EDO Northern Rivers Archives
Workshops and Seminars
Publications
History of EDO Northern Rivers
Seminar: Coal seam gas
Murwillumbah 9 June 2011
Three companies are currently exploring for coal seam and conventional gas in the Clarence Moreton Basin, which covers much of the Northern Rivers. Metgasco Limited already has approval for a gas-fired power station near Casino and is currently seeking planning approval for a gas pipeline from Casino over the Border Ranges to Ipswich.
In response to a range of community concerns including potential groundwater contamination associated with hydraulic fracturing and the need to dispose of waste or “produced” water, the EDO Northern Rivers held a public seminar in Murwillumbah on 9 June 2011 to provide information about what is happening in the region; discuss the potential environmental impacts; explain the approval processes; and inform the community about their legal rights.
Presenters were education officer Mark Byrne and senior solicitor Ian Ratcliff.
GAS Map
Click here for a map of the Northern Rivers area showing the locations of exploration and production wells approved in the Clarence Moreton Basin between 2005 and 2010. Details of the company, well name and approval year are available in the bar to the left of the map, or by clicking on any of the location pins.
Please note that the locations are indicative only: for more detail, go to the relevant Review of Environmental Factors, which can be found here.
Please also note that the pins over the towns of Grafton and Casino reflect the fact that the relevant approvals are for the “Grafton area” or the “Casino area”, with no exact location specified. Wells in these areas are unlikely to be within the towns themselves.
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Workshop: private conservation and carbon farming
Coramba, 3 May 2011
Much of the high conservation value vegetation in NSW is on private property. This vegetation provides critical habitat to many threatened species. Landholders can benefit from the agreements and incentives offered by governments and environmental organisations to protect biodiversity on private land. This workshop included discussion of the Federal Government's planned Carbon Farming Initiative. It was held in Coramba, near Coffs Harbour, on 3 May 2011. EDO speakers were education officer Mark Byrne and senior solicitor Sue Higginson. There were other speakers from the Office of Environment and Heritage, Nature Conservation Trust, Northern Rivers CMA and Coffs Harbour City Council.
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Workshop: Coastal law and climate change
Coffs Harbour, 19 March 2011
This workshop, on 19 March 2011, explained the main environmental and planning laws that affect coastal communities, with a focus on recent changes to the Coastal Protection Act relating to sea level rise and erosion works. Presenters were Senior Solicitor Sue Higginson and Education Officer Mark Byrne.
Other coastal law workshops will be held in the Northern Rivers region later in 2011.
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exploration and production
Lismore, 2 February 2011
Three companies are currently exploring for coal seam and conventional
gas in the Clarence Moreton Basin, which covers much of the Northern
Rivers. Metgasco Limited already has approval for a gas fired power
station near Casino and is currently seeking planning approval for
a gas pipeline from Casino over the Border Ranges to Ipswich.
In response to a range of community concerns including potential groundwater
contamination associated with hydraulic fracturing and the need to
dispose of waste or “produced” water, the EDO Northern Rivers held
a public seminar to provide information about what is happening in
the region; discuss the potential environmental impacts; explain the
approval processes; and inform the community about their legal rights.
GAS Map
Click here for
a map of the Northern Rivers area showing the locations of exploration
and production wells approved in the Clarence Moreton Basin between
2005 and 2010. Details of the company, well name and approval
year are available in the bar to the left of the map, or by clicking
on any of the location pins.
Please note that the locations are indicative only: for more detail,
go to the relevant Review of Environmental Factors, which can be found here.
Please also note that the pins over the towns of Grafton and Casino
reflect the fact that the relevant approvals are for the “Grafton area” or
the “Casino area”, with no exact location specified. Wells in these
areas are unlikely to be within the towns themselves.
Seminar: Richmond Valley Draft
Local Environmental Plan
The EDO Northern Rivers office held a public seminar on Thursday 14
October in Evans Head to discuss how the Draft Richmond Valley Local
Environmental Plan might affect areas of high biodiversity, other environmental
and planning matters, and how the community can make effective submissions.
