Saving Unburnt Bushland and Protecting Land From Residential Development - with Jorj Lowrey

On today’s episode, we talk with Jorj Lowrey from Manyana Matters, a grassroots environmental movement in New South Whales.

The community action group Manyana Matters has been fighting new residential development in their section of New South Whales, because it contains one of the only unburnt areas of bushland around the Conjola National Park. The organization has been successful in educating empowering the community of Manyana, and in bringing attention to the environmental importance of their patch of the mid south coast. 

Jorj moved to Manyana after traveling around Australia in her motor home, and cherishes the area’s wildlife, beautiful coast, and peaceful scenery. The town has the beach, the bush, a lake, and great community. 

Soon after she moved, a conversation with the local council revealed a development plan zoned for three parcels of land that had been dormant for about twenty years. In 2017, after living there for a short while, Jorj witnessed one of those patches - a lovely piece of coastal scrub land - quickly be developed into housing, with what seemed like very little community involvement. 

After watching Kangaroos, snakes, and other wildlife become displaced and distressed from the quick build, and witnessing the rapid mulching of significant trees in the area, she mobilized by joining the local community committee.

She also created a Facebook group, Manyana Matters, and began to raise awareness and discuss the issues around the possibility of further real estate development in the other two plots of land in question.

Community understanding and engagement about the issue increased just as housing in the area was becoming more in-demand - and increasingly so when the corona virus further effected the housing market. 

Then, a tragic number of fires hit the area. They swept past Manyana closely on two occasions, and people were trapped in the area - some even diving into the ocean and swimming out as far as they could to wait out the fires. Air assistance was prohibited because of the smoke, and just as several back fences began to catch on fire, a last-minute change in the wind sent the fire back on itself. Days later, power to the area was restored and the town recovered. 

Now, the only unburnt patch of land in the town… was the one slated for development next. Community members began to consider it a type of ecological reserve, and are united in their desire to ensure that it’s preserved.

Jorj shares how the fires effected many species in the area, and how critical it will be to keep the unburnt section stable in the years ahead. 

Now Manyana Matters is consistently engaging politicians and partnering with media outlets in meaningful and effective conversations about the area, and the importance of more careful housing development.

Jorj’s passion is contagious as she describes what began as a small community group “ripple” becoming a well-known wave. We look forward to the tsunami of change it will bring in the days ahead.

https://www.facebook.com/manyanamatters/