010):- at ABC local + other local beach coastal erosion stories from NE NSW (Tweed and Byron shires)

• National Framework for the Management and Monitoring of Australia’s Native Vegetation .The shifting sands and Callitris sp. – what the Autralian Government was saying about Managing and Monitoring Native Vegetation in 2001. This framework included directions for seed bank management and outlines “duty of care” issues in the 2001 perspective.
• Duty of care and the precautionary principle : search results at bluecray environmental search engine.
• The TWEED COAST is also experiencing engineered non sustainable development near Casuarina, Kings Forest, Cudgen, Pottsville, Cudgen Creek , Wooyung – in fact much of the coastal area of the Tweed Shire! These Google Map links will give you an idea of what this Coastal Zone looks like.

Let us look at what job the Callitris columellaris Forest does for the Coastal Ecosystems of Australia. In particular, NE NSW and the Tweed Coast.

• Firstly, the Ecological Community of this “Cypress” has largely disappeared from the Northern NSW Coastal Region. Accounting for 2% of Australia’s Forest cover (at about the year 2008), the Genus of Callitris was revised in 2006. The species Callitris columellaris and its associated ecological community has disappeared by almost 80% in the North Coast Bioregion of NSW.

• Secondly, Callitris columellaris is being currently studied as one of the Significant Projects in the Australian Government’s $100 million Commonwealth Environment Research Facilities (CERF) initiative for understanding  and preparing for Climate Change. I guess that means that this plant is somewhat special!

• Thirdly, Callitris columellaris Forests and their Ecological Communties have withstood the changing dunal system of our Coastal Landscapes for eons – as the sea levels have risen and fallen over time.
• Fourthly:-The Ecological Communities associated with Callitris columellaris are now so fragmented and sparsley populating the coast of NE NSW that enhancement, re-establishment and re-connection of these communities is essential to help the North Coast of NSW withstand the pressures of Climate Change, sea level rise and native habitat survival:-  Coastal Cypress Pine Forest in the NSW North Coast Bioregion – endangered ecological community listing :- In NSW, Coastal Cypress Pine Forest is currently known from the local government areas of Tweed, Byron, Ballina, Richmond Valley and Clarence Valley, but may occur elsewhere within the NE Coastal NSW bioregion.

This Conifer – (Pinophyta) -  is from a very old – ancient group of plants.  It’s seed is protected in a cone. It has been around longer than the flowering plants of more modern millenia. The Callitris genus is found only in Australia & New Caledonia. That’s right – NO WHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD! At some stage in Australia’s history they have formed GREAT forests across our continent. ***

• Fifthly, Callitris columellaris grows primarily on sedimentary soils of a sandy nature. Seed banks of these soils are  easily altered by clearing, fire, water table changes, environmental weeds, machine and other human traffic disturbance. The resilience by sandy soil seed banks to recreate their native vegetation cover is lessened by continual disturbance, weed infestation and over cultivation.(see below #)

• The above dangers to an already fragile seed bank will increase with Bob Ell’s proposed INTENSE urban development and associated infrastrutures, industries and traffic.  The Tweed Coast has been pressured enough by development of housing estates, shopping centres, transport corridors and habitat fragmention / clearing.

• Much of the reason that Australia’s unique marsupials, frogs, other fauna  and flora are now becoming “threatened” status is because of inappropriate development decisions and practices. Many of them only a short time ago.  Town Planners, Ecological  and Environmental Consultants and Directors of Government PLANNING Departments have all gone through a similar higher educational standards, that at some time show them why species, ecological communities and whole ecosystems become threatened with extinction. It is incredible that these Australian decision makers are condoning developments such as these Tweed Coast Developments, as they are still letting our future and the future of our children’s children slide into horror.

• There is the looming threat of climate change and rising sea levels to consider also. Gold Coast coastal developments are testimony to this. Habitats and ecological communities have totally disappeared with intense non sustainable developement. The sea is moving inland, and the dunal systems are, and have already been disappearing over the past thirty years. The fragmented remnants of time tested ecological communities that inhabited coastal areas – wetlands, old dunal systems, estuarine areas – require rescuing, rather than surrounding and over-running by non sustainable development.

• Land management practices and non sustainable regional development that may be condoned by the NSW Department of Planning Director-General and Minister under the Major Project Assessments and Part 3A of the EPA Act NSW have  potential to further destroy this fragile Ecological Community.
• What is a State Significant Site in NSW? How do you find out more about them, where they are, and when they were listed?

