Fight continues over the fate of those parts of Wallum Wetlands in private hands

Wallum Land
IMAGE: Mac Maderski at savewallum.com
 

“You are literally holding a front line between extinction and survival.... We must stand strong together. You are mighty powerful. You are the frontline. You are even bigger than this magic place, Wallum, and together we are going to win this.” [Greens State MP & Northern Rivers resident Susan Higginson addressing the March Against Zombies on 1 March 2024]

Torakina Road, Brunswick Heads NSW, Lot 13 DP 1251383 and environs

Vegetation mapping of Lot 13 DP 1251383 and environs

Echo, 19 April 2024:

The company behind the Wallum housing development in Brunswick Heads is once again taking Byron Council to court, this time for allegedly holding up its planned earthworks at the site in an unlawful manner.

As thousands of locals continue their campaign to save the heathland site from becoming home to 124 housing lots, Clarence Property has lodged an appeal against Council’s ‘deemed refusal’ of its stage 2 subdivision works certificate.

The developer needs Council to issue this certificate, which is essentially a procedural box-ticking exercise, before it can start undertaking bulk earthworks at Wallum.

But the process has been delayed by Council requesting additional information from Clarence about stormwater management, and seeking further consultation with the traditional owners.

The developer is arguing that this delay amounts to a ‘deemed refusal’ of its subdivision works certificate because of the length and nature of the delay, and has lodged an appeal against this refusal in the Land and Environment Court (LEC).

‘An application to the Land & Environment court is an increasingly common approach that Developers look to take in order to preserve their legal rights with local councils,’ Clarence Property CEO, Simon Kennedy told The Echo.

‘It’s not Clarence Property’s preferred approach; however, where a matter becomes protracted or political, it may be the best way to resolve the issue.’

Second court case

It is the second time Clarence has commenced proceedings against Council in the LEC for deemed refusal of a subdivision works certificate in the past three months.

On the first occasion, which related to a construction certificate for ecological rehabilitation works, Clarence halted its action against Council when a slim majority of councillors voted to sign off on the certificate.

The February 8 casting vote by mayor Michael Lyon was supported by councillors Mark Swivel, Asren Pugh and Alan Hunter.

They argued part of the reason for authorising the works certificate was advice provided by Council’s legal team, which suggested that Council had few prospects of successfully defending such a case.

This was largely because the development had already been approved by the Northern Regional Planning Panel.

If Council had chosen to pursue the matter and then lost, they suggested Council could have faced a substantial legal bill that included paying Clarence Property’s legal costs.

However, there is strong support from the Save Wallum campaign, the community and other councillors, to pursue legal action regardless of the likely outcome.

They argue that taking this step could encourage the developer to amend its plans, or at least buy time for other avenues to bear fruit.....

The Wallum site, located next to the Bayside housing estate, is home to multiple threatened species, including the wallum froglet and the wallum sedge frog....

On the morning of Thursday 18 April 2024 at its monthly meeting Byron Shire Council again considered the matter set out below. As of Sunday 20 April the minutes of this meeting have not been published on its website.

BYRON SHIRE COUNCIL

STAFF REPORTS - SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT AND ECONOMY 13.9

Ordinary Meeting Agenda

18 April 2024 page 148

Report No. 13.9 Wallum Subdivision DA10.2021.575.1 -

Response to Council Resolution 23-454 -

Stormwater and Cultural Heritage Site

Inspection Plan

5 Directorate: Sustainable Environment and Economy

Report Author: Chris Larkin, Manager Sustainable Development

File No: I2024/260

Summary:

Council considered a Notice of Motion 9.2 Wallum DA10.2021.575.1 referral and assessment Agenda of Ordinary (Planning) Meeting - Thursday, 12 October 2023 and resolved under Parts 5, 6 and 7 of Resolution 23-454 to receive certain assessments of certain plans, and for those assessments to be reported back to Council.

This report responds to Parts 5(e) and (f) in terms of stormwater maintenance management plan for the existing drain (Condition 12), the Cultural Heritage Inspection Plan (Condition 18), Part 6 in terms of further consultation with the traditional custodians of the land and Part 7 in relation to further stormwater commentary around Condition 11.

The development has been approved in a number of stages. The matters for consideration in this report relates to three of the sixteen conditions relevant to Early Stage 2 Bulk Earthworks.

Based on the assessment below, staff recommend that Council notes the report.

RECOMMENDATION:

That Council notes the report Wallum Subdivision DA 10.2021.575.1 - Response to 25 Council Resolution 23-454 - Stormwater and Cultural Heritage Site Inspection Plan.... 

