Mangrove Mountain community’s campaign against a cattle feedlot proposal continued over the long weekend at the Harvest Festival with people being asked to sign a petition.
Comments close on Tuesday, June 13 for the proposal.
But it looks like hundreds of people have already sent in submissions with the council website showing more than 600 items on this one particular development application and organisers say they believe there are more in the system.
The community campaign has included the support of Animal Liberation, Australia’s longest running animal rights organisation.
Animal Liberation’s Regional Campaigns Manager, Lisa Ryan, said their involvement shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone.
“Opposing harmful developments is just one of the many things we do, and have done for more than four decades; to ensure better outcomes for animals, the environment and local communities,” Ms Ryan said.
“Increasingly, NSW communities approach Animal Liberation because they have been ignored by their local council, government agencies or departments, their MP or government.
“Where possible, we will always provide a level of support, energy and guidance, based on our experience and expertise. We frequently step up where others have failed.”
Ms Ryan said that for any submission to be relevant it must refer back to the applicant’s documents and must relate to the relevant planning instruments.
“Our public submission guide supports that those who are short on time, or may not have knowledge about the particulars of the proposed feedlot, or the NSW planning regime and planning instruments, have access to what they need so they can ‘have a say’ and lodge an informed submission,” she said.
“We are pleased Central Coast Council finally agreed to our repeated requests to extend the public exhibition period up to Tuesday 13 June – it needed to happen and we encourage everyone to ‘have a say’.
“Across NSW and Australia these intensive animal agri-businesses are spreading and festering across the landscape – harming millions of animals, destroying the environment and hurting rural communities in which they are situated.
“Our appalling animal welfare laws and inadequate planning laws are actually facilitating and fast tracking this spread and it’s time the NSW State Government listened and acted.”
Go here for more from Animal Liberation:
Otherwise, you’re looking for the applicant’s Statement of Environmental Effects if you want to read about the proposal but it could be difficult to find.
It will have been one of the first things uploaded so go to the first page. Good luck.
Go here to see more: https://eservices.centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/…/EnquiryDeta…
