Slash & Burn in the Hinterland, N.S.W.

Once there was thick subtropical rainforest, known as the 'big scrub', now there is less than 1% left. The area around Byron Bay to Mullumbimby, Wilsons' Ck, Uki and Nimbin appears as the following:
A patchwork of sugar-cane, cattle, macadamia and banana monocultures. Watercourses are clogged with algae and a permanent chemical smell around the (eroding) banana slopes. In between are weed-infested roads, clogged watercourses and private properties. Hardly any of these places seem to like and tolerate Australian plants. Thick forests of bamboo, introduced trees such as pines, succulents and most of all out of control weeds make up these places.

The 'peace & quiet' of the country is a myth as every property sprouts huge lawns, which get manicured daily. The petrol-driven power and garden tools howl 24/7. Their packs of dogs howl and yelp.

Every few turns a quarry eliminates a hill or a landmark of the landscape. In the end they are all quarries, minerals, meat, sugar or fruit. Cows and horses seem to stand inside the barbed-wire fences, cooking and unattended.

The big scrub project is not yet completed, that 1 % is irritating. Tire-less clearing is ubiquitous, not the type that gets monitored via GPS, but small individual land holders, poisoning, ring-barking trees and making these so iconic 'heaps of vegetation' which finally get incinerated. Numerous fires go all night and over days, when some get out of control, the local fire-brigade picks up the tab. In the developing world, they call it slash and burn agriculture, here it is just culture.

The goal seems to be, eradicate bio-diversity, replace it with impoverished monoculture, then mine it or put some 'cash-cows' (houses) on it. Flog off petrol-dependent wasteland without infrastructure and then move 'away from it all'.

The native flora and fauna are the big losers. They are bullied out of their homes or their space is too fragmented and they have to cross roads. Hence, most of Australia's wildife can be viewed in wild-life rescue centres or smeared on roads. Packs of dogs roam, finishing off the rest. A lot of Australian animals also find death though the endless barbed-wire and power-lines.
Land clearing NSW
Image: 'scorched Earth' and iconic vegetation heaps ,could be anywhere in the Tweed or Byron area

Can NSW afford Tyagarah Nature Reserve ?

A day at Tyagarah Nature Reserve: “ a thin strip of protected coast encompassing 7 km of secluded and unspoiled beach backed by coastal heath.” (N.P.) Longing to be emerged in a coastal flora and fauna environment, we drove north of Byron Bay (map). The way to the NATURE RESERVE was a continues strip of mining the Earth, the trees, the soil, the water, grab & cash it in. The dust off the wide road suffocated the plants. A 'fire trail' on the left seemed like a 'bushy' track to walk into that environment. It was 'clear-felled' to either side in such a butch way that walking became unpleasant. Mainly old banksias were hacked in half, but all the weeds, lantana and bitou left untouched.

Off to the iconic Australian beach car-park. A very busy place, cars arriving at high speed, no-one but us paying the fee. Through the bitou dunes to the beach. After a short time it becomes clear that all the hasty male lurkers might not be naturalists. They move in and bully. 7 km of beachfront seems too small for enjoying the conservation of nature. Hassled off the beach we try another northen walk, this time it ends after a short time in a clear-felled patch that is privatised to raise introduced bees. Disappointed, we try one more path and get to a once divine coastal lake, framed by paperbarks, rushes and lotus. The entry had a warning sign about 'sexual harrassment'. The banks and roots of the trees were trodden bare and eroding.

A local ecologist summed up about the state of the place:

• Cars -Speeds up to 70 - 100 kph have been observed routinely.
• Motorised speed craft in the shallows
• Every day there are dogs on the beach and they are almost never on a leash
• Trail bikes on the beach
• Cars on the beach
• Littering
• Sexual harrassment

Also heard the rumour that the beach will receive aerial bombing of herbicide (VN style)
It does appear that the conservation of nature is contrary to the aims of the big quarry Australia, but in a NATURE RESERVE one would expect that some sustainable land management is taking place. It is the Australian dilemma: How to eat the cake and flog it off at the same time. It would have been appreciated to have prior warning by the authorities on their website about the use and the condition of the reserve.

Tallow Beach, Byron Bay, Arakwal N.P.

Arakwal National Park is south of the Cape Byron State Conservation Area. We entered it via the Cosy Corner carpark. The Byron Bay Arakwal Country is co-managed by the Bundjalung people and National Parks. From the car-park one reaches the Pacific Ocean, the Cape Byron Marine Park.
The good news is, that there are no motorised vehicles on the beach, which is unusual for Australia. A Brahminy Kite patrolled the very long beach. Kingfishers and many other birds are in the dunes. “The park protects the largest remaining area of coastal clay heath left in the state, and is home to numerous threatened plant and animal species.” ( N.P.)The native dune-vegetation thows a healthy net over the sand and pumice. The 'bush' behind the dunes is infested with bitou which will kill it in the end. Frequent army aircraft fly very low, at near membrane-bursting levels. Locals jog off obesity and play ball.

At the northern end in the Cape Byron State Conservation Area the introduced weeds and pests seem to increase, peaking at the The Cape Byron Lighthouse cliffs. Feral goats degrade the headland and bitou is killing the last banksias.
At dusk a guy threw a giant fishing-line into the 'protected'? Marine Park and pulled out numerous large fish in no time. Many of the mutilated fish were left to rot on the beach after he hastily left with a big bucket. A common sight all over Australian beaches and protected Marine areas.