If you live in Ku-ring-gai, here is your chance to have your say about the vegetation clearing laws. Ku-ring-gai Council is urging its residents to protest against vegetation clearing laws.
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The Council has produced a template letter to help residents make a submission to the state government’s 10/50 review.
The template letter is the result of a Council resolution unanimously passed by Ku-ring-gai Councillors in September.
The resolution called for the Council to “provide a template letter of concern regarding 10/50 for concerned residents to use as a basis for objecting to the current Code of Practice.”
The 10/50 law was introduced in August this year by the state government to address bushfire risk in NSW. In its original form it allowed property-owners whose homes were located within 350 metres of all bushfire prone land to clear trees within 10 metres from their properties and other vegetation within 50 metres, without seeking approval. It has since been amended to allow property owners to clear trees and vegetation within 350 metres of Category 1 (high risk) and 150 metres of Category 2 (low risk) bushfire prone land. .
The state government is now reviewing the 10/50 Code, with submissions from the public invited until 14 November.
Mayor Jennifer Anderson said the 10/50 Code was of great concern in Ku-ring-gai.
“This one-size-fits-all approach fails to reflect the diversity of landscapes in NSW and the distinction between urban and rural settings,” she said. “It also does nothing to address the issue of ember attack on homes, which is by far the biggest risk to property-owners.”
Mayor Anderson said the Council had introduced a register of trees felled to try and monitor its effect on Ku-ring-gai’s environment. “Since August we have over 380 trees felled that we know about – but these are just the ones we have been notified of. There’s no requirement under 10/50 for homeowners to tell us that they are cutting down trees.”
She added that the template letter outlined objections to the 10/50 Code that residents could use to make a submission.
The template letter is available from the Council’s customer service centre at 818 Pacific Highway Gordon and its website at www.kmc.nsw.gov.au
Submissions should be emailed to 10.50@rfs.nsw.gov.au by 14 November.
