Former league star McCracken accused of illegal clearing in rainforest

Ekka · 9th September 2007, 07:37 PM

Jarrod McCracken in tree-clearing row | The Courier-Mail

Quote:

David Murray

September 09, 2007 12:00am

FORMER rugby league star Jarrod McCracken has been accused of illegally clearing hundreds of trees on his multimillion-dollar Whitsundays property.
A court has ordered work to stop on the waterfront site at Clarke's Cove, north of Airlie Beach, after bulldozers cleared 10ha of coastal rainforest.

McCracken and and his wife Michelle have been warned the maximum penalty for causing environmental harm is a $1.5 million fine for a company or up to five years imprisonment for individuals.

The local council and Whitsunday Mayor Mario Demartini said the pristine site was cleared without a development application being lodged.

"This is a blatant disregard for the law and for the environment and I am shocked that someone would think they could do this without any approvals," he said.

McCracken, 37, a former New Zealand captain and Wests Tigers player, has forged a successful career as a Townsville-based property developer and has an estimated wealth of $30 million.

The 387ha property ? which a now defunct company called Cove Resort Pty Ltd, bought in 1999 for $15 million, then sold to Mrs McCracken for $5.5 million last December ? was inspected on August 21 after a fisherman spotted the cleared land and reported it to the council. A bulldozer and an excavator were working on the road as officials arrived. Areas had been cleared for a house pad, horse stud, esplanade and jetty, according to the inspection team, which included representatives from the state and federal environmental protection agencies.

An excavator, rock hammer and drilling rig were operating in the horse stud area, where it was estimated up to 144 large trees had been removed.

Planning and Environment Court documents estimate up to 65 Whitsunday bottle trees, listed as "rare", may have been knocked down in the house pad area.

The work had gone ahead despite the Whitsunday Shire Council sending a letter to Michelle McCracken on August 17 after an earlier property inspection.

"Council has grave concerns that the works being carried out on the land are unlawful," the letter said.

Mrs McCracken replied through her lawyers that work had stopped and she wished to "rectify the situation".

Jarrod McCracken's Crackers Corporation also received a letter but denied any involvement in the offending works and told the council to "substantiate the allegations or withdraw the complaint immediately".

The Planning and Environment Court in Brisbane issued an interim work ban on the property and adjourned the case until October 4.

Jarrod McCracken was given a $97,000 pay-out after his league career was cut short by a spear tackle in 2000. Last week, he was reported to be appealing over the pay-out figure, claiming it was lower than expected because a judge ruled the injury had allowed him to get rich through property developments.

Roller · 9th September 2007, 08:23 PM

He reads like another power crazed super rich brat, who the heck do they think they are,felling rare trees IMO is as bad as poaching endangered animals..

Ekka · 9th September 2007, 08:53 PM

Here's info on that rare bottle tree.

Whitsunday Shire Council - Natural Vegetation Management

Also it says he has an estimated wealth of $30 million but continues on to tell you this.

Quote:

Jarrod McCracken was given a $97,000 pay-out after his league career was cut short by a spear tackle in 2000. Last week, he was reported to be appealing over the pay-out figure, claiming it was lower than expected because a judge ruled the injury had allowed him to get rich through property developments.

Seems like a real down and out guy, maybe we should start collecting donations for the poor chap!

Roller · 10th September 2007, 05:15 AM

don't tell me he injured his foot lol

Ekka · 14th October 2008, 07:31 PM

Now after reaching an agreement with him the EPA do a 180 and go for criminal charges.

McCracken faces court over tree clearing - Breaking News - National - Breaking News

Quote:

McCracken faces court over tree clearing

October 14, 2008 - 12:02PM

Former rugby league star Jarrod McCracken will face court in December on criminal charges relating to the development of his multi-million dollar Whitsundays property.

Queensland's Environmental Protection Agency has charged McCracken and his company Crackers Corp with eight offences for alleged unauthorised clearing and earthworks on his 387ha property at Clarkes Cove in north Queensland.

The Whitsunday Shire Council is also pursuing three charges over the alleged development.

