Pittwater Life January 2023 Issue

Editorial
New Lizard Rock conundrum
It will be interesting to see
whether Northern Beaches
Council accepts the NSW
Department of Planning
and Environment’s offer to
assume the planning proposal
authority role for the mooted
Lizard Rock development.
The Department dropped
a bombshell two days before
Xmas with its ruling that the
Metropolitan Local Aboriginal
Land Council’s (MLALC)
planning proposal for Lizard
Rock will proceed to Gateway
determination (the step before
lodgement/consideration).
Council remains opposed
to the development, which
involves the clearing of land
for 450 dwellings to assist
economic self-determination of
Aboriginal people.
Does accepting the planning
authority role place it at odds
with its position? Or is it better
to drive the process?
Council has until the end of
January to decide.
F
urther to Councillors’
condemnation of the
Albanese Government for
reallocating $75 million
earmarked by the former
coalition government for
blackspot works on Wakehurst
Parkway (Labor claimed the
cash was to progress works on
the Beaches Tunnel Link, which
it says was cancelled by the
NSW Government):
Mayor Michael Regan has
written to the Federal Minister
for Infrastructure seeking a
meeting and documentation to
confirm that was the case.
On the Wakehurst Parkway…
maybe it’s a good thing that
Council, as overseer, is not
attempting too much with its
initial flood mitigation works at
Oxford Falls.
Based on what’s been going
on at Avalon Beach (see page
12) there’s every chance it could
have increased flooding on the
Parkway. Boom tish.
Happy New Year! – Nigel Wall
The Local Voice Since 1991
JANUARY 2023 3