Belrose: Aboriginal land could be transformed into 450-home redevelopment
About 450 homes could be built on a northern beaches’ site owned by an Aboriginal land council if a new development plan gets the go-ahead.
Manly
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A 450-home subdivision is being planned for property on the northern beaches owned by an Aboriginal land council.
And work on the proposed redevelopment of the “Lizard Rock” 71 hectare bushland site at Belrose could begin as early as this year.
The Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council’s housing bid, which could contain low and medium density homes, is part of the draft Northern Beaches Aboriginal Land Development Delivery Plan (DDP) now on display by the NSW Planning Department.
Planning Minister Anthony Roberts said the DDP would help Aboriginal people “fulfil potential economic benefits from their land”.
On its website the Planning Department wrote: “A planning proposal being prepared for the site proposes about 450 low- to medium-density homes, a cultural community centre and protection of Aboriginal carvings and other heritage sites.
If the Lizard Rock redevelopment along Morgan Rd got the go ahead, the land council would also create tourism opportunities, including walking trails.
It would also help protect numerous significant Aboriginal artefacts, including ancient rock carvings. The land is already crisscrossed with informal walking trails, horse and bike riding and 4WD tracks and there have incidents of trespassing and damage caused to the site’s Aboriginal history.
The DDP would also give the land council the potential to redevelop at least another five sites it owns within the Northern Beaches Local Government Area.
The land Council owns a total of 912 hectares locally, across nine separate land holdings.
Other sites being examined for potential residential development in the next two to five years include land around Corymbia Ct at Oxford Falls and near Paxton St, Poulton Pde and Weardon Rd at Frenchs Forest.
Land on Aquatic Dr at Frenchs Forest could potentially be used for recreation or community facilities while a block at Ralston Ave, Belrose could accommodate warehousing and data centres.
As part of the draft DDP, house building heights would be below the tree canopy to protect “scenic amenity and maintain local character”. There would also be a range of lot sizes available that “enable rocky outcrops, existing trees and landscapes to be retained”.
“This proposal is about Aboriginal people taking charge of using their land in ways that best supports their communities and protects their heritage,” Mr Roberts said.
“Helping Aboriginal Land Councils achieve better economic outcomes from their land has long been a priority of mine and this project is a great first step forward for Aboriginal development in the Northern Beaches area.”
Mr Roberts said if the plan was adopted, detailed proposals for each site would need to be prepared for community feedback, with the first, Lizard Rock, possibly kicking off as early as this year.
The Manly Daily has asked the land council’s CEO Nathan Moran for comment.
But Mr Moran told the Urban Reporter website this week that it was an “an extremely positive step towards using our land to deliver economic outcomes for our community as envisaged by the Aboriginal Land Rights Act”.
Northern Beaches Council is preparing a submission on the DDP that will be reported to the council meeting in March.
Public submissions close on March 21 See the draft plan here.
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