ABC Radio 702 – Breakfast with Wendy Harmer and Robbie Buck interview with HPG President, Jill L'Estrange.
Monday 9 December 2019
WH: This is breakfast with Robbie Buck and Wendy Harmer. Well, in October the Morrison government their minister for the environment Sussan Ley announced that first ever wide-ranging independent review of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust. What's happened with that inquiry? How long is it supposed to run and when will the results be delivered?
RB: Yeah of course you know that the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust looks after a lot of really prime sites around Sydney. It was established back in 2001 to oversee the rehabilitation of some of the big sites, Macquarie light station Vaucluse, Cockatoo Island, Woolwich Dock, North Head Sanctuary, just a few of the spots they look after, but the expenditure for the trust, it’s not small, it costs a lot of money to rehabilitate those places and the governance of the Trust has also been questioned from time to time. Well the latest news is that the trust is now running in the red for the second year running and there's no way it'll be self-funding unless Canberra keeps plugging money into it.
RB: So what's going on and what are the concerns? Jill L'Estrange is the President of the Headland Preservation Group and joins us. Hello Jill.
JL’E: Good morning Robbie and Wendy.
WH: Can you tell us why the inquiry was mooted in the first place?
JL’E: Well I think the inquiry was actually the result of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust approaching the Commonwealth Government for more funding to help the rehabilitation and restoration of outstanding buildings and lands on some of these sites around the Harbour, predominantly being Cockatoo Island and the North Head Barracks on North Head.
RB: You've been involved in the Preservation Group which is I'm told one of the oldest advocacy groups in this area. You've been running for about 23 years, and the trust itself has only been running for about 18 years, what kind of report card do you give it?
JL’E: Look I think to date the trust has done an amazing job. From the beginning there was... they have really had a blank canvas. They have rehabilitated many buildings. They've been adaptively reused. They have preserved the environment, and we're mostly concerned really with Headland Park which is Middle Head, Georges Heights, Chowder Bay and Drill Hall Precinct. And a lot of these sites, and in particular Cockatoo Island, really has required expenditure of money that nobody realised. They did not realise that contamination was so great and the restoration would require so much funding. So the trust really has run into financial difficulties in being able to go forward on many of these sites. Headland Park is a slightly different example, many of the buildings there have been rehabilitated, except for probably the largest building 10 terminal which hasn't. I understand actually that headland park is itself self-funding. So the rehabilitation of these buildings and allowing them to be used for commercial purposes does provide the Trust with some income .
WH: So the charge here is that the review is rushing through its agenda and that no one really knows that it's on. Would you say that that was... Is that what you think too Jill?
JL’E: I do think that. We were not aware of the review until it was announced on the 30th of October [2019]. Submissions being due on the 23rd of December [2019] being very close to Christmas. It wasn't well advertised, and in fact it was three weeks after the review was announced that there was even an advertisement in the local paper that appeared on the second last page even in the Sydney Morning Herald which is only a state paper that appeared on the 15th of November. These lands were put aside to celebrate the Centenary of Federation by John Howard and they were put aside for all people of Australia.
They are not just Sydney's lands. They're not just the people of New South Wales’ lands. But strangely enough even the people of Mosman, the local community next door to Headland Park, don't know that this review is going on. The reviewers, in all respect to them, have approached people that are considered by the trust to be stakeholders, but that is not necessarily the people of Australia. There have been no open forum, no explanation of the review. It's a very complicated review. The legislation surrounding the Sydney Harbour Federation Federation Trust is complicated.
There is an act and supporting plans, and the people in order to make a decision that is considered, need to understand the ramifications of this review, because in looking at future funding for the Trust they're looking at perhaps amendment of the legislation, but there is no detail as to what should be amended in that legislation. They're looking at whether the balance of commercialisation and the balance of preserving heritage and environment should be altered, suggesting that perhaps commercialisation of Trust lands is the only way out. Unless the Commonwealth Government realises that these lands are so iconic and so important to the people of Australia that they need to be retained. These lands actually not only define Sydney they define Australians and Australia.
WH: Well yes they are so incredibly important.
JL’E: Yes yes. And yet [they] are wanting to commercialise these lands or suggesting that they be commercialised in order to keep them afloat.
WH: Okay, so you are concerned that this could lead as as you just said there, to private development of this land?
JL’E: I am suggesting that because the actual terms of reference are so broad that you could should the legislation be amended. One of the questions: how should the legislation be amended? Nobody knows the details... I could answer that, and say yes, and it could lead to all sorts of amendments to the legislation. And there are many people out there many with vested interests, whether it's commercial or sporting, that have had their eyes on these lands for a long time and it's an opportunity for them to put in a submission. And if we're talking about submissions I wonder how many the trust or the government will get because they are not really advertising this review far and wide and asking all those people in the community that don't have a voice to voice their opinion.
WH: Well you are talking about iconic places as Robbie mentioned, Cockatoo Island, North and Middle Heads, Georges Heights, Chowder Bay, Woolwich, Watsons Bay Vaucluse, sub base Platypus in Neutral Bay. These are really the jewels in Sydney's crown. I would have thought Jill.
JL’E: Well Wendy I call them... actually the central park of Sydney. If you're looking at the Central Park in New York the New Yorkers would never consider a compromise in Central Park and we're considering a compromise of all these lands and I think most Australians would be outraged to think that we would jeopardise these wonderful iconic precincts for commercialization. When you look at them [these lands], when you're flying into Sydney, they're nothing but a handkerchief in comparison to the huge urbanisation of this city. And we talk about mental illness and health.
I was reading an article in The Herald a couple of weeks ago, apparently 145 billion dollars is saved by the existence of national parks in this country because of their importance to mental health and here we are wanting to commercialise them to make money to save what the governments should be saving which are these iconic lands.
RB: Okay, Jill L'Estrange with us this morning, she's the President of the Headland Preservation Group and we're just chatting about this review into the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust. It's a two person review, it's headed by a former New South Wales planning chief. As you've said the findings are going to be handed down I think in March which a lot of people are saying is too short a duration. But within that is there some space that you've identified where where locals and Sydneysiders are able to put those views, that you've forwarded here, to echo those views in person?
JL’E: Yes there is, in person I don't think there's another public consultation, they were held very quickly in mid to late November just in three areas, Cockatoo Island, Headland Park and North Head, not widely advertised. But I would urge all those that are listening to please send a submission to the department and those details if they looked at the Headland Preservation Group website, will be on that website. And it is very important that they have their say. I understand from the reviewers they will take submissions after the 23rd of December [2019] because they realize that this is such an important issue.
I'm hoping they will have a forum in February [2020]. And I would urge the Minister Susan Ley to attend that forum and I would urge them to acquaint the public with the issues and enable them to give a considered response to this review.
WH: All right. Well, thanks for sounding the alarm bell on that one Jill, we shall keep up with that and see what transpires. Thank you.
JL’E: Thank you Wendy.
WH: Jill L'Estrange, she’s President of the Headland Preservation Group.