• Threats that will affect the Endangered Ecological Community (still awaits listing?) of the Callitris columellaris Forest include weed invasion, human interference such as trampling, fragmentation, easement maintenance and illegal rubbish dumping. Fire is a great threat to this Ecological Community

Phantom Koala (PK) and Benoit look at coastal development further south of Kings Forest, on the Tweed Coast. They see that fences, roads, bare earth, fires, cars, people, cats, dogs, fences, mown land, rubbish, noise, cleared land and building after building present many challenges to the native wildlife that rely on  the remnant Callitris trees and their associated ecological communities.

Find out more about the Endangered Ecological Community of the Callitris columellaris Forest at bluecray environmental search.  The PDF “Coastal Cypress Pine Forest in the NSW North Bioregion” should be  available at the NSW Department of Environment Climate Change & Water. You will be able to find out more about what other plants grow in this endangered Ecological Community and its associated vegetation.

Look up threatened species & ecological communities at the NSW Government’s Threatened Species Website

North Coast Bioregion of NSW -

Look up Callitris collumellaris at the Australian Government Department of  Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry – Bureau of Rural Sciences : Australian Forest Profiles – Callitris.

FIRE : the more people – the more fires are lit. This is a reasonable consideration when bringing urban populations close to Significant State Sites and Endangered Ecological Communities . Especially where that Endangered Ecological Community contains species that do not recover well from fire. This year (2009) quite a few fires have been fought on the Tweed Coast:- a number of them have been thought to be suspiciously lit.

• “Arson suspected in bushfires” 23rd November 2009 Lismore Northern Star
• “Firies battle suspicious blazes” 22nd November 2009 Tweed Daily News (Cabarita / Pottsville area)
• “Fire pests suspected” 29th September 2009 Tweed Daily News
• “Houses saved from scrub and grass fire” 25th September 2009 Tweed Daily News (Cudgen area)

* A note here about the listing of this community and the endangered status. I had thought that at  the time of writing this post, the list was yet to be implemented by the  Government. I had thought that listing wouldn’t occur, due to technicalities, politics, insufficient urgency… etc etc…perhaps like the KOALA, it never does get listed, and just disappears from the area/North Coast NSW Region all together. Pedantics can be an interesting feature of rationalising destruction and non sustainable development. The reality of endangered and the “legals” of endangered can be two very different things.

***The great Callitris Ecological Communities have withstood just about everything that nature can throw at them. These great forest cycles can be upwards of 500 years. As a human lifetime is nowhere near that, we are unable to grasp just what this means, unless we look carefully at the GREAT CYCLES.  These precious CONIFERS have kept ecological communities and habitats going, thriving, changing, maintaining biodiversity in times of stress from climatic and geological changes.  Should climatic change and stress occur in Australia, one of the tried and tested species of plants, that can probably recreate ecological communities is Callitris columellaris.

# Whilst wetland sedimentary soils can have a high seed bank percentage and longevity, sandy soils that are well drained tend to have much less seed held in the soil. Due to the nature of the overclearing and disturbance of  Tweed Coast Soils, many weed seeds now inhabit the seed bank, both below and above ground. These form strong competition for the Callitris species and the  associated native vegetation that is critical for the survival of this ecological community.

Phantom Koala and Part3A of the Planning Law .

Koala Sagas : “When Phantom Koala was Young”   and “There is a Way”- two poems about how Phantom Koala lost his mother, and then found her in trapped in Kings Forest, thus becoming a “Hero”.

For more about some of the Wildlife and Plant Species threatened by Leda’s  Kings Forest development try Kings Forest Development threatens 21 Threatened Species of Fauna . Some of these species are also known to be found in Callitris columellaris forests – I have made a note beside some of these species in the Kings Forest threatened species list below, but others on the list may also be present in Callitris Forests and ecological communities as well. It is hard to say, as the Callitris columellaris Forests have been so badly destroyed in recent decades, and historical scientific evidence is extremely scattered.

And NOW, some of the threatened Kings Forest species:-

the Koala

Rose-crowned Fruit- Dove (Ptilinopus regina) – and images .

