A development application by Lendlease before Campbelltown Council intends to reverse hard won and widely endorsed conservation measures for koalas in South West Sydney by converting the land to residential development.

"This abhorrent act will remove land that is recognised as critical to koalas in numerous government, scientific and corporate documents and is essential to one of only three East-West Corridors being preserved in the whole Macarthur Growth Area.  Koalas need it to travel from the Nepean to Georges Rivers. Losing it to urban development would render Noorumba Reserve, which is home to koalas, a dead-end, making this corridor (Menangle Creek Corridor A) non-functional," said Jeff Angel, Director of the TEC.

"The extra 6 subdivided lots are a tiny amount, but the Koala corridor impact is massive. We call on the Ministers for Environment and Planning to intervene immediately; or alternatively Lendlease could do the right thing and withdraw that part of the application, allowing the land to be revegetated and zoned environment protection as previously intended."

"This proposal directly undermines the Office of the Chief Scientist & Engineer’s advice and the mapping of corridors in the Macarthur Growth Area by NSW Planning. It also directly contradicts the previous Council decision and Lendlease’s own publicly available documents, including the Mount Gilead Koala Plan of Management, Figtree Hill Master Plan, and their Koala Conservation at Gilead brochure," said Stephanie Carrick, Project Manager of the Sydney Basin Koala Network.

This proposal (Subdivision of Lot 5 in DP 1240836 - DA 801/2024/DA-S) is to subdivide the land with the aim of building a few residential lots. If approved, it will be another damaging blow for South-West Sydney’s koalas, which are already classified as endangered.