A Council spokesperson said the clearing was part of a 48-lot housing estate near the southern entry to Broulee that was approved by Council in February 2021.

Council's director of planning Lindsay Usher said the development and the associated clearing wasn't new news.

"The area has been zoned for development for many years," he said.

"It went through a significant and detailed ecological assessment as part of the biodiversity certification process.

"The developer has already paid approximately $700,000 of offsets, with additional payments for further approved clearing.

"The biodiversity certification process also included comprehensive community engagement, as have others since including a DCP and LEP amendment, where we talked in detail with the community about what was going to happen, including clearing.

"Like the DAs for other stages of the housing estate, the DA approved in February was notified, meaning letters were sent to nearby residents and feedback sought, and signage was erected on the Broulee Road frontage."

Mr Usher said the issues considered in urban land releases were complex.

"We need to meet the needs for growth, managing bushfire, managing land clearing and biodiversity, and there's a legal framework around these things," he said.

"Then there's the views of the community on all sides.

"It can be a difficult task for Council to manage all those expectations and get outcomes that work.

"Often people want to see bigger blocks and more trees but that means more land area needs to be developed.

"There are impacts whichever way you do it."

The council spokesperson said the corner portion of the block near the Broulee Road and Clarke Street intersection was community land.

Mr Usher confirmed the trees and vegetation there would remain untouched.

"Around one-fifth of the road reserve remains untouched outside the Asset Protection Zone," he said.

"A further quarter of the reserve had been cleared previously because the council has water mains located there.

"While the road reserve was identified in 2003 to be added to the community land parcel, this did not take place and came to the council's attention only recently.

"Action to turn this road reserve into community land is now underway."

Temporary fencing around the community land portion will be removed once work is complete.