JANINE Kitson, Independent candidate for Davidson has promised, if elected, to table a petition to protect 220ha of bushland including Raulston Avenue, Belrose in the Davidson electorate.  

Already 10,000 residents have signed the petition calling on the NSW Parliament to return the approval process back to local government.  

Industrial development is proposed for 159 ha of mostly intact bushland - known as the Ralston Avenue site - located within the Davidson Electorate.  

“If this development goes ahead it will have profound impacts on Middle Harbour and Garigal National Park.  It will also impact on residents living in St Ives, East Killara and East Lindfield. 

“I will work to find conservation based alternatives to bulldozing this bushland for development,” said Janine Kitson.

“The land should be bought or leased as a national park. 

“This bushland is too important to lose.

“I am determined to protect it” concluded Janine Kitson.

In total there are six sites targeted for rezoning across Davidson and Wakehurst electorates.  The sites are owned by the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council. One site on Morgan Road, Belrose is known as ‘Lizard Rock’ because of a prominent rock that looks like a lizard. 

The creeks flowing from the Ralston Avenue bushland site flow into Middle Harbour and Garigal National Park.  The site includes Duffys Forest Threatened Ecological Community and Coastal Upland Swamp Threatened Ecological Community.  There have been sightings of endangered Eastern Pygmy-possum, Powerful Owls and Glossy Black-cockatoos in the area.