6. Maps and Documents | Our Green Corridor

Our Green Corridor runs through the Lower Hunter Valley in New South Wales, Australia.

The sustainability of ecological corridors was highlighted in the following opinion article published in the Newcastle Herald on 5th January 2005 (Download article here - 75kb). The article relates to the Lower Hunter Regional Strategy, which has since been finalised, and now includes the Watagans to Stockton Bight Biodiversity (Green) Corridor as part of the lands to be protected for conservation in this region.

In the photograph's background is part of the Coal & Allied (C&A) conservation lands that extend to Mt. Sugarloaf in the far distance.

To secure approximately 2,500 hectares of key privately owned connecting forests and wetlands in the core of the green corridor, the coalition passed the follow resolution at its 2007 January meeting.

Agreed to accept the 80/20 (conservation/development) split to ensure the Northern Lands MOU does not fail. Press the point that the 80/20 split should apply to those lands not previously sold for conservation. GC priorities within the C&A lands has already been stated - agreed to stick to those priorities.

This decision was not taken lightly because of the 20% being retained for development but was made on the basis that this land would eventual be developed because of its close location to other expanding urban areas.

And, most importantly, to bring the green corridor much closer to completion the C&A conservation lands are essential and their addition will insure the protection of many diverse environments contained in the 60 kilometer long corridor. For this reason, the coalition finally accepted the local loss to development, but still holds conditions - such as local corridors.

The following letter (Click here to view - 208kb) was sent to the NSW Government restating the coalition's position regarding the Coal & Allied green corridor conservation lands, and other signed corridor land agreements, being transferred to the National Parks Estate.

The coalition wrote to the NSW Environment Minister regarding the long awaited opening of the Hexham Swamp tidal exclusion gates, Hexham Swamp also being a key part of the green corridor.
The following reply letter was received (Click here to view - 454kb) .