Harvest time for local concerned farmer Sharon Woods.
Parkes Clean Future Alliance (PCFA) are encouraging as many people as possible to take the time to read the EIS and make an individual submission. This is a separate process from the earlier Parliamentary Inquiry, and it is an opportunity for people to raise concerns and questions specifically about the Parkes proposal and the information contained in the EIS.
We understand that the EIS is a large and technical document, and that preparing a submission can seem daunting. However, you don’t have to be an expert, and you don’t need to write pages and pages.
What matters is that people explain their own concerns, experiences and reasons for supporting, opposing or commenting on the proposal.
Sharon Woods, a local farmer said “The timing of the EIS exhibition is a major concern for our farming community. While the exhibition period is six weeks, it coincides with harvest, which can itself take up to six weeks or more, depending on weather and conditions. Farmers are working long hours to get their crops off, and many simply do not have the time to properly work through such a large and technical document and prepare a considered submission.”
“We believe this timing is unfair to the agricultural community. Farmers should not have to choose between getting their harvest off and having a meaningful opportunity to participate in a process that could have long-term implications for their farms and the wider region.”
Sharon Woods, Local Farmer and member of the Parkes Clean Future Alliance said “I am encouraging people to email Sally Munk at NSW Planning to request an extension of the exhibition period.
This is not about avoiding the process, it is about having enough time to properly understand the proposal and respond to it. Even a short email explaining how harvest affects you, your family or your business can help demonstrate why more time is needed.
Ultimately, people should not assume that their individual submission doesn’t matter. Every submission is an opportunity to put concerns, local knowledge and evidence on the public record.”
Over the past week, Sharon has been in contact with Philip Donato MP’s office regarding the timing of the release of the EIS and the current submission period.
“We have raised our concerns that the timing is particularly difficult for our farming community, with harvest now underway and many farmers working long days, making it extremely challenging to find the time needed to properly read and respond to such an important document. Philip Donato’s office agrees that the timing is a concern and intends to raise the issue in Parliament,” said Sharon Woods.
Sharon has asked that anyone who contacts Sally Munk at NSW Planning requesting an extension CC Phillip Donato’s office into their email. This will help provide further evidence of the number of people affected by the timing and the need for additional time.
Contact Sally Munk here Sally.Munk@dphi.nsw.gov.au and CC Phil Donato orange@parliament.nsw.gov.au