Stairway to hell

If you go down in the woods today, you're bound to get a big surprise.

If you go down in the woods today, near Clifton Beach, you're bound to be bloody angry.

Northern Beaches Warrior reports that more vegetation clearing has occurred by the Argentea developer. They are and interfering in a protected mangrove waterway. And for what reason, you may ask?
Well, the original Development Approval (or DA, as Council refers to it as, Drunk and Assisted maybe) was taken out for Argentea, requested four 4 meter wide boardwalks.

Photo: 4m swathe cut through riparian corridor of Delaney’s Creek, running parallel to the creek.

However, the then Cairns City Council, gave permission for only two.

The first has already been constructed just up from the exclusive gated-community. The original bridge that the developer constructed over Delaney’s Creek was chopped into two pieces, by persons unknown, as an act of protest. However, it was rebuilt.

Now, a wide swathe of vegetation has been cut through the riparian zone of Delaney’s Creek, running parallel to the creek.


PHOTO: They even display a sign these days, showing that they have permission for the destruction of this marine environment.


These pictures show yet another section that is being cleared for yet another bridge.


This one is less than 100m from the first bridge. Apparently, the silvertail holiday makers who may be staying in the exclusive resort complex, now designated as being at Palm Cove (and not Clifton Beach), cannot walk, or waddle, depending on how many lattes, cocktails and fatty al la carte meals they have consumed, any great distance to get to the beach.

Photo: Vegetation is cleared to creek edge to allow for second bridge to cross Delaney’s Creek for beach access, less than 100m from the first bridge.

So at the developer’s request, Council agreed to make it easy for these fat cats and destroy a riparian corridor, a melaleucca wetland, a mangrove creek environment, and an erosion-prone area, which is essentially the coastal dune, so that these poor darlings don’t exhaust themselves too much.


Photo: 4 m swathe for boardwalk continues till it meets the Sea Temple at Palm Cove (in the background of the photo).

Take a walk down to the Clifton Beach beachfront today and see for yourself. The damage the Council’s GM for the Destruction of the Environment has sanctioned.

Unfortunately, it seems that only Mother Nature will be able to stop this insanity, and there is nothing surer in this world, that she will do exactly that. It is just a question of when?

Photo:
Crossroads for boardwalks - one way across creek to beach, one way to Sea Temple and Palm Cove, one way towards Clifton Beach, and one way to the rest of the Argentea complex.

What a disgrace. How can anyone be allowed to develop and excavate right on the beach front sand dune and surrounding vegetation?

Beach-edge bushland and corridors like this, form a vital purpose to protect erosion and the foreshore. From Foley Road, to False Cape, and now the beach at Clifton and Palm Cove are allowed to be ripped apart and ruined, right in front of us all.