Federal government says it cannot stop the Wallum development

By Sarah Waters

Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek says she will not intervene with the Wallum development, despite the growing opposition to it.

Save Wallum campaigners have continuously lobbied Minister Plibersek to call in the development as a controlled action under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.

To call in a development, means the minister will look at what is being proposed and determine if it needs to be assessed under the national environment law.

Wallum heathland, in Brunswick Heads, is regarded as highly signifcant ecological and cultural land.

Campaigners and local ecologists state its coastal lowland habitat supports a host of native fora and fauna, including nine federally listed threatened species. Under the national environment law, or EPBC Act, threatened species are considered as Matters of National Environmental Signifcance (MNES) which grants them protection.

But, in a statement, Ms Plibersek said the

Wallum development was not a federal government matter.

“State governments and councils have always had primary responsibility for residential land use planning and approvals,” Ms Plibersek said.

“The Australian government is not able to stop the Wallum development, under national environment laws,” she said.

When questioned further, a spokesperson from Ms Plibersek’s offce said there was no case before her to look at.

“Based on the advice she had been given from the federal environment department, there are currently no grounds for her to intervene in the development under national environment law.

“Developments only need to obtain approval from the federal government when they are likely to ‘signifcantly’ impact matters of national environmental signifcance,” they said.

Save Wallum campaigner and local ecologist James Barrie said he was surprised at the minister’s response, given protected matters were ‘defnitely a federal issue.’

He also questioned what advice she was given to reach that decision.