Mount Tomewin residents raised the alarm about illegal clearing of a 128ha property Lot 168 Glengarrie Road in Tweed Shire over the Invasion Day/Australia Day long weekend.
Tweed Shire Council issued a stop-work order on Thursday, 28 January that was followed by an inspection of the site on Tuesday, 2 February.
It is understood from locals, who asked not to be named, that the lot had gone up for auction by local family the Bornholts on 4 December, 2020 and they believe it was bought by Zac Efron. However, at the time of the clearing the sale had not been completed. As there has been no response to enquiries from The Echo online from the Bornholts or Mr Efron’s team this cannot be confirmed. The real estate who handled the auction also declined to comment.
According to the locals who contacted The Echo online ‘the site is mostly untouched, virgin rainforest and wet Sclerophyll forest and that no logging has ever occurred on much of the parcel due to the inaccessibility of the terrain’.
Council confirms activity
According to a spokesperson for Tweed Shire Council the Council received a complaint regarding alleged unauthorised vegetation clearance and related earthworks on Glengarrie Road (Lot 168) last week.
‘Officers conducted a site inspection on Tuesday, 2 February. The inspection confirmed the removal of various vegetation types and soil disturbance.
‘The owners of the site have been requested to stop current works until a determination of any legal or enforcement action is made, and to install sediment and erosion control devices in affected areas,’ the spokesperson told The Echo online.
‘The owner has also been given an opportunity to respond to the alleged unauthorised vegetation removal and works on the site.
‘Council will continue to monitor activities.’
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