Sutherland Shire Council on Monday voted to lodge a

submission on Wollongong Council's plans to change zonings that would permit 302 houses in Helensburgh, Otford and Stanwell Tops.

It said that increased housing would be best within the Helensburgh township and that there should be additional studies before any recommendations were made for the bushfire-prone 7(d)-zoned land connected to the Woronora catchment area, Royal National Park and Illawarra escarpment.

The shire had a direct interest in the effect of land use at Helensburgh because of downstream environmental effects, the submission said.

"Inappropriate development will lead to increased nutrient and sediment inputs into the Hacking River,'' it said. "This is in conflict with the need to protect and conserve the diverse and unique natural areas of the Royal National Park, Port Hacking and linked bushland.''

A council spokeswoman said: "Wollongong is preparing a ...[local envionment plan] so it is entirely appropriate and not unusual to be making a submission.''

"It's Hypocritical"

Cronulla resident Jonathan Harris, who owns land in Helenburgh, said he wanted Sutherland Shire Council to support the rezonings.

As the president of the Helensburgh Land Pooling group, covering 207 lots that were never zoned for housing, he said the environmental argument against rezoning was invalid because there was no significant flora and fauna on any of the land which was used in the

1920s and '30s as mine-tailing dumps.

He said a ponding system was already used in Helensburgh's Chippendale (Landcom) estate to handle water run-off and that increased housing in the township would depend on car use.

"We ask Sutherland Shire Council not to oppose the rezoning of [Helenburgh] land when council has not opposed the much larger Landcom estates, nor done anything to oppose the leaching from Helensburgh rubbish tip flowing into the Hacking, nor the myriad tributaries from all over the Helensburgh township, its roads and cleared land, from flowing into the Hacking without runoff control,'' Mr Harris said.

"It is hypocritical to take any opposing position when [the council] has allowed, for decades, ever-increasing density of buildings and roads, forcing run-off for the whole of the northern shore of the Hacking River itself,'' he said.