CAUSE FOR CONCERN

Tony Kelly's reply to the question asked in the Legislative Council last week appears below. Our concerns follow.

The Hon. TONY KELLY
I am reliably informed that it was not a green ban. I would rather take the word of my source than yours. As Minister for Lands I am responsible for ensuring that Crown land is managed for the benefit of people of New South Wales. The Department of Lands proposes to sell Crown land in Forest Lodge, which is zoned residential by Sydney city council. The department first offered the land to adjoining residents to either purchse or lease, and that offer was rejected. I am aware that residents approached Sydney city council with a view to council purchasing the land, and that was rejected. Notwithstanding that, I received a number of represenetations on the proposed sale, and I have asked for a comprehensive report. I will report to the House later.

Concerns
1 Does this mean the Minister is simply waiting for a report and for the Legislative Council to resume sitting in a week's time? Is this a stop on sale??

2 We understand that this 675.3 sq m of unbuilt-on land exists as an historical anomaly following the abandonment of a freeway through Glebe and Forest Lodge in the 1970s. The green ban movement and the activity of Labor politicians were instrumental in the abandonment of the freeway.

3 Our aim is to preserve the land as public open space. We see this as the only long term solution to ever-increasing pressures experienced by the local community due to the dramatic increase in residential density in the Forest Lodge area in the past 5 years.

4 We are not aware that Council has rejected an offer to purchase the land. What we do know is that the Lord Mayor wrote to the Minister asking for a meeting to discuss strategies for Sydney City Council taking over care of the land (see earlier blog). Unfortunately, this meeting did not eventuate. We are not aware of any other correspondence from Council to the Minister.

We urge the Minister to keep an open mind on this issue.

We urge Council to act on its policy to keep Sydney green.