*Most of our open spaces, our public parks, sporting ovals, our beaches (like Bondi), our headlands, our waterways and our bush, are Crown land. In truth, it is simply “public land”. The right of the general public to use and enjoy our public land is an essential part of our egalitarian society and the Courts have always upheld - under the general law - the public’s rights of access. But that is all about to change. Telling us that new legislation was needed to overcome various management issues resulting from out-of-date legislation, the NSW Coalition has just passed new legislation that will in fact facilitate the greatest privatisation of our public land in NSW history. Please read on if you are interested. The Crown Land Management Bill - rushed through Parliament by the NSW Government on 9 November - was the Government’s response to years of allegations of systemic mismanagement and cronyism in its Crown Land Department (“Crown Lands”) and by local councils. Those allegations (by various community groups) were effectively accepted as accurate and substantiated, first, by Mark Paterson as head of Crown Lands on 22 June 2015 and, second, by the NSW Auditor General on presenting her scathing report to Parliament on 8 September 2016. In his admission last year, Mr Paterson admitted the “systemic issues” identified by his lawyers were so bad as to require staff training “in fraud and corruption prevention”. Paterson's media release is here: https://www.opengov.nsw.gov.au/viewer/81b25fee74db45ee92b75d130638203b.pdf The Auditor General found - as alleged by the community - that countless crown reserves were being used for unlawful purposes, including by businesses well connected to the relevant decision makers. Some 90% of these dodgy deals were done behind closed doors, for peppercorn rents. The Auditor General recommended Crown Lands identify all cases of unlawful uses of Crown reserves by March 2017. The Auditor General's report is here: http://www.audit.nsw.gov.au/publications/latest-reports/sale-and-lease-of-crown-land. Then on 13 October 2016, an Upper House Inquiry - brought on by sustained pressure from Crown land community groups - delivered yet another report on Crown land mismanagement. This Upper House report made a series of recommendations as to what any new legislation should include. The Upper House report is here: https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/inquiries/Pages/inquiry-details.aspx?pk=2404#tab-reports But it was too late: Minister Niall Blair had already completed his new 208 page Bill. It was introduced into the Upper House on 19 October without even so much as an Exposure Draft. It was debated for the first time - and passed by both Houses - on 9 November. Crown Lands drafted this Bill. It will now become law. The new Act allows: the Minister to declare lawful all these previous unlawful activities (Clause 5.26); private businesses to control Crown reserves and to charge entry fees to public land (clause 2.17); and private business to agree on uses that go outside the uses permitted by statute (clause 5.2). And the Bill automatically provides the Minister’s approval to these businesses lodging a new DA to use - or build on - our public land not only for any statutory use but any other use that is allowed by the terms of their own private agreement (clause 2.23(2)(c)(ii) and 2.23(2)(g)(i)). To have allowed Crown Lands to draft this Bill to allow them to cover up their past mistakes, make lawful what was previously unlawful and to not require the Government’s mates to disgorge their ill-gotten gains, is like allowing the greyhound industry to draft a bill to cover up its own past mistakes. It is basic governance that you never give the job of fixing up a problem to those who were in any way involved in the making of the problem. It is unconscionable and a high form of corruption. It is time for the Government of NSW to start governing for the people, not for its mates. Please check the Updates below for links to more information on the internet. And email me if you have any specific queries or know of any further abuses of Crown land. JBOwens, Crown Land Alliance

NSW LAND & ENVIRONMENT COURT JUDGEMENTS: "Mixed-Use is FUNDAMENTALLY INCOMPATIBLE." BUILDING STANDARDS, NSW FIRE & RESCUE plus DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION CRITERIA AND LEGISLATION ARE BEING IGNORED. ONE SET OF RULES FOR NSW TENANTS AND OWNER/OCCUPIERS, NO RULES FOR THOSE USING HOMES FOR HOLIDAYS. There is an AFFORDABLE HOUSING and HOMELESSNESS CRISIS STATE-WIDE. THE RIGHTS OF ACCREDITED ACCOMMODATION PROVIDERS ARE BEING IGNORED. SHORT-TERM LETTING STRIPS HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM THE VALUE OF OUR HOUSING. HOMES NOT HOTELS...COMMUNITIY BEFORE PROFITS...NEIGHBOURS NOT STRANGERS www.neighboursnotstrangers.com

An important Awabakal women’s place – The Butterfly Cave – is at real and immediate risk of damage from a subdivision being built 20m/65ft away. It's contextual bushland setting will be destroyed. If we lose the Butterfly Cave it will be an environmental and cultural tragedy. We have witnessed the destruction of too many precious sites in bush and city Australia. The desecration must stop and it must stop NOW. Women's business matters!