Grass Owl (Tyto capensis) -

Masked Owl (Tyto novaehollandiae) – known to inhabit Callitris forests

Black Bittern (Ixobrychus flavicollis) –

Black-necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus ) -

Bush stone-curlew  (Burhinus grallarius) (Aust. Govt) and at NSW Govt- and images .

Bush-hen (Amaurornis olivaceus) -

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) – known to inhabit Callitris forests

Eastern False Pipistrelle (Falsistrellus tasmaniensis) -

Yellow-bellied sheathtail Bat (Saccolaimus flaviventris) -

Common blossom Bat (Syconycteris australis) - and images . known to inhabit Callitris forests

Common Planigale (Planigale maculata) -  and images . known to inhabit Callitris forests

Long-nosed Potoroo (Potorous tridactylus) – and images .

Red-legged Pademelon (Thylogale stigmatica) – and images .

Little Bent-Wing Bat (Miniopteris australis) - and images .known to inhabit Callitris forests

Grey-headed flying-fox(Pteropus poliocephalus) and images .

Olongburra Frog (Litoria olongburensis) and images .

Wallum Froglet (Crinia tinnula) and images .

Glossy Black-cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami) and images .

Archidendron hendersonii (white lace flower) – a species of threatened flora that is found at Kings Forest

• Caldera Environment Centre .
• Whilst no specific mention is made, on the Kings Forest Planning Documents, that I could find, about Callitris columellaris other that planting it in landscape plans, it is the fragile remnants that I am concerned about. Remnant vegetation is as worthy as a large stand, ecologically significant, if it is highly fragmented and under pressure from human interference. Ecological stands of Callitris columellaris are more than like very close to this development and other developments on the Tweed Coast, due to the nature of the geology and natural/botanical history. Constant burning and disturbance can force this conifer and its vegetation associations toward heathland. The presence of vegetation that grows in association with Callitris columellaris in the Kings Forest planning documents suggests that the conifer was more than likely there at some stage, and could easily be struggling to survive in the area. No mention of this ecological community, how it can be preserved, enhanced, protected,  appears to be an oversight in the planning and development stage of this huge development.
• Land-use and land-cover change : local processes and global impacts / Eric F. Lambin, Helmut Geist (eds.) : ISBN 3540322019 (hd.bd.)
• Callitris sp at Wikipedia
• A natural history of conifers / Aljos Farjon ; foreword by William G. Chaloner. ISBN     9780881928693
• Terrestrial ecosystems through time : evolutionary paleoecology of terrestrial plants and animals / edited by Anna K. Behrensmeyer … [et al.].
  ISBN:    0226041549 (cloth : alk. paper)
  0226041557 (pbk. : alk. paper)

• search for  Aboriginal  (Indigenous peoples) research literature for the North Coast of NSW at the Libraries Australia Search
• I had the opportunity to speak with a young Indigenous Australian a number of years back. She told me how her “totem” animal was no longer living on the planet. It was EXTINCT. She described how it felt to go to a museum, and see an exhibit of this dead totem. She told me that it felt very strange indeed. This made me feel sad for her.  I grew up spending many hours sitting under these trees and listening to stories, learning about nature. Back then, there were many more of these trees along the coastal strip, together with their biodiverse ecological communities. Back then, people were already speaking out about the clearing of forests, and our precious habitats. The facts were already there, the data, the knowledge. That was three generations ago.
• Reforestation of Degraded Lands at http://www.agroforestry.net/ .
• Search results (Google search) for Managing Our Coastal Zone in a Changing Climate .

• National Sustainability Initiatives at the Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage & the Arts. This website page includes links to the related areas of :-  EPBC Reporting, Indicators & Local Agenda 21, as well as to  Ecologically Sustainable Development LINKS .

The Ecologically Sustainable Development LINKS page includes (as at November 2009):-

• Conferences and Events
• Sustainability Networks and Discussion Groups
• State Government Sites
• Australian Government Environment Sites
• Local Government Sites
• Non-Government Organisations

“Clearing the Habit of Habitat Clearing” – at Journey for Wisdom in the Land

Phantom Koala

Below are a a few links that may help you understand what is happening in the Tweed Coast concerning development.

Concreting the Coastal 2003 : Clearing and Development Pressures on the NSW Coast 2003 Total Environment Centre PDF – this compiled resource by the TOTAL ENVIRONMENT CENTRE show problematic development, land clearing activity, approvals and proposals in coastal nsw 2002 -2003. It looks at the larger, more controversial, uncompleted developments at that time – (not the smaller, under the radar ones, nor the already completed ones). This is an excellent recent historic resource.

