A proposal to build up to 450 homes on Aboriginal-owned land at Morgan Road, Belrose, has been withdrawn, bringing the current planning process for the site known as Lizard Rock to an end.
Read: Preserving Patyegarang: Opposition Mounts to Belrose Housing Plan
The Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council’s Patyegarang planning proposal is listed as “Not Proceeding” on the NSW Planning Portal. The proposal covered a 71-hectare site and sought rezoning for residential development, a cultural centre, and other land uses.
The withdrawal follows years of debate over the future of the site, with bushfire risk, environmental impacts, and potential loss of bushland among the concerns raised during the planning process.
Bushfire and environmental concerns
Bushfire risk was a significant issue surrounding the proposal. Northern Beaches authorities had previously raised concerns about whether the proposal adequately addressed access and evacuation issues associated with the proposed development. The site is bushfire-prone, making emergency access and evacuation important considerations in the planning process.
Northern Beaches had also argued the proposal was inconsistent with relevant planning strategies and its Conservation Zones Review, while raising concerns about the environmental values of the site.
The scale of the land involved was another point of concern. Northern Beaches estimated the proposal could result in the loss of bushland equivalent to about 45 football fields.
The planning documents covered more than residential development. The proposal included a cultural centre, conservation areas and other proposed land uses.
The site is owned by the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council, making the proposal part of a broader discussion about Aboriginal land rights and the economic use of Aboriginal-owned land. The land council had sought to develop the site to generate revenue for its broader objectives, including programs benefiting Aboriginal people and social housing initiatives.
Northern Beaches has acknowledged the importance of Aboriginal land rights and economic self-determination while maintaining that another approach should be found for the Morgan Road site.
Future of the Morgan Road site remains open
The withdrawal removes the current proposal for up to 450 homes from the planning process, while the longer-term future of the site remains unresolved.
Northern Beaches Mayor Sue Heins said the withdrawal created an opportunity to pursue an alternative outcome that recognises the rights and aspirations of Aboriginal landowners while protecting the site’s bushland values.
Northern Beaches authorities have previously sought an alternative financial model that could allow the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council to benefit from its land while protecting the bushland. This included discussions involving federal and NSW representatives and the land council.
The latest development has been welcomed by Northern Beaches, which also acknowledged community members and Wakehurst independent MP Michael Regan for their advocacy during the planning debate.
The Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council’s withdrawal means the current Patyegarang proposal will not proceed in its existing form. The NSW Planning Portal records the application as “Not Proceeding” and lists a withdrawal letter from the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council dated July 2026.
Read: Belrose Bushland Sites Cleared for Private Market
The withdrawal does not establish a new use for the land. Any future proposal for the Morgan Road site would be a separate planning matter.
Published 5-September-2026
