Thank goodness Byron Shire Council has upheld the protection of the Marshalls Creek Nature Reserve – a place of rare beauty and ecological importance.
I engaged a number of scientific experts, who all strongly oppose the proposed Marshalls Creek boardwalk and support retaining the Place Plan as it stands.
Marshalls Creek is a gazetted nature reserve – the highest level of environmental protection under NSW law. Its mangroves, tidal flats, and coastal rainforests shelter endangered species such as the Beach Stone-curlew and Far Eastern Curlew, as well as threatened plant communities. To carve a boardwalk through this sanctuary would invite disturbance, fragment vital habitats, and erode the very values the reserve was created to protect.
This fragile ecosystem already faces pressures from illegal fishing, dogs, and informal tracks. Byron Council’s decision to protect rather than exploit this landscape reflects true environmental leadership – safeguarding biodiversity and honouring community stewardship of Country.
We urge continued collaboration with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and local conservation groups to restore and defend this precious place.
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