MidCoast Council is requesting the Department of Planning and Environment make a Gateway Determination for stage two of its planning proposal and seeks an amendment to the Greater Taree Development Control Plan. The determination will allow council to begin consultation with the community, State government agencies and service providers.

An ecological assessment of the proposal reveals the location of the Eastern Osprey nest within 800 metres of the runway for Taree Airport and it is identified as a “key issue requiring advice from the Office of Environment and Heritage.” 

The Office of Environment and Heritage lists the species as vulnerable in NSW and council intends to consult with the department “to determine the acceptable approach for the osprey nest.”

“There will be a level of disturbance for the osprey in terms of the high level of changed land use activity that will occur in the potentially 24 hour operation and the presence of vehicles and buildings in what is currently an isolated nest in an essentially cleared paddock,” states a report submitted to the February 8 meeting of MidCoast Council.

MidCoast Council sees the relocation of the nest “as a suitable approach” and cites advice from Natural Systems that there has been successful relocation of four osprey nests in the Forster region.

The nest is one of many issues the Department of Planning and Environment will examine when it looks to council’s planning proposal. 

Council’s bid to progress the hub is another chapter in a long-running campaign to try to establish a road freight distribution centre in Cundletown. Last year council successfully rezoned seven hectares of land and subsequently Jim Pearson Transport lodged a development application to establish a transport depot on the site. 

Stage two is 64 hectares and the land is currently used for rural activities. Council seeks to rezone the land to develop it for transport related activities and the proposed use of the site would see 400-500 truck movements per day. The land is located at 1, 3 and 39 Emerton Close and lots 1, 16 and 681 Denison Street, Cundletown.

The report also describes the Northern Gateway Transport Hub as a “key initiative of the former Greater Taree City Council” and states “it is important to continue to process this application as a priority project in the MidCoast Council to demonstrate that ‘business as usual is being maintained.”

As part of council’s consultation process for stage one 64 residents attended an information session in 2016 and according to council’s report, “the challenging impacts for the local community relate to the on-site impacts of noise, visual and traffic impacts.”

“The positive community impacts were the removal of truck movements from local streets and the employment opportunities.”

Council advises that community impacts identified through the community consultation for stage 2 will be included in the planning proposal and considered by council.

It is expected that the Department of Planning and Environment will make the determination in March with community consultation to possibly begin in August.