Though no machinery arrived at Wallum this morning, contractors and police were on the development site at Brunswick Heads as well as dozens of Save Wallum protesters.
A Save Wallum spokesperson said that negotiations between the Save Wallum Police liaison and NSW Police have resulted in contractors packing up and leaving for the day.
Machinery that arrived yesterday morning left the development site in the afternoon at around 2pm, but not before several people locked-on and arrests were made.
Locked-on
Angela from Suffolk Park locked-on to an excavator for about one and a half hours before Police Rescue cut through the bike chain around her waist device and arrested her. ‘The rescue services were neutral, and they treated me professionally – they had a job to do and that was to remove my lock-on device safely. They placed the safety headphones and glasses on me and placed a protective sheet behind me in order to use the angle grinder to cut the chain and padlock.
Angela says the arresting officers did as they said they would do. ‘I didn’t communicate with them other than to say I didn’t have a key to unchain myself. My focus was on protecting country – I feel that I shouldn’t have been arrested as the traditional owners/custodians of the land and local mob gave us permission to protect country and be on the land, and we collectively tried to do that.’
Angela said she has been following the campaign for a while. ‘I want the NSW Legislative Assembly to halt stage 2 works at Wallum until the inquiry into Zombie DAs is complete and we want a Moratorium for all Zombie DAs in NSW.
Banging my head against a brick wall
‘I have signed petitions, written letters and made phone calls but it’s like banging my head against a brick wall. They are not listening. They are not acting in the best interest of the local community.
‘When I saw bulldozers and machinery approaching land, trees and lives I was there to protect, something inside of me kicked in and I went into protective mode. I did what anyone protecting life would do and I put my safety and freedom on the line to protect what is dear to my heart.
‘At that point in time there was no other option but to take the opportunity to stall that excavator from destroying sacred land, I saw an opening and I took it.’
Protect country, sacred land, endangered species, trees
Angela says she wants to protect country, sacred land, endangered species, trees that have been there for centuries and the frog ponds. ‘We don’t need over 100 luxury homes in an area that is still recovering from devasting floods. People are still displaced from the floods and there is a housing crisis. Bringing in over 100 luxury homes will only further bring up the cost of living and make the housing crisis worse. Those luxury homes will end up being investment properties for Air BnB, the land is a wetland and floods any time it rains.
‘I am proud to stand strong with my fellow Wallum Protectors. Together we will win this! SAVE WALLUM!’
A Save Wallum spokesperson said that eight people were arrested between the morning’s stand-off with police and the lock-ons in the afternoon.
Save Wallum protectors say they will stay on site and are committed to keeping Wallum safe.
Legends good on you protect the environment not more air bnbs build houses on unusable farmland not wetlands
Our environment heroes putting their bodies on the line, so very brave.
Unemployable lefty green swill, nothing better to do every day, bored, looking for a meaning to life. Our future looks bleak. The cost to police, contractors should be divided by the number of fools and they should be made pay, the only way to stop unlawful activity.
Clearly, any new property built in that location is not able to be rented out for Airbnb.
It’s only been one of the biggest issues reported on in our Shire in the last 5 years.
Either the Echo Chamber includes the quotes in this article containing clear errors (“Those luxury homes will end up being investment properties for Air BnB”) because;
– it doesn’t know much about how property law in the Shire works, or
– it is happy to spread misinformation as long as it supports “the cause”.
Either is very plausible.
The self-description used by this lot is impressive indeed!
Legends, Heroes, beautiful, etc. This list of backpats appears to have no end.
There are so many self-described ‘Heroes’ there that they would make Rourke’s Drift look like a Sunday picnic.
John – every property in the Shire can be rented out for Airbnb – evry bedroom can be Airbnb rented 365 days a year if there is a Manager on site. The restrictions on whole house rentals dont apply to individual bedrooms, which have been the main accom for share house room rentalls for single parents, pensioners, students, and young workers. As for manager on site – there are a number of ways where you can allege that a property is your main residence, when its not ( ie allege you manage the Airbnb rented individual rooms) And with 5 Council rangers who is checking, and will any fine for breaches be ignored due to the Airbnb income? Poperty law – presently the LEP states ‘tourism premises are prohibeted in residential living zones’ and you can see how well that has been complied with for the last 30 years. The Blue Mountain Council has just releasd figures that show that 90% of their properties to rent are Airbnb, and that is the future for Tourist towns, and there is big money to be made, whatever the cost of even court cases to ‘defend’ their business’s. Our problem is not a lack of tourist accom , it is a lack of a future for our environment and the service it freely suplies us and our wildlife (who dont have a voice except for the principled crew defending this and other high biodiversity spots).
More concerning are the issues of peaceful protest , community consultation and community itself not isolated entities unable to communicate due to bureaucratic restrictions and limitations, if something is not 100 percent or close to accepted why isn’t it happening where it’s wanted / needed ..? The development I mean… And the air bnb stuff is a clear diversion from the need to ensure this person is treated differently by the law and council and community to a violent or seriously destructive protest and as petitioning didn’t save the situation maybe there could be a different option to existing members of a community being that traumatised and concerned about habitat loss and destruction they feel they have no other option but this?