The Sydney Zoo

As an active member of the Australian Plants Society NSW recognising the importance of our native flora and fauna, I am writing to say that I am opposed to the destruction of the natural environment at Doonside caused by the construction and operation of Sydney Zoo.

I am particularly concerned about the planting of African grasses, weed species, which have the potential to get into nearby Eastern Creek and from there through to the Hawkesbury River and destroy our natural environment.

DO NOT PUT A ZOO INTO THE WESTERN SYDNEY PARKLANDS.

The ongoing consequences of bringing exotic plants into part of the last remaining areas of the Cumberland Plain Woodland Critically Endangered Ecological Community (CEEC) will be more than problematic. Weed control and conservation of this particular CEEC remnant is currently being neglected by the Western Sydney Parklands Trust. Previous conservation work is not being maintained or continued.

If you introduce more African or other exotic species into the Australian landscape you will be exacerbating the current problem we already have. In particular with the spread of African Love Grass(ALG) (Eragrostis curvulaceae) and other scleriferous introduced plants.

Please think for a change. Think of how much grazing land has already been lost in the Cooma/Monaro area and how much money it is currently costing for exotic weed control Australia Wide.

We do not need to put a Zoo with its inherent problems into one of the last remaining Cumberland Plain remnants.

AN OBJECTION TO THE PROPOSAL TO BUILD SYDNEY ZOO ON WESTERN SYDNEY PARKLANDS
The amount of land available to preserve our existing rare Cumberland Plains Bushland type is continuously diminishing, whilst Local and State Government bodies are in compliance to sell off as much as possible, to increase government revenue, to the detriment of existing and future generations of western Sydney residents, most of whom are being told of the nice side of having a zoo, without being told of the disadvantages to our environment that will occur.
The following points should be explained to those residents:
1. The zoo will be built on land that is part of a grant to the Board of Western Sydney Parkland Trust, land declared by Bob Carr to be "open space, never to be developed, a great part of our environment."
2. Eastern Grey Kangaroos currently graze on part of the land designated for the Zoo.
3. In order to make part of the zoo suitable for occupation by African animals, an artificial "African Environment" needs to be made using plants, and grasses from that continent's environment, the seeds of which will be scattered by wind and/or rain into the surrounding areas and waterways.
4. Community volunteers have been doing native vegetation restoration in this area for years, and their efforts would be wasted.
5. Should seeds from African plants enter nearby Eastern Creek, weeds that develop might eventually reach the Hawkesbury River and have the potential to create further infestations.
6. The land should remain in its native state, and not be exploited as just another source of revenue, and example of promises broken by government departments to indigenous and other Australian citizens.
Please acknowledge receipt of this objection
Edward Hartley
6 Grant Street
Blacktown N.S.W. 2148
Tel (02) 9622 2416
Email: [email protected]

I have worked along many river in NSW over the past 40 years and witnessed intrusion of many introduced grass species into the riparian environment, including the ubiquitous African love grass (Eragrostis curvula), which is a declared noxious weed in many parts of NSW. I gather from scanning the proposal for this project that the planting of such introduced grass species is to take place. It sound like a bad idea to me.

I am opposed to the destruction of the natural environment at Doonside caused by the construction and operation of Sydney Zoo.
Continued restoration and revegetation of the area is required to maintain native Cumberland plain woodlands. Plantation of introduced species within close proximity of this area would be detrimental to the efforts of our community and the Western Sydney Parklands Trust

I am not against zoo,s or this zoo but I object to it being in Western Sydney parkland , an important natural area which is open to all to enjoy at present. I object to the destruction of natural environment at Doonside in an area where there is so liitle left.

The experience with Bullen's Animal World and the African Lion Safari in the 1980s and early 1990s suggests that projects such as this suffer considerable risk of financial failure. If this were to happen, the proposal for Sydney Zoo suggests there would be substantial costs for bioremediation. Of particular concern is their intention to plant non-native species (African) of grasses, which might spread beyond their containment areas if the park were to fall into disuse.

Western Sydney Parklands trustees have as one of their objectives the development of diverse conservation and leisure facilities in order to defray their costs. However, significant portions of the lands under their control are degraduued. I submit that the developers of Sydney Zoo should be required to do one or both of the following:

a) post a sizeable bond for bioremediation of the land and re-homing of the animals in the event that the enterprise folds; and
b) fund significant and meaningful conservation and revegetation of degraded or lost Cumberland Plains Woodlands elsewhere in the Western Sydney Parklands Trust lands. This work could be undertaken by an organisation such as Greening Australia.

