Environment Levy and why we need it.
Sue Brooks June 20th, 2008
The ‘old’ Hervey Bay City Council introduced an Environment Levy which has been used to purchase land to protect it from development. Last year as I recall, the levy was $25. Many neighbouring Councils have a higher Levy than $25 but I hope to retain an Environment Levy within the new Fraser Coast Regional Council.
Although the price of living continues to rise I truly believe that this Levy is a small sacrifice for each of us to pay and results in enormous benefits for our region. The Levy has already been used to buy 3 large blocks of land at Booral. These blocks are thickly covered in natural vegetation and hopefully will assist in the linking of areas that are known koala habitat.
I expect in the future the carbon credits obtained from this land will be of a financial benefit to our entire community. An Environment Levy will allow us to place your investment directly into land ownership in your community. This land becomes your land! You directly assist in the preservation of our local biodiversity by protecting our natural areas from development.
Please let me know what you think and whether you support a $25 Environment Levy for the coming year? $25 is less than 50cents a week! I think it is an excellent and essential investment in our future.