Will Sydney Water do the right thing?

You’d hope the very last place Sydney Water would attempt to develop would be a fragile water catchment. Let’s see if they ultimately give a dam.

In the “olden days” (before Tawny’s birth) there was a newspaper called the “Manly Daily”. On Saturdays it contained a glossy supplement, chock-full of real estate ads. In early 2015, I was idly flicking through it, when I spotted an image of bushland bordered by a white line. The land (in Seaforth) was surrounded on three sides by Manly Warringah War Memorial Park (Manly Dam) but it was being spruiked as the perfect location for a new housing estate.

I nearly choked on my muesli! This was Sydney Water property that had become surplus to requirements, and they were hoping to cash in. As a member of the “Save Manly Dam Catchment Committee” I knew I had to act pronto. I phoned several contacts; they called their networks and momentum grew to halt this sale. 

A letter was sent to Mike Baird (then MP for Manly and Premier of NSW). It detailed the fact that the 4,132 square metrr site was a heritage conservation area and developing it would have a devastating effect on the park. Sydney Water and local Council were also lobbied by the community. Turns out that this land was originally part of Manly Dam reserve, but it had been transferred to Sydney Water many decades ago (along with a parcel next to it which houses the Bantry Bay Water Storage Reservoirs). Unfortunately, it was later zoned R2 (low density residential) because of an anomaly in updating Warringah Council’s Local Environment Plan (LEP).

In October 2015, Sydney Water contacted residents of the site’s access road (Kirkwood St) advising that “they are investigating the concerns raised by the local community, Councils and key stakeholders. The site will remain fenced, and will not be sold at this stage, while Sydney Water considers the options for this site”.

Meanwhile, another area of sensitive bushland adjoining Manly Dam reserve was being bulldozed to make way for the new Manly Vale School development. To compensate for this loss, Mike Baird announced in the school’s “Bush Telegraph” newsletter (11.10.16) that “the government will transfer a parcel of land at Seaforth, owned by Sydney Water and adjacent to the War Memorial Park, back to the park”. Nothing eventuated.

In 2018, Sydney Water commissioned environmental consultants “Total Earth Care” to conduct a biodiversity assessment of their site. Surveys revealed it was ecologically rich, five threatened fauna species were detected, and conservation measures recommended. Then, the “Beaches Link” tunnel raised its ugly head and with cruel irony, the NSW Government identified the exact same Sydney Water land as an excavation site. To sweeten the deal, “Transport for NSW” pledged to return the land back to the park after construction (but only after the bushland had been totally obliterated).

Thankfully “Beaches Link” was officially cancelled on 8.9.23. Northern Beaches Council resolved to write to Sydney Water (plus relevant Ministers) at their meetings on 28.5.19 and 19.12.23. to advance the return of the land – but to no avail.

Sydney Water advised me that they have a regulatory obligation to benefit their shareholders so “can’t transact land below market value”. But they only actually have two shareholders – The NSW Treasurer and the Minister for Finance. Apparently, the company has “not yet received any confirmation from Northern Beaches Council regarding acquiring or leasing the land”.

Encouragingly Sydney Water announced it would not subdivide surplus property (containing koala habitat) at Woronora. National Parks and Wildlife are now working to provide permanent protection.