Peat Island: Gateway to the Hawkesbury

Join our campaign to keep Peat Island and its surrounds in community hands for future generations.

Submissions on the latest proposal are due on 20 December, 2021

Download the Submission from Hornsby Council 447.83 KB  raising their concerns

 Download our submission guide here377.81 KB

Click here to use our online submission form

In September 2021, the situation is as follows:

The latest Peat Island Planning Proposal is now on Public Exhibition

According to the NSW Government, the proposal aims to "open Peat Island to the public, while also revitalising Mooney Mooney with new housing, community facilities and job opportunities".

The NSW Government proposal claims the following key features:

• Nearly 270 new houses at Mooney Mooney,
• Retention of nine historical buildings on the island, and four on the mainland,
• New retail and café or restaurant opportunities,
• Approximately 9.65 hectares of open space, including opportunities for walking and cycling tracks, parklands and recreational facilities,
• Retention of the chapel and surrounding land for community use, and
• 10.4 hectares of bushland dedicated as a conservation area.

At first glance this is an improvement on previous proposals but there is a BETTER VISION for this iconic site.

For the past 12 months CEN has been championing the formation of the Dyarubbin Peat Island Lands Association (DPIA), an incorporated, not-for-profit community-driven movement to transform Peat Island and lands west of the M1 into the nationally and globally significant location it deserves to be.

We are now working with the Lower Hawkesbury River communities to campaign for a BETTER VISION for Peat Island Lands - a vision that incorporates culture, heritage, history, environment and community. Our vision has all the positives of the planning proposal with none of the negatives and will guarantee Peat Island's preservation as a public asset for future generations.

• Read more about the DPIA's BETTER VISION here
• Sign up (see Friends of Peat Island on the right of this page) to receive updates about the new Association, including assistance with making a submission in response to the latest planning proposal and for more information about our a BETTER VISION.
• Follow the campaign on facebook

Read on below to find out how long CEN has been actively working to protect and enhance Peat Island from privatisation and  over-development.

Save Peat Island

Rabbit Island 1900

Background

Peat Island was originally established as a hospital for mental health patients. It has been closed for 5 years and the land is now being considered for other uses.

CEN supports:

• Aesthetic of the Hawkesbury Valley to be maintained;
• Public Use and Access Improved.

For Example:
The western area should be for day-trippers to stay at (picnic, walks, etc. places to buy food and for large numbers to move through, on to the river and the National Parks. There would be opportunity for basic waterfront camping and heritage buildings would hold displays on National Parks, Hospital and Tourism.”