cumberland plain woodland

What have Penrith Council done to address wild dog problem at the old ADI Site, where environmentalists attempted to resist Lend Lease clearing of wildlife rich, rare Cumberland Woodlands for years? Kangaroos killed by wild dogs metres from new houses at Jordan Springs. Lend Lease have been licenced by the NSW Environment Minister to manage the remnant Kangaroo population which is now contained within the proposed 900 ha Wianamatta Regional Park.

Western Sydney Conservation Alliance Inc
20th November 2013

The last remaining Kangaroos and Emus at the old ADI Site in Penrith are under attack from wild dogs with recent photo evidence showing one such attack on a large male Kangaroo took place only metres from new houses being developed by property giant Lend Lease. Lend Lease have been licenced by the NSW Environment Minister to manage the remnant Kangaroo population which is now contained within the proposed 900 ha Wianamatta Regional Park. The proposed Regional Park adjoins the Lend Lease housing development. Lend Lease, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and Penrith Council have known of the the wild dog problem on the ADI Site for many years.

In February this year when Emus were escaping from the ADI Site and wandering the streets of Penrith a report came before Penrith Council on the issue of Lend Leases macrofauna management practices. A WSCA member addressed the Council meeting and raised the issue of wild dogs hunting Kangaroos and Emus. Council at the time resolved to write to Lend Lease, National Parks and Wildlife and Robyn Parker the NSW Environment Minister about feral animal management. http://bizsearch.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au/pccbps/Open/2013/CNL_04022013_MIN_WEB.HTM

Failure to maintain fencing endangers roos and children

“The fact that Kangaroos are being killed by dogs metres from new houses at Jordan Springs nine months after Penrith Council resolved to do something about the issue tells us that Penrith Council has failed to take this matter seriously. If a large male Kangaroo can be killed by dogs at the site so could a child. This is not just a matter of environmental destruction this is a matter of public health and safety involving the residents of Penrith. That risk is real as photo evidence shows Lend Lease are failing to maintain fencing between the houses and the proposed Regional Park”.

“The Jordan Springs development, supported by Penrith Council, has been an environmental and social disaster with hundreds of hectares of critically endangered Cumberland Plain Woodland turned to moonscape and our local roads in chaos due to traffic congestion and road works. And now Penrith Council is doing nothing to stop the poor old Kangaroos, that once called Jordan Springs home, being decimated by wild dogs.”

Council cheer-leader for Lend Lease, need to represent citizens

“Council must finally act on this matter and stop being a cheer leader for Lend Lease. Council is fully aware that Lend Lease and Robyn Parker the NSW Environment Minister have legal responsibilities for the welfare of Kangaroos of Emus at the ADI Site and to have a feral animal management plan in place to control animals such as dogs.”

Macrofauna reduction program and wild dogs

“In granting development zonings to Lend Lease over ten years ago the NSW Government required them to develop and implement a feral animal reduction program. This clearly is not happening as wild dogs have been on the site for years. The NSW Government also required Lend Lease to implement a Macrofauna population reduction program – a program meant to be overseen by the NSW Environment Minister. Lend Lease has spent millions of dollars on a sterilisation program and it is feared they are turning a blind eye to the wild dogs because the dogs are assisting them to quickly bring down the Kangaroo numbers.”

“Penrith Council, the NSW Government and Lend Lease appear complicit in this further attack on western Sydney's dwindling populations of macro fauna.”

Geoff Brown
President
Western Sydney Conservation Alliance Inc
0431 222602

Labor MP David Bradbury must correct error riddled conservation funding announcement (NSW), says Geoff Brown, Stable Population Party candidate. Mr Brown, who is a New South Wales natural conservation activist, has long fought to retain Cumberland plain woodland against attempts by governments to allow it to be destroyed for massive suburban developments. He believes now that the ALP has tried to take credit for his concept of the Cumberland Conservation Corridor. Geoff is running as a candidate for the Stable Population Party.

Mark Butler, the Federal Environment Minister, and David Bradbury, Labor member for Lindsay and the Assistant Treasurer, have been called on by Geoff Brown, the Stable Population Party candidate for Lindsay, to set the voters of Lindsay straight, after Lindsay's leading local newspaper, the Penrith Press, printed a half page story riddled with errors and misinformation about Labors 2010 federal election commitment of $7.5 million towards the establishment of the Cumberland Conservation Corridor.

