Dozens of protesters and two glossy black cockatoos greeted Byron Shire Councillors this morning as they arrived for today’s meeting, adding their weight to the Urgency Motion over what they claim is illegal slashing at the controversial ‘Wallum’ development at Brunswick Heads.
This morning Byron Shire Council will consider an Urgency Motion to gain independent ecological advice on the status of the controversial ‘Wallum’ site in Brunswick Heads.
Members of the local group Save Wallum gathered at the chambers to support the area in question being assessed by experts, as to its status as Native Vegetation, after a Council Staff member had undermined this fact.
Save Wallum spokesperson, James Barrie, said the group were going into the meeting because there was recent slasher activity with a large flail mower at the Wallum site. ‘That activity destroyed a whole bunch of the Wollum heathland.’
Mr Barrie the area hosts quite a resilient vegetation type. ’It’s been under sporadic slash repression for the last decade or so to hide the native vegetation value, so basically to present it as pasture –degraded pasture.
‘We’re here because council staff member, Shannon Burt, has denied that it’s native vegetation in recent communication.
‘We believe that she is misinformed that it’s not native vegetation, when in fact, it is.
‘So, the motion today is calling for Council to contract an independent ecologist, to go and see if is it actually native vegetation, and then if it is, it’s in breach of the conditions of consent.
Mr Barrie said he hoped the outcome of the meeting was a “stop work” order on the site. ’In the conditions of consent, without a subdivision certificate, the clearing damage and removal of native vegetation is not permitted in, Council is the determining authority on whether a ‘stop work’ order is put in place or not.’
Council will debate the motion today during their Ordinary & Planning Meeting.
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