The Manyana Matters Environmental Association (MMEA) has expressed concerns about a proposed new housing subdivision which it says would destroy yet more ecologically significant unburnt forest in the area and remove habitat for wildlife.
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Last week, a referral was submitted to the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment regarding plans for an enormous housing estate on a 76 hectare block of land in Manyana.
The news comes on the back of the community's well publicised creative efforts to prevent a 182-lot development from going ahead straight after the Black Summer bushfires - a battle that continues some 15 months on.
MMEA founder Jorj Lowrey says there are a number of significant issues with this separate proposal.
"There have been many attempts to develop this land in the past, dating back to the 80's. But it's never been able to get over the line due to environmental constraints. The current owner's documentation openly declares the proposal would impact a number of threatened ecological communities, flora and fauna species and will likely be declared a controlled action," Ms Lowrey said.
"The 2019-2020 bushfires devastated so much native habitat. The natural environment is only just beginning to heal from those horrific bushfires. We simply can't allow more native forest to be destroyed, nor animal lives to be lost. And it seems obvious this land never should have been considered for development in the first place.
"We are asking Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley not to approve this proposed action, and to shut it down once and for all, so the entire land can be zoned Environmental Conservation, or better still, E1 National Parks and Nature, as it should be."
MMEA is concerned about the damage to the native habitat this project would cause for many species protected under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act including the white-throated needletail, migratory black-faced monarch and rufous fantail, the tiny eastern pygmy possum, the glossy black and gang-gang cockatoos, sooty owl, little bent-winged bat and mainland dusky antechinus, just to name a few.
The Association is also concerned about the impact the project would have on the critically endangered hooded plover which inhabit and breed on Inyadda Beach, adjacent to the site.
"The proposed development footprint is over threatened ecological communities, including Illawarra Lowlands Grassy Woodland in the Sydney Basin Bioregion (Endangered, BC Act; Critically endangered, EPBC Act), Bangalay Sand Forest of the Sydney Basin and South East Corner bioregions (Endangered, BC Act) and Swamp Oak Floodplain Forest of the NSW North Coast, Sydney Basin and South east Corner Bioregions (Endangered, BC Act and EPBC Act)," Ms Lowrey said.
"Parcels of land like this that didn't get burnt in the Currowan Mega Fire are vital for the regeneration of the bush, and for the survival of animals that escaped the fires. The portion of the land that would not be built on and claimed as a biodiversity offset to compensate for the removal of unburnt endangered woodlands was some of the worst hit by the fires. It's preposterous."
Manyana is surrounded by Conjola National Park. Approximately 95 per cent of this 11,060-hectare national park was burnt in the 2019-2020 fires. This planned development is one of two proposed projects that, if approved, would clear around half of the remaining unburnt forest areas in Manyana.
A consultation period for this project is currently open for public comment until Thursday, June 3 (inclusive).
MMEA is encouraging members of the public to learn more about the project at http://epbcnotices.environment.gov.au/invitations/ and submit any environmental concerns they have in writing to epbc.comments@environment.gov.au with the reference: 2021/8948 The Trustee for Manyana Property Trust/Residential Development/Manyana, Shoalhaven City LGA/New South Wales/North Manyana Subdivision, NSW.
If you would like more information about the project's environmental impacts on threatened species and how to effectively make a comment about this referral, visit Manyana Matters Facebook page facebook.com/manyanamatters.