In relation to the proposed Sydney Zoo at Bungarabbie the following needs to be taken into consideration:

1) The land in which the Zoo is proposed is going on good open space which was promised years ago. Any developer needs to be fully responsible for ANY issues relating to the environment.
2) The state government should make sufficient off sets to counter the potential damage and open space within the Blacktown region!
3) Given the overseas animals proposed and potentially introduced planting this raises considerable risks for the beautiful natural surrounds. There should be a bond or fee for continued bush regeneration within a 2km radius.
4) Any polution needs to be managed and monitored on a regular basis. To not do anything would be yet again another offence against locals.

Please seriously consuder the above points before any approval.

Martin


Martin

On behalf of the members of the Mulgoa Valley Landcare Group, I would like to express my opposition to theam opposed to the construction and operation of the proposed "Sydney Zoo" at Doonside.
We have genuine concerns that this commercial development will adversely affect the natural flora and fauna at Doonside. We are aware of grazing macrofauna at the proposed site - and the ongoing failings of the Western Sydney Parklands Trust to effectively manage these areas for conservation.
This development has proposed the planting of african flora species. I wish to advise that the Mulgoa Valley Landcare Group has spent the past 20 years and more than $500,000.00 of taxpayers funds controlling invasive African species such as love grass, olive and boxthorn in the Mulgoa Creek catchment.
This is the Trust's answer to effective management of conservation areas for Western Sydney? The Trust continue to fail in their role - and to fail the flora and fauna of Western Sydney. Their objectives and methodolgy must be seriously brought in to question and we request that this proposal be rejected.
Sincerely
Lisa Harrold
President
Mulgoa Valley Landcare Group

The western Sydney parklands was especially put aside as an area for the people to go and enjoy. But what we have got now is a housing estate and now they want to put a Zoo. This is most ridiculous thing they have thought of. It will destroy existing flora and fauna with the exotic plants and trees they want to plant. Bringing foreign animals into a place that has existing native fauna does not work. This was supposed to be the 'lungs of western Sydney'. The parklands have been dosappearing fast. Greening Australia planted many plants in these areas and now we are about to loose more. Sonia Bennett

I object to the Sydney Zoo being built on the former OTC (Bungarribee) site, Doonside.

This site is totally inappropriate to be used for a commercial development when it is meant to be conserved for nature.

This land should instead be conserved to honour the original statement made to the public by the former Premier Bob Carr when he said that this land, a part of Western Sydney Parklands, would be "open space, never to be developed"

This 16.5 hectares forms part of the home for a mob of Eastern Grey Kangaroos - part of Western Sydney's natural heritage - and should be protected.

This land includes an area which Greening Australia, with the approval of the Department of Planning, brought in community volunteers to do native vegetation planting in past years. This work should not be undone by this proposal.

This proposal is totally inappropriate for this site because it includes landscaping with overseas plants and grasses such as African grasses, which will introduce foreign seeds into Eastern Creek, downstream into South Creek and potentially into the Hawkesbury River. This is an unacceptable result for weed management in NSW.

I am utterly opposed to the use of African Grasses and other plants in this proposed development. There are Australian grass species and plant species that can meet the habitat needs of the animals concerned and still provide the viewing public with an apparently authentic view of the species concerned.

I am greatly concerned about the proposed Sydney Zoo on a site that is foraged by a mob of Eastern Grey Kangaroos and which was managed for revegetation by Greening Australia with the assistance of community volunteers some years ago.

The site is within the boundary of Western Sydney Parklands at Doonside. One section of the zoo is close to Eastern Creek and the intention is to plant it out with African grasses and other African plants. This is incomprehensible in terms of the spread of weeds through the local environment and waterways and must not be permitted.

I am opposed to the proposal to permit the Zoo to be built at this site and appalled at the apparent mismanagement of the Western Sydney Parklands by those entrusted to protect it since its establishment in 2004. The remaining lands in trust must be managed for the intended purpose and their values fully protected.

