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Writer's pictureThe Beagle

Councillors: whose side are you on?


The Beagle Editor,

Up to 5,000 properties in the Eurobodalla could be designated “vulnerable’ to sea level rise and coastal hazards under the new NSW Coastal Management Act. This represents 25% of the freehold sites in the shire.

If the bureaucrats within the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) and the Climate Change zealots that make up the Coastal Council have their way, these properties will be subject to a futuristic coastal management philosophy called “PLANNED RETREAT”.

”Planned Retreat" is bureaucratic jargon for the surrender to the sea of properties assessed as vulnerable to coastal hazards by your local council often on very dodgy grounds. Development, redevelopment and alterations are heavily restricted. Development approvals are conditional upon owners placing a caveat on their land titles and agreeing to remove all buildings at their own expense and then paying to have the land returned to it's original native state if a nominated "trigger point" is reached. If and when affected by sea level rise, the land is forfeited to the State without compensation.

And yes. This is happening in 21st century Australia, not 20th century Russia.

The local member and NSW Minister for Transport the Hon. Andrew Constance has made his position very clear. He has opposed "planned retreat" from the start. He restated his oposition to Planned retreat at a meeting with Surfside Residents on 25 February, having arranged $5 million from the NSW Government to protect the suburb. Andrew understands the angst planned retreat threats are causing our residents, and is genuinely working for the Eurobodalla coastal community.

On the other hand, most councillors who will decide what Coastal Management Plan is submitted to the Environment Minister for approval, and allow staff to impose draconian restrictions on development applications, are silent on the issue. Mayor Innes has declared she is also opposed to Planned Retreat and is supported by Councillor Maureen Nathan who has expressed her concern over the issue.

We will give the silent Councillors one month to declare their position on Planned Retreat to the residents of Surfside and to the coastal residents as a whole. Otherwise they will be featured in our Council hall of shame like the group of Central Coast Councillors who are blindly backing the climate change ideology of their Greens mayor.

The clock is ticking Eurobodalla Shire Councillors. Send us a statement on your position on planned retreat by 31st March 2019 or expect to be exposed to the Eurobodalla community as an uncaring “planned retreat” supporter.

Rosemary Deadman

Convenor Surfside Residents Group and

Vice President, Eurobodalla Coast Alliance

Mayor Innes has pledged her support to abolish Planned Retreat.

Councillor Liz Innes (Mayor)

PO Box 99

Moruya NSW 2537

Phone: 02 4474 1301

Mobile: 0417 411 851

mayor@esc.nsw.gov.au

Councillor Mayne has sat back and is waiting for a briefing first.

Councillor Anthony Mayne

PO Box 99

Moruya NSW 2537

Mobile: 0429 980 818

clranthony.mayne@esc.nsw.gov.au

Councillor Phil Constable undecided?

Councillor Phil Constable

PO Box 99

Moruya NSW 2537

Mobile: 0429 988 563

clrphil.constable@esc.nsw.gov.au

Councillor Pat McGinlay has made NO comment.

Councillor Patrick McGinlay

PO Box 99

Moruya NSW 2537

Mobile: 0418 960 728

clrpatrick.mcginlay@esc.nsw.gov.a

Councillor Maureen Nathan OPPOSES Planned Retreat.

Councillor Maureen Nathan

PO Box 99

Moruya NSW 2537

Mobile: 0429 957 403

clrmaureen.nathan@esc.nsw.gov.a

Councillor Rob Pollock has made NO comment.

Councillor Robert Pollock OAM (Deputy Mayor)

PO Box 99

Moruya NSW 2537

Mobile: 0427 735 375

clrrob.pollock@esc.nsw.gov.au

Councillor Jack Tait has made No comment

Councillor Jack Tait

PO Box 99

Moruya NSW 2537

Mobile: 0429 959 487

clrjack.tait@esc.nsw.gov.au

Councillor Lindsay Brown has made NO comment.

Councillor Lindsay Brown

PO Box 99

Moruya NSW 2537

Mobile: 0418 279 215

clrlindsay.brown@esc.nsw.gov.au

Councillor James Thomson has made NO comment.

Councillor James Thomson

PO Box 99

Moruya NSW 2537

Home: 4477 9337

Mobile: 0418 546 907

clrjames.thomson@esc.nsw.gov.au

NOTE: Comments were TRIALED - in the end it failed as humans will be humans and it turned into a pile of merde; only contributed to by just a handful who did little to add to the conversation of the issue at hand. Anyone who would like to contribute an opinion are encouraged to send in a Letter to the Editor where it might be considered for publication

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