The location of a new $425M school at Charmhaven is being challenged by community groups because of its high-value biodiversity including an orchid found nowhere else in the world.
Biodiversity planning expert Guy Dutson compiled a combined submission by Community Environment Network and Central Coast Better Planning Group opposing the school’s location.
Also, a group of local residents, Save the A Track Charmhaven, are concerned about the direction development is going and want due process to be followed including local people being genuinely consulted and their wishes taken seriously.
“I moved up to the Central Coast three years ago because of the amazing nature here so I find it quite distressing when there are plans to bulldoze bushland,” Dutson said.
St Philip’s Christian College plans to build a kindergarten to Year 12 school for up to 1,583 students on 40ha bounded by Arizona Rd, Pacific Hwy and Depot Rd in an industrial area at Charmhaven.
Wallarah Creek divides the site with 28ha on the western portion to be cleared for school buildings and 12ha on the eastern side to be a residual lot.
A subdivision request has been included as part of the development application, proposing that the creek come under the school’s ownership of the western portion while the eastern portion could be used for biodiversity offsets or stewardship.
It says in the DA that the subdivision would be of financial benefit for the school with potential for future development being a “logical option” to sell the 12ha eastern portion to fund construction of the school, reduce environmental management constraints and enable further development.
Dutson said this “poorly thought out” planning application needed to be brought to the wider community’s attention.
“Most of the time they’re saying no, we’re not going to develop (the eastern portion) then they accidentally let slip in their DA that well, actually, we are going to sell it off to someone else to develop,” he said.
“I’m supportive of the school development, but just in the right place.
“There’s plenty of poor agricultural land that’s already been cleared and is weedy and plenty of other areas zoned residential which can take development.”
Boris Branwhite has been monitoring the proposed development land for more than 30 years and discovered the rare Wyong midge orchid there, as well as recording countless vulnerable, threatened, critically endangered species of flora and fauna including habitat for Swift Parrots and Regent Honeyeaters.
He too is opposing the school development and says this area is the last major green forest area in Charmhaven where platypuses have been seen in Wallarah Creek and sea-eagles have been roosting.
“If rezoning is allowed for this school, and then there is an adjoining 100 acre property waiting on rezoning so they can put in houses – if both of these developments are approved then essentially there would be no environmental buffer zone at Charmhaven,” Branwhite said.
This area in Charmhaven is an amazing bit of bushland, Dutson said.
“It’s a sandy area with some orchids that are found nowhere else in the world and it’s got some really unusual, rare, vegetation types, such as the Charmhaven Apple tree,” he said.
“There’s one particular orchid that is only found at Charmhaven and we think about half its population is actually where the school is thinking about locating itself but the development application has ignored that.
“I’m really focussed on those rare trees and orchids but my colleagues tell me that it’s the most ridiculous place to put a school because it’s right next door to the helicopter pad for the Central Coast emergency services and a dog pound, and there’s a huge bushfire risk and so on.
“There’s also a lot of community concern about the extra traffic the school could create, so there’s plenty of reasons to put the school somewhere else, apart from the biodiversity and environmental reasons.”
Dutson’s submission to the State Government as part of the Community Environment Network and Central Coast Better Planning Group also challenges the school’s DA on several points of government planning policy and principles.
“I took a deep dive on this and worked out what’s being proposed, how it fits with the laws and policies,” he said.
“It might squeak through on the law but it really doesn’t meet the aspirations, the aims of the law.
“It’s up to us to draw a line in the sand and say that this is our valuable bushland and we want to hang on it.”
Sue Murray
Thank you Sue
We are in desperate need for more Schools so I say lets start this project and lets get on with Building this much needed School.