Instead of the developer being stopped from building a helicopter aerodrome in the wrong place, the developer has been granted the movement of 120 helicopters every day.  Instead of town planning principles and legislation protecting residents and their surroundings, there will be never-ending impacts on the local cassowaries and community.
 
The court approval of the new agreed conditions replaces the original approval.  Should these conditions be breached, there is no way of enforcing them without going to court.  
 
We have yet to learn what was negotiated for C4 during the mediation.
 
Before anyone decided to go to court, Mission Beach Cassowaries obtained preliminary legal advice that outlined just how inadequate is the local planning scheme to protect the village characteristics and natural environment so highly valued by the present community. Development by Material Change of Use (MCU) – ie by overriding what we used to call “zoning” – is now the path to anti-community development under a complicit local council.
 
Mission Beach Cassowaries set up the  Go Fund Me fundraiser  to help the appeal with an expectation it would proceed to a court hearing.   We thank you for your generous support.   The No Helicopters Here supporters did not receive any correspondence from C4 during the proceedings. Nor were they consulted about the possibility of negotiations with the developer; nor about what, if any, conditions would be acceptable during such negotiations.  Supporters of NO HELICOPTERS HERE meant just that – NO HELICOPTERS HERE. 
 
   As the appeal did not proceed to a hearing we have received some requests for donations to be refunded. The refunds have incurred a GoFundMe fee of 2.2%.   

Please let us know if you would like to:

• Receive a refund (less GoFundMe fee ) 
• Send your donation to C4, or
• Donate to Mission Beach Cassowaries to engage professional advice on how to strengthen the Cassowary Coast Regional Council Planning Scheme and be kept informed of other ways you can have meaningful input to better planning outcomes.  

MBC will now focus our efforts on how the community can have meaningful input into the CCRC Planning Scheme currently under review.
 
If you would like to to receive updates and ways you can help please let us know by emailing us at  missionbeachcassowaries@gmail.com

LG
​Mission Beach Cassowaries

​The conditions include rehabilitation of cassowary habitat to the north and to the south of the development. 

It's all  downwash under the blades now, and there might be lots of it if the developer exercises  his full rights.  The  new conditions will allow up to 120 helicopter movements   a day    from the site  at the centre of  Mission Beach.

Residents who showed  strong support against the devlopment and were willing to  help with  the appeal and expenses   are  asking why they were not consulted  at any time   during the appeal  particularly on what, if any,   conditions might be considered acceptable  to take to mediation with the developer.

The outcome of the appeal has  community members  grappling with the knowledge   their quiet peaceful  township, the reason many  have chosen to settle  at Mission Beach,  will now have the unpredictable intrusion of  noisy  helicopters any time from early morning to late afterrnoon seven days a week.  

Affected residents say they were  given little or no opportunity to have  input into the appeal.  They were discouraged from public show  of  support against the development. There was no  mention of  community expectation in the judgment handed down from  Judge Morzone,  a factor that has strong sway in community court appeals.   

 By sidelining the supporters of the appeal, C4, has  unilaterally negotiated an outcome that will have a significant impact on the future amenity and environment  at    Mission Beach.

With the  appeal no longer proceeding to a hearing, those who contributed to the   No helicopters Here Go Fund Me appeal have been contacted by Mission Beach Cassowaries  (MBC) for instructions regarding their  donations.    See GoFundMe  fundraiser update .