Lawyers for the former New Zealand captain, who played for the Bulldogs, Parramatta Eels and the Wests Tigers in the NRL, his company and wife Michelle, appeared briefly for mention in Proserpine Magistrates Court on Monday and the case was adjourned until December 11.

It's alleged McCracken cleared rare bottle trees from the site without permission, damaged native vegetation on state coastal land and Dryander National Park, and caused sediment to run off into the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

He also is accused of breaching Aboriginal heritage protection laws.

Earlier this year, the McCrackens reached an out-of-court agreement with the EPA and Whitsunday Shire Council to replant hundreds of trees cleared from the property for building purposes.

Under the agreement areas of cleared coastal rainforest must be revegetated with native woody plants within 19 months, and the replanting will be monitored by the council.

However, the EPA in August decided to pursue the matter further with criminal charges.

Done it · 14th October 2008, 10:27 PM

Who's this guy think he is anyway? Ex NZ, ex Parramatta, ex QLD?
Should be in

http://www.treeworld.info/attachment...1&d=1223982966

Done it · 15th October 2008, 11:50 PM

Amazingly last night I said to myself "people like this bulldoze Australia away & plant palms, mostly not native ones"

Guess what!

Full story here,

Garrett aiming at McCracken | The Courier-Mail

I've never been a Garrett fan, but I'm with him here,

IMG]http://http://www.treeworld.info/attachment.php?attachmentid=8025&stc=1&d=1224074040[/IMG]A

Ekka · 16th October 2008, 12:59 AM

He just doesn't get it does he.

There's rules, he needed to lodge a development application etc. You dont just go around doing anything you want. There's regulations/laws and rules.

They're going to shaft this guy real bad, because he can afford it and he's thumbing his nose at them.

Maybe he's not allowed a jetty, or waterfront house, or it has to be engineered a specific way or located elsewhere to save trees etc etc etc.

The guys gonna cop it bad.

newguy18 · 16th October 2008, 02:05 AM

just another case where people have alot of money and think thier higher than the law.Personally i'm glad that they're getting in trouble for it.

9th September 2007, 08:23 PM	#2
Roller Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Suffolk UK Posts: 156	Re: Former league star McCracken accused of illegal clearing in rainforest He reads like another power crazed super rich brat, who the heck do they think they are,felling rare trees IMO is as bad as poaching endangered animals.. __________________ www.arboraeration.co.uk Tree healthcare specialists covering the UK

10th September 2007, 05:15 AM	#4
Roller Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Suffolk UK Posts: 156	Re: Former league star McCracken accused of illegal clearing in rainforest don't tell me he injured his foot lol __________________ www.arboraeration.co.uk Tree healthcare specialists covering the UK

16th October 2008, 12:59 AM	#8
Ekka Admin - Dip Arb & Hort & Seldom Wrong Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Brisbane Posts: 9,789	Re: Former league star McCracken accused of illegal clearing in rainforest He just doesn't get it does he. There's rules, he needed to lodge a development application etc. You dont just go around doing anything you want. There's regulations/laws and rules. They're going to shaft this guy real bad, because he can afford it and he's thumbing his nose at them. Maybe he's not allowed a jetty, or waterfront house, or it has to be engineered a specific way or located elsewhere to save trees etc etc etc. The guys gonna cop it bad. __________________ TAS Training & Assessment Services\| Arb and Hort Training available here Free Online Tree Value Calculator by TreeWorld Free Online TPZ and SRZ AS4970-2009 Calculator by TreeWorld Free Online Tree Surface Area and Tree Volume Calculator by TreeWorld Free Tree and Green Industry Deep Link Directory ... Yes, I also SEO (Optimize) and build websites that fly high in Google Qualified Brisbane Tree Lopping \| Stump Grinding Brisbane Brisbane - Gold Coast Consulting Arborist, Tree and Arborist Reports \| Project Arborist

16th October 2008, 02:05 AM	#9
newguy18 Part of the Furniture Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: orlando,fl Posts: 5,204	Re: Former league star McCracken accused of illegal clearing in rainforest just another case where people have alot of money and think thier higher than the law.Personally i'm glad that they're getting in trouble for it. __________________ Have your say join us today. I ship USA saws out of the USA old schooler

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