Garden Suburb residential estate: petition launched against clearing

The Save Myall Road Bushland (SMRB) group has been gathering signatures on a petition that calls on the Federal Minister for Environment to refuse conditional development consent and enforce a stop work order on site.

More broadly, it and another 30 groups called the Coastal Residents United Body will help tackle "wicked" systemic problems that allow developments approved under old planning regulations to be revived that are "inappropriate" in current times.

The $5 million Landcom project at Garden Suburb would see homes built on two undeveloped areas of bushland on the northern and southern sides of Myall Road, near the existing sports fields.

It's not a housing against habitat fight, SMRB group president Stephen Warham said, it's about moving forward with sustainable development where land has already been disturbed.

"We shouldn't have infill going into the bush in a kind of Cameron Park, scorched Earth approach," he said.

"We expect better from Landcom, we know there's a housing crisis and we want more housing, it just needs to be in already disturbed areas, we need to protect coastal bushland with identified species in there."

All up, the proposal will lead to the removal of 11.3 hectares of bushland.

Landcom is a state government owned corporation responsible for providing housing supply to meet demand across NSW.

The Garden Suburb project will deliver about 105 homes, at least 30 per cent of those will be set aside for affordable housing, according to a Landcom spokesman.

"Less than a third of the 38.8ha site will be developed, retaining 68 per cent of the site (approximately 26ha) as bushland in perpetuity for conservation purposes," he said.

"Three separate biodiversity assessments and several in-depth investigations were carried out which concluded the development will have no significant impact on vulnerable flora and fauna located on the site.

"Landcom recognises that the community values the bushland on site. We believe our proposal balances ecological considerations with delivery of housing to meet local community needs."

In its application, Landcom argues the site's proximity to already established residential areas like Garden Suburb, Cardiff, Kotara and Hillsborough - as well as shops, public transport and schools make it an ideal infill site.

The SMRB petition asks the NSW DPE to re-evaluate the planning panel's decision about conditional approval of the development.

It also moves to have the whole 39.4ha area rezoned and dedicated to community recreation and biodiversity conservation.

Mr Warham hopes teaming up with other conservation groups across the state will help them gather the signatures they need for the issue to be raised in parliament.

"It isn't NIMBYism (Not In My Backyard) motivating us, it's the protection of the environment," he said.

"This plan from Landcom has been on foot since 2012 and it's been a long and torturous process for the community and I think also for the developer.

"This site benefits from a deferred approval, if you did that development today under the current requirements different criteria would apply - they're using outdated criteria to justify their development."

To make way for the development, 64 hollow bearing trees will need to be removed with 67.5 per cent, or 133 trees, retained.

Another 658 plant clumps of tetratheca juncea would need to be removed keeping 1870 on the site.

Greens MP Sue Higginson is pushing for a planning system inquiry and hopes the experiences of local groups like SRMB can inform reform.

"The planning system has not adapted to current circumstances, in particular the fact we are experiencing a biodiversity crisis, we're facing a steep, downward trajectory to the extinction of threatened species and ecosystems while walking into climate change," she said.

"This group wants to draw a line in the sand on destroying local habitat, we know there's a large demand for housing but we need to be more strategic than this peace meal, death by a thousand paper cuts approach.

"The planning system needs to be brought into the current times which are challenging, we don't want to put people and the environment at risk because technical aspects of the system say developers can."

The aim is to table the petitions from each group in parliament on August 24.

According to the DA, a biodiversity offset strategy will see land dedicated to Lake Macquarie City Council for conservation purposes in perpetuity.

"The visual improvement to this area will be beneficial for residents and visitors," it said.

The main access to the southern part of the development would be from a new roundabout at the intersection of Gymea Drive and Myall Road.

A second access point is proposed via Gillian Crescent and Lois Crescent linking to the adjacent community and allowing for better traffic flow.

The proposed medium density residential superlot within the northern precinct would be accessed via Reserved Road.

IN THE NEWS: