Biodiversity & Character Planning Proposal
Enhancing Environmental Protection
Introduction
At its March 2024 meeting, Council endorsed the Biodiversity & Character Planning Proposal aimed at reinforcing environmental protection measures within our foreshore areas. Read the full Environment & Planning Committee report that was adopted at the March Council meeting.
For GRRRP this was a momentous occasion, with the protection of the Foreshore Scenic Protection Area being one of our key election platforms in 2021.
The Biodiversity & Character Planning Proposal reflects a successful and collaborative effort between Councillors, local residents, and Council’s expert planners.
Background
The Foreshore Scenic Protection Area (FSPA) was established in 2012, in order to preserve native flora and fauna and the beauty of our leafy waterfront suburbs from Oatley West to Lugarno, and the health of the Georges River. More recently, it was extended to cover parts of the former Kogarah LGA.
In 2020 there was community uproar over proposed reductions in the size of the FSPA.
Because more than 400 residents had voiced their concerns in 2020, GRRRP committed to safeguarding the FSPA as a key election promise. As councillors we have maintained that position, and have advocated strongly within Council for close consultation with the community to ensure that the protections that existed in the current FSPA will be mandated in the new planning controls.
Deputy Mayor Elise Borg and Crs Christina Jamieson and Peter Mahoney are members of Council's Environment and Planning Committee (with Cr Mahoney elected as Chair last September). Together with Cr Natalie Mort, also a committed advocate, we are extremely satisfied with the extensive consultation process achieved by Council's planning team which involved input from the community and addressed directions from the Local Planning Panel and the Department of Planning.
Community Advocacy and Expert Recommendations
Residents (particularly within Peakhurst Ward) hold the FSPA in high esteem. Their passion for the retention of the controls which it offers was evident through the resounding support for it since 2020, exemplified by tireless publicity campaigns. That included support for minimum lot sizes for subdivision, minimum landscaped areas (as a percentage), and reasonable floor space ratios (FSR) across the Foreshore Scenic Protection and Unique Character Areas, as well those lots that were previously in the FSPA but were then excluded under the previously proposed plans.
In the latest consultation process which closed in 2023, there were 325 respondents, with 60% concerned about threats to the environment and 83% in favour of retaining the existing minimum lot sizes.
GRRRP support for the proposal
GRRRP Councillors expressed full support for the Biodiversity & Character Planning Proposal, emphasising the need for robust protections for biodiversity and local character, to ensure that the proposed new controls maintained or enhanced the protections provided by the existing FSPA.
Both Councillor Mahoney and Deputy Mayor Borg spoke in favour of endorsing and progressing the Biodiversity & Character Planning Proposal.
Read in full Councillor Peter Mahoney’s address to the March 2024 Council Meeting.
Enhancing Environmental Protections
GRRRP councillors and community groups such as Oatley Flora and Fauna Conservation Society, Friends of Oatley and Kogarah Bay Progress Association, are confident that the proposed controls align with or exceed the objectives of the existing FSPA, including protecting scenic amenity, native vegetation and habitat diversity, together with amendments to the FSPA controls and the introduction of strict biodiversity measures.
Key Measures and Controls
The proposal details specific measures which strengthen environmental safeguards, including:
Current FSPA controls to focus solely on foreshore scenic character.
New biodiversity controls which conserve native plants and animals.
Strengthened LGA-wide landscape provisions to promote biodiversity and greenery.
Introduction of green corridors to protect existing habitats and enhance greening efforts.
Safeguards for areas with moderate and high terrestrial biodiversity values.
Establishment of new local character planning provisions for Unique Character Areas.
Maintaining existing lot sizes and increasing landscaped areas to promote biodiversity and habitat recovery.
Maintaining Landscape Dominance
To reinforce the dominance of landscape over built form, the proposal introduces controls to regulate lot sizes and reduce maximum permissible floor space ratios in designated areas. These measures, coupled with increased landscaped area provisions, strike a healthy balance between development and environmental preservation.
Ensuring Rigorous Development Assessment
A pivotal new aspect involves prohibiting development by Complying Development Certificates (CDCs) in biodiversity areas. This ensures that all proposed developments must be thoroughly assessed by Council, enhancing scrutiny and oversight which is often lacking with private certification.
Dr Sharyn Cullis on the cover of The Leader’s Georges River magazine on May 26, 2011.
Honouring distinguished Environmental Advocate, Dr Sharyn Cullis
We sincerely acknowledge the invaluable contribution of the late Dr. Cullis, secretary of the Georges River Environmental Alliance, and a passionate crusader who led the 2020 community campaign to maintain the FSPA safeguards. We believe that these recommendations will honour her huge legacy.
Conclusion
We welcome this resolution by Council with a profound sense of responsibility and gratitude. We feel that we have achieved this because we listened carefully to the concerns expressed by the community and as we are fully committed to making Georges River an even better place to live.
GRRRP councillors are extremely proud that we have paved the way for a future where our natural heritage thrives, ensuring a legacy of sustainability and biodiversity for generations to come. We sincerely thank you for placing your trust in us.