COMMUNITY groups across the east coast of the state have banded together to defend bushland from what they call "inappropriate" developments.
The new alliance, called Coastal Residents United, is taking a stand against so-called 'zombie DAs' - developments approved decades ago that dodge the need for environmental, cultural or other impact assessments required under modern day planning rules.
Among them is the Save Myall Road Bushland group (SMRB) which has been gathering signatures against a proposed 66-lot residential estate at Garden Suburb.
Group president Stephen Warham said the system is broken and it's impacting his community.
"The invisible processes that fail to inform local communities of loss of their green spaces means that many people can only get involved once other people have already made the decisions," he said.
"Local residents right across the state have had to take their own actions to ensure that the planning processes are better informed about protections.
"It's a repetitive pattern across the state, with strength in numbers we may be able to draw further attention to the loss of green spaces that became so valuable to people throughout COVID."
He said houses wouldn't be built to 1960-70 standards today, so the state shouldn't be allowing developers to use "outdated, environmental conditions" for modern developments.
The $5 million Landcom project would see homes built on two undeveloped areas of bushland on the northern and southern sides of Myall Road, near the existing sports fields.
On Thursday, Coastal Residents United presented petitions calling for a moratorium on zombie developments to be tabled in the Upper House, followed by a public forum co-hosted by Greens MLC Cate Faehrmann, South Coast MP Liza Butler, Sydney MP Alex Greenwich and Ballina MP Tamara Smith.
Ms Faehrmann said dozens of communities fighting "large" and "inappropriate" developments in their small towns contacted her last year crying out for help.
"What I found was an onslaught of development planned that would destroy coastal NSW as we know, and love it," she said.
"Many of the opposed developments are so-called 'zombie' developments.
"Approved decades ago, they've avoided any of the environmental, cultural and other impact assessments that would be required today.
"Combined, these campaigns add up to potentially thousands of hectares of bushland lost along our precious coast - much of it is habitat for threatened species on the brink of extinction that cannot withstand any further loss of habitat."
The alliance presented petitions gathered from a number of community groups, including SMRB, all with more than 600 signatures.
Greens MP Sue Higginson said the state's planning system isn't "fit for purpose", arguing it puts developers' profits above local communities.
"Communities up and down the coast of NSW are fighting inappropriate developments as the impacts of the climate and biodiversity crises worsen," she said.
"The petitions tabled in the NSW Parliament today are just some of the many communities on the front line of a broken planning system who are taking on property developers in the name of protecting the environment and keeping communities safe."
She said local communities need to be at the centre of decisions that affect them and their environment.
"For too long the planning system has been controlled and influenced by private developers and their profits," she said.
"It is brilliant that the community groups who are part of Coastal Residents United have mobilised and are working collaboratively for change and have brought this important issue to parliament."