Geoff Brown, also the President of the Western Sydney Conservation Alliance, developed the concept for the Cumberland Conservation Corridor in 2005, and at the 2010 election ran as an Independent using preference negotiations with Labor and Liberal to extract the $7.5 million deal from Labor. So he is on top of this issue. Several articles published by candobetter.net show his record on this matter. See Cumberland plain woodland and Geoff Brown.

Brown described himself as "livid" when he read the Penrith Press article which erroneously stated that Labor had announced $7.5m towards establishing the Cumberland Conservation Corridor. He said the article made it look as if Labor had just made some new 2013 committment. He said the voters of Linsay would be confused.

"The story should have been about why it took 3 years to fulfill their 2010 commitment. The article was littered with errors based on the dubious media release put out by David Bradbury and Mark Butler. If not corrected it will let Labor off the hook in Lindsay from announcing any new local conservation funding outcomes for the 2013 election. Labor may try to fudge their way out of it”.

Geoff Brown called on David Bradbury and Mark Butler to front the voters of Lindsay and tell them:

" - That neither Labor nor Liberals have yet promised any new conservation money in Lindsay for the 2013 election
- The announcement cited by the Penrith Press was from the 2010 election and it took 3 years to cobble together an outcome
- The Mulgoa biobanking site stays in private ownership so will not become part of the publicly owned Mulgoa Nature Reserve. So no net public benefit or use for education
- The Mulgoa site was never at threat of development and was already protected under Penrith Councils LEP which zones it E2 Environmental Conservation (I argued that money be better spent trying to conserve bushland in Penriths north at risk of development)
- That nearly half of the $7.5 million was spent on land care projects that are outside the Lindsay electorate and nowhere near the proposed Cumberland Conservation Corridor. Projects such as those in the Blue Mountains and the Cranebrook wetland project are not anywhere near the CCC
- That $3.4 million funding for weed removal and the planting trees is exactly what Tony Abbott proposes with his Green Army and Direct Action policy. This outcome condones the Liberals policy
- That 2000 ha of local bush land has not been protected (David’s MR and his letterbox propaganda claims he has saved 2000 ha of local bush land. He is claiming to have protected the 558 ha Airservices Australia land at Shanes Park and 1300 ha of bush at the Orchard Hillls Defence Establishment. These sites are not formally protected. Shanes Park has the proposed Castlereagh Freeway running through it)
- That biobanking is a scheme whereby there is a net loss of habitat. Bushland gets bulldozed with developers offsetting that clearing by funding the management of bushland elsewhere. In this case the State funding came from the clearing of critically endangered bushland in the Sydney Growth Centres. It is a highly dubious method of conserving nature.
- That the land owner is not raising his income from selling the biobanking credits. He gets a guaranteed $6.6 million as the joint Federal and State funding has already purchased the credits."

Labor caught out moving the fence posts

Geoff Brown added that Labor has been caught out trying to change the location of the Cumberland Conservation Corridor. As an example he cited the wetlands at Cranebrook near the Waterside housing estate as being 'nowhere near' the CCC.”

Mr Brown says that Lindsay voters need to be aware that Labor has not yet committed any new money towards conserving bushland within the Cumberland Conservation Corridor.

Mr Brown met last week with Mark Butler and David Bradbury calling on them to fund the protection of 1500 ha of Priority Conservation Land north of the ADI Site that is threatened. He says that the 50 ha of Mulgoa land was already zoned for protection but this 1500 ha of bushland has no such conservation zoning.

In his opinion, the only way it will be zoned for conservation by Penrith Council is if there is money on the table to buy it.

"The voters of Lindsay need to join with the Stable Population Party in calling on Labor and Liberal to commit to protecting this land.”

A better, not a bigger Australia

Mr Brown concluded by saying that to his knowledge, the Stable Population Party is the only minor political party in Lindsay actively lobbying Labor and Liberal about protecting the environment and limiting more urban sprawl and traffic congestion. He said that voters could rest assured that the Stable Population Party stands for a better not a bigger Australia.

22nd September signs that Tony Burke is listening. WSCA had been lobbying Tony Burke for nearly two years to ensure guarantees in place that all of the promised $530 million conservation fund be spent within Western Sydney to protect bushland remnants promised as offsets.

Cautious optimism

On 22nd December, the Western Sydney Conservation Alliance (WSCA) cautiously welcomes the announcement today by Tony Burke that he will sign off on the Strategic Assessment of the Sydney Growth Centres. WSCA had been lobbying Tony Burke for nearly two years warning him not to rush in and sign off on the plan unless guarantees were in place to ensure that all of the promised $530 million conservation fund (the money promised to offset the destruction of 2000 ha of bushland within the growth centres) was spent entirely within Western Sydney protecting bushland remnants promised as offsets.

