Nightcap Community Consultation

Mark McMurtrie and Nightcap "Freemen" confrontation

There's more than meets the eye to Nightcap Development application!

Nightcap on Minjungbal is more than just a money-making development. The "Freemen" who claim to be running the show are occupying property at 3222 Kyogle Rd, and selling "tribal title" to "pre-DA dwelling sites" in a proposed aboriginal "autonomous nation," in opposition to government authority. 

We are told that after three definitive rejections over three years, a DA application by NCV Enterprises  was lodged with  Tweed Shire Council just before the Christmas break. A 14 day option to oppose the application expired the day before councillors returned to work, and the application was accepted by default.  

The application for development of multiple rural land sharing communities requests consent to commence the first stage of a strongly contested venture that began in 2014 and is marketed globally as an "off-matrix tribal experience".

Comment by Mt Burrell Resident David Vincent

Since December 2014 we, at Mount Burrell, have had the misfortune of having to contend with a bunch of people intent on impacting on our rural lifestyle to make a quick dollar. You may be aware of the failed Bhula Bhula Intentional Community where some trusting people wanted to enjoy our beautiful valley. Well, they lost a combined total of $2.5 Million and had to leave the property.

The same group have now put forward a plan to create a similar community but on a much larger scale ... this will be 400 dwellings at 2984 and 3222 Kyogle Road. Put this is perspective, at the last census, the village of UKI had 300 dwellings, the average number of people in each dwelling was 2.5 people and the average number of motor vehicles per dwelling was 1.9. Using the Uki figures this would mean another 1000 people in our area and another 760 cars on our road. It’s not hard to visualise the impact this would have on our road, our wild life and our environment.

Council will be advertising this application on February 17th for a 28-day period. During this time we can review and comment. This is a complicated DA and there will be more posts as we consider all aspects of this new township. If you are from Mount Burrell, Kunghur, Nimbin, Byrill Creek, Uki and Murwillumbah, I suggest you spend time considering the implication of this crazy scheme.

Have your say on the DA application:

https://datracker.tweed.nsw.gov.au/Pages/XC.Track/SearchApplication.aspx?id=877619&a=DA21/0010

The DA application DA21/0010, lodged 14/01/2021, is described by Tweed Shire Council as :

"Integrated Development - staged concept development application under s4.22 of the EP&A Act 1979 for multiple rural land sharing communities with stage 1 seeking approval for the upgrade of the existing private road and associated earthworks, vegetation removal and site construction office and storage area (NRPP)"

Estimated Cost of Work: $37,076,000.00

Read more:

Development Application for Nightcap Village Refused

https://www.nightcapnightmare.com/2020/09/development-application-for-nightcap.html

Earth-Haven Dumps Nightcap Promotion

Managers of Earth-Haven Sustainable Communities and Display Villages have dropped Nightcap on Minjungbal as one of the projects linked in their network of off-grid communities. Promotional information and marketing representations selling Nightcap's "Off-Grid" land and home offer have been removed from Earth-Haven's website and Facebook pages.

No reason has been published by Earth-Haven for dumping Nightcap, but the manager, Samantha Bachman, privately states that concerns arose after talking with several of the creditors who provided purchase money for the properties in 2015, without receiving promised co-ownership of the land. 

She says Earth-Haven also has concerns about promoting Nightcap's land and home offer prior to necessary development approval. 

Samantha Bachman expressed further disapprobation regarding apparent malicious intent signalled by a Nightcap director in Voxxer Messages recorded in 2016. Some of these audio messages have been published online and were read into the Supreme Court record in 2019 as evidence for the defence in the defamation case Darwin v Norman.

Samantha Bachman Sells Nightcap-Earth-Haven

"Dreaming about getting out of the city, out of the rat race and into nature with a heap of other like-minded who want to do the same and support each other to build a new community? If so, we have the perfect package for you to start really living, enjoying nature and community and becoming self-sufficient in no time."

Extracts from articles published by Samantha Bachman, promoting Nightcap-Earth-Haven Sustainable Communities and Display Villages:

"Imagine your own 5G free, virus free, chemical free, bug out zone on thousands of acres… You also have common property use of as well as the 2.47 (approx) acres you will get for your exclusive use with your own relocatable tiny home to get you started."

"Magical land at the foot of Mount Warning (Wollumbin) on over 7,000 acres of fertile volcanic soil at the “Nightcap On Minjungbal” village. Which is planned to be the World’s Largest Eco Village."

"You choose your block in the fully MASTERPLANNED Community, choose your Tiny Home and we then throw in Composting gear, a Bee hive and all the Books and eduction you’ll need to learn to live off the grid and become self sufficient. We will even help you build your own Earth Home if that is the type of home you feel is for you." 

samanthabachman.com/off-the-grid-package - samanthabachman.com/earth-haven 

Nightcap Nightmare: Comment and Update

Note that Samantha Bachman's promotion of Nightcap-Earth-Haven does not inform prospective buyers that multiple occupancy land-sharing is currently not a permissible use of the property on offer. 

No development approval for the proposed development exists. The Nightcap Village Concept Plan was rejected on September 17, 2020, by Tweed Shire Council in the face of strong local opposition. Council is currently considering a further proposed concept plan from the prospective developers.

Litigation related to Nightcap Village between the promotors and angry creditors has been ongoing since 2017, with two hearings in NSW Supreme Court adjourned, that had been listed for February 16 and 17, 2021.