Community calls again for Council to take responsible action at 8 Fleet Street, Salamander Bay, part of Stoney Ridge Reserve
OF IMMEDIATE CONCERN, is that the Fleet Street Development proposal includes disposal of site rubble to build-up existing fire trails for use by construction vehicles. This is not acceptable for numerous environmental, social, and community safety reasons.
The remaining bushland on 8 Fleet Street is a vitally important ecological community and wildlife corridor that is home to endangered and vulnerable animals and plants. This location is still considered by many in the community as part of Stoney Ridge Reserve, Salamander Bay, but it was ‘sold’ ‘by Port Stephens Council to the owners of 4 Fleet Street, where the dilapidated Colonial Resort stood, to enable an Asset Protection Zone (APZ) on ‘private’ land.
The Development Application for number 4 Fleet St DA 16-2024-542-1 has worthwhile attributes. However there are also environmental issues, most particularly focussed on 8 Fleet St as outlined in Koala Koalition EcoNetwork Port Stephens (KKEPS) submission.
Below we explain why this area is so important, and we ask you please to help with the community petition, before Wednesday 17th April 2025.
Why is developing the fire trails an issue
The area is a biodiversity hot spot
- Valuable endangered habitat will be further compromised: This ‘sold’ open space is important habitat, linking remnant Threatened Ecological Communities (TECs) around Soldiers Point, which are important refuges on the Tomaree Peninsula.
- Threatened species reside in this habitat:
- The site and surrounding remnant forest includes precious Koala habitat with preferred koala feed trees and a place where koalas are seen and heard regularly by local residents and have been recorded over many decades.
- There are also large trees with hollows, suitable for Powerful Owls (listed endangered) and Squirrel Gliders (listed vulnerable), both recorded at the site.
- A Powerful Owl pair were recently observed raising chicks here, a treasured occurrence for which construction vehicles and their dirt and noise would certainly impact — and should not operate in the vicinity during nesting season
This Powerful Owl and the recently fledged Owlet breed and feed in the immediate area, August 2023.
The nearby Ninox St is named in honour of the Powerful Owl, Ninox strenua. These owls need old growth trees with large hollows to nest. Suitable hollow-bearing trees are increasingly less numerous in the Tomaree Peninsula.
Powerful owl images, Credit with thanks Sue Johnson
- The Reserve is also an important stronghold for the Endangered Red Helmet Orchid, Corybas dowlongii, also found along the fire trail. Reportedly some were squashed and covered over with gravel – when this happened there was seemingly no permit in place, and at the time of publishing, April 2025, there is no permit.
Photos courtesy of Sue Olsson and the latter Jackie Williams , gives an indication of their delicate size.
- Dirty fill brings weeds to an endangered system: Rubble usually holds numerous weeds and possible pathogens that typically spread, and may spread from the fire trail into the forest. Large transport vehicles will also spread weeds.
The area is socially important for recreation and community well-being
- Part of a walking and biking circuit links around the Reserve: The fire trail provides an important link for recreation in a circuit around Stoney Ridge Reserve.
Additionally it connects to a walking trail through Littoral Rainforest to the beach at George Reserve. This is currently blocked by the trunks of felled trees for the APZ. It may again be available to residents for walking and biking after the construction is finished.
The moist forest provides climate change protection
- The trails will no longer be an informal shady area part of environment. The changes to fire trails may cause the forest to become drier and more fire prone, and may become the future target for more development.
Caption: A couple of the flowering plants found on the fire trail’s wetter margins, which most likely will be filled in with the development of the fire trail for construction vehicles. The yellow Woolly Waterlily or Frogsmouth, Philydrum lanuginosum, and the pink Lady tresses Spiranthes australis were photographed here.
Developing the fire trails presents safety issues
- These fire trails are designated emergency access points through Stoney Ridge Reserve. Similarly, using the road within the existing complex for construction traffic may block emergency vehicles.
There is an alternative with less environmental and social impact
An alternative access lies between the western boundary of the construction site on 4 Fleet Street, and the already cleared Asset Protection Zone (APZ) on 8 Fleet Street. There is an existing access point that would be suitable environmentally, provided no further felling of trees takes place and it is not used while endangered bird species are nesting.
Unfortunately, this alternative access will have a temporary impact for Fleet Street residents living directly opposite the development. Once construction is over, the entrance can be closed. In contrast, the impacts to the fire trail and the environment will be permanent.
A simple amendment to the proposed staging of the development would also be required: Stage 1 should be the final Stage. This would also provide temporary carparking for construction site workers.
An opportunity for a Conservation Area
The currently remaining bushland to the west of the site, would be ideal to form a Voluntary Conservation Area as part of this approval process for the proposed construction of homes on the 4 Fleet Street block which lacks environmental value, as reported in the DA 2024-542 supporting documents.
The proponents have stated that they have no intention to build on 8 Fleet Street, so a Voluntary Conservation agreement would give the community environmental and social amenity surety and also release the applicant from ongoing responsibility for the Conservation Area.
The fire trails should not be developed for many environmental reasons, such as soil compaction, drying of the forest floor affecting forest health, easier fire-lighting opportunities, increased edge effects, fragmenting the local koala population’s corridor, weed invasion, additional traffic issues for local residents, possible blocking of fire trails by construction equipment, possible destruction of flora and stress to fauna.
You can help by signing the petition before Wednesday 16th April 2025
We, the neighbours and community call on Port Stephens Council to:
- Reject the proposed use of fire trails for construction traffic purposes.
- Put in place the conservation of the remaining bushland to prevent any further development in perpetuity on 8 Fleet Street.