The NSW Government had been shifting towards raiding this $530 million conservation offset fund and spending up to 75% of it outside of Western Sydney in order to get more bang for its buck.

Tony Burke

"Tony Burke has listened to our concerns about this looming rip-off and has inserted new conditions into the plan guaranteeing that the entire $530 million fund would be spent in western Sydney. This may have saved thousands of hectares of rare bushland from the O'Farrell Government who intended to raid the $530 million conservation fund and spend it outside of western Sydney. The O'Farrell Government has a plan to increase urban sprawl in Western Sydney beyond development within the Growth Centres and that would have been made all the more easier if the majority of the $530 million fund disappeared from western Sydney.

Thanks to local Labor members

We specifically thank local Labor Members: Michelle Rowland, David Bradbury and Ed Husic for helping to stop this rip-off. They shared in our concerns about the inequity of the NSW Governments plans.

We believe the new conditions insisted upon by Tony Burke include that all the $530 million be spent in western Sydney and that only in exceptional circumstance could it be considered going off the Cumberland Plain to acquire offset lands. That exceptional circumstance would have to be approved by a new committee."

"That committee needs to be thoroughly transparent and it would be good if the community had a say in any decisions."

Growth Centers remain on-course for environmental disaster

"We must not lose sight though that the Sydney Growth Centres is an environmental disaster that will clear about 2000 ha of endangered woodland including about 9% of all remaining Cumberland Plain Woodland. So this announcement, whilst promising much in terms of a future conservation fund, also heralds the destruction of large areas of western Sydney's irreplaceable natural heritage"

Comments: Geoff Brown President WSCA - 0431 222602 www.wsca.org.au

Media Release
Western Sydney Conservation Alliance Inc

22nd December 2011

Growth Centres Plan go ahead by Tony Burke
Federal Government rescues bushland from O'Farrell Government

Cumberland Plain Woodland is critically endangered. For the illegal clearing of about 3 hectares Penrith Council deemed that a fine of $1500 was an appropriate penalty. Council ten years ago took a landowner to Court and they were fined $70,000 for clearing 3 hectares of River Flat Forest which is classified as endangered, a lesser category than critically endangered.

Monday 1st July, 2011

Penrith Council issues a pathetic $1500 fine for illegal clearing of critically endangered bushland

Penrith Council has sent a clear message to land owners and developers that it is open season on the natural heritage of Penrith by failing to use the full force of its powers to fine a Castlereagh land owner who cleared about 3 hectares of Cumberland Plain Woodland which is listed as critically endangered at a State and Federal level.

For the illegal clearing of about 3 hectares of Cumberland Plain Woodland Penrith Council deemed that a fine of $1500 was an appropriate penalty. Council ten years ago took a landowner to Court and they were fined $70,000 for clearing 3 hectares of River Flat Forest which is classified as endangered, a lesser category than critically endangered.

Geoff Brown, President of Western Sydney Conservation Alliance Inc, said, with disgust:

"This is a typical response of a pro-development anti environment Council. This amazingly ineffectual and inappropriate penalty is a flashing light to developers and anyone else wanting to profit from the destruction of Penrith's critically endangered bushland that, hey, go ahead and take the risk, Penrith Council doesn't really care, we're open for business and all you'll cop is a slap on the wrist."

He said, that, based on this fine by Penrith Council all the CPW in Penrith could be illegally cleared and the penalty issued would only be about $1 million.

A developer is looking at making that sort of money with 1 hectare of land these days so the message Council is sending to developers is, financially, illegal land clearing is worth it if all we will face is a fine of $500 per hectare.

They can simply factor it into their business plans.

But the Council should have taken the miscreant to court.

"Council definitely had the option to take this land owner to court but has chosen to take the cheap option of only issuing an penalty infringement notice. This again reinforces the belief of many that when it actually comes to protecting the environment and the public interest Penrith Council is all talk and no action."

Matter should have been referred up to Federal Environment department

Apparently the Council has not taken taken correct measures:

"Because Cumberland Plain Woodland is critically endangered at a Federal and State level any actions to harm it have to be in accordance with Federal and State legislation including referring the action of clearing directly to the Federal Environment department for assessment. So many checks and balances have been avoided by this example of illegal land clearing. Penrith Council's pathetic fine fails on so many levels to send a clear message to the public about what is right and wrong and why there is a need to protect bushland. Councils pathetic enforcement is why CPW is on the brink of extinction."

