A large crowd of supporters including local regenerative farmer and documentarian Rachel Ward were present in the viewing gallery.

Advertise with News of The Area today.
It’s worth it for your business.
Message us.
Phone us – (02) 4981 8882.
Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au

The speakers continued to challenge and interrogate the Mayor and councillors with a series of direct questions and accusations regarding past decisions (or lack thereof) on the matter of blueberry farming.

Lucy Shepherd of Eungai Rail, from the newly formed Nambucca Environmental Network, addressed the issue of land conflicts and used her five minutes to explain how Council, by not doing more when this topic was voted on in 2017, had set the scene for current land-use conflicts between Valley residents and the recent influx of blueberry farmers to the area.

Next Raewyn Macky gave a powerful speech on the topic, accusing some councillors of not bothering to respond to the invitations she has been sending them.

Ms Macky lives next door to a recently developed blueberry farm and detailed how she had gone over and introduced herself to her new neighbours, but received no answers to her questions as to what they were planning to do with the farm.

In the days and weeks after moving in and before she could say or do anything else, the new owners allegedly removed every tree on the block, including a 100-year old gum, and covered every square metre of the property in symmetrical rows of black plastic and quickly drilled a bore.

She questioned how the area could support such a “thirsty crop”.

“The blueberry farms are growing in abundance here, in part because our Council makes it too easy for them,” she said.

“In doing so you are not protecting existing landholders, you are not protecting the land and waterways, you are not protecting the existing farming diversity and livelihoods and you are certainly not protecting the people,” Ms Macky told Council.

“Has anyone gone out to any of the properties that neighbour blueberry farms in this valley?

“Does Council know how many blueberry farms are in the Valley?

“Since no DAs are required, I’m not sure that you could know this?

“Have you seen how much soil destruction, tree removal, suspicious water activity etc is going on?” she asked councillors.

The watching crowd heckled and challenged Mayor Rhonda Hoban, who responded by calling the meeting to order several times.

The Mayor then once again addressed the gallery with her reasons for abstaining from discussions and votes when the blueberry matter is an item on the Council’s agenda.

“Like many of you, I live immediately next to a property that has become a large blueberry farm in the last few years.

“‘Pecuniary interest’ is not just about financial gain.

“People would perceive that having a large blueberry farm next door would devalue my property and reduce the sale.

“For that reason and I have explained this before I have no choice but to declare a pecuniary interest in this matter where Council is making a decision,” she explained.

Councillor David Jones later told News Of The Area, “There are times when you see a community coming together like this because they are totally frustrated over an issue.

“We, the Councillors and the community, are all learning.

“I believe the resolution that was put forward by Council on 16 November addresses these concerns over what can be achieved at a local government level.

“If we come up against difficulties at the State Government level then we, the Council and the community, will fight the fight together,” Councillor David Jones later told News Of The Area.