Regional Planning Panel Decision Pending

On Tuesday 8 December at 3pm

The Regional Planning Panel met and heard from those locals who registered in time

to speak about the proposed destruction of significant bushland in Cardiff/Garden Suburbs.

Residents highlighted issues about the lack of effective consultation, the potential loss of important habitat for the Powerful Owl, the swamp wallaby, the bandicoots, the squirrel gliders, possums, and various plant species.

Traffic, roads, shared paths, safety etc were big concerns, one resident said it is one car in, one car out in his street due to school days traffic. Others were concerned that the traffic plan/study was performed in 2012 and did not reflect current issues or needs. Some comments related to the new subdivision entry now needing to be traffic lights and not a roundabout as proposed and this seemed to be accepted.

Some people spoke about how they currently used the bush for important recreation, how valuable it was during lock down, that kids play in there and we want this to continue for their development. Most spoke of how much they enjoy living near the bush and how this development would impact negatively. Most people acknowledged the need for housing but that this was the wrong place and involved too much environmental damage. One concern was raised regarding the zoning of the north super lot.

The lack of consultation with the Aboriginal community was also raised as an issue especially when there is an Aboriginal Hostel located adjacent to the site and other Aboriginal heritage nearby.

The Regional Planning Panel after hearing from residents then listened to Landcom and their hired consultants who continued to claim there was no significant reason to refuse the development even though they haven't even delivered what they previously promised they would do , that is provide an off site protected off set. Instead Landcom or what I see as Land Con in this instance has proposed to provide two protection/conservation lots within the existing site. This is ridiculous, they expect people to believe that the removal of so much bush will not be significant.

Local resident Guy Finn who has gathered 1600 signatures at the time of the hearing against the proposal said that the new Jesmond stage of the inner city bypass will also remove habitat for the threatened Powerful Owls and other wildlife and when considered in a wider context means the overall impact of these combined developments is not acknowledged as they are in different local government areas.

After two hours of the teleconference, it was interesting when a panel member asked Landcom to outline any examples of best practise within the development. Not a single example could be provided, the spokesperson was unable to highlight one aspect, instead he spoke about what they were doing in other developments.

For me, and it appears for at least other 2000 people who have magically heard about this development via local action say NO to this development. One newer resident to the suburb said that in two and a half years he has not been informed of the development and only found out about it via social media. The proponent has not effectively engaged the community and Lake Macquarie Council has not even hosted one single public meeting of residents about the development that clears 12 hectares and potentially destroys habitat for another 26 hectares.

I will update this site as soon as I can when I hear about the panels decision.

I would imagine the panel will approve the development and expect that the conditioning of the DA, in their opinion will attempt to address issues raised. But I hope I am wrong and they listened to the people on the teleconference who weren't paid to be there, in other words the community.

Depending upon the panel decision, community members may want to meet and discuss where to from there.

See how we go first.

Steve