Trawling through voluminous documentation to get abreast of the current DA for 9-15 Clifford Street is not how I want to spend my time. It is necessary, however, to advocate for our precious ecology, again at risk, from the same developer. This, of course, is a shire-wide issue, and does not pertain merely to Clifford Street, beachside Suffolk Park.
‘Extreme lengths’ by the developer’s team were undertaken to protect the Cypress Pine Endangered Ecological Community (EEC)at the site of the proposed development. They had no choice, however, after the previous DA lodged was refused by the Land and Environment Court in 2023.
Yet, 582 square metres of other high value native vegetation remains at risk. 15 native trees belonging to the critically endangered littoral rainforest and endangered swamp sclerophyll forest are set for removal. The vegetation may well be below the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme entry threshold, but these trees are mature and in good condition, providing support for other endangered communities at risk, including koalas and the grey-headed flying-fox.
Site assessment objectives by Blackwood Ecological Services have focussed exclusively on vegetation. The koala community and other fauna have consistently been downplayed in ecological reports since the DA of 2022, through the assertion of no evidence of koalas at the site. Contradicting this is video and photographic evidence tendered to the Land and Environment Court by Suffolk Park neighbours and residents. This includes a rescue from above Jimmy’s Coffee caravan as recently as June last year.
Many sightings and rescues in the locality have been recorded by Friends of the Koala, including at 9-15 Clifford Street.
The NSW Department of Planning and Environment has made it very clear that even single trees are valuable, and can act as stepping-stones or provide habitat. Do we really want to see more endangered and critically endangered vegetation removed to facilitate this questionable over-development?
The constraints of the site need to be fully recognised, not just on the grounds that saw the previous DA off in court. The Cypress Pine EEC may well have been deliberative in the commissioner’s judgement, but it was not exclusive.
Small impacts in small communities like ours can have broad effects. I encourage the wider community respecting ecological values to have their say on this DA.
Developers need to get the message.
Lynne Richardson, Suffolk Park
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