| JOURNAL EXPOSES NPWS, DUAP SELL-OUT AT ADI | |
31 MAY 2001
SYDNEY BRANCH
The June National Parks Journal* cover story, to be released on
Friday, exposes serious failings in both the NSW National Parks
and Wildlife Service and the Department of Urban Affairs and
Planning in their roles overseeing the destruction of the
threatened Cumberland Plain woodland at St Marys.
"NPWS and DUAP have ignored professional scientific studies
and their own legislation in order to put the maximum number of
houses on the former ADI site for developer Lend Lease,"
said Peter Caldwell, Sydney Branch President of National Parks
Association of NSW (NPA).
"NPWS’s own Western Sydney Urban Bushland Biodiversity
Survey in 1997 stated that the ADI site is one of the ‘core
biodiversity areas in Western Sydney’ for this endangered
remnant vegetation and noted that it is under ‘serious
threat from proposed development’ with ‘95% destroyed’."
"Yet later in 1997, a ‘Section 22’ committee that
included NPWS and DUAP, recommended the protection of only 660ha
of the 1,500 ha site, based on a flawed and incomplete
environmental survey."
"In 1997, the Australian Heritage Commission interim listed
over 1,100 ha, but this was reduced to 800 ha following an
objection by Lend Lease," said Mr Caldwell.
"Perkins, an independent consultant, conducted a more
comprehensive survey during 1999, and concluded that significant
areas of Cumberland Plain woodland outside the 660 ha area exist,
and that it was "unjustified" for the Section 22
committee to conclude that the north-west sector no longer
contained species or communities of significance."
"CSIRO’s Michael Doherty in March 2000 showed that the
Section 22 study incorrectly applied conservation principles and
that the methodology is flawed."
"But the whole time, both DUAP and NPWS have rigidly refused
to reconsider the Section 22 recommendations in light of this
compelling evidence," said Mr Caldwell.
"In January 2001 the NSW Government approved a regional
environmental plan including a 630 ha regional park. It ignored
97% of the 930 submissions to the draft plan seeking full
protection of the site as a regional park. It mostly protects the
floodplain areas, has convoluted boundaries, and is totally
unmanageable when surrounded by the proposed 8,000 new
homes."
"The behaviour of NPWS and DUAP is abysmal. They are not
acting in an impartial, professional way expected of a
conservation or a planning agency. NPWS is also ignoring its own
Threatened Species Conservation legislation.
"NPA seeks protection of the full 1,500 ha ADI site as a
regional park. Anything less is a sell-out," concluded Mr
Caldwell.
Contact: Peter Caldwell on 9439 4915 or Andrew
Cox on 9299 0000 or 0438 588 040
Contact NPA for an advance copy of the Journal Article Emus and
Bulldozers: St Marys ADI Site or the St Marys Woodlands Community
Information Sheet.
* National Parks Journal is the bi-monthly
publication of the NPA.