Media Release
11th December 2014

The Community Environment Network has condemned the decision of Gosford Council to support the Rezoning of the Peat Island lands. The Peat Island lands comprise a total area of 25 Ha, of this the island is less than 1Ha.

The lands being rezoned include Tank Hill which was to be included in Popran National Park when the first proposal was put out for public comment in 2011. Since then the developers have gotten into the act and now much more land, including bushland, is to be taken from the community and developed.

At the Council meeting a member of the local community spoke against the rezoning in its current form. Two Public Servants from the NSW Government spoke in favour of the proposal.

John Asquith, Chairman of the Community Environment Network said: “ Apparently, no one from the local community was prepared to speak in favour of the current proposal. This rezoning is an excessive over development of an Iconic Landscape. From Tuggerah to Wahroonga 100,000 people travel along the Freeway daily and for 80 kilometres they are in bushland. If this rezoning goes ahead an ugly scar will ruin that experience.”

This over development involves:

• Loss of Public Land for private housing;
• Clearing of Tank Hill which will be clearly visible from the Freeway;
• Houses, shops and service station in near pristine area, which adjoins 5 National Parks or Nature Reserves;
• People living near Peat Island will need Freeway Sound barriers to meet ambient noise standards;
• More sewerage into Hawkesbury from another 450 Houses;
• Loss of views and amenity from the Freeway and from adjoining walking tracks and lookouts.

John Asquith Chairman


Mr Asquith continued: “Everyone accepts that something needs to happen at Peat Island and the adjoining lands. However, development on Western Side of Freeway is an issue of National Importance due to Iconic Landscape and as the entry point to Sydney and the Central Coast. No development should occur on the Tank Hill due to the steepness of the land, good quality vegetation and need to maintain the aesthetics from the freeway / motorway / M1. On the eastern side of the freeway there is ample other degraded land for development.”