Speakers were Senior Solicitor Sue Higginson and Education Officer
Mark Byrne.
Workshop: Rural
Environmental Law Comboyne, 11 September 2010
On Saturday, 11 September 2010, EDO
Northern Rivers senior solicitor Sue Higginson and education officer
Mark Byrne discuss native vegetation and land clearing law; water law
and riparian areas; natural resource management plans; private native
forestry; carbon offset farming; and other topics of interest at the
Comboyne Memorial Hall (organised by Comboyne Community Association).
Seminar: In the News, Out of Court - A
Guide to Defamation Law
Mullumbimby, 29 July 2010
EDO Senior Solicitor Sue Higginson explained the relevant legislation
and recent cases including the Gunns 20 case in Tasmania. NSW Greens
MLC Ian Cohen discussed his recent experience as the defendant in a
major NSW defamation suit. Participants received the EDO fact sheet
on defamation.
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Seminar: Lismore Draft LEP
Lismore, 19 May 2010
The EDO Northern Rivers office held a public seminar on 19 May 2010
to discuss how the draft Lismore Local Environmental Plan might affect
areas of high biodiversity, other environmental and planning matters,
and how the community can make effective submissions.
Presenters were Education Officer Mark Byrne and Senior Solicitor
Sue Higginson.
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Seminar: Ballina Draft
LEP
Ballina, Wednesday 5 May
The EDO Northern Rivers held a public forum in conjunction with
the Ballina Environment Society on 5 May 2010 to discuss how the draft
Ballina Local Environmental Plan might affect areas of high biodiversity,
other environmental and planning matters, and how the community can
make effective submissions.
Presenters were Education Officer Mark Byrne and Senior Solicitor
Ian Ratcliff.
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Workshop: Understanding Native Vegetation Law
Nambucca Heads, 17 April 2010
EDO Northern Rivers staff presented a workshop to help
rural landholders to understand and use the Native Vegetation Act and
related conservation and clearing controls. The workshop was held in
Nambucca Heads and was organised by Nambucca Valley Landcare.
Presenters
were Senior Solicitor Sue Higginson and Education Officer Mark Byrne.
Topics included:
- Land clearing;
- Property vegetation plans;
- Obtaining development consent;
- Conservation agreements;
- Private native forestry;
- Plantations;
- Biobanking;
- Carbon offset forestry.
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Seminar: Port Macquarie-Hastings Draft LEP
12 April 2010
The draft Port Macquarie-Hastings Local Environmental Plan was on public
exhibition until Monday 19 April 2010. In response to requests from the
local community, the EDO Northern Rivers office held a public seminar
to discuss how the draft Plan might affect areas of
high biodiversity, other environmental and planning issues, and how the
community can make effective submissions. Speakers were Education Officer
Mark Byrne and Senior Solicitor Ian Ratcliff.
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Seminar: Tweed Draft Local Environmental Plan
2010
Murwillumbah, 23 March 2010
In response to requests from the local community, the EDO Northern Rivers
office held a public seminar in Murwillumbah
to discuss how well the Draft Plan protects the area's unique biodiversity
and how the community can make effective submissions.
Speakers were NR
Education Officer Mark Byrne and Senior Solicitor Ian Ratcliff.
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Byrill Creek & Clarrie Hall Dam proposals
27 February 2010
The EDO Northern Rivers spoke at a community forum about the environmental
assessment process that would be followed if Tweed Shire Council
decided to proceed with proposals for either a new dam at Byrill Creek,
or the raising of walls at Clarrie Hall Dam.
Submissions regarding the proposed
Dam are due to Tweed Shire Council by 26 March 2010.
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Seminar: Climate Law after Copenhagen
How can global warming be kept to 2 degrees, as proposed in the Copenhagen
Accord? Free public seminars with the Environmental Defender's Office Northern
Rivers.
- An insider's view of the Copenhagen summit.