Air pollution is a silent and invisible killer, directly responsible for the premature deaths of 3000 Australians each year, and afflicting thousands more. Even at levels that are undetectable by smell, noxious gases and particles in the air can impact your health. Air pollution is a direct cause of many common life-threatening illnesses including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary cancer, leukaemia, birth defects and immune system defects, cardiovascular problems, heart disease and stroke, liver and other types of cancer. Currently, communities like mine in Morwell, state governments, and the public health care system are unfairly left to bear the burden of air pollution-related illnesses and environmental problems. Polluters like GDF Suez Energy, the owners of the Hazelwood mine, have shown that they won't clean up their act on their own - we need a strong legal framework in order to enforce our rights to a clean environment free of pollution. Please sign the petition and lend your voice to all individuals and communities who are impacted by air pollution.

For the health of your customers, and I guess it must be important to Bunnings Warehouse, the ban of glyphosate based weedlkillers has to be a wise move. Some have criticized this consensus report from the WHO but truly must not know the meaning of "slow poisoning" or "precaution". So far I can mention that it has been banned from all french gardening centers, Switzerland centers Coop and Migros, German giant retailer Rewe, also the countries of Columbia, Netherlands, Sri Lanka, Costa Rica and more. There also are about 30 000 health professionals in Argentina (one of biggest user of Roundup) calling for the same ban. moreover a team of international scientists based in New Zealand reported that widely available commercial formulations of RoundUp, 2,4-D and dicamba can lead to the development of antibiotic resistance in common disease-causing bacteria. I suppose that this does not come as a surprise and hope that Bunnings Warehouse will also use the precautionary principle and remove all products containing glyphosate from its shelves. You hopefully also know that the use of these weedkillers depletes the soil and washes down in our rivers, causing more environmental damage and also comes back into our drinkable water (an American study also found that 93% of women tested positive to glyphosate in their breast-milk). I include here a list of links to broaden anyone's knowledge on the matter: http://templatelab.com/iarc-monographs-112-02/ http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/aug/07/supermarkets-garden-centres-weedkiller-ban-cancer-glyphosate-monsanto http://theantimedia.org/more-european-countries-banning-glyphosate-monsantos-roundup/http://www.truthwiki.org/glyphosate/ http://www.thelibertybeacon.com/2015/05/30/the-end-of-monsanto/ http://www.naturalnews.com/042553_roundup_glyphosate_breast_cancer.html http://sustainablepulse.com http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/883578 http://www.i-sis.org.uk/glyphosateCausesBirthDefects.php http://www.collective-evolution.com/2015/05/30/why-the-netherlands-just-banned-monsantos-glyphosate-based-herbicides/ http://www.gmoevidence.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/IPTG-1-104.pdf http://www.surgicalneurologyint.com/article.asp?issn=2152-7806;year=2015;volume=6;issue=1;spage=45;epage=45;aulast=Samsel http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045%2815%2970134-8/abstract http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25067936 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3955666/#!po=65.0000 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3958316/#!po=61.1111 http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/11/4/4449 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24434723 http://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/15/4/1416 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23756170 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891584913003262 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23000283 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22120950 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22200534 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20012598 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19539684 http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/tx800218n http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17486286 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15929894 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15451553 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12765238 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12148884 http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/tx1001749 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1638308

Function 1: Provision of environmental services Like any ecosystem, verge gardens provide the environmental services commonly associated with plants: Filtration of air, Reduction in the urban heat island effect that raises neighbourhood air temperature in summer, Slowing of rainfall runoff and assisting it infiltrate as soil water rather than be lost to the stormwater drain, thus obtaining a use from it before it returns to the water cycle, Provision of habitat for insects, birds and small reptiles, Carbon sequestration in organically-rich soils. Function 2: Making productive use of urban land Kerbside gardening makes productive use of land in urban areas. It puts to practical use small patches of land that are otherwise neglected or planted to simplified plant communities—such as lawn verges—that are unproductive or that may consume excessive water and fossil fuels in their maintenance. Verge gardens offer Council a solution to reducing their carbon footprint in line with Environmental Policy. Function 3: Boosting biodiversity As mixed edible plantings, verge gardens attract insects and other small animal species that interact through food webs. This is the basis of their biodiversity value. Flowering species attract bees, providing habitat for pollinators in residential areas. Function 4: New ways to engage with public space Taking responsibility for a kerbside garden provides a new means for people to engage with public space. In this sense, shared gardens enhance community engagement with public lands and encourages members of our community to take a more proactive role in public space management.

