Council
5 November, 2024
State can't bear development
The State Government has directed Somerset Council to refuse a development application (DA) in Fernvale on the grounds it would cause “an unacceptable impact” on mapped koala habitat areas”.
United Development Corporation Pty Ltd (UDC) has proposed to build 121 residential lots at the Fernvale site.
This development would result in the loss of approximately 11 hectares of koala habitat, including 2,360 mature koala trees.
The proposal includes a retention of 26,647 square meters of koala habitat on the western boundary of the development.
Environmental groups raised concerns about the proposal, and the State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA) recently advised the council to refuse the project.
SARA concluded that “removing this quantum of essential Koala habitat in this location would have a significant adverse impact on the state’s interests in protecting Koalas."
They highlighted that “the design had not taken into account the most critical habitat areas of the site in the lot and street to minimise habitat loss.”
The retained koala habitat would be surrounded on three sides by proposed new residential lots and roads, potentially causing significant stress to the koalas due to edge effects.
Luke Hannan, the Council’s Director of Planning and Development, explained that despite SARA’s directive, the council must still complete its full assessment process.
“We have received this direction, therefore we must refuse it as the assessment manager, but we still need to go through the due process to complete the assessment,” he said.
Darren Bate, President of the koala conservation group Care4esK, expressed joy over the State Government’s decision but said they are “cautiously watching this space.”
He noted that it is not uncommon for developers to adjust their proposals to meet SARA’s requirements.
“There is always a chance they might readjust, but a compromise that is better for the environment is better than just bulldozing ahead,” Bate said.
He added that having a local council environmental conservation department could make ecological assessments more reliable and reduce reliance on state agencies or ecologists hired by developers.
Somerset Mayor Jason Wendt confirmed that the council had also “identified significant concerns” regarding the development application (DA).
However, he explained that the council is required to assess the application on its merits, as dictated by State Government planning legislation.
The State’s mapping overlay, which took effect in 2020, has precedence over the council’s planning scheme provisions, Wendt noted.
Public submissions to the council closed on October 25, with nearly 1,000 people signing an online petition opposing the development.
Mayor Wendt mentioned that a council decision on the proposal is expected before the end of the year.