Kings Forest Development threatenes 21 Threatened Species of Fauna . This article includes a list of some of the Threatened species (including the Koala -Phascolarctos cinereus ), with links to find out more about some of them.

Phantom Koala sees that the KOALA -which has been “iconised” by a number of organisations- is much much more than an ICON##(see below). Inappropriate development  threatens many more individual endangered species than just the KOALA of the Tweed Coast.  The creation of “sustainable development” which is NOT sustainable development, but in reality, development that threatens many AT RISK vulnerable individual Australian wildlife species and their habitats on the Tweed Coast is inappropriate for this day and age of disappearing species and habitats.

In July 2005, with very little consultation, the NSW government introduced a new Part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act. See more about the implications of this planning law HERE.

• “Administrative Law in an Environmental Context” search results at bluecray Environmental search engine
• Duty of care and the precautionary principle : search results at bluecray environmental search engine.

Urban Taskforce – representing property developers

Planning Workshop Australia – Kings Forest and some other State Significant Sites’ work for developers

link on Sylvia Hale (Greens elected Member of the Legislative Council NSW) website to the Green’s Bad Developer Awards – to be announced October 15th 2009

Ian Cohen : media release Kings Forest (11th March 2010)

Some Regional Advocacy Links and   EDO Compliance Portal .

Stateline NSW – Special Features: Systemic corruption in New South Wales?
View the letter from The Greens to the ICAC and the ICAC response.

search for Bob Ell development on bluecray’s ENVIRONMENTAL SEARCH engine

search for Part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act on bluecray’s ENVIRONMENTAL SEARCH engine

PK and Moneybags discuss the future on the Tweed Coast

As I am writing this advocacy article, (24th September 2009)  fire fighters are battling a blaze close to Kings Forest, on the Tweed Coast. While this fire has been contained, 40 ha of land has burnt, requiring 6 tankers to respond to the emergency. *The State Significant Site of Kings Forest and the surrounding area is under serious threat by a potential development being engineered by Bob Ell, one of the wealthiest people in Australia, who has a history of environmental vandalism. Development, habitat disturbance and inappropriate land management in Australia’s eastern coastal strip between Brisbane and Byron Bay has led to vaste numbers of native Australian fauna and flora disappearing forever from this zone.

The creation of Kings Forest as a State Significant Site and Part 3A,  as successfully lobbied for by Bob Ell’s Leda Group ??(see Planning Workshop Australia above), has resulted in limited appeal actions on the part of advocates and concerned parties over inappropriate development there. To understand how Part 3A of the NSW works – try this link here to the Nature Conservation Council articles on Part3A of the Environment Planning & Assessment Act in NSW

When fires occur in the Australian landscape, many species are equipped with survival mechanisms that help them withstand the pressures of fire regimes so that these species can survive the ravages of fire in the Australian landscape.

However, when there is little resilient native bushland left about the area burnt, the wildlife and native plant populations can be stressed beyond repair. As development increases on the coastal strip, and as more people arrive to live in that region, more fires will become the norm. People often light fires, and the more people that are living in an area can often equate to more fires being lit.

Phantom Koala is hoping that love of Australia’s Natural Heritage will prevail over money and ego of developers and planners who use the Part3A of the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act to over- develop the remaining low coastal remnant habitats  of the Tweed Coast.

Phantom Koala hopes that the spread of Coastal development from SE Qld into NE NSW doesn't become the development from 'ell

And while you are here, have a look at these:-

AFAC 2009 - Annual AFAC Conference Incorporating the Bushfire CRC Conference.  AFAC = Australasian Fire & Emergency Service Authorities Council

“Determining the distribution and abundance of a regional koala population in south-east Queensland for conservation management” 2004,  at CSIRO Publishing by David S. Dique, Harriet J. Preece, Jim Thompson and Deidré L. de Villiers

PK and Benoit look at biodiversity v's moneybags. They see that moneybags makes things empty, and biodiversity makes things beautiful and abundant

##  Developments  under the umbrella of “its ok if we make it into some type of environmental Koala sight seeing tour” or more hollow motherhood statement theme developments that are based on tokenism as opposed to valid sustainable environmental practices that cater for many individual Australian Wildlife HABITATS that are required for BIODIVERSITY resilience.

