Hall packed for meeting on Estate plan
Greens MLC Sylvia Hale was a gust speaker at the meeting.
She said people were strongly supportive of not subdividing Goolawah and clearly want it to be preserved.
“When 105 people from a town of 900 turn up to a Friday night meeting and there’s standing room only, it’s clear it’s a very hot issue,” Ms Hale said.
“They were concerned about the threats to koalas, glossy black cockatoos, flying foxes.”
Local environmental activist John Jeayes’ also presented a video at the meeting showed what would be lost if sections 3-5 of the Goolawah Estate was to be developed.
Crescent Head Ratepayers and Residents Association
vice president Mark Baxter said the meeting was very positive.
“Sylvia was fantastic and highlighted how the State Government is in debt,” Mr Baxter said.
“The bottom line is they want our forest to make $20-$25 million.”
He said a petition signed by more than 100 people was on its way to Mr Kelly’s office opposing the development.
“We have also invited Mr Kelly to walk through our beautiful and magical forest,” Mr Baxter said.
“I’m also amazed how many tourist are concerned about subdividing Goolawah.”
Last week, a spokesperson for Mr Kelly said an endangered species of paperbark tree was identified on the proposed Block B development and gazetted as an endangered ecological community.
“While the DA is still valid, the Land and Property Management Authority (LPMA) has received representations on the ecological values and has been consulting widely on the issue,” the spokesperson said.
“LPMA is investigating how development may proceed taking into account the endangered species and environ-mental issues.”
Mr Kelly’s announcement that the development would proceed amazed many locals, who had been assured by the Department of Lands’ own office in Taree that the development would never be allowed.
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Goolawah's Blog 
April 13, 2010 at 11:53 am |
Why are so many people annoyed about the State Governments’ decision to clear-fell the Goolawah forest behind Crescent Head ? Three years ago the Department of Land (Taree) agreed with an environmental report , that the Goolawah forest should be ‘protected’.Crescent Head residents and tourists were happy with this because the forest supplies a meditative-in touch with nature- bushwalk to backbeach – a valuable asset for the village , that survives on tourism !……However , three weeks ago the Department of Planning and Development decided to ‘over-rule’ the Department of Land and have the forest cleared and developed for 80 houses. It seems the state governments’ debt must be addressed by selling ‘our forest’!!!! Across the road there is cleared land already available , where 100-150 houses could be built. ( problem is this is private land , so the government would only receive stamp duty….not the 30 million it hopes to get developing Goolawah forest!) So we are saying “Use common sense. Develop the cleared land first…the forest is an income earning asset for crescent head…and , why should we lose our forest because the state government has buggered its budget!…please write a letter to Minister Tony Kelly (Parliament House . Macquarie st. Sydney 2000 ) protesting about this destruction of a Crescent Head asset !