Concerns about Local Land Services Amendment Bill

Published on 29 October 2020

Byron Shire Council will be objecting to the NSW Government’s Local Land Services Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2020 with many Councillors concerned about the potential impact it could have on biodiversity in the shire.

Council is to make urgent representations to the Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, the Minister for Energy and the Environment, Matt Kean and members of the NSW Parliament.

Deputy Mayor Michael Lyon, said the Bill is a concern for shires like Byron that have significant koala populations.

“This Bill was introduced after a recent, highly publicised, dispute in the Coalition about the Koala State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP),” Deputy Mayor Lyon said.

“My concerns, and that of other Councillors, are that the changes proposed by the Bill will remove important protections for koala habitat and will further facilitate excessive and inappropriate clearing.

“Of particular importance is that the proposed Bill broadens the use of allowable activities to include E-zone land in a rural land use zone and is used for primary production.

“The Bill is lacking detail on this and there really needs to be clarity on timeframes in reference to how land in E-zones was and is being used for primary production.

“We owe it to our community and our biodiversity to not support this Bill,” Deputy Mayor Lyon said.

For more information on biodiversity in the Byron Shire, Council’s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 2020-2030 is available on the website.

For comment and media enquiries contact Cr Michael Lyon, Deputy Mayor, on 0435 646 365.