As dusk falls over Lot 60 on Nutleys Creek Road, the forest comes alive with brushtail possums, tiny feathertail gliders, yellow-bellied gliders, and grey-headed flying-foxes. For two years, this forest was at the heart of an extraordinary community effort.

When DA2023.301 proposed a 160-site seniors’ land lease development, Bermagui Matters was formed. Rather than simply opposing the proposal, locals immersed themselves in understanding what was at stake.

Community concerns spanned bushfire safety, flooding, infrastructure strain, medical services, biodiversity protection and alignment with the Bega Valley Shire’s Affordable Housing Strategy.

Nature lover Caity Brown and other locals documented the area’s wildlife through citizen science, uncovering biodiversity values that hadn’t been fully recognised, including unmapped tree hollows and casuarina stands favoured by glossy black cockatoos.

Wallaby and joey

Nearly 300 residents lodged submissions, supported by a petition signed by more than 1,700 people. Bermagui’s population is approximately 1,865 and the the reponse demonstrates the incredible strength of our collective spirit.

Bega Valley Shire Council’s Assessment Report firmly recommended refusal. More than 40 community members and organisations then presented evidence to the Southern Regional Planning Panel that unanimously rejected the application.

‘We thank Merriman’s Local Aboriginal Land Council, Bega Valley Shire Council and the Southern Regional Planning Panel for carefully considering the site’s constraints and community concerns,’ says Bermagui Matters Chair Motria von Schreiber. ‘The outcome demonstrates the value of informed, respectful community participation.’

The campaign was never about opposing housing, it was about it being the wrong development in the wrong place.

Eastern grey kangaroo

Bermagui Matters has now incorporated and remains committed to protecting the Nutleys Creek forest, Yuin culture and to providing housing in suitable locations that is genuinely affordable for low-income households.

As the lyrebirds make their early morning calls and wallabies move through the undergrowth, it’s good to know sound planning decisions can protect both community needs and the landscapes we call home.

‘This success belongs to the community,’ says founding member Hal Judge. ‘Thank you to everyone who made a submission, shared their expertise or simply cared enough to become involved.’

If you’d like to be involved, contact Bermagui Matters via Facebook or bermaguimatters@gmail.com by email.

Joan Cornish, Bermagui Matters Spokesperson

All photos taken by Motria von Schreiber.

Photo top right: Glossy black cockatoo