Wallum protector, Maria Lloyd, faced Byron Bay Local Court last Tuesday following an incident in June last year at the contested 126-housing unit urban development in Bayside, Brunswick Heads.
In May last year, seven Save Wallum protectors had their cases dismissed in the Byron Local Court after being charged with locking on and obstructing civil works. No fines and no convictions were recorded.
Ms Lloyd told The Echo she remained peaceful in a vehicle on enclosed lands when she was arrested. Protesters and ecologists claim the unique habitat contains endangered species which are under threat.
A stop-work injunction, lodged by Save Wallum Inc, remains in place which prevents Clarence Property from commencing development.
Pleaded guilty
Ms Lloyd said that, the ‘judge acknowledged the deep conviction and desperation that motivated my actions, but emphasised that the ruling was based on legal frameworks rather than moral considerations with regards to the development’.
‘This judgment clearly exposes the failure of Australia’s environmental laws to protect our communities and ecosystems,’ said Ms Lloyd.
‘Ordinary citizens are penalised for trying to safeguard our natural and cultural heritage, while corporations like Clarence Property – who continuously degrade Wallum’s fragile ecosystem through vehicle activity, fencing, and harass community members – face no consequences.’
Ms Lloyd said she is a ‘dedicated bush regenerator’, and stressed the irreplaceable nature of the Wallum landscape.
‘Restoring degraded land takes years of effort, resources, and labor. But once an intact ecosystem like Wallum is lost, it can never be truly restored.’
Ms Lloyd pleaded guilty to two charges, was convicted and received a ‘hefty fine’, she said.
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