The small mammal fauna of Australia is being eaten by feral cats and foxes. More than 20 native marsupial species face extinction. The devil was found on the mainland until 600 years ago and Australia's top ecologists believe its return could help protect our native animals.They have called for an experimental re-introduction of zoo bred, disease-free, devils onto the mainland. . Meanwhile the devil is threatened with extinction in Tasmania by a deadly facial tumour disease. We have lost over 80% of the wild Tasmanian Devil population to this disease in just ten years. To lose the devil in Tasmania and more mammal species on the mainland would be morally wrong and a profound loss to all Australians. With one action we could help secure a disease free future for the devil and restore ecological balance to parts of the mainland. Tasmania Environment Minister Groom does not want this trial release even discussed. We believe, however, that we have a moral obligation to ensure that local politics do not stand in the way of fighting species extinction. We must act before it is too late. Please register your support and sign up now.

The Spit is a vitally important community, tourism and environmental asset. It is a space for people to recreate and a break from the built urban density that is Surfers Paradise and Main Beach, leading to an environmentally significant recreational area defined by Marine Stadium, Doug Jennings Park and Federation Walk. It is vitally important to OPPOSE high rise development on The Spit for 10 main reasons: 1. one approval means the floodgates are open - goodbye low rise Mariners Cove, goodbye low rise Sheraton and watch EVERY other development go upwards - think of the money in this upwards land grab for developers and the losses it poses to the amenity of the Spit and Broadwater surrounds; 2. the GC Local Area Plan Map 26.3 (LAP), which is a product of community consultation and GCCC urban design planning, shows 3 storey height limits for the southern Spit area; 3. developer proposals to flout the LAP plan reflect greed alone; enabling high rise development dramatically increases their return upon investment, regardless of the community, local infrastructure and environmental impacts; 4. all developers who purchased southern Spit lands KNEW when they did so that height limits apply; 5. the community has consistently opposed increasing height levels for decades based upon a range of important issues and this is reflected in the outcomes of the Vision 2020 process; 6. height limits reflect the desire to frame the Broadwater appropriately: it is a precious community and environmental resource and surrounding it with high rises (once Southport became a high rise prime development area (PDA)) disregards its significance as well as increases pressures such as density, traffic, environmental and infrastructure footprint and the like; 7. height limits reflect the fact that traffic density in the area is already significant and increasing population in the area is just not practical; in particular, the traffic within Main Beach and to The Spit every weekend illustrates this fact; 8. importantly, the southern Spit accommodation represents a differentiated tourism product for the Gold Coast which MUST be protected. That is, it is high end, exclusive and expensive accommodation zone which caters for those who do not want a high rise experience. Yes, Justin Beiber stayed in Surfers - but U2 and Bruce Springsteen did not - they stayed at Versace and the Sheraton respectively. Why? Because a low rise, on the beach/ Broadwater experience is something to savour even for billionaires - and our tourism entities should be protecting that, not allowing it to be destroyed; 9. developers are free to construct high rises throughout the western side of the Broadwater in the Southport PD area; at present the hospital site remains open for development- Sunland are free to tender to construct their plans there which will of course yield all of the employment benefits they claim for their project; and 10. finally, we all know that one high rise means every developer will push for high rises from one end to the other of The Spit. GCCC propose draft amendments to the Town Plan (2015) which will facilitate high rise development on The Spit - see zone map 27 Southport (http://cityplan.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/pages/plan/viewerpdf.aspx?vid=10117) . We must protect this precious tourism, community and environmental asset from private exploitation - no matter what our political representatives say or do.

