Forty seven hectares of precious Davistown wetland, consolidating eight separate sites, is up for sale on October 24.
The land has been euphemistically titled ‘Tidal Shoals’.
At a huge public meeting, Davistown residents expressed their opposition to the sale of this foreshore with advertised development potential, despite contrary zoning.
This fragile land is home to threatened species and bird life; it is tidal wetland, subject to inundation and threatened by rising sea levels.
As our new Council is undoubtedly not financial enough to purchase this land, surely it would be appropriate for the Liberal/National State Government to step up and show their commitment to their stated goal of “actively acquiring, protecting and preserving wetlands and important habitat” under the Coastal Management Act, which is shortly to be proclaimed.
However, it is difficult to be confident of the government’s commitment to their own goals when they have just sold 6 hectares of Mambo wetlands at Port Stephens, where community groups fought hard to protect high conservation land, including koala habitat.
With an already abysmal environmental record that voters are starting to view with concern, I call on our Liberal State Member, Mr Adam Crouch, and Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Scot MacDonald, to be seen, and to go in to bat for our precious wetlands before this issue becomes another tidal change at the next election.
Email, Oct 17
Carey Buls, Saratoga