Absurd and immoral token penalty

Mr Brown illustrated the absurdity of Penrith Councils almost symbolic penalty:

"The public often hears of footballers copping fines of thousands of dollars just for consuming a few beers yet here we have life, species, that have evolved over millions of years to survive only in Penrith, destroyed for ever and the fine is only $1500. Something is clearly wrong."

Source: Western Sydney Conservation Alliance Inc, Comments: Geoff Brown President WSCA, 0431 222602

Brad Hazzard tells protesters at Liberal launch he's committed to saving another 100 hectares of critically endangered bushland at ADI Site. Lend Lease would be slugged $100 million in lost revenue

There was actually a legitimate protest today at Barry O'Farrell's campaign launch (not the stunt protest put on by the ALP) by Western Sydney residents and environmentalists. They had gathered to raise awareness about the Liberal/Nationals urban sprawl policy and how that would devastate what little is left of Western Sydney's bushland and of course how it would affect the quality of life of it residents.

The legitimate protesters were also wanting to speak with Brad Hazzard, the Shadow Planning Minister, to question why he has gone quiet on his commitment before the Penrith by-election that the Liberal/Nationals would conserve an additional 100 hectares of critically endangered Cumberland Plain Woodland at the controversial ADI Site. The ADI Site contains vast areas of bushland that the NSW Government and the pro development Penrith Council are allowing to be developed by developer giant Lend Lease. Brad Hazzard also committed to creating new Western Sydney ecological corridors.

Brad Hazzard was confronted, when leaving todays campaign launch in Penrith, and asked by Geoff Brown, President of the Western Sydney Conservation Alliance (in the presence of others) when he would formally honour his Penrith by-election commitment and announce the additional 100 hectares at the ADI Site.

"Brad Hazzard said he was committed to delivering the 100 hectares and the ecological corridors. I asked him when an announcement was due and he said he wanted to make sure it could be done legally. I reminded Mr Hazzard of legal advice already given to him by myself from the Environmental Defenders Office outlining how the bushland could be conserved using several pieces of NSW legislation with no cost to the NSW taxpayer. Mr Hazzard then said well that is only the advice from the Environmental Defenders Office." (see attached EDO advice given to Brad Hazzard)

"Whilst Mr Hazzard says to our face he is committed to the 100 hectares at ADI our fear is the Lib/Nats will try to squirm out of this major conservation promise. It appears they may be already looking for a legal loophole to argue their hands are tied. Brad Hazzard has the law on his side to save this bushland so there is no point delaying a formal announcement.

"Mr Hazzard was also told that this very 100 ha is under immediate threat of imminent clearing as Lend Lease has a Development Application lodged with Penrith Council to clear up to half of this 100 Ha. Tanya Davies the Liberal Candidate for Mulgoa is a Penrith Councillor and Mr Hazzard was told of the need for the Liberal dominated Penrith Council to reject that DA in order to prevent a major embarrassment. A failure of the Libs on Council to protect the 100 ha committed by Brad Hazzard will be a major embarrassment to Brad Hazzard and Barry O'Farrell. It will come back to bite them in the electorate.

"Lend Lease have obviously been exerting pressure on the local Liberal candidates including Stuart Ayres, Tanya Davies and Bart Bassett to drop this commitment as they will be hit for about $100 million in lost revenue as their mega development is reduced by 1000 lots.

"The public however will cheer the scaling back of this unpopular development and applaud Brad Hazzard and the Lib/Nats for conserving critically endangered Cumberland Plain Woodland of which only 8% of its original extent remains with only 8% of that protected by the current NSW Govt.

"We want this additional 100 hectares formally announced in the next few weeks."

Source: Media Release
Western Sydney Conservation Alliance
Sunday 20th February 2010

Comments by Geoff Brown President Western Sydney Conservation Alliance and spokesperson for ADI Residents Action Group
0431 222602

ADI Site -

Vandals prevail

JK Williams Bulldozers roll over precious woodland habitat

Bulldozers today rolled at the ADI Site in Penrith clearing 6 hectares of the critically endangered ecological community, Cumberland Plain Woodland. The clearing by J K Williams on behalf of developer, Delfin Lend Lease, is the first of 6ha of a total of 360 ha within the Penrith LGA. 3500 lots dwellings, with some up to 6 stories are proposed.

