Dear Residents,

The community has achieved a significant milestone in the battle to save Callan Park by defeating the huge overdevelopment proposed by the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority and the University of Sydney.

While we are disappointed that the government has shown no commitment to maintaining acute-care mental health facilities at Callan Park it is nevertheless a great victory for the community who has fought to save the Callan Park site for over 10 years. This is also a win for the Friends of Callan Park who have worked extremely hard to protect the site on behalf of the community.

This is the first dividend for the community from the massive Greens vote at the recent Leichhardt Council elections. It’s undoubtedly a win for the community but we need to make sure the government doesn’t just turn this into a cost-shifting exercise.

The NSW Government will grant care control and management of 40 hectares of the the 60 hectares of the Callan Park site to Leichhardt Council under a 99 year lease.

The areas which have been granted to Leichhardt Council include the whole of the foreshore (the Bay Run, the old Vererans accomodation site, Callan Point and existing playing fields), the Parkland precinct and the Wharf Road precinct. (see map below).

Leichhardt Council welcomes the announcement by the Minister for Planning and will now negotiate in good faith with the State Government on the level of financial support they can provide for Council to manage the site.

I will be proposing an Extroridnary Meeting of Council on Monday 3^rd of November at 7pm at Leichhardt Town Hall to discuss this offer and to commence preperations for a comprehensive Master Plan to manage the site into the future and to identify future maintenance needs.

One issue that Council needs to be aware of is the level of funding required to maintain and upgrade the gardens, playing fields and buildings on the site which could be as much as $5 million per year. We will be active in negotiating with the State Government for adequate financial support to assist us in maintaining and upgrading the site to ensure it remains open, accessible and safe for the entire community.

We look forward to working with the NSW Government, local groups and sporting clubs and the general public to protect this important site for future generations.

If you would like more information about Council’s position on Callan Park, please contact my office on (02) 9367 9191 or email jparker@lmc.nsw.gov.au

Cr Jamie Parker

Mayor

The new Minister for Planning Kristina Keneally met the Mayor Jamie Parker and deputy Mayor Michele McKenzie at 8am this morning to announce the University of Sydney takeover plan had been abandoned and that the bulk of Callan park was being handed over to Leichhardt Council.

Under the plan 40 hectares out of the total of the 60 hectares comprising Callan Park will be handed over to Leichhardt Council. The ‘devil is still in the detail though’ as not only has the land been handed over but the substantial costs for the care, maintenance and planning of the site have also been handed over. It remains to be seen what funding the State government will be offering along with this handover to ensure this is not just a cynical cost shifting exercise.

Mental Health care and the closure of Rozelle Hospital also still remain as unresolved issues.

It’s still an extraordinary victory for people power - with the Friends very active in achieving this win. Thank you for your efforts and congratulations all round.

There will be a special victory and celebration meeting. The details are below.

Leichhardt Mayor, Jamie Parker - Victory for community on Callan Park

Leichhardt Deputy Mayor, Michele McKenzie interview on 702 ABC (MP3, 2 Meg)

Dumped plan a matter of faction - SMH, October 23

State Government Media Release - Callan Park handover (PDF)

State Government Media Release - Callan Park Map and areas (PDF)

Govt axes uni campus plans - ABC 22 October, 2008

State Government dumps campus plans - SMH, 22 October, 2008

University of Sydney denied Callan Park development - The Daily Telegraph, 22 October, 2008

Follow the link below to a story today by Jano Gibson in the Sydney Morning Herald on The Greens bid to stop the overdevelopment of Callan Park by Sydney University and and create a Callan Park Trust.

Greens bid to halt new campus - SMH, 22 October, 2008

An overwhelming majority of public submissions received by the
government are opposed to the draft Land Use Plan for Callan Park
prepared by the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority (SHFA).

Under questioning from Greens MP Sylvia Hale during at an estimates
committee hearing, new Planning Minister Kristina Kenneally revealed
that “a total of more than 2,079 public submissions were received, of
which 67 per cent objected to the proposal and 33 per cent indicated
support, although it is my understanding, without having read all 2,079
submissions, that those who indicated support were expressing support
for the playing field and open space provisions under the land use
plan.”

Ms Hale has called on the government to reject the draft Land Use Plan
and instead support her private members Bill to establish a community
trust to develop a masterplan for the site in consultation with the
local community.

“The Minister admitted in the hearing that the draft Land Use Plan
breaches the Callan Park Act and that the public is opposed to it. It is
time to take the responsibility for the site away from the SHFA and
return it to the community,” Ms Hale said.

New Greens Mayor of Leichhardt Jamie Parker has called on the
government to support the establishment of a Callan Park Trust.

“The community has made it clear that it does not like the land use
plan and does not trust the SHFA to deliver the best outcome for Callan
Park,” Cr Parker said

“It is time for the government to put Callan Park under community
control and to develop a masterplan for the site that genuinely reflects
what the community wants,” he said.

The Inner West Courier carries a story this week “Verity Firth on the Way Forward for Labor. The opening paragraph of this story states, “Balmain MP Verity Firth is yet to decide whether she will support Greens MP Sylvia Hale’s move to establish a community trust to determine the future of Callan Park”.

The story further states, “her decision on whether to support Ms Hale’s bill could be her first true litmus test since Labor’s ill-fated council election campaign.”

This is indeed the case as it’s worth remembering that Ms Firth stated prior to the last State Election that she “support(s) the concept of a Callan Park Trust”. Verity also stated “I am 100% committed to ensuring that the (Callan Park) Act is followed in it’s entirety.”

Last Friday, 17 October, Ms Firth told a FOCP delegation she was broadly supportive of a Trust and would be contacting Sylvia Hale MLC this week to talk to her. Ms Firth said she wants to make sure that the Bill does not undermine the Callan Park Act and that the Trust is democratic in its composition.

The Friends of Callan Park call on Verity Firth and the Labor Party to honour their pre-election commitments and support The Greens Callan Park Trust Bill. It’s also again worthwhile for all concerned members of the community to contact Verity and remind her of her commitments.

You can read the full article in The Inner West Courier here - Verity Firth on the way forward for State Labor

You can read the full transcript of Verity Firth’s pre - election statement here. (PDF 960k) State Election Statements

Contact details for Verity Firth can be found on the ‘Take Action’ pages or by clicking here. Contact a politician

Sydney University’s acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Don Nutbeam, has told ABC Radio that due to the current global financial crisis it’s revenue from investments has fallen by $100.

Professor Nutbeam went on to say that “Sydney University’s been affected simply because a significant amount of money invested produced about $150 million a year over the past few years and this year we are anticipating it will only produce about $50 million, so next year we are probably expecting to be down about $100 million”.

He also says that the universities building program could be slowed.

What this means for the universities expensive take over of Callan Park remains to be seen.

You can read the full story on the ABC’s web site here..  Financial crisis hits Sydney University coffers

A copy of the ABC PM program audio interview and report can be listened to here.. Australian universities feel financial crisis (MP3 4.30 mins)

In case you haven’t read it below is a link to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald where the Community Services Minister - Linda Burney notes that the mental health of parents can be a serious problem for children at risk.

Rise in deaths of children at risk - SMH 16 October, 2008