In August 2022, the Northern Beaches Development Delivery Plan (DDP) for 6 of the sites owned by the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council (Metro LALC) in the Northern Beaches LGA was approved.
The DDP was prepared in consultation with the Metro LALC and considers the high-level opportunities and constraints associated with any future development of the 6 sites (PDF, 9.5 MB). It is underpinned by a strategic assessment which considered the land-use potential of all Metro LALC land holdings in the Northern Beaches LGA.
The DDP does not approve development on the sites. The approval of the DDP was the first step toward consideration of planning proposals or development applications, with further community consultation to be conducted.
The DDP allows planning proposals for the sites to be independently reviewed by the Sydney North Strategic Planning Panel (the Panel).
The DDP responds to the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983, which established Aboriginal land councils to manage land to provide an economic base for Aboriginal communities as compensation for historic dispossession and ongoing disadvantage.
The DDP will help Aboriginal people develop their land to support their community and protect Aboriginal cultural heritage. It will also provide new homes and jobs for the wider community.
The draft DDP was exhibited for public comment prior to approval. During this exhibition, we received submissions on issues including bushland and environmental impact, traffic, infrastructure, open space, bushfire and Aboriginal heritage.
Find out how we responded to these issues by reading the Independent Planning Review and the department's Finalisation Report.
Specific feedback on individual sites will be addressed in further detailed studies for future planning proposals.
View the final DDP documents on the NSW Planning Portal.
We will continue to work with the Metro LALC and consult with Northern Beaches Council on planning for the sites.
What’s happening now
Patyegarang planning proposal
We received a planning proposal from the Metro LALC for a site on Morgan Road, Belrose (the proposal) in October 2022.
Previously known as the ‘Lizard Rock planning proposal’, the Metro LALC has updated the name of this proposal. The proposal will now be known as the ‘Patyegarang planning proposal’.
Patyegarang was a Gadigal language informant whose name translates as ‘grey kangaroo’. The planning proposal has been renamed to better reflect the cultural significance of the site to the local Aboriginal community. You can read more about this on the Metro LALC’s Patyegarang Planning Proposal website.
The proposal seeks to rezone land to deliver up to 450 dwellings and a cultural centre with new open space and conservation areas.
The proposal includes detailed supporting studies that respond to key issues raised by the local community during public exhibition of the DDP in early 2022.
Council was offered the role of planning proposal authority (PPA), to prepare the proposal for gateway determination by the department. Council declined this role and the Sydney North Strategic Planning Panel appointed itself to the PPA role.
In August 2023, the Metro LALC resubmitted the updated planning proposal to the department ahead of public exhibition.
On 28 August 2023, the panel reviewed the updated planning proposal and determined that it adequately addresses all gateway conditions, and their feedback, and should proceed to public exhibition.
We have assessed the updated planning proposal and also determined that it satisfies all gateway conditions.
For more information on these plans, you can view the Patyegarang planning proposal on the NSW Planning Portal.
For more information on the gateway determination process, go to Making and Amending LEPs.
Next steps
Patyegarang
It is anticipated that the proposal will be exhibited for a 6 week period, beginning late-September 2023. This will provide the community and other stakeholders the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposal.
Remaining sites
The remaining 5 sites require further investigation. Future land uses could include residential, industrial, employment and environmental conservation. These sites could have planning proposals or DAs submitted over the next 5 years. We are not aware of any plans for these sites.
We may expand the DDP if additional sites are investigated to ensure any planning proposals are consistent with its objectives.