Garrett protects malignant growth lobby project

The news of the clearing has been met with sadness by the many opponents of the development. Recently they called on Peter Garrett the Federal Environment Minister to intervene in the imminent clearing. Peter Garrett was called on to act to overturn a dubious approval decision by the former Howard Govt in 2002 that allows Delfin Lend Lease immunity from Peter Garrett's Federal Environmental Law. Meaning they do not have to refer any development proposals to the Federal Minister for assessment. Peter Garrett was asked to consider, as he is allowed to do under section 207A of his federal environment law, to list additional areas of the sites critically endangered CPW as Critical Habitat.

But correspondence recently received from the Minister in response to that call from the Western Sydney Conservation Alliance indicated a complete lack of political will and an unwillingness to interfere in Delfins development plans.

Geoff Brown, President of the Western Sydney Conservation Alliance Inc., said,

"Peter Garrett could of acted, he has the capacity under his legislation to intervene, but he has turned his back on us and our environment. The reality though is he is just one of many of our political leaders that have done the same. The same is true of Kristina Kenneally who had the opportunity when she was Planning Minister to amend the ADI Site zoning plan. She was called on by WSCA to rezone CPW at the site from urban to conservation. She ignored our calls. So sorry is this ADI story is that the finger of blame must be pointed at hundreds of political leaders across all levels of government. This has been a shameful chapter in the history of Western Sydney one which its residents should never forget".

Keep fighting for what is right!

Brown added:

"People should never give up though. This is just 6 ha's and there are many more approval processes that Delfin need to get in order to get their way. We must take a stand and say enough is enough. In this day and age we should never accept housing that comes at the cost of our critically endangered natural heritage. Everyone should pick up their phones today and speak directly to their local elected representative from Council, State and Federal Government to let them know enough, its just not on anymore. What is happening here at ADI is the thin edge of the wedge and unless we collectively say no to the overdevelopment of our suburbs, this development cancer will move right across Western Sydney and before we know it we will have no bushland, no rural areas and another million people to cope with."

Merciless Moonscaping

Only one tree appears to have been left on the 6 ha site. The massive bulldozers of JK Williams, a local civil engineering firm, remain on the site ready to resume earth works on Thursday

Comments attributed to Geoff Brown President of the Western Sydney Conservation Alliance Inc
0431 222602
www.wsca.org.au

Western Sydney Conservation Alliance
Wednesday 28th April 2010

Google aerial photo of ADI Site giving an idea of size. Obviously it is surrounded by suburbs. Humans have not been denied species representation here, but, if this site is taken away, they will be denied their natural right to access natural ammenity and wild environment, which we should all be able to do, without compromising it. (Ed.)

Geoff Brown
President
Western Sydney Conservation Alliance Inc
PO Box 4134
WERRINGTON NSW 2747
Thursday, 4 March 2010
The Hon Peter Garrett
Minister for Environment, Heritage and the Arts
cc David Bradbury Member for Lindsay

RE: Urgent Ministerial intervention required to halt the clearing of Cumberland Plain Woodland at the former ADI Site – Penrith Local Government Area

Dear Minister,

We have been reliably informed that Delfin Lend Lease is about to commence
clearing Critically Endangered Cumberland Plain Woodland (CPW) within the Western Precinct of the former Commonwealth owned ADI Site. This first 6 hectare subdivision will be one of many out of the total 230 hectares within the Western Precinct. The Central Precinct, some 130 hectares is proposed to be developed in some 5 years time. This combined area of 360 hectares is predominately CPW
Aerial detail of water body at part of the site.
Your DEWHA recently listed CPW and Shale Gravel Transition Forest as Critically Endangered Ecological Communities. It is believed that the basis for the Critically Endangered Listing was that CPW had been reduced in area by some 400 hectares.
Minister here at ADI a developer is allowed to clear nearly the same amount of CPW that justified elevating CPW from Endangered to Critically Endangered and they don’t even have to refer their development applications to your DEWHA to have those assessed against the EPBC Act.

This is [...]

morally bankrupt and your DEWHA and the local member for Lindsay know that what Delfin Lend Lease is proposing is clearly a breach of the EPBC Act.

The justification for that statement is that DEWHA in 2008 received a delegation from Delfin, Penrith Council and David Bradbury to negotiate changing the National Estate boundaries of the ADI Regional Park. DEWHA told the delegation, and this
was paraphrased by your Adviser Peter Wright when we met him last month, that such an amendment would require Lend Leases 10 year old approval Certification – a dubious certification and assessment issued under the Howard Government – to be reassessed under the EPBC Act. Essentially DEWHA told the delegation that Delfin would not like the outcome of such assessment as it would result in the protection of CPW within proposed development areas and therefore a reduced housing lot yield and lower profits for the developer.

