Council is deeply concerned about the Patyegarang planning proposal at Morgan Road, Belrose – also known as ‘Lizard Rock’.

The planning proposal by the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council (MLALC) is currently on public exhibition on the NSW Department of Planning Environment website.

Council wholeheartedly supports the intent of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act but we cannot condone this particular proposal due to the extreme risks and impacts it presents.

The proposed development will see the destruction of 45 football fields worth of bushland and the construction of 450 homes in bushfire prone land.

Council has previously written to federal and state MPs, along with relevant ministers, proposing an alternative solution and financial model so that MLALC can still benefit financially from its land, while the land is protected in perpetuity.

The planning proposal has significant planning, environmental and hazard issues, including bushfire risks, enormous loss of high biodiversity habitat, inconsistency with planning strategies and inconsistency with Council’s Conservation Zones Review.

The revised planning proposal failed to address any of these issues.

The community is encouraged to give feedback by lodging a submission with the NSW Department of Planning and Environment.

The proposal is open for public comment until Tuesday 7 November 2023.  Council has resolved to prepare a submission outlining its concerns.