15 November, 2020
On Saturday afternoon, I attended my first Snowy Monaro Action Group meeting. The Action Group is representatives from Community and Progress Associations, and Chambers of Commerce from around the Monaro.
Along with other agenda items, the Draft Rural Land Use and Settlements Strategies were discussed at length providing valuable insight to the thoughts of each district. Key to the discussions was the lack of community discussions in the lead up to the development of the Strategies and the continued community discussion throughout the ‘community consultation’ period, post the release of the Drafts. It was also discussed that, while the documents are comprehensive, the lack sufficient detail to be able to draw conclusions on the actual impacts without drilling through thousands of pages of other overarching legislation.
One of the key takeaways I got was that the Strategies provide benefit to some areas, who had their zoning changed to E3 and minimum lot sizes increased during a previous LEP amendment. The community of Smiths Road in the north (who border with the ACT on the western side on the Murrumbidgee) provided some valuable insight into the impacts on E3 and the amendment of the minimum lot sizes to their community. I had already been aware of these communities struggles through phone conversations with landholders however hearing it face to face and seeing the emotion cements further in my mind that changing Policy with a sweeping brush, based on aerial mapping assessments without ground truthing and lacking community discussions from the outset is always going to be flawed. In fighting for amendments to the Strategies, we must make sure these communities don’t lose their chance for the changes which they have been fighting for, for years already.
If Council are to rely on maps, those maps need to be robust and true. As an example, my block is partly mapped as Sensitive on the Native Vegetation Map, however where my block finishes, my neighbours block isn’t mapped at all. LLS and OEH haven’t been able to provide a reason. We are currently going through a vegetation review to, hopefully, have it removed however if we are E-zoned we would be required to submit our own planning proposal to have our zone amended back.
I ask that Council ask themselves why the Northern Councils have determined that the overlays available to them in the LEP’s, like the scenic protection maps, Riparian lands, landslip risk, Bushfire zones etc, are acceptable and provide sufficient protection and control through the Development Control Plan/s but they aren’t suitable in our case. More information on Northern Councils can be found here: https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/.../Environmental-zones