Development fears loom over Sydney wetlands

BY MICHAEL FORNO

Internationally renowned wetlands in Sydney’s south are under major threat of redevelopment if plans to turn it into a golf course go ahead.

The Cook Cove South Precinct redevelopment is planning to turn the wetlands into private land, including the construction of a new football stadium and golf course.

The land concerned is located just south of the airport on the Cooks River. The area is already highly developed being situated next to Wolli Creek and the Kingsford Smith Airport.

Environmental groups are concerned about the proposed plans.

On 21 January over 50 local residents and businesses attended an information session to view the Southern Precinct DA documents and provide feedback.

Among them was The Total Environmental Care (TEC), headed by Executive Director Jeff Angel.

“This private golf course which will take over a public park wants to clear important wetland vegetation and will surround an area visited by migratory species causing ongoing pollution and disturbance.”

“An area of such importance should be managed by a conservation body and enhanced because so much has already been lost,” he said.

The proposal would also see much public space being lost to the privately owned Kogarah Golf Course.

In a 24-page document, Securing our Future, produced by the Kogarah Golf Course, one brief paragraph deals with the environmental impacts of the proposed project.

“Two significant wetlands exist on the site that are presently considered to be in a poor state of repair by project environmentalist, Cumberland Ecology. It is intended that these wetlands will be rehabilitated and in the long term maintained in accordance with a Plan of Management to be approved as part of the New Golf Course DA.

“The Club will facilitate access for the public and local ornithological groups to visit the wetlands to view migratory birds.”

However the TEC disagrees that the golf club can take adequate care of the wetlands. In a submission made regarding the DA on Cook Cove the TEC states:

“The wetlands should not be under the control of the Golf Club which will have its golfing assets as its key concern. It is not an appropriate (conflicted) body to manage such an internationally important set of wetlands. They require their own conservation trustee that can fully advocate for their protection over time.”

The project is planned to commence in mid-2017.