How to sign the petition, as Council requires the original signatures on paper format.
You can visit the following venue to sign the petition or drop off your signed petitions by 16 April:
- Readers Retreat, 9 Georges Road Salamander Bay, Tues – Sat 10am-4pm
Any enquiries to info@econetworkps.org
Below, just a few of the beauties nearby the general Fleet Street area in Stoney Ridge Reserve
Platylobium formosum
Thysanotus tuberosus
Cryptostylis erecta
Xanthorrhoea macronema
In December 2023 Council temporarily stopped the clearing of the Asset Protection Zone (APZ) though it resumed later in January 2024.
A tree stands proudly on the edge of the clearing with forest behind.
The mostly cleared bushland (below) in the APZ is evident, Dec 2023. Additional clearing occurred after mid January 2024.
The APZ is part of the public land Council ‘sold’ to the developer.
Images credit with thanks: Powerful owlet, Sue Johnson; Others, Sue Olsson
2023 December
Community Calls For Council To Reacquire Land At Fleet Street, Salamander Bay
by News Of The Area – Modern Media –
By Marian SAMPSON
THE land home to the former Colonial Ridge Retreat on Fleet Street, Salamander Bay has had a Development Application (DA) in place at the site and the adjacent property for many years.
Members of the community have expressed concerns that land clearing undertaken at the site last week is outside the approvals of the DA, with calls for the land to be reacquired by Port Stephens Council to preserve the environment.
Clearing has reportedly commenced in areas believed to be home to endangered koalas, owls and rare orchids.
“EcoNetwork Port Stephens understands that the clearing of vegetation behind the old Colonial Ridge Resort at Salamander Bay is a permitted activity due to a Development Consent approved in 2018 to establish a bushfire management zone (Asset Protection Zone, APZ) on No 8 Fleet St (Lot 2 DP 791551) for the re-development of the adjacent site (No 4 Fleet St – the old Resort),” an EcoNetwork Port Stephens spokesperson stated.
“We are not aware of any further development having been approved for the land at No 8, and previous DAs for the currently un-re-developed part of the old Resort (DP 285191) were withdrawn, with only the parts now occupied by new single dwellings having been subject to new DAs (now Ridgeview Drive and Inlet Close).
“It is not clear to us why work needs to be carried out in the APZ given that no DA has yet been approved for most of the site that requires the APZ.”
The site has been the subject of community controversy in the past.
Council previously sold some of the adjacent land to the property for the purposes of an Asset Protection Zone – a move which prompted considerable opposition at the time.
“We understand that Port Stephens Council sold this previously public land at No 8 to the owners of the old resort site, in controversial circumstances,” the EcoNetwork spokesperson said.
“The sale process failed to recognise the ecological value of the remnant bushland on No 8, adjacent to the Stoney Ridge Reserve, which is an important habitat for native fauna, including koalas.
“While Council apparently has strict ecological guidelines in place to protect certain trees, there is an obvious loss of ground and mid-story species already, and we are yet to understand the proposed extent of tree loss here.
“The irony is the temporary fencing bordering the site has many signs stating ‘Private Property…This is a Vegetation Rehabilitation Area’.
“However no rehabilitation would be required if the area was not being cleared.
“Generally APZ zones have to be provided within the private land subject to development – this was conveniently enabled by the Council selling the public land to the owners of the Resort.”
EcoNetwork believes that Council should not facilitate APZs on public land.
“Council’s default position should be to protect open space and in particular that which is bushland, without an open public process to re-classify and/or rezone it, when the merits of such a proposal could be debated.
“The full history of this site and related transactions should be made public.
“Given the community outcry over the loss of major parts of this valuable bushland, we call on Council to re-acquire the land and return it to the Stoney Ridge Reserve.
“The precedent exists with the buy-back of the former Department of Education land adjacent to the Mambo Reserve”.
Steven Peart, Director of Community Futures at Port Stephens Council told News Of The Area, “The approval for the work occurring at 4 and 8 Fleet Street, Salamander Bay were provided as part of a Development Application for seniors housing (fifteen dwellings), caretakers residence, associated works (including demolition, vegetation clearing, access, landscaping) along with the termination of an existing neighbourhood scheme at 2 Fleet Street, Salamander Bay.
“Consent was also provided for the removal of vegetation within the privately owned lot at 8 Fleet Street, Salamander Bay to comply with the Rural Fire Services requirement to establish an Asset Protection Zone (APZ).
“Prior to the removal of vegetation, a condition of consent was imposed for a Bushfire Vegetation Management Plan (BVMP), and a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP).
“These plans have been provided and assessed by Council staff and provide clarification on a number of environmental factors that are to be considered and implemented throughout the development.
“The BVMP and CEMP also include specific measures which are to be imposed during the clearing works to minimise the impact on fauna and retained trees.
“These include the timing of the works to be undertaken, the type of machinery to be used, the clearing methods required, supervision of an ecologist and signage.
“Following community concerns, Council staff attended the site to review the works being undertaken.
“Council staff requested that the works cease until all environmental controls were reviewed.
“Council is expecting works to recommence in mid-January.
“We will continue to monitor the works to ensure the conditions of consent are met.
“As the matter is under investigation, the Council is unable to provide any further details at this stage,” he said.
Notes addition to the NOTA article ~
*1 The image showing the vegetation rehabilitation sign is misleading, as the developers seemingly provided the sign and did not undertake any apparent rehabilitation, but instead cleared the site for the APZ zone on the ‘sold’ property.
*2 The aerial image here shows the vegetation canopy of Council land that was continuous with Stoney Ridge Reserve before clearing.