COURT CHALLENGE TO HUNTER VALLEY BUSH REZONING
Cessnock City Council is being challenged in the Land and Environment Court today, over its decision to approve a steel fabrication facility in an area of forest that contains an endangered species.
The Friends of Tumblebee will ask the court to rule that the clearing of three hectares of bushland in the Hunter Economic Zone will put an endangered bird species, the Regent Honeyeater, at even greater risk.
The area is one of two in New South Wales where the Regent Honeyeater has successfully nested in the past decade, but experts say there’s been a decline in the species of 80 per cent in the past 18 years.
The Friends of Tumblebee say the development application for the plant should have included a Species Impact Statement, when it was voted on by Cessnock councillors. Councillors voted 8-2 in favour at the time.
Friends of Tumblebee president James Ryan says the bushland should never have been rezoned.
‘We are asking the Court to find that in such a sensitive case as this, every development, no matter the size, has to take into account the cumulative impact on threatened species.
‘We are also asking the Court to make a finding that impact assessment on critically endangered species, like the Regent Honeyeater, should be more precautionary given such species are on the brink of extinction.
‘Friends of Tumblebee is bringing the case as it is very concerned about the survival of the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater.’ said Mr Ryan.
ATB Morton is the company proposing the steel plant.
I live in an area that is regarded as a Regent Honey Eater habitat, the entry to this town of Barraba has a sign designating this area as their habitat, I would often see them in the main street area of this town and in surrounding areas all around this town, they may be an endangered species, but they seem to relish in our surrounding districts. I am not sure that this area is the other that is noted in this article, but they are a very resilient bird that has had to endure very harsh climates here. I doubt that clearing a few Hectares would have any or very minute impact on this species. This is just another excuse for these so called “Enviromentalists” to justify their existence.