Cumberland Plain bushland conservation
Reverend the Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes: I direct my question without notice to the Minister for Planning. Is the Minister aware that the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water has categorised the bushland of Cumberland Plain as priority conservation land? Is the Minister aware that Penrith City Council’s flawed local environment plans allow rural zonings across 504 hectares of land owned by the Deerubbin Local Aboriginal Land Council? In particular, is the Minister aware that Penrith City Council’s local environment plans fail to protect the long-term survival of a suite of threatened species and endangered ecological communities in Western Sydney? Will the Minister reject and amend Penrith City Council’s local environment plans to ensure that all the priority conservation lands in the Penrith local government area are zoned E2 environmental conservation and protect the remaining 1,296 hectares of the Deerubbin land?
The Hon. Tony Kelly: Reverend the Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes has asked a detailed question, which I will take it on notice and obtain an answer for him. In the interim, I can inform him that there is a process for local environmental plan preparation and the recommendation from the department will come to me soon.
Deferred answer
On 10 March 2010 Reverend the Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes asked the Minister for Planning a question without notice regarding Cumberland Plain bushland conservation. The Minister for Planning provided the following response:
I am aware the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water has identified certain lands within the Penrith LGA as a priority conservation land and that some of these lands have been granted to the Deerubbin Local Aboriginal Land Council under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act.
I understand that Penrith Council has deferred final consideration of the of the Deerubbin Local Aboriginal Land Council land, considered by DECCW to be priority conservation land. This deferral will enable DECCW to complete a review of the high priority conservation land that will then enable Council to choose a suitable zone to apply.