Save Wallum campaigners ready to fight off bulldozers

By Sarah Waters

Supporters of the Save Wallum campaign ensure there will be ‘a big community presence’ if developers try to proceed with earthworks on the unspoiled coastal heathland in Brunswick Heads.
Byron Shire Council staff will issue the subdivision works certificate for early stage one works to begin on the major and highly controversial housing estate, the developer has named as ‘Wallum.’

Images show koala scratching on large scribbly gums taken at the Wallum site marked for development.

Wallum, or wallum country, is actually, a coastal ecosystem along south-east Queensland, and northern NSW, characterised by flora-rich shrubland and heathland.
Developer Clarence Property Pty Ltd plan to build 124 residential lots, three medium density lots and supporting infrastructure on the culturally sacred and ecologically significant land at 15 Torakina Road, Brunswick Heads.

It is home to numerous threatened species, including nine federally listed Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES) such as the critically endangered Swift Parrot and Mitchell’s Rainforest Snail.

More than 5000 people have thrown their support behind the Save Wallum campaign since it started more than six months ago.
Campaigners have spent countless hours combing through environment and planning laws to try and stop what they call a ‘zombie development’ which was approved due to a loophole in NSW planning legislation.

The proposal for the Wallum housing development was approved by the Northern Regional Planning Panel (NRPP) in May 2023.
Save Wallum spokesperson and local ecologist James Barrie said the development did not reflect current environmental or cultural concerns and requirements.
At last week’s Byron Shire Council meeting he told councillors if they approved the subdivision works certificate, they were perpetuating known, incorrect information and allowing destruction of a precious environment.

“Corrections by expert (independent) ecologist David Milledge need to be heeded in detail and the plans updated to include the statutory requirements for the threatened species concerned,” he said.

Mr Barrie said Eucalyptus Signata at the site had been previously misidentified as Eucalyptus Racemosa.

“Significant koala feed trees have not been identified in the plans.

“We still don’t know the actual number of koala feed trees to be removed.

“This demonstrates the basic information that was requested, can’t be answered from the expert reports.

“So how can a VMP (vegetation management plan) address impacts on threatened species such as the koala when we don’t even know the number of koala feed trees to be removed,” he said.
Mr Barrie also slammed the developer’s ‘revised froglet management plan’ and stated there was no scientific evidence that artificially constructed frog ponds have ever worked.
Hundreds of community members were present at the meeting, voicing their disapproval – as they have done for months – about the development.
Councillors went into deadlock with four voting in favour to approve the subdivision certificate and four against.

After hours of debate, Mayor Michael Lyon used his casting vote to determine the matter, voting in favour of approving the application.

The ecologically and culturally significant Wallum heathland

Mr Lyon said he had made it ‘crystal clear’ from the beginning that council were limited in their power as the Northern Rivers Planning Pannel (NRPP) had already approved the development.
He said it would be better to have discussions with the developers about preserving parts of the site rather than ending up in court and potentially coming out with nothing.
The early stage one ‘ecological rehabilitation works’ certificate for the subdivision to start was subject to discussions to clarify some potential errors including, the VMP being updated.
Councillor Peter Westheimer, who was against the subdivision certificate being issued, asked ‘how much are the community willing to risk for Wallum.’
“I’d say a considerable amount,” Mr Westheimer said.

“Risking that the council has to go to court and the council will have costs, that’s just the way it is.
“I’ve been involved in lots of these issues since the early nineties, and it takes guts for the community, and it takes energy … but the community can win.
“Let’s look at some of the terms being thrown around in the environmental management plan, we have a ‘habitat translocation plan’ a ‘revised froglet management plan’ these terms are increasingly dystopian.

“They are all about humans trying to manage an environment which they want to destroy but trying to make themselves feel better along the way,” he said.
Supporter of the Save Wallum campaign Maria Lloyd said she and many others were left ‘really disappointed’ by the decision.
“We really hoped council would step up and support the community,” Ms Lloyd said.

“We’ve had incredible community support for this issue for months, council have received thousands of emails from members of the public.
“The issues of the environmental significance of the site and cultural values of the area have been brushed aside in favour of negotiations with a developer who has shown no respect for the area,” she said.

The Northern Rivers Times was unable to contact the developer before this story went to print.

But they told ABC they rejected claims from Save Wallum that environmental and cultural assessments carried out were inadequate.
Clarence Property’s managing director Peter Fahey has stated they have been rigorous and recent and gone through all the processes set out by the state government and the council.
A follow up on the developer’s comments will be in next week’s edition.

The Federal Environment Department said Clarence Property had been notified of its obligations under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.