Greens organisers say they have collected nearly 200 signatures so far for a petition calling for NSW planning minister Rob Stokes to return the ‘fatally flawed’ coastal policy back to Byron Shire Council for re-drafting after the September elections.
It’s called the Coastal Zone Management Plan Byron Bay Embayment (CZMP-BBE) and was recently submitted in a rush by Crs Woods, Ibrahim, Hunter, Cubis and Wanchap.
The Greens have also launched a local government five-point plan for ‘protecting and improving Byron Shire’s and Ballina Shire’s precious coast and waterways.’
The five-point plan is (1) Ensuring Public beaches are kept public and protected from privatisation; (2) Improving and expanding green spaces along and next to the foreshores; (3) Ensuring clear coastal zonings, which will prohibit inappropriate development where there is a realistic risk of coastal inundation; (4) Amending council planning instruments and council mapping to respect the internationally accepted climate science and potential future sea level rises as a result of climate change; (5) Properly funding crucial services, such as local surf life saving clubs and shark-spotting teams.
• The petition is available here.
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