Environment, economy and social equity – can’t we have it all?

By Ewa Meyer
29 November 2025

Eva Meyer also provided this article as an Opinion piece in Port Stephens Examiner, 4 December 2025

Sustainable. Development. Habitat.

These are 3 words frequently banded about, but what do they actually mean to us?

In this column, I’ve generally avoided words like ‘sustainable’ which is vastly overused and misunderstood, rendering it meaningless to many people. In their relevant context, all 3 words can refer to where and how we live. And that includes wildlife. The word ‘development’ has the connotation of progress, moving forward, getting better. Sadly, that is not always the case.

“The United Nations defines sustainability as ‘meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” It goes on to say that “for sustainable development to be achieved, it is crucial to harmonise three core elements: economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection. These elements are interconnected and all are crucial for the well-being of individuals and societies.”

Council approved Plan to clear the buffer protecting the Mambo-Wanda Wetlands

Despite the environmental threats it may pose to the adjoining Mambo-Wanda Wetlands, last week Port Stephens Council voted to proceed with development of Salamander Bay Town Centre into a buffer zone at the southern end of the Wetlands behind the Tomaree Library. The rationale is that we need extra housing and medical services at this location, which includes a proposal for multi-storey apartment blocks.

In last week’s Examiner, spokesperson for Mambo-Wanda Wetlands Conservation Group, Kathy Brown said the plans will encroach into the crucial buffer zone around the Wetlands.

“Those zones are there for a specific reason and they are protected,” she said.” They help prevent pollution and rubbish from entering the Wetlands.” The more people and activity there is right on the edge of the Wetlands, the more likely that waste, weeds and pets will encroach into this fragile ecosystem.

There is no doubt that social housing and homes for long term renters are urgently needed in Port Stephens. Yet, not only is there an environmental risk at this location but how will Council ensure that new properties won’t be bought up by wealthy holiday home investors?

Home is where the hollow is: it’s a long-term investment!

Photo: Chris Pollitt.

Why is unsustainable clearing of habitat considered ‘development?’

Chipping away at the edges and the cumulative effect of land clearing will have no happy ending for koalas, other fauna and flora or indeed for human health benefits.

Former Treasury Secretary … says
“It is time we stopped
[considering development]
… project by project … we will always undervalue natural capital

When a former Treasury Secretary, has something to say about the value of maintaining and enhancing Australia’s biodiversity, you know it makes economic, not just environmental, sense. Ken Henry, is now the Chair of The Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation. Addressing the National Press Club earlier this year on the urgency to overhaul our environment laws, Henry said,

“It is time we stopped pretending we have the cognitive discipline to choose a sustainable balance among economic, social and environmental goals, project by project. Project by project, we will always undervalue natural capital, for two simple reasons.”

“The first reason has a spatial dimension. Nature is so vast that one project’s negative impact will always seem immaterial. Ignoring the environmental impact of a single project is a form of free riding.”

“The second reason has a temporal dimension. The cost of nature’s degradation is overwhelmingly borne by future generations, not by us. We have found it very difficult to stop ourselves stealing from the future. This is a form of intergenerational myopia.” Henry said.

An example of this short-sightedness is playing out through the proposed expansion of the King’s Hill ‘development’ near Raymond Terrace.

Further clearing of the already fragmented wildlife corridor will destroy habitat and isolate remaining koala hubs, as well as other threatened species. A combination of expanding local quarries at Stone Ridge and Eagleton, will further fragment any remaining connectivity. Have a look at this startling map of the area, and sign the petition here.

EcoNetwork’s Koala Koalition is asking Port Stephens Council to explore sustainable housing alternatives and to protect habitat connections. It’s hard to imagine how expensive, high-tech koala hospital equipment (featured on The Examiner’s front page) is helping to stop the koala extinction crisis in Port Stephens where the numbers of wild koalas continues to decline.

With governments at all levels doing their ‘own thing’, can we trust that the new federal environment laws including an Environmental Protection Agency, will help us here in Port Stephens? There are further controls planned for native forest logging – but again, how will that help the extinction of our local koalas?

Ewa Meyer is the Convenor of Renew’s Hunter Region Branch.

About Renew Australia
Renew is a not-for-profit organisation with thousands of members including a regional branch in the Hunter. Since 1980, Renew has been providing expert, independent advice on sustainable solutions to households, government and industry.

Environment, economy and social equity – can’t we have it all?

Environment, economy and social equity – can’t we have it all?

Related reading