Put on the spot in state parliament last month the NSW Minister for Planning & Public Spaces Paul Scully pointed to his referral on 10 October 2023 of the question of historical development applications to the NSW Legislative Assembly Committee on Environment and Planning.

The Committee only announced its Inquiry into historical development consents in NSW and called for submissions on 19 March 2024 but makes no mention holding public hearings and is yet to publish any submissions it may have received to date.

This state parliamentary inquiry will do nothing to halt unlisted Clarence Property Corporation Limited - issuer of the PDS for Clarence Property Diversified Investment Trust (formerly Westlawn Property Trust) & Epig Lennox Property Trust - as it continues to swing its wrecking ball through what remains of natural landscapes in coastal areas of the NSW Northern Rivers region.

Cartoons of the week

 

David Rowe

Cathy Wilcox

Peter Broelman

Putin has banned 550 Australians from entering Russia over the last two years - including many currently elected federal MPs & Senators, the former premiers of Victoria & South Australia, as well a number of senior public servants

On 7 April 2022 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation announced that all the then current members of the Parliament of Australia were banned from entering Russian territory.

Presumably because Russian President Vladimir Putin was responding to Australia's sanctions on Russia since 2014 in relation to Russia's aggression towards Ukraine.

This entry ban apparently remains in place for those named sitting MPs and Senators remaining in the Australian Parliament in 2024.

Which means that the NSW Northern Rivers region has two banned MPs - the Members for Richmond and Page.

7 April 2022 18:54

Foreign Ministry statement on personal sanctions on senior officials and MPs of Australia

755-07-04-2022

Obediently following the policy set by the collective West, Canberra has fallen into a Russophobic frenzy and introduced sanctions against Russia’s senior leadership and practically all members of parliament. In response, on April 7, 2022, Russia added to its stop list members of the Australian National Security Committee, House of Representatives, Senate and regional legislative assemblies. They are denied entry into the Russian Federation.

This step comes in response to the unfriendly actions by the current Australian Government, which is prepared to support any actions aimed at containing Russia.

Subsequent announcements will expand the sanctions blacklist to include Australian military, entrepreneurs, experts and media figures who contribute to negative perceptions of our country. We will resolutely oppose every anti-Russia action – from the introduction of new personal sanctions to restrictions on bilateral economic ties, which is doing damage to bilateral economic relations.

Below is the list of Australian citizens who are denied entry into the Russian Federation.

