ACT urges Tanya Plibersek to quash defence housing plan that would destroy critically endangered grasslands

Defence Housing Australia (DHA) has proposed building hundreds of houses on an old naval transmission site in the suburb of Lawson.

The development would consist of 443 dwellings, 150 of which would be for defence personnel and their families. The remainder would be sold on the private market.

Construction of the estate would involve clearing up to 15.8 hectares of the critically endangered natural temperate grassland of the south-eastern highlands, about 15% of the grasslands on site.

The grasslands are one of the most threatened ecosystems in Australia, with less than 10% of their original extent remaining. It is the same ecosystem that was at the centre of the Jam Land land-clearing case.

DHA has submitted an application to the federal government to determine whether the development is acceptable under national environmental laws and would require assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.

She wrote that the ACT government had identified the site as a priority conservation area for grasslands.

The development is the second in recent months by Defence Housing Australia to attract community concern.

The ACT development proposal prompted strong opposition during the federal election campaign and organisations including the Conservation Council ACT Region and Friends of Grasslands have argued an alternative site should be found.

They said most of the approximately 100 hectares of grasslands on site would be retained and core areas of striped legless lizard and golden sun moth habitat would be protected.

The government has said it will respond to the Graeme Samuel review of national environmental laws before the end of the year.