Burradise - Don't go changin'

10/06/2026

Stop West Culburra then. Action now, not promises. Please.

The NSW Government has announced $221 million for threatened species protection! Over the next three years, the NSW Government will inject $195 million into the Saving Our Species program for targeted conservation action — a significant increase from previous spending of $15mil/year — with an additional $26 million to support delivery of the long-anticipated NSW Nature Strategy.

This is very welcome news.

But funding recovery programs is only one part of the job. The NSW Government are yet to deliver on their commitment to address one of the biggest threats to threatened species in NSW: habitat destruction from land clearing.

If NSW is serious about protecting threatened species it must do both: invest in recovery and strengthen the laws that keep habitat standing.

Read the full announcement here: https://www.nsw.gov.au/ministerial-releases/securing-our-future-221-million-to-deliver-a-new-era-of-threatened-species-protection

Penny Sharpe MLC Chris Minns Sue Higginson

31/05/2026

Have your say before Wednesday June 3rd.

The NSW Government has released its Draft Community Participation Plan (CPP) - and buried inside it is a huge change that would hit Vincentia and the Shoalhaven hard.

They want to remove neighbour notification for most new residential DAs.
That means:
• No letter in the mailbox
• No chance to comment
• No way to see the plans
• No warning until the trucks roll in and construction starts.

This would apply to developments the NSW Government calls ‘low impact’ - a term they never define. And the list is not just minor development.

What would no longer require neighbour notification?

According to Table 6 in the plan, it includes:
• New single houses
• Dual occupancies
• Residential flats
• Shop-top housing
• Group homes
• Alterations and additions
• New pools, sheds, and even tree removal.

If Council decides a DA ‘meets all planning controls’, the community gets no say at all. This isn’t ‘streamlining’. This is removing the community from the planning process.

Why this matters for Vincentia

We live in a coastal town with sensitive streetscapes, and long-established neighbourhood character. A ‘low-impact’ development in Sydney can be very high-impact here.

Losing neighbour notification means losing the only mechanism residents have to:
• protect winter sunlight
• maintain privacy
• prevent overlooking
• preserve trees
• stop overdevelopment
• keep neighbourhood character intact.

The CPP is now on exhibition

You can read it here (Table 6 is on page 25):https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2026/Draft%20Statewide%20Community%20Participation%20Plan.pdf

Have your say here: https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/draftplans/exhibition/have-your-say-proposed-statewide-community-participation-plan?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Planning+bulletin+13+April+2026&utm_source=salesforce

The survey is written in planning jargon and geared toward industry - so if you want your concerns heard, a written submission is far more effective.

Neighbour notification has protected communities for decades. Removing it hands developers more freedom and leaves residents in the dark.

Make a submission. Tell the NSW Government to keep neighbour notification.

Submissions close 5pm, Wednesday 3 June 2026.

27/05/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EYHyYvA2S/?mibextid=wwXIfr

🌳 What if the trees on your street were worth more than your car and someone was about to cut them down for $500?

That's the reality Dr. Greg Moore has been fighting against for nearly sixty years. And in our latest episode, he's got a lot to say about it.

Greg is one of Australia's leading arborists and urban ecologists and he is done being polite about how badly we are treating our urban trees.

In this episode he reveals:
🪵 Why losing one big tree can mean losing up to 200 other species along with it

🌡️ The difference between shade and cooling and why it matters on a 40-degree day

📏 The 3-30-300 rule: the simple planning formula that could transform where you live

💌 How Melbourne residents wrote love letters to trees and why it actually worked

🦜 Why cockatoos are secret arborists and how you can help document their work

And the big one: how to check your neighbourhood's canopy cover right now, with nothing more than your own two eyes at midday.

🎧 Listen now
https://shows.acast.com/citizen-science-show/episodes/167-roots-of-the-matter-why-australias-urban-trees-are-fight

Australian Citizen Science Association
SciStarter

11/05/2026

Why do we feel like we are being bulldozed?

The status of West Culburra DA has yet to be approved OR rejected by the Regional Planning Panel, the Jerrinja Community (JLALC) have lodged a Section 10 to preserve this land and YET:

1. The current Shoalhaven Council CISP report leans heavily on expensive future infrastructure including a sports field, that the developer states in its application it will provide IF their DA is approved. How is this not a conflict of interest when Council is the organisation currently responsible for collating the community consultation submissions for and against West Culburra in preparation for the Regional Planning Panel meeting?

2. The Council is considering a DA which would allow Sealark to develop a section of land that has been part of Tilbury Cove Park green space for decades. Are other deals happening between these parties that we have not been consulted about?

