Coffs Harbour councillor Sally Townley, Nambucca councillor Susan Jenvey, as well as, residents from both Bucca and Coffs Harbour also attended the meeting.

“We were shocked to learn that there is no monitoring or compliance required at a local (council) level to clear privately owned,forested land or to establish intensive horticulture plantations and that this concern about unregulated development is being shared across the region,” Bellingen Environment Centre’s Caroline Joseph said.

“Residents complained about the use of highly poisonous chemicals … one which have been banned in 37 other countries and will no longer be in use in Australia at the end of 2017.

Ms Joseph said that both the existing farm and the new blueberry plantation are using Pine Creek to feed their crops. 

“Residents spoke about their distress at the flow of the creek which has recently been brought to a trickle and report that they hear the pump going all night long,” Ms Joseph said.

“Pine Creek is dying and it concerned them that Pine Creek is so close to the National Park, Bongil Bongil.

“We are concerned about the broadscale land clearing and the impact on fish and wildlife especially koalas.

It was reported that 20 hectares of Blueberries need 50 Olympic sized swimming pools. 

Deep concern was expressed at the lack of proper process: “A lack of will to investigate illegal dams being built and overuse of water allocations and the use of oversized pumps”.

“It was mentioned that staffing of the Environmental Protection Agency has been so drastically reduced that it is impossible to have complaints addressed properly, if at all,” Ms Joseph said.

Mayor Dominic King spoke about the fact that “the Industry is lucrative and yet brings nothing to the Shire”.

“So even if we chose to not buy blueberries, markets have been developed overseas, creating a continuing demand for product, with those employed to pick the fruit being paid a pittance and our Shire being left with damaged land and a depleted water supply”.

The meeting passed the following resolution: “That this meeting supports and encourages Bellingen Shire Council to change their Local Government Environment Plan to make intensive horticulture into a permissible land use, through a Development Application.”