Court protects Veron Rd bush

A retirement village proposed for land owned by the Catholic church in Hillview St, Woy Woy, has been refused in the Land and Environment Court.

The court found that the bush block at the corner of Veron Rd should be treated as an endangered ecological community and protected from development.

The decision has been welcomed by environmentalists and other community representatives across a broad political spectrum.

Local groups to welcome the announcement include the Liberal Party, Save Our Suburbs and the Central Coast branch of the Australian Conservation Foundation.

A number of them are now calling on the Catholic Church and Gosford Council to negotiate to bring the land into public ownership.

The Liberal Party's Peats electorate spokesperson Ms Debra Wales said: "It's just fantastic news to think there is still hope that this land may come in to public ownership.

"We have come right to the wire on this one and the hard work and care of people in the community has paid off."

Ms Wales said that council now had the opportunity to negotiate with the Broken Bay Diocese, the owners of the land, in offering a reasonable price for the land so that it can come into public ownership.

Save Our Suburbs Central Coast secretary Mr Bryan Ellis said: "It was a win for common sense and future generations.

"Construction on this site would have done immeasurable damage, with no amount of replanting replacing the beauty that currently exists."

Mr Ellis called on Gosford Council to resolve to rezone the land, to enquire of the Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay if the purchase option given to the developer has lapsed and to go into immediate negotiations for the purchase of the land.

Australian Conservation Foundation Central Coast president Mr John Wiggin said: "This decision further strengthens the role of the precautionary principle and the other stated principles of ecologically-sustainable development that are embedded in the EP and A Act to preserve the environment."

He called on Gosford Council to rezone the land to protect to it for futures generations.

Environmental activist Ms Shirley Hotchkiss said: "The decision will be of great benefit to vulnerable native species and also for local residents."

"Although this bushland is just a small block, it provides crucial habitat for species already vulnerable to extinction. These include glossy black cockatoo, barking owl, and grey-headed flying fox."

She said Gosford Council should be congratulated for defending the matter in the Land and Environment Court.

"I hope the Catholic Church will now donate this land to Gosford Council or arrange to have it placed in trust, so that its bush can be managed and restored."

She said she would support the formation of a community-based bushcare group if the future environmental management land was guaranteed.

Former Melaleuca Wetlands Bushcare coordinator Ms Norah Clark said: "On this particular site there are some rare and endangered species including bangalay, rough-barked angophora, swamp mahogany and hard corkwood trees, all precious to our local environment."

Gosford Council's development assessment unit manager Mr Gary Lofts said there were currently no plans to rezone the land.

Providence Projects managing director Mr John Zavolokin said he was not prepared to speak about the court case.

Representatives of the Catholic Church were unavailable for comment.

Lyle Stone, Press releases, February 22