Media Alert: Huntlee judgement expected today (Thursday 7th July)
Date: 07-Jul-11
Author: SWAG
Sweetwater Action Group (SWAG) President, Chris Parker, and Cessnock Greens Councillor James Ryan, will travel to Sydney today to hear the judgment handed down on the challenge to NSWs largest single residential development.
Judgement will be delivered in the Land and Environment Court, Court 10B at 4pm.
Chris Parker 0434 332217
James Ryan 0414 922 591
From the Environmental Defenders Office webpage:
The Environmental Defenders Office is acting on behalf of the Sweetwater Action Group Inc which is challenging a decision of the Minister for Planning which would enable the rezoning of land in the Hunter Valley to allow for the development of the Huntlee Town Centre for 20,000 residents. The area contains one of the last remaining habitats of the Persoonia pauciflora, a critically endangered native shrub, and is also highly contaminated.
The grounds of the challenge focus on whether the Minister considered the requirements of State Environmental Planning Policy No. 55 (for remediation of contaminated land), and the enforceability of a Voluntary Planning Agreement proposed for the site which is designed to protect the habitat of the Persoonia and provide for additional conservation areas. The challenge also raises the issue of bias in relation to the Lower Hunter Regional Strategy which contemplated certain development on the site in exchange for conservation offsets, reflected in a Deed of Agreement with the Planning Minister that was set aside in previous court proceedings in which the EDO also acted.
The matter is before Justice Biscoe of the Land and Environment Court between 22-24 June 2011.
The EDO is grateful to Ms Christine Adamson SC and Mr James Hutton who are appearing as counsel for the Sweetwater Action Group, as well as the assistance of Mr Mark Seymour.
