Rural people are suffering, degradation of the land, loss of wildlife and damaged roads through illegal and poor practices of the rapidly proliferating ‘Intensive Horticulture’ industry across the Mid North Coast.  

Even if Bellingen Shire Council change the LEP this will simply locate these ventures and will do nothing to address the failure by the NSW Government to enforce the laws clearly outlined in legislation contained in the Pesticides Act 1999, the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997, the Contaminated Lands Management Act 1997 and the Water Management Act 2000.

Rural people, some who have lived in forested areas all their lives, and some who have picked the area for their retirement are waking up in the morning to find trees, flattened and with all of the wildlife and birds, contained within, vanished and rows for planting as far as the  and rows for planting as far as the eye can see.

The scene is now one of black smoke billowing from stacks of rubber tyres which burn all day and night to remove the remains of a mature forest.  

Irrigation pipes are drawing water straight into the creek which a short distance away flows into Pine Creek and the National Park, Bongil Bongil which is home to our Nationally significant threatened and vulnerable koala colony.  

Rural people from across the region have provided photographic evidence to the EPA that spraying has not been misted and has happened all day and most recently all night with two tractors under lights.  

There well documented concerns about their own health and that of plantation workers because they can both smell and taste these sprays which contain 56 fungicides and pesticides and include FMC Methomyl 225 Insecticide being sprayed for hours on end on their doorstep.   

There are growing complaints to WorkCover about the treatment of hired workers and risks to their health and although blueberries are highly lucrative to growers, these workers bring little to the local economy as they are so poorly paid and often passing through our area. Local people have no bargaining power through withdrawing their support for products as the demand from overseas markets for berries is growing.

There is no proper process for monitoring and regulation of Intensive Horticulture across the board and all industrial agriculture across our region must be included in this conversation about the need for proper regulation.   

Blueberries are just one of the “dirty dozen” with kale also rating highly for intensive spraying of chemicals. Regulation can only work properly when the process includes local people working with Local Government taking this information to Joint Regional Council groups and working closely with the State who are the tier of government with the money and let us not forget … the money and the responsibility to protect our health.

There are a myriad of agencies set up to protect our water, land, wildlife and forests and they are failing spectacularly to protect- the health of workers and those families who neighbour plantations who are being denied basic human rights by a system that states these practices are legal.

If Bellingen Shire Council have the will to change their Local Government Environment Plan to make Intensive Horticulture a permissible occupation only, with a Development Application, this would at least locate these farms and give both the community and the council some idea of the impact on our creeks and rivers from their toxic load of chemicals and heavy water use.

There is plenty of legislation in place to protect our Land and Water contained in all the acts mentioned above so this is not a problem with law it is a political problem where it suits the NSW Government to ignore the health and welfare of voters yet again for the big end of town.  

The monitoring and regulation of industry is not and never can be the responsibility of Local Government.

Bellingen Shire Council is reviewing the regulation of blueberry growing in Bellingen Shire.

​Recently, Nambucca Shire and Coffs Harbour Shire councils voted down plans to require a development consent for blueberry farms.

This decision, in part, was due to the fact that introducing a DA for blueberry farms, could have implications for the entire ‘horticulture’ category.

“A DA would be required for all types of horticulture, including blueberries,” council’s Matt Fanning said. 

“Alternatively, council might consider that only blueberries should require development consent, leaving other forms of horticulture such as potato growing unaffected by any change.”

However, pulling blueberries out of the horticulture category would need NSW government intervention.  

“The council has sought guidance and leadership from the state government on how best to manage this issue, while minimising the impact on other horticulture activities,” he said.

Details of the consultation sessions are as follows:

For further details contact Daniel Bennett, council acting manager, land use services, on 6655 7300.