The current hardships facing Byron communities seem to reflect global power relations.
Trump’s vision for humanity is ‘might is right’ – a doctrine seemingly adopted by politicians, developers and dominant NSW rural institutions in Sydney-centric politics, who collectively aid the demise of democracy. The result is the soul-less rise of authoritarian dictates and the endorsement of repressive social structures that crush the planet, the aged, the poor, youth, future generations and the homeless. There are no rights or dreams for First Nations people, denied voice, culture, sacred sites and sovereignty claimed for more than 65,000 years.
Rurally, development on floodplains is rampant, with no leadership or legal recourse to United Nations charters addressing human rights violations and the rights of future generations of sentient beings. Scientific narratives on climate change are dismissed by pro-development corporations and politicians, even as we witness its devastating rise across all planetary life. Not a word is heard addressing the immorality of this venal vision of capital.
The moral compass awaits resurrection.
This flies in the face of the world’s rules-based order. The United Nations arose after World War II. After both world wars, humanity and the planet – witness the atomic bomb – became economic victims of the rise of global militaries and their financial demands. Democracies were then supported by the UN and multiple international charters, legally ratified by many nations. Australia, including NSW, endorsed these charters but never advanced a Bill of Rights to fully support the Human Rights Charter – a flaw in our advance for rights for all life. But not all is lost.
The Byron community voted in a Green council at the recent elections. The baseline principle behind that is grassroots democracy – are Byron Shire voters aware of it? Civil society activists have exhausted the road of human rights to no effect. Given the oppressive ‘might is right’ power relations described above, the moral compass now points to the precautionary principle: a balance between caution and risk, backed by international law. Australia adopted the precautionary principle during the early outbreak of Covid-19.
The key messages of the precautionary principle:
The Stockholm Declaration laid the groundwork for establishing the principle in international law. It guides decision-makers to act to protect the environment, safety and public health when there is scientific uncertainty. Critics view it as a tool to halt progress; advocates consider it essential to avoid severe damage to public health and the environment.
We cannot trust the current NSW political class and its authoritarian institutions to reflect the rightful dictates of civil society. That society – a democratic one – has been betrayed on every level: human rights, climate change, the rights of the aged and of future generations of sentient beings. The ideology of ‘might is right’ continues to devour all life, unabated.
To conclude: the core elements of the precautionary principle are the need for environmental protection, the presence of a threat or risk of serious damage, and the fact that a lack of scientific certainty should not be used to avoid taking action. The burden of proof is shifted under its application. Should all else fail, it is imperative to take the matter to the Federal Office of Integrity, which governs the International Charter of Human Rights. It is notable, too, that no insurance company is prepared to support development on floodplains.
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