By ANNA USHER

An 89-year-old Mosman woman has launched a landmark legal challenge against the state’s new planning controls, arguing they will “destroy” the character of the suburb.

Muston St resident Judith Pearson is believed to be the first person in NSW to initiate court action against the Government’s low and mid-rise housing reforms, amid growing concerns over new developments and their impact on the harbourside peninsula.

She has committed $500,000 to fight the case, which began in the Land and Environment Court last week.

“I am a long-term resident and felt I could not stand by and watch Mosman village be destroyed by developments that have not been well thought out for the area,” Mrs Pearson said.

“Many developers have no allegiance to Mosman and less concern for the heritage nature of our village. They will put enormous stress and uncertainty on so many of us who have chosen Mosman as home.”

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, Mrs Pearson was joined by 150 locals, calling for a “Mosman specific” housing plan, in consultation with the local community.

“I am not against development, but I am in favour of community-based housing solutions,” Mrs Pearson told Councillors.

“The early indications are that the planned developments for Mosman will only be affordable to the very privileged.”

Mrs Pearson urged Council to take a stronger stance against the state government’s housing reforms.

“Why are we trying to destroy the village of Mosman?,” she asked.

Still actively working in her accountancy business, Mrs Pearson has hired the help of top lawyers and planning experts as part of her grassroots legal challenge. Her case argues the “one size fits all” planning reforms, which override local planning controls, will have detrimental impacts on established suburbs and should be declared “invalid”.

“Mosman has grown organically over decades and all of a sudden, beautiful heritage homes are at risk of being knocked down and replaced with bland, residential blocks,” she said.

“Someone asked me if [the court challenge] is about being ‘entitled’ and my reply to that was: ‘Yes, we are entitled because we’ve worked hard to live here’. I am entitled to live here.

“I chose to make Mosman my home and I can’t stand by and watch the government run roughshod over it.”

A Department of Planning spokeswoman told the Sydney Morning Herald the government was unable to comment on the legal case but insisted the low- and mid-rise housing policy was aimed at “restoring choice and diversity” by “filling a gap in new housing supply that had been left unaddressed for decades”.

In a letter to Mosman Council on July 17, NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully said expects suburbs including Mosman and Balmoral to “take additional growth to alleviate the housing challenge”.

While unsure of the legal outcome, Mrs Pearson told Mosman Collective she is committed to fight.

“Originally the court action was all about me protecting “my patch”, but this is now about the whole community of Mosman,” she said.

“I am doing this on behalf of residents who live here because of the history, heritage and the importance of having the right environment that we all want to live in.”