NSW

(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

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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.

Media release from the Victorian National Parks Association, The Wilderness Society Victoria Inc., Environment East Gippsland Inc. and The Australian Conservation Society

Victorian Government logs last significant stands of old-growth forests

The Brumby government continues to stall on delivering a stated election commitment to protect old-growth forests as bulldozers and chainsaws move in to the irreplaceable "Valley of the Giants" forest in East Gippsland, conservation groups said today.

Matt Ruchel, Executive Director of the Victorian National Parks Association said the ALP committed in 2006 to protect the last remaining stands of old-growth forests in East Gippsland, but that commitment had remained unfulfilled as areas such as this were now being logged.

"Premier Brumby must move logging contractors and machinery out of this area immediately and ban any further logging in these areas until new National Park boundaries are delivered. These forests have been identified by scientists and community alike as being of immense environmental significance," he said.

"Some of the best examples of old-growth forest are on Brown Mountain, found to the west of the Errinundra National Park, and conservation groups have been working with the government since 2006 in identifying this area for protection."

Lindsay Hesketh, Australian Conservation Foundation spokesperson, said since 2006 VicForests had logged hundreds of hectares of precious old-growth forests, contrary to the government's commitment.

"Long-standing negotiations with the government to deliver the 2006 old-growth promise are severely compromised by this logging," he said.

Jill Redwood, Co-ordinator of Environment East Gippsland said the forests consisted of hundreds of massive tress that had been mapped, named and measured for a walking track, presenting a prime tourism opportunity for East Gippsland's economy.

"Most Victorians would be horrified to know these unique and endangered areas are being clear felled for Japanese woodchips with a very small allocation going to local sawmills," she said.

Luke Chamberlain, Forest Campaigner for The Wilderness Society said recently released science from the Australian National University showed Australia's eucalypt forests store far more carbon than was previously thought.

"The logging of these forests on Brown Mountain will make a major contribution to Australia's green house gas emissions," he said.

"Forests must be at the forefront of the Brumby and Rudd governments' climate change agenda. Protecting Australia's native forests will help make the deep emissions cuts necessary to halt climate change."

Brown Mountain has been actively fought for since 1989 when 300 people were arrested trying to save these National Estate listed forests from being destroyed.

Media contact: Sacha Myers on 0417 017 844 or Luke Chamberlain 0424 098 729

See also: NSW and Victorian Governments accused of having colluded to start controversial logging operations at exacly the same time in "Forest protests limited" in the Bega District News of 28 Oct 08. Some excerpts follow:

"The two states have timed highly controversial logging operations to start at exactly the same time," according to the convener of the forest activist group Chipstop, Harriett Swift.

"We learned on Friday that the long awaited logging of Bermagui State Forest would start yesterday within hours of hearing that bulldozers were moving onto Brown Mountain in East Gippsland," Ms Swift said.

The Bermagui logging has been the subject of pro-active preparations by the NSW Police who have threatened a zero tolerance approach to protesters.

Brown Mountain is part of the Snowy catchment and much prized by conservationists for its "valley of giants".

"Forestry agencies clearly intend that the simultaneous logging operations will ensure that skilled activists from one state may not be available to assist colleagues in the other," Ms Swift said.

"It may be no coincidence that these logging operations come hard on the heels of widely reported attacks on conservationists attempting to save Tasmanian forests last week. "NSW and Victorian forestry agencies may also expect these attacks to have drawn some activists away from this region," she said.

Ms Swift said it was a pity that NSW and Victoria couldn't manage that level of co-operation on useful activities such as saving the Murray River.

Appendix: letter from Julianne Bell of Protectors of Public Lands Victoria Inc.

Dear Protectors of Public Lands Victoria inc. members and friends,

The Wilderness Society (WS) has reported that Brown Mountain (old growth forest in East Gippsland) is being logged right now - the bulldozers moved in last week. It is reported that  negotiations with the Premier's Office over last weekend failed and VicForests and the logging contractors have been allowed to stay.

The WS reported that Premier Brumby's office's response was "since VicForests have moved the contractors in, there is nothing they can do".  This shows  - in our view - absolute contempt for the current process to protect old growth forests in East Gippsland (a 2006 election promise).

Brown Mountain needs your help.  Please email your family, friends and networks and ask them to contact the Premier's Office. No use ringing the Office as his staff's instructions are : email the Office on premier[AT]dpc.vic.gov.au  or john.brumby[AT]parliament.gov.au .  Copy to Environment and Climate Change Minister Gavin Jennings on gavin.jennings[AT]parliament.vic.gov.au

You may wish to see the GECO website for photos of the forests that are being logged and updates on actions out there - at www.geco.org.au/2008/protests08.htm#brownmt.html.

In your calls and emails, you are asked to express your opposition at the logging of old growth forests in contravention of the ALP's commitment to protect old growth forests in East Gippsland.  Demand that the logging contractors be removed from this contentious coupe immediately, and that the area be included for protection when the government (finally) delivers on it's 2006 election promise to protect 40,000 ha of old-growth and iconic forests in East Gippsland. Brown Mountain forms the headwaters of the Bonang River.  It contains giant old growth trees which have been identified and mapped as part of a community supported "Valley of the Giants" walking track.  Many people will have walked parts of Brown Mountain and know these trees.

If the government wishes to claim it is delivering a 5,000 ha link between the Snowy and Errinundra National Parks, then the inclusion of Brown Mountain as part of this link is vital

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This area contains 3 highly contentious coupes (840-502-0015, 840-502-0019, 840-502-0020) that were only added to the logging schedule in July 2007.  Logging of these coupes would clearly contravene the government's commitment to protecting the last stands of old-growth forests in Victoria. Coupe 840-502-0020 is the one currently being logged.

When you write mention forests as critical carbon stores and soaks, biodiversity store houses, water makers (Snowy catchment) and huge tourism potential. A grand irony is that the Parliament of Victoria's Environment and Natural Resources Committee is currently enquiring into Melbourne's Future Water Supply.  Protectors of Public Lands Victoria has made a submission opposing the logging of water catchments and we are waiting to see if we will be given a hearing.

We hope you can help us, even by sending one email to the Premier.

I have attached a joint media release from the Wilderness Society, the Australian Conservation Foundation, Victorian National Parks Association and Environment East Gippsland.  (I tried to remove logos as they take up a file space but it didnt work!).

Regards,

Julianne Bell Secretary Protectors of Public Lands Victoria Inc.
PO Box 197
Parkville 3052