Hunters Hill Trust member Gillian Coote has been urging Council to enforce development conditions and prevent further degradation of the riverscape along the foreshore below Bonnefin Road.

“No. 35 Bonnefin Road, is now vacant and will be sold, I understand, by the bank which owns the mortgage.  

Council must commit to informing the bank and their buyers of the ongoing DA conditions on the property as a matter of urgency so that those areas which are within the l5m Foreshore Building Line are not mown, chopped, sawn down, dug up, landscaped and replanted with exotic species, as has happened with monotonous regularity elsewhere along the foreshore.  

The house at No. 35 is built almost to the l5m Foreshore Building Line, the first half of which is currently a beautiful wild meadow of native species including Lomandra longifolia, Imperata cylindrica (blady grass), Microlaena stipoides, Commelina cyanea, Dianella caerula and Entolasia.

Since the property was first developed, Council has not bothered to insist on the DA conditions ie the ongoing maintenance of this native meadow.  This means that exotics such as Paspalum dilatatum, Salpichroa origanifolia, Setaria parviflora, Bidens pilosa and Conyza have appeared.

Below this meadow, the land slopes towards the river with a variety of indigenous trees, including Breynia, Glochidion ferdinandi, Pittospoprum undulutumn, Polyscias sambucifolia, Kunzea and Angophora.

As you can imagine, these habitats attract a wide range of wildlife, including birds, lizards and insects.” 

No 35 is on the right of the yellow house with the existing bushland remnant in front of the house.  The foreshore in front of No 37 is also at risk – it is currently also for sale.  Council has not responded to Gillian’s previous email:

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National Trust Vienna Committee and Hunters Hill Trust are hosting a Forum on the new NSW Planning Legislation.

Sunday 16 February 2.30 pm at Hunters Hill RSL Hall, 38 Alexandra Street.

Speakers :

• Robyn Christie, National Trust Board Member & President Hunters Hill Trust
• Phil Jenkyn OAM, conservationist activist & co-convenor Save Hunters Hill Municipality Coalition.

Both Anthony Roberts MP and Victor Dominello MP were invited to present the Government’s case for the new legislation but have sent apologies.  

The Legislation was considered by NSW Parliament late last year and was significantly amended in the Legislative Council following major community action and lobbying by heritage and environmental groups. The Government now says the amendments are unacceptable and plans to reintroduce the legislation when Parliament resumes on 25 February.

The Planning Minister Brad Hazzard recently approved the demolition of the Windsor Bridge, and roadworks that will impact on the nationally significant Thompson Square, the oldest public square in Australia. This approval is contrary to the advice from the Planning Department and from State and Federal Heritage bodies.This doesn’t auger well for the new Planning Legislation.

Please make a special effort to attend. Free Admission. Refreshments will be served.

Enquiries   John Birch 98161794     jabirch@bigpond.com

EDO is an independent community legal centre that specialises in environmental law. The federal government has broken its promise to fund EDOs across the country for 4 years.

This will severely weaken the community’s capacity to take on government and industry when developments threaten to degrade our local environment.  It comes at a crucial time when important laws which guarantee clean air, clean water, a safe climate, and healthy biodiversity are being  dismantled.

For the first time in nearly 30 years – access to the justice system will be severely restricted.

Hunters Hill Trust supports EDO and calls on the Federal Attorney General to restore this vital funding. You can donate to the EDO here and/or sign their petition here.  More info:   http://www.edonsw.org.au/