By Darren Coyne
Bundjalung elder Michael Ryan has vowed to ‘stop the bulldozers with my own body’ if further legal action to stop the development of the North Lismore Plateau fails.
Mr Ryan previously halted the proposed 1550 dwelling residential development with legal action in the NSW Land and Environment Court, arguing that the publicly-displayed rezoning plans had environmental zones removed by the NSW Planning Department prior to its approval by the minister.
The court found that Mr Ryan’s argument was sound, and as a result the Lismore City Council was forced to re-submit the rezoning plans, with the environmental zones restored, and the state government gave the go-ahead last week.
But Mr Ryan is refusing to accept the decision.
He told Echonetdaily that he would be commencing urgent legal proceedings to have the rezoning decision set aside, arguing that councillors had failed to consider a report that stated a whole series of Aboriginal sites surveyed throughout 2014 and 2015 would be destroyed by the proposed development.
He blasted the ‘hypocrisy’ of councillors and staff, saying they showed a ‘total lack of respect for Aboriginal land and culture’.
‘I have witnessed the mayor standing up and mouth platitudes acknowledging the people of the Bundjalung nation, Traditional custodians of the land … and then arrogantly and rudely dismiss opinions of our Elders when they submit to council that they do not support the development,’ Mr Ryan said.
He accused the council of rushing the voting on the proposal, without considering the impacts on Aboriginal culture and heritage.
‘North Lismore Plateau is the most significant site in the Lismore area, including burials, ceremonial places, carved trees, water holes and rare artefacts, all of which will be impacted or totally destroyed by the proposed development.
‘We custodians and Traditional Owners are committed to do all in our power to never allow this development in any form to proceed’.
Mr Ryan said Lismore ratepayers should be aware that the council are ‘jacking up the rates to construct infrastructure on behalf of the developers.
‘The mayor should come clean and tell the community how much exactly is being borrowed to fund the development which I believe is more than $20 million, not including interest on the loan.
‘This council needs to be investigated and held accountable.’
Mr Ryan also took a swipe at deputy mayor Simon Clough for championing a rate rise for a biodiversity plan while supporting a development which would destroy habitats of extremely rare Commonwealth-endangered flora and fauna species, including the Thorny Pea and other rainforest remnants.
‘It’s going to take more than lies, weasel words and photo opportunities by the mayor to stop me from doing what is required to halt the destruction of the plateau,’ he said.
‘If need be I will go to the highest courts in the country and if that is not enough I will physically stop the bulldozers with my own body.’
Mayor Jenny Dowell announced recently that the second attempt to rezone the plateau had been successful.
‘North Lismore Plateau has been in the making for 15 years and is essential for Lismore’s future growth and prosperity,’ Cr Dowell said at the time.
‘The appeal against the rezoning has delayed the process, but it was always based on an error in administrative process, and we have now rectified that. This gazettal is fantastic news for Lismore – the development will bring with it more jobs, new families, affordable housing, and much-needed development in the west of the city. At the same time, Council has expanded the area of environmental conservation zoning in recognition of the cultural heritage significance of this land to the local Aboriginal community.
The council has completed a 1km gravity sewer along Dunoon Road and is currently working on a water main to service the North Lismore Plateau. These preliminary infrastructure works should be complete by the end of June.
The council is hoping that building can begin on-site by the end of 2016.
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