Member for Pittwater Rob Stokes today thanked the community for persuading the State Government to list Currawong Beach on the State Heritage Register and to reject plans to rezone, subdivide and redevelopment this iconic waterfront bushland.

The Independent Panel into the proposed rezoning, subdivision and redevelopment of Currawong unanimously opposed the development plans, declaring that:

“the current development proposal should not proceed”, and that “no adequate justification has been provided to demonstrate that the land should be rezoned as proposed”.

Documents released today reveal that the Expert Panel into the heritage significance of Currawong endorsed the recommendation of the NSW Heritage Council that all of Currawong should be listed on the State Heritage Register.

Under heritage laws, a site can be added to the State Heritage Register if it meets any one of seven criteria.  The Heritage Council found that Currawong met five of the seven criteria for inclusion.  Yet the Expert Panel found Currawong to be even more important, meeting six of the seven listing criteria.

“Clear expert advice and a strong community campaign has left the Planning Minister no real choice but to refuse the developers’ plans to subdivide and redevelop Currawong”, Rob Stokes said today.

“My reading of the Minister’s decision and the expert reports is that Currawong has been saved from any major residential redevelopment.

“But it is also clear that Currawong would not have been saved without a united community campaign – involving rallies, public hearings, letters, parliamentary debates, petitions and even legal action.

“The Friends of Currawong and Pittwater Council deserve special praise for their strong advocacy for saving Currawong from destruction.

“This result demonstrates that when the community unites in a just cause, no matter how gloomy the outlook – people power can prevail”, Rob Stokes concluded.