Tim Flannery on Biodiversity -  Copenhagen Climate Council at bluecray Environmental Search

“A Balance of Faeries” 1989 by al at bluecray – a true story about Koala Habitat Destruction, and how little by little, the Koala Habitat of SE QLD and NE NSW, if continually destroyed at the rate it is, will have far reaching consequences for our Children’s future. “A Balance of Faeries” tells us that the destruction of small, seemingly insignificant parcels of biodiversity in our natural landscapes,  leaves us increasingly exposed to the greater forces of nature, WIND, SUN, HEAT, RAIN, FLOOD, FIRE . And that, folks, can lead to some rather harsh realities!

*AND one more thing – concerning BUFFER ZONES and KOALAS: the concept of a 50m buffer zone is an absurd and very much an “80′s way of appeasing developers’ mindsets or trying to enlighten politicians who still hadn’t been educated.

Lobbying for , say a 50m Buffer zones about large non sustainable developments does a disservice to KOALAS and all Australian native wildlife. Particularly threatened species.  Buffer zones are a concept that came about to help ease political mindset into caring for our Natural Resources adn Natural Heritage. We must move forwards in a clever way now, and really see what chronic non environmentally sustainable over-urbanisation of our East coast Australian landscape is doing to our biodiverse ecological heritage. If we must lobby for buffer zones – at least one or two Km is the barest minimum – preferably more.

Many native animals need quite a few kilometres of habitat to live and reproduce in, particularly if the area is already degraded. Some need even more. Buffer zones are not really an adequate way of addressing danger and stress to threatened species when non sustainable urban development is in the area.

Animals do not read maps, follow scientific reasoning or keep up with where the next quick multi billion dollar development is being orchestrated. Some small native wildlife- threatened native species adapt, if they are able to, to small buffer zones, like ones I have seen suggested – 50 m, but the stresses and the pressure from urbanisation will eventually take their toll. Mostly, even a few kilometres is far from adequate, when it comes to other environmental issues, such as fire, climate change and human settlement consequences – fire, pests, domesticated animals gone wild, noise and light to name a few.

Particularly over time,  “buffer zone”  is a term that is long outdated. Integration of landscape features, infrastructure development and environmentally sustainable living necessitates that we move beyond this false concept, and move directly to honest and authentic land custodianship and land and water stewardship. The ’80′s concept of “wildlife corridors” must also be viewed in the wider context, for the 21st Century and beyond.

Habitat Clearing and habitat fragmentation, that is done little by little,  is such a serious threat to the Koala and indeed, all native Australian Wildlife, that we, as responsible Australian Citizens, can no longer turn a blind eye, and allow inappropriate “supposed Environmental Stewardship”, under the guise of “necessary development” to continue.

“don’t be fooled again”

• NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water : Summaries of Legislation (ACTS) that the Department operates under
• NSW Department of Planning… and the legislation and planning instruments associated with it

• Environment and Planning Law in NSW : (book reviews etc) : Environmental and Planning Law in New South Wales By Rosemary Lyster, Zada Lipman, Nicola Franklin 2007
• Bluecray Environmental Advocacy Links for the Mt Warning Caldera Region of NE NSW & SE QLD, Australia

• EDO New South Wales Ltd – while you are there, check out the Compliance Portal – for environmental advocacy help in understanding matters such as Planning & Development, Land Clearing, Water, Threatened Species & Land
• Northern Rivers EDO Office – Lismore, NE NSW
• Caldera Environment Centre
• “A preliminary investigation of the distribution of koalas and their potential habitat in the Tweed Shire, and implications for management”  by Judy Faulk Australian Zoologist, June 1991 Vol. 27(1 & 2).                 ##You may find it here at the Royal Zoological Society of NSW in the Journals. Alternatively, try this google search : australian zoologist June 1991 Vol. 27(1 & 2)
• Draft National Koala Conservation and Management Strategy 2009-2014 – submissions close COB 5th August 2009 and the National Koala Conservation Strategy 1998
• Tweed Shire Koala Habitat Atlas this was created 1993 ?by the Tweed Shire Council with the assistance of the Australian Koala Foundation
• “Clearing the Habit of Habitat Clearing” – at Journey for Wisdom in the Land

Environmental Defender’s Office NSW (Ltd) – EDO Northern Rivers

Environmental Defender’s Office NSW (Ltd)

Australian Network of Environmental Defender’s Offices

Environmental Defenders Office (Qld) Inc.

