NEW roadworks, land clearing and a proposed zoning change have raised concerns that bushland in the Woronora Valley is being prepared for a major housing development.
The privately-owned land is on the western side of Woronora River, behind Shackles Estate and below existing homes at Barden Ridge.
Janine Burns, who has lived in Shackles Estate since 1983, said she and other residents had been unable to get answers from the council about the land clearing and road upgrading.
She said a narrow, disused dirt road, which had provided only access to Shackles Estate previously, had been widened and extended into bushland.
Ms Burns said electricity lines also have been upgraded, ostensibly to improve the service to Shackles Estate.
"All these changes, together with rezoning in the draft local environmental plan (LEP), suggests the land is being prepared for development," she said.
"It's very strange given the LEP hasn't even been adopted at this stage."
Another resident said: "It is clear the developer has some form of agreement from council and Ausgrid."
But a council spokeswoman said the council was not aware of any roadworks or improvements and it was "reasonable for land owners to do so to maintain access to their properties".
The spokeswoman said that under the draft LEP, the land would be rezoned E3 environmental management; it is now zone 17 environmental protection (low impact rural).
"Under the standard instrument format [introduced by the state government to provide conformity], there is no zone equivalent to zone 17 environmental protection," she said.
"The best fit is the E3 environmental management zone, which has been used for land with special ecological, scientific, cultural or aesthetic attributes or environmental hazards/processes where careful consideration and management is required."
The spokeswoman said the land was suitable for "a limited range of development".
Permitted uses included dwelling houses, bed and breakfasts, boat sheds, environmental protection or flood mitigation works, health consulting rooms, home businesses, home industries, recreation areas, roads and secondary dwellings.
The spokeswoman said: "Simply because dwelling houses are permissible does not mean that it will be developed for housing."
Minimum subdivision standards required a 20 hectare minimum lot size, "effectively limiting development potential to one dwelling per lot subject to the normal merit considerations, including planning for bushfire".
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