The development of the new Parkwood suburb straddling ACT and NSW has created concerns over the preservation of the Ginninderra Falls and Murrumbidgee Gorge.
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The Ginninderra Falls Association is calling on the Yass Valley to help protect the National Park by stopping the developers from re-zoning land too close to the Ginninderra Creek corridors.
Ginninderra Falls Association president Chris Watson said the NSW development is ‘going for broke’ driven by short term monetary gain.
“The housing has to be well set back, which they [developers] are doing in the ACT section, but in NSW they are going for broke and suggesting housing within 100 metres of the upper falls.
“There are also tonnes of housing coming very close to the lovely Murrumbidgee Gorge, we are saying that it has to be set back 300 metres at least."
The Parkwood suburb is proposing 11,500 homes, housing around 30,000 people. The Riverview Group, the developers in a joint venture with the ACT Government, said that the re-zoning will reopen to the public two spectacular waterfalls in the Ginninderra Gorge, closed since 2004 due to privatisation.
Mr Watson said that he supports parts of the proposal in the ACT but is concerned about the future development plans.
“Now is the time to move, to set out what the urban plan will be,” he said.
The Riverview Group Managing Director David Maxwell said that his group and the Ginninderra Falls Association have been working together on this issue for a while.
“Our interests are aligned on this, we want the falls open for public access and recreation," Mr Maxwell said.
“Our line [boundaries] has been solely based on the scientific work by our consultants on the environmental habitat and the boundaries of the proposed urban area.
"... the application was lodged with Yass Council last year and we are now in a gateway determination process, we are dealing with the agencies around the proposed re-zoning with the view that there will be public consultation towards the latter part of this year, then the decision will be made next year on the re-zoning.”
Mr Maxwell said that they will eventually have to work on environmental conservation, bushfire management, maintaining lookouts and paths, and tourism management.
“It is really like a meeting of the minds as to what is and what isn’t logical,” he continued.
“There has been a working group established, which Mr Watson is a part of, to see what is logical for the falls, so that when it comes out on public consultation later this year we have a position that is more in line with that particular group or if we haven’t, at least we understand the other's position.”
The Ginninderra Gorge was described by Mr Watson as the possible gateway for a wonderful national park.
“There are a lot of threatened species, including the vulnerable pink-tailed worm lizard, and others that are yet to be properly classified.
“The National Parks Service here [Ginninderra] said that there will be between 200,000 to 300,000 people per year visiting the national park ... creating huge potential for visitation, tourism and school groups coming in.
“The NSW National Parks service is saying no, it’s not a priority and we cannot expect Macquarie Street in Sydney to give priority to us, it’s up to us in this region.”
Mr Watson and other members of the Ginninderra Falls Association will be making a presentation regarding the national park and Parkwood at tonight’s council meeting from 4.30pm.
