Urban Growth: NSW development application to subdivide and vandalise Australian history lodged
North Parramatta Residents Action Group (NPRAG) have been alerted to the fact that the State Government’s Development Arm UGNSW last week lodged the first Development Application with City of Parramatta council for the Fleet Street Heritage Precinct: an ill-conceived proposal that will turn public land containing Australia’s oldest and most intact heritage buildings into a high density residential suburb of 3000+ units.
This precinct was placed under a total Greenban by the CFMEU and Jack Mundey in August 2015 after the community concerns went ignored by the State Member for Parramatta Dr Geoff Lee.
“Dr Lee is ignoring constituents who have been working tirelessly to save our indigenous and colonial heritage from being desecrated, while he is gleefully handing it over to Mr Baird to sell for private residential development,” said Suzette Meade, President of NPRAG
State Member for Parramatta Dr Geoff Lee continues to ignore the community who have been fighting against this inappropriate development for almost 2 years. All we hear is Mr Lee promoting Mike Baird’s mandate to sell every remaining piece of public land in Parramatta for residential or commercial development.
Before our local government was unceremoniously sacked and replaced by a State Government-appointed representative Ms Chadwick, the former Lord Mayor Paul Garrard of Parramatta City Council wrote to Planning Minister Rob Stokes demanding this totally inappropriate development be at least paused until the National Heritage Listing was finalised. Requesting further transparent consultation with the wider community and other interested stakeholders was carried out. This fell on deaf ears.
How can the future of this most precious site be under the autonomous control of a State Government appointed administrator who is absurdly making decisions on a development application that is being fast tracked by a State Government department who’s only mandate is to reach maximum residential density on public land.
This sort of undemocratic decision making process is something we would expect in North Korea but not here in Australia. It is a disgrace – a slap in the face to the Darug custodians of the land, the tens of thousands of women and girls from 1818 to 1974 whose lives were changed forever after being incarcerated within this precinct.
If the Greater Sydney Commission’s Lucy Turnbull is fair dinkum about making Parramatta Australia’s next great city then she will step in and stop this State Government proposal to vandalise Australia’s most significant precinct by dumping a new high density suburb here. Residents of Parramatta are calling on Lucy Turnbull to champion the peoples’ plan for the best and biggest arts and cultural precinct for NSW to be created in this world heritage worthy oasis on Parramatta River.
The residents of Parramatta demand that NO development application pertaining to the Cumberland Hospital site be accepted by City of Parramatta council. No land sold and not a sod turned until we have democratically-elected representatives returned to represent the community in the Local Government Elections in September 2017 – demanded Ms Meade.
Contact – Suzette Meade (0412 990 880) smeade@nprag.org
NORTH PARRAMATTA RESIDENTS ACTION GROUP www.nprag.org
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Return to home pageLets not forget what this same Government is doing to Thompson Square in Windsor – Australia’s oldest public Square proclaimed by Governor Macquarrie and where the instigators of the Vinegar Hill Rebellion Leaders were hanged. This Government and its members and ministers are public vandals, in this case for a new higher bridge over the Hawkesbury that will be 3 lanes instead of 2 and no real change in traffic conditions due to no change in Windsor Road over South Creek at Mc Graths Hill.
People should start calling these LNP ingrates what they actually are, FASCISTS.
Wake Australia!!! They are NOT conservatives, they are FASCISTS!!!!!
Australia has a 3rd World rate of population growth underpinning our economic ‘growth’.
The idea is that importing consumers (be they wealthy or potential debt slaves is irrelevant) automatically inflates land values and increases consumption for mainly imported goods, all for the benefit of the few.
The illusion given the public is really self-interest masquerading as creative enterprise.
Urban renewals are part of the population ponzi scheme the public is being forced to endure.
How about a referendum that includes the question of what is appropriate population growth for Oz?
It is possible to have 1st World rate of population and 1st world living standards.
We are encouraged with cheap credit to borrow and spend because, without debt fueling GDP growth, current outstanding debts can not be repaid.
More gangsters at work……where is Elliot Ness when you need him?
I’d written this prior to reading this article. I had been wondering where I’d post it.
Perhaps the 2nd document will stir up some support for this cause.
As it is coming up to Australia Day there are two history related PDFs I’d like to suggest are good reading…..for those, like myself, who are quite ignorant of our very early western settlement history. Considering how scholarly many are here, I’d suppose it will be old hat stuff for many.
China and the Beginning of Australian History
http://www98.griffith.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/handle/10072/5783/24493_1.pdf;sequence=1
I’ve only read part of this one so far – its an academic doc. I suppose I’m referring to the doc as it shows “what to with Australia “was up for debate – which I was completely unaware of.
A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson
Watkin Tench 1793
http://setis.library.usyd.edu.au/ozlit/pdf/p00044.pdf
This journal really grabbed my attention particularly in regard to the settlers relationship with aboriginals at the time. I skipped to those bits at first.
I think this is a document every Australian should read. Watkin Tench seems worldly enough to have not lied too much to please the audience for his journal, though you’d expect at least a bit of whitewashing.
I expected us invaders to be cruel bastards and more often at fault as a cause of conflict, and we were, but there was also kindness and a desire for restraint, until population and territory creep started causing too much harm and conflict.
Even though many aspects would sting an aboriginal person very deeply, there are also many worthy of pride. In adding factual individual personalities to the generic and negative term “primitive”, it humanises and enables one to see how they would have reacted the same way emotionally if the boot was on the other foot.