- The implications of Australia's proposed CPRS and alter natives.
- Recent Australian and international climate change court cases
PORT MACQUARIE
Where: Sea Acres Rainforest Centre, Pacific Dve
When: Thursday 4 February 2010
BELLINGEN
Where: Uniting Church Hall, cnr Waterfall Way + Ford
St
When: Friday 5 February
2010
BALLINA
Where: Richmond Room, Regatta Ave
When: Wednesday 10 February
MURWILLUMBAH
Where: CWA Hall, 20 Queen St
When: Thursday 11 February
Seminar presentations:
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Seminar: Planned retreat, climate change & biodiversity
Byron
Bay, 3 December 2009
In response to a rising wave of interest from all levels of government
in threats to coastal communities from climate change,
the Environmental Defender's Office Northern Rivers presented a public
seminar on coastal management. It focused on how liability issues, adaptation
strategies and biodiversity protection are dealt with in recent initiatives
including Byron Council's Draft Coastal Zone Management Plan and the
NSW Government's reforms to coastal erosion management.
Presenters were Mark Byrne, Education Officer, and Sue Higginson, Senior
Solicitor.
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You, Me & the RET
Bellingen, 14 September 2009
Mark Byrne, Education Officer at NSW Environmental Defender's Office in the Northern Rivers presented a talk on how the new 20% renewable energy target affects consumers, the industry & emissions. Other speakers were Martin Hogan from the Bellingen Renewable Energy Fair and the Bellingen Environment Centre and Steve Doyle from Bellingen Solar.
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Workshop: Landowners in the Lower
Clarence Valley interested in conserving biodiversity on their property
28 February 2009
The Northern Rivers is a national biodiversity hotspot, but much of the high conservation value land is on private property. Governments and other organisations have recognised the need to protect biodiversity on private land by offering a range of formal and informal agreements and incentives.
The morning session of this one day workshop was held in Grafton. It covered the options for conservation agreements, with talks from EDO lawyers and staff from the Nature Conservation Trust of NSW, the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change and the Northern Rivers
Catchment Management Authority. The afternoon session involved a visit to a farm 28 kms south of Grafton that has had a Voluntary Conservation Agreement for many years, to show how it has worked in practice.
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The Road to Copenhagen - Our Role in Responding to the Climate Crisis
3 February 2009
The climate change conference in Copenhagen this December may be the last chance to avoid a potentially catastrophic future for the world's climate. The federal government has set a target for emissions reduction of 5% by 2020, or 15% if a global agreement can be reached this year. But the science tells us the reduction needs to be at least 25%. There are other problems with the government's plan that will make it unlikely to reduce our national emissions.
The EDO Northern Rivers hosted a community forum in Ballina that coincided with the Climate Change Summit in Canberra and the first day of federal parliament for 2009.
Speakers
The international context - Dr Mark Byrne, Education Officer, Environmental Defender's Office Northern Rivers
The national context - Dr Chris McGrath, Barrister and Al Gore Climate Change Presenter
The local context - Helena Norbert-Hodge, Author & international expert on localisation
School students were invited to talk about what climate change meant to them and what they were doing about it, and a report on the climate summit in Canberra. The speakers were followed by an open discussion on local responses to the issue.
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Brainfood in Byron: Human Rights and the Environment
The EDO hosted a series of talks at the Byron Community Centre on the
last Friday evening of each month from August to November 2008. The theme
was the interface of human rights and the environment. The talks were
not recorded and presentations are not available as pdf downloads. The
talks were as follows:
FRIDAY 30 SEPTEMBER - SANITATION
KEN FAWCETT, ex-Southampton University
FRIDAY 29 AUGUST - MINING
TECHA BEAUMONT, Minerals Policy Institute
FRIDAY 31 OCTOBER - WATER
ILONA MILLER, Baker & McKenzie
FRIDAY 28 NOVEMBER - CHEMICALS
DR MARIANN LLOYD-SMITH, Oztoxics
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Northern Rivers Community Forum: Protecting Biodiversity in Lismore Shire
The Northern Rivers is one of the world's most bio-diverse regions. Some plants and animals are protected in national parks and other reserves, but many are not. Any new development or change in land use is likely to impact on biodiversity.
