The City of Ryde is working closely with residents of North Ryde and the NSW Government Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care (DADHC) over resident concerns regarding the felling of trees at Macquarie Hospital North Ryde.
The Mayor, Councillor Tagg and Councillor Salvestro-Martin were contacted by residents who were at the site. The Mayor, then requested Council officers to listen to the concerns of residents and facilitate discussions with DADHC.
The development site is to house 10 single storey group homes for patients currently located elsewhere on the Macquarie Hospital site. The development is to meet the growing needs of disabled and aged residents.
The application for this project was granted consent granted on 14 July 2008 with 129 conditions of consent. The application was notified to residents on two occasions to 437 residents and Council received three submissions and a petition regarding open space, no submissions were raised with regard to the issue of tree removal.
The site at Macquarie Hospital proposed for development contains 154 trees with 50 identified for removal and 104 identified for retention and protection. Of the 154 trees, 46 are Turpentine (members of the Turpentine Ironbark Forest family) of which 5 are to be removed one which is identified as a tree needing removal due to poor health.
The owner of the site DADHC commissioned three detailed technical studies which included an arboricultural assessment, a flora and fauna assessment and a landscape site plan. These reports were reviewed by CoR's independent expert who agreed with the applicant's arboricultural assessment and the flora and fauna assessment and recommended six conditions relating to the trees including that the management of trees are in accordance with the arboricultural assessment report.
The Mayor, Councillor Vic Tagg said, "Council staff will work closely with DADHC to ensure the developer complies with the 129 conditions of the consent. The Group Manager of Environment and Planning has assured me that the correct procedure was followed and the appropriate expert opinions were considered by Councils independent Town Planning assessor in supporting the application. However the ultimate decision regarding the location of the development, construction of the development and compliance with all statutes and the 129 conditions of consent rest with the NSW Government".
Media contact: Derek McCarthy, City of Ryde, T 9952 8384
