The Total Environment Centre has joined the chorus of critics condemning the state government for its plan to fast track almost 20,000 new homes between Campbelltown and Wollondilly.
Saul Deane, an urban sustainability campaigner at the Total Environment Centre says the decision to take three large planning proposals through NSW Planning and bypass councils is an attempt to entrench the inadequate conservation measures found in the Cumberland Plain Conservation Plan (CPCP).
‘’The Perrottet Government makes great play of the Cumberland Plan, but it is yet to receive the necessary federal approvals and has been roundly criticised by a range of experts and community groups.
“When a government talks about fast tracking you can be sure they are trying to avoid proper scrutiny.
“The endangered koalas and other many threatened species deserve much better,’’ Mr Deane said.
“The Cumberland Plan does not meet the minimum standards of the Chief Scientist’s recommendations for koala corridors, nor that of the Campbelltown Koala Plan of Management.
“This and new nature reserves need to be in place before any development starts.’’
The state government announced this week that it would become the planning approval authority for these three development applications, which were expected to be lodged soon:
- A 1,284-hectare site to support around 12,900 new homes for Walker Corporation in Appin;
- A 300-hectare site for up to 3,000 new homes for Ingham’s Property Group in Appin North;
- A 876-hectare site for up to 3,300 new homes for Lendlease at its Gilead land holding.
Mr Mr Deane said the CPCP does include exclusion fencing running all the way down Appin Road to block east – west koala movements and cordoning koalas off their existing habitat at Mallaty Creek.
“It’s time for the federal environment minister to step in against this state sponsored environmental destruction,” Mr Deane said.
NSW residents, please help Sydney’s Koalas by signing this petition before 15 November to have this issue raised in parliament. If we don’t get another 3,000 signatures this week, the other 15000 signatures collected to date will be in vain.
It takes less than one minute! Please tap the link is below:
https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/la/Pages/epetition-details.aspx?q=fqdTUicl4Yf6sP6t5qV0VwFr
Wildlife corridors would make this area liveable for people- why wouldnt they make Macarthur a green and beautiful place to live ?
Oh please Tania please help us . save our Koalas , Cumberland Plain Flora and our special environment.
Let’s be frank as we are alrady seeing this in Campbelltown LGA. the huge numbers from developers are just a starting point. Once they get their approvals they change the density plan for housing.
I grew up in Liverpool. Walking through the Cumberland plains Woodlands to get to my school. It was a fantastic place to walk through lots of wildlife until they destroyed it all for houses. I moved to Campbelltown to be closer to the natural environment. Beautiful place Campbelltown. I see Koalas regularly. Now it’s going the same way as Liverpool did. People need these places not just the wildlife. The main reason for people’s mental health declining is because we are losing our natural environment and we are living in a fast pace world now and there are fewer places to escape to unwind from the daily struggles
People have to live somewhere.