Belrose, Lizard Rock a ‘bushfire trap’: Council slams plan for Aboriginal land to be transformed into 450-home subdivision
A push for 450 homes to be built on a Sydney bushland site owned by an Aboriginal land council has been slammed because the building lots would become “bushfire traps”.
Manly
Don't miss out on the headlines from Manly. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A proposed 450-home subdivision in undeveloped bushland on the northern beaches owned by an Aboriginal land council has been labelled a ‘bushfire trap’ by Mayor Michael Regan.
And NSW Planning Minister Anthony Roberts, who has approved a plan that could allow the “Lizard Rock” redevelopment at Belrose, should “hang his head in shame’, the mayor said.
Mr Regan was speaking out as the council voted on Tuesday to fire off a detailed submission opposing the NSW Government’s push for the residential subdivision on land owned by the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council.
The council heard the site was equivalent in size to 46 football fields.
As well as free standing homes and townhouses up to 8.5m high, the site along Morgan Rd could also include seniors housing, an Aboriginal cultural community centre as well as shops, a supermarket and cafes.
It will also create close to 150 permanent local jobs, its supporters say.
A detailed 54-page submission, outlining the council’s objection to the plan, will be sent to the Department of Planning.
In August the Mr Roberts approved the Northern Beaches Aboriginal Land Development Delivery Plan (DDP), which the Lizard Rock proposal is part of. His department has received an official proposal for the site.
Northern Beaches Council has continually raised objections to the government bid to allow the redevelopment.
But it did acknowledge that “historically, Aboriginal peoples owned and managed land across Australia for many thousands of years before white occupation and that the NSW Aboriginal Land Rights Act was a significant step in redressing longstanding injustices to Aboriginal peoples by allowing Local Aboriginal Land Councils to claim vacant Crown Land”.
At Tuesday night’ council meeting Mr Regan said the council should condemn the Planning Minister for progressing the development. He said the land should become a national park.
Mr Regan said the proposed 450 building lots at Lizard Rock were “bushfire traps essentially”.
“I cannot actually believe that this proposal has got this far.
“Mr Roberts should hang his head in shame”.
Liberal councillor Rory Amon said the area was one of the most bushfire prone areas on the northern beaches that could put “thousand and thousands” of potential future residents at risk.
“This development must not be allowed to proceed, it must be stopped.”
Independent councillor Vincent De Luca supported the land council’s plan to development the site.
Outside the meeting Cr De Luca said some opposition to the planning proposal was condescending and “could also be perceived as prejudice and discrimination”.
“The land is freehold and the site has both cultural significance and the ability to provide economic independence for the Aboriginal community.
“Suggestions they should be dictated to by priviledged northern beaches residents and let their land be turned into a National Park is ridiculous.
“Would those people who are making such demands be prepared to have someone tell them to give away or sell their properties — I think not.”
In a report to the council about the submission to the Planning Department, council officers stated that the site was site was identified as “bushfire prone”.
They wrote that the proposal, in its current form, “presents an unacceptable and, in some cases, a catastrophic risk to future residents”. The council also had concerns about how residents would be evacuated in the event of a bushfire.
The MLALC has made it clear that as well as building homes, it wants to ensure the site’s significant environmental, and more than 20,000 years of Aboriginal, heritage is conserved.
In its report to the department, planning consultants Gyde stated that the proposed land use was developed after consultation with Aboriginal elders and the MLALC.
“It is also based on years of advanced investigations by a consortium of highly competent
and respected experts in the fields of flora and fauna biodiversity, bushfire management, transport planning, Aboriginal heritage, stormwater management and geotechnical surveying,” the report stated.
Other proposed details include pedestrian and cycle paths; picnic and BBQ areas, children’s playgrounds, lookouts and tree reserves; neighbourhood shops or supermarkets, food and drink premises, medical centre and office premises, as well as childcare facilities.
The council also had concerns about:
– loss of habitat for vulnerable animals and plant species;
– insufficient affordable housing;
– “outdated’ urban design;
– insufficient surveys of Aboriginal heritage;
– impacts on waterways and;
– transport links
The Planning Department said it would prepare a report for independent review by the North District Strategic Planning Panel in December.
The panel will then make a recommendation to the Minister on whether the proposal should proceed and be put on public exhibition in 2023.
For detailed information on the proposal click here.
Struggling RSL club sold to Sydney developer for $15m
It was once a popular live music venue and community hub, but a Sydney RSL club which failed to recover from Covid impacts has now sold to a property developer. Are you in the ‘last drinks’ photos?
‘Hit the ground running’: Teal’s vow as Libs concede defeat
After an intense and sometimes aggressive campaign, the Liberal Party has formally conceded defeat in the surprise Pittwater by-election. See the latest results.