Something to think about as many of us frolic by the sea over the holidays

Something to think about from the NSW Dept. of Environment, Climate Change and Water as many of us in New South Wales frolic by the sea over the holidays:

The NSW Government has adopted a Sea Level Rise Policy Statement (NSW Government 2009) to support consistent adaptation to projected sea level rise impacts. The Policy Statement includes sea level rise planning benchmarks for use in assessing the potential impacts of projected sea level rise in coastal areas, including flood risk and coastal hazard assessments, development assessment, coastal infrastructure design processes and land use planning exercises.

These benchmarks are a projected rise in sea level (relative to the 1990 mean sea level) of 0.4 metres by 2050 and 0.9 metres by 2100 (Department of Environment, Climate Change

and Water (DECCW) 2009). The projections were derived from sea level rise projections by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2007) and the CSIRO (McInnes et al

2007). These benchmarks will be periodically reviewed…..

Depending on the rate and scale of sea level rise, the environmental, social and economic consequences, in particular within low-lying intertidal areas, are expected to be significant.

In addition to open coast recession and higher inundation levels, saltwater intrusion and landward advance of tidal limits within estuaries will have significant implications for freshwater and saltwater ecosystems and development margins, particularly building structures and foundation systems within close proximity to the shoreline. Existing coastal gravity drainage, stormwater infrastructure and sewerage systems may become compromised over time as the mean sea level rises. Sea level rise will also influence entrance opening regimes for intermittently closed and open lakes and lagoons (ICOLLs). The level of protection provided by existing seawalls and other hard engineering structures will decrease over time due to the increasing threat from larger storm surges and inundation at higher projected water levels….

Increasing mean sea level over time will have two primary impacts within and adjacent to tidal waterways:

 increasing still water levels over time and

 subsequent recession of unconsolidated shorelines.

Old Bar NSW

Belongil NSW

Kingscliff NSW

Forster NSW

Hawks Nest NSW

* Photographs found at Google Images

NSW North Coast development referred to the Independent Commission Against Corruption

A tale the NSW North Coast has heard many times before – a metropolitan-based developer is allegedly using a handful of local investors to hopefully cloak his proposed over-development with a modicum of legitimacy.

West Byron at North Coast Nature

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE WEST BYRON LANDOWNERS:

01/10/2014

Dear Warren Simmons, Peter Croke, Gary Macdonald, Alan Heathcote, Tony Smith, Terry Agnew, Timothy Stringer, Ronald Geeves, David O’Connor, Kevin Rodgers and Richard Sykes,
We, the people of Byron Bay,  want to let you know that we believe you would be doing an irreversible harm to our town if your proposed rezoning and subsequent development of the West Byron wetlands goes through.
If this land is rezoned for intensive residential and industrial development, our lovely low-key, laid-back town would become a congested mess and look like so many other ruined coastal towns. The natural environment that brings people here must be protected; we will not accept more appalling traffic queues into town and an overcrowded parking nightmare.
We have asked, via your representative Stuart Murray, for meetings and for genuine community consultation but you have declined. You can do something about this terrible plan. You can stop it. For your property you can submit a more reasonable proposal to Council that avoids the most sensitive areas, enables an amount of development that will not overwhelm Byron’s ability to cope with it and still makes you sizeable profits.

Please consider the wellbeing of Byron Bay residents, the tourism industry, local koalas and the Belongil estuary and don’t attempt to sacrifice them for your profit. We will not accept this development.

Signed:

See full list of signatures here.

Echo NetDaily 1 October 2014:

The West Byron development proposal is to be referred to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) today (Tuesday) by NSW Greens MLC and former Byron mayor Jan Barham.

Ms Barham told The Echo that the site ‘may have been wrongly defined’ and is worthy of investigation. ‘The community deserves to be assured that a project of this scale has not been brought forward for state approval wrongly.’

‘I believe that it is important that this matter is clarified before any assessment of the proposal by the government,’ she said.

The 108-hectare land is currently under planning minister Pru Goward’s determination for large-scale housing/industrial development, and sits just 2.5 kilometres west of the CBD on Ewingsdale Road.The Echo understands that Sydney-based developer Terry Agnew is by far the largest shareholder at around 80 per cent, along with other local investors.

Ms Barham says there appears to be ‘irregularities’ from when the site was defined in 2009 as West Byron Bay Urban Release Area for inclusion in the Major Development SEPP.

It comes after a meeting was held between Ms Barham, local state MP Don Page (Nationals) and members from the Byron Residents Group last week……

Coal seam gas survey for Yamba

Letter to the Editor in the Clarence Valley Review on 12 February 2014:

Richmond Valley Watchdog alerts Northern Rivers to NSW Government's search for two new spin meisters

From the Richmond Valley Watchdog’s post NSW Government Hires Spin Doctors to Flog Flawed Planning Laws on 8 September 2013: