Very little of what has been built in in the NSW North Rivers coastal zone appears to have a long habitable lifespan - so it's buyer beware

 

What is fascinating about this development application set out in the following article is that the Byron Bay local government area coastal zone generally, including Clifford Street, Suffolk Park, is expected to be impacted by ongoing storm surges, tidal incursion and then permanent sea level inundation beginning sometime between 2027 to 2030 – roughly four to seven years from now. With 9-15 Clifford Street being one of the last addresses to be affected in that street.

Most of the sea level rise scenarios indicate that 9-15 Clifford Street as a habitable dwelling space may only have a life of around 37 to 47 years if Australian east coast and global air and sea temperatures keep rising as steeply as they have in the last 40 years.

Barely enough time to pay off the mortgage before the unit/apartment becomes worthless.

The Echo, 7 June 2023:

The company behind a controversial mixed-use development in the heart of Suffolk Park has quietly submitted revised plans for the proposal as part of the ongoing court battle over the matter.

Sydney-based developer, Denwol Pty Ltd, took Byron Council to the Land & Environment Court after it refused their plans to build two new three-storey buildings, containing 16 units, seven town houses and 300m2 of commercial space at 9–15 Clifford Street.

Council had set out 17 separate reasons for refusing the development application when it was originally submitted last year, including factors related to the environmental impacts, design, bushfire risk and affordable housing claims.

With the formal court hearing getting underway last week, Denwol made an application to the court to submit amended plans for the project.

This followed an amended DA that was submitted in April which involved a significant reduction in the size of the development.

Published on Council’s website, these amended plans involve reducing in the number of residential apartments from 16 to seven, and the number of town houses from seven to six. There would be two retail tenancies.

Both buildings are reduced to two-storeys in the amended plans, though there is little difference in the overall height of the development.

There is also a significant increase in how far the buildings will be set back from the road, though this will require more trees to be cut down.

Resident, Lynne Richardson, said that the amended plans represented little change in practical terms because the overall footprint of the development was ‘much the same’.

Community excluded

She also said that the process by which the most recent amendment had been submitted had excluded the community.

‘I was enraged by the process,’ Ms Richardson said.

‘The only community members who were actually told were those who were due to give evidence during the hearing, and we were only given a few days’ notice to get our heads around the plans before doing that.

‘[Council’s lawyers, Marsdens] only told us a few days before we were due to give evidence, and they asked us to respect the confidentiality of the developer by not disseminating the new plans more widely. In my opinion, the newly modified plans should have been more widely circulated to the community. This affects all of them so they should have been told.’

The Echo understands that Council will continue to contest the matter in court, despite the submission of the modified plans by the developer.

BACKGROUND

Byron Shire Council - List of Applications Submitted, excerpt, retrieved 12 June 2023:

Original Development Application.

10.2022.137.1

Development Application 13/07/2022 15 Clifford St, Suffolk Park 2481 NSW

15A Clifford St, Suffolk Park 2481 NSW

9-13 Clifford St, Suffolk Park 2481 NSW

Demolition of Nine (9) Dwellings, Removal of Twenty Five (25) Native Trees and Construction of a Mixed Use Development Comprising of Two (2) Buildings including Commercial Premises and Multi Dwelling Housing being Twenty Three (23) Dwellings of which Twelve (12) will be Affordable Housing and Swimming Pools.

Details here including latest modification submitted this year.

Existing dwellings

Byron Shire Council flood mapping showing part of Clifford Street

Maclean Pump Station: grafitti vandal failed in his/her aim

 

Clarence Valley Independent, 7 June 2023:

Artist Austin NITSUA with the new mural of Yaegl elder Uncle Ron Herron on the River Street pump station in Maclean. Image: Rodney Stevens

When artist Austin NITSUA got word that his stunning portrait of Yaegl elder Uncle Ron Herron that he painted on a River Street Maclean pump station had been graffitied with light coloured paint in August last year he was ‘gutted’.

The street artist and mural creator, who has painted his distinctive illustrations all over Australia, from Byron Bay to giant examples of silo art in South Australia, said he was ready to repaint the mural the week after it was defaced, but the development application process through council delayed progress.

“I was ready to repaint the mural three days after it got hit, but the process has taken nine months to get to this stage,” he said.

Despite this delay, as soon as Nitsua got the go ahead, he and his partner Monique, armed with a ute full of spray paint cans got to work to repaint the mural on Sunday, May 28.

“Originally, before painting the first mural, I went and took photos of Uncle Ron and I had photos of him that were quite similar to the last mural, but I chose this image because he just had a bit more of a grin on his face,” he said.

“I thought it was quite suitable too, to come back with a bit of a grinning smile saying you paint over me, and I’ve come back with a vengeance this time with a warrior ochre.

“I asked the Yaegl mob what the best sort of ochre was I could do, and that is what I’ve done.”

The mural features respected Yaegl Elder Uncle Ron Herron, who has degrees in archaeology and anthropology and lectured at Southern Cross University for 10 years and was awarded a Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) by Macquarie University in 2014….

Full article here.

Songlines imagery of the Gumbaynggirr, Yaegl and Bundjalung nations installed along the Pacific Highway from Woolgoolga to Ballina

 

https://youtu.be/cvLEgG2jOj4

 

The Echo, 9 June 2023: 

Aboriginal artworks have been installed at nine overpass bridges spanning four lanes on the new Pacific Motorway between Woolgoolga and Ballina on the north coast of New South Wales.

The new artworks along the Woolgoolga to Ballina Aboriginal Art Trail depict the creation stories and ancient travel routes (Songlines) of the Aboriginal nations of the region.

The Woolgoolga to Ballina Aboriginal Art Trail is part of the Pacific Highway upgrade project which also included upgrading nine interchanges, more than 170 bridges and more than 350 other connecting roads.

Federal Member for Richmond Justine Elliot says the artworks tell the ‘Songlines’ of the Gumbaynggirr, Yaegl and Bundjalung nations, reflecting their physical and spiritual belonging, and connection to Country. ‘The artworks are in place on nine highway overpasses, along a 155-kilometre section of highway between Woolgoolga and Ballina.

‘The artists were selected by local Aboriginal communities and stakeholders, and their artworks communicate the rich and ancient history of these nations.’

Transport for NSW is planning a community event involving all the artists and their communities, to be held in the coming months.

For more information visit www.pacifichighway.nsw.gov.au/drive-songlines.

Australian Government-NSW Government Pacific Highway Upgrade: Drive The Songlines Aboriginal Art trail

Images by North Coast Aboriginal artists from 7 of the 13 sites along the highway

Iluka Interchange - southbound

Maclean Interchange - northbound

Woodburn Interchange - northbound

Tyndale Interchange - northbound

Coolgardie Interchange - northbound

Arrawarra Interchange - northbound

Glenugie Interchange - northbound

Click on images to enlarge

Did you feel the earth move early Thursday morning in the Clarence Valley on 8 June 2023?

 

An earthquake was recorded in the Pillar Valley in the Clarence Valley local government area in the early hours of the morning on Thursday, 8 June 2023.

Here are the details.

Geoscience Australia, Earthquakes@GA:

Earthquake Details

Grafton, NSW

Origin (UTC): 07/06/2023 16:09:18

Epicentral Time: 08/06/2023 02:09:18

Longitude: 153.05 Latitude: -29.64

Magnitude: 3.0 (ML) Depth: 10 km

Event Id: ga2023ldldlp 

Felt Reports: 30

The quake was felt at intensity levels:

Pillar Valley and Grafton  2; 

Yamba 2.7;

Brooms Head 2.3; 

Sandon 4.1;

Minnie Water and surrounding area 3.2m, 3.7 & 3.8;

Wooli & the Lower Wooli River 3.3 & 4.3.

ABC News, 8 June 2023:

Kelly Whitehouse from Minnie Water, east of Grafton, said she felt the quake when she woke to let her dog out of the house.

"The dog just started going nuts and then I could feel it through the floor and everything was rattling a bit," she said.

"The sound was so loud you could feel the vibration through the floor.

"It wasn't comfortable, I could not go back to sleep after that. It was pretty daunting."

The earthquake was also felt in Coffs Harbour City local government area in six areas at intensity levels ranging from 2 to 3.4 and, inland at Armidale at 2.7.

DROUGHT: and so it begins.....

 

The green map of New South Wales is changing colour as soil moisture begins to fall.

Thus far drought affected land is confined to the north-east and north-west of the state, with 10.9% of land on the North Coast affected.

 An est. 35 parishes are drought affected in the Clarence Valley, 13 parishes in the Richmond Valley and 3 border parishes in Tweed Shire.

The Dept. of Primary Industry seasonal update considers that "Drought Affected Land" status is intensifying in the Clarence Valley. Currently that status appears to cover an area roughly from just south of Lawrence following the river to land up past Dumbudgery and, from the Yulgilbar district in the north to the Elland district in the south.

NSW Dept. of Primary Industries, Combined Drought Indicator, mapping as of 3 June 2023

The Minns Labor Government – one step forward three steps back

 

A brief look at the Minns Labor Government six weeks into its term in office…...

PROMISE KEPT

The West Australian, 24 March 2023:

If elected, Mr Minns said his first act of legislation would be to put “Sydney Water in the NSW constitution, stopping future governments enacting a backdoor fire sale” of state-owned assets…..

