SUBMISSION GUIDE
Northern Councils EZone Review
Save North Coast Nature welcomes the release of the Review of Environmental Zones on the Far North
Coast. The Review supports the use of environmental zones and overlays in far north coast Local
Environmental Plans.
However, while the Review generally supports EZones and overlays, it also alarmingly recommends to
downgrade the zoning of rainforest, old growth forest, wetlands and mangroves from E2 to E3, and
to downgrade core Koala habitat and endangered ecological communities on town edges from E4 to
residential. These areas are all of exceptional conservation value and deserve the highest protection
as allowed across the rest of NSW.
The interim Review is now open for public comment. While the Review is generally welcome news, and
strong environmental protection is within reach, it is critical our community shows strong community
support now to ensure we get these much needed protections over the line.
Please take the time to write a short submission, to again call for full protection of our
most precious forests, wetlands and wildlife habitats.
SUBMISSION IN 3 EASY STEPS
1. Use our template and key points (see below) to help write your submission
2. Go to http://planspolicies.planning.nsw.gov.au/index.pl?action=view_job&job_id=6475
3. Either upload your saved letter (near bottom of page) or copy and paste the text into the
'submission' box (also near bottom)
If you can’t submit online, mail your submission to: Director, Planning Coordination and Support,
Department of Planning & Environment, GPO Box 39, Sydney 2001
Submissions close Thursday, 5 June.
To see the full Review and supporting documents go to:
http://planspolicies.planning.nsw.gov.au/index.pl?action=view_job&job_id=6475
For more information on EZones go to: http://www.northcoastnature.org.au/category/learn-more
Email: mailto:info@northcoastnature.org.au| Web: http://www.northcoastnature.org.au/
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SUBMISSION TEMPLATE: Please copy and paste this text into a new document.
1. Place your personal details at the top of your letter and include the date
(Please note in your submission if you wish to have your personal details withheld)
Your Name
Your Street Address
Your Suburb and Postcode
Date
2. Address your submission to:
Director
Planning Coordination and Support
Department of Planning & Environment
GPO Box 39
Sydney 2001
Dear Sir/Madam,
3. Include an introductory paragraph
Example
I am a resident of .... / I am a member of ... / I have experience in ... /
I welcome the opportunity to comment on the proposed project.
4. Outline your comments, support and concerns on the EZone Review.
Refer to key points of support & objection below for help.
5. Sign your name at the bottom of the letter
Yours sincerely,
Your Signature
Your Name
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KEY SUBMISSION POINTS
NORTHERN COUNCIL EZONE REVIEW: INTERIM REPORT
Below are some general comments to help you formulate your response. We encourage you to include
personal observations and put your opinions in your own words, to reduce the risk that the Government
will consider your thoughts as part of a form response. Thank you in advance.
SUPPORT
I strongly support:
1. the Review’s endorsement of environmental zones and overlays in far north coast council Local
Environment Plans.
2. the Review recommendation that Environment Protection Zones be expanded in Kyogle,
Lismore, Ballina & Tweed Shires to include all environmentally sensitive areas not currently
protected.
3. the Review’s endorsement of environmental overlays for buffers around estuaries, streams,
wetlands, and rainforest.
4. the Review recommendation that guidelines be developed for the mapping of scenic amenity and
that mapped areas be included as an environmental overlay.
5. cleared land subject to coastal hazards, including climate change effects, being removed from
the E2 zone, though these should be placed in a new coastal hazard zone rather than becoming
an overlay.
OBJECTIONS
I strongly object to:
1. downgrading of rainforest, old growth forest, wetlands, mangroves, riparian vegetation and ‘rare,
endangered and vulnerable ecosystems’ from E2 to E3 (Recommendation 1 & 7).

These areas are all of exceptional conservation value and deserve the highest protection.

These values must remain under the protection of E2 zones as explicitly recommended by
the NSW Department of Planning and Industry (Practice Note PN 09-002 – Environmental
Protection Zones), and as is prescribed throughout the remainder of NSW.

