Environmental campaigners add ‘being annoying’ to protest arsenal

Northern Beaches-based campaign group Envirolink will host ‘Rock for Lizard Rock 2’ at Oxford Falls Peace Park from 2.30pm on Sunday, where local residents will craft and mail 1,000 paper lizards to NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully.

The State Planning Department is due to deliver an outcome on the Patyegarang – formerly Lizard Rock – planning proposal later this year, which seeks to develop 71 hectares of Oxford Falls bushland.

“There’s something to be said about the power of being a bit annoying, it’s hard to ignore 1,000 paper lizards in your mailbox,” Northern Beaches Councillor and Envirolink volunteer Kristyn Glanville said.

The land was granted to the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council (MLALC) under provisions made in the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 and is slated for 450 homes.

The Department publicly exhibited the proposal in late 2023, attracting over 3,700 community submissions.

“In terms of submissions for developments, that’s a huge number. 

“Envirolink also collected a manual petition with over 12,000 physical signatures,” Cr Glanville said.

Envirolink volunteer Deb Harris said despite a lack of updates, the group will continue to apply pressure.

“We need to make sure people don’t think this has gone away.

“We haven’t forgotten.”

Council first objected to the proposal in 2022, chiefly citing biodiversity loss.

“The main impact as I see it is on wildlife, native species can’t write letters to the government,” Cr Glanville said.

The land is also an informal hotspot for mountain bikers.

Matt Ward from Trail Care, a non-profit mountain bike consultancy, said: “I think riders feel rather slighted by the whole thing, one day they’re told of the environmental value and their trails need to be removed.

“15 minutes later they’re told the area has sufficiently low environmental value that it can be flattened.”

The Department will make its final determination in mid-2024.

“I think the Minister must be brave and say ‘look, I can’t say yes to this, but let’s find a win/win for everyone’,” Cr Glanville said.

If successful, the land would be rezoned for residential use, opening the door to “potentially dozens” of development applications.

“It’s a long-haul battle, it’s tiring, and the system almost feels like it’s designed to win by attrition… it will exhaust the community,” she added.