Dailan Pugh, Byron Bay.
I remain incredulous that Byron Shire Council intends to build a rock wall at Belongil with no mitigation measures, in the full knowledge that the beach in front of the walls and the rest of the Belongil spit, including the shorebird nesting and roosting area and littoral rainforest, will wash away.
I still don’t understand why Water Resources Laboratory altered their ‘final’ November 2015 report in March to recommend proceeding with rock walls without groynes and sand nourishment, as they know this is in direct contravention of Section 55C of the Coastal Protection Act.
I also can’t understand why council staff then quickly recommended proceeding with just rock walls given that the Office of Environment and Heritage and the Minister for Planning had repeatedly advised them for over a year that rock walls would not be approved without a sand nourishment scheme.
I am disgusted that Byron Council intends to proceed without identifying and mitigating the impacts on the beach, the spit, Cumbebin Swamp Nature Reserve, endangered littoral rainforest, the shorebird roosting and nesting area or Elements resort at north beach. Particularly as there is a legal obligation to do so,
This council is acting grossly irresponsibly by trying to abandon 30 years of planned retreat and making this community liable for maintaining rock walls that will inevitably fail in an era of rising sea levels, and to pay compensation for accelerating impacts on north beach.
I don’t see how the minister for planning can possibly approve a plan that so blatantly contravenes his advices and the requirements of the Coastal Protection Act. Either council is deliberately setting the plan up to fail, or they know something else I don’t.
Council doesn’t care what you think, but tell them anyway. Make sure you tell the Minister for Planning, Rob Stokes, not to approve this travesty: [email protected].
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
