How the events transpired

Peninsula Bushcare Forum campaigner Shirley Hotchkiss has been at the forefront of moves to preserve the Peninsula's unique endangered bushland - Umina Coastal Sandplain Woodland. Here is her account of events as they transpired on Friday.

A bobcat, a front-end loader with backhoe and an excavator arrived at the Hillview St site today, ready to rip into the bush. Fortunately I spotted the bobcat on my regular early morning ride/walk/reconnoitre, and got ready to face the bulldozer while others rang around to rally troops.

Armed with my conditions of consent, I walked from inside the fenceline to stand, and then sit my ground just inside the gate while the developer called the police to remove me.

I was worried I'd be arrested and carted off and the bulldozer would go in anyway.

And then Kate appeared, just happened to be passing, saw the heavy vehicles, and me sitting inside the gate. So she sat down beside me.

George, who also just happened to be passing by, and two others arrived, and then Mark came with a camera.

By this time, I think the developer realised he had a protest to deal with rather than just me.

And then the police arrived and we showed them the consent conditions.

Fortunately the police agreed that Condition 1 stated clearly that no works shall commence until a construction certificate has been issued.

The developer was asked if he had one: "I don't need one."

This answer didn't fit with Condition 1, council was rung, and the police asked the developer to stop work until the matter could be clarified with council.

Workers were directed to stop work. They'd been using chainsaws, and we were directed to leave the site.

The developer rushed off to council to try to get his construction certificate or council's ok to keep bulldozing.

Then NBN arrived and filmed us standing around the gate, and interviewed Mark.

Sounds like there's been a bit of action in at council today as a result, and at next Tuesday's council meeting councillors will be asked to allow the developer to do "preliminary site works" to enable him to prepare the construction certificate application.

Notes, 6 Jun 2007 Shirley Hotchkiss, Peninsula Bushcare Forum