Amid growing concerns, a group of residents came together on Wednesday, 8th January, to confront the council over the recent clearing of land around their properties. The residents say that the work was carried out without sufficient consultation, sparking frustration and a call for greater transparency in the decision-making process.
Residents claimed that site inspections and a meeting with Council planners offered no reassurance. They said they were severely impacted by runoff, noise, dust, and heightened distress after the land they believed was zoned for 'green' protection was bulldozed, disturbing their boundaries.
Amy Young Smith, a concerned resident, described the Christmas-period work as causing significant stress for her and others. She suggested the situation could have been better managed with more effective communication and advance notice.
“Everybody that I've spoken to have bought their property because they enjoyed the privacy and the nature that was offered here,” Amy explained.
“We understand there's a housing crisis, and we need to build houses, but let's do that in a sensible manner.”
Council was closed for 10 days during the Christmas holidays, and residents alleged they closed just as the works started, with their calls to the after-hours number unanswered.
The Whitsunday Conservation Council (WCC) claimed that Council's planning maps show most of the site is covered by MSES Category B vegetation, offering no protection as local councils can approve large-scale clearing despite significant vegetation and wildlife.
WCC spokesperson Suzette Pelt says, “Under no circumstances can what has happened on this site be considered best practice.
“In a region where the environment is everyone’s business, this Council’s planning is woefully out of date.
Councilor Clay Bauman, who also attended the meeting, stated he understands citizens' concerns:
“This is something that I have been working for within Council, to find better ways to balance between our natural environment and our urban environment.
“That's something that I hope is coming across in our current draft corporate plan.
“I'm going to present the petition at the next meeting on the 29th and then I think some of the residents are going to come up and ask questions from the public gallery.
“I am also working with the planning department, just going through the operational works approvals and how this process was dealt with council, and how we can look at that in future circumstances as well.
“Within the recent boom and seeking more land, we have had a number of these historic developments that have had stages moving forward, and it has assisted me to see that when I look back at these 2005 and 2007 approvals, there were mentions for protection of vegetation that is not within the current scheme, and that's something that I think we could look at.”
At an onsite meeting, residents and the Whitsunday Conservation Council raised concerns about potential breaches of approval conditions. While the developer submitted an environmental management plan, residents argued it wasn’t fully integrated into the Council’s approval.
The Whitsunday Conservation Council called for a cultural shift in the Regional Council to prioritise environmental considerations in planning decisions.
In response, Director Neil McGaffin stated the land was residentially zoned, not a “nature strip,” and owned by a developer with long-standing housing lot approvals.
“The subdivision is surrounded by residential housing, and this next stage was recently released by the developer, so that is why the clearing has only recently happened.
“Final number of lots in the subdivision are less than what was originally expected.
“We have received a submission from residents, and a response is being prepared by officers responding to their concerns.”
Alexander and Amy Young Smith, Signe Poulsen, Kevin Grose and Aria Grose-Poulsen, John Young Smith, Vivian Young Smith, Carolyn, Mark and Debbie Van Tricht, Fiona Young Smith, Eleanor Biro, Jen Walters and Suzette Pelt
Hook Place where the land has been cleared
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