North Coast

Draft Far North Coast Regional Strategy - have your say

The Far North Coast is the most biologically diverse region in NSW, with stunning beaches, World Heritage areas, character-filled villages and productive rural hinterlands. It is no surprise that many people come here to live or visit, but this demand and any resulting development needs to be managed in a way that really protects the region's values. Around 2,500 people come to settle in the region each year.

The region's natural wealth is also the basis of resource industries, expanding exports and tourism, which contribute significantly to the State economy.

In the next 25 years the region's population is expected to grow more than 26% to 289,000. The NSW government states that "a well balanced long-term vision is needed to provide for this growth while ensuring the environment is protected".   Yet the draft FNC strategy fails to deliver this vision.

The NSW Government's 25-year land use plan:

• caters for 60,400 more people expected to be living in the region by 2031. Up to 51,000 additional homes will be needed
• provides for most of this development to occur along our sensitive coastal strip, whilst at the same time NSW government states that they will prevent coastal sprawl and direct growth inland
• locates a significant portion of future settlement over areas of conservation significance and other physical constraints.   70% of undeveloped "urban footprint" and 1/3 of "new release areas" identified in the draft are subject to constraints
• allows for potential development across broad areas of the hinterland west of the Pacific Highway
• imposes general development criteria from the metro strategy rather than using sustainability criteria specific to this region.

The strategy once finalised will guide local planning in the six local government areas of Ballina, Byron, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Tweed, and inform decisions on service and infrastructure delivery. It is therefore critical that this strategy utilises best practice social and ecological sustainability critieria. It will be reviewed every five years.

• Far North Coast Environmental and Community Groups Strategy Brochure
• Maps showing key environmental values of the Far North Coast region, overlaid across the proposed urban footprint and new release areas
  in the draft Far North Coast Regional Strategy recently released by the NSW government.   Community members can use these maps as a resource to better
  understand the severe environmental and landscape consequences of the government's proposal, and to assist in developing submissions for their area.
• Fact Sheet: Shortcomings of the Draft Far North Coast Planning Strategy
• Fact Sheet: How the Draft Strategy needs to change
• Media Release
• Draft Far North Coast Regional Strategy - in full, including all maps (PDF file - 3.1 MB)
• Draft Far North Coast Regional Strategy - text only (RTF file)
• Map: Draft Far North Coast Regional Strategy (PDF file)
• Map: Housing (PDF file)
• Map: Employment land (PDF file)
• Map: Natural resources (PDF file)
• Map: Biodiversity (PDF file)
• Map: Natural hazards (PDF file)
• Map: Town and village growth boundary ( sheet 1 - Tweed, sheet 2 - Byron, sheet 3 - Ballina, sheet 4 - Lismore , sheet 5 Kyogle, Sheet 6 - Richmond Valley)

Have your say

The Draft Regional Strategy is on exhibition until 10 May 2006. Your input is vital to ensure this document evolves into something that really reflects and protects the values of this region.   Please take a moment to send the Department of Planning a letter or email stating your support for the Far North Coast Environmental and Community Groups Strategy Brochure and urging the Government to ensure that best practice social and ecological sustainability criteria are used in the Strategy. Click here for a sample letter.

Mail to Department of Planning, Locked Bag 10 Grafton NSW 2460 or email northcoast@planning.nsw.gov.au .

Enquiries

Phone 02 6689 5205 or email rainforestinfo@ozemail.com.au