Forest in Danger - From Inappropriate Development
A public meeting held at the Hillside Hotel in Castle Hill on the 5th of September in 2017 attracted over 50 people who voiced outrage at a Mirvac development proposal for 600 apartments and homes on the former IBM site which covers 24 hectares in West Pennant Hills. The site contains remnant forest of critically endangered Blue Gum High Forest adjacent to the Cumberland State Forest and is home to the threatened Powerful Owl.
Speakers informed the residents that there is no environmental protection zoning at all planned for the site. With most of the site further than 800 metres from the planned Cherrybrook station, residents voiced traffic, infrastructure and environmental concerns. Andrew Harrington from RIPA (Residents Infrastructure and Planning Alliance) called for a school as an alternate use with protection of the forest. The local school has over 2000 students with more large residential development in the pipeline for Cherrybrook Priority Precinct.
Residents feel that if Mirvac is "looking to restock its pipeline" of apartments (The Australian August 3) it should look elsewhere and not target this ecologically sensitive site for such inappropriate development. Speakers at the forum also included Carol Flanagan (West Pennant Hills Valley Progress Association), Corinne Fisher (Total Environment Centre) and David Shoebridge (NSW Greens MLC). Councillors Tracey and Haselden from the East Ward along with Clr Byrne from the West Ward had attempted to block the contentious development application for the former IBM site when it was presented council the third time on the 25th July 2017. However the proposal passed with the support of another 5 councillors from both Labor and Liberal and has progressed to the NSW State Government for Gateway approval.
The forum ended with a coalition of residents forming to fight the development and a call to action for people to make objections NOW to the Department of Planning. The Department is still considering whether it will support this Gateway Proposal. It is understood that the decision will be made later this month.
Objections can be made to -
Minister for Planning Anthony Roberts MP
office@roberts.minister.nsw.gov.au
Ph: (02) 8574 5600
Shadow Minister for Planning Michael Daley MP
maroubra@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Greens Spokesperson for Planning David Shoebridge MLC
david.shoebridge@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Dept of Planning - Sydney West Director Catherine Van Laeren
Catherine.VanLaeren@planning.nsw.gov.au
Dept of Planning - Sydney West Region Adrian Hohenzollern
adrian.hohenzollern@planning.nsw.gov.au
Local Member for Baulkham Hills David Elliott MP
baulkhamhills@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Ph: (02) 8574 6290
The Hills Shire Council Mayor Dr Michelle Byrne
The Hills Shire Council General Manager Michael Edgar
Ph: (02) 9843 0555
Mirvac - Head of Culture & Reputation chris.akayan@mirvac.com
Ph: (02) 9080 8000
Mirvac - Development Director - Apartments adrian.checchin@mirvac.com
Ph: (02) 9080 8632
Mirvac - Head of Residential stuart.penklis@mirvac.com
Mirvac - Residential Development Gen Mger toby.long@mirvac.com
Copy us in forestindanger001@gmail.com
Other speakers at the Community Forum
Malcolm (West Pennant Hills Valley Progress Association -WPHVA)
Beth Mott (Birdlife Australia - Powerful Owl Project Officer)
Dr Catherine Woolnough (Greens for East Ward)
Representatives from Resident groups who attended the Community Forum
West Pennant Hills Valley Progress Association -WPHVA
Residents Infrastructure and Planning Alliance - RIPA
Protecting Your Suburban Environment - PYSE
Friends of Ku-ring-gai Environment - FOKE
Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust - BCCT
Byles Creek Valley Union - BCVU
How the Hills Shire Councillors voted on the proposal when it went before Council in 2017
VOTING FOR THE MOTION
Clr Y D Keane
Clr R A Preston
Clr R K Harty OAM
Clr Dr J N Lowe
Clr Dr P J Gangemi
VOTING AGAINST THE MOTION
Clr R M Tracey
Clr Dr M R Byrne
Clr A N Haselden
Example of vegetation that could be lost