We know that Delfin Lend Lease has some shonky certification from the Howard Govt (see below)

Assessment and approval under Commonwealth environmental law was granted to the entire St Marys development under the former Environment Protection (Impact of Proposals) Act 1974 (EPIP Act) prior to the gazettal of the EPBC Act. Correspondence from the former Environment Australia (now DEWHA) was provided to the applicant in July 2002 advising
that despite the repeal of the EPIP Act and gazettal of the EPBC Act, no further Commonwealth approval would be required for the St Marys property. This certification was provided under the Environmental Reform (Consequential Provisions) Act 1999.

But for your DEWHA and the local ALP Member to hide behind this dubious certification and turn a blind eye to the bulldozing of Critically Endangered CPW is immoral and in reality, when assessed against the EPBC Act, as it should be, ILLEGAL.

Minister we now call on you to urgently intervene and to call in the ADI Site development proposal by Delfin Lend Lease so that Critically Endangered CPW is properly assessed under the EPBC Act. It is clear the current assessment Delfin Lend
Lease has - that gives them immunity from the EPBC Act - is scientifically flawed. The entire ADI Site assessment process under the Howard Govt was dubious and now as the bulldozers are about to roll those wrongs need to be corrected .

I recently emailed and phoned David Blumenthal – with no response - calling for him to act on this issue; we also said the same to Peter Wright last month in Sydney. A failure to protect these last great remnants of CPW at the ADI Site under the guise that legally we have no come back on the developer will not be accepted and viewed dimly by large numbers of voters in Western Sydney concerned with the protection of our Natural Heritage.

Yours truly,
Geoff Brown

...
...
Article by Geoff Brown

Delfin Lend Lease, the developer of the ADI Site, is now promoting its new suburb. It has the appalling name of Jordan Springs (another generic Delfin project with Springs in the name).

Jordan Springs is the 230 ha area of bushland - the now critically endangered Cumberland Plain Woodland - found on the western (Penrith) side of the ADI Site. Check out the spin from Delfin http://jordansprings.com.au/

There should now be a big question mark over this development

There should now be a big question mark over this development with both the NSW and Australian Government's upgrading Cumberland Plain Woodland from Endangered to Critically Endangered. You would assume any development that proposed to clear over 200 ha (there is still another suburb to go at ADI and it is 130 ha) of critically endangered bushland would be struggling to get approval.

Penrith Council recently approved the first 6 ha subdivision prior to the critically endangered listing.

Penrith Council, Delfin, Peter Garrett

They need to be hammered about this issue and reminded they have an obligation to reject developments that threaten critically endangered vegetation. They can easily justify refusal under the Threatened Species Act and the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act. Delfin have also got some kind of get out of jail free card from Peter Garrett whereby they don't have to refer their plans to him for assessment under the EPBC Act. This is appalling as any other proposal in Australia that threatens matters of National significance needs the approval of the Federal Environment Minister.

We are meeting with Garrett's adviser next week and will be raising plenty of issues with him about protecting CPW and the Western Sydney Priority Lands. Also the Cumberland Plain Recovery Plan which is a joint State and Federal Govt Plan.

(Comment available on the following topic - Geoff Brown 0431 222602)

Residents everywhere need to support each other against giant development companies

Penrith Council is set to vote tomorrow night to approve 2 new suburbs totalling 3420 dwellings at the former ADI Site. Council planners are urging councillors to approve the plans.

Residents that have fought a 16 year campaign against the development of property giant Delfin Lend Lease are calling on councillors to defer approval due to the general public having no idea what is going on. Councillors are being asked to hold a series of public meetings so that fair dinkum community consulation takes place

.

There are multiple problems with the development ranging from environmental, bushfire, traffic, noise, access, provision of parkland. Essentially this development looks like a disaster to us.

Council overshadowed by authoritarian State planners

Council cannot amend or reject the development plans of Delfin without first getting the approval of Planning Minister Kristina Keneally. They must be seen to be advocating on behalf of the public and take this planning mess back to Kristina Keneally. The NSW gov allowed most of the problems with pro developer zonings suggested by Delfin.

Councils report outlining amongst other things the issues raised by public and Government Dept submissions can be found here http://203.221.255.19/pccbps/Open/2009/PRC_09032009_AGN_AT_WEB.HTM
You may note want to look at comments about DECC's submission. They have raised concerns about development close to bushland. They are also trying to get out of managing wetlands (featured heavily in the Daily Telegraph) zoned Regional Park by Frank Sartor.

