NOVEMBER 22, 2018
YOUR INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
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PH: 4325 7369
ISSUE 196
Community up in arms over clearing of Crown Land T
he NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) has launched an official compliance investigation into alleged clearing of Crown Land at MacMasters Beach, while Central Coast Council continues to work, with multiple agencies, on an investigation of alleged clearing without permission on private land at a James Norton Rd property, located between Bensville and MacMasters Beach. For over two weeks, concerned MacMasters Beach residents have been waiting for Central Coast Council, and or OEH, to respond to reports of what they consider to be clearing of bushland by a private landowner without appropriate permissions. Coast Community News has contacted a family member of the land owners, believed to be three siblings, and they are expected to issue a statement through their legal representatives. Kel Butcher, spokesperson for the unnamed group of concerned MacMasters Beach residents, said that over two weeks ago, one of his neighbours heard machinery in the bush, “went and had a look, and saw two machines starting to clear the bush. “He was told it was only clearing along the fence line, but the contractor went on to clearing large patches of land that had nothing to do with the boundary fence,” Butcher said.
Note how little the man is in relation to space cleared
“Big trees have been cut down in addition to the bush that has been cleared with the machines,” he said. Butcher said residents were particularly concerned about clearing that has occurred on non-private land, since confirmed as Crown Land. A neighbouring property has a native conservation caveat over some of its land which has also, allegedly, been cleared, along with remnant rainforest on the Crown Land at the MacMasters Beach end of the property. The site has been visited by Central Coast Mayor, Jane Smith, Member for Terrigal, Adam Crouch, and Labor Candidate for the seat of Terrigal, Central Coast Councillor, Jeff Sundstrom.
Police have also been called to the area on several occasions since the land clearing commenced. “The Mayor was fairly guarded in her comments. “It’s nice that she came to visit, and we all respect the fact that there is an investigation underway,” Butcher said. “What we want to know is why it has taken so long for someone to make a decision about what is allowable and what is not allowable. “It is 16 days since this started, we know Council has issued the stop work order, but is there going to be any punitive action for the damage caused? “We have not yet been told what remedies are available. “OEH has jurisdiction over
the public land, but we are just going around in circles at the moment, nobody is taking responsibility for what is happening. “No one is saying ‘yes’, this is our jurisdiction, but we also do understand that it is a complex investigation by Council, and they are saying that they are doing everything in their power. “There are quite a few adjoining neighbours keeping an eye and ear out for any further action that may take place. “We have a very concerned community group that will respond very quickly if anything does happen. “The chainsawed trees included 100, or more, year old angophoras, and you won’t
get trees of that maturity back for the next three generations, and they are habitat, once they are down, they are lost for generations. “We all respect people and we understand that land owners have rights, but we want things done according to the law and through the right channels, we don’t think anyone can just go in and ignore the laws and destroy the bush like that.” Adam Crouch issued a statement on Monday, November 19, that National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and Central Coast Council were working together and had appropriately intervened to prevent any further illegal clearing. “I thank the number of local
residents who contacted me and brought this to my attention,” Crouch said. “As such, I was subsequently able to arrange for Central Coast Council to take necessary steps, including a stop work notification,” he said. “No clearing of native vegetation on a private property can be undertaken without Council approvals and oversight. “NPWS and Council rangers have been patrolling the site on a very frequent basis. “Thank you to the Macmasters Beach community for their ongoing vigilance, and I stand with them in not tolerating any illegal clearing in our local area,” Crouch said. Compliance officers from OEH subsequently inspected the site, which resulted in the official compliance investigation being launched. On Thursday, November 15, the Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch, had sent urgent emails to the NSW Minister for Lands, Paul Toole, and the Minister for the Environment, Gabrielle Upton, as a result of calls from distressed members of the local community. “The community in the Terrigal electorate are very concerned re tree felling on a border between private and Crown Land between Bensville and the Scenic Drive, DP659496, 20 James Norton Rd, Bensville,” Tesch’s email to the Ministers said. The property is zoned 7A, including endangered ecological community, protected under the Biodiversity Conservation Act. Continued P3
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