Brad Hazzard tells protesters at Liberal launch he's committed to saving another 100 hectares of critically endangered bushland at ADI Site. Lend Lease would be slugged $100 million in lost revenue
There was actually a legitimate protest today at Barry O'Farrell's campaign launch (not the stunt protest put on by the ALP) by Western Sydney residents and environmentalists. They had gathered to raise awareness about the Liberal/Nationals urban sprawl policy and how that would devastate what little is left of Western Sydney's bushland and of course how it would affect the quality of life of it residents.
The legitimate protesters were also wanting to speak with Brad Hazzard, the Shadow Planning Minister, to question why he has gone quiet on his commitment before the Penrith by-election that the Liberal/Nationals would conserve an additional 100 hectares of critically endangered Cumberland Plain Woodland at the controversial ADI Site. The ADI Site contains vast areas of bushland that the NSW Government and the pro development Penrith Council are allowing to be developed by developer giant Lend Lease. Brad Hazzard also committed to creating new Western Sydney ecological corridors.
Brad Hazzard was confronted, when leaving todays campaign launch in Penrith, and asked by Geoff Brown, President of the Western Sydney Conservation Alliance (in the presence of others) when he would formally honour his Penrith by-election commitment and announce the additional 100 hectares at the ADI Site.
"Brad Hazzard said he was committed to delivering the 100 hectares and the ecological corridors. I asked him when an announcement was due and he said he wanted to make sure it could be done legally. I reminded Mr Hazzard of legal advice already given to him by myself from the Environmental Defenders Office outlining how the bushland could be conserved using several pieces of NSW legislation with no cost to the NSW taxpayer. Mr Hazzard then said well that is only the advice from the Environmental Defenders Office." (see attached EDO advice given to Brad Hazzard)
"Whilst Mr Hazzard says to our face he is committed to the 100 hectares at ADI our fear is the Lib/Nats will try to squirm out of this major conservation promise. It appears they may be already looking for a legal loophole to argue their hands are tied. Brad Hazzard has the law on his side to save this bushland so there is no point delaying a formal announcement.
"Mr Hazzard was also told that this very 100 ha is under immediate threat of imminent clearing as Lend Lease has a Development Application lodged with Penrith Council to clear up to half of this 100 Ha. Tanya Davies the Liberal Candidate for Mulgoa is a Penrith Councillor and Mr Hazzard was told of the need for the Liberal dominated Penrith Council to reject that DA in order to prevent a major embarrassment. A failure of the Libs on Council to protect the 100 ha committed by Brad Hazzard will be a major embarrassment to Brad Hazzard and Barry O'Farrell. It will come back to bite them in the electorate.
"Lend Lease have obviously been exerting pressure on the local Liberal candidates including Stuart Ayres, Tanya Davies and Bart Bassett to drop this commitment as they will be hit for about $100 million in lost revenue as their mega development is reduced by 1000 lots.
"The public however will cheer the scaling back of this unpopular development and applaud Brad Hazzard and the Lib/Nats for conserving critically endangered Cumberland Plain Woodland of which only 8% of its original extent remains with only 8% of that protected by the current NSW Govt.
"We want this additional 100 hectares formally announced in the next few weeks."
Source: Media Release
Western Sydney Conservation Alliance
Sunday 20th February 2010
Comments by Geoff Brown President Western Sydney Conservation Alliance and spokesperson for ADI Residents Action Group
0431 222602
Comments
VivKay (not verified)
Tue, 2011-02-22 05:57
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Humans in "Plague proportions"
Humans, due to misanthropic political design, are making us into a plague. The evolutionary drive to deny land and habitat to even endangered species is evidence of humanity's predatory characteristics. All species have an evolutionary drive to take dominance over other species and increase their share of resources, but humans just do it better than others. We are victims of our own evolutionary success, and will eat away our future.
Barry O'Farrell's recent policy announcement that the Liberal/Nationals intend to open up Western Sydney to even more urban sprawl, if realised, will have a huge impact on Western Sydney's bushland remnants. How can he support it's conservation and urban sprawl at the same time? How big does our "herd" have to be to ensure our ultimate survival? Large herds are clumsy, and prone to be inflexible, vulnerable natural disasters and over-consumption.
Any development on the ADI site will likely push many plant and animal species to extinction.Toxic urban sprawl is denying opportunities for indigenous flora and fauna to survive our onslaught. Our governments are driven by not only evolution, but armed with monetary power from developers' patronage.
Once the petri dish is full and overflowing, and resources consumed, all that will be left will be the polluted juices as reminders of our existence.
Editorial comment: Humankind's current practice of destroying the future prospects of other species and, through that, ultimately its own future prospects is ultimately caused by the undemocratic imposition of the will of humankind's greedy elite. rather than the will of humankind as a whole. All opinion polls show that the overwhelming majority of Australians don't want high immigration and don't want unending population growth. Yet it is somehow being imposed upon us to suit Australia's selfish greedy elite, who, perversely, are able to enrich themselves from what must make Australians as a whole, on average, much poorer. Even the greedy who are able to gain from population growth, surely can't gain that much as it could only become politically more difficult to take a larger share of the wealth that is needed by ever larger numbers of people, that is, unless, they have plans, they have not shared with the rest of us, to take away the political rights of the majority of Australians. The indefinite continuation of the current exponential rate of population can only destroy the future prospects of the descendants of every human being alive today, including the descendants of greedy elites who are pushing population growth. Even in the Third World countries, which are driving most of the world's current population growth, that is, China and India, it seems highly unlikely to me most want unlimited population growth, certainly the most informed and educated people don't want it. If the majority of humankind are able to take away the power of greedy vested interests, who are the principle cause of the world's current population growth, and control its own destiny, then we have every reason to hope for sustainable future with a stable world human population.
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