During the visit Australasian Orchid Society National Conservation Officer Alan Stephenson told Mr Garrett a possible rezoning of the paper estate was an environmental disaster waiting to happen.

On the Heritage Estate site, near Erowal Bay, the minister met with Mr Stephenson and members of local Bushcare, community forums and Native Animal Network Association.

If fully rezoned, a maximum of 730 residential lots could be considered for development.

Once the department’s initial recommendations are made, the proponents, like Shoalhaven City Council, landowners and community groups, will be informed.

The more formalised and public announcement will be made within weeks.

Happy Mr Garrett was on site, Mr Stephenson said he was bracing himself for

the inevitable.

“You will never get a 100 per cent win for the environment,” he said.

“My feeling is they will approve some of the development.”

Even if a small proportion of the development is approved, Mr Stephenson said the area’s sensitive environment would be pillaged.

To meet bushfire concerns, most of the site’s bush will be bulldozed, according to

Mr Stephenson.

“It will be something like a scorched earth policy. It will look like a wheat farm – nothing will be there,” he claimed.

Mr Stephenson put in a detailed 4000-word submission stating why the development should not go ahead.

Mentioned in his submission was the need to protect the various rare orchids, but he also mentioned significant and sensitive species like the eastern bristle bird, glossy black cockatoo and the high number of rare trees.

Mr Garrett said he had been going through all the documentation and decided he needed to see the site for himself.

“I am looking at this from an environmental perspective, nothing more nothing less,” he said.

The night before he came to the Shoalhaven, Mr Garrett spoke with some of the estate’s landowners.

Mr Stephenson said he was pleased the Minister made an effort to see the site and glad he got the chance to speak directly with him.

“He did not have to come down,” he said.

Mr Stephenson likened the Heritage Estate situation to the Tasmanian Gunns Pulp Mill issue, but on a smaller scale.