NAT. PARK LINK AT TERREY HILLS MUST NOT BE SOLD

ABORIGINAL LAND COUNCIL ASKED TO ACT

IN SPIRIT OF RECONCILIATION

The National Parks Association of NSW has called on the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council to postpone the proposed auction of its land at Terrey Hills on 14 September in the interests of nature conservation and reconciliation..

"We believe that , with goodwill, a solution can be found between the Council and the State Government which will keep the land safe from developers and allow it to be added to the adjoining Ku-ring-gai Chase and Garigal National Parks,"" said Noel Plumb NPA's Executive Officer. "But the first step is for the Council to postpone the sale so that the Government has time to explore all the options, including a land swap."

"The Minister for the Environment has agreed that the land has significant conservation values. NPA thinks that in fact the land is invaluable as it is the only significant piece of bushland which links two of Sydney's most important and historic national parks."

The site is also part of the Mona Vale Road ridge which dominates much of northern Sydney. It will make the East Circular Quay debate look tame if this land falls under the control of a developer."

"The Government must be allowed time to resolve this issue because the National Parks and Wildlife Service simply does not have enough money to buy critical pieces of private land for park additions. The land is worth about $2 million and this equals the entire annual general budget allocated to the NPWS to buy private land, even though it has scores, even hundreds, of high priority land acquisition needs every year."

"We think that a postponement is only reasonable as the land was formerly vacant Crown Land which cost the Council nothing to acquire, the Council claimed it in 1988 under the 1983 NSW Aboriginal Land Rights Act. Indeed, originally such land could not be sold on by the Land Council but this was changed by the Greiner Government in 1990 to allow sale."

"NPA believes that postponement of the sale would be a guesture of good faith by the Council and in the spirit of reconciliation. It would demonstrate that the Council has listened to the widespread community and conservation concerns over the fate of this crucial bushland land, rather than rush to auction it off to the highest bidder."

For further comment:- Noel Plumb 0412 975 575 or 9233 4660 who will be speaking at the on site community rally against the sale of the land at 12 noon on Sunday 12 September.

10 September 1999


National Parks Association