'Crunch Time' film and workshops to tour south coast and inspire youth

Tura Beach local Jacob Shield created the film Crunch Time: Saving Tura's Biodiversity, arguing for the need to stop so-called Zombie Developments such as the proposed development for the Mirador Estate near his house.

The 21-minute film tries to reform the way society thinks about building, development and the notion of progress.

It premiered in front of a packed house in Merimbula in March and the community support for the film and the cause inspired Mr Shields.

"It was a tipping point in my mind," he said.

"It made me think 'we are onto something here.'

"We decided this is the start of the real activism."

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Mr Shields is taking the film on a tour of the South Coast sharing the story of Tura Beach and the need to change the legislation around Zombie DAs. The tour is a trial run: Mr Shields hopes to show the film all across the state and put Zombie DAs at the forefront of the agenda.

"We want to take this state-wide and put a spotlight on Zombie DA's and our attitudes towards the environment and practical solutions to the housing crisis," he said.

"We want to replicate the energy from Merimbula around the state."

The tour comes after a 40-page-report - 'Concreting Our Coast: The developer onslaught destroying our coastal villages and environment' - was released by the NSW Greens condemning Zombie DAs happening all along the NSW coastline.

Mr Shields particularly wants to speak to and inspire the next generation of society - the ones he sees as having the most to lose if the natural places he loves are destroyed.

He wants to establish a youth network of people collaborating to take practical steps towards making a stand against Zombie developments.

The film is screening at seven locations along the South Coast. Each screening will be followed by a youth workshop the next day focusing on community engagement. Mr Shields hopes people aged 12 to 24 will attend and take away a practical thing they can implement in their community to help the cause.

"We are empowering youth to help drag Australian politics into the future," he said.

He has established the Crunch Time Australia foundation to fund and provide ongoing support for the youth projects.

Crunch Time will be touring in towns for two days each. The first day will feature a screening, with workshops happening on the second day. The locations are: