Tourist town 'in shock' over huge change: 'It's been decimated'
Locals are angry that wildlife habitat is rapidly being destroyed to make way for new houses.
As you drive into one of Australia’s most popular seaside towns, tourists are greeted with a sign warning koalas are crossing. But locals are concerned about the future of wildlife habitat in the area after “significant” numbers of trees were felled nearby.
An image shared with Yahoo News shows an area directly behind the sign where development has begun. The destruction began in March, impacting a long section of bushland at Blueys Beach on the Mid North Coast in NSW that’s slated to become a new housing development.
Koalas are listed as endangered and face extinction in NSW by 2050, with habitat loss a major contributor to their ongoing demise.
Related: Koala habitat bulldozed by developer for new car park
Yahoo News has been unable to reach the developer, and the Mid North Council isn’t in a position to comment because it’s currently investigating the impact of the tree removal. But locals aren't staying as tight-lipped and some are keen to speak out.
“Having that koala sign there right in front of where they’ve decimated that dense bushland is insane,” one man told Yahoo News. “A picture paints a thousand words,” a homeowner from a nearby town added.
Tradesmen among locals upset by development
Kian, a local businessman, told Yahoo the removal of the trees has been the talk of the town.
“Anyone you speak to in this area, even our tradesmen are just in shock. My daughter said her school teacher came into class in tears because the area was full of birdlife and possums. It was a nice, pristine coastal area,” he said. “We’ve got national parks and lakes everywhere, but when you turn into Blueys now it’s that development that you see.”
A survey conducted 20 years ago identified potential koala habitat at the site, and the landowner later agreed to protect sections of the property. While tree removal undertaken in March was approved, the developer was also required to comply with stormwater management and erosion and sediment control.
"Council compliance staff have attended the site and spoken with the developer and contractors about how the work has been undertaken and the immediate risks the site poses to the environment," MidNorth Coast Council said in March.
Yahoo does not allege the developer has breached any conditions placed upon its project, or that koalas were living in the habitat which was felled.
NSW coast rapidly transformed from forest to housing sites
Like many NSW residents, Kian is concerned about the transformation of bushland into housing developments. Much of the forest along the coast between Sydney and the Victorian border has already been destroyed by the state government’s forestry corporation, bushfires and developers, and Kian is worried pristine areas further north are now being wiped out.
“I moved here 18 years ago to get away from big crowds, and enjoy the nature and the beaches. But you can just see this is happening across all the beautiful little coastal spots across NSW,” he said. “Since Covid all these developments seem to have accelerated. Things are rapidly changing for the worse, but I don’t know how you stop it.”
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