Cassy O’Connor, Press Release
Another long-time champion of SRB Inc. and the community, Franklin MHR, Harry Quick, was damning in his assessment of Lennon Labor’s handling of the Ralphs Bay development proposal. “This government is only interested in its mates and not what it can do for the Labor Party,” Mr Quick said. “We need to reassert that you put these people there, and I’m one of them. We have a responsibility to you, and not our mates.” Calling on Labor MLC Lin Thorp and her as yet undeclared colleagues to vote against the PoSS, Mr Quick said Pembroke MLC, Allison Ritchie had indicated her preparedness to do just that.
Calvert
McKim
McFarlane
MORE than 230 people attended the Save Ralphs Bay Inc. Public Information Evening at Lauderdale Hall on a windy, Wednesday night to hear speakers from federal, state and local politics condemn the Walker Project of State Significance (PoSS) proposal.
With SRB Inc. Chair, and former Lauderdale school Principal, Bill Edmunds, as M.C., the meeting heard from Harry Quick MP (ALP, Franklin), Senator Paul Calvert (Liberal, Tas), State Franklin Greens’ MP, Nick McKim, Clarence Alderman Kay McFarlane and Cassy O’Connor from SRB Inc.
The aim of the evening was to provide information, and allow for discussion, on the revitalised Walker (Stage One) plan; Projects of State Significance and the RPDC process; the pending Bill to remove the sandflats from the Conservation Area boundary; the Lennon Government’s abuse of Executive power, and willingness to act in discordance with its own environmental protection laws.
SRB Inc.’s Cassy O’Connor, told the meeting the primary immediate objective is to convince the Members of Tasmania’s Upper House to knock off the PoSS, and the likely bill to remove the sandflats from Conservation Area.
“The Lennon Government was under no obligation to accept the Walker canal estate plan as a PoSS, and it should not be enacting special laws to shrink a conservation zone in a process sparked last year by Walker Corp. lawyers querying the boundary with the Government.
“In early September, MLCs will play a critical role in deciding the future of Ralphs Bay, its Conservation Area and our community. MLCs need to examine the political and corporate motives, and the preemptive promises already made to Walker — to sell a Crown Land public bay at pre-development prices — and recognise that the PoSS and Conservation Area bills are crafted to suit Walker’s interests at the expense of any long term strategic plan for our coastline.
“Let’s get back to core principles. This is a statewide threat. Ralphs Bay belongs to us, the people of Tasmania — as does Wineglass Bay and the Bay of Fires. Our Bay is of very high conservation value to resident and migratory shorebirds, the Critically endangered Spotted Handfish and the River Derwent. Ralphs Bay is not for sale to any developer, at any price,” Ms O’Connor said.
Alderman McFarlane went through the criteria for Projects of State Signficance, pointing out that subdivisions of similar size in Clarence get no support from the Premier, via a planning process designed to circumvent the law (e.g. S. 19 State Policies and Projects’ Act 1993) and Council.
“Five hundred houses is not a PoSS,” Alderman McFarlane said. “From Council’s perspective the PoSS criteria of significant capital investment is particularly relevant. There will be significant ongoing costs to Clarence City Council as a result of this development if it goes ahead,” Alderman McFarlane said.
Franklin Greens’ MHA, Nick McKim, agreed the Walker proposal doesn’t justify PoSS treatment any more than any other subdivision. “There is a 600 lot subdivision currently planned for Cygnet and I’ll bet that developer doesn’t get special treatment as a PoSS, and nor should it.
“The Lennon government is abrogating its responsibilities to the environment and to taxpayers, who would pay for this assessment process.” Mr McKim.
Key section blacked out
Nick McKim displayed a letter from the Premier to Lia Morris of Walker Corp. released through a Freedom of Information request earlier in the afternoon. There is a key section blacked-out, most likely concerning a (now secret) commitment on the Government’s part to make available the necessary Crown Land should the proposal pass through the RPDC process. In 2004, the Tasmanian Government made just such an in-principle commitment to the developer.
Another long-time champion of SRB Inc. and the community, Franklin MHR, Harry Quick, was damning in his assessment of Lennon Labor’s handling of the Ralphs Bay development proposal.
“This government is only interested in its mates and not what it can do for the Labor Party,” Mr Quick said.
“We need to reassert that you put these people there, and I’m one of them. We have a responsibility to you, and not our mates.”
Calling on Labor MLC Lin Thorp and her as yet undeclared colleagues to vote against the PoSS, Mr Quick said Pembroke MLC, Allison Ritchie had indicated her preparedness to do just that.
“We can win, but we have to be bloody minded and determined. We have to be prepared to put ourselves on the line for what we believe in,” Mr Quick said to a responsive audience.
In a statement read out to the meeting, Rumney MLC Lin Thorp reiterated her strong opposition to the project, but made no mention of how she would vote on the PoSS. Allison Ritchie was also an apology, due to serious family illness.
Pledging his ongoing support for concerned residents, Sandford resident and Liberal Senator, Paul Calvert, confirmed he had arranged a meeting between SRB Inc./Birds Tasmania representatives and Environment Minister, Ian Campbell in Canberra on 7 September this year. The Commonwealth will play a deciding role in determining the fate of the Walker proposal should it reach the planning assessment stage.
** The Tasmanian Parliament is expected to begin debate on the PoSS and possibly the Conservation Area bill this coming sitting week**
Crowd
Cassy O’Connor
www.saveralphsbay.org
All Photos are ©2006 SaveRalphsBay.org
