Campbelltown City Council has given the tick of approval to developer Lendlease to proceed with the next stage of a controversial housing development south-west of Sydney.
The second stage of the Gilead development will see another 3,500 homes added to an area where 1,700 homes are already under construction.
The area is estimated to be home to 300 to 500 chlamydia-free koalas that roam between the Georges River in the east and the Nepean River to the west.
Despite 626 submissions to the council objecting to or calling for a delay to the plans, councillors voted 11 to one last week in favour of approving the biodiversity certification application, which outlines what portions of land can be developed.
Many of the submissions raised concerns about the functionality of wildlife corridors that allow koalas to coexist with the development.
In response, the council pointed to a review of advice by the New South Wales chief scientist that was conducted by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPIE).
The proposal was fast-tracked last year by the previous NSW government.
The planning minister, who is the consent authority for the project, is yet to make a final decision on the project and the DPIE is still collating submissions.
Animal Justice Party member and resident Matt Twaddell spoke against the plans, which he said lacked detail about green corridors.
"For example, the exact dimensions and widths of the koala corridors defined," he said.
"There's not the detail on the koala corridors — nowhere in this plan does it talk about the actual dimensions of them."
Saul Dean from the Total Environment Centre told ABC Radio Sydney that Campbelltown council was the wrong organisation to assess the plan.
"In many respects the council is being asked to decide whether the koalas will thrive in this area, when really it's a much bigger issue than that," he said.
"It's a state and a federal issue.
"We have this irony of events, where in many respects if they approve the development they get things like koala credits, they get biobanks on council land, so they effectively get money from the developer for approving the development."
The biodiversity certification application will now be referred to NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe.
Wildlife tunnels delayed
Wildlife tunnels under Appin Road will be created to link two bio-banked reserves in the east.
The tunnels are being designed by Transport for NSW but are being funded and built by Lendlease.
Due to a hold-up in the design process, Lendlease says it is unable to proceed with the plan, but will build an interim underpass while clearing, road and housing construction continues.
"As soon as we receive government approval we're ready to commence construction of two koala underpasses under Appin Road, install fauna fencing to protect koalas from car strikes and deliver important safety upgrades to Appin Road," a Lendlease spokesperson said.
Campbelltown council is under pressure from conservationists nationally and internationally to maintain the health of the unique colony that inspired the region to name itself "Koalatown".
Councillor George Brticevic told the council meeting the plan would enable Lendlease to fund upgrades to reserves, plant new trees, provide fauna underpasses, build exclusion fencing and fund wildlife education.
It would also allow for Lendlease to upgrade a five-kilometre section of Appin Road at a cost of $170 million.
"By duplicating [the road] and putting in fauna exclusion fencing and underpasses everybody is a winner," he said.
State Member for Campbelltown Greg Warren is writing to the chief scientist to review whether the proposed wildlife corridors will be functional for koalas.
"First thing I need to do is write to the chief scientist and say, 'This is what was resolved at council, these are the community's concerns — can you please provide some clarity?"' he said.
