When: 6:30 – 7:30 pm Thursday April 10 2014Where: Mosman Council Senior Citizen’s Centre (next to Mosman Town Hall, Mosman Square, Spit Junction)The Headland Preservation Group will have its 4th public meeting next week, continuing our campaign against an aged-care home on Middle Head. We will also discuss other threats to public parkland.Special Guest Speaker: Colonel Geoff Brown PhD RAASC/RACT (retired) on the military heritage of the Middle Head precinctAgenda:
- Latest news - aged care home campaign
- Speaker to be confirmed – “Public Land Under Threat”
- Guest speaker Colonel Geoff Brown
- 7:30 pm light refreshments
Dear Sydney Resident,There has been much publicity lately about the alienation of public parkland on Sydney Harbour, particularly on Middle Head, which is owned by the Commonwealth Sydney Harbour Federation Trust.Back in 1996, there was a fierce battle to prevent Defence lands around the Harbour from being sold off for private development. The Headland Preservation Group was formed at that time.That battle was successful and the outcome was the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust, a new Commonwealth agency to rehabilitate former Defence lands and turn them into public parkland, and to conserve and re-use/lease the heritage buildings.No doubt you have visited some of the Trust lands around the Harbour and seen the amazing parkland the Trust has created over its 16 year existence.Unfortunately the Trust is now considering a proposal for the development of an aged-care home on the ridgeline of Middle Head. I believe that this is an inappropriate use of public parkland that would exclude the public from enjoyment and understanding of the site’s significant aboriginal and military heritage.Following on from this, several weeks ago we discovered a 2013 NSW government sales brochure which earmarked (but has been withdrawn) several other Trust sites for development, including a 'greenfields' site for a boutique hotel on the ridgeline on Middle Head. Then last week, NSW announced it will release a white paper to audit and value all its land (42% of the state) and to consider "when to change use or realise value".The creation of the Harbour Trust was a bold and visionary step by the former Howard government. Prime Minister Tony Abbott said in a speech in 2012:
"My next campaign was against the Keating government's proposed sale of former military land around Sydney Harbour. Largely at my instigation, the Howard government committed more than $115 million to the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust to preserve the natural and built heritage of places like North Head and Middle Head."
I hope you can join me at our meeting next week!Yours in support of public land.Linda Bergin OAMPresident Headland Preservation Group Inc.savemiddlehead@gmail.com(02) 8091-7743 (please leave a message)
Take Action Now!
It is important that you write to our elected representatives and the Trust to let them know your views. For their contact details, read the Take Action Now page.