Land Con by Landcom

Just days before Christmas, the cowards at the Regional Planning Panel have disgraced themselves again. The "developers friend" of a panel granted approved for the destruction of our bush and the local environment. This disgraceful decision is amazingly supported by Lake Macquarie Council. All Councillors should be ashamed of themselves for failing to do their basic duty to represent their citizens. As for the Council staff member that produced the Council report presented to the panel, it was erroneous and misleading in many ways, a further disgrace for the people of Lake Macquarie.

Panel Members Alison McCabe, Juliet Grant, Susan Budd and Scott Anson have dismissed the many concerns made by the local residents who did a fine job at the hearing pointing out what a pathetic development this is by Landcom and how it is not in the interests of the community or the environment.

Landcom was asked by the panel, could they outline any aspects of the development that represented good practice (a free hit of a question really/dorothy dixer) and the Landcom representative could not even name one!

Residents highlighted the concerns about traffic impacts, and how the Council report had relied upon a traffic report from 2012. The panel obviously did not see that this is unreasonable. I personally highlighted my disgust that not one single meeting has been arranged by Council with the community to discuss the development in 8 years that the DA has been on foot. Further the development will significantly impact Kirinari Aboriginal Hostel, but no one from Council or Landcom has even spoken to this group about how their long established Aboriginal Hostel will be impacted.

There were significant presentations by residents on the values of the area to them and highlighting of the vulnerable species within the development envelope, but these matters have also been ignored along with the impact that will occur to the remaining part of the development that will not be cleared, as those areas will have higher pedestrian/recreational traffic.

The panel and the Council seem to think, they will some how fence off some areas and be able to protect them, they really are delusional on this point. Their determination statement I have included on this site under the resources page for you to read or go to the planning panel portal and search for PPS-2013HCC016.

I cannot believe that the panel believed the Elton Report regarding the environmental factors, it has holes in it you could drive a truck through. Instead they are approving driving a truck through our bush.

Landcom were meant to establish an off site off set protection area prior to obtaining approval to clear any of this bush, they said they would, but what we have is a land con, where they have claimed the off set within the development envelope. The determination document highlights the smoke and mirrors work of Landcom as they don't actually have a signed agreement in place for this off set to be managed at all. But the panel has rewarded them for this deception by granting them approval. We deserve better, the environment deserves better!

Personally I will fight this development as far as I possibly and legally can, but I am pretty sure we are going to have to take protest action against this development to get our point across to the political powerbrokers as the planning panel process has shown, environmental factors and residents views have not been fairly dealt with.

If you would like to join me/us in the fight, please email saveourbush@gmail.com