A local photographer is working hard to capture the beauty of neighbouring bushland, soon to be on the chopping block for housing development.
Several green spaces within the Hunter have been earmarked for residential estates over the past two decades across a number of suburbs, including Wallsend, Cameron Park, Fletcher, Elermore Vale and Glendale.
Richard McQuade moved to the Minmi area 15 years ago from the Blue Mountains… and instantly fell in love with the surrounding nature.
“There’s so much of it that’s really pristine, and I can’t believe it’s there and people don’t know about it,” he told the Newcastle Weekly.
But, it wasn’t long before he received a letter stating large masses of bushland near his home would be converted into housing.
“It’s soul crushing to think that in the middle of a climate crisis, that’s what we’re prioritising,” he said.
“People need housing, but not this type of housing.
“Just through our extinction rate, we’ve done too much and no one’s talking about it.
“So, we’ve got this huge asset that we’re just scrapping.”
In the late 1990s, a 26-hectare parcel of land owned by Kingston Property was earmarked for housing development.
The site, located at 505 Minmi Road in Fletcher, is a known hub for many native species, including koalas, Black cockatoos, Swamp wallabies, echidnas, bandicoots, owls and goannas.
A recent ecological report conducted by City of Newcastle (CN) identified a total of 23 threatened flora recorded in or close to the development site.
Five years ago, Mr McQuade made a mission to showcase the natural beauty held within the site through photography.
“You’re not going to want to save something you don’t know is there,” he said.
“I made sure all the photos I took were from areas slated for development.
“So, pretty much everything in those photos will be gone.”
He said the medium was the only way he felt able to emphasise the importance of conservation.
“I feel like I’m stuck at the bottom of the system and there’s nothing I can really do,” Mr McQuade explained.
“So, I just keep taking the photos and hope that something will present itself.”
In June 2025, the state government announced a large portion of the 505 Minmi Road estate would be used for conservation rather than housing.
Of the 26-hectare site, only 3.6 hectares is now zoned for residential use – a reduction of 9.7 hectares from what was originally proposed.
In the decision, the total area allocated for conservation increased from 12.98 hectares to 22.7 hectares.
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