Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi has plans to bulldoze trees, build luxury townhouses on Port Macquarie investment property

Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi’s plans to subdivide her investment property – and bulldoze up to 20 native trees – have been approved by council.

Greens Deputy Leader Mehreen Faruqi plans to bulldoze up to 20 native trees – including a type that provides crucial wildlife habitat – to subdivide her Port Macquarie investment property and build three luxury townhouses, documents show.

Plans approved by the Port Macquarie Hastings Council in May show an existing four-bedroom home on the 1343-square-metre block will also be demolished as part of the $1.5m development project.

They show three double-storey homes will be built on the property, which is walking distance to a beach.

Senator Faruqi and her husband bought the home in 2001 for $250,000, and it has been rented out.

The plans, which are publicly available on the council’s website, include an ecological report that states the development “will require the removal of most of the trees on site”.

The front two townhouses planned for the Port Macquarie property. Picture: Chris Jenkins Design

The third home planned for the property. Picture: Chris Jenkins Design

“Up to 20 native trees and shrubs will require removal, as well as ornamental plantings,” it said.

Among those that will require removal is a hollow-bearing tree – a type of tree that provides habitat for animals such as microbats.

The report also said “reasonably fresh” koala droppings were found on the property, however they were under a large spotted gum tree that will be retained.

It also outlined a number of “mitigation measures” to reduce the impact of the development on animals, plants and ecology of the area.

“These include pre-clearing surveys and clearing supervision, weed control, and replacement fauna nest boxes,” the report said.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Martin Ollman

Three houses would be placed on the block under the plan. Picture: Chris Jenkins Design

A spokeswoman for Senator Faruqi said: “If this project goes ahead, it will meet all ecological requirements, including retaining the large spotted gum along the boundary under which koala scats have been found and building nesting boxes”.

The spokeswoman did not answer questions about whether the homes would be used for affordable housing.

The Advertiser last week revealed Greens MPs and senators who blocked the government’s plan to build 30,000 social houses own 27 properties between just 15 of them.

Including the Port Macquarie investment, Senator Faruqi declared four properties on the parliamentary register of interests, which requires politicians to declare property and share holdings.

She declared two properties in the inner Sydney suburb of Beaconsfield – one that has also been used as a rental property – and a 500sqm parcel of land in Lahore, Pakistan.

A spokesman for Greens leader Adam Bandt last week said Greens MPs who rented out properties had frozen their rental rates.