1 Scott Morrison, Prime Minister

2 Barnaby Joyce, Deputy Prime Minister

3 Karen Andrews, Minister for Home Affairs

4 Simon Birmingham, Minister for Finance

5 Patrick Gorman, MP, House of Representatives

6 Luke Gosling, MP, House of Representatives

7 Peter Dutton, Minister for Defence

8 Michaelia Cash, Attorney-General

9 Marise Payne, Minister for Foreign Affairs

10 Joshua Frydenberg, Treasurer

11 Anthony Albanese, MP, House of Representatives

12 John Alexander, MP, House of Representatives

13 Katrina Allen, MP, House of Representatives

14 Anne Aly, MP, House of Representatives

15 Kevin Andrews, MP, House of Representatives

16 Bridget Archer, MP, House of Representatives

17 Adam Bandt, MP, House of Representatives

18 Angie Bell, MP, House of Representatives

19 Sharon Bird, MP, House of Representatives

20 Christopher Bowen, MP, House of Representatives

21 Russell Broadbent, MP, House of Representatives

22 Scott Buchholz, MP, House of Representatives

23 Anthony Burke, MP, House of Representatives

24 Linda Burney, MP, House of Representatives

25 Josh Burns, MP, House of Representatives

26 Mark Butler, MP, House of Representatives

27 Terri Butler, MP, House of Representatives

28 Anthony Byrne, MP, House of Representatives

29 James Chalmers, MP, House of Representatives

30 Darren Chester, MP, House of Representatives

31 Lisa Chesters, MP, House of Representatives

32 George Christensen, MP, House of Representatives

33 Jason Clare, MP, House of Representatives

34 Sharon Claydon, MP, House of Representatives

35 Elizabeth Coker, MP, House of Representatives

36 David Coleman, MP, House of Representatives

37 Julie Collins, MP, House of Representatives

38 Patrick Conaghan, MP, House of Representatives

39 Vincent Connelly, MP, House of Representatives

40 Patrick Conroy, MP, House of Representatives

41 Mark Coulton, MP, House of Representatives

42 Dugald Dick, MP, House of Representatives

43 Mark Dreyfus, MP, House of Representatives

44 Damian Drum, MP, House of Representatives

45 Maria [Justine] Elliot, MP, House of Representatives

46 Warren Entsch, MP, House of Representatives

47 Trevor Evans, MP, House of Representatives

48 Jason Falinski, MP, House of Representatives

49 Joel Fitzgibbon, MP, House of Representatives

50 Paul Fletcher, MP, House of Representatives

51 Nicolle Flint, MP, House of Representatives

52 Michael Freelander, MP, House of Representatives

53 Andrew Gee, MP, House of Representatives

54 Steven Georganas, MP, House of Representatives

55 Andrew Giles, MP, House of Representatives

56 David Gillespie, MP, House of Representatives

57 Ian Goodenough, MP, House of Representatives

58 Helen Haines, MP, House of Representatives

59 Garth Hamilton, MP, House of Representatives

60 Celia Hammond, MP, House of Representatives

61 Andrew Hastie, MP, House of Representatives

62 Alexander Hawke, MP, House of Representatives

63 Christopher Hayes, MP, House of Representatives

64 Julian Hill, MP, House of Representatives

65 Kevin Hogan, MP, House of Representatives

66 Luke Howarth, MP, House of Representatives

67 Gregory Hunt, MP, House of Representatives

68 Edham Husic, MP, House of Representatives

69 Stephen Irons, MP, House of Representatives

70 Stephen Jones, MP, House of Representatives

71 Robert Katter, MP, House of Representatives

72 Gerardine Kearney, MP, House of Representatives

73 Craig Kelly, MP, House of Representatives

74 Matt Keogh, MP, House of Representatives

75 Peter Khalil, MP, House of Representatives

76 Catherine King, MP, House of Representatives

77 Madeleine King, MP, House of Representatives

78 Andrew Laming, MP, House of Representatives

79 Michelle Landry, MP, House of Representatives

80 Julian Leeser, MP, House of Representatives

81 Andrew Leigh, MP, House of Representatives

82 Sussan Ley, MP, House of Representatives

83 David Littleproud, MP, House of Representatives

84 Gladys Liu, MP, House of Representatives

85 Nola Marino, MP, House of Representatives

86 Richard Marles, MP, House of Representatives

87 Fiona Martin, MP, House of Representatives

88 Kristy McBain, MP, House of Representatives

89 Emma McBride, MP, House of Representatives

90 Michael McCormack, MP, House of Representatives

91 Melissa McIntosh, MP, House of Representatives

92 Brian Mitchell, MP, House of Representatives

93 Robert Mitchell, MP, House of Representatives

94 Ben Morton, MP, House of Representatives

95 Daniel Mulino, MP, House of Representatives

96 Peta Murphy, MP, House of Representatives

97 Shayne Neumann, MP, House of Representatives

98 Edward O'Brien, MP, House of Representatives

99 Llewellyn O'Brien, MP, House of Representatives

100 Brendan O'Connor, MP, House of Representatives

101 Kenneth O'Dowd, MP, House of Representatives

102 Clare O'Neil, MP, House of Representatives

103 Julie Owens, MP, House of Representatives

104 Antony Pasin, MP, House of Representatives

105 Alicia Payne, MP, House of Representatives

106 Gavin Pearce, MP, House of Representatives

107 Graham Perrett, MP, House of Representatives

108 Fiona Phillips MP, House of Representatives

109 Keith Pitt, MP, House of Representatives

110 Tanya Plibersek, MP, House of Representatives

111 Charles Porter, MP, House of Representatives

112 Melissa Price, MP, House of Representatives

113 Rowan Ramsey, MP, House of Representatives

114 Armanda Rishworth, MP, House of Representatives

115 Stuart Robert, MP, House of Representatives

