Owners of a 1.161-hectare site in Little Bay are applying to construct a residential flat building and associated landscaping but are facing opposition from Randwick Council.
The council is challenging the application on the grounds of environmental degradation on the Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub. Thus far, the issue has gone through a conciliation conference and could not be resolved. The case will now be heard by the courts in April, where the development application will either be formally approved or denied.
Developments of this kind have been proposed in this area before and each has been opposed by the council after consideration of the environmental impact on the Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub. According to the NSW Scientific Committee:
“The Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub is the ecological community that exists on the nutrient-poor sand deposits in the Sydney Basin Bioregion”.
This ecological community is endangered and was made protected by the Threatened Species Conservation Act amendment in 2011. This act protects the Scrub from any further environmental degradation.
The concept proposed can be seen more clearly in the graphic design located on the Randwick council’s website. If approved, this development will border off Jennifer Street and neighbour Cullens Driving Range, the local golf course.
Although the environmental impact is clear, it is not known what impact the proposed construction will have on local businesses like the driving range or on the housing prices of surrounding areas.