[Pil-pc-oceania] Big Protest Rally -Apollo Bay Jan27

[permaculture at apollobay.org.au]

STOP GREAT OCEAN GREED!
Join us in a Huge protest march against Unsustainable Development and
Centralisation.
Help the township of Apollo Bay and the Otways area become sustainable.

When?  From 11.30am Saturday January 27th 2007
Where?  Apollo Bay Foreshore near the Surf Lifesaving Club

Why are we protesting?
We are a small regional community and our concerns are being ignored by the
State Government.  We are fed up!

“Great Ocean Green” is a golf/course housing estate to be built on the
flood plain of the Barham River and requires 500,000 cubic metres of
imported fill.  (That would take 20 trucks a day for 3.5 years).  We are
not opposed to development but we can see no reason why a beautiful valley
has to be filled up with raised earth mounds to accommodate 500 houses. 
The state government’s own agency the Western coastal board opposes this
development and is concerned about the sustainability of the development.  
Barwon Water cannot provide for the Apollo Bay townships water supply, and
have stated after examination of over 10 sites in the area, that the
proposed development site was the only site suitable for their water basin.
But the state government is allowing the “Great Ocean Green” development to
occur, ignoring all these issues. 

Contamination of the water supply due to Timber plantations toxic chemicals
entering the water catchments.  VCAT allowing the timber giants
(Timbercorp, Great Southern Plantations and Midway Pty Ltd) to plant
plantations in floodplain areas and do toxic aerial spraying only meters
away from homes, water tanks and the Gellibrand river. Food Security is
also being affected as farmers who are surrounded by the plantation’s dams
and creeks suddenly run dry and the timber giants start buying up previous
food producing farms.

Centralist policies.  Due to the ALP party’s preferencing and ticketing for
Western Victoria, we no longer have any regional sitting members who are
concerned about the environment.  Instead we have members of parliament who
are suppose to represent Western Victoria, but live in Melbourne and have
no understanding of our area.

Vital Food Security and Community infrastructure being ignored, and not
being integrated into our township’s structure plans.  Townships being set
up as unsustainable tourism nodes, instead of encouraging permanent
residency, agriculture and employment.

COME ONE, COME ALL, WITH RALLYING SPIRIT!  BRING COLOURFUL BANNERS, PUPPETS
& MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS!  BANDS WITH BE PLAYING, SPEAKERS WILL SPEAK, FOOD &
COMMUNITY FORESHORE MARKET NEXT DOOR.  


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