A COMMUNITY group fighting the proposed Huntlee town near Branxton has written to federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt to clarify the Commonwealth’s conditions of approval for the project.
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Mr Hunt recently signed-off on the project under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
He imposed about 30 conditions, including the establishment of a 150-metre-wide corridor linking the northern population of persoonias (98 species of shrubs and small trees) to the southern conservation area.
The corridor is designed to allow kangaroos to browse among the persoonias and help disperse the seeds.
The Huntlee project is the state’s largest housing development and the first new town to be built in the Hunter in 50 years.
It will spread across 1700 hectares, with 800 hectares allocated for development and 900 hectares for conservation.
Another Commonwealth condition is the employment of a conservation officer who must work for a minium of 2.5 hours a week over a 10-year period.
The developer, LWP Property Group, has also been asked to lodge a comprehensive conservation management plan for the area.
Huntlee managing director Danny Murphy said project staff had been in contact with Mr Hunt’s office on a weekly basis to discuss the implementation of the conditions.
The minister’s staff had also inspected the site during December.
‘‘We have submitted the conservation management plan and are finalising the job description for the education officer,’’ Mr Murphy said.
‘‘We are confident all of the conditions will be met.’’
North Rothbury Residents Group spokesman James Ryan said the group had resolved to write to Mr Hunt seeking further clarification of the conditions.
‘‘As the developer is advertising land for sale at Huntlee, and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act conditions of approval clearly state that they need to be met prior to the commencement of the project, it is in the public interest to know if the conditions have been fulfilled or not,’’ Mr Ryan said.
