Council facilitates environmental destruction again and neglects duty of care.

In the Council meeting on 21 September 2016 Councillor Nipper Brown, Mary Graham and Kevin Davies voted to extend an out of date, expired development approval REC/07/0091 for the fourth time (thank you to Councillor Lenore Wyatt and Angela Toppin for voting against it).

The development is not compatible with the new 2016 Mareeba Shire Plan as many improvements in regards to bush fire hazard, environmental protection and minimum lot size have been made in the new plan.

The 1000 acre property(Lot 174 and 175) on Fantin Road in Koah had permission to be subdivided into 10 lots. The block is situated in a bushfire hazard area. The land is entirely covered by remnant vegetation, a large amount of it being the EPBC endangered listed Broad leaf tea-tree.

If the development finally goes ahead, large amounts of damage to endangered species would occur, giving EPBC officers and environmentalists the run around once more.

With this extension, Council has also allowed an increase of population in a bush fire hazard area unduly burdening the rural fire brigade.

To make matters worse, the subdivided blocks can get isolated between two big creeks leaving future residents marooned. There would be no possibility for emergency rescue as the land is even unsuitable for a helicopter to land on. Under the conditions applied, Council has failed to demand that the developer provides all weather access to the lots.