Lismore Council has prepared a draft Local Environmental Plan (LEP) which will chart the future of development and environmental protection in the shire. In response to community concerns, the EDO organised a community forum to discuss how biodiversity can best be protected in the new LEP.
The forum consisted of short talks by EDO lawyers followed by open discussion. The aim was to recommend the inclusion in the LEP of best practice biodiversity protections with local community input.
Workshop: Conserving Threatened Species
Goonellabah, 25 September 2008
The Environmental Defender's Office
and Tucki Landcare Group presented a FREE evening workshop on Conserving
Threatened Species at Goonellabah.
EDO Northern Rivers Solicitor Sue Higginson provided an introduction to the legal protection for endangered plants and animals in NSW, which was followed by an audio-visual presentation on local habitats and related issues by Mark Graham, an ecologist from Buckombil Conservation Services who has radio tracked koalas and undertaken flora and fauna assessments in the Tucki Tucki catchment.
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Seminar: Planned Retreat
Expert Seminar
Byron Bay, 31 May 2008
The EDO held
an expert seminar to discuss Byron Shire Council's policy of planned
retreat, which has been in place since 1988 and has withstood several
legal challenges.
The seminar was attended by twelve lawyers, planners, ecologists and community campaigners with a range of experience of planned retreat in Byron Shire and Queensland.
The recommendations from the seminar constitute Appendix 1 to the ANEDO submission to the Federal Government's inquiry into Climate Change and Coastal Communities. The ANEDO submission can be found here: http://www.edo.org.au/policy/climatechange_coastal080610.pdf
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EDO Northern Rivers - One Year On
22 August 2007
The EDO Northern Rivers opened on Monday, 3 July 2006 as an 18 month
pilot project funded by the Public Purpose Fund.
The office has now been operating for 12 months. During that time we have provided approximately 600 telephone advices, we have provided advice and representation to individuals, community groups and conservation organisations in approximately 40 public environmental interest matters. We have also conducted 7 community education workshops in the Northern Rivers region.
The pilot has been very successful and has received enormous support to continue providing a much needed service for the region. top
Continued Funding for the EDO Northern Rivers
20 August 2007
We are delighted to anounce that the
EDO's Northern Rivers Office has gained the generous support of the NSW
Law Society's Public Purpose Fund to continue the operation of the office.
Funding has increased so as to support an addition to our Lismore office team, with a community legal education and outreach officer.
We are greatly indebted to the ongoing enthusiasm and support of the Public Purpose Fund, which provides a substantial foundation for our work to empower communities to protect the environment.
We would like to thank all the people who have supported the work of the Northern Rivers office over the past 12 months.
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Workshop: Environmental Law for
Rural Landholders
Tuntable Creek, 18 August 2007
The
Environmental Defender’s Office Northern Rivers (EDO) in conjunction
with Tuntable Creek Landcare, presented a practical workshop about environmental
and legal issues which particularly affect rural landholders.
The slides from the workshop are now available for download.
The presentation by guest speaker Mark Graham, ecologist from Buckombil Conservation Services, on the laws relating to threatened species as they are relevant to local issues, is also available for download. (presentation reproduced with permission of the owner)
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Workshop: Environmental Law for Rural
Landholders
Bellingen, 21 April 2007
The EDO (Northern Rivers) presented a FREE workshop for rual landholders,
providing practical information about environmental law.
The workshop was intended to complement the free EDO publication, 'The Rural Landholder's Guide to Environmental Law in NSW'.
Topics covered in the workshop included: vegetation management, bushfire management, water management, pest and weed control, agricultural chemicals and conservation on private land
The workshop was presented by solicitors, Jessica Wood and Sue Higginson of the EDO and Pia Dollman from Bellinger Landcare who spoke about the Upper Bellinger Reach-based Plan Project and Landcare generally.