I attended one of their workshops, some years back,in Byron Bay and found their workshop to be extremely easy to understand, informative and helpful.

Australians who impact on the Australian Environment (and that is probably most Australians), whether they be students, members of Government – elected representatives / employees (Federal, State and Local), active community members, environmental workers – advocacy, groundworkers, policy makers, developers, engineers, scientists, mothers, fathers, artists, community workers – the list is endless here……Australians can support these dedicated Legal Environmental workers, by visiting their site and learning from their valuable resources. Membership, support and donations will help these organisations function into the future.

Have a look at the above websites, see what type of work they do, and  give them support. They have informative publications which can be purchased, membership details on their websites and a vaste range of website/published resources.

Environmental Defenders also make submissions for projects and policies. They are active in Environmental Law reform, support community groups in environmental advocacy and conduct an array of workshops to inform & educate communities about the Mt Warning Caldera Region of NE NSW (Northern Rivers) and SE QLD.

And so, if you find that you would like to become more informed about the legal issues concerning the Environment, and want to support a worth while Environmental Advocacy Organisation – give the Environmental Defenders your support.

**************************************

* This article has not been endorsed by the Environmental Defenders Offices, nor did I contact them, before writing this article.

It is due to my passion and belief in people being informed, regarding Environmental Law, and my perceptions and experiences with the Environmental Defenders Offices, as well as Bluecray’s dedication to serving Environmental Advocacy and Education within the Mt Warning Caldera Region that have led me to creating this post.

Benoit the young Crow says:- WE ARE ALL stars in the circus of LIFE

Some basic LINKS for Learning about Environmental LAW : -

• Environmental Law – Wikipedia
• Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW) -
• Environmental Law Library of  the Earth :  Global Law Journals, Links, Treaties, online Journals, Environmental Law Links  at IUCN

EDO : Useful Law Links : legal resources, directories, government, libraries, lawyers and much more

• WebLaw.edu.au – a Subject Gateway to Australian Legal Resources : Environmental Law
• National Environmental Law Association :  and their LINKS page
• Australasian Legal Information Institute : Cases, Legislation, Library, AustLII provides Law news, databases and  links  to WorldLII – the Declaration on Free Access to Law (WorldLII) - World Legal Information Institute : Free, independent and non-profit access to worldwide law.
• FindLaw Australia – Australian Law, Lawyers, Australian Legal Resources : Professionals, Students, Business, Public, News

Some basic Australian Government LINKS for the Mt Warning Caldera Region:-

• Australian Government
• Qld Government Portal
• NSW Government Portal
• Council of Australian Governments – COAG
• Australian Local Government Association – ALGA
• Qld Department of Local Government – homepage
• NSW Department of Local Government – homepage

A few Australian Environmental Law links from Universities – in case you are interested in studying Environmental Law:-

• The Australian National University: College of Law – Australian Centre for Environmental Law
• The University of Sydney : Australian Centre for Climate & Environmental Law
• Macquarie University, Sydney : Environmental Law
• Monash University Library : Environmental Law
• University of Adelaide Law Library : Environmental Law  - Websites, Journals, Law Reports, Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
• Murdoch University Library, Perth, Western Australia : Library Resources in Environmental Law
• University of Tasmania Library : Guide to Environmental Law Sources

and one more link…..Gazette of Law & Journalism to remind you of the vast networks and legal practices that abound today

Planning, law, Part 3A, habitat loss, fragmentation of habitat, coastal development and engineering of infrastructure are some of the difficulties that Phantom Koala and this little frog face on their journey.

• “Administrative Law in an Environmental Context” search results at bluecray Environmental search engine
• Duty of care and the precautionary principle : search results at bluecray environmental search engine.

PK & Litoria the Frog meet at the roundabout. They have been facing strenuous peril on their holiday north across the coastal border of NSW & QLD. Hopefully Chin Ting (the dragonfly) will arrive, and save the day!

The EDO (Environmental Defenders)  has highlighted that  Part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 has resulted in “The limited capacity for members of the community, or even other environmental agencies, to have their voice heard and the reduced rights to seek justice in the Land and Environment Court also suggest that the NSW Government considers that development ranks ahead of the environment, whether that development is sustainable or not”.

