John Davies,
Re the Adamstown Bushland .

The Facts are :

Part of the land was to be rezoned by the Heys Council from open space to residential for sale.

We you me and all of us were dismayed that Council would start the rezoning without consideration of the betterment the commonwealth was receiving without any consideration of Newcastle people and the  Council.

The rezoning was exhibited and the L Mayor said that the bushland was secure without acquisition because of the zoning and the Greening policy of the Council!.

The Commonwealth offered the land to the Council for open space at a nominal cost but the L Mayor would not move for acquisition.

The Roads and Traffic Authority approached me saying that they could not find suitable bushland as compensatory habitat for the Charlestown West Bypass that was not also under an Aboriginal Land Claim and that the Army land was suitable.

I had been in discussion with the Parks and Wildlife Service head office at the time to obtain the acquisition for addition to Glenrock SRA (Now called an SCA) They were prepared to buy the land from the Commonwealth.

It was decided that the RTA buy the land at the nominal cost for transfer to the Parks and Wildlife Service.

A meeting was held between the parties at which the current L Mayor was present with officers of the Parks Service and the Commonwealth and the RTA to rezone the land and transfer the bushland to the Glenrock SRA as it was called in 1999.

Council went ahead with the rezoning to allow residential use of the Northern end of the old rifle range. And the Mayor said in Council when the rezoning was officially adopted (It is part of a Resolution of Council at that date) "the undertakings of the other parties should now be completed". (or words to that effect).

The Minister rezoned the land but undertakings of the other parties were not honoured.

It would appear that the undertakings made in good faith have been not been honoured.

The whole process will have to be investigated by the Commonwealth and the State Ombudsman, as it appears that there has been wrong conduct.

The whole of the old rifle range has been zoned for open space purposes since planning was introduced into the Northumberland County 1948. It has never been zoned for road construction.  Indeed the Newcastle City LEP for the
whole of the City that had been just exhibited in 1999 and showed the total area as openspace ( I have a copy of the exhibited LEP).

What has happened is dishonourable to say the least and there must be full disclosure and public discussion.

Lot2/827809 is the proper description of the land that was agreed for transfer to the Glenrock SRA. It includes the former Historic Target Butts and mantelets and the bushland.

Some of the wrongs that have been allowed to happen that must be put right.

The Lot2/827809 was not acquired and transferred to the Parks Service as agreed to.

The process was not allowed to progress in a way that kept all parties informed. (Certainly there was no public discussion or information)

The Transfer should have been done as soon as the rezoning was complete.

The Commonwealth subdivided off that part of the land containing the historic structures.

The RTA then subdivided the land acquired at the nominal sum of $49,000 for a future controlled access road that had not been part of the agreement.

At this date none of the promised bushland has been transferred to the Glenrock SRA.

The Community cannot have confidence in planning and government institutions when their assets are treated in this offhand and dishonest way.


Doug Lithgow Freeman of the City of Newcastle
President of the Parks and Playgrounds Movement Inc.

-----Original Message-----
From: Davies Family [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Sunday, 8 August 2004 4:48 PM
 
Subject: Fw: Letter Re land

Attention : Lord Mayor John Tate,

Dear John ,

I am not sure if you will be able to read the attached copy of a letter the Adamstown Residents Group have received from the Hon. Tony Stewart MP and Parliamentary Secretary for Roads .

If you cannot read it I can fax it to you , but in essence it says that :

1) The RTA have acquired the Army Land except for a small parcel adjacent to the Army Depot which has been retained by the Army due to lead contamination

and

2) That the RTA are in the process of transferring the land to the Dept of Environment and Conservation (DEC) . Except for a strip ???? along Brunker Road which is currently zoned for a road widen scheme. With the suggestion that if the scheme does not proceed the land will be transferred in the future .

This is totally outside of what residents have been previously told . We have no idea what this road widening scheme is ( you might recall the letter written by NCC during the LEP process which resulted in the arterial road nomination in the LEP being removed ) . This is also inconsistent with the Hon. Richard Face's media release of 1999 .

Is it possible for Council to arrange a briefing for residents to understand this new proposal ?


Kind Regards

John Davies
Hon. Sec ARAG