The Save Wallum campaign to stop the destruction of 30Ha of the rare Wallum ecosystem in the Byron Shire has been named a finalist in the Nature Conservation Council of NSW (NCC) Environment Awards 2024.

The award ceremony will be held in Sydney tonight (Wed 27 March) and Save Wallum Spokesperson and Ecologist James Barrie will be attending with Tegan Kitt, another founding member of the group.

The NCC awards has seven categories with Save Wallum a finalist for the Marie Byles Award. The Marie Byles Award celebrates a group which has initiated an outstanding new environmental campaign, launched in the last 24 months, and has demonstrated strong commitment and passion for the conservation of the NSW environment.

“This finalist nomination is a testament to the hundreds of volunteers who have come together and achieved so much in such a short amount of time, " says Svea Pitman one of the original Save Wallum instigators.

“To be recognised at a state level for the work this community has done to date is humbling. The campaign has been remarkable in its inclusion of varied and diverse ways to share the Save Wallum message, first and foremost from our indigenous elders and many families' involvement and support.

“Some unexpected areas of community engagement have included the wallum song and choir performances, farmers market stalls, pre-school and school ‘special wallum animal’ movement and song classes, the 24/7 Vigil and even, as this is a suburban protest, a neighbour liaison to include and accommodate all community voices. 

“Stronger recognition of how significant our remaining environmentally intact spaces are, in this time of dire human ecological impact, is one thing that has fuelled the campaign, says Ms Pitman.  

“One of the highlights and true gifts has been weekly cultural smoking ceremonies and ecology tours of the proposed development site. This has helped bring a deeper understanding of this precious ecosystem at risk, and allows the community to advocate for it from a place of true understanding and genuine connection. 

“Learning about NSW planning policy and the willingness of community members to skill up quickly in this area to advocate widely for a place that is so unique, has been another area of amazement.

“I also want to acknowledge the enormous contribution our dedicated photographers and ecologists are making to this campaign, in helping us to document the threatened species that inhabit this site, and showcasing them with such professional images, it is a true gift’, Ms Pitman concludes.

The NSW Environment Awards will be MC’d by broadcaster, comedian and author Wendy Harmer and celebrate the remarkable dedication and achievements of nature lovers, campaigners, grassroots environmentalists, and conservation groups throughout the state.