Borough delays approval of helipad

THE federal environment department will instruct a Queenscliff property developer to seek Commonwealth approval to construct and operate a helipad beside a RAMSAR listed wetland.

The Borough of Queenscliffe had recommended a planning application for the development to be approved and was due to be considered at council’s December 14 meeting, but councillors deferred the decision without explanation.

A council spokesperson said the decision was made after “council received additional information from community members following the agenda’s publication on Monday” (December 12).

“The information concerned environmental matters not covered by the Borough of Queenscliffe Planning Scheme provisions and raised questions about other approvals that the applicant may need to obtain.”

A federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water spokesperson said the proposed helipad at 6 McDonald Road, Queenscliff, hadn’t been submitted for its consideration, and it “will contact the proponent of the proposed action to remind them of their obligations under national environmental law”.

The application received at least 25 objections that raised concerned about the impacts a helicopter would have on migratory birds in the area, particularly as the charted flight path from proponents would be over the nearby Swan Bay RAMASAR site, and neighbouring wetlands currently under consideration for international protection.

Queenscliff resident and environmental scientist Christine Rees attended a planning meeting on the proposal earlier in the month and said lawyers representing the developer stated that an Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act referral wasn’t needed.

“The bio-diversity report said Orange Bellied parrots hadn’t been seen on Swan Island since 2011, but that’s completely wrong, they were sighted in 2020,” Ms Rees said of the environmental report the developer had submitted for the application.

“Under matters of international importance comes RAMSAR significance, shore birds and threatened species, so within Swan Bay there’s two species that have a national recovery plan, Orange Bellied Parrots, Fairy Terns and White-bellied Sea Eagle.”