I am opposed to the destruction of the natural environment at Doonside caused by the construction and operation of Sydney Zoo. The introduction of introduced species of grasses will cause a major disruption to the rare and endangered Cumberland Plain woodland and grasses that are found on the site. The zone is one of the last remaining corridors for Eastern Grey Kangaroos to graze and migrate in the area and if this is disrupted it will reduce the numbers of native fauna in the area which are under major pressure as it is. When Bob Carr was the Premier of New South Wales he proclaimed when he first announed the Western Sydney Park lands in 2004 I quote "It will really be the lungs of western Sydney, open space never to be developed, a great part of our environment,". These words have been desecrated as much of the Western Sydney Parklands has for example the new Bungarribee subdivision within the park lands , the proposed industrial areas which will destroy the park lands and now this proposed zoo which will mean the continuation of the reducing numbers of Cumberland Plain woodland which is among some of our most endangered and rare species of native flaura. The Native Fauna within the Western Sydney park lands Doonside Zone will be greatly diminished if this zoo is given approval

Our Society expresses its concern at the loss of more open space in Sydney when demand for "green space" has never been greater with a fast growing Sydney. A private zoo should not be developed on public land which was set aside for the people of western Sydney. It is disturbing that a series of ill considered decisions by the Department of Planning resulted in the release of land for housing that was meant for Sydney's western green belt. The establishment of Trusts should not abrogate responsibility of the State government to recognise the need for a "green lungs" for Sydney and a habitat corridor for native species Sydney - it will pollute, cause weed invasion and alienate land set aside for the people of western Sydney. It exposes the inequity that is Sydney's green open space planning policy.

I am opposed to the destruction of the natural environment at Doonside caused by the construction and operation of Sydney Zoo for the following reasons. The site is ranged by a mob of Eastern Grey Kangaroos. What will happen to these animals if the Sydney Zoo goes ahead?

Volunteers have been working on the site to revegetate it with native plants and remove non natives like African lovegrass. The proposal to plant African lovegrass at the site for the zoo will likely cause these seeds to wash down Eastern creek and into the Hawkesbury river. This will result in the invasion of African lovegrass in these areas of Western Sydney.

From the original 300ha (previously known as Bungarribee estate) set aside for protected open space, 90 ha of this has already been set aside for housing development and now a proposed 16.5 ha for the zoo. I oppose the construction of Sydney zoo on the site and request that the site be used for its original purpose as intentioned by the State Government of 2004 "open space, never to be developed, a great part of our environment" (Bob Carr).

I object to this development proposal;
-as land originally acquired for the purpose of open space
-denies the intention of providing a natural corridor for the survival critically endangered flora and fauna of the Cumberland Plain.
- as land promised by state governments for the purpose of revegetation of endangered ecological communities
-would see the destruction of thousand hours revegetation work by volunteers of Greening Australia
-the development of a floodplain already compromised by overdevelopment of adjoining areas.
-lack of local infrastructure to support a high flow of visitors eg. no lift/disabled access at Doonside Railway Station.
-A large in-proportionate loss of Western Sydney Parklands open space to housing and industrial development in Blacktown City, in comparison to any other local government area.
- threatens the economic viability of the award-winning, Featherdale Wildlife Park less than 2km away.
- High commercial risk/failure due to grandiosed concept and high startup and running costs. Taronga Zoo admission prices are prohibitive to many western Sydney families.
-Similarly, a development on WSRP at a smaller investment base, WetnWild, currently commercially threatened by low attendance rates.

As a volunteer bush regenerator, I believe that this is an inappropriate place for a zoo that will need feed exotic animals and to plant exotic plants, the seeds of which will ultimately find their way into water courses and then become another environmental weed problem.
It would be far preferable that our native fauna and flora, within the district, are properly cared for, before any consideration is given to such an inappropriate proposal.

Furthermore, when former Premier Bob Carr announced the establishment of the 5,500ha area to be Western Sydney Parklands in 2004, he stated that it would be "open space, for ever, never to be developed, a great part of our environment!." Thus, this land is only available by dint of the land having been set aside, for posterity, as "open space", by the former Premier. We have an obligation to honour that intent, and properly care for our existing native fauna and flora.

This land should be parkland for the public not for private companies. The Zoo is also proposing the planting of weeds as their habitat vegetation and landscaping vegetation (African love grass and Natal grass), when will Governments learn that weed introduction is destroying our unique native landscape!!!

I am concerned about the biosecurity of the flora and fauna of the Cumberland Plain. Many plants including native grasses were once so common to this area that they are part of our heritage, but the introduction of exotic species will cause endangerment both by the accidental introduction of diseases to which native species are not immune, and by competition. In particular, exotic plants may easily spread by way of bird droppings and extreme weather events.