Strategic Assessment Report, Heathcote Ridge, West Menai
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STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT REPORT HEATHCOTE RIDGE, WEST MENAI November 2012 Prepared for Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council By Cumberland Ecology with input from BBC Consulting Planners and 1. PURPOSE AND DESCRIPTION .......................................................................... 3 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 3 1.1.1 Background........................................................................................................... 3 1.2 The Program ..................................................................................................... 4 1.2.1 Background........................................................................................................... 4 1.2.2 Proposed Development Concept ..................................................................... 5 1.3 Regional Context ............................................................................................. 12 1.4 Land Use Planning .......................................................................................... 13 1.4.1 Land to Which the SEPP Amendment will Apply ............................................ 13 1.4.2 Proposed Land Use Zones ................................................................................. 13 1.4.3 Principal Development Standards ................................................................... 14 1.4.4 Consent Authority ............................................................................................... 15 1.5 Land Tenure .................................................................................................... 15 1.6 Legal and Administrative Frameworks ............................................................. 16 1.7 Consultation .................................................................................................... 17 1.8 Actions Under the Program ............................................................................. 18 1.9 Management, Planning and Approval Arrangements ....................................... 18 2. ENVIRONMENT AND MNES ........................................................................... 19 2.1 Environment Affected by the Program ............................................................. 19 2.1.1 General Environment ......................................................................................... 19 2.1.2 Matters of National Environmental Significance Assessment Methodology ...................................................................................................... 27 2.1.3 Matters of National Environmental Significance Present .............................. 40 2.1.4 Commonwealth Land ....................................................................................... 74 2.2 Identifying Areas of High Environmental Value ................................................ 77 3. ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ............................................ 79 3.1 Background, History and Basis for Heathcote Ridge Development .................. 79 3.1.1 Land Release History .......................................................................................... 79 3.1.2 Recent Strategic Planning................................................................................. 81 3.1.3 Regional Strategies ............................................................................................ 82 3.1.4 Local Strategies .................................................................................................. 83 3.1.5 Conclusion........................................................................................................... 83 3.1.6 State and Regional Planning Significance ...................................................... 83 3.1.7 Demand for Urban Land Uses ........................................................................... 86 3.1.8 Housing Affordability .......................................................................................... 90 3.1.9 Environmental Suitability and Urban Capability ............................................. 92 3.1.10 Sustainability ........................................................................................................ 93 3.1.11 Environmental Management ............................................................................ 96 3.2 Mechanisms for Achieving Ecologically Sustainable Development .................. 96 3.2.1 Decision-making processes should effectively integrate both long- term and short term economic, environmental, social and equitable considerations ..................................................................................................... 97 1 3.2.2 If there are threats of serious or irreversible environmental damage, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent environmental degradation ................... 98 3.2.3 The principle of inter-generational equity--that the present generation should ensure that the health, diversity and productivity of the environment is maintained or enhanced for the benefit of future generations .............................................................................................. 98 3.2.4 The conservation of biological diversity and ecological integrity should be a fundamental consideration in decision-making ....................... 99 3.2.5 Improved valuation, pricing and incentive mechanisms should be promoted. ........................................................................................................... 99 4. IMPACTS TO MNES ...................................................................................... 100 4.1 Nature and Extent of Impacts ........................................................................ 100 4.1.1 General Impacts............................................................................................... 100 4.1.2 Endangered Ecological Communities ........................................................... 108 4.1.3 Threatened Flora .............................................................................................. 113 4.1.4 Threatened Fauna ............................................................................................ 125 4.1.5 Migratory Species ............................................................................................. 145 4.1.6 Influence of Projected Climate Change Scenarios ..................................... 149 4.2 Management, Mitigation and Offsetting of Likely Impacts .............................. 152 4.2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 152 4.2.2 Avoidance Measures ....................................................................................... 152 4.2.3 Mitigation Measures ......................................................................................... 153 4.2.4 Compensatory Measures ................................................................................ 154 4.3 Impacts on Commonwealth Land .................................................................. 163 5. ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT ........................................................................... 168 5.1 Uncertainties ................................................................................................. 168 5.1.1 Extent of Development .................................................................................... 168 5.1.2 Securing Offsets ................................................................................................ 168 5.1.3 Management Outcomes ................................................................................ 169 5.2 Review or Modification of Planning Mechanisms and Frameworks ................ 169 6. AUDITING AND REPORTING ........................................................................ 170 6.1 Monitoring, Public Reporting and Independent Auditing................................. 170 6.2 Record Keeping and Review Processes ........................................................ 171 6.3 Responsibilities ............................................................................................. 171 7. INFORMATION SOURCES ............................................................................ 172 8. CONCLUSION .............................................................................................. 173 1. Purpose and Description 1.1 Introduction This Strategic Assessment Report (SAR) has been prepared in accordance with section 6 of the agreement between The Commonwealth of Australia and the Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council (GLALC) for the assessment of the impacts of developing Heathcote Ridge, West Menai, NSW, under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and the agreed terms of reference included Attachment B to the agreement. The SAR describes the program and potential impacts from the Program on matters of national environmental significance (MNES) protected under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999 (EPBC Act). 1.1.1 Background EPBC Act and MNES The EPBC Act is the Commonwealth Government's key piece of environmental legislation and is managed by the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (SEWPaC). It protects the following MNES: World Heritage places; National Heritage places; Wetlands of international importance (Ramsar Wetlands); Nationally