STATEMENT OF INTENT AND REQUIREMENT
BY RESIDENTS RE LAND MANAGEMENT IN TYAGARAH

This letter is a statement of requirement and intent by the residents of Tyagarah, represented by the Tyagarah Progress Association, concerning the management of Council-owned and Crown land in the Tyagarah area.

We request that in every case where Council is faced with a decision about such land, be it a consideration of re-zoning, sale, development or any other matter impacting the status and use of the land, that a decision be made which:

* gives priority to the preservation and restoration of the natural environment, the vegetation and the wildlife;

* facilitates the use of the land for these purposes by local residents and supporters;

* leaves the natural vegetation and the land in both a legal and a physical condition suitable for such current and future projects by the local residents.

We ask that control over the use and ownership of the land be retained by Council, Crown and Locals, and that it not be sold to industry, whether private enterprise- or government-based, for any purpose that contravenes its preservation and restoration as a natural area.

We believe that our requirements are in the best interests of the people and the environment of the future, and are in full accord with Council's stated priorities for the preservation of natural heritage in the Byron Shire, for example as enumerated under Key Issues in the "Byron State of the Environment Report 2000 Executive Summary", where it was stated: "At present, demand for further settlement in the Shire represents increased pressure on the integrity of land, vegetation, habitat, air quality and waterways through construction of buildings and roads, run-off, and increased vehicular traffic and pollution." Our requirement addresses this issue pre-emptively.

The Tyagarah Progress Association would like to update the LAMP (Local Area Environment Plan), based in part upon this present statement of intent and requirement.

We have also proposed areas which we would like to see preserved officially as wildlife and vegetation corridors, and these are marked on the attached map. For more details of the corridor proposal, including a summary of current and future conservation projects by Tyagarah locals, see the separate document entitled "Proposal for vegetation and wildlife corridors in Tyagarah".

We therefore offer our full support for any plans Council may have at present or in future to set aside land as wildlife corridors or nature reserves that protect and link up any existing native vegetation pockets in the Tyagarah area. We ask to be consulted about any such plans so that we can contribute our expertise and knowledge of the area, and apply for relevant community grants to expand upon your work.

Prepared by Dianne Trussell, BSc Hons (Ecology)
email: tyagarah@diannetrussell.com

(put on TSCA letterhead and contacts)
(attach corridor map)