St Philip's Christian College, Charmhaven

This plot of land has an incredible unique bush community, that is of very high environmental value. I have spent many hours here documenting the numerous endangered and threatened native orchid species that grow in this plot, including Genoplesium insignis, Genoplesium branwhiteorum, Cryptostylis hunteriana and Thelymitra atrax.
It would be a terrible indighment on the local council if they were to permenantly destroy this significant forest. There would be no way to ever replace it with something of comparible value.

Submission attached.

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SSD-14082938

Lot 2 DP 809106 Arizona Road, Charmhaven

I write to you today to express my concerns against the proposed construction of St Phillips Christian School, Charmhaven.

I am a proud Boorooberongal woman of the Dharug nation. I have grown up in the lower streets of Blue Haven along Wallarah Creek all my life. Surrounded the only remaining bushland that connects through to the proposed site in Charmhaven. I have a deep connection to this land and have watched it over the years shift and adapt to the constant development that surrounds it.

I’ve seen it face fire and flood. Grow resilient and strong.

This land contains the last E. haemastoma scribbly gum forested community in the shire, the threatened Angophora Inopina, critically endangered orchids and Swift Parrots and Regent Honeyeaters (both threatened) have seen feeding on trees (swamp mahoganies) in the land. It’s also the only haemastoma inopina bloodwood forest in the world. It has the criteria to be nominated to the NSWscientific committee as an endangered ecological community.

The area is home to many endangered species such as critically listed Genoplesium insignis and Corunastylis Branwhiteorum, critically endangered and is highly likely to contain Patersonia rosea - a new species currently under the precautionary principle, nominated for critically endangered with the NSW Scientific committee. This property contains the largest concentration of Genoplesium ruppii (a rare plant) in the shire, possibly in the state, and eligible for listing.

This area is the last major green forest area in Charmhaven. It lies between Chelmsford Road and Wallarah creek. Platypuses have been seen in Wallarah creek. Sea eagles have been seen roosting in there. Yellow-tail Black Cockatoo’s breed in this area and are often seen flying over Wallarah Creek.

If rezoning is allowed for this school, then there is an adjoining 100 acre property waiting on the rezoning so that they can put in houses. If both of these developments are approved, there would be essentially no environmental buffer zone at Charmhaven.

With the massive development of surrounding suburbs of Warnervale, Woongarrah, Hamlyn Terrace, Morriset. And the construction of a mine in neighbouring Wyee, this last major green forest is a safe haven for the aforementioned species of flora and fauna.
They will have nowhere else to go. There numbers a increasing within this space, we must honour that.

Additionally, a new school in Charmhaven would lead to increased traffic volumes on Pacific Highway, and Sparks Road. These roads already become heavily congested during school times, and a new school at Charmhaven would see traffic become chaotic at best.

The dale part is nonsensical, being that the school will be located right next to an emergency helipad - noise from regular use of the refuelling and training depot is not a suitableenvironment for dale schools. We have been in there whilst the rescue helicopter was doing training, and it was so noisy we had to leave. There would be no way of avoiding noise in the classrooms.

This build would have irreversible environmental impacts and cause senseless commuter chaos on the community.

In hope of a future that prioritises nature over profit,

Didjurigore - thank you
Chloe Webb

This is critical wildlife habitat. Critical. It must be protected. The Warnervale precinct cannot spread into this bush. This land can only be approved for a single dwelling on acres - this way future owners and the environment win. State Govt needs to step in and save this critical bushland. Until then, you must refuse this development. It is not the site for a massive school. It is rape of our environmental future.

This is land that is vital to wildlife in the area. There are threatened species that are endemic to the area. The infrastructure around will not support the influx of school traffic, also the road studies were sitting COVID lockdown and should not be accepted.

I found out about this development a little over a week ago, putting me at a disadvantage to more fully document the biodiversity on the site.
Having performed 2 night walks there, each about 3 hours long, I compiled the following documentation of the sites inhabitants (See attached)
For more comprehensive observations, additional time is required to account for seasonality of habitat utilisation.

Best Regards
Peter Street.

Please find my full submission attached as a PDF.

I was shocked to hear of the proposal by St. Phillip's Christian College at Charmhaven, covering nearly 100 acres of scribbly gum and angophora inopina. I've been exploring this area since 2001, cherishing its many trails and stunning natural beauty. During my walks, I've encountered kangaroos, a variety of orchids (including native ground orchids and occasional tree orchids), and appreciated the tranquility of the surroundings. After the bushfires in 2019, the Xanthereas came out in flower and they looked amazing, a sight to behold. Additionally, the christmas bells come out every christmas and they're beautiful.