This rezoning will also weaken protection from CSG and other mining activities in our most
sensitive natural areas by automatically permitting these activities under the ‘Mining’ SEPP State Environmental Planning Policy (Mining, Petroleum Production and Extractive Industries)
2007.
2. downgrading proposed E4 zones to residential zones (Recommendation 14).

These areas include core Koala Habitat, several Endangered Ecological Communities and
significant threatened species habitat and their exceptional conservation value deserves the
highest protection.

These values must remain under the protection of E4 zones as explicitly recommended by
the NSW Department of Planning and Industry (Practice Note PN 09-002 – Environmental
Protection Zones), and as is prescribed throughout the remainder of NSW.

These values cannot are not given adequate protected by the Tree Preservation Order alone.
6. removing all protection for wildlife corridors mapped by the National Parks & Wildlife Service
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
Wildlife corridors should be included as an environmental overlay to ensure they are
considered in planning decisions.
7. allowing ‘extensive agriculture’ such as grazing, cropping and irrigated pasture within E2 zones
(Recommendation 4).

These activities can be highly destructive of the ecological values in environmentally sensitive
areas

This redrafting of E2 provisions will also weaken protection from CSG and other mining
activities in our most sensitive natural areas by automatically permitting these activities under
the ‘Mining’ SEPP - State Environmental Planning Policy (Mining, Petroleum Production and
Extractive Industries) 2007.
FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONS
I further recommend that:
1. In accordance with the review the NSW Government needs to urgently help Councils review
vegetation mapping to improve its accuracy, and help Kyogle, Lismore and Ballina Councils to
undertake comprehensive mapping of all high conservation value vegetation in order to expand
their environment zones.
2. That ‘extensive agriculture’ be prohibited in all Shires to avoid automatically permitting CSG and
other mining activities in our most sensitive natural areas under the ‘Mining’ SEPP - State
Environmental Planning Policy (Mining, Petroleum Production and Extractive Industries) 2007.
3. That heathlands and shorebird roosting and nesting areas be included in E2 zones.
4. Core Koala habitat identified in a Koala plan of Management should be included in an E2 zone
rather than just as an environmental overlay.
5. The Government should support the review’s recommendation that all land designated within an
environment zone should be a priority area for the application of incentive based mechanisms,
including financial incentives, rate rebates, management assistance, and local award schemes.
6. The term ‘validated dataset’ be clearly defined and to include any data produced by generally
accepted scientific methods for assessment of environmental conservation significance.
BACKGROUND
EZones provide fundamental protection for over 27 000 hectares of the far north coast’s forests,
wetlands and wildlife habitats. This includes nearly all our native vegetation and wildlife habitats not
protected in National Parks and makes up over 30% of our region’s natural areas. Without protection,
these unique areas are left vulnerable to destructive residential and tourism developments proposed
along our coast, and the expansion of coal seam gas (CSG), logging, mining and intensive agriculture in
our rural hinterland.
In late 2012 and after more than 10 years of extensive scientific investigations and consultation
with the community, industry and relevant government agencies - Tweed, Byron, Ballina, Lismore &
Kyogle Councils were preparing to finalise their Local Environment Plans (LEPs).
But the State Government halted the process, saying these environmental assets should remain open
for residential and agricultural development. Without consulting affected Councils, the then NSW
Minister for Planning & Infrastructure, Brad Hazzard, announced he will completely remove all relevant
environmental protection zones (E2 & 3) from these 5 Council areas…
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“Any E2 or E3 zoned land in these draft plans would be excised when the LEPs are finalised”
The Government initiated an independent Review of the Environment Protection Zones (which now also
included E4 zones). Community consultation for the Review attracted overwhelming community
support for EZones to protect the region’s environmentally sensitive areas, including over 2000
supportive submissions and hundreds of supporters attending face to face workshops.
The Review was finally released 20 months after the intervention and seven months after completion.
The Review supports the use of environmental zones and overlays in far north coast Local
Environmental Plans.
Environmental protection zones have protected our forests, wetlands and wildlife habitats for 25 years.
While the Review is generally welcome news, and strong environmental protection is within reach, it is
critical our community shows strong community support now to ensure we get these much needed
protections over the line.
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