 Maryborough Historical Original Town Site is under threat of destruction as the FCRC wish to turn it into a new development site  Small businesses losing trade and closing their doors because of the relocation of the Maryborough Outdoor Markets  The foreshore of Hervey Bay has had its native vegetation removed causing erosion.  Disabled Parking Laws have been overruled by the Mayor instructing his Parking Officers to turn a blind eye to illegal disability parking.  New Road Works on Main street were not carried out in accordance with the provision of Disability parking Bays in accordance with Australian Standards AS2890.6  Road way into the Airport now classified as a council car park which affects the availability of Blue Disability Parking Permit holders rights.  The Mayor wants to close off the Esplanade to motor vehicles forcing tourists and visitors to park in the back streets then walk to the beach.  150 year old Fig Trees that form a canopy over the Esplanade are under threat.  Other vegetation along the Esplanade has been removed and destroyed in order to please the Business owners of apartments, hotels and other eateries to enhance their customer’s views of the bay  No current Shoreline Erosion Management Plan  No Foreshore Master Plan  FCRC has granted $10 Million to a sporting complex until 2017 yet sporting clubs are being bullied /forced to move from current location.  FCRC has neglected the rate payers maintenance needs in local parks and lake areas in order to spend the money on areas frequented by tourists.  FCRC wasting money on already existing parks that don’t need anything done to them whilst other communities require them urgently.  FCRC wasting money by repairing a rock wall three times and still is not constructed properly.  FCRC has closed meetings on the Monday before the Public Meeting on the Wednesday and most decisions have already been made  FCRC will not listen to the residents / rate payers - our protests and objections fall on deaf ears.  FCRC intends to relocate the Pialba Memorial Hall and Pialba Railway station which are a great part of Hervey Bays Heritage. Both Buildings are listed on the Local Heritage and Asbestos Registar  FCRC approves upgrades to roads that have been attended to within twelve month period.  This Council appears to look after the Business sector of town and has plans of turning Hervey Bay into another Gold or Sunshine Coast.  FCRC granted approval to their Business Buddies to make improvement to their eateries built on public owned Council land on the foreshores without any proper consultation with the rate payers, one business owner has now applied to extend his eatery from the beach out through parkland to the Esplanade and convert his business now into three separate identities, begs to ask the question as to what the mayor and his boys club are getting in order to pass this building application.....a free cup of coffee....I think Not...!!  People have moved from Interstate and big cities to escape to a sea change they don’t want what the FCRC are pushing for.  People are selling and moving because of the high Council & Water Rates ,the increasing crime rate and the increasing ongoing high unemployment rates.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AHx3f0gL4A Since I was a kid, I’ve always wanted to visit the Great Barrier Reef and have the opportunity to see a majestic turtle amongst the coral. When I heard we could lose our Reef to climate change, and that there was a plan to build major new coal ports on the Reef to make the problem even worse, I knew I had to act. Growing up, I was taught the value of being ready for the future as one of Commonwealth Bank’s Dollarmites. Me, and thousands of other Dollarmites like me, saved our pocket money for our future. When I learnt the money we’d saved could be used to fund the massive new coal mines threatening our Reef and our right to grow up with a safe climate, I was shocked! The worst part is, according to media reports, the Commonwealth Bank is the most likely bank to fund these developments. That means they’d be using my money - and yours - to fund it. But I don’t want my money invested in this. Who would? That’s why I’m asking Dollarmites, CommBank customers, and the rest of Australia to sign this petition calling on CommBank’s CEO Ian Narev to rule out financing coal ports and mega mines on the Great Barrier Reef. Will you join me? If CommBank won’t do the right thing, I’m closing my account. The Reef is one of the nicest places in Australia, and it’s one of our landmarks too. Why would we want it ruined? Naomi.

Who remembers fishing trips, football games and Sunday sessions at the Grandview Hotel in Cleveland? What legacy do you want to leave your kids? The area behind the Grandview Hotel stretching down to the Stradbroke Island Ferry terminal and down to Star of the Sea Catholic School has been approved for development. This will mean an 800 berth marina and 15 storey high apartment blocks. We enjoy this space because we have fought for it over the years, will you fight for it now for the future generations?

The Wet Tropics has been ranked the second most irreplaceable World Heritage Area in the world by a team of international scientists. Despite its significance, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified the Wet Tropics as of ‘significant concern’ due to the threats posed by invasive plants, animals and diseases and climate change. The Wet Tropics World Heritage Area as high visitor rates and provides economic stimulus through tourism in Far North Queensland, an industry that much of the regions economy depends on. Without the work of the Wet Tropics Management Authority, there will be no independent body that can consider the diversity of the people and places that exist in the World Heritage area and how to properly Manage them