Despite being unfortunately used as a dumping ground and subject to motorbike riding and 4WD activities, this area remains a popular spot for dog walkers and bird watchers. Considering the known PFAS contamination of the land and the proximity of a 5G tower to a potential school, the proposal raises concerns and seems illogical. The existing hollow trees in the area are already scarce, and the thought of witnessing the destruction of this beautiful forest would be distressing for the regular users of these trails. In 2019, when bushfires devastated the region, the local community was deeply saddened by the loss and rallied to support the displaced wildlife by setting up water and food stations. This response underscores the strong attachment and love that the community has for this cherished natural environment.

In addition, a distressing incident involving a swift parrot was noted at the back of the Charmhaven council depot, adjacent to the St. Phillip's school block. The parrot, initially presumed to be a musk parrot due to its poor condition, was discovered with one wing missing and covered in filth. It was handed over to Wildlife Ark for rehabilitation. As it gradually recovered and was cleaned, it was identified as a swift parrot. Sadly, despite efforts for rehabilitation, the parrot's health declined, leading to its demise. Subsequently, the parrot's remains were collected and taxidermied by CSIRO in Canberra in February 2021 for preservation and display purposes.

Furthermore, there are already 26 schools within a 10-kilometer radius of the proposed site, making a new school largely superfluous. Introducing a new school would exacerbate the existing traffic congestion in the area, further burdening the already crowded roads.

In conclusion, a development of a new St Phillip's Christian College at Charmhaven would be inherently detrimental to the local community.

Finlay Pigot-Irving
[email protected]

This submission is on the behalf of the Australian conservation foundation Central Coast Community group.
We are against this development and aghast at the level of environmental destruction that will arise from such a development of over 20 ha of the site. This application highlights the failure of the NSW state planning system to protect critical and endangered flora, fauna and ecological communities.

Whilst the proponent recognises this site is not zoned for a school it is asking the permission to remove the conservation zoning and enable destruction of endangered flora, fauna and ecological communities under the auspice of the failed Biodiversity offset scheme .

The Henry Report from the statutory review of the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 is critical of the credibility of the Biodiversity Act and the offsets secured under that Act's regime, and disapproving of the status and trajectory of biodiversity in NSW
Yet we still have developments like this pressing ahead with a business as usual approach, even after the most recent federal government state of the environment report stated;
“Overall, the state and trend of the environment of Australia is poor and deteriorating because of increasing pressures from climate change, habitat loss, and invasive species”,
Then there is the Samuels review of the federal Environment and Biodiversity act 1999 (EPBC Act) which concluded the
“Australia’s natural environment is in an alarming start of decline”
Is there any wonder the environment is in such decline when biodiversity rich and environmentally sensitive land can be bought and destroyed legally within this planning system. There is a reason that this land is zoned c2, it is because of the vast richness of biodiversity and the last remaining stand of Eucalyptus Haemastoma forest community in Wyong Shire and the only Haemastoma Inopinia bloodwood forest in the World.
There is also observed Critically endangered and vulnerable orchids on the site, along with habitat for Swift parrots, Regent Honey eaters have both been observed on this site as well as kangaroos and platypus. Whilst this application doesn’t report that, the legal principle of the precautionary principle must be taken into consideration I relation to all the flora and fauna under threat from this development.
Zonings exist for a reason, you wouldn’t change the zonings to permit an Abattoir to be built in an urban setting, just like development shouldn’t be allowed in C2 Environmental zones.
Environmental Sustainable Development
The proponent in their report state “The proposed development will facilitate ecologically sustainable development and has been designed with sustainability in mind” This statement is nothing but anthropogenic greenwashing 20 ha will remove large swathes of bushland impacting the local environment and the ecological communities. To profess being sustainable is laudable but this is not the site to put a school.

A key tenant of the NSW Planning system is Ecologically sustainable development (ESD). To implement this requires strategic planning, comprehensive environmental impact assessment and genuine public consultation. Although quite often planners play the system and poor quality, unsustainable developments are built that result in tree and vegetation loss that is not in the public interest.
Two of the objectives of the NSW Ep&A Act 1979 are section.
1.3 (b) to facilitate ecologically sustainable development by integrating relevant economic, environmental and social considerations in decision-making about environmental planning and assessment,
(e) to protect the environment, including the conservation of threatened and other species of native animals and plants, ecological communities, and their habitats.
ESD implemented correctly provides healthy and liveable place with long term social and economic sustainability. However, many companies go with the easiest and cheapest route that only addresses their bottom line, not the environmental or social amenity.

