Timeline – Saving Middle Head from Aged Care Development

2009–2011

March 2009 – EOI for 10 Terminal for a range of uses – closed 31 March 2009

April 2011 – EOI for 10 Terminal for a Boutique Hotel – closed 29 April 2011

2012

May 2012 – Middle Head and Headland Park sites advertised in China Marketing brochure by Austrade

July 2012 – Middle Head Healthcare received approval in NSW for 86 bed licenses 

August 2012 – EOI for 10 Terminal for a Boutique Hotel – closed 6 August 2012 – three (3) applicants were considered by the Trust Tenant Selection Committee

26 November 2012 – Middle Head Healthcare Pty Ltd was registered with ASIC

December 2012 – Trust Board Minutes – Lease Concept Brief Paper – the Trust resolved to move to the next stage of negotiations with a company called Continuing Health Care – Middle Head. ‘Aged care” and ‘10 Terminal’ not mentioned in Minutes.

2013

June 2013 – Trust Board Minutes – Proposal by Continuing Health Care Middle Head – Trust resolved to move to the next stage. There was still no mention of ‘10 Terminal’ or ‘aged care’. Board approved draft changes to Middle Head Management Plan to be placed on public exhibition, to accommodate the proposal.

31 October 2013 – Aged Care proposal placed on public exhibition. Applicant is Middle Head Healthcare Pty Ltd. Draft changes to the Middle Head Management Plan are also placed on public exhibition. The Harbour Trust invites submissions on an amendment to the Draft Management Plan to allow a proposed residential care development with a long ground lease (25 years), for the Barracks Buildings and 10 Terminal on Middle Head, beyond the period covered by the Act with a reuse that is not adaptive – something the Trust has never done before.

26 November 2013 – Public Information Session held by the Trust at 10 Terminal. Before the meeting, former HPG members come together with other Save Middle Head supporters and sign up over 200 people outside 10 Terminal, who wanted to be kept in the loop about the proposal, many of whom became long term supporters and volunteers for the ongoing campaign. At the meeting, Geoff Bailey The Trust's Executive Director and Nick Hollow Deputy Executive Director seem to favour aged care proposal. Nick Hollow says MHHC is their "preferred proponent."

5 December 2013 – A group of concerned residents, the Save Middle Head Group, held the 1st Save Middle Head Public Meeting attended by over 200 people with the majority of community members opposed to the development. The Group argued that this development proposal is for a large scale new residential development instead of adaptive reuse limited to open space and park purposes.
READ THE SAVE MIDDLE HEAD GROUP’S PRESENTATION →

11 December 2013 – Closing date for submissions to the Trust from the public commenting on the proposed development.

During November and early December many members of the community made their submissions available for publication and also wrote their concerns to the local press.
READ HIGHLIGHTS OF PUBLISHED COMMUNITY COMMENTS →

11 December 2013 – the Trust Trust Public (open) Board Meeting at the Trust Head Office, an estimated 130 community members attended, the majority of them strongly against the proposal.

26 Dec 2013 – HPG volunteers conducted a Boxing Day Petition Drive, hundreds of people visiting Middle Head to view the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race signed up and subscribed to further campaign updates.

2014

23 January 2014 – 2nd HPG Public Meeting. Meeting attended by almost 200 people from the community with standing room only, the majority against the proposal, many donated funds to allow HPG to continue the campaign and seek legal advice.

20 February 2014 – 3rd HPG Public Meeting. Headland Preservation Group officially reformed as a legal entity. Speakers included Ms Ilona Millar, Special Counsel Baker & McKenzie legal firm, who stated that the Trusts plans were unlawful and that "the development application is not consistent with the comprehensive plan, nor is it consistent with the Middle Head management plan even if that plan were to get amended as proposed."

24 February 2014 – A petition of 1874 signatories lodged to the House of Representatives.

3 March 2014 – Geoff Bailey the Trust's announces that the proponents will not develop both sides of the road and restrict development to the 10 Terminal buildings. The Trust also announces that the proposal is being referred under the EPBC Act. Once that process is complete, the proposal will come back to the Trust under its own Act for further consultation.

4 March 2014 – Mosman Council unanimous resolution against the proponents first proposal. Mosman Council moved that the proposed aged care facility be rejected despite a last minute request from the Harbour Trust that Mosman Council not vote on the Motion at its meeting. Note: although Mosman Council is not a consenting authority on any of the land managed by the Trust it obviously represents the community that surrounds the Middle Head and Georges Heights precincts.