Below are just some of the issues that we notified local residents about this weekend when letterboxing

· 3420 dwellings with apartments up to 8 storeys (PCC 2008 Report) high ruining our landscape. Building blocks as small as 125sq/metres with tiny setbacks
· 10,000 residents meaning 5000 more cars on our choked roads
· 362 hectares of land will be cleared which is largely endangered Cumberland Plain Woodland. Sensitive wetlands home to endangered waterbirds to be surrounded by housing
· The fracturing of a biodiversity corridor which currently links ADI to bushland north of the site. Housing will fracture the existing corridor
· Delfins tree survey identifies a staggering 20,000 trees within the development areas that may potentially be removed
· The entire development is classified as a bushfire prone area
· The Central Precinct is another Glenmore Park and the only access is by one east west road which will cut through the 900 ha bushland area. This is poor planning resulting in a public health and safety issue.
· Bushfire Asset Protection Zones of only 25 metres
· The obliteration of the Northern Rd bushland view
· 4 new roads entering off the Northern Rd
· Housing will surround Xavier College and there will be a road behind it
· Delfin need to provide 19.46 ha of public parkland in the Western Precinct yet they are only offering 15.63. This means Council is allowing them to rip off the public and profit from developing this extra land
· The list goes on and on. More info at www.adisite.org

There is still time for Council to fix up this planning mess. Call your local Councillors to demand a public meeting and urge them to defer their decision until they have fixed up the development plans of Delfin Lend Lease. Attend the Council meeting this Monday night at 7pm

Clr Kathryn Presdee 0418 288488, Clr John Thain 0411 427812, Clr Ross Fowler 0419 738484, Clr Ben Goldfinch 0401 678509, Clr Kevin Crameri 0401 995 825, Clr Jim Aitken 0418 288488, Clr Greg Davies 0419 177259, Clr Jackie Greenow 96232366, Clr Mark Davies 0416 085597, Clr Tanya Davies 0421 600 025, Clr Prue Guillaume 0401 678520, Clr Karyn McKeown 0401 995945, Clr Kaylene Allison 0401 995843, Clr Marko Malkoc 0401 678512, Clr Robert Ardill 0401 678505

It seems that the people who have managed to get into power in this country simply cannot take seriously the importance of the natural world to climate, aesthetics, society and human survival. Money eclipses everything in their Growth Lobby paradigm, including democracy.

Today this dreadful news arrived from Geoff Brown of the ADI Residents' Action Group:

Keneally gazettes green light to Delfin Lend Lease to bury last grasslands in vast suburbs

Kristina Keneally the NSW Planning Minister on Friday gazetted amendments to the SREP 30 the zoning plan for the ADI Site. Under the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act the Minister could, based on submissions received from the public, amend SREP 30 any way she saw fit. We called on her to use her planning powers to protect a further 100 ha of Cumberland Plain Woodland by rezoning land from urban to conservation (E2 Environmental Conservation was proposed - therefore no cost to government). Nearly 300 ha of regenerating bushland is zoned urban by SREP 30 and will be cleared so our proposal was a compromise in the hope that we may just get some support from the NSW Government. It would of reduced the development by 1000 dwellings = $100 million that Delfin would of lost.

As a result of Fridays gazettal of SREP 30 Penrith Council now has the green light to approve Delfin Lend Leases massive Western and Central Precinct Plans (suburbs). This equates to 3400 lots. Council planners are now rushing to prepare for next Monday night the 9th March when a Report will come before the full Council urging that they approve both plans.

Government by cynicism

We recently met with Council Planners about Delfin Lend Leases abysmal plans. Despite raising numerous issues it was obvious they just don't care. They had no valid responses to our questions. Talking to them was like talking to the developer. Q's such as 'Delfins tree survey identifies 20000 trees - will these be removed? Answer - Don't know. Q's What are you going to do about the fact Delfin have a 3.8 ha shortfall in the provision of public parkland (open space) within the Western Precinct. Answer - Delfin can use the Regional Park to cover the shortfall. Apparently only 40 comments were received on the Precinct Plans so they are cocky that there will be little public opposition from here on. Personally I am quite disappointed that such a massive ecological disaster could only attract 40 comments.

So if you are not completely over it and still have some concern then do what you can. It would be good to wind up this 16 year campaign (arguably one of the longest resident campaigns) next Monday night with a packed public capacity giving Penrith Council what they deserve.

Info on the planning disaster that Council will approve and the issues we raised with Councils Planners are here http://www.adisite.org

You may be interested to know that Blacktown Council refused to commit to the acquisition of the Norman St bushland at Prospect. Council voted unanimously. They came up with some excuse to make continued representation to State and Fed Gov'ts to obtain funding.

