North Coast flood plain probe cut short
By Tim Howard
Northern Rivers residents will miss out on an opportunity to quiz members of a NSW Parliamentary committee investigating laws relating to flood plain development when it visit later this month.
The Portfolio Committee 7 headed by North Coast-based Greens MLC Sue Higginson, has toured the South Coast and Sydney areas where residents have been able to make submissions and committee members have conducted site visits of key areas.
The committee was scheduled to begin a similar tour of North Coast regions from Port Macquarie to Tweed later this month, but at the last minute the tour has been cut back to just two days, in which committee members will conduct site visits.
Yamba residents group Yamba Community Action Network was disappointed to learn of the decision.
“Originally, the committee was to conduct hearings and 12 sites visits in the NSW mid-north and north coast region,” a spokesperson said.
“However the days for undertaking site visits has been limited to two days and it appears only five site visits will be conducted in the mid-north and north coast area.
“It appears the committee will now be undertaking site visits at South West Rocks, Yamba, Maclean, Evans Head and Brunswick Heads.”
The site visits in Yamba and Maclean will occur on the morning of May 31.
Ms Higginson said it was disappointing the committee visit had been cut short.
“The fact that Mid and North Coast communities will not have an opportunity to have hearings in their towns is not equitable,” she said.
“Our ideal outcome would have allowed for site visits and hearings across four days, but we have been limited to covering every community north of Port Macquarie in just two days,”
“The visits could be described as ‘high level’ as they will give committee members a general understanding of the developments that communities are struggling against,”
But Ms Higginson said the community could still have valuable input into the committee’s knowledge base by submitting document packets to the committee.
“Document packets that demonstrate the risks or history of the site are very valuable,” she said.
“These could include photos taken during high fain fall events or evidence of threatened environmental features.
“The evidence provided to the committee will be used in the preparation of the committee report and recommendations to the government.”
Residents can attend the site visits, but would need to understand they are not designed for contact with committee members.
“The committee has invited specific groups that have either made submissions or have contacted the committee,” Ms Higginson said.
“It is ultimately up to the groups invited who they bring on the site visits.
People with good knowledge and varied perspectives should be considered.
“The site visits are not intended for the general community, but the committee cannot prevent people from attending at the same time.”
She said the information gathered would be part of an interim report in August that will make recommendations to the government based on evidence in submissions, hearings and site visits. “We have already heard and received some excellent evidence demonstrating how the planning system is and isn’t working for communities, the natural environment and addressing the impacts of climate change,” Ms Higginson said.
Yamba CAN Inc members were concerned the visit to the Clarence had been cut short as it had just been revealed in the NSW State Disaster Mitigation Plan 2024-2026 that the Valley had the highest flood risk.
“Surely this triggers the necessity for the committee to provide hearings in the mid-north and north coast regions of NSW,” the spokesperson said.
“The Minister for Planning and Open Spaces, Paul Scully headed the decision to “scrap” rezoning plans for suburbs in western Sydney, including Marsden Park North and parts of West Schofields, which were due to be developed with more than 10,000 homes.
“Plans for the new Riverstone Town Centre will also no longer go ahead.”
YambaCAN was concerned similar issues for areas that affected them would be ignored.
“We ask, when do residents lives and livelihoods matter on the North Coast of NSW,” the spokesperson said.
“Will council and the State Government continue to allow developments that detrimentally impact existing residents with the ongoing fill of the floodplain, to the extent of potentially risking the safe and efficient evacuation of people, risking lives in the process?
“Will existing homes and the homes in the already approved developments be able to obtain house insurance?
“Will the council continue to approve development on the Yamba floodplain?”
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