MP Labels Mambo Wetlands Buy-Back Plans "A Flop"

BY JARROD MELMETH

It has been two years since the NSW Government sold the Mambo Wetlands at Salamander Bay and six months since the Premier wrote to Port Stephens Council indicating that the government would explore its options for purchasing the site back.

In her letter, the Premier said the government was looking to purchase the land through the Coastal Lands Protection Scheme which is used to bring coastal lands into public ownership. The Department of Planning administers the scheme, which receives an annual budget allocation of $3 million for strategic acquisitions.

In Parliamentary question time, Port Stephens MP Kate Washington asked the Minister for Planning when the Department will make a determination on the application to repurchase the Mambo Wetlands site at Salamander Bay using the funding from the Coastal Lands Protection Scheme.

Minister for Planning Anthony Roberts responded saying the Department of Planning has offered to purchase the land but "at this point in time the owner of the Mambo Wetlands site has not accepted the offer."

Ms Washington said if the owner is not willing to sell it back, the government must use its powers to compulsorily acquire the land.

"The government could have already acquired the land. The government knew when they sold it off, how precious this land was. Once they did it they said it was a mistake. They are responsible for fixing their mistake and they have the power to do it," Ms Washington said.

In March, the NSW Labor opposition committed to buying back the land if it forms government in the March 2019 state election.

Mambo Wetlands Site at Salamander Bay.
Photo: Port Stephens Examiner.

Petition Launched To Save Koala Population At Mambo Wetlands

BY IAN CROUCH

A petition has been launched calling on the state government to buy back the Mambo Wetlands at Port Stephens in a bid to save the local Koala population.

The government sold the 6 hectare parcel of land to a property developer last year, leaving residents shocked and dismayed.

Port Stephens Councillor, Jaime Abbott raised the issue with Premier Gladys Berejiklian during her visit to the shire last weekend and Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter, Scot MacDonald has previously acknowledged selling the land was a mistake.

Port Stephens Council is considering a development application for the site.

Port Stephens MP, Kate Washington is hoping people power will win the day and is aiming to collect 10,000 signatures on the petition so the issue can be debated in state parliament.

Residents Protest Against Sale Of Mambo Wetlands At Salamander Bay Picture: Port Stephens Examiner

Stage one of Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary unveiled

BY JARROD MELMETH

The first stage of a proposed $3 million Koala Sanctuary was unveiled this morning at a ceremony at Treescape, One Mile.

Stage one of the sanctuary involves the construction of koala rehabilitation pens, which will allow local volunteers to care for koalas locally, rather than having to transport them to Port Macquarie Koala Hospital.

Port Stephens Koalas project manager, Ron Land, said previously, the group have had to either release sick or injured koalas prematurely, transport them to Port Macquarie for further care, or in some cases, euthanise them.

"It gives us now a range of options that we have never had before. Just the transferring of an ill or injured koala to Port Macquarie is very stressful for the koala and did not always have a happy outcome.

"We are able to now, and it is very important for local koalas that they continue to eat the leaf from their local area because their digestive system is very highly tuned and obviously any koala transferred outside of the area is fed the leaf from the Mid-North Coast which is not the same as the leaf they have been reared on here," Mr Land said.

Former NSW Premier Mike Baird announced $124,000 allocated from the Community Building Program for stage one of the project.

Mr Land said together with Council, Port Stephens Koalas have applied to the State Government for an additional $3 million in funding which, if secured will see stage two commence.

"This will include the construction of the hospital buildings as well as a state-of-the-art eco-tourism facility where people will be able to come and see the koalas in their natural environment whilst we carry on our work within the hospital and various parts of the facility," Mr Land said.

Port Stephens Mayor Ryan Palmer says the region is home to one of the last remaining koala populations on the east coast, so it is important to protect them.

Photo: Jarrod Melmeth

Mambo Wetlands to be Saved from Development by Greens Acquisition Plan

BY NIKOLA JOKANOVIC

The Greens have responded to ongoing community concerns by drafting legislation to prevent the Mambo Wetlands from being cleared and developed, as was planned by the Port Stephens Council.

Legislation will be soon introduced by the Greens to the New South Wales Parliament to compulsorily acquire the Wetlands at Salamander Bay and the koala habitat found there.

The move comes following strong community action against the state government's sale of the land, with concerns over the area's environmental health and the survival of the already-embattled koala population in the area.

The area was sold in an online auction for $250,000 earlier in 2016, with options for dual occupancy if consented to.

Greens New South Wales MP and environmental spokeswoman Dr. Mehreen Farqui says that although the community has thrown their weight behind it, the acquisition isn't certain until it appears in Parliament.

"We know that the community in Port Stephens are really up in arms about this mess. I'm really pleading to the Liberal national government to pass this legislation: it's sitting there, the community wants it, the environment needs it. We're hoping that we will get support but we won't know until we introduce the legislation."

200 people appeared on the site on Monday the 2nd of October to protest the plans.

However, despite community concerns, the development application stated that the proposal had been "positioned to largely avoid areas of preferred koala habitat", and that development would cause an "incremental reduction of supplementary koala habitat".

Despite this, community members and the Greens remain committed to reclaiming the Wetlands for permanent conservation.

"The Mambo Wetlands are rich in biodiversity, and they're also a habitat for koalas," says Dr. Farqui.

"We must make sure that this land is permanently protected. Sadly the only way to do that since the government has sold it off is to acquire it compulsorily."

Community members are concerned about the effect the proposed development would have had on the Wetlands' Koala population.
Image: Newcastle Herald

Koala hospital for One Mile Beach

BY ARIANA GATTI and JESSICA ROUSE

Port Stephens Council has backed a plan to build a Koala hospital and tourism facility at Treescape Holiday Park at One Mile Beach.

The hospital is set to cost about $3 million, and will treat sick and injured koalas from the local area in a bid to protect the dwindling population.

The long-term sustainability of the koala population is key and Secretary for Port Stephens Koalas Ron Land believes the hospital could be the answer they've been looking for.

"It'll give us a chance to conduct emergency treatment and also long term care. The facilities that we currently operate are all home based and whilst they're very high quality we just can't sustain that model. We have to centralise our facilities and our long term benefits for our carers and our koala population."

One Mile Beach is the ideal place for the hospital, with 2.5 acres of natural bushland where there's already a colony of koalas.

The tourism aspect of the hospital is very important in bringing in revenue to keep the hospital sustainable for years to come.

"Port Stephens council has done a magnificent job in developing the business model and really without them, this project wouldn't have seen daylight," said Ron Land.