Hillscorp Sounds appeals Gympie council rejection of Jones Hill subdivision

A developer is fighting to overturn Gympie council’s rejection of a proposed 19-lot subdivision on claims it would adversely affect koala habitat and the environment.

Hillscorp Sounds Pty Ltd has appealed Gympie Regional Council’s rejection of its proposed 19-lot subdivision at Jones Hill, saying the project would not adversely impact the environment and koala habitat as claimed by the council in its rejection notice.

The battle over Gympie council’s koala protections is headed to court with a developer appealing a rejection of its proposed 19-lot subdivision on grounds it would adversely affect the endangered species’ habitat.

Hillscorp Sounds Pty Ltd has appealed Gympie Regional Council’s rejection in the state’s planning environment court, asking for the refusal to overturned and the subdivision to go ahead.

The company lodged its application to slice the 15.5ha block at Silva Rd, Jones Hill, into 19 blocks in November 2022.

The council’s planning department refused it one year later, in November 2023.

Reasons for the refusal included it having an “unacceptable impact” on the environment through the removal of koala habitat, a lack of detail provided on how that impact would be mitigated, and was inconsistent with state government biodiversity rules on bushfire risks.

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Hillscorps Sounds claims in its appeal document lodged with the Planning and Environment Court claims the council’s TLPI biodiversity protection was “invalid”.

The appeal document argues the development complied with the required benchmarks identified as reasons for refusal.

It says the overlaying biodiversity mapping “is not soundly based” and did not reflect the environmental values and constraints of the land.

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There was an economic, planning, and community need for the subdivision, Hillscorp Sounds claims.

It further argues the Temporary Local Planning Instrument covering the land, which details what protections and restrictions apply across the region, was “invalid”.
Gympie Regional Council has not yet lodged a response to the appeal.