Northern Beaches Council turns down Jamie Durie’s development application

Northern Beaches Council has refused to support celebrity gardener Jamie Durie’s $3 million development in Avalon. Here’s what he has to change.

Garden guru Jamie Durie’s local council has recommended he change the design of his six-storey waterfront home to protect more native trees.

Northern Beaches Council has refused to support the $3 million development and has said in its “landscape referral response” that the celebrity gardener needs to find an ­alternative layout and building design after initially asking to tear down 17 trees and then ­reducing it to nine.

Durie, who has lived in Avalon for 20 years, has already signalled he is willing to change the design after the council was inundated with more than 30 objections and after he discovered his arborist’s report had mistakenly never been handed to council.

Jamie Durie has been asked to change the design of his proposed six-storey mansion. Picture: Evan Morgan

The view of the home from the water.

The report, which has been obtained by The Daily Telegraph, recommends that 13 of the 26 trees on the Riverview Rd property be retained, six have “moderate value”, five she oaks have “low value” and three privet trees and a sweet pittosporum be torn out as noxious weeds.

Locals were upset with the initial plans because the area is part of the Pittwater Spotted Gum Forest.

Jamie Durie on the Today Show this morning with Richard Wilkins holding The Daily Telegraph front page.

Durie provided the arborist’s report to the council on Sunday and told The Telegraph he was furious the report had not been included with the development application.

He told The Today Show on Monday that he had written to the neighbours explaining the situation.

His development application for the six-bedroom home with pool, gym and media room, will be decided by a local planning panel independent of the council because it has had more than 10 objections.

“The landscape component of the proposal is ... not currently supported due to the significant impacts of proposed works on existing trees and vegetation,” the council report states.

“It is recommended that an alternative building design and site layout be sought, exploring the retention of key native trees.

“Further concern is raised regarding the impacts of proposed works on trees to be retained, specifically on those trees located in adjoining properties as well as the road reserve.”

Durie, the National Tree Day ambassador, said he had already planted more than 600 native plants on the water side of the block and planned to plant another 1518 natives.