In Meander Valley we have a Council which is dominated by the pro-forestry group. They have a five members out of nine majority on the current Council, but with this one extra vote they are forcing through new planning legislation.
They have already ignored petitions of over 1200 signatures, 3 public meetings attended in total by over 1000 people and have disregarded ALL 200 plus written submissions made to the PAL Policy Amendment.
This current legislation makes the PAL Policy look like a walk in the park. All areas have been redesignated as 'Resource Areas', which implies development potential. Development IS NOT the responsibility of the council, they are there to primarily protect the interests of the inhabitants who elected them. By declaring the local assets as 'resources', it can only mean they are more concerned with the commercial potential for business, and we are well aware what and who that benefits!
This is new legislation and again, most of this work has been done in secret without consultation, and only the partially complete results are now being presented for comment over a short period ending on Friday 15th February 2008. Even during the PAL controversy they were working on this, but no mention was made of their intentions at any of the meetings, and no mention was made during the recent election campaign. This is sheer duplicity and basically a huge fraud perpetrated on the residents. It should be stopped and there should at least be a referendum
on the matter. It is about to drastically and permanently affect every person who lives in the Meander Valley, and it is a moot point whether it stops there.
Under this legislation, the Council has agreed to allow plantation development on ALL available farm land in the area and this is non-discretionary. The 'Permitted' rating bypasses any planning requirements and there is no way in which you can object to or stop any inappropriate development in the future and it removes your rights to have any say in your local area. It is Big Brother at work!
Consider that Forestry Tasmania has made a ZERO financial return to the State for four out of the last seven years. MIS plantations make no input to the local economy and all profits go offshore. Private Timber Reserves (PTR's) pay neither rates, land tax or any other local or Federal tax. Tasmania has become the milch cow for rich offshore investors looking for a tax-free income, and through our local council, they are getting full co-operation and encouragement and control of the area. We are left to pay the piper. Once these laws they are passed, we cannot change them for at least another ten years.
Here are some of the things our local councillors are foisting on us.
… STRESS.
… Loss of water, with diminishing streams and dams.
… Loss of tourism in the area. Valued at $70 million in the Meander region.
… Loss of jobs, not only in farming, but in almost every aspect of rural activity.
… Lessening food supply.
… Loss of investment. (MIS excluded)
… Death of small communities, and no further development.
… Lower property values without compensation.
… More power in the hands of the Council.
… More smoke pollution.
… More aerial spraying of toxic chemicals.
… Poisoning of water supplies with atrizine and other chemicals.
… Increase in disease potential, both in humans and animals.
… Collapse of rural services, such as builders, plumbers, vets and everything associated with real farming and rural life, with knock-on effects from the removal of the economic base that underpins the whole community.
… Inability to object to inappropriate logging, and plantation development.
… Building restrictions in rural areas affecting new and existing land owners.
… Profits from our land going offshore while we are left with the mess.
… Increased fire risk.
… Increased logging traffic.
… Increased infrastructure degradation, which we pay for through our taxes, coupled with:-
… Higher private rates and land taxes when the collection base decreases due to increased forestry.
… Possible forced or pressure-induced removal to urban or Council approved areas. (Human habitation is considered to be 'Sensitive' and to be discouraged.)
… Closure of many small business in the towns that are supported by rural dwellers and degradation of the small townships and communities.
… Wholesale slaughter of wildlife by shooting and poisoning and loss of natural habitat.
… Loss of visual amenities.
… Facilitating land grabs by the big companies and Forestry.
… Change from a dynamic area into a collapsing monoculture economy.
… Loss of freedom of choice and democratic rights.
We are subsidising Gunns and MIS through the actions of these five councillors and they are handing over our land and lifestyle to these companies who only have one thing in mind - a profit for themselves.
Now ask yourself WHY?
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Barnaby Drake