116 Michelle Rowland, MP, House of Representatives

117 Joanne Ryan, MP, House of Representatives

118 Rebekha Sharkie, MP, House of Representatives

119 Devanand Sharma, MP, House of Representatives

120 William Shorten, MP, House of Representatives

121 Julian Simmonds, MP, House of Representatives

122 Anthony Smith, MP, House of Representatives

123 David Smith, MP, House of Representatives

124 Warren Snowdon, MP, House of Representatives

125 Anne Stanley, MP, House of Representatives

126 Zali Steggall, MP, House of Representatives

127 James Stevens, MP, House of Representatives

128 Michael Sukkar, MP, House of Representatives

129 Meryl Swanson, MP, House of Representatives

130 Angus Taylor, MP, House of Representatives

131 Daniel Tehan, MP, House of Representatives

132 Susan Templeman, MP, House of Representatives

133 Matthew Thistlethwaite, MP, House of Representatives

134 Phillip Thompson, MP, House of Representatives

135 Kate Thwaites, MP, House of Representatives

136 Alan Tudge, MP, House of Representatives

137 Maria Vamvakinou, MP, House of Representatives

138 Albertus van Manen, MP, House of Representatives

139 Ross Vasta, MP, House of Representatives

140 Andrew Wallace, MP, House of Representatives

141 Timothy Watts, MP, House of Representatives

142 Anne Webster, MP, House of Representatives

143 Anika Wells, MP, House of Representatives

144 Lucy Wicks, MP, House of Representatives

145 Andrew Wilkie, MP, House of Representatives

146 Joshua Wilson, MP, House of Representatives

147 Richard Wilson, MP, House of Representatives

148 Timothy Wilson, MP, House of Representatives

149 Jason Wood, MP, House of Representatives

150 Kenneth Wyatt, MP, House of Representatives

151 Terry Young, MP, House of Representatives

152 Antonio Zappia, MP, House of Representatives

153 Trent Zimmerman, MP, House of Representatives

154 Eric Abetz, Senator

155 Alex Antic, Senator

156 Wendy Askew, Senator

157 Tim Ayres, Senator

158 Catryna Bilyk, Senator

159 Andrew Bragg, Senator

160 Slade Brockman, Senator

161 Carol Brown, Senator

162 Matthew Canavan, Senator

163 Kim Carr, Senator

164 Claire Chandler, Senator

165 Anthony Chisholm, Senator

166 Raff Ciccone, Senator

167 Richard Colbeck, Senator

168 Dorinda Cox, Senator

169 Perin Davey, Senator

170 Patrick Dodson, Senator

171 Jonathon Duniam, Senator

172 Don Farrell, Senator

173 Mehreen Faruqi, Senator

174 David Fawcett, Senator

175 Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, Senator

176 Katy Gallagher, Senator

177 Nita Green, Senator

178 Stirling Griff, Senator

179 Karen Grogan, Senator

180 Pauline Hanson, Senator

181 Sarah Hanson-Young, Senator

182 Sarah Henderson, Senator

183 Hollie Hughes, Senator

184 Jane Hume, Senator

185 Kristina Keneally, Senator

186 Kimberley Kitching, Senator

187 Jacqui Lambie, Senator

188 Sue Lines, Senator

189 Jenny McAllister, Senator

190 Malarndirri McCarthy, Senator

191 Susan McDonald, Senator

192 James McGrath, Senator

193 Bridget McKenzie, Senator

194 Nick McKim, Senator

195 Andrew McLachlan, Senator

196 Sam McMahon, Senator

197 Greg Mirabella, Senator

198 Jim Molan, Senator

199 Deborah O`Neill, Senator

200 Matt O`Sullivan, Senator

201 James Paterson, Senator

202 Rex Patrick, Senator

203 Hellen Polley, Senator

204 Louise Pratt, Senator

205 Gerard Rennick, Senator

206 Linda Reynolds, Senator

207 Janet Rice, Senator

208 Malcolm Roberts, Senator

209 Anne Ruston, Senator

210 Paul Scarr, Senator

211 Zed Seselja, Senator

212 Tony Sheldon, Senator

213 Ben Small, Senator

214 Dean Smith, Senator

215 Marielle Smith, Senator

216 Jordon Steele-John, Senator

217 Glenn Sterle, Senator

218 Amanda Stoker, Senator

219 Lidia Thorpe, Senator

220 Anne Urquhart, Senator

221 David Van, Senator

222 Jess Walsh, Senator

223 Larissa Waters, Senator

224 Murray Watt, Senator

225 Peter Whish-Wilson, Senator

226 Penny Wong, Senator

227 Matthew Guy, legislative assembly member

228 Steve Dimopoulos, legislative assembly member

This was followed by the promised additional banning lists, as it appears that along with the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Japan and the EU, Australia continues to irritate Vladimir Putin.

21 July 2022 19:17

Foreign Ministry statement on introducing personal sanctions on representatives of Australia’s law enforcement agencies, border force and defence sector contractors

1514-21-07-2022

In response to the official Canberra’s adoption of sanctions in line with the Australian version of the Magnitsky Act, the Russian Federation has added 39 people from law enforcement agencies, the border force and Australia’s defence sector contractors to the national stop list.

The names of the blacklisted people are as follows:.....

All 39 names can be found on the Russian Foreign Ministry website at

https://mid.ru/en/press_service/spokesman/official_statement/1823204/

21 June 2023 18:24

Foreign Ministry statement on the introduction of personal sanctions against Australian citizens

1217-21-06-2023

In response to the politically motivated sanctions against Russian individuals and legal entities introduced by the Australian government as part of the Russophobic campaign by the collective West, entry to Russia is closed indefinitely for additional 48 Australians from among contractors of the military-industrial complex, journalists and municipal deputies who are creating the anti-Russian agenda in that country. Their names are as follows:.....

