Hawkesbury City Council has stepped in to halt further tree clearing at the access to a development site in Kurrajong Hills after more than 40 trees, including old ironbarks and grey gums, were cut down this week. The felled trees at 150 Hermitage Road were part of a koala habitat and a crucial wildlife corridor for endangered species.

The development, by Galea and Co was approved over a decade ago, and Hawkesbury Council had told residents it was powerless to stop it. However, residents alarm over the destruction of the native trees, half estimated to be more than 50 years old and smaller native vegetation, late last week has resulted in the Council enforcing a stop to the felling of more trees.

The affected area runs approximately 200 metres along Hermitage Road, leading to the development site. The now-cleared stretch was once home to ironbarks and grey gums, which provided essential food sources for the region’s koalas. This tree-lined route was a key wildlife corridor, allowing species to move safely between Blue Gum Creek and bushland along Mill Road. Residents describe the road as having been a vital passage for numerous native species, which have now lost significant habitat.

The development at the site was initially approved in 2010 for an eight-lot residential subdivision. While most development approvals would have expired by now, the construction of a bridge in 2014 led the Council to classify it as a “substantial commencement.” As a result, the project continues under the original approval, despite no longer meeting current environmental standards. This situation has become increasingly common across New South Wales, with so-called “Zombie DAs” allowing developments to proceed without today’s more sophisticated environmental and cultural impact assessments.

An urgent inspection was conducted by Council regulatory staff yesterday. However, most of the trees along the road have already been lost.

One of the cleared trees, a grey gum overhanging Douglas Farm Road, had long been home to a variety of wildlife. Resident Eric Finley recalls, “Last year, two frogmouths raised their chicks in that tree. They rebuilt their nest in August, and the chicks would have hatched by now. We can only hope the parents survived when the tree was felled.”

Finley also highlighted the impact on Blue Gum Creek, just below the development site. “There’s now a hillside of exposed earth leading directly to the creek, where platypus have been confirmed by a University of Western Sydney research project. With heavy rain forecast this week, much of the soil is likely to wash into the creek, further damaging the ecosystem.”

Residents also expressed concern about the loss of trees that had been part of local wildlife rescue efforts. “A couple of years ago, WIRES rescued a sick koala from a eucalypt along the roadside. It was released back in the same spot after treatment. That tree is now gone, along with many others where we had seen koalas and other rare animals like Feather-tailed gliders and masked owls,” Finley said.