Linda Bergin OAM, Founding President of the Headland Preservation Group, has made her submission to the Independent Review of the Harbour Trust available for publication.
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD A COMPLETE COPY HERE →
Key points:
“Self-funding” has been incorrectly perpetuated through the decades in numerous government and Trust publications to the extent that the Trust now claims it is a “self-funding agency”.
The Act should be amended to provide funding by the Commonwealth Government in perpetuity in all respects of the Trust’s needs for operational and capital works.
The Trust Act should be amended to prohibit leases over 25 years. Options should be included in the calculation of lease terms. Long leases are a potential alienation of land contrary to the intent of Parliament.
No private organisation should able to lease and re-develop any large portion of the Island. The Trust alone should control and fund the Island (with the exception of Cockatoo Island Marina existing).
Given the significant ongoing threats by local government and sporting interests to the environmental and cultural values of Trust lands, the Act should be amended to prohibit new or intensified sporting uses on all Trust lands as being contrary to the Objects. In particular, synthetic turf should be completely prohibited on Trust lands.