All 48 names can be found on the Russian Foreign Ministry website at

https://mid.ru/en/press_service/spokesman/official_statement/1890258/

17 April 2024 11:23

Foreign Ministry statement on personal sanctions on members of Australia’s municipal councils

703-17-04-2024

In response to the politically motivated sanctions imposed on Russian private individuals and legal entities by the Government of Australia as part of the collective West’s Russophobic campaign, the decision has been made to indefinitely deny entry to Russia to 235 Australian nationals who are members of municipal councils actively promoting the anti-Russia agenda in their country. The complete list of individuals affected by this measure follows below.

Given that official Canberra shows no sign of renouncing its anti-Russia position and the continued introduction of new sanctions, we will further update the Russian stop list accordingly.....

All 235 names can be found on the Russian Foreign Ministry website at

https://mid.ru/en/press_service/spokesman/official_statement/1944697/ 

When will men stop blaming the ME TOO Movement for women's present outrage? EVERY SINGLE FEMALE in Australia was born into a world where all women are always vulnerable & unsafe and we absorbed this fact with the air we breathe

 

The  Me Too Movement began in the United States around 2006 and in 2017 the #meetoo hashtag went viral when actress Alyssa Milano tweeted ‘me too’ in the United States and in Australia journalist Tracy Spicer invited women to tell their story after the Weinstein scandal broke. 

However, the female experience in Australia had always been hiding in plain sight from those in authority and ever keenly felt by women & girls who had experienced physical violence and/or sexual assault in the home, in the workplace or in public spaces.

By way of example.

First the murders......

This my friends sums it all up, women’s lives today, tomorrow and everyday 👇🏻#MakeItStop#March4Justice @march4justiceau

pic.twitter.com/hUP5HKASkl

— Janine Hendry @_Janine_Hendry on Threads | Insta (@janine_hendry) April 15, 2024

 

Now the sexual assaults/rapes......

2022

Sexual Assault Reported To Police

According to ABS Recorded Crime – Victims data, in Australia in 2022: 

32,100 sexual assaults were recorded, with 5 in 6 (84% or 27,000) perpetrated against females the rate of sexual assault was higher for females (206 per 100,000), than males (39 per 100,000) there was significant variation in sexual assault rates between states and territories. ACT had the lowest rate of sexual assaults (71 per 100,000 persons) while NSW had the highest rate (152 per 100,000) (ABS 2023a)..... There was a 43% increase in the rates of police-recorded sexual assault for women between 2010 and 2022.[Australian Government, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), 12 April 2024]  

2019

Sexual Assault

In 2019 there were 26,892 victims of sexual assault in Australia, an increase of 2% from the previous year. This was the eighth consecutive annual increase and the highest number for this offence recorded in a single year. After accounting for population growth, the victimisation rate has also increased annually over this eight-year period from 83 to 106 victims per 100,000 persons.

For victims of sexual assault in 2019:

• The majority (83%) were female (22,337 victims)
• Around two-thirds (67%) occurred in a residential location (17,395 victims)
• A third were FDV-related (8,985 victims)
• Almost all (95%) did not involve a weapon (25,583 victims)

[ABS, Victims of Crime Australia 2019, 9 July 2020] 

2000

Summary of Findings 

There were 2,804 male and 12,396 female victims of sexual assault. The highest victimisation rates were recorded for males aged 0–14 years and for females aged 15–19 years, with 61% of all victims aged 19 years or younger. Similar proportions of male and female victims knew the offender (64% of male victims and 61% of female victims), and for both sexes approximately one-quarter of all offenders were family members. Almost two-thirds (64%) of all sexual assaults occurred in a residential location and almost all sexual assaults did not involve weapon use (98%). Less than half (41%) of all sexual assault investigations were finalised within 30 days of the offence becoming known to police, and of these 58% resulted in an offender being proceeded against. [ABS, Recorded Crime Australia 2000, 30 May 2001]

1998

Most victims of sexual assault were female (80%). Almost half (47%) were females aged under 20 years. The total number of sexual assaults recorded was 14,568 at a rate of 78 for every 100,000 people. The highest victimisation rates were recorded in the Northern Territory (124 per 100,000 people) and Western Australia (100 per 100,000 people)....The number of victims of sexual assault increased slightly (1.5%), rising from 14,353 victims in 1997 to 14,568 victims in 1998. [ABS, Recorded Crime Australia 1998, 16 June 1999]