Endangered Powerful Owls and Platypus are at risk due to a planned development by The Hills Shire Council.

A group of concerned residents have united to launch legal action against the Council to protect 6.8 hectares of environmentally sensitive land in Fred Caterson Reserve, Castle Hill. Fred Caterson Champions Inc (FCC) have escalated the community fight. They are taking their local council to court to defend the endangered Powerful Owl and the Platypus living in Cattai Creek, part of the Hawkesbury – Nepean River catchment.

The court action aims to preserve this “jewel” of Castle Hill. Council are planning to send in the bulldozers and remove 350 endemic trees, many with critically important hollows.

Council’s proposal will cause locals to suffer a huge loss of their open green space which is currently used for many things, including bird watching, picnics and bushwalking.

Money is needed to fund the legal team, court costs and other associated fees that will be incurred in the battle to protect the environmentally sensitive Crown Land for future generations. In the event that FCC is awarded costs by the judge, excess donations will be held until such time that the community are satisfied The Hills Shire Council are acting in the best interests of the environment and local residents. After that, excess donations will be donated to a charity working to protect the environment.