Speech to Council Meeting 18 July 2024
Since moving into Lane Cove in 2012 I have come to appreciate just how much residents value having accessible bushland in our area and the wellbeing that it provides. Our accessible bushland has not come about by accident, it has been lovingly and carefully managed by Council and extremely passionate bushcare volunteers for many, many decades. It is a significant part of the cultural identity of Lane Cove.
On two occasions where the community has been consulted on the future of 14 Gay St, the results have both shown more than 4 in 5 of those that took part want it protected as entirely C2 bushland.
I am convinced of the high value quality of bushland on 14 Gay St having seen it for myself on at least five occasions including the ridge transition of threatened Blue Gum to Serpentine Forest ecological communities as described by bushland folk. It also enhances the Stringybark Creek Wildlife corridor. You should see the natural regeneration occurring there right now as a consequence of removing non-native vegetation. There is even a brush turkey on site contributing to the regeneration cause!
Harry Howard’s vision for Stringybark Creek all those years ago in how the built and natural environment can co-exist was revolutionary for our area.
With ever increasing population growth, there is a need to provide more affordable and other dwellings for people to live, but also to meet the demand for other public infrastructure, including recreation spaces such as bushland and more open space.
I have and will continue to support more open space, including bushland as there are very limited opportunities to acquire it. Council should also be pursuing other strategic acquisitions. Where Council has capacity to do so, it must take these opportunities.
Council’s acquisition of 14 Gay St has been widely applauded. There had always existed an intention to try and recoup some capital outlay costs back to Council for other future acquisitions as is the normal practice. But this site is different.
The risks to this unique site are too great and numerous.
There are financial risks in Council expending more funds to construct a dwelling that may not make a return to Council’s acquisition fund for several years, if at all. During construction and even after selling, in the context of the spate of tree destruction that we have seen recently in Lane Cove and neighboring LGA’s the valuable native trees on the site would continue to remain at risk. There are risks to losing a potential seed bank that may exist in the soil underneath the dwelling and never getting a chance to germinate. It is abundantly clear, this is the opportunity of a lifetime to retain relatively undisturbed native bushland that cannot be passed over. The natural regeneration that is already occurring and will continue to occur if the site is fully protected will be a unique case study in natural regeneration for years to come. If we don’t protect it now, it will be gone forever.
Classifying all of 14 Gay St to C2 as well the potential $1.8 acquisition of 347A Burns Bay Rd will create some financial challenges to funding and replenishing the internal acquisition reserve, but by developing a plan with belt tightening from here on in I believe that Council has the capacity to meet this challenge.
I want the community to be under no illusions. Rezoning all of 14 Gay St will inhibit Councils ability in the short to medium term to be able to acquire/purchase other properties as identified on the Acquisition list.
So, tonight, in this place, at this time, and with the overwhelming support of the community, we choose protection for the entirety of this unique bushland at 14 Gay St for now and for generations to come.
The spirit of Harry Howard lives on.