The workshop was followed by a private farm tour on Darkwood Road, Thora.
To download a free copy of the Rural Landholders' Guide to Environmental Law, see: www.edo.org.au/edonsw/site/publications.php. Free copies of this publication, including bulk orders, are available from the Environmental Defender's Office NSW. To order copies, please call (02) 9262 6989.
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Launch of Campaigning and the Law in New South Wales
On 31 March 2007, the EDO publication Campaigning
and the Law in New South Wales: A guide to your rights and responsibilities was
officially launched by Ian Cohen, Greens MP, and Jeff Smith, Director
of the Environmental Defender’s Office.
This plain English guide is an essential companion for those interested in learning about their legal rights to protest, and how to make informed decisions about participating in protest action.
For more information and to order your copy of this publication, click here.
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Workshop: Environmental Law for Rural Landholders
 Clybucca,
28 October 2006
The Environmental Defender's Office
Northern Rivers (EDO) presented a free workshop in
Clybucca, near Kempsey, on environmental law for rural landholders. The
workshop was presented in collaboration with Macleay Landcare Group,
and complemented the recently released EDO publication, the Rural Landholders' Guide to Environmental Law.
The workshop was designed to help landholders understand their legal rights and manage their land in accordance with environmental and natural resource management law, and to take advantage of incentives for voluntary conservation.
Topics covered in the workshops included:
- vegetation management;
- bushfire management;
- water management;
- pest and weed control;
- agricultural chemicals; and
- incentives for voluntary conservation.
To download a free copy of the Rural Landholders' Guide to Environmental Law, see: www.edo.org.au/edonsw/site/publications.php. Free copies of this publication, including bulk orders, are available from the Environmental Defender's Office NSW. To order copies, please call (02) 9262 6989.
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Official Opening of EDO Northern Rivers
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Sue Higginson, Jeff Smith, Justice Brian Preston and Jessica Wood at the Launch of the EDO Northern Rivers office. |
On 15 July 2006, the EDO celebrated the opening of our new Northern Rivers office with an official launch, followed by a free half-day community workshop about conservation on private land.
The new office was launched by Justice Brian Preston, Chief Judge of the NSW Land and Environment Court.
[Link to Justice Preston's opening speech.]
The private conservation workshop covered a range of legal and practical issues associated with private conservation, including:
- legal mechanisms for protecting conservation values on private land;
- financial incentives for private conservation; and
- technical assistance and advice for private conservation projects.
The workshop was presented by EDO staff as well as John Nagel from the Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority (NRCMA) and Kate Smiley from the Nature Conservation Trust (NCT).
The workshop also incorporated a tour of Brockley Farm, where local bush regenerator, Stephanie Lymburner showcased the fantastic results of restoration work in remnant bushland on the macadamia farm. The EDO would like to thank the owners of Brockley Farm, Charlie and Jenny Handley for their wonderful hospitality and congratulate them for their commitment to conserving biodiversity on their land.
Both the launch and the workshop were well attended despite inclement weather. Local government representatives, including Jan Barham, Mayor of Byron Shire Council, and Jenny Dowell, Councillor for Lismore City Council were joined by interested members of the community and a number of local environmental groups. Many participants expressed their delight at finally having a regional office in their local area.
Now that the formalities are over, the EDO Northern Rivers looks forward to engaging further with the region and helping residents to achieve positive outcomes for the local environment.
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Workshops on Planning Law Reforms
In 2006, EDO Northern Rivers presented a workshop series in Byron Bay, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour on the recent reforms to the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.
The reforms include the requirement for all local councils to amend their local environmental plans to conform with a standard template and the addition of Part 3A to the Act which replaces State significant development with major projects and critical infrastructure, for which the Minister is the consent authority.
If you would like a copy of the slideshow presentation from this workshop, please contact us.
Slides are in PDF format.
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