Endangered and vulnerable species found on the site
 The biodiversity report fails to highlight the significant level of endangered flora and fauna that are across this site.
 The EIS just lists 2 species The angophora and the swift parrot.

This EIS states “ northern part of the site contains individual stands of Angopohora Inopina (Charmhaven Apple), listed as vulnerable in both the BC Act 2016 and Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC) 1999 (Commonwealth). The site is mapped on the Important Areas Map as habitat for Lathamus discolor (Swift Parrot) listed as Endangered under the BC Act 2016 and Critically Endangered under the EPBC Act 1999

Other endangered flora to be found on the site include: Patersonea rosea, Calochilus, Caladenia catenate and C.Var. Warnervalensis, Corunastylis branwhiteorum, cryptostylis hunteriana. C Erecta. C Subulata, Six different species of the Gneus Thelymitra ,Prasophylum elatum. The list of significant terestial orchids on this parcel of bushland alone requires an independent, dedicated orchid survey alone.

Please view the Attachment for our full submission.

As a resident of the Charmhaven for over 26 years I strongly OBJECT to the proposed building of the new school.
The difficulty trying to leave my property onto the Pacific Highway particularly from about 8.00 am to about 9.30 am and again in the afternoon around 3.pm to around 6.pm is horrendous. The traffic on the Highway is so dense that it takes up to 5 minutes to join the traffic and then you crawl until you reach the Sparks Rd roundabout heading south or Doyalson heading north.
The traffic congestion has been caused by the expansion of this area and the complete lack of any new infrastructure including arterial roads to accommodate the increasing population. Accidents occur frequently and although many are minor, there have been some serious accidents including fatalities.
I also believe that the other roads bordering the development are woefully inadequate to handle the large volume of traffic associated with the school. These roads were designed for rural traffic loads and have in recent years been overloaded thanks to the areas developments particularly the new Bunnings. The proposed main entrance to the school on Arizona Road, which is to have a bus bay will lead to people having to drive off the road when they meet a bus coming the other way due to Arizona Roads narrowness. This will lead to a very dangerous situation at drop off and pick up times with having cars driving off the road to avoid buses next to children walking or riding beside the road to school.
The existing public transport Hub is at Lakehaven Shopping Centre where many of the students would pass through, proceeding on foot to the new school by having to cross the busy Highway at the Lakehaven Drive and Pacific Highway intersection. If according to the submission it is that students will come up to the Highway then walk along to cross at to proposed traffic lights at Jetty Avenue, then they do not know students well. They will cross the quickest way to get to their destination.

There is little existing pedestrian traffic but if the school is built that would substantially increase and we would see pedestrian accidents as well. We would also need large amount of footpaths along the highway between Moala and Jetty Ave’s to facilitate the new crossing point at the new proposed traffic lights, costing the residents along the highway a portion of it’s cost. These lights will further add to the dire traffic situation.
I was only informed of this proposed development when I received a letterbox drop pamphlet, outside this I would be none the wiser that this development was happening and I find that to be extremely poor. If I was to build a shed in my backyard I need approval which involves notifying my neighbours in the surrounding properties yet they have tried to build a 200 million dollar school without any form of public meeting or exhibition. Saying it’s on “Public Exhibition” by putting it on a government website where you must look hard to find it is ridiculous as not everyone has access to the internet or is tech savy enough to search and find it’s listing.

A public hearing on this proposal should occur as soon is possible.

There are many who cannot view this on the internet due to many circumstances so having something the people can attend and see the plans, amendments and other documents should be arranged as this is a major development and affects tens of thousands of people.


I Strongly OBJECT to the proposal.

Hi
I am a rate payer/homeowner of Charmhaven.
I am opposed to the new school for many reasons. First being all the endangered and non endangered species living in this area, which includes animals and plants. I personally have lots of pictures of this area with many trees having hollows for our native wildlife. Since there has been a lot of development in our area and many bushland being demolished we are seeing lots of wildlife already misplaced as many are territorial and can not just move to another area.
Another reason I would not like this to go ahead is the traffic here is already congested for most parts of the day and one can only imagine how bad/dangerous it's going to get with a school zone in place.
I am also concerned about flooding as this bush holds a lot of water. I have been Living in Charmhaven for the past 14 years and have seen the flood water getting worse and worse. Would there be reimbursement for the worsing flooding? And who would pay?
My other concern is that yet another private school would be getting funding that our public schools could use.
I love the Central Coast and have grown up here I personally as a lot of people of the Central Coast are saddened to see all our bushlands disappear. This is what makes the Central Coast a beautiful place to live.
Please do not approve this development.
Thank you