At the recent June 1 meeting of the Friends of Callan Park the following motion was passed unanimously.

‘The Friends of Callan Park strongly opposes the reported attempt by state government agencies to renege on the offer made by Planning Minister, Kristina Keneally, and Education Minister and Member for Balmain, Verity Firth, to turn over 41 hectares of Callan Park to Leichhardt