You are hereForums / By Discipline / Mountain (off road) / By Location / Australia / NSW / Northern Beaches / Northern Beaches Trail Advocacy / Bio Bank?
Bio Bank?
This is pretty disgusting:
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/swap-and-chop-...
Developers will be able to bulldoze environmentally sensitive land in Sydney if they pay to protect equivalent land elsewhere, under a scheme that puts a dollar value on animals and plants.
Dunno about anyone else, but I see this this allowing developers access to the limited pockets of undeveloped land in Sydney in exchange for protecting land that would no doubt be a very long way outside of Sydney. What a deal, buy in woop-woop for cents on the dollar, get prime suburban plots in exchange - can I get in on some of that action? <rolls eyes>
From a conservation value perhaps this is actually fair enough - I mean, any environment so close to built up population is not very likely to be in a truly natural state any more.
What this doesn't take into account is the recreational value of the land and it's benefit to the suburban community. When these pockets are gone, where are people to going to go to visit parkland? Are they going to have to travel miles to the, "equivalent land elsewhere"? This doesn't sound promising at all, does it?
- Login to post comments
- Bookmark & share
The way it is supposed to work is that the land offset is supposed to be of the same type or better in a similar area. My understanding and exposure through work is that you won't be able to offset land 50km's away. You should be consolidating what is in the local area.
It also won't give you access to sensitive land that is already locked up.
There is a pretty rigorus assessment process and criteria to offset land and I have seen plenty knocked back. You also need to own the land your locking up as well as the land being developed.
Problem is, as with most things in the state, inevitably the big developer gets there way.
This happened with the emirates resort in the Wolgan.
They were able to buy a section of NP in return for donating back a larger section of adjacent land
Hmmm... thanks for the insights. Perhaps it's not so bad after all?
Mind you - why people don't re-develop 'inner' city land that is not used to it's full potential rather than sprawl every further in a unsustainable manner is anybody's guess.
Oops, sorry - slightly OT. I was worried about the potential for developers to take land containing trails and leave riders out in the cold is all.
That's interesting to know. I have seen that tried plenty of times but knocked on the head by the powers that be.
I guess if you want a degraded area and want to swap for a pristine patch that has no mechanism to be otherwise protected then there could be merit. Personally though I would like to think things like the seven part test would be enough to preserve land of that value.
I seem to recall that the area now known as Narrabang Way (the corner between Mona Vale Road and Forest Way, where Bunnings etc. are located) was swapped for some other land in the area - originally that corner was part of Garigal National Park, a nice block of bush with many "save the wilderness" defenders, now it is what it is.
I hope the land they got as a swap was worth it.
Is that the "bunnings" land was swapped for the land east of Forrest way to the Parkway including all the area to the left (looking east) of the oxford Falls fire trail up to Mona Vale Rd. A Great swap for Nat. Parks but until we're allowed back in not so good for us.