3. The Council has already approved the construction of an office block in Culburra Beach village that is 'aligned with plans for the retail precinct'. The applicant is Quadron - a company which was given a loan of over $2 mil by its sole shareholder - the Halloran Trust (parent company of Sealark). Will this be where the fancy showroom goes to sell the West Culburra blocks on the DA that has NOT been approved yet?

4. A proposal for a shared pathway connecting Culburra, Callala & Currarong which would conveniently be of benefit to a developer with housing estates in Culburra and Callala is being discussed in Council and they will seek private funding. Meanwhile Culburra and Orient Point streets are crumbling and not just at the edges. There is no footpath to the local primary school or out to Penguin Head. Mums push prams along Penguin Head Rd. Existing footpath infrastructure is in disrepair and Council does not consider it a priority to fix. Are there deals happening that we do not know about?

We are NOT being heard. Lets say it louder. STOP colonising Culburra Beach. Our town is not for sale. Fix our existing infrastructure. No West Culburra.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?
1. Fill in the CISP survey and say no to the West Culburra Urban Area proposals. (See comments for link.)
2. Write to Council and ask questions.
3. Download this photo of the footpath at Ocean Street carpark and lodge a Snap & Solve.

01/05/2026

🌎🍃 Happy Earth Day everyone.. this year the theme is ‘Our Power, Our Planet’ to drive global environmental action through community involvement. This year emphasises collective, actionable solutions including cleaning up local areas, reducing waste, and promoting sustainable energy. It’s easy to be overwhelmed with the scale of the problems we face, but starting in our own backyard and connecting with local community to create positive change is a good place to begin. Initiatives such as the monthly cleanup organised by , the awareness campaigns and community support by and the commitment of volunteers in groups such as Our Future Shoalhaven, Bay & Basin Citizen Science & Jervis Bay Marine Park Alliance show we have a caring community advocating for the future of our natural environment. Thanks to everyone who contributes to KeepJervisBayUnspoilt 💙

20/04/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/18bGTcHCNv/?mibextid=wwXIfr

When conservation biologist, Dr Katarina Mikac, is not navigating night-drones to search for animals in forest canopy, she travels to regional NSW towns with one clear message for farmers and citizen scientists: the survival of Australia's spotted quolls and greater gliders is in their hands. by Rob...

06/04/2026

SAVE OUR PUBLIC GREEN SPACE. Please help us STOP Sealark/Halloran Trust from applying for a Torrens Title and subdividing this land at Tilbury Cove. It has been part of a much loved recreation area for locals and visitors for decades. Development of this land would only hold 1 house and benefit 6 or so Trustees.
Community health and well being needs to take priority over developer profits. Please sign this petition. Thank you!

Stop sale of our public green space

23/03/2026

Great move JLALC! We stand with you to protect your culture and heritage. Thank you for sharing.

20/03/2026

Tomorrow is the last day left to object to Penguin Head Rd DA 2026/1051.

Community feedback closes on Monday 23rd March.

Sealark (the West Culburra developer) are carving up Culburra. This time it’s a popular recreation area. Be sure to object to their DA application to rezone, subdivide and sell off a section of the park at Tilbury Cove adjoining the playground at the top of Penguin Head Rd. This popular park has been enjoyed by residents for years. And Council have maintained it as a recreation area. What’s the story here?

This DA is non-compliant. By Council’s own rules it requires a width of 15 metres. The land width is 12 metres. This is enough reason to reject it.

The DA proposal also involves “rezoning”. How can this happen without an amendment to the LEP? Are Council cutting corners for this developer again?

The Halloran Trust (who own Sealark) also claim to own many ‘old roads’ scattered throughout Culburra Beach. Another is the triangle nature strip opposite Tilbury Cove recreation area. Will they subdivide and develop that too?

Not to mention the fact that ratepayers have been paying Council to maintain private land for decades. What is the cost of that?

The plot thickens…

When enquiries about this DA were made to council by a local resident, Council refused to disclose who the owner of the land is and said it is the subject of a court case. So a GIPA would need to be lodged to get that information. True or fob off?

Ask questions. We need more transparency around this strange land deal.

Object to DA2026/1051

https://scc-web.t1cloud.com/T1PRDefault/WebApps/eProperty/P1/PublicNotices/PublicNoticeDetails.aspx?r=SCC.WEBGUEST&f=%24P1.ESB.PUBNOT.VIW&rf=P1.SCC.PUBNOT.ENQ&ApplicationId=DA2026%2f1051