DEAR News Of The Area,

NOTA recently published a survey of local council candidates’ commitment, if elected, to adopting development applications (DA) for new intensive horticulture establishments.

DAs would allow for controls to be placed on these facilities, designed to prevent and minimise negative community and environmental impacts, such as pollution of our local waterways with fertiliser, sediment and pesticides.

Survey results were intended to provide the community with crucial knowledge that can be used to inform their voting decisions.

The validity of the survey, however, depends on candidates being transparent and open in their responses.

In this case, it’s worth digging deeper, and considering previous actions and affiliations.

For example, which candidates currently running as ‘Independent’ have strong but undisclosed ties to the National Party, and thus likely to vote against DA requirements for intensive horticulture?

Full disclosure of alliances with established parties should be a required component of the nomination process.

As an additional consideration, just four years ago in 2020, Council staff had recommended requiring development consent for intensive plant agriculture as part of the Rural Lands chapter of the Coffs Harbour Local Growth Management Strategy.

There were 135 public submissions made for the Rural Lands component that expressed concerns over toxicity and levels of agricultural chemicals, and 105 that supported regulation through the DA process.

However, this high level of public support and concern, and the recommendation of the Council staff, were undermined when an amendment was moved to delete the recommended action to require consent for intensive plant agriculture.

Tegan Swan, George Cecato and Paul Amos all voted in support of this amendment.

Thus the opportunity to protect waterways and neighbours from the impacts of intensive horticulture was lost.

In the current survey of candidates, Tegan Swan supported DAs, George Cecato didn’t respond, and Paul Amos remained undecided.

How are they likely to vote in future?

For those Council election voters who want to see our environment and community thrive into the future, these are important considerations.

I am hopeful that good sense will ultimately prevail.

Regards,
Maxine ROWLEY,
Sandy Beach.