Community concerns continue to rise about the clearing of land on Thurgoona Drive, but developers say all efforts were taken to mitigate environmental impacts.
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Works by Alatalo Bros to clear the way for housing beside Fairway Gardens began earlier in the month.
The Border Mail has since been contacted by a number of long-term residents who said they were shocked at the extent of the clearing.
Bohdan Janczuk has followed plans for the site since 2012 and said he was appalled by how many trees were removed.
“They just flattened everything, there’s no sense of keeping trees to go with new plantings, it was just bull-dozed,” he said.
“Surely some remnants could have been kept.”
Mr Janczuk said community agreement with his concerns were confirmed when Dr Seuss characters were put up outside the site to express the impact on wildlife.
“There’s a sense of loss and that just sums it up,” he said.
“There were kangaroos, echidnas and endangered birds there, when it was planted 30 years ago native trees were planted to preserve the birds and give them nesting and living spaces.
“That’s all gone now.”
An Alatalo Bros spokesman said the development had abided by regulations set by Albury Council.
“There have been a number of community meetings held over the last four or five years,” he said.
“Every care was taken during the course of those trees being removed, they were done in a number of different sections, not all in one hit.
“I gave the opportunity for wildlife to move on.”
Council director of planning and environment Michael Keys said the land was rezoned from environmental to residential in 2013.
Mr Keys said neighbouring land that was residential was made environmental.
Public consultation about the zoning swap received no submissions, but community members did have issues with the plans for housing.
“A development application in 2014 to build the residential estate received four submissions, which included concerns about the loss of vegetation proposed,” Mr Keys said.
“Council approved the development on the condition the developer undertake improvement works, including additional planting.”