At its last meeting, Ballina Council decided not to finalise its biodiversity and habitat management plans, instead resolving to send the draft Development Control Plan back for another round of public consultation.
Although the audio for this part of the meeting was garbled by technical problems, the change of heart appeared to be sparked by a deputation from local landowner Paul Reilly, who was concerned about conservation zoning, with the proposed DCP amendment applying to land over 2500 square metres.
Cr Simon Kinny said his issues with the DCP amendment boiled down to a farmer’s right to farm. ‘I’m not happy with the draft agenda that went out for public exhibition,’ he said. ‘I would suggest that we need to look at this again.’
Cr Kiri Dicker pointed out that councillors had already been briefed on the changes, which had been out to public consultation and had ‘good engagement with the community’.
90 football fields a day
She reminded her fellow councillors that the latest statistics showed that 90 football fields of woody vegetation were still being cleared in NSW every single day, with 80 per cent of that for agriculture.
‘These are the reasons why we have these policies in place,’ said Cr Dicker. ‘They’re designed to address the increase in vegetation clearing. Ballina Shire has the lowest percentage of native vegetation of any shire in the Northern Rivers, and it’s because of political choices like this why that is the case.’
Cr Eva Ramsey questioned this, saying food producers need to be respected. Cr Phil Meehan accused those opposite of trying to ‘shut down public consultation’, given the ongoing uncertainty around the effects of the DCP changes.
Cr Erin Karsten said, ‘I absolutely support our farm community and the importance of food production…
‘As a former farm owner myself, I know there is a huge challenge to maintain profitability of operations. It’s increasingly difficult, but I also know all too well that we have a huge responsibility to the custodianship of the land that we look after, and we’re reviewing another item in this agenda that relates to concerns on the impacts of biodiversity.
‘We live in an area of significant environmental sensitivity. We’ve already lost much of the original Big Scrub. We see significant flooding as a result of the changes that we’ve made to the natural environment around us, and I think that we clearly need to strengthen and provide clarity to our farmers around what is good biodiversity and habitat management.’
In the end, the vote to send the biodiversity and habitat management provisions of the DCP back to the drawing board was supported by Crs Sharon Cadwallader, Simon Kinny, Damian Loone, Therese Crollick, Eva Ramsey and Phil Meehan.
Dicker furious
On social media, Cr Kiri Dicker said, ‘What will it take for this Council to protect Ballina’s biodiversity? The recent decision to refuse to adopt the new Biodiversity and Habitat DCP amendment was largely lost amongst community concerns over tree clearing on rural land.
‘Chapter 2C had already been through public exhibition and councillors had been extensively briefed. It was a real chance to align our DCP with the state’s own biodiversity laws, which have emphasised the need for a nature positive approach to native vegetation.
‘It would have required more detailed assessment for certain “red flags” such as clearing vegetation within 100 metres of a Richmond River tributary or a grey header flying fox camp. Instead, Council’s Nats-disguised-as-Independents voted against it.
‘Meanwhile land clearing across NSW jumped 16 per cent in the last year. Koala habitat is being bulldozed shire by shire. Ross Lane is what that looks like up close: gliders losing their homes, a community demanding answers, and now this.
‘Cr Karsten and I voted against the delay. Cr Chate was absent.’
More stories about Ballina Shire Council:
The agenda for Thursday's meeting includes six notices of motion from four councillors, with issues including missing persons, volunteer recognition, and arts funding. Construction on a $4.35 million flood-resilience upgrade of Ross Lane at Lennox Head is due to begin today, ahead of a nine-week closure of the busy road later this month. With Ballina Shire Council General Manager Paul Hickey deciding to retire after almost twenty years in the role, and even longer as a staff member, the task of finding a replacement has begun. Cr Damien Loone was also returned as Deputy Mayor after Cr Simon Chate withdrew his nomination. September's meeting opened with a minute's silence for much-loved community member and Lennox Head restaurant owner Blake Rogers, who lost his life last week. Fresh from winning pre-selection as the Nationals candidate for the state seat of Ballina, the 'independent' first-term Ballina councillor Michelle Bailey has put forward a notice of motion asking Council to scrap its fixed 2030 net-zero target in favour of what she describes as a 'flexible sustainability strategy'.
Big meeting for Ballina Council this week
Ross Lane flood-resilience works begin ahead of nine-week closure
Ballina Council will be getting a new general manager
Ballina debates dog parks and net zero
Michelle Bailey targets net zero in Ballina
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