THE fate of a small block of koala habitat at 109 Foreshore Drive Salamander Bay has finally been decided – it shall be declared ‘community land’.

For more than five years people have been battling to stop Port Stephens Council from selling the small lot for development.

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The Mambo Wanda Wetlands Conservation Group has been a driving force behind the preservation of the land, which the group believes is vital habitat for the endangered koala species, as well as twelve other threatened fauna species including the masked owl, squirrel glider, and four types of bat; all identified in the ‘Wildthing Ecological Report’ commissioned by Port Stephens Council.

Koalas have been known to frequent the trees on the block and to cross the block to lick the salt from the sand on the adjacent beach.

The preservation of the land as parkland is in line with the Lower Hunter Regional Strategy, which states the NSW government is in the process of securing a consistent ownership and management regime for the significant green corridors of the region.

The strategy further states that additional protection of the biodiversity and conservation values of the green corridors will be achieved through appropriate planning controls on private lands, as well as the exclusion of one-off development proposals in these areas.

Port Stephens Councillor Leah Anderson ran for her seat on council with a promise to save this block from sale and to keep it in public hands.

Councillor Anderson told News Of The Area, “I still can’t quite believe that after such a long drawn out community-led campaign – 109 Foreshore drive is finally going to be reclassified from operational land, to community land.

“When I brought this motion to council early in 2022, I was confident that my motion would be successful,” she said.

“As it turned out, I was thrown a curve ball when the mayor put forward a mayoral minute to sell 109 and fund a list of community projects.

“It was not the first time 109 had been flagged for potential sale. At the time, I had no option but to agree to put the reclassification on hold, while council focused on its financial sustainability.

“I never did forget though, that over many years, our community has rallied, and hundreds of people have turned up on 109 Foreshore Drive, led by passionate local community groups, to protect this parcel of land as a community asset.

“So, fast forward to July 2023, I started working on putting this motion back to council.

“This time however I had a stronger case, as new facts had come to light to put more strength towards this motion.

“Irene Jones from Mambo Wanda Wetlands community group had since sent me an ecological report she had obtained via a GIPA request that council had commissioned back in early 2022.

“This extensive report highlighted there was enough evidence of the now-endangered koala moving between the Mambo wetlands and 109 Foreshore Drive.

“There was also a list of other likely additional threatened fauna evident on this land. I also had photo and video evidence of koalas on 109 sent to me in January this year,” said Cr Anderson.

“Another new piece of evidence was the coastal management planning that council had recently completed, and it was clearly evident that coastal hazards of erosion and inundation are likely to occur on 109 in the next 100 years.

“Last Tuesday night, the time was definitely right to put this land reclassification back on the agenda.

“It was a momentous occasion to have the motion supported by all but two councillors, in a hall full of community supporters wearing save 109 shirts!

“109 Foreshore Drive is finally going to be classified as community land, as it rightly should be,” she said.

By Marian SAMPSON