Tuesday, 16 December 2008

Developer reveals last minute meeting with Planning Minister and Council bastardry condemns Western Sydney Woodland at ADI Site.

These sites and sounds files reveal just how important and beautiful this site is. Anyone should be able to see that not to preserve it is to defile traditional Australian values as well as environmental integrity.

Residents shocked as their democracy trashed for development

Concerned residents sat in amazement last night as Penrith Council voted to condemn hundreds of hectares of Cumberland Plain Woodland which NSW Scientists claim is verging on extinction. Council voted 14/15 to enter into a Planning Agreement with developer Delfin Lend Lease to build 3500 houses and clear approx 300 ha of Cumberland Plain Woodland from the ADI Site.

Penrith Council had recently exhibited Delfins Western and Central Precinct Plans as well as the Planning Agreement. Concurrently the Planning Minister had exhibited amendments to the zoning plan for the ADI site allowing the public to call for radical changes to the development.

Councillors were urged by residents that addressed the meeting to defer their decision to enter into the Planning Agreement if they did not understand fully what it is they were voting on and in any case until after the Planning Minister publicly made her final determination and after Councillors had assessed and adopted the Precinct Plans.

Delfin urges Councillors to dismiss views of residents

Arthur Ilias, Delfin Project Manager, addressed the meeting and urged Councillors to dismiss the views of residents urging the protection of more of the site. He went on to claim a meeting occurred that day with Kristina Keneally the Planning Minister and that she assured Delfin that the NSW Government would not amend the zoning plan to protect any more of the site.

Residents Action Group ADI alleges undeclared vested interest

According to Geoff Brown, spokesman for the Residents' Action group, "Several Councillors who supported Delfin Lend Lease, including the Mayor, failed to declare a pecuniary interest. Council Officers presented a clearly misleading email to Councilors prior to the meeting from Peter Goth, a Dept of Planning bureaucrat, claiming the Planning Minister had limited authority to rezone and protect more bushland. Council officers also led councilors to believe there would be further community consultation on the Agreement and that there was also the spurious claim by Planners that the NSW Government may at any time put restrictions on how Councils can collect and use developer levies and therefore the need to rush and lock in this decision."

Brown claims that "The 6 Liberal Councillors who supported the developer voted in contradiction to NSW Liberal policy which since 2003 has been to seek a 100 ha reduction in Delfins housing development."

In his opinion, “This was one of the worst, most undemocratic decisions of all time. These Councillors had no idea what they were supporting and clearly wanted it that way."

Councillor Kevin Crameri alone stood up for Woodlands

"Only one councillor, Independent Kevin Crameri, voted against it. Crameri declared a 'non-pecuniary interest' in that he lived near the proposed development. Prior to the vote he stood up and peppered the council officers with questions on detail, eliciting very confusing responses."

Brown says Council appeared confused

Geoff Brown, who addressed Council for the Residents Action Group, states that these responses seemed to him to indicate that the Councillors had not gone into the matter seriously. On the morning after the Council meeting he said that it had appeared to him that the council were all confused.

"They showed no concern that in allowing the clearing of hundreds of hectares of endangered Cumberland Plain Woodland that they were pushing it towards extinction. They seemed to have no concern with locking ratepayers into a deal with a developer before they had even debated and adopted the Precinct Plans. They had no concern for the fact the Planning Minister had yet to make a final determination on public submissions calling for more of the site to be protected.”

Mayor is himself a real-estate agent for the region and other councillors have pecuniary links

Brown gave his opinion that, “Jim Aitken the Independent Mayor, who heads the massive Jim Aitken and Partners Real Estate group, should not have voted as he will eventually make money from this development approval." He added, "I think that, arguably, Greg Davies the Labor Clr should have declared a pecuniary interest as he is employed by Diane Beamer the Member for Mulgoa and Delfin have financially supported the re-election campaign of Diane Beamer. The evidence for this is available from NSW electoral office. We intend to explore this dodgy approval process further. This is yet another sorry chapter in this planning debacle.”

Residents Action Group will seek urgent clarification from Planning Minister, Kristina Keneally

“These Councillors did their parties a great political disservice and this may play itself out at the NSW Election. We will seek urgent clarification from the Planning Minister about her position as she told the Sydney media only a week ago she was considering protecting more of the site,” said Brown.

Further Comment Geoff Brown 0431 222602
Source Media Release and interview with Geoff Brown
ADI Residents Action Group