The weekend bushfire emergency provides further evidence the proposed Heathcote Hall estate development should be rejected, residents say.
With a DC 10 water bomber flying overhead and helicopters refuelling at Heathcote Oval, residents of Heathcote East felt the two bushfires were very close to home.
Patrick Kennedy, a member of the Residents Against Over Development group, said a neighbour measured the distance from Heathcote Hall to Royal National Park as being just 75 metres.
“The question on everyone’s lips was: ‘how could a developer plan for the Heathcote Hall site to take 55 more high density buildings and increase the population by 165 people?’” he said.
Labor candidate for Heathcote Maryanne Stuart said the emergency was “a timely reminder to the key decision makers on the proposed DA for Heathcote Hall of the significance of the E4 Zoning placed on Heathcote East, as part of the Sutherland Shire Local Environment Plan 2015.”
“Heathcote East is isolated and accessed by a single bridge that services up to 3200 residents,” she said.
“It is surrounded on three sides by the Royal National Park, the rail line and has a long history of exposure to bushfires and evacuation.
“There are two schools, a child care centre and a retirement willage (with a Nursing Home), currently undergoing a development.”
Ms Stuart said the E4 Environmental Living Zone gave “priority to preservation of the particular environmental qualities of the land” and was designed to protect residents and their families because “much of this zone is subject to bushfire risk”.
Ms Stuart said questions needed to be asked before the council passed the DA to Sydney South Planning Panel for determination.
“For example, has the Council received a Bushfire Safety Authority from the NSW RFS Commissioner as required by s. 100B of the Rural Fires Act for the proposed DA?
“If so where can we, the public, access it?
“Were there any conditions required to be met?
“Have these conditions been met?”
Ms Stuart said, with one road in and out of Heathcote East, the council should say whether it had prepared an emergency and evacuation plan.
“If not, this plan must be submitted prior to determination by Sutherland Shire Council,” she said.
“If it has, where can we, the public, access it?.
Both [documents] must be made public and prior to any determination made by the Council or the Sydney South Planning Panel.
The Leader is seeking a response from the council,
