Hornsby Shire Council has resolved to write to the NSW Minister for the Environment on the issue of Byles Creek Valley.
In the August General Meeting, Councillor Nathan Tilbury brought forward a motion concerning the private property at 79-87 Malton Road, Beecroft. This parcel of land is ecologically dense and beside the Byles Creek corridor, home to endangered Powerful Owls, Gang-gang Cockatoos, and an extensive tree canopy. The developer currently has listed the land for sale.
The unanimously carried motion involves writing to the Minister and local state members to express need for potential state conservation and the state government’s acquisition of the land.
This property on Malton Road is zoned for residential purposes. According to a Council spokesperson, the land is “not identified on Council’s planning controls for acquisition, Accordingly, Council does not intend to seek to purchase the property”.
In The Post’s August edition, an article was published outlining the ongoing issues of Byles Creek Valley. In 2019, the then Member for Epping and State Treasurer, Dominic Perrottet, had promised $2.5 million for Hornsby Shire Council to acquire the land on Malton Road. However, both Hornsby Shire Council and the NSW Government confirm $2.5 million was not delivered to Council for the acquisition.
‘We are unaware of a commitment that Mr Perrottet made for the provision
of funds to purchase lands in Byles Creek Valley,’ says Council spokesperson. ‘We did not receive funds from the NSW Government for this purpose.’
The development application DA/94/2013 on the site 79-87 Malton Road Beecroft was first approved in 2016, DA approvals are limited to 5 years without significant work but this was extended for two years due to the pandemic.
If significant work was not achieved, any listing for 79-87 Malton Road would not be able to claim a current DA.
The Byles Creek Valley Union Inc. expressed concern with the lapsing date when the construction of a fence line was observed on site in November of 2024. Council maintains that the lapsing date for DA/94/2013 was 21 November 2024. When asked if significant work has been achieved on site for the DA to continue after the lapsing date, a Council spokesperson answered that it was a “matter for the landowner to respond to”.
Monica Tudehope, the current Member for Epping, has spoken to the Byles Creek Valley Union about the land on Malton Road and made a 5-minute speech to Parliament about the ecological importance of this bushland.. She has also committed to writing to the Minister for Environment, Penny Sharpe, for intervention in the purchase of the property.
‘I will continue to advocate for the preservation of Byles Creek Valley… I understand the Byles Creek area is home to vital flora and fauna and houses the largest habitat of vulnerable species,’ says Member Tudehope. ‘I am dedicated to working with the Minister and local council to ensure this important bushland is protected.’
