Letter Writer's Corner: Council level

The impact of councils on frog populations is enormous! Local government in QLD holds nearly all the power over development applications and loss of habitat/modified habitat is still the number one reason for frog decline. Even disease problems are connected to habitat issues because a modified habitat can substantially increase the environmental stress these animals experience and, when they become stressed, they become more susceptible to disease. This is undoubtedly a major factor with the loss of frogs in Cairns.

Letters to local government are much easier to write if you are using a computer. Since councils will have a number of councillors and each has a vote, letters need to be addressed to each one individually. Don't always assume that your letter arrives - certainly some councillors in Cairns have noticed difficulties getting their mail, even when we have personally hand delivered it! If the councillors you are writing to have home offices or personal email accounts (most do), use that address to make sure your letter arrives.

Council is also required to seek public consultation on a variety of matters such as development applications, new policies, bylaws and neighbourhood strategies (formerly known as DCP's). When you have written a submission in response to a public consultation exercise, it is a prudent measure to request proof of delivery. This can be done through the post using registered mail or you can deliver your submission to the council chambers yourself. Be sure to ask for the top page to be photocopied and then the photocopy stamped with council's own dated receiving stamp. Don't be fobbed off - insist on a stamped copy even if staff are not so obliging.

Letter #1:

Anyone who has lived in Cairns for at least seven or eight years can tell you the place is rapidly deteriorating into a carpet of rooves and fences. It is a very different place than it was only ten years ago and the abundant wildlife that could formerly be seen on a daily basis is retreating with all due speed. The type of residential subdivisions being approved over recent years are not suitable to the tropical climate here and are aggravating the situation with wildlife decline, heat deflection (which lessens rainfall levels), run-off, and energy consumption (which hastens climate change). Lots of people move to Cairns for its nature - but Cairns is being turned into Brisbane and the natural values we all admire are being squeezed out.

If you are a Cairns resident, write to Cairns City Council (to the CEO David Farmer with a copy for your divisional councillor) and ask for explanations on the following development issues:

• Why they are deliberately approving housing which is too intensive for this climate and deliberately goes against QLD government policy on energy reduction, and the AMCORD Guidelines for Residential Development in tropical humid areas?
• Why they are not in favour of default tree protection on all land tenures in Cairns (Local Law 24 does NOT work)?
• What are their current proceedures on the use of herbicides in Cairns waterways including: how frequently this is to be done, if native plants are avoided, if any monitoring is done to document fauna deaths as a direct result of spraying, which chemicals are used, and are surfactants added to any of these?
• Why were some drainage creeks in Cairns deliberately destabilised by removing all the vegetation along one or both banks, even though this would encourage siltation and erosion, constitute an eyesore, and cost ratepayers money for dredging?
• Why does council discourage the use of water tanks and why haven't they initiated an incentive scheme to encourage water tanks in Cairns?
• and What they are doing to promote climate change preparedness in Cairns?.

Please remember to send us a copy of any replies you receive.

Last updated: Oct 4th, 2005