Strategic assessment of Heathcote Ridge, West Menai State Significant Site (Sydney, NSW)
On 16 November 2011, the Australian Government entered into an agreement with the Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council (GLALC) to undertake a strategic assessment of the proposed development at Heathcote Ridge, NSW. The strategic assessment will be undertaken in accordance with section 146 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The Heathcote Ridge Draft Program Report sets out the planning, development and conservation guidelines and principles for urban development, associated infrastructure and conservation zones at the Heathcote Ridge site.
What development is proposed at Heathcote Ridge, West Menai?
The 'Heathcote Ridge' site contains approximately 850 hectares of mostly undeveloped land in the West Menai area, covering parts of the southern Sydney suburbs of Menai, Barden Ridge and Lucas Heights. The site is currently zoned '1(b) Rural (Future Urban)' under the Sutherland Shire LEP 2000.
The proponent, GLALC, is seeking to list the subject site as a State Significant Site and rezone the land to allow for:
- 514 hectares of conservation land;
- 236 hectares of residential land, proposed to accommodate approximately 2700 dwellings;
- 70 hectares of employment land, proposed to provide up to 15,000 jobs; and
- New roads, bridges and community facilities.
More information about the proposed development is available at the Heathcote Ridge website.
Figure 1 – Location of Heathcote Ridge site, Sydney, NSW.
Source: Arben Management
Why is a strategic assessment being undertaken?
Environmental studies at the Heathcote Ridge site have identified several matters of national environmental significance, protected under the EPBC Act. These include the threatened ecological communities Shale Sandstone Transition Forest (endangered), Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest (critically endangered), and threatened species such as Acacia bynoeana (vulnerable) and Melaleuca deanii (vulnerable). Given the presence of these protected matters, the impacts of development at the Heathcote Ridge site must be assessed under the EPBC Act.
Figure 2. Proposed Heathcote Ridge development overlay on aerial image.
Source: Arben Management
Public consultation
The draft Heathcote Ridge Program Report and draft Heathcote Ridge Strategic Assessment Report, prepared as part of the EPBC Act strategic assessment, have been on public exhibition from 14 December 2011 to 29 February 2012, to provide the opportunity for public submissions regarding the impacts of this proposal on matters of national environmental significance.
This was a joint exhibition and public comment process run by the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure that meets the requirements of the EPBC Act and state planning processes. Public comments lodged, following the instructions on the NSW Government's Department of Planning and Infrastructure web page at: - West Menai State Significant site, can be viewed at the following external link.
It is possible that the final Heathcote Ridge Program Report, which describes the program and presents commitments and undertakings for protection of matters of national environmental significance (MNES) may change substantively from the draft report. Such changes will, in part, respond to public comments, and any additional changes requested by the Australian Government environment minister or his delegate to better protect matters of national environmental significance.
What are the next steps?
Following public consultation, the draft Heathcote Ridge Program Report and draft Heathcote Ridge Strategic Assessment Report will be updated and a report will be prepared summarising the public comments received and how they are addressed in the final Heathcote Ridge Program Report and final Heathcote Ridge Strategic Assessment Report. When finalised, these documents will be submitted to the Australian Government environment minister (or his delegate) who will either request modifications or endorse the Program. Once a program has been endorsed, the Minister (or his delegate) can approve actions or classes of actions to be taken in accordance with the endorsed program. This approval is a legal step that allows development and other related activities identified in the program to proceed without the need for further approval from the Australian Government environment minister.