E&OE….
Topics: Malabar Headland
GREG HUNT:
I’m delighted to be here with Rob Stokes, with Bruce Notley-Smith and Brendan Roberts and I am delighted to announce that the Government of Australia will hand Malabar Headland back to New South Wales for inclusion in the National Park. This will be one of Australia’s, if not one of the worlds, great urban coastal headland parks and walks. This has been a long-time coming. It was, of course, promised in 2007 by the ALP and was never delivered. This land has now been remediated, it’s going to be returned.
The second part of the announcement is the whole of the headland will be kept in public hands for perpetuity and the third part of the announcement is the Commonwealth will contribute $5 million for the early stage restoration and rehabilitation of the central portion. Frankly, it was used as a land dump for 50 years by previous State Governments and local councils.
It needs to be fixed up and that $5 million will include $3 million for improving safety and amenity for the Anzac Rifle Range and $2 million for the south-east equestrians, in particular to bring back the disabled riders and to establish facilities. I find it inconceivable that the previous Government booted disabled riders from this space. That shouldn’t happen in the 21st Century. I want to acknowledge a number of people.
I want to acknowledge Bruce who fought very hard for that. My great friend, Michael Feneley, who never stopped, even after the election, in fighting for this and Donna Wright from the equestrians. She and they had a vision and their vision is of helping young disabled riders, adult disabled riders, to have a special space in a beautiful environment. This land will be in public hands forever and New South Wales will have one of the great new National Parks in the Southern Hemisphere. Rob?
ROB STOKES:
Well, first of all, thanks Greg. This is a terrific announcement, we are so excited. All of the hard work that you have put in and that the Federal Government’s put in to ensure that today actually happened. Together with Brendan and with Bruce, we are so grateful for this opportunity to have public land returned into the National Parks estate.
We have a very strong policy of looking for high conservation value additions to coastal National Parks. That’s why we’ve seen over the past year a significant addition to the parks estate along the New South Wales coast. Places like Glenrock State Conservation Area, places like Brisbane Waters National Park where there was an addition just a few days ago and now this important addition to Malabar Headland National Park. Malabar Headland National Park is one of the most beautiful places on the New South Wales coast. It is absolutely critical it’s protected.
This is the next stage in what began as a sorry saga back in the 1980’s when the then Labor Government was proposing to sell off this site behind me for redevelopment, but now with the work of Greg Hunt and the Federal Liberal Government, this land is now going to be secured within the Baird Government as part of Malabar Headland National Park. A terrific result for the local community and for New South Wales.
GREG HUNT:
Bruce, do you want to say something?
BRUCE NOTLEY-SMITH:
Well this is something I’ve been working on for many years, both as a local Member of Parliament but also as a local councillor on Randwick City Council. I used to play on Malabar Headland when I was a kid. I also visited it when it was a dump. When it was an uncontrolled tip and it was such a shocking shame to see this beautiful piece of land being neglected for so many years.
Finally, finally it is safe and it’s going to get the tender loving care that it deserves. This is very close to the heart of the people of the eastern suburbs and they’ve been campaigning tirelessly for decades to get this returned to public hands and thank you Greg for the fantastic work you’ve done. And to Michael Feneley, for the work that he did in returning it and Brendan Roberts for being such a vociferous campaigner to make this happen.
GREG HUNT:
Brendan?
BRENDAN ROBERTS:
Yes, thank you. This is fantastic news for the people of Maroubra. They’ve been calling for this for many years and as the Maroubra candidate I’m very pleased to deliver this announcement and it’s just fantastic. It means that the Headland is secure for the future and we look forward to the future use of the Headland as passive open parkland and National Parks and I think it’s a great news story to hear that today. So thank you very much for coming.
GREG HUNT:
The last thing – I might just ask Donna, who’s the real star of the show because frankly the horse-riders have been a critical motivation in all of this, as well as preserving the Headland. Donna?
DONNA WRIGHT:
Well the horses had been there for nearly 150 years, starting off with the Australian Light Horse and the Australian Light Horse had been recently doing parades for the Reserve Forces. But the riders all round – it was not only disabled riders, we had people, women in their 80’s still riding, we had people from nursing homes coming to see this wonderful place. We had goats and chooks – it was real country in the city.
And people that came as tourists who did the trail around the Headland, they could see the city, they could see Bondi, they can see whales jumping out of the water and they were just like, ‘Really? This close to Sydney you can have a facility like this?’. It was just an amazing thing and Bruce was the one that started me off and he said, ‘Donna, you might be in for a long campaign’. I was thinking six months. Three, four years? And Michael Feneley has just been phenomenal the whole way through.
