The Beagle Editor,
Time to rebrand the ‘Nature Coast’ as the ‘Developers Coast’.
The Eurobodalla Shire Council area has been branded the ‘Nature Coast’ for some years now. Its time that was changed. Let’s be honest. Its more like ‘The Developers Coast’.
In 2018 the Rural Lands Strategy amendments to the Eurobodalla Local Environment Plan were adopted by the present Council. There was very significant community opposition to the zoning changes that resulted from these amendments to the plan and for good reason.
It was feared that so called rural land, including sensitive environmental areas, would be opened up for a range of inappropriate developments. Those concerns are coming to pass as evidenced by land presently up for sale in Mossy Point.
This last little patch of forest is already suffering from death by a thousand cuts with a private dwelling having been allowed in a previously zoned environmental protection site along the river.
The remnant Bangalay Sand Forest in this area is at risk and now there is the potential for further development of a 14- lot subdivision in an area that has been mapped as a denning site of the threatened yellow-bellied glider.
The incredible increase in ‘real estate’ prices is not helping. The voraciousness of the ‘market’ feeds ever escalating prices and private self- interest is ready to cash in. Any further development in this precious remnant forest is likely to push out native animals that have already been decimated by the Black Summer fires.
With so much habitat affected in the fires, 80% of our shire, it is more important than ever to protect remnant areas of forest such as this one at Mossy Point. Frankly, it is inconceivable that anyone with a beating heart could proceed with further destruction of this habitat.
There is really no need for it other than perhaps to enrich land holders. The area around Broulee, Mossy Point, Tomakin and Rosedale is already being significantly developed and the character and ‘nature’ of this part of the coast is deteriorating before our very eyes.
With the large development at Oaks Ranch being proposed essentially the whole area between Mossy Point and the highway, and certainly along the coastal strip, is likely to become increasingly urbanised. This all means more traffic, more noise, less nature. As the writer Elizabeth Farrelly says, developer ‘urban sprawl conquers all”. (SMH.April 10-11, 2021).
When did the community get a say in this? The answer is, the community spoke, but council did not listen to the majority of voices.
And now we are expected to just watch it all go. Including the threatened species and other wildlife that have no voice or choice in this human ‘development’ of their home.
The fact is that the Rural Lands Strategy amendments to the Eurobodalla Local Environment Plan will enable more and more inappropriate development. Council say they will deal with each application at the individual DA level. Given the type and extent of other developments it is hard to trust this process. It is genuinely sad to have to say that so many have lost faith in this council to be good stewards of our so called ‘Nature Coast’. It could have been different.
Time to be honest and rebrand.
Name supplied but not published in case of inevitable, vindictive backlash
