MEDIA RELEASE - MOTION ADDRESSES ESCARPMENT INQUIRY RECOMMENDATIONS
Councillor Kerrie Christian confirmed that she had lodged a notice of motion with Rod Oxley - General Manager of Wollongong City Council - which addressed all recommendations made following the Commission of Inquiry conducted into the Escarpment. Cr Christian also confirmed that the reports supplied by Council staff to date had been very minimalist.
"It's probably not surprising given the criticism, by the Commissioner, of our Fair Trading Policy," explained Cr Christian, "which even quite surprised environmentalists."
"Personally I think that Fair Trading started out as a good idea in principle," commented Cr Christian, "but there is a need to stop and take stock of its implementation after a period of time."
Councillor Christian's Notice of Motion addresses the following :
· Note the findings of the Commission of Inquiry
· Seeking State Government support for Carrying out of Wollongong Landuse Constraint Study recommended by the Commissioner - with widespread community consultation -"charrette style" following the completion of the studies
· Support the Commissioner's Definition of Core and Non-Core Escarpment Lands
· Consider the Commissioner's recommendation on Moratorium on Fair Trading & Rural Residential Policy until completion of studies - with the exceptions recommended by the Commissioner - and with development control to be carried out according to his recommendation (5) until studies are completed - this proposal to be exhibited for 4 weeks
· Council investigate other means of protecting/acquiring environmentally sensitive land- Environment Levies & Voluntary Conservation Agreements
· Council report on performance on Fair Trading, Voluntary Conservation Agreements via its State of the Environment Report
· Preparation of an Escarpment Management Plan
· Establishment of Escarpment Park - with the management board to consist of reps from : landowners, landusers, conservation/environment groups, Heritage Groups - European, Indigenous & Natural, State Agencies, Council, NPWS and local Tourism Sector.
· Earlier advice to the community when Fair Trading Proposals have been made
· Council review its role as negotiator and regulator in the Fair Trading Policy
· Mapping of areas currently, and in the past, associated with mining - with environment management plans addressing rehabiliation/redevelopment options for each such site
· Establish an infrastructure taskforce - to consider proposals such as an alternative route to Bulli Pass, Waterfall to Thirroul Railway Tunnel, power line corridors, MagLev train
· Wollongong Council confer with DLWC re excluding Wollongong LGA from Schedule 1 of the Native Conservation Act 1997
· A Bushfire Consultative Committee be established urgently
· Council review the effectiveness of Residential Zonings 2(a), 2(a1) and 7(c) - taking into account dual occupancy and townhouse developments
· Monitoring of the Scarborough Drainage Tunnel upon its commissioning
· Council review appropriateness of 2(a) zoning for Clifton School Parade Clifton
· Council review the recommendation by the Commissioner that Catchment Management Committees be responsible for review of Council's Drainage Design Standard - in regard to resources of these Committees. <>p July 21 1999
MEDIA RELEASE - URGENT ESCARPMENT MEETING
- RETRIEVE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY
Wollongong City Councillor Kerrie Christian confirmed that she would be meeting with representatives from the Illawarra Escarpment Coalition and other resident groups urgently following last Monday night's Council meeting.
There is real concern forming in the community that Council has flatly opposed a number of the key recommendations of the Commissioner following the Commission of Inquiry into the Escarpment, according to Cr Christian.
"There was a lot of anger at Neighbourhood Committee 3 last night," explained Cr Christian, "because of the Council decision to support lifting the moratorium on processing development proposals in very sensitive areas until all studies recommended by the Commissioner are completed."
Cr Christian indicated that whilst Council supported quite a number of the recommendations of the Commissioner, that in opposing several key recommendations, including the moratorium the Council was effectively thumbing its nose at the substantive findings and recommendations of the Commissioner.
"The Minister for Urban Affairs and Planning should not be deluded into believing that the view of the Council is a unanimous one which is widely supported in the community," commented Cr Christian, "there is a lot of anger out there which he will find is not going to go away."