22 March 2014 – Sydney Morning Herald front page story "Sydney 'for sale': prime locations up for grabs" revealed that three of the Trust sites (Middle Head, Georges heights and North Head) were available for lease and redevelopment to Chinese investors, in a marketing document found on a Chinese government website. READ MARKETING DOCUMENT HERE →

24 Mar 2014 – A second petition with 442 additional signatories to add to the first petition lodged to the House of Representatives. 

10 April 2014 – 4th HPG Public Meeting speakers included Colonel Geoff Brown PhD RAASC/RACT (retired) who spoke on the military heritage of the Middle Head precinct. The Trust's Executive Director, Geoff Bailey, attended this meeting and answered questions. Bailey said that the aged care proposal was selected because it was the most appropriate, the least interventionist, would have the least impact on the headland and would maximise public access. But the proposal did not comply with Management Plan for Middle Head, which is why the Trust was seeking to amend the plan to fit the aged care home proposal.

30 Apr 2014 – Aged Care #2 referred under EPBC

6 May 2014 – Mosman Council passed a unanimous resolution that the proposal be deemed a controlled action and that a full environmental and heritage assessment be undertaken.

8 May 2014 – 5th HPG Public Meeting held to consider the 'new' revised proposal, that now is only on the southern side of Middle Head Road, but will result in almost total demolition of 10 Terminal and require firewalls for bushfire protection.

14 May 2014 – closing date for submissions to have the proposal subject to a full assessment under EPBC.

27 May 2014 – Aged Care #2 EPBC decision – Referral deemed Controlled Action by Environment Minister Hunt.

7 June 2014 – The Sydney Harbour Trust Public (open) Board Meeting at the Trust Head Office. The room was filled to capacity with community members. Julie Goodsir outlined an alternate concept for use of the site that followed the Trust's original vision and intent.

07 July 2014 – Aged Care #2 EPBC decision – Will be assessed by Preliminary Documentation, Invitation to Comment

17 July 2014 – 6th HPG Public Meeting

27 July 2014 – A Public Rally held at Middle Head was attended by 400 people!

3 August 2014 – Deadline for submissions under EPBC and the Trust Acts combined on the proposed development. A complex process that required clear instructions so that community members could make their submissions to both the Department of the Environment and the Trust and have them accepted as valid. HPG also made a very detailed submission that included expert heritage and fire safety reports.
READ THE FULL SUBMISSION HERE >

5 August 2014 – Mosman Council unanimously rejects the proposal a second time!

12 Sep 2014 – HPG meets with Greg Hunt and Trent Zimmerman, who agreed to look at an alternative proposal

16 Sep 2014 – Sydney Harbour Federation Trust approved the new Management Plan, the aged care Development Application, and the agreement to the lease (this was unknown to anyone until early November).

21 Sep 2014 – HPG online petition drive. HPG volunteers sign up almost 2000 people on iPads, with many opting for email updates.

24 Sep 2104 – HPG sends a preliminary alternate proposal outline to Greg Hunt.

13 October 2014 – At the invitation of Greg Hunt, Minister for the Environment, HPG presents a substantial final alternative proposal for a cultural interpretive centre in keeping with the original vision and intent for the site.

23 October 2014 – Approval for the aged care proposal is granted by the Department of the Environment, announced by the Minister, the Trust, and Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

24 October 2014 – Sydney Morning Herald publishes "Tony Abbott’s sister opposes government's approval of Middle Head aged care"

06 November 2014 – 2GB Broadcaster Alan Jones takes up the campaign against residential aged care development on Middle Head.

11 November – 7th HPG Public Meeting held on Remembrance Day in the Mosman RSL Auditorium. Over 250 people heard about the alternate proposal that presented to Minister Hunt. 

16 November 2014 – HPG Save Middle Head Rally and March. Despite early rain, about 300 people turned up to demonstrate that the community is not in favour of the development. 

26 November 2014 – GetUp Petition Launched

7 December 2014 – 2GB Broadcaster Alan Jones visits Middle Head and meets with HPG members.

9 December 2014 – Trust Board Meeting in public.

21 December 2014 – Abbott announces Ministry reshuffle.

23 December 2014 – Bob Baldwin MP replaces Senator Birmingham in charge of the Harbour Trust.

23 December 2104 – 2 hour meeting at 10 Terminal with Alan Jones, Environment Minister Greg Hunt, Trust Executive Director Geoff Bailey, representatives of HPG and Cathy Griffin, Councillor Manly.