Clearing Confusion At Lot 2 Sawtell Rd Coffs Coast Coffs Coast News by News Of The Area - Modern Media - October 22, 2021 Clearing at Lot 2 Sawtell Rd was halted by Council officers. Photo: supplied. TOORMINA residents whose properties adjoin Lot 2 Sawtell Rd were alerted by machinery noise over their back fences last week. They were dismayed to find that a small, tracked machine was being used by a local contractor, in the central southern area of the almost nine hectare bushland block, to clear undergrowth, noticing that a significant area of native vegetation, saplings, grasses and sedges had been mulched. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au As previously reported in News Of The Area, Regional Architects, representing REDCC, has had an application to develop the ‘environmentally restrained’ block for a 57-lot housing subdivision and seniors’ village rejected by Coffs Harbour City Council. The site contains swamp sclerophyll forest of ecological significance and a koala corridor. The development application was rejected primarily because the applicant had not carried out an assessment of the ecological impact of the development, nor had proposed any offset. The rejection is currently under litigation. Residents contacted the Coffs Harbour City Council and compliance officers attended the site and operations were terminated by them. It is unclear what led to the clearing, but one resident said that Council had previously been contacted about asking the owners of Lot 2 to clear along the boundary fences but, somehow, this had been construed as an invitation to clear environmentally-sensitive paperbark swampland. It appears that more than a hectare might have been cleared, and not near the boundary fences. A Council spokesperson told News Of The Area that Council received a report from the community about some slashing work taking place at this location and, following a visit from the compliance team, works were stopped. A representative of Regional Architects was contacted for comment but did not respond. Residents say that they are angry and saddened by what has occurred, but not surprised. By Andrew VIVIAN
Council made an order to clear the lot of grasses like any other overgrown lot, the work was not redirected to clear the boundary fences because that order was not given, if your angry blame the council they stuffed up. Reply