"The sooner the landuse planning studies are carried out the better," commented Cr Christian, "I fear that now some of these will never be carried out - with rubber stamping by the minister, and the most contentious sites now probably going to be processed by the Council - you only have to look at Helensburgh - 5 years after the Commission of Inquiry - there has been no real support from State Government agencies to prepare the Environment Management Plan - we may well see a repeat with the Escarpment - of the findings of a Commission of Inquiry conveniently forgotten."
Cr Kerrie Christian
0408 115 099
15/12/99
Protection of the Illawarra Escarpment - Views of Councillor Kerrie Christian - May 31 1998
There has been considerable concern in the community about protection of the Illawarra Escarpment, including the sensitive foothills. Although the Fair Trading process had been established to bring the even more sensitive escarpment core into public ownership there is concern that this has meant that this has been achieved by allowing development rights in albeit less critical areas, but nevertheless areas that are of concern. There is also the concern that too much has been given away by way of number of lots able to be developed compared with the land given into public ownership. It has been claimed that Fair Trading has increased the rate of development on the foothills. In other words Fair Trading is destroying what it was meant to save. The buffer zone between the Escarpment Core and the urban areas is decreasing. The green backdrop to Wollongong is being destroyed. These strong public concerns were demonstrated by the rally held in November 1997 where 300 people gathered to focus attention on the issues surrounding a number of recent and longstanding rezonings and developments.
I therefore support the call for a Commission of Inquiry into the Illawarra Escarpment and that this include the foothills, and further that there be a moratorium on all current proposals for rezoning and development until the Inquiry is concluded and the recommendations published.
-My reasons for supporting the Inquiry also include specifically :
- Need for protection of undeveloped foothills land (green backdrop to urban Wollongong and need for buffer zone between suburban development and State Recreation Area
- Major problems of high bush fire risk along length of Escarpment and foothills
- Need for conservation at foothills level where biodiversity is at greatest risk
- Need for protection of creek lines and water quality (from fill, diversion urban impact)
- Because a long list of threatened sites has been identified by the Illawarra Escarpment - - Coalition along the Escarpment and its foothills - we feel there is an urgent need to broaden the Inquiry to include the undeveloped foothills
I support the Draft Terms of Reference proposed by the Illawarra Escarpment Coalition
1. To review all undeveloped land between existing residential development in the Wollongong Local Government Area and land zoned 7(a). This includes 7(b), 7(c), 2 (a), 2(a1), Rural Residential and non urban land.
2. To place a moratorium on all rezoning and development on the above land. Any current rezoning, development applications and Fair Trading applications are to be put before the Commission of Inquiry for consideration as part of that Inquiry.
3. To assess whether the current zoning and objectives of these zones reflect current best practices for bush fire protection, preservation of water quality, management of land instability and conservation of existing fauna and flora species diversity, including the protection of threatened species.
4. To identify issues relevant to the future management of the State Recreation Area and also to make appropriate recommendations for the management of 7(a) and 7(b) land held by Wollongong Council and private land owners.
5. To review the effectiveness, success and appropriateness or otherwise of the Fair Trading Policy (and its effectiveness on the foothills) as a means of acquiring land for public ownership.
6. To examine, assess and recommend strategies that would complement the Fair Trading Policy, to bring all escarpment land and foothills land (not currently developed) into public ownership.
7. To assess and recommend policies and management strategies needed to put in place to minimise the impact of suburban development on conservation areas (eg where 2(a) residential zoning abuts 7(a) or 7(b).
8. Review existing mining land on the Illawarra Escarpment and Escarpment foothills and make recommendations about the rehabilitation of this land and its inclusion in the Illawarra Escarpment Park, at the expiry of the useful life of any mines.
9. To advise on the appropriateness and procedure for the listing of the Escarpment as part of the National Estate.
10. To consider the zoning, protection and ownership of the Illawarra Escarpment located outside the Wollongong Local Government Area.
Authorised Kerrie Christian
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