Due process - what is Mr Cronin afraid of?

​The Mission Beach community is calling for Mission Helicopters director Ray Cronin to fulfill his obligations by referring his Helicopter aerodrome development to the federal government for assessment.

• Urgent appeal   to Federal Environment    Minister​
• Call    for developer to fulfil   obligations​ ​​
• Important part of  assessment process   ignored​ ​

The controversial development to build an aerodrome in what the community describes as the’ heart of their town’ has approval from the local and state governments but has so far not been assessed under federal environment law.

​​In a recent interview with Charlie McKillop, Mr Cronin told ABC radio Far North he has legal approval for the development. “The process is there for a reason” Mr Cronin said “The horse has bolted and the gate is closed.”

“We are not satisfied with the process that has so far allowed this development to proceed” said Mission Beach Cassowaries president Liz Gallie. “Shortcomings in local and state assessment processes have meant the legitimate concerns of the public have not been addressed”.
 
The Mission Beach community questioned the process from the outset. Why did six Cassowary Coast councillors ignore  community objection to vote 6-1 in favour of the development and against the Mission Beach representative Councillor Trudy Tschui?

​The state government gave approval without requiring an environmental impact study and to date Mission Helicopters has not referred the development to the federal government for assessment under the EPBC Act.  

​Under the EPBC Act a developer has an obligation to refer their proposal if it is likely to have an impact on a matter of national environmental significance (MNES) such as the cassowary. 
​
The proposed development site is within foraging range of cassowary habitat, contains a water source and contains a known cassowary corridor. These are all criteria in the Cassowary Significant Impact Guidelines used by  developers to self assess proposals in order to fulfil their obligations under federal environment law.

Decades of community work could be undermined
​
​The Mission Beach community says an important part of the development assessment process has been ignored.
 
 “We have every reason to question the process particularly as the former federal environment minister Peter Garrett saw fit to deny a development on Lot 66 in the same locality because of the impact it would have on the endangered cassowary” said Ms Gallie.”If this development is allowed to go ahead it will undermine Mr Garrett’s decision and the integrity of the whole Wongaling Creek cassowary habitat corridors system.

In 2015 when the then federal Threatened Species Commissioner  Gregory Andrews visited Mission Beach for World Cassowary Day  he was so impressed by the community's commitment to protect the cassowary, it was included in the  20 birds  threatened species list. 
 
The community has sent an urgent appeal for the new federal environment minister the Hon Tanya Plibersek to use her power to call in the development for assessment under the EPBC Act.
 
“We are asking for proper process to be observed; for the impacts on the sensitive environment and important wildlife to be assessed. 

"The process is there for a reason. What is Mr Cronin afraid of?”  said Ms Gallie "Or is Mr Cronin exempt from the law”?

LG
Mission Beach Cassowaries
​missionbeachcassowaries@gmail.com

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