Wallum Brunswick Heads: Town planner slams protest group Save Wallum’s Byron Shire zombie DA claims

A northern NSW town planner has shut down claims a Byron Shire development site overrun by protesters is host to a “zombie DA”, while some float the idea of swamping a political inquiry with letters penned by AI.

The Wallum development site at Brunswick Heads. Picture: Save Wallum

A northern NSW town planner has shut down claims a Byron Shire development site hijacked by environmental protesters is host to a “zombie DA”, pointing to a supposed campaign of disinformation.

It comes as protesters have pushed the use of AI software such as ChatGPT to help create numerous submissions to a political inquiry.

Town planner Damian Chapelle of Lismore-based NDC said the Save Wallum group’s claims the Wallum development at Brunswick Heads qualified as a zombie DA were false and the project did not fit the definition.

Zombie DA refers to a historical development application approval left dormant and unactioned for several years, or even decades.

The Wallum development site at Brunswick Heads. Picture: Save Wallum

Mr Chappelle said the “agenda” being pushed by the Save Wallum group was an attempt to halt approved work on the ecologically sensitive development site, which is home to several threatened species.

Save Wallum has been campaigning onsite since August last year. Some group members have set up permanently.

One such demonstration resulted in riot police being called in, with arrests made as protesters who had chained themselves to machinery were cut free by emergency services.

Wallum protests reach fever pitch. Picture: Save Wallum

In an open letter on the group’s website and plastered over social media pages came a plea to include Wallum in the NSW Legislative Assembly’s impending inquiry into zombie DAs across the state. Submissions close on Monday.

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“We are urgently calling on a moratorium for ALL zombie DAS, to halt works at Wallum,” the statement read.

“Please write to Paul Scully and Chris Minns now. We’re aiming for 2000 letters by the end of the week. Help us make this possible.”

One protester pointed to CHATGPT to help create the submissions.

Meanwhile, tension between site-contracted security and protesters has increased,

One security firm onsite alleged free-camping protesters had set up a “shanty town” and made claims of “abuse and intimidation”.

Save Wallum spokespeople have repeatedly distanced the group from any aggressive behaviour by individuals.

Protesters in March 2024 at the Wallum development at Brunswick Heads. Picture: Jamies Barrie

Mr Chapelle said it would be misleading to dub the project a zombie DA considering the site’s history.

“Wallum was assessed and approved under current legislative requirements just 12

months ago by local and state government agencies,” he said.

“While the current Wallum subdivision is linked to a concept plan approval from 2013,

the development application for the current stage needed to comply with the assessment requirements in force in 2023 and the DA satisfied all current requirements.

“The classic ‘zombie DA’ is a project approved decades ago under planning and

environmental legislation that was fundamentally different to the requirements in place

today.

“With zombie DA’s, the developer completes relatively minor works, such as survey

marks, to legally ‘commence’ the DA approval under the legislation, then it sits dormant

for many years, during which time planning laws and environmental assessment

requirements change significantly.

“The developer then seeks to resurrect the project – hence the term zombie.”

Boiling point at Wallum development site, Brunswick Heads. Picture: Save Wallum group/Facebook

Records show the Wallum site’s initial concept plan was approved in 2013. The application for the first stage of the subdivision was ticked off in 2017.

Engineering approval was sought and received in 2018 and the first stage of the subdivision was completed in 2019. Houses were constructed shortly thereafter.

The remainder of the site was sold to Clarence Property in 2021, and a DA was lodged

for the remaining stages in September of that year, addressing statutory provisions applicable at time of lodgement.

DA approval was received in May 2023 and detailed engineering approval for the first

stage of works was received in February 2024.

“It is clear from a review of the timeline that Wallum developers have not ‘sat on their

hands’ and allowed the approvals to lie dormant for decades,” Mr Chapelle said.

“The Wallum residential development has been actively worked upon, updated and

redesigned to meet and exceed contemporary standards.”

Save Wallum has been contacted for comment.

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