Save Wallum activists took to the heathland last Friday afternoon after it was reported a tractor was on site slashing at the Bayside Wallum Estate site near Brunswick Heads.
The site was approved for 127 residential lots and three small medium density sites by the Northern Regional Planning Panel (NRPP) in May 2023. Following the approval a group of locals have started the Save Wallum group in Septem- ber and have been highlighting the range of threatened and endangered species that are on, or access, the site.
As a result of community action the developers, Clarence Property, have been asked to self refer under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) due to the potential significant impact on Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES).
According to wallumbrun- swick.com.au, the ‘premium land estate’ will see almost 18 acres (60 per cent of the site) rehabilitated for flora and fauna habitats. However, the Save Wallum groups say that ‘The housing subdivision proposes to clear and fill about half the site, removing scores of old growth scribbly gums and swamp mahogany trees, key habitat and feed trees for species such as koalas and glossy black cockatoos’.
Threatened species The Save Wallum group say that the ‘nationally and state-listed protected species on the site will not be able to co-exist with the planned development’.
‘Not only are the glossy blacks and koalas at risk by the development, two spe- cies of endangered frogs and a range of other threatened species and ecological com- munities also live, feed and travel through this critically important area,’ said James Barrie, coordinator of Save Wallum.
When community mem- bers came onto the Wallum Estate site the tractor ceased work and police attended the scene. Police were quick to de-escalte the situation and seek confirmation
from the activists that they would remove themselves from the site if police asked the developer to cease any further action on site until the conclusion of the EPBC investigations to which they agreed.
The community campaign to Save Wallum has grown
to over 4,100 members and seeks to have the area gazet- ted as a conservation reserve.
Clarence Property were asked for comment but did not respond prior to going to print.
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