New meeting on Lizard Rock
Sep 24, 2024
The NSW Government has revealed under questioning a further public meeting will be held on Lizard Rock.
The revelation that another public meeting would be held in the Patyegarang planning process came after questions were raised in the NSW Parliament by Member for Davidson Matt Cross (main image). Patyegarang is the name the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council (MLALC) has given to an area of 71 hectares (71ha) at Morgan Road, Belrose, formerly known as Lizard Rock.
Mr Cross has been engaged by local community groups who have raised concerns about the plans for development in an area that is currently largely bushland. On Thursday, 08 August, he asked NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully the following questions in Parliament:
- What is the current status of the Patyegarang planning proposal (formerly known as Lizard Rock)?
- Will you confirm that any final determination will be made first to the public before informing or briefing stakeholders?
- As Minister, will you make the final determination for the planning proposal? If no, why?
Minister Scully provided the following response to Mr Cross on Thursday, 12 September, that revealed another public meeting would be held on the matter.
Paul Scully
“The Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure requested further information from the proponent in July 2024. Once received, this material will be reviewed, and a post-exhibition report will be provided to the Sydney North Planning Panel for its consideration. The post-exhibition report and associated material will be made publicly available on the NSW Planning Portal.
“The Panel will hold a public meeting due to the community interest and number of submitters. The Panel will subsequently make a recommendation as to whether the proposal should proceed to finalisation.
“The final decision on whether the proposal is approved will be made by me, as the Minister, or my delegate within the Department as is standard practice. A report will be publicly released outlining the reasons for the final decision,” replied Minister Scully.
Mr Cross thanked the community for ongoing interest in the matter, and encouraged people to attend the meeting, which is yet to be scheduled.
“Our community has been advocating to protect Patyegarang (formerly known as Lizard Rock), that if approved, would see the destruction of 45 football fields of bushland.
“This advocacy has resulted in the NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces responding to a question I asked in the NSW Parliament, that the Sydney North Planning Panel will hold a public meeting due to the community interest and the number of submitters.
“I am encouraging the community to continue their advocacy by attending this public meeting — on a date yet unknown.
“Patyegarang is situated on precious bushland. Northern Beaches Council states this proposal is inconsistent with planning strategies, and has been identified as a bushfire risk.
“At the 2023 election, the Northern Beaches Liberal team had a clear election commitment to protect Patyegarang by not allowing the rezoning application to proceed. Fundamental to that position was a balance between conserving our environment and building new homes in appropriate locations.
“We need to build more homes in Sydney — but it should be in consultation with the community and through our planning processes. There needs to be ‘plan’ in ‘planning’, including investment in local infrastructure,” said Mr Cross.
The Minister’s reply notably did not provide a specific answer to Mr Cross’ question about whether the Minister would take the decision himself or whether it would be delegated, to provide him political distance from any controversy.
It is expected new concerns will be raised about the suitability of housing in the area given the fire that raged through 147ha of bushland only a few hundred metres away over the weekend (image above).
Images: Northern Beaches Advocate
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