Critical environmental habitat in Sydney’s Inner West is being proposed for rezoning to make way for apartments by the Inner West Council and the State Government. There will be no protection for the tree canopy and under home habitat that is the home for a diverse range of native birds, mammals and reptiles – including endangered species like the Powerful Owl and migratory  micro-bats.

Help us save the most extensive urban forest in Leichhardt that provides precious habitat for endangered native animals, migratory birds and microbats by signing this petition and sharing it.

Want to do more? Send a letter to the Inner West Council and the State Government to let them know YOU CARE about this habitat and oppose rezoning.

What is happening and what is at stake?

The Inner West Council is proposing to rezone the area right next to the GreenWay bounded by Hathern, Beeson, Kegworth and Tebbutt Streets to allow 60 current homes to be demolished and replaced with apartments.

The problem is that the backyards of these homes contain the most extensive connected expanse of the largest, mature trees (including 100 year old gums) in Leichhardt and for much of the Inner West. They also contain a rich mixture of medium and lower storey habitat.

It is an urban forest that connects directly to the most extensive stretch of dense tree canopy along the GreenWay – and so plays a critical role in supporting the native wildlife of the GreenWay. It provides continuous shelter and opportunities for feeding – especially for small birds – as well as supporting migratory birds and microbats on their journey across Sydney and along the eastern seaboard.

This connected dense tree canopy makes up the Lungs of Leichhardt – it cleans the air, adds oxygen and moisture, and removes carbon dioxide that would otherwise contribute to climate change. It helps combat the urban heat island effect to keep us cooler.

It’s not just the tree canopy itself that provides precious habitat for native wildlife, but it also the backyards where native animals make their homes under sheds and under our homes of the current old heritage houses.

This urban forest supports a rich biodiversity of native animals – including endangered animals like the Powerful Owl, microbats and there have even been sightings of the Long-nosed Bandicoot. It is also home to ring-tailed possums, blue tongues, water monitors and other small native mammals, lizards and many different species of native birds.

NO protection for tree canopy and under home habitat with Rezoning

The Department of Planning has ruled that there can be no overall protection of tree canopy that makes up this precious urban forest.

The Gateway determination letter from DPE to Council instructs the planners to:

‘… (n) remove the proposed overall precinct/zone based tree canopy targets (including streets)’

Rezoning will also mean allowing the removal of the precious under house and roof habitat for our native mammals that live around this significant part of the Greenway.

Rezoning conflicts with the Blue-Green Grid Strategy

The Inner West Council’s Blue-Green Grid Strategy and supporting Community Engagement has made it a priority to protect, enhance and increase the Ecological Grid in the Inner West, especially around the GreenWay. The GreenWay being the main artery of the IWC Blue-Green Grid.

The Draft Blue-Green Grid Strategy states that key aims include:

• “Protect, enhance and increase wildlife corridors and areas of habitat for native flora and fauna” (p49)
• “Expanding the urban tree canopy and vegetation and integrating water into the landscape to reduce urban heat, improve air quality and provide natural habitat for native fauna” (p47)

Yet the proposed rezoning will allow for the removal of a critical part of the Blue-Green Grid.

Destroying this precious habitat for very little benefit

If rezoning goes ahead, there will be no benefit to the community:

• No affordable housing requirements for developers under the proposed rezoning
• Mass knock downs of 60 existing family homes with backyards
• Large increases to traffic in already dangerous high crash area right next to a school and will increase traffic jams (and pollution) for a key arterial road in the Inner West
• This proposal does not revitalise Parramatta Road despite this proposal being presented as part of a plan for revitalising Parramatta Road

There are other more appropriate sites nearby to redevelop into apartments – including empty, state owned blocks of land and disused industrial land – that won’t require knocking down people’s existing family homes or destroying precious habitat for Australian native animals.

We recognise the need for more housing but it should not have to come at the cost of losing our urban forests and the biodiversity supported by them. We need better planning - and genuine consultation with local environmental experts and residents - to choose sites that don't harm our already fragile and threatened urban wildlife.

Rezoning means losing this urban forest for future generations

Once the tree canopy and the under home areas are gone, we won’t get it back. It will be replaced by concrete and apartments. Even if a few trees are replanted, they will take many years to fully mature and it won’t be at the density that currently exists. In the meantime, all the native animals and birds will have lost their homes and will find it even harder to survive.

How to Help Save the Lungs of Leichhardt Urban Forest

Inner West Council is displaying the rezoning proposal during November – December and will be calling for submissions during this time. See here for more details: 

https://lungsofleichhardt.com/get-involved

There is still a chance that we can convince the Inner West Council planners to change their recommendation to rezone this area.

Please sign this petition so we can show the Council how much people care. If we can get a large number of signatures, then this will send a strong message to Council and the State Government about how much people care about this urban forest.

Ways to do more

• Share this campaign link on your social media and with any community groups that might be interested.
• Write a letter directly to Inner West Council councillors and NSW State Government ministers against the rezoning.

Visit our website to learn more: https://lungsofleichhardt.com

You can read more about the biodiversity in the area and the species known to live here: https://lungsofleichhardt.com/biodiversity

See more pics of the animals living in the Lungs of Leichhardt: https://lungsofleichhardt.com/gallery