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Central Coast Council has ignored expert advice from NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) and recommended Mr Hart pushes through a planning proposal that will undermine the region’s biodiversity and alter its future character and livability.
“Mr Hart is being asked to adopt staff recommendations when council meets on Tuesday, May 28, that will irreversibly alter the character of over half the region, undermine the Coastal Open Space System (COSS) and ‘has the potential to affect’ biodiversity,” according to Community Environment Network (CEN) Chair, Mr Gary Chestnut.
According to CEN, the planning proposal to ‘move’ deferred matters lands in the former Gosford Local Government Area into the Central Coast Consolidated Local Environmental Plan 2022 (CCLEP2022) will result in:
- High value conservation land having less protection via inappropriate zoning;
- The potential for over 3000 residential structures (dwellings, dual occupancies and secondary dwellings) to be built on 1037 allotments currently zoned 7(a);
- Threats to Coastal Open Space System reserves and National Parks because adjoining land will not be zoned C2; and
- Curtailment of the ability to expand COSS via voluntary acquisition of neighbouring land.
Mr Chestnut said it was “vindicating” to read the council report and find that criticisms of the planning proposal by the Biodiversity, Conservation and Science Group (BCS) within DCCEEW were like those CEN had been making for three years.
“It is, however, devastating to see Central Coast Council staff dismiss the expertise of the BCS Group. Mr Hart’s legacy will be to undermine the precious biodiversity of the Central Coast if he goes ahead with the staff recommendation.”
Comments made by BCS included:
- “Any reduction in conservation outcomes, including additional permissibilities, will be difficult to reverse in the future…as it reduces the environmental protection of the land.”
- Deferred lands should be assessed for High Environmental Value (HEV) as described in the Regional Plan 2041 in order to be compliant with current planning policy.
- Alternatively (to zoning all 7(a) land C2) an ecological site assessment should be provided. BCS normally request a Stage 1 BAM assessment be provided where biodiversity has the potential to be affected.
- New zones do not follow the vegetation boundaries. In this case BCS request that all the vegetation is zoned C2 (using straight lines) and it to be up to the landowner to justify why this should not be the case.
- Contrary to p.56 of the Planning Proposal all land adjacent to National Parks should be considered ‘sensitive land’.
- The C4 zone has been applied to lots that are constrained by flooding. it is considered that C2 or C3 zoning is more appropriate for the flood planning area.”
“It is clear that the DCCEEW agrees with CEN: the recommendation being presented by staff has the potential to undermine existing Coastal Open Space reserves and National Parks and the region’s biodiversity because it reduces the environmental protection of the land,” Mr Chestnut said.
“This advice is from the group within the NSW Government that has the legal responsibility to protect the natural environment and Aboriginal cultural heritage across NSW. How can Mr Hart ignore it?
“Many other misleading statements are included in the report to Mr Hart: of the 328 submissions only 79 supported the planning proposal but the report calls that a ‘significant’ number. The report claims council must follow a NSW Government Practice Note adopted in April 2009 and claims it is more current that the former Gosford LEP, adopted in 2014.
“CEN will request an urgent meeting with Central Coast Council CEO, Mr David Farmer and Mr Hart before Tuesday’s meeting. We are writing to the Premier and the Ministers for Planning, Local Government and for the Central Coast urging them to intervene,” Mr Chestnut said.
“At a time when the Central Coast’s biodiversity is under extreme pressure from climate change, overdevelopment and land clearing, we need to hold on to as much C2 Conservation land as possible. We are already facing the extinction of flora and fauna by 2070. This planning proposal should at the very least be deferred for further consideration.
“Fortunately, Central Coast Council is not the final consent authority for this planning proposal to progress to the stage where changes will be made to the Central Coast LEP 2022 and we have met with the Department of Planning to express our deep concerns. Let’s hope they listen if Mr Hart does not.”
CEN is calling for Central Coast residents and groups who are concerned about the possible loss of diversity to email Mr Hart and request a meeting to discuss – #deferthedeferredlands – via [email protected]
Absolutely disgraceful situation, which the Gauleiter of the Central Coast (appointed by the LNP Coalition Government which inflicted this disgusting, undemocratic situation upon us), mirroring the actions of the Nazis, who appointed more than 100 Gauleiters prior to and during WW2, many in the sovereign countries they occupied across Europe, has been only too willing to implement to punish both the environment and us, for years to come, if not forever.
However, I cannot but wonder, why the hell the Labor Government of NSW, elected just over 12 months ago, didn’t send you, Hart, packing, this time last year, or did they, like you, accept the “advice” of some very dubious bureaucrats, or others with, possibly, vested interests?
What an absolutely disgusting, completely unnecessary and deplorably low act to leave as the “legacy” of your tenure as the dictator of the Central Coast, Rik. May you and those whose “advice” you accepted, rot in hell!