Activists focussed on Saving Wallum will be holding a public meeting this Thursday at the Mullumbimby Civic Hall from 6pm.
‘Save Wallum is inviting everyone who is interested in protecting the last remaining Wallum ecosystem in the Brunswick Heads to attend,’ said environmental scientist James Barrie who is spearheading the Save Wallum campaign.
The approved development to create 124 residential lots and associated roads and infrastructure is being built by the Clarence Property Group and it was approved by the Northern Regional Planning Panel (NRPP) in May 2023. Former Greens Byron Shire mayor, Simon Richardson was a member of NRPP when it was approved.
Some Byron Shire Councillors had said the Wallum Estate development application (DA) was allowed through because the community didn’t object.
Mayor Michael Lyon now claimed, ‘If councillors had been lobbied, and had the values of the site been brought to our attention at this time, we could have addressed the planning panel, helped others to do so and attempted to prevent the development in line with community expectations’.
However, the Brunswick Heads Foreshore Protection Group had sent a ten-page submission to Byron Councillors as did the Brunswick Heads Progress Association (BHPA) when Codlea’s subdivision (DA 10:2020.24.1) was on exhibition just after the bushfires in February 2020. It covered bulk earthworks (up to 2m of fill required), drainage (running into Simpsons Creek and efficacy of bioretention ponds especially during flooding), road works (only one access road), fire protection (50m buffer zones were recommended by RFA), and the Vegetation Management Plan (we supported the extensive submissions supplied by environmental experts).
We concluded by recommending: ‘Council refuse the DA and request the site and land to the south be acquired as state compensatory wildlife habitat and added to the adjoining Tyagarah Nature Reserve,’ they explained to The Echo in Febrauary this year.
Mandy Nolan MC
Mandy Nolan will MC the night and other speakers include James Barrie who is spearheading the Save Wallum campaign; local activist and Non Violent Direct Action (NVDA) expert Valerie Thompson; and our human ‘Possum’ and tree climbing expert Stuey.
Save Wallum signature t-shirt printing will be up and running (bring your own tee) as well as the Save Wallum merchandise stall.
‘Connect with locals, get informed and find out how you can help save this biodiverse wonderland right on our doorstep,’ said the Save Wallum campaign.
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