It is interesting to think that government decisions that condone inappropriate, non sustainable engineering would exist today given that so much law is being created, money and effort being spent in preserving our crisis ridden environment and its critical disappearance of biodiverse habitats.

I should think that, if one NSW Government Minister/ Director General has the right to veto or modify or condone non sustainable development  at Kings Forest, then this can happen anywhere in the State of NSW.  What will this upcoming decision mean for NSW?  - for Australia? – for the biodiversity of the world?

Stateline NSW : “NSW planning laws under further scrutiny” 2nd Oct. 2009 and the Stateline NSW archive .

Well, if the Minister/Director General vetos, halts or otherwise restricts development in Kings Forest, then State Significant Sites, such as Kings Forest will remain that – Significant.

A precautionary word here.  Should the Minister/Director General and hence, NSW Government, chose to let inappropriate and very damaging land clearing, habitat destruction and inappropriate residential development occur, then clearly, will it be those individuals who are directly responsible for the damage?

Where does the legal responsibility lie here?  How do courts even manage to test this case, if it is not able to be tested in a court of law? Where does the responsibility lie? If not in the courts, does this mean that it is the direct responsibility of the Minister/Director General  alone?

And what type of government is not accountable to the people who elected it?  Surely this NSW Government is accountable somewhere, for it’s development approval decisions.

• “Administrative Law in an Environmental Context” search results at bluecray Environmental search engine
• Duty of care and the precautionary principle : search results at bluecray environmental search engine.

Development is something that will always occur, given the social and economic structure of the world. Developers will always be part of this society and economy, as it goes. Not all developments are “bad”, non sustainable or destructive to the environment.

The Kings Forest Residential Development  ( Tweed Shire ), as seen by the planning documents, is extremely inappropriate and threatening to already threatened species.  The Kings Forest Residential Development, as stands, IS indeed potentially very damaging.  21 threatened species, their restricted and already fragmented habitats, their vulnerability, their capacity to survive intense non sustainable development practices testify to this.

The Kings Forest planning documents show little ” fact”  to convince me that sustainable outcomes (for those 21 species of  threatened native fauna and the vital part they play in the fragile network of threatened species within the NE NSW Region and Mt Warning Caldera Region) will be realised by such a development. This development is on a large scale. Kings Forest IS a State Significant Site. It contains a very large number of threatened species in an already fragmented habitat situation.

Development assurances only on paper, caring “motherhood statements” by developer paid consultants, inability to have standard legal avenues open to protect and advocate for these threatened species – all these things need to be addressed.

The   Caldera Environment Centre in NE NSW, Australia shows insights,  in their submission to the NSW Government and objection to the planned Kings Forest and Cobakai Lakes Development , summing up  the King’s Forest Project situation very clearly. You should have a read of this Submission HERE.

Kings Forest is a powerful place, and development within this area has been historically hard to implement.

The Australian Government, in its wisdom, chose to not list the Koala as a threatened species, although documents show that the Koala is increasingly under pressure within the North Coast region of NSW.  Why did Australia chose to be part of the Agenda 21?

Kings Forest is  a powerful place. Generations of spiritual  guardians, and land custodians have held this place in a natural heritage beauty and sustainable biodiverse capacity and resilience for thousands of years.  The taking away of even small biodiverse components from an area, so fragmented and isolated now, and, as other developments increase within and about it, will result in an immediate lack of biodiversity and cultural heritage significance.

However, I suspect, that bigger wheels are in play here. And while the big wheels of government and money turn powerfully, the biggest wheel of all is nature.

Environmental Planning and Assessment Act1979 – New South Wales Consolidated Acts at AustLII (Australasian Legal Information Institute - A joint facility of UTS and UNSW Faculties of Law)

News Article referring to Kings Beach Development Proposal as a “world standard” environmental management plan by Leda Development’s Regional Manager- Mr Van Rij , December 2008

Ecological communities - their importance, linking, laws, learning at NSW Government of Environment & Climate Change – Threatened Species & Ecological Communities

“A preliminary investigation of the distribution of koalas and their potential habitat in the Tweed Shire, and implications for management”  by Judy Faulks . Find article at – Australian Zoologist, June 1991 Vol. 27(1 & 2)

search for  Aboriginal  (Indigenous peoples) research literature for the North Coast of NSW at the Libraries Australia Search

Ian Cohen media release :Kings Forest 11th March 2010