Mission Beach Cassowaries
  • ABOUT CASSOWARIES
    • Cassowary ID and tracking >
      • Sightings maps
    • World Cassowary Day 2015
  • NEWS
  • Information
    • Developments
    • Thorsborne Trail NOT FOR SALE >
      • MARGARET 'T' AO 1927-2018
    • Walking tracks
    • Birding
    • Lot 66/Garrett Corridor
    • Publications
    • Mission Beach Naturally >
      • Community Identity
    • Heritage
  • Photo Gallery
    • Fauna >
      • Cassowary
      • Birds
      • Mammals
      • Reptiles
    • Flora >
      • Flowers
      • Plants and trees
      • Fungi
    • Scenic
  • Contact
    • Privacy policy
  • Mission Beach Cassowaries

Community calls for council to listen to the people

4/1/2021

0 Comments

 
​Media Release 3 January 2021

Picture
Picture
Residents of Mission Beach  are  calling for  the council  to listen to the people and deny approval of  a proposed  aviation facility being located  in the centre of their quiet tourism town.

Almost  200 concerned Mission Beach residents gathered at the village Progress Hall early this afternoon to  express their concern that the CCRC councilors have not listened to the community when  recommending the approval of a Material Change of Use (MCU) for an Aviation Facility on agricultural land.

​The community hall spilled beyond capacity as r
esidents queued at the 'sign in' waiting to hear more about a proposed development they say will threaten their peaceful lifestyle and the towns tourist appeal. 
 It was standing room only as community members listened to the guest speakers talk about the impact of the development on the  peace and quiet,  the community sense of place, loss of agricultural land and the cassowary,

​Biologist Nigel Tucker highlighted the high environmental values and importance to cassowaries of the habitat around and through the proposed development site. 

Nigel, who has carried out studies of the coastal lowland habitat surrounding the proposed development site over the  the last 40 years, questioned why there had not been any State or Federal Environment Department  involvement in the assessment process.
Picture
Picture

​Peter Rowles from C4 outlined  the details of the proposed aviation facility and the impact it would have on the  sensitive environment,  the residents and township of Mission Beach.

​Peter encourages the Cassowary Coast Regional Council to work with the proponent to find a more suitable location for the development.
Liz Gallie of Mission Beach Cassowaries said  “There is more protection in the Planning Scheme for Art Deco architecture than there is for the cassowary at Mission Beach”.  Liz is calling for a Master Plan to identify and protect the intrinsic values of Mission Beach during the revision of the Planning Scheme.
​

Liz questions the local council’s Development Incentive Plan which she said appears to allow any development  at any location despite inconsistencies with the Planning Scheme. “The council is not listening to the  people". said Liz. "Inappropriate development is impacting on the character of beautiful Mission Beach"  Liz continued, “We are losing ‘the magic’ and along with it our sense of community identity”
Picture
Picture
​Award winning exotic fruit farmer and Fruit Forest Farm tourism operator,  Peter Salleras said it is crucial agricultural land is not developed, denying  future possibilities of food production.

Peter who is a third generation local farmer showcased his highly successful farm tourism business as an example of how  diversification and a boutique approach to farm practices is an alternative to  traditional approaches to rural  land use.
​
Peter said  "The  current process  doesn't  value  small areas for food production. We must get away from the idea that  we can only grow sugar and cavendish bananas. They  are low value broad acre crops". 
"There are endless opportunities for high value crops in this part of the world such as flowers, chocolate, vanilla, medical crops etc. said Peter "The proposed  development site has 'phenomenal possibilities  with the  sea breezes creating an excellent  microclimate for niche crops and the added possibility of a roadside stall. 

Peter also questioned why the councillors did not attend the meeting. "Decisions are being made that have a big impact on 'our place' that don't involve the community" said Peter. "Over time we have witnessed destruction of some of the unique features of our area such as the canopy licuala forest drive at the entrance to Mission Beach" 
​

"Increased air noise pollution from skydiving activities is already impacting on our quiet lifestyles" Peter said." It would be an idiotic decision to put a helicopter aviation facility at the proposed location.   "This place is too good to waste on stupidity like this" said Peter, "If we don't stand up now we will definitely regret it".  

​
The community is questioning why the council would consider approval of a high impact industrial development in the middle of a tourist destination reliant on its reputation as a quiet peaceful village.

“If an industrial  helicopter  business is allowed to go ahead at the current location it will mean the beginning of the industrialization of Mission Beach, the end of our peace and quiet and visitors who come to Mission for a relaxing  holiday" said Liz.

Councilors were invited to the meeting to listen to the communities concerns but declined saying they were unable to attend any meetings held by opponents or proponents due to the fact the matter is currently before council.

A website has been launched  as part of a campaign against a material change of use from agricultural land for a high impact industrial development in the heart of Mission Beach. 
​More information can be found on www.aviation-facility.weebly.com
Ends

Contact:
Liz Gallie 0414 402 315
Peter Rowles  0429 179 152
​Peter Salleras  0429 194 710
Cassowary Coast Regional Council Mayor Mark Nolan 0400 440 837

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Mission Beach Cassowaries facebook page
    Follow the lives of individual cassowaries on facebook

    Picture
    Friends of Ninney Rise
    Ninney Rise
    - the inspiring
     conservation history of Mission Beach



    Archives

    September 2023
    May 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    January 2021
    December 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    January 2020
    October 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    June 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    December 2014
    September 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    November 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011

    Categories

    All
    Ash
    Birds
    Boat Bay
    Bush Tucker
    Butterflies
    Cassowaries
    Cassowary Coast
    Cca
    Coquette Point
    Cowley Beach
    Crocodiles
    Cyclones
    Cyclone Yasi
    Development
    Flowers
    Flying Foxes
    Frogs
    Fungi
    Insects
    Johnstone River
    Little Terns Nesting
    Mahogany Glider
    Mangrove Dieback
    Marine
    Mission Beach
    Port Hinchinbrook
    Rainforest Fruit
    Sediment Runnoff
    Snakes
    Spiders
    Threats
    Tourism
    Tully Heads
    Turtles
    Wildwatch
    W P S Q Tully Branch


© All content on this website (except where otherwise stated) is copyright Mission Beach Cassowaries All Rights Reserved If copying or publishing  content or information from this site please credit and link to Mission Beach Cassowaries Inc. website Except where otherwise credited, all photos on this website are copyright and must have permission to reproduce