Newcastle Herald 15th December 2001

Tomalpin "Clearing" Admission

Scott Tucker

The man behind multi-million-dollar plans for the Tomalpin industrial estate has admitted wrongly clearing bushland.

Sydney-based developer Duncan Hardie came under attack from a local residents' group yesterday after Cessnock City Council ordered him to stop bulldozing work on the proposed estate site.

Friends of Tumblebee group spokesperson James Ryan released photographs yesterday of an earth moving contractor bulldozing what Mr Ryan described as "25-metre swathes" through the bushland on Wednesday.

"Duncan Hardie has been clearing part of the winter habitat of the nationally-endangered Swift Parrot" Mr Ryan said.

"It's up to Cessnock Council now to impose a stiff penalty in order of $100,000 to dissuade him from reoffending."

Mr Ryan said Cessnock Council had promised residents high environmental standards would apply to the estate.

He said several governmental departments had requested substantial further consultation on the estate and the RTA had opposed the proposal.

Mr Hardie yesterday admitted improper clearing had occurred.

He said extensive discussions had been held with the council on the need to put through 10-metre clearing lines to provide access for a drilling rig on behalf of a potential estate user.

"We have been stopped" Mr Hardie admitted.

"I got the dozer in to put some swaths through (and) it does appear I have made them a little wider and I'll take it on the chin and so be it".