The Constitution Amendment (Sydney Water and Hunter Water) Bill 2023 was introduced into the NSW Parliament on 10 May and passed by both Houses on 1 June 2023

BROKEN PROMISE ONE

Shepparton News, 12 December 2022:

A NSW Labor government would legislate an end to the practice of rent bidding, to curb the spiralling cost of tenancy.

The promise ahead of the March election comes amid skyrocketing Sydney rents as well as those in regional areas, with NSW's median rent increasing from $386 to $420 a week between 2016 and 2021.

With one in three NSW households now renters, Opposition Leader Chris Minns says Labor has prepared legislation banning secret bidding, a practice where prospective tenants are pitted against one another to secure properties…..

Ending the practice of ‘rent bidding’ placed in the too hard basket in the first week of June 2023

ON THE ROAD TO A BROKEN PROMISE TWO

The New South Wales Labor party will establish a new national park stretching from Kempsey to Coffs Harbour in a bid to save the state’s endangered koala population.

On Thursday the opposition leader, Chris Minns, will announce that the party will re-commit to establishing the “great koala national park” on the NSW north coast, which could see an area of about 300,000 hectares of key habitat for the native species protected from logging.

The park, which Labor has promised in the past two state elections, is likely to anger the timber and logging industry, which has previously claimed it would cost the state thousands of jobs. Other estimates claim the park would add about $1bn to the state’s economy over 15 years.

The Minns Government is spinning its wheels on this promise – seemingly by design - as Forests NSW lay waste to prime koala habitat within the precincts of the proposed “Great Koala National Park”. The term Extinction Crisis appears to mean little to this new crop of state ministers even if they are part of the Australian Labor Party.

BREAKING: Two women lock-on continues to stop logging in Orara East State Forest for a 2nd day.https://t.co/VU4X8XJZ4l
Today Tiff and Ruby have immobilised the forest harvester that was meant to be felling trees within the GKNP.
🐨 #GKNP #EndNativeForestLogging #nswpol pic.twitter.com/KqGO0HJUMt

— Australian Forests and Climate Alliance (@AFCA_Forests) June 7, 2023

BROKEN PROMISE THREE

Byron Echo, 15 February 2023:

According to Labor leader Chris Minns, ‘NSW has experienced an escalating number of major flood events in recent years’.

‘It’s increasingly clear that we cannot continue to develop and build on dangerous floodplains, and risk putting more people in harm’s way…..

‘NSW Labor will adopt a proactive approach to planning and mitigating against the impact of floods and charge one minister with the responsibility of stopping further development on dangerous floodplains…..

Coastal development continues apace on large coastal floodplains with no attempt by the Minns Government to curb this risky practice. This is but one example....

IMAGE: The Daily Telegraph, 3 May 2023

Unfortunately, this is not an exhaustive list of issues.

In June 2023 Liberal-Nationals Coalition & Liberal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton still failing to breakthrough with the national electorate?

 

At the Saturday, 18 May 2019 Australian federal general election 15.8 million electors turned out to vote, with the vote result giving 77 seats in the House of Representatives to the Liberal-Nationals Coalition, 68 seats to the Labor Party and 6 seats to minor parties/independents.

Three years later the federal general election saw 15.4 million electors vote, with the vote result sending the Labor Party into government in the House of Representatives with 77 seats, the Liberal-Nationals Coalition forming the Opposition with 58 seats and minor parties/independents holding 16 seats.

Twelve months into the Albanese Government’s three-year term and there is a 10 point projected gap in TPP votes in its favour in the 4 June 2023 Newspoll. While there is a 27 point gap in Albanese’s favour when it comes to which leader is seen as better prime minister material.

The Coalition in June 2023 under Dutton is 8 points lower than the Coalition under Morrison in August 2019 (the first poll after the 2019 federal election) and, at 45 points, 2 points lower under Dutton than where the Coalition was placed on election day 2022. On the Newspoll continuum over the last twelve months Peter Dutton as party leader has never guided the Opposition to a poll score higher than 46 points.

Newspoll, 4 June 2023:

FEDERAL PRIMARY VOTE (FP)

Labor ALP — 38 (no change)

Coalition Lib/NP — 34 (no change)

Greens — 12 (+1)

One Nation — 6 (-1)

FEDERAL TWO-PARTY PREFERENTIAL VOTE (TPP)

Labor ALP — 55 (no change)

Coalition Lib/NP — 45 (no change)

BETTER PRIME MINISTER

Anthony Albanese — 55 (-1)

Peter Dutton — 28 (-1)

SUPPORT FOR THE INDIGENOUS & TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER VOICE TO PARLIAMENT REFERENDUM

YES — 46%

NO — 43%

UNDECIDED — 11%

Sources:

The Australian newspaper, Newspoll, 4 June 2023

Twitter @GhostWhoVotes, 4 June 2023

Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), 2019, 2022.