<< Peninsula News 09 September 2003 - Massive environmental impact proposed >>

Massive environmental impact proposed

I am writing to let you know about a works proposal relating to Kahibah Creek, Umina which council currently has on public exhibition until September 12.

It involves the removal of 490 native trees including 169 Eucalytpus robusta (swamp mahogany) trees.

This is in addition to over 30 Eucalyptus robusta removed in 2002 from this site before work was stopped at the request of NPWS.

The proposal of this size will have a massive impact on the local environment and an impact on not just one threatened species and communities but several of these, listed under both the Commonwealth and State legislation intended to protect the environment.

These include: Swift Parrot - endangered species (Eucalyptus robusta - key food source), Grey Headed Flying Fox (Eucalyptus robusta - key food source), Rufus Fantail - affected by removal of riparian habitat feeding and shelter and Sydney Coastal Estuary Swamp forest (key species - Eucalyptus robusta).

The background to this issue has a long history relating to the initial development of North Pearl Estate and the efforts of our Landcare group to maintain as much of the natural environment surrounding our local creeks as possible.

The fact that the proposal now includes "compensatory planting" is a direct result of the various actions/lobbying of our Landcare group.

The current proposals by council relate to the issue of reducing the flood liability of properties around the North Pearl Estate.

There are many issues with council in the way that it determines the need for these works - however most of these are too detailed to go into here.

The immediate concerns relate to the specific proposal which is on exhibition until September 12 at local libraries and council chambers.

The exhibition of these works is required by the Environment Australia (EA) the Federal Government Department responsible for the Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

It is the Federal Minister who will decide if these works can go ahead and if so under what conditions.

Council is required to put the proposals on exhibition and then to revise them and submit a final report to the department (EA).

The Minister will then make the final decision about the works.

It is very important that members of the public make their concern for the environment known and that the department makes the compensatory planting a condition of consent.

We all know how council can delay environment works whilst carrying on at great speed with development and engineering works.

If planting and maintenance is not a condition of consent it is highly likely that council will not allocate the budget needed for these works.

Council has put a high priority on native tree removal to ensure water flow in the creeks during high rainfall periods.

It is does not however seem concerned to remove all the significant weed species (willow and coral trees) which continue to proliferate and block the creek.

It has also not acted to remove large quantities of illegal fill from the creek (which has been there for years and it continues to overlook the dumping of building materials and household debris into the creek.

If flood mitigation is indeed a priority these issues must be addressed first.

The proposal includes a number of "mitigation measures" in the form of compensatory plantings.

The plan proposes that removal work be carried out first and that re-planting will occur subsequent to this.

We support these mitigation measures however we are concerned about whether they will ever actually take place and whether the plantings will be maintained to maturity.

Previous experience of delays in council works (ie delays in terms of several years for many works) and destruction of plantings by depot workers gives us strong grounds for concern.

Council currently has enough plants grown from local seeds to start the compensatory planting.

We understand that it proposes not to use this stock but to wait until "long stem" seedlings are grown.

This may take another two years to achieve and cannot be justified given the current availability of suitable plants.

We urge you to make submissions to Council on this proposal along the following lines:

That the environmental issues are a high priority issue for you as a resident. * That compensatory planting as outlined in the proposal be a condition of the consent to carry out the works (not just a discretionary action dependent on Council's annual budget) * That substantial replanting be carried out prior to removal works and that this also be a condition of any consent and that removal of trees be carried out in a staged manner to reduce its impact. * That Council uses its current nursery stock grown from local provenance rather than long stem plants still to be grown and that plantings be maintained to maturity. * That the 18 trees greater than 100 mm in diameter not be removed. * That Council immediately act to remove major weed trees, illegal fill and to address the ongoing dumping of building materials and illegal fill in the creek. Sue Ellis, Umina