The community campaign to save a precious piece of coastal heathland in Brunswick Heads will continue, despite Byron Council voting to sign off on the commencement of works at the site.
Hundreds of members of the Save Wallum group gathered at Byron Council chambers yesterday to implore Council to hold off on approving developer Clarence Property Pty Ltd’s application for a subdivision certificate.
However, with the developer already commencing legal proceedings against the Council in the Land and Environment Court for delaying the process, councillors voted by the slimmest margin to approve the application.
With the councillor vote deadlocked at four in favour and four against after hours of debate, Mayor Michael Lyon used his casting vote to determine the matter, voting in favour of approving the application.
The decision brought calls of anger and dismay from the scores of Save Wallum campaigners packed into the Council chambers. They have called on the Council to fight the development, including taking the matter to Court if necessary.
Cr Lyon said Council had effectively been left with no choice because the development had already been approved. He argued that, given Council’s advice that there was no prospect of winning a battle in Court, it was better to try and gain concessions from the developer.
The decision is a blow to the campaign to save Wallum, which is home to a number of threatened native species including the Wallum Froglet and the Wallum Sedge Frog.
But the community has vowed to continue the fight.
‘So now we have to get radical. Stand in front of the bulldozers,’ one campaign member said on the Save Wallum Facebook page today.
‘Get prepared now all you frontline warriors in mind heart and soul this fight for the things we love,’ another member said.
‘Wallum needs you!’
More to come
Very sad but to be expected
This shows how powerless Councils are.
It is the State Government who should be wearing this decision.
Council approved it. Years ago. End of story. You infants fight it, it will cost everyone in the Shire to satisfy a few selfish infants. The most disgusting aspect of this is the individuals who purchased land and went to build houses in the most recent land release, and are now actively campaigning to stop the next stage release. Got report on them. Unbelievable.
Guys , we need to get rid of our local council , they are useless , they have just signed off on this development , despite the community not wanting this , Funny how the Mayor used his casting vote to sign off on this dodgy deal ! Our previous mayor did the same thing when Elements decided they wanted to build 9 large housing lots on the beautiful parklands walking up to the beach at north Belongil and looking north towards Mt Warning , ( they are going to be cutting down over 15 large banksia trees to make way for this , ) what is happening to this beautiful part of the world , IT IS CLEAR that council , or those using their casting votes are being influenced by large developers , and ARE NOT making decisions in the public interest . they are destroying our beautiful part of the world .
We need to vote this council OUT at the next council elections , maybe an ICAC investigation is also warranted !!!
Fortunately, you are a minority of the community so the chances of that happening are negligible .
The vote was 4/4 before the Mayor’s deciding vote was cast. Which Councilors voted in favour and which ones were against?
Councillors Hunter, Pugh, Swivel and Lyon voted to proceed with the certification. Councillors Coorey, Day, Ndiaye and Westheimer opposed. Cr Balson claimed a ‘Significant non-pecuniary interest’ involving friendships and relationships to absent herself from the discussion and vote, giving the mayor the casting vote. Balson has yet to fully explain herself.
Good call Michael, rest assured that the Wallum frog habitat and the glossy black cockatoo trees are safe from the bulldozers despite what the Save Wallum campaign says . They can’t read a plan or do the maths .
Of the 33 hectares owned by Clarence Property only 12.3 are being built on, most of which has been cleared and slashed regularly for 20years .
Clarence Property wouldn’t have named the estate Wallum after a frog if they intended to destroy all its habitat.
Are you kidding ? Calling it ‘Wallum Estate’ is the supreme irony here considering that the Wallum Froglet habitat will be erased!
Stage 1 is the most destructive. Many large gums planned to be removed and the wetland filled and concreted. Those frogs will soon be fossils.
Don’t drink the developer’s kool-aid!
Correct Jill.
Cleared and slashed by the developers to lessen wildlife habitat in the hope of getting less opposition.
Thanks, finally some sanity.
Lyon, Swivel, Pugh and Hunter voted on Thursday to let the bulldozers in and destroy Wallum. The Byron electorate trashed the real Green Council at the last election and voted for pro developers Lyon, Swivel and Pugh. What did the voters expect, except a pro-development vote? In the next election in September 2024, only vote for real people, the ones who care and have a track record of caring for community and environment. Put the rest at the bottom of your ballot and sack the Mayor.
The council had no choice but to approve construction which complied with the DA. As Jill says, less than 40% of the site is being utilised for housing. I think those objecting need to look at some old aerial photography to see what was pre-existing where they live.
A win for common sense and humanity.
Unfortunately state and federal government are to blame as much as councils state governments have taken power away from councils with the northern Rivers planning panel and the so called need to place a extra four thousand people in Byron plus the federal government high immigration and city slickers bailing on cities for cheap housing in the country it’s very sad Australia is so materialistic and not like the indigenous and care for the land and nature the environment is stuffed with feral animals and weeds and clearing more land for housing is the stupidest thing ever when cleared land should be used for housing old farms etc
At least the vote showed that there are 4 adults in the Council who know the Council’s Limitations and responsibilities.
Despite the expected hysterical reactions and social and personal abuse as a result, they knew that a no vote was just a useless gesture.
This gesture would have cost the Council thousands in legal costs and eventually been borne by the ratepayers.
This shambles has quickly descended into gutter politics and abuse.
I suspect it will backfire badly on the Greens in the next Council election because voters will see that they cannot comprehend legal opinions and are prepared to waste Council( and voters) funds .