World Concern - NSW Gov failing to protect Australia's first ever national park - Royal National Park near Sydney

Ed. Australians need help from the world's ecologists! Royal National Park, known to many tourists as the closest to Sydney, is the world's second-oldest National Park and Australia's first. It is also of enormous importance to conservationists and ecologists and contains an impressive range of fauna in rare habitats including coastal rainforest which has often been destroyed by early Australian development elsewhere. It is under threat through selfish and stupid adjacent overdevelopment by the growth-mad New South Wales government. Even Australia's primeminister doesn't want growth now and Sydney's expansion must be stopped. Royal National Park is of world class historic and ecological significance and it is incomprehensible and alarming that the NSW Government is allowing development to encroach.

From Greg Petty, Public Officer of the Otford Protection Society Incorporated

Wikipedia entry

Illawarra Escarpment and proposed rezoning by Wollongong City Council

Many of us here in Otford, Helensburgh, Stanwell Park and Stanwell Tops have been campaigning for years to protect this beautiful and sensitive region, and always too with the backing of groups such as the National Parks Association and the Total Environment Centre.

This land is adjacent to “Royal National Park”, Australia’s first and the worlds 2nd oldest National Park, and now being lobbied for World heritage listing, plus source of the (Class P “Pristine”) Hacking River Catchment.

Public clearly against adjacent development

We achieved 3,447 submissions last year during the exhibition period of the Wollongong DLEP and proposed rezoning of 7D land, but the 'fight' still continues, and WCC have asked for further submissions in particular specific to the different precincts of 2508.

To speed and ease requests to conserve the green belt of the escarpment to the Royal National Park and say No to overdevelopment, we have compiled a number of e-forms. Responders have a choice of general letters, a letter to 'save' the Symbio Wildlife Park precinct, the crucial Otford precinct (remaining habit corridor between Bald Hill and the Royal National Park) and an e-form for the submitter to cut 'n' paste selected key points.

If able can I please ask you to email the link/s to submissions, to your members? Please feel free to send onto ALL your “Contact List” or your local club, community group, etc. Kindly remove the previous “SEND TO” information first, the FWD in the Subject box and put your name and suburb below. Submissions close July 17, 2010 but may be extended – link will be automatically removed when submissions eventually close.

http://www.otfordeco.com/submission.php

Or for more information and photographs, and links to more e-submissions Otford Protection website http://www.otfordeco.com.au WCC's deadline for submissions is July 17, 2010

Signed by

Greg Petty - Public Officer

Otford Protection Society Incorporated

Helensburgh NSW 2508

AUSTRALIA

Phone (0407) 473 889

Follow us on Twitter - Save SYMBIO WILDLIFE PARK and ROYAL NATIONAL PARK from encroaching developers Plz e-sign

PS To find out more about this beautiful part of Helensburgh & Otford, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, Click Here