This week the Land and Environment Court determined the injunction concerning land owned by LDF Enterprise Pty Ltd at Fame Cove has been upheld and will remain in force until 24 March 2017.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Remediation work outlined in the clean-up notice served on Friday December 2 will continue during this period.
Council's Director of Environment and Planning, Lisa Schiff said “we are taking steps to ensure areas of immediate concern are addressed and that the site is appropriately managed into the future”.
More to follow next week.
-----
Serious environmental damage to the iconic Fame Cove/North Arm Cove waterfront site south of Tea Gardens has prompted MidCoast Council to slap a stop work and clean-up order on land owned by road construction and eco-resort developer, multi-millionaire Dong Fang Lee.
Mr Lee’s company bought the vast waterfront site in Bundabah in 2006 for $8.8 million, with plans to build a golf course, convention centre and eco-resort in what was said to be a $200 million investment. Jump forward and the current DA is for a vast private 3000 square metre mansion.
Now locals are up in arms about the works on the property, which they describe as a clearly visible blight on the landscape and an environmental outrage.
“No attempt was made to control erosion or subsequent siltation of the marine park and waterways of Port Stephens,” North Arm Cove Residents Association’s Len Yearsley said.
Mr Yearsley added the developer has previously incurred fines and costs in excess of $250,000 for major environmental breaches on this site.
MidCoast Council’s Planning and Natural Systems director, Lisa Schiff said they would be continuing their investigation into the unauthorised works on the site and will also be looking at seeking remediation of those parts without the required approvals.
"The purpose of these urgent mitigation works is to prevent possible erosion and sediment pollution of Fame Creek, North Arm Cove and the wider Port Stephens Marine Park area as a result of works undertaken on the site," she said.
Mr Yearsley cited the site has a high conservation value, with six kilometres of pristine waterfront. The North Arm Cove Residents Association has subsequently contacted the relevant departments and ministers for action.
But Mr Yearsley referred to any financial fines on Mr Lee, who last year broke records with a Point Piper mansion purchase for $39 million, as “just pocket money”.
“We have called on them urgently to use all the authority available to assist MidCoast Council in carrying out prosecution of these apparent criminal actions.”
The temporary injunction expires at 3pm tomorrow (Thursday December 8) but Council will be seeking to have the injunction extended to enable all works to cease, pending completion of the actions set out in the Clean-up Notice.
Meanwhile, other NSW and Federal agencies may be conducting investigations under relevant legislation, including the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, NSW Fisheries, NSW Marine Parks Authority and the Federal Department of Environment and Energy.