The Gib subdivision at Earl St on Mount Gibraltar met with backlash

A poll shows the majority of residents oppose a proposal to clear 3.12 hectares of treasured ‘The Gib’ bushland, which they say is a biodiversity nursery for koalas, endangered greater gliders and micro-bats.

More than three quarters of residents surveyed have voted to refuse a controversial proposal to subdivide land on the iconic Mount Gibraltar which they claim will destroy the vital biodiversity nursery for endangered native species.

The development application, lodged by Tower Projects construction company, proposes to subdivide property at Earl St, Bowral into three lots to build three “ecologically sustainable” developments. The application outlines a plan to cut down 320 trees and clear 3.12 hectares of bushland.

The site is located on the iconic Southern Highlands landmark Mount Gibraltar, and borders the critically-endangered ecosystem contained in the Mount Gibraltar Reserve.

A community letter circulated by a local resident said the “audacious and destructive development” could destroy the “vital biodiversity nursery” of the woodland.

There is fierce community opposition to the development at Lot 5 Earl St, which would see hundreds of trees removed and clear nearly 4 hectares of bushland. Picture: SET Consultants

Critics say the proposal will eradicate the vital habitat of many native species. Picture: SET Consultants

In an online poll conducted by The Bowral News, 76 per cent of locals voted to refuse the development of The Gib.

A council spokesman confirmed the council had received more than 100 submissions about the application to subdivide the land, the majority of which opposed the proposal.

Environmental community organisation WinZero has been campaigning against the development on behalf of the protected inhabitants of the site – koalas, endangered greater gliders, and endangered micro-bats. In a statement on its website, WinZero said the clearing of 320 trees will interrupt a vital habitat corridor and cause erosion which would threaten the creek and those reliant upon it.

WinZero deputy chairman Clive West noted the shire has already met its 20-year housing target in only four years, rendering the subdivision of the vulnerable land “grossly excessive”.

Mr West said the DA was the latest in a number of environmentally detrimental developments eyeing up the leafy Southern Highlands.

“One of the concerns I’ve had with the assessment of DAs is that there’s no environmental officer who looks at them,” he said.

The proposed development site is adjacent to the locally-listed heritage site Rift House and Gardens. Picture: SET Consultants

He believes the council’s failure to consult an in-house environmental expert has produced “dubious planning recommendations” in the past few years.

“(It) has resulted in at least three recommendations by the respective planners for the destruction of critically endangered ecological communities,” he said.

He pointed to the council’s deferral of the highly contentious Frensham eco-cabins development last year, which is now before the Land and Environment Court.

However, a council spokesman said development applications were examined by town planners in consultation with Environment Officers from the council’s environment and sustainability department.

As well as the effect on the local flora and fauna, WinZero asserted the approval of the Earl St subdivision would set a precedent for the surrounding lots, resulting in the eventual loss of bushland on The Gib.

Mr West said the land – once affectionately known as Fern Gully because of its lush vegetation – was part of the “rare and precious Southern Highlands Shale Woodland” and should be referred to the federal Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.

Owner of Tower Projects, Ben Hitchon, acknowledged the criticisms but told The Bowral News all of the concerns raised by critics have been addressed in the extensive reports included in the DA.

“There is nothing that’s been brought up that I have seen that hasn’t been well and truly dealt with by people who are experts in their field,” he said.

Greater gliders make their home in the Mount Gibraltar bushland.

Mr Hitchon said his company has striven to alleviate community concerns at each step throughout the “massive learning process” of this proposal.

“Over the 18 months we’ve been putting this DA together, we’ve been educated a lot on what the right thing to do is and we have taken the right thing to do at every step,” he said.

Over three generations of family tie Mr Hitchon to the Southern Highlands and he emphasised his family would live in one of the three houses built on the subdivided Earl St land if the proposal is approved.

“It’s our home,” he said.

The development application for the site is currently before the council. A council spokesman said the council has referred the application to several external agencies, including the NSW Rural Fire Service and Endeavour Energy, for comment and consideration.

The deadline for the Tower Projects to submit the additional information was Thursday September 30, so the application will now be referred to planning officers and external authorities if necessary.

A council spokesman said he expects the application will come before the Local Planning Panel towards the end of the year, possibly in December.