On Monday at 4pm there will be a briefing from Ballina Council staff to councillors about proposed Conservation Zones for Ballina Shire. The briefing is also open to the public, but there will be no opportunities for two way debate with councillors, as this is an educational opportunity about what is on the table and potential routes forward.
The briefing emerged from confusion on the part of some councillors about the implications of Conservation Zones, which already exist in many areas of NSW, and hostility from some Ballina councillors about the whole idea of C Zones.
At risk if the C Zone review is scrapped are important conservation values of various areas across the shire, and ten years of work from council staff on this issue, dating back to well before most of the current councillors were elected. Background is available from Ballina Council here.
To date, the only C Zone approved in the shire (after multiple debates at council meetings) affects the controversial wetland area near Burns Point Ferry Road, currently the subject of a legal tussle between Ballina Council and the developer Gemlife.
With pro-development/farmer’s rights voices on Ballina Council dominating the debate so far, this is a useful opportunity to get the facts around C Zones clear. Council briefings were not previously open to the public, so this is a unique chance for interested parties to improve their understanding of the issue.
Unlike regular meetings, the Conservation Zone briefing will not be streamed, or recorded, so those wishing to attend will need to make it to Ballina Council Chambers at 4pm on Monday.
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