SAVE LAST REMNANT NATIVE BUSHLAND ON PUBLIC LAND IN BROULEE
BROULEE MOSSY POINT COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION MEETING
WITH EUROBODALLA SHIRE COUNCIL
28 MARCH 2018
The meeting of over 80 participants strongly endorsed the retention of this public remnant bushland into the future. The final summary statement said that the solid block of contiguous native bushland on public land should be preserved in its entirety. This would leave room for at least one, possibly two netball courts and significant improvements to parking arrangements. The meeting agreed by acclamation.
Council outlined the preparation of a Master Plan for the site which includes car parking, extra netball courts and an oval. The meeting felt that Council was looking at the site in terms of what it can develop rather than what it can save. Council did, however outline discussions with the three schools at Broulee for sharing of sporting facilities and retention of the bushland for environmental education purposes. Impassioned educators pointed out that other schools in NSW would beg for such an opportunity to have easy access to remnant native bushland. Many believed that Council had “painted itself into a corner” when dealing with protection of remnant native vegetation, particularly so in Broulee.
One of the most telling comments was the lack of long term forward planning by Council for population growth when approving land for subdivision for housing. Forty plus years ago Council wisely made allowance for the provision of sporting facilities – that’s why we have such central facilities in Narooma, Moruya and Batemans Bay. The Eurobodalla community has now outgrown these facilities and Council now needs to be seeking new cleared areas for sporting development. For example, what is Council planning for the proposed large housing development at Rosedale? Will it include the provision of sporting facilities and green space for the well being of the community?
Council needs to produce good quality alternatives for expansion of sporting facilities and green space in it’s Master Plan that can be presented to the community for comment. Broulee is a small village which is slowly being overtaken by development supported by the Shire – residents’ wishes are being overrun – Broulee wants people to say “what a great mob in the area that saved this last public asset for the future”. Afterall, the area of public treed land the community is seeking to protect is less than 5% of the total area of land, recently developed or proposed for development to the west of the existing Broulee village.
Eurobodalla Shire has undertaken to take the views of the meeting into account. the Broulee Mossy Point Community Association