He’s taken countless calls from me and emails and Greg Hunt has been 100% behind me the whole way. He’s spoken to me personally many times over the phone and his office is always in constant contact with us and it’s Finance that unfortunately has slowed everything down for us, but Greg Hunt has just been absolutely amazing to make this all happen. He’s not even a local, so it’s just wonderful.
GREG HUNT:
Honorary. Alright. Happy to take any questions.
JOURNALIST:
Minister, when was the decision taken not to sell of the site, considering Finance had actually done the numbers on this?
GREG HUNT:
Look, the Government made a decision in the last two months and it was a very clear decision. The Prime Minister and I spoke, the Finance Minister and the Prime Minister and myself spoke and when the issue was raised it was a very clear view – this land should be in public hands forever. As you know, I announced it some time ago and that has now been turned around into a handover with New South Wales.
So I know what you’re asking and wondering – we’re there some people in the bureaucracy who had dreams under multiple governments of selling it off? Yes. Was there any contemplation at Cabinet level or at leadership level? No. And the Prime Minister was adamant and I was adamant. It wasn’t going to be sold, it’s not going to be sold, it’s in public hands in perpetuity and now we’ve got the hand-over that’s in action now.
JOURNALIST:
Given the Finance Minister counts among those people who were briefed on this project as early as September last year, does he count among those who wanted to sell off the site?
GREG HUNT:
Well I can guarantee that there is full and complete support in the Cabinet, in the Government of Australia, amongst the elected representatives, the people who make the decision, for keeping this in the public hands. And we’ve backed it with the handover and we’ve backed it with the $5 million. Labor was going to allegedly hand this over in 2007, they said they would do it. They never did it.
JOURNALIST:
So it’s fair to say though that the decision was taken that this site would not be sold only after the details of the proposed sale became public in January?
GREG HUNT:
No. There was never any plan, proposal or intention at the Cabinet level, at the Government level. There may have been a few bureaucrats, but that wasn’t the decision or intention of the Prime Minister. It was never the decision or intention of the Cabinet and when this came up, we killed it on the same day.
Couldn’t be clearer, couldn’t be stronger. My view is that it would never have happened on our watch and it didn’t happen. A handover has occurred on our watch. Labor promised, we delivered and the funding has occurred on our watch. Labor booted the horse-riders off, they booted disabled riders off. We’re bringing them back.
JOURNALIST:
What’s the timeline on the hand-over to the State Government?
GREG HUNT:
So there has already been a decision between the two Governments to do this, so it’s a completed decision. The formal MoU and transfer we hope to achieve within the next six months. I’d like to see it done by the 30th of June, but let’s set the deadline of six months with the goal of the 30th of June and then New South Wales will incorporate it in the Parks system, that will take a little bit longer.
JOURNALIST:
Where are negotiations up to with the shooters, the rifle club that would need to move off the site?
GREG HUNT:
Well they have had a court case by the way, the previous government evicted them and then the court ruled, overwhelmingly, that the government acted in bad faith against them all and the shooters had an ongoing right. We are upgrading the safety and amenity of the Anzac Rifle Range, but also including in that the ability to use some of the funds for looking at a scoping study for alternatives.
So when and only if there is a viable, constructed alternative will they move. We’ve made a pledge to honour the decision of the court. The previous government was humiliated before the courts, humiliated, and we will not only honour the decision of the courts, we’ll honour the history and they have an open right under law to remain until they are satisfied with an alternative.
JOURNALIST:
Is it possible though to open up this 50 hectare site to the public while there is an active rifle range operating?
GREG HUNT:
Yes. And it will happen.
JOURNALIST:
I had a question about the Bellinger River snapping turtle. I’m not sure if you know, but there’s been – 300 of them have been dying from a mysterious illness and I was just wondering, do you think the national wildlife park – wildlife service are capable and adequately funded to deal with these issues?
ROB STOKES:
So that’s a State-based question. My answer is yes, but of course we’ll look at their additional resources required. That’ll be something I’d be happy to get back to you with further details, but we’re here to talk about Malabar, but happy to get you further details.
JOURNALIST:
I think this is a State question – will the Anzac gates be heritage listed?
ROB STOKES:
Again, I don’t have the specific briefing on that. Again, happy to get back to you. Here to talk about Malabar, but in my role as Heritage Minister, certainly if an application comes through the Heritage Council, I’ll consider that when it comes before me.
GREG HUNT:
Alright. Thank you very much, I really appreciate it.
(ENDS)