The Gibbergunyah Action Group fears the rural vista pictured above will be one of many to disappear from the Southern Highlands if councillors vote to rezone open space between Mittagong and Bowral on Wednesday.

However, the opposite vote could force council to reconsider the whole housing and growth strategy for the shire, according to Mayor Gordon Lewis.

Last month, Wingecarribee Shire Council deferred its decision on rezoning the farmland known as Gibbergunyah for future residential development of up to 160 houses.

Councillors will now vote on the matter at the next council meeting on November 28.

But nearly 60 Mittagong residents gathered on Mount Gibraltar last weekend to illustrate the effect rezoning will have on their homes and on green space between towns.

They say the development goes back on council’s previous commitments to maintain a clear historical buffer between towns.

“The amount of development that’s gone on in West Mittagong is overwhelming and this is going to be even more so,” said Gibbergunyah Action Group spokesperson Tracey Cremming.

“The infrastructure (around the proposed site) is extremely poor and massive upgrades would have to be made... the developers wouldn’t pay for that,” she said.

The proposed development site lies between John Street, Gib Gate School, and the Gibraltar Aged Care Complex where development is currently underway.

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