Headline: Residents ask PM to save park
From Mosman Daily Thursday 28 November 2013
Mosman-Daily-28-Nov-2013-page-5-4
Group outraged over development plan
Mosman residents have implored their federal MP, Prime Minister Tony Abbott, to halt a move which would alienate public open space at Middle Head.
Residents are outraged over a current plan to build an aged-care facility at a former defence site on Middle Head, saying it would result in the overdevelopment of the headland.
Mr Abbott (under the Howard Government) played a pivotal role in the formation of the Harbour Trust – a federal government body established in 2001 to maximise public access to the headland and preserve the site’s heritage.However, Middle Head Rd resident David Briggs said the Trust could no longer be relied upon to stick to its charter.
“This plan changes the whole footprint of the area, traffic congestion will snowball – an aged care home is out of character with the precinct,” Mr Briggs said.
“This calls for Mr Abbott to examine what’s happening under his nose.”
There were also moves to resuscitate the now defunct Headland Preservation Group, which operated from 1996-2001, to ensure Middle Head was not sold to private development and ensure the Trust kept its promise to maintain the land as open space.
The group’s founding member Linda Bergin said the recent proposal would damage the natural and cultural heritage of Middle Head.
“It is the first time a new development (rather than an adaptive reuse) would occur. This would create a dangerous precedent going into the future,” Ms Bergin said.
The proposal, which would cost more than $33 million, is for 93 residents and a 15-person dementia day care facility.Mosman Mayor Peter Abelson said he supported the idea of a quiet aged-care facility but flagged concerns about its scale.