Northern beaches: Aboriginal land council's plans to develop are inappropriate, council says

Nine sites (315 hectares) across the LGA are currently being considered for development by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment. They are privately owned by the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council, who owns a total of 912ha in the LGA.

The two biggest sites in the Development Delivery Plan under consideration are in Belrose. The DDP reveals that 450 homes could be built on the 71ha Lizard Rock site, while the 135.3ha Ralston Avenue site could be used for a mix of industrial, recreation, employment and conservation.

READ ALSO: COVID death toll rises as active cases triple

Mayor Michael Regan said the DDP should be reconsidered in its entirety, due to serious concerns relating to infrastructure; bushfire risk; and environmental impacts on threatened species, wetlands, waterways and core habitat.

"There must be alternative ways the NSW Government can support Aboriginal self-determination than facilitating inappropriate development," he said.

"This proposal does not effectively address the potential destruction to bushland, waterways and threatened species or the inherent bushfire risk.

"They have had to go back to the drawing board because of all these issues at Ingleside and they need to do so again here, largely for the same reasons."

The MLALC owned land was previously Crown Land, but was given to the land council as recompense under Aboriginal Land Rights.

READ ALSO: The rescue that came down to teamwork and a little bit of luck

MLALC CEO Nathan Moran told the Northern Beaches Review earlier this month that because the land is privately owned, they should have the same rights as other landholders to develop.

"Why is it different if the land council wants to develop land, as opposed to an aged care facility developing it?," he said.

Mr Moran said around 70 per cent of Australians are homeowners, but this drops to 30 per cent in the Aboriginal population, and "to address that disparity we're going to actually use our land just like everyone else does".

Belrose resident Nicole Romain created a Facebook page Save the Northern Beaches Bushlands and is among a number of residents asking for the DDP to be rejected.

Cr Regan said the DDP also conflicts with many of the priorities and actions in important state planning strategies, such as the Greater Sydney Region Plan and the North District Plan, as well as Council's Local Strategic Planning Statement - Towards 2040 and Local Housing Strategy.

READ ALSO: Great Southern Nights is bringing the beats back to the Beaches

"We'd also like to see an overarching strategic approach for all of the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council lands, totalling 912ha, not just the nine sites included in this proposal," he said.

"And we'd like some clarity about how the conflict of roles the Department of Planning and Environment has will be managed, in relation to their work in both preparing the Development Delivery Plan and also being the determining authority for the plan.

"We look forward to working with the state government to ensure a better outcome for these lands than the one currently proposed."

Have something to say? Send a letter to the editor at: editor@northernbeachesreview.com.au

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: