Cate Coorey, president, Byron Residents’ Group.
The ad in the Byron Shire Echo from Byron Council on the Coastal Zone Management Plan was surely written by the ABC’s Utopia scriptwriters.
It helpfully lets us know that the draft CZMP comes in five parts – A,B,C,D and E in case you want to ‘have your say’. I’ve downloaded all five and I’m trying to work my way through them (400+pages).
At a council-hosted community meeting last week people asked intelligent and informed questions and were given coloured textas and paper to ‘workshop’ the issues in an hour and a half meeting — a good idea if were in the drafting phase but beyond inadequate for a plan that will have impacts forever for Byron Bay, the Belongil Estuary, the tourism industry and the pockets of ratepayers.
It is an insult to ask for our input now — we should have been given the opportunity over days, not a single community forum. This is another example of the ham-fisted community ‘engagement’ we’ve come to expect from beleaguered council staff pressured by Cr Ibrahim and the rock wall councillors to stitch-up this CZMP before the Council elections.
The only recommendation for coastal ‘management’ in this plan is to effectively replace Belongil Beach with a 1km rock wall.
Continuing their contempt for the community, the same councillors voted that we be given only 21 days to digest and respond to the CZMP — submissions close 14 June. Go to byronresidentsgroup.org for help.
Cate, I expect you would know the following facts:
– The DCZMP was due 12 months ago
– State government has requested draft plans by June 30th
– The Council is following a standard process
– 21 days is plenty of time to read a document and make a submission
-The 1km of rock walls is either replacing existing walls that have been there for 30 years OR protecting community land and access.
– The worst environmental and beach amenity outcome would be if the spit was suddenly breached by a storm event, not if existing protection was upgraded
– The DCZMP states that landowners will pay for the wall upgrades that benefit the whole community.
The process and council recommendation is based upon 5 years of work and expert reports – it’s not a straw poll of uninformed community members. That is not how government works otherwise nothing would ever get done.
Yes I live at Belongil so I have a real interest in protecting the Belongil spit, my home, and the area and beach for the future.
It is very clear that for opponents to this plan, things are purely political. Complaints about the process is to cause delays, and to paint councillors in a bad light – to further a political cause to elect a majority green council.
People should read the documents fully – get the facts and make an informed submission that they believe in. But not use people’s homes as pawns in a political game.