Minmi Matters
Minmi is an historic little village with a number of beautiful old heritage buildings of national trust listing from mining days. Situated on the outskirts of Newcastle Council, the extensive bushland that surrounds it, is the last remaining native vegetation on the frontier of Newcastle Council.
Winten Pty. Ltd. have a plan to destroy this bushland and wildlife with a $200 million development creating 2000 residential building lots. This will encroach to our back fences, completely surrounding the village and destroying the bush. It will extend to the boundary of the development planned for the Link Road Forest by Eden Estate.
During the present development by Winten Pty Ltd at Minmi East, beside Blue Gum Hills Regional Park, residents have been shocked and dismayed to witness what they see as an environmental disaster.
A tremendous number of mature trees have already been woodchipped at nesting time and wildlife impacted by loss of habitat. Back creek which flows into the local wetlands has been seriously damaged and the topography of the land changed forever.
As a result of this and the looming more extensive development, some residents created a facebook page ‘Minmi Matters’ in which others are updated. We are passionate about saving our precious local environment and our little historic village.
WILDLIFE WILL BE HARMED
WILDLIFE WILL BE HARMED
Hunter Wildlife have advised that there are Koalas in the Minmi bushland. They are disease free but loss of habitat will bring disease. Black Cockatoos, Swamp wallabies, Echidna, Bandicoots, Powerful owls, Goannas are also present.
The City of Newcastle Council Ecological Report states there are:
23 threatened flora recorded in or close to the development site
46 threatened birds including Regent Honeyeater
19 threatened mammals
5 herpetofauna, and
36 migratory birds including marine, terrestrial and wetland species.
“Biodiversity is a complex feature of our planet and without it there is no future for humanity. Since colonisation we have destroyed 44% of our native forests in Australia. We need to preserve our surrounding environment and wildlife and protect them from greedy development in the pursuit of profit." - Professor David MacDonald of Oxford University
Resources & reading
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Submission Guide
PLEASE MAKE A SUBMISSION SUPPORTING INCLUSION OF THIS NATIONAL PARKS CONNECTING CORRIDOR IN THE NATIONAL PARKS ESTATE
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Letter template
(Copy of Pro forma letter for residents’ use)
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Hunter Bird Observers Club: Rezoning of 505 Minmi Road, Fletcher
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Council Planning Proposal, 15 December 2009
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Final Submission to Hunter Joint Regional Planning Panel
Media coverage
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OPINION 'It's time to rethink who holds sway in the decision-making process regarding the balance between development and conservation' By Stephen Barr (October 13 2023)
Recent headlines detailing the shrinking vacancy rates for rental properties across the nation are a stark reminder of the prevailing housing crisis. Simultaneously, reports of soaring house prices highlight the dire shortage of housing supply.
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'Planning minister advises 505 Minmi Road will go on public exhibition', Newcastle Herald, (August 30 2023)
“Planning Minister Paul Scully has given the strongest indication yet that he intends to approve a housing development at Fletcher that has been the subject of a two-decade long battle between conservationists and the land's owner.”
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'Minmi estate's traffic win', Newcastle Herald (July 4 2023)
“The company behind the massive Minmi residential estate has cleared a major hurdle to the development going ahead with Transport for NSW to resolve traffic concerns”
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'Labor says it will investigate the possibility of adding 505 Minmi Road, Fletcher to its proposed list of new national parks', Newcastle Herald (March 24 2023)
"At 26 hectares in size, the 505 Minmi Road site is a small but essential piece of the Green Corridor that connects the Hunter Estuary National Park to the Blue Gum Hill Regional Park.”
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'Minmi Estate under review', Newcastle Herald (February 4 2023)
“The developer behind the latest stage of the $200 million Minmi Estate proposal is seeking a review of the Join Regional Planning Panel decision to refuse subdivision applications for the project.”
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'Rough road to alleviating housing shortage', NH Opinion (December 20 2022)
“"The NSW government identified the Minmi urban release area in 2011, and the road upgrades have been identified on the Hunter state infrastructure list since then, but we still haven’t seen anything from TfNSW to prepare for this growth.”
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'Minimi subdivision refused', Newcastle Herald (December 14 2022)
An application for a major housing subdivision at Minmi has been refused by the Hunter Joint Regional Planning Panel, which cited road impacts as a major factor.
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'Community slams estate', (December 6 2022)
“Minmi resident Christine Baker warned the status of the internationally recognised Hunter Wetlands could be put in jeopardy by the loss of habitat in the wetland’s catchment.”
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'Joint Regional Planning Panel to consider the latest stage of the Minmi Estate subdivision proposal', Newcastle Herald, (Updated December 3 2022)
“The City of Newcastle and Transport for NSW have combined forces to oppose the Hunter's largest ever residential subdivision on the city's western fringe.”