Council cautious over land clearing dispute

Aug. 23, 2014, 4:30 a.m.

Possible legal action over an allegation of illegal land clearing will be delayed after councillors called a second report on the issue.

DISPUTE: Bathurst councillors have asked for a second report on an allegation of illegal land clearing before commencing legal action.

POSSIBLE legal action over an allegation of illegal land clearing will be delayed after councillors called a second report on the issue.

A report to councillors by environmental planning and building services director David Shaw detailed the allegation of illegal land clearing along a 1.2km long stretch of woodland at Mount Rankin.

The report said between 100 and 200 trees some believed to be 200 years old were damaged or removed from a council road reserve.

Mr Shaw sought councillors support to further investigate the matter and start appropriate legal action.

But councillors, apparently rattled by a number of recent costly legal battles, instead voted to allow Mr Shaws department to continue investigating the matter but report back to council before going any further.

Deputy mayor Ian North said the report to councillors did not contain enough information for him to vote at this stage to support the start of legal action against anyone responsible for the land clearing.

I want more information about how this could have happened when theres a lot of information out there about illegal land clearing, he said.

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Council cautious over land clearing dispute