Plans to rezone Dural woodlands and preserve the environment will be decided by Hornsby Council

Community groups, developers and the Greens agree the ecology of South Dural should be preserved, but how?

South Dural development artist impression.

Community groups, developers and the Greens agree the ecology of South Dural should be preserved.

But how — under public or private lock and key? And will new land clearing laws allow the land owners there to clear the area anyway?

A plan for up to 2900 dwellings on 240 ha of land at South Dural by developers Folkestone-Lyon includes about 62 ha for “potential retention” of threatened and endangered native forest and vegetation along Georges Creek.

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Folkestone-Lyon said the proposal “celebrates the ecology, protects the endangered species and opens it up for people to enjoy as currently, it’s in private ownership”.

But Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Greens Convenor Emma Heyde said rezoning would destroy South Dural’s woodlands.

‘‘This development is being pitched as environmentally sensitive, but in fact it is the exact opposite,” Ms Heyde said. “It would be the death-knell for critically endangered native vegetation, animals and birds.”

There are 50 threatened species in the area, including gliders, pygmy possums and koalas, she said.

The South Dural development proposal area with sections of native forest shown

Residents’ Infrastructure and Planning Alliance (RIPA) spokeswoman Jacqui Goddard said: “where we have endangered forests and a habitat for rare fauna, you have a recipe for disaster when it comes to proposed development”.

A Hornsby Council spokesman said how the bushland in South Dural is protected — if the plan is approved — remains unknown.

“Zoning of the high quality vegetation that adjoins the riparian corridors is not addressed by the proposal and defers consideration of this land pending a resolution to the NSW Governments review of biodiversity legislation,” the council spokesman said.

Hornsby state Liberal MP Matt Kean said land clearing under the proposed changes to the Local Land Services Act will not apply to the metropolitan rural land in South Dural.

“The proposed Biodiversity Conservation Bill provides an assessment process for the impacts of development on biodiversity,” Mr Kean said. “Consent authorities, such as councils, will retain their existing powers to determine whether a development proposal that impacts on biodiversity should be approved or refused.”

The South Dural development proposal area from above

An independent biodiversity assessment of the developers plan found 69 ha with “ecological constraints”.

But it also said development of the site could lead to “long term positive ecological outcomes”.

“Proposed strategies will ensure that the significant vegetation corridors are preserved and that future development does not cause any adverse impacts or introduced threats affecting the integrity of these corridors,” the planning proposal said.

The plan avoids “rezoning areas of high, medium or low ecological constraints (aside from acacia regrowth), (with) aims of excluding them from future development”.

The proposal also uses “differing housing typologies” to retain vegetation wherever possible.

South Dural artist impression of potential development.

Ecology in Dural

■ 50 threatened fauna species are known or predicted to occur within 10km, including the Little Eagle, Powerful Owl and Grey-headed Flying-fox.

■ 46 threatened flora species are known or predicted to occur within a 10km of the site.

■ The plans are online here and public comments on the proposal are open until December 2, via email: [e-mail].