Certainly the old convict Coal Mine Shaft (one of the earliest coal shafts in the country and southern hemisphere) should be accurately located opened and properly documented?
The proposal to cap it and hide it under a building should be rejected.
This land is Crown Land dedicated as Public Park and zoned as parkland openspace and recreation or RE1 in the draft plan.
The Minister for Lands is the owner Trustee for the people of NSW who are the beneficiaries of the trust.
The Minister as a Minister of the Crown is bound by an Act of Parliament the Crown Lands Act 1989.
He must abide by the appropriate Objectives of the Act when deciding the management of this land: Section 10.
Section 11 sets out the principles that he should follow in the management of this parkland site.
The company proposing the DA is Annie Street Commercial Pty Ltd they do not have a lease or any tenure at this stage.
The company is a shelf Company with a nominal value of only a few dollars.
To have placed this DA before the Council they must have had a wink or nod from a Minister of the Crown probably not the Minister for Lands who is bound by the act.
What is going on and is there a MOU somewhere that should be made public for this public land?
Annie Street Commercial Pty Ltd has no tenure of the site and the alienation of this public land should be challenged now.
Perhaps any decision should be left until we have a new government and a new Minister and hopefully new ethical standards.
The Bowling Club had a perpetual lease but it had to be revoked because of the interlopers on the site and the unlawful deals.
Now is the time for appropriate development on the site serving the public interest?
The objectives of the Crown Lands Act are being flouted and the principles as set out in the act for management of Crown Land Reserves are not being considered. The development is too large and intrusive as a park development that should serve the park and public interests not merely private and sectional interests.
One storey is sufficient for this locality and it should not be placed over the mine shaft. The public must have free and unfetted access to the park side of any building on the site. The building is particularly objectionable when viewed from the south. It is the complete privatisation of this coastal location and should not be countenanced by Newcastle people. There has not been a bona-fide Bowling Club for more than a decade and it is time the area was returned to the people with a low key use of the site.
This sort of commercial development should be in Hunter Street Not King Edward Park it would permanently alienate the people’s land!
Cheers
Doug
Objects of Act
10 Objects of Act
The objects of this Act are to ensure that Crown land is managed for the benefit of the people of New South Wales and in particular to provide for:
(a) a proper assessment of Crown land,
(b) the management of Crown land having regard to the principles of Crown land management contained in this Act,
(c) the proper development and conservation of Crown land having regard to those principles,
(d) the regulation of the conditions under which Crown land is permitted to be occupied, used, sold, leased, licensed or otherwise dealt with,
(e) the reservation or dedication of Crown land for public purposes and the management and use of the reserved or dedicated land, and
(f) the collection, recording and dissemination of information in relation to Crown land.
Principles of Crown land management
11 Principles of Crown land management
For the purposes of this Act, the principles of Crown land management are:
(a) that environmental protection principles be observed in relation to the management and administration of Crown land,
(b) that the natural resources of Crown land (including water, soil, flora, fauna and scenic quality) be conserved wherever possible,
(c) that public use and enjoyment of appropriate Crown land be encouraged,
(d) that, where appropriate, multiple use of Crown land be encouraged,
(e) that, where appropriate, Crown land should be used and managed in such a way that both the land and its resources are sustained in perpetuity, and
(f) that Crown land be occupied, used, sold, leased, licensed or otherwise dealt with in the best interests of the State consistent with the above principles.
This letter was sent to the Newcastle Herald
The Letters Editor
Newcastle Herald
Bolton Street
Newcastle
Dear Sir,
Development in King Edward Park
The attention of the citizens of Newcastle is drawn to the under-the-counter ‘public exhibition’ of development in King Edward Park, 1 Ordinance Street, Newcastle. (On exhibition until 3 February)
The objectives of the Crown Lands Act are being flouted and the principles as set out in the Act for management of Crown Land Reserves are not being properly considered.
A firm commitment in the public interest is needed against the commercial over development of Newcastle’s premier public parkland. The current proposal is too large and intrusive as a park development that should be designed to serve the park and public not merely private interests.
The general public must be guaranteed free and unfetted access to and around any building placed on this important scenic coastal location.
Now is time the area was returned to the people with a low key public use for the site.
The sort of development proposed by the company Annie Street Commercial Pty Ltd should be in Hunter Street not King Edward Park.
Doug Lithgow
President Parks and Playgrounds movement
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