Bega environment suffers for development on the South Coast

Friday, 27 October 2006 00:13

“While bringing reasonable protection to key areas of native vegetation, the recommendations still favour overdevelopment, lack infrastructure planning and rely upon developers to deliver best environmental practice”, said TEC Director Jeff Angel.

Good environmental outcomes are recommended for key sites around the Merimbula and Wallaga Lakes, however the report also gives a green light to developments at the Tathra River Estate and Wollumla West in areas that had been nominated for conservation.

“In the Bega Valley there is a gross oversupply of land already zoned for urban subdivision and there is no need for the expansion of Tathra Rivers Estate into a further 300 lots.  The recommendations also assume that developers can deliver best environmental practice – a very risky assumption”, Mr. Angel continued.

In its submission to the Panel TEC rejected 15 of the 17 south coast sites as being unsuitable for future development on the grounds that they are inconsistent with the Draft South Coast Regional Strategy. Key principles such as adjoining major towns or growth centres to maximise efficient use of infrastructure; avoiding fire risk and traffic problems have not been adhered to by the Panel.

“In addition we continue to oppose use of the so-called Sustainability Criteria in the Draft Regional Strategy.  They will be used to justify more development on the South Coast, spreading urban sprawl even further.”

“We will be calling on the State Government to strengthen the environment protection and sustainable planning outcomes for the sites and produce a omprehensive conservation plan for the region”, Mr. Angel concluded.