I am a person who has cared for a small plot (1.005 hectares )  a little over 2 1/2 acres... of remnant trees and a riparian corridor , a permanent creek,   which feeds a significant local river system, since 2000. I have lived here since 1988, but it wasn't until my husband and I separated and divorced that I could work to improve the land. He had other ideas I kept the land.. paid for ... to all you mysogynists.!!

As well as my own physical labor and input I have also utilised available council assistance through the local "Land For Wildlife'' program to help maintain the pristine nature of this small piece of paradise.

I find myself in conflict with a neighbour, who thinks it is his right to rip out all the lower storey habitat, so its mowable. This creek has never been touched before. EVER.

Since late 2014, when I first became aware that these people were 'doing something'.. ( I reported it to the relevant authorities .. NEWMAN GOVT).  Was told  Oh I'm just answering the phone,, oh  he shouldn't be doing that... I'll leave a message for the person responsible for that region... BUT don't hold your breathe..... 
so here we are in March 2016. Nothing from the state dept.

The destruction and vandalism continues.

In the meantime, I alerted the Council.  THEY did attend.. but concluded that they had no powers to decide,  and 'he was entitled to do as he chose on his land'.

Not according to state legislation, and federal Law .. under the Nature Conservation Act it is classed as Essential Habitat. I have a map from 2003 to prove it.. but nope the local Council said it was up to me to pursue it with the relevant body,  and told the neighbours they can do as they please.. it is their land.  WRONG.

SO...

TODAY  .. I woke to the sound of chainsaws. They had been clearing and burning the undergrowth below my neighbours place yesterday, and today it was below MY place.

Incensed at their idiocy, I charged down to the creek and told them they were fwits,, and why.!! etc etc

The father and son had previously heard from me, and the father had actually entered my property and approached me to within 1 metre, to directly challenge me, because I was taking pictures of their activities.
He proceeded to abuse me verbally,  in no uncertain terms, then subtly threatened me, if the photos I took were a problem. I hadn't sent the photos to the Council, as they declared they had no jurisdiction.
TODAY HOWEVER  is another matter.!!!

Today ...   my 5nth birthday I had had enough .
So I,m down there in the bush in my thongs and shorts, yelling at these morons.
The son repeated their spurious reasons for their actions...  the father ignored me, choosing to continue to chainsaw the area... but the son got angry.. took several steps towards me and threw a machete at me. !

Well I just stood there and watched the thing get caught up on some brush and lower habitat on MY PART of that creek....  it was never going to get near me... BUT... not nice to throw a machete at someone is it.?

SO  ???
No point in official complaint to police  ( he said,she said) ......so I rang the appropriate BODY... was told to email info and any photos .

I DID THAT.

RECEIVED.

WE WILL SEE IF ANYTHING OCCURS.

So I guess I wonder why anyone would choose to destroy essential irreplaceable habitat to achieve a 'nice'look, or whatever..??

How selfish are we at heart.?  when it comes to environmental issues.??.




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Emma wrote on Mar 29^th, 2016 at 11:57pm:

If a machete is thrown you put it in writing.

Then you've got the documents, if you survive, to show others!

Don't bugger around!!

they have been burning the undergrowth.  Midnight.. Dog barking.. 

No drama... but I assure you I'll be down the creek tomorrow, using my new smart phone    and photographing and sending the pics to the appropriate authorities.  Will they do anything.?  F'n oath  ços I'll be watching..   

Well I got  a reply, and some sat pics to identify the offending property owners.

We are not talking about hectares and hectares of damage.. this is a creek, and the small area affected is vital for diversity in this hugely over-developed area.

Sad really.. we have Lendlease and Stocklands devastating huge areas of koala and other native animal habitat, so they can create mini-cities, with no apparent infrastructure like connecting roads, shops, or reasonable public transport. These are destined to spawn one enormous ghetto city reaching from The Northern Sunshine Coast to the border of NSW.

Horror.

But I can't do anything about that.  All I can do is protect what I can, for as long as I can.

well for anyone who cares.. I have made contact with an officer of the appropriate department
...  He was happy to let me speak.  Then he said... to all intents and purposes, that the area of land involved was not significant enough in size or impact to put it on their 'priority' list.  ie likely do nothing.

I have had further discussions with this person, and have provided him with more data.
UMMMMM.. I think as much as he agrees that the actions are wrong in law... they really don't have the culture funding or commitment to pursue the matter.

Sigh  it is a sad day ...   as I pointed out to him, having had to deal with various agencies on this, over a couple of yrs,  that there is no co-ordination between agencies. It is virtually impossible to get these people out of their comfy roles,  and desk chairs.!!

Yes ... more activity..today  whipper snippering and burning.

And yes .. I advised of the fires and other stuff too, like how they chopped down and removed the lower story trees like Casuarina, Red Ash and Wattle. I  rang him back and pointed out that the photos I'd sent him clearly showed them using a çhipper or mulcher to remove the smaller left- over branches... etc etc..

I referred him to Habitat and Eco system maps showing that this small bit of land was unique and important.

I haven't given up yet.

Seems Dnrm  Qld  isn't very interested. I continue to pursue the matter.

This bad neighbour has claimed he was clearing away weeds, among other 'reasons'. Funny though .. he has left behind, in all their bloom, Easter Cassia's.. which are exotic (ie Not native)  and are hugely invasive in the Aussie bush and are a declared weed.  Plus he has been planting god know's what.!!

It is a crime.  and the dept are being extremely cagey.

At least I CARE.  When I talked to the govt contact.. his remark was... sounds like my neighbour.  !!

Well stuff that... I bet your land isn't 'protected' in Law.  For what good that is.

Indeed indeed.