Emerald Beach fight continues
By Kim Spurway
The Look At Me Now headland, at Emerald Beach near Coffs Harbour, is still threatened by a proposed sewage outfall, despite a court ruling against the plans of the Coffs Harbour Council.
On December 18 the NSW Supreme court ruled the outfall violated the local environment plan, which sets aside the headland for public recreation. But the council has since lodged an application with the Department of Planning to change the wording of the plan to allow the council to build on public recreation areas.
The council is under pressure to build the new outfall by 1993 because it has been ordered by the State Pollution Control Commission to cease dumping its secondary-treated effluent into Willis Creek, a small stream that runs into the ocean.
The council intends to extend the new rules to include all headlands within its area on the north coast.
The state government is expected to approve the council application by late February. To counter this,
Manly independent Dr Peter Macdonald will reintroduce a bill to include the headland in the adjoining Moonie Beach Nature Reserve.
Local residents say that the $20 million cost of the outfall would be better spent on installing tertiary treatment for the effluent, using the water for irrigation in the area, and for investigating alternative treatment technologies.
"The push will be on after the holidays", said Janette Lewis, a member of the group opposing the outfall. "The area is at capacity for development. The council is using the recession and the economic climate to push development."