Byron Shire Chemical Free Land Care media release 6 August 2013
Representatives from Byron Shire Chemical Free Land Care (BSCFL) together with concerned locals are once again gathering this morning at Tyagarah Nature Reserve in an ongoing non-violent direct action to halt the aerial spraying of herbicides on coastal dunes Bitou Bush by National Parks and Wildlife (NPWS).
“We’ve been trying to negotiate with the NPWS, including the Native Title owners since the 12th July. We’ve asked them to spare the Nature Reserve from spraying,” said BSCFL co-ordinator Nadia de Souza Pietramale. “So far we’ve been unsuccessful and they’re threatening to spray it each day”.
“The NPWS have left us with no other choice but to protest in this manner,” says indigenous representative Jarmbi. “We have ancestral ties to the sacred site”.
“The community is really concerned about this chemical intensive approach to managing Bitou Bush and the impacts it could have on threatened species like the Pink Nodding Orchid and other creatures like birds, bees and butterflies,” said Nadia de Souza Pietramale.
“The Bitou Bush needs to be removed so the native vegetation can re-generate but that can be done without herbicides using an effective non-chemical method which is approved under the Bitou Bush Treatment Abatement Plan,” said Nadia de Souza Pietramale.
“We’ve already compromised enough. The Byron Cape was sprayed for the 3rd time last Friday, along with Tallow beach Cosy corner. Broken Heads is next. No more,” she said.
“Yesterday we met with NPWS officers at Tyagarah Beach and we asked for the same thing that we did at the meeting on July 12th. We want them to compromise one dot on the map, Tyagarah Nature Reserve, so that the community can restore it using ecological restorations principles, ”said Nadia de Souza Pietramale.
“We were able to peacefully halt the operations by the NPWS to aerial spray the dunes yesterday, but we weren’t able to come to any resolution. We rejected the NPWS idea of only spraying half the Reserve,” said indigenous representative Jarmbi.
Contacts: Byron Shire Chemical Free Land Care Nadia de Souza Pietramale 0478272300 and Iris (on Tyagarah now) 0417937720. Indigenous representative Jarmbi 0400530683.
Follow