Ministerial Decision
On 13 March 2009, the then Federal Minister for the Environment Peter Garrett AM refused Council’s proposed rezoning and associated public works to facilitate residential development at the "Heritage Estates", Worrowing Heights under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, 1999, due to its impact on threatened species and Commonwealth land (Booderee National Park). Further information on this decision is accessible at the following links:
Heritage Estates funding applications
An application was submitted on 30 May 2011 by the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife to purchase land in the Heritage Estates for addition to the national park system. The non-Federal Government funding would be provided through the donation of Council’s land (in accordance with its resolution on 17 May 2011) and a $60,000 contribution by the Foundation. If the application was successful, landowners would potentially be able to sell their land to the Foundation through a voluntary process. Any land acquired would be managed for conservation in perpetuity by NSW National Parks & Wildlife as part of the Jervis Bay National Park.
On 22 February 2012, Council was advised by the Federal Government that:
“The 2011-12 Caring for Our Country application submitted by the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife to assist with the purchase of Heritage Estates was assessed as requiring further development. While it is determined that the application was not the highest priority in the context of this funding round, the department is currently investigating possible alternative avenues of support for the proposal.”
Prior to receiving this advice, the 2011-12 application was updated and resubmitted under the 2012-13 funding round. In this regard, the advice from the Federal Government goes on to say: “I note that the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife has submitted another application for funding for this proposal in the 2012-13 financial year. This new application will be assessed on a nationally competitive basis against the priorities for the National Reserve System program, including those at pages 34-39 of the Caring for our Country Business Plan 2012-12.” A report on this matter will be considered by Council in coming weeks.
Other information on the "Heritage Estates" is available below: