Pittwater Life March 2023 Issue

Council backflips on Zone review
Northern Beaches Council will go back
to the drawing board and review the
methodology for its controversial Conservation
Zones Review.
It follows revelations of a precedent set
by neighbouring Mosman Council where
scenic values and other criteria were
considered in its zoning process, resulting
in formerly residential zoned land being
rezoned as environmentally sensitive land.
Council’s rewind is a victory for local
residents groups, including the Mona Vale
Residents Association which lobbied Pittwater
MP Rob Stokes to clarify why Northern
Beaches Council had asserted that the
NSW Department of Planning and Environment
had specifically advised Council
that scenic values should not be used as a
criteria to establish conservation zones.
Council’s position was first reported by
Pittwater Life in November last year.
It prompted significant community
backlash as Pittwater residents struggled
to understand why some blocks of formerly
environmentally sensitive land (E4
Environmental Living) were proposed for
rezoning as R2 Low Density Residential.
Some 940 submissions were received
between Council’s exhibition period September
– December 2022.
In correspondence seen by Pittwater Life,
EXCLUSIVE
Minister for Planning Anthony Roberts
wrote to Mr Stokes to confirm his Department’s
previous advice was that scenic
values should not be used as the sole criterion
to inform a conservation zone, and
that other criteria should be considered to
strengthen the rationale behind a proposed
conservation zone.
“I note that you raised questions about
the approach to the Mosman Scenic Protection
Area and its possible relevance to the
review – Mosman Council’s previous planning
proposal sought to rezone land from
within the Mosman Scenic Protection Area
from R2 Low Density Residential to E4
Environmental Living,” Mr Roberts wrote.
CONTROVERSY: Rezoning.
“Mosman’s proposal, which has now
been finalised, established multiple criteria
that supported the rezoning of land, including
areas of special aesthetic attributes,
native vegetation, wetland protection
areas and culturally significant lands.”
Northern Beaches Council disputes Minister
Roberts’ version of events.
Pittwater Life has asked Council for any
documents that would support its assertion
it was acting within the guidelines set
by the Government.
“Council was advised by staff in the
Department of Planning that the use of
scenic values as a criteria to establish Conservation
Zones would not be supported,”
Council’s latest statement said.
“Since this time it has become apparent
that Mosman Council were able to rely (in
part) on scenic values to inform the distribution
of the C4 Environmental Living
zone within the Mosman Local Government
Area.
“In light of this and in response to
submissions received, Council staff are
reviewing the methodology, including giving
active consideration to the addition of
scenic values as a criteria.
“We will continue to work with the
community as we refine our work on this
project.”
– Nigel Wall
News
The Local Voice Since 1991
MARCH 2023 9