Ballina Environment Society (BES) has come out strongly against conservative independent Ballina Councillor Eva Ramsey’s proposal to have private property owners ‘opt in’ to conservation zones.
According to the Ballina Shire Council (BSC) Annual Report 2021-22 there is only 20 per cent of native vegetation cover left. This is coupled with the fact that ‘the Biodiversity Strategy reports that 84 per cent of land in Ballina Shire is privately owned, 60 per cent is Rural Land 3 and that our “current habitat carrying capacity is poor, and we need to ensure this does not worsen, and aim to improve, where we can”,’ said a spokesperson for BES.
‘83 per cent of our community is extremely/very concerned about biodiversity loss in the Shire,’ according to the Community Climate Change Survey Report.
‘Land use planning and environmental controls’ have been identified ‘as the most important action that Council can take to support community response to climate change’.
The Notice of Motion (NoM) for tomorrow’s Ballina Council meeting comes following the deferral of the vote on a review of conservation zones (C2 zones) throughout the shire proposed more than a decade ago.
Conservative councillors have expressed concern over the rights of property owners under C2 zonings with Cr Buchanen having told a meeting earlier this year C2 zones scared ‘the hell’ out of him, while Cr Bruem said either you respect property rights or you don’t.
Ballina Mayor, Sharon Cadwallader, told The Echo last week that, ‘conservation zoning into local government areas wasn’t mandatory.’
The BES points out that there are ‘many effective ways to “maximise retention of native biodiversity in Australian agricultural landscapes”, but this NOM is not one of them. It runs counter to Council staff recommendations, community sentiment and common sense,’ they say.
‘This NOM represents an abdication of duty and places the individual desires of a privileged few above the needs of present and future generations, accelerating the extinction of species, the collapse of ecosystems, and escalating climate-related risks.’
Greens MP and spokesperson for planning Sue Higginson said ‘This rushed proposal is undermining years of work by the [Ballina] Council and will threaten land use planning integrity, biodiversity and the region’s clean green conservation brand’.
There is an ‘ongoing review of the zones that hasn’t reported back yet. The Conservation Zone Review is being conducted to assess the suitability of rural zoned land to be rezoned as Environment Zones (E-Zones) under the standard state instrument Local Environment Plan (LEP) or whether they should be rezoned for conservation as a Conservation Zone,’ Ms Higginson said.
The ability of individual landowners to take into account the long term ‘perspective required to consider the cumulative impacts of land clearing across our shire’ were questioned by BES. They said it ‘is unreasonable to expect an individual landowner to have the expertise, information’ to make these broad-based decisions in the best interests of the Ballina Shire and more broadly in relation to climate change.
‘Whilst most acknowledge the importance of nature, for many, this appreciation may not extend to their own property, in part because opportunities and risks aren’t always fully understood, or because individuals may be concerned with imagined financial implications,’ said the BES spokesperson.
‘This planning tool aims to mitigate future impact. C zones were applied as a recognition of areas with high environmental attributes. If the land was zoned as an Environmental Zone, but there are lawful activities or a lawful development already in place on that land, the zoning can’t change that.’
Ms Higginson said, ‘scientifically well-informed land use planning is key to community wellbeing, landscape resilience and the avoidance of land use conflict. This motion intends to undermine the basis of strategic and sound planning. It’s important to remember that the key to our local and regional economies is our clean green brand.’
BES highlighted that ‘with six out of nine planetary boundaries now breached seven and the “era of global boiling” eight declared by the UN, it is essential that planning decisions consider cumulative impacts. Do we really think it is a good idea to trust the future of Ballina’s fragile ecosystems to chance? Is a landowner’s desire to be free to clear land at will more important than the continued survival of critically endangered species like our koalas, spotted-tailed quolls or squirrel gliders?’
‘If this motion is allowed to pass before the review is completed then there will be further biodiversity loss and environmental degradation through the shire including on the Alstonville Plateau by particular short-term interests with complete disregard for the importance of maintaining environment protections,’ said Ms Higginson.
‘Councillors should vote judiciously, and any mayoral casting vote should maintain the status quo, as good governance dictates.’
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. 
