Premier rejects Eco Villages' assault
20 April 2009
The Friends of Currawong and the
Community at large thank the Premier for her courageous decision to
reject Eco Villages assault on the historic heritage site
Currawong. As Planning Minister she listened to the people and
in April 2009 rejected the subdivision development in its entirety. In addition
she listed the entire site on the Heritage List.
“…the proposal is
inconsistent with planning objectives for the site, is beyond the
community’s expectations for the site and will result in adverse
impacts on historic heritage and environmental values.” - Kristina
Keneally - 28 April 2009
That should have been the end of it.
No! Eco Villages have now submitted a second DA which although
scaled down, is equally obnoxious. Nothing has changed! Many of the
key recommendations made by the government appointed Panel of Experts
(IHAP) have been ignored or contravened.
* IHAP recommends that “Any
future proposal should provide for public access to the cabin
precinct, the foreshore and the valley floor.
* Under the new development
proposal there will be no public access to any part of the site
effectively creating a private enclave within the National Park
* IHAP recommends no new buildings
be allowed on the foreshore because of the visual impact from
Pittwater and the visual impact on the Heritage listed cottages.
* The new proposal places three
houses in the foreshore area in defiance of this recommendation. Two
of these houses, being two storeys, are much higher than the adjacent
historic original farmhouse Midholme. Another two houses are placed
behind Midholme and in front of the cottages, again contravening IHAP
recommendations.
* IHAP recommends any additional
development should be confined to the lower end of the valley north
west of the cabins and be “single storey, low in height, bulk and
scale and be of a size befitting holiday accommodation rather than
permanent residential development.”
* The developers have ignored all
of these recommendations. 11 of the proposed 12 new houses are very
large two storey 4 bedroom buildings designed for permanent
residential use. In addition Midholme and the Conference Centre are
to be converted to residential use.