Ed,

Recent extreme flooding catastrophes locally and around the world as well as widespread extreme bushfires over the past 3 years makes you wonder. In the light of recent extreme weather catastrophes, is the present draft plan still fit for purpose?

In this week’s Clarence Valley Independent (CVI 10/8/22) the NSW Government encourages you to “Have your say on the plan for the future of the North Coast.” On the same page an article outlines some of the aspects of the plan as the Government is “undertaking the first 5 -year review. . . to reset priorities and to extend its reach from 2036 to 2041.” But hang on a minute, this is the year 2022 and we’re only just beginning to see the dreadful effect climate change is now starting to have on the lives of so many families in the Clarence Valley and the year 2022 is a long way from the year 2041. And climate change has only really just started to show us its teeth.

There is generous sprinkling of today’s magical word “sustainable” in the Plan but under the heading “Housing and Place” when you read “Enable appropriate housing development throughout LGA including James Creek and West Yamba” and you consider the recent public meeting uproar over a development plan that was raised by by Valley Watch with Maclean Shire Council back in 1995, you wonder if the Draft Plan is already set in concrete and is more of a Draft Sham, in which no consideration has been given to the massive recent weather changes that certainly widely visible back in 1995.

You recently elected both a more visionary Local Government and Federal Government. So, will you choose to also elect a new State Government that is worthy of you, your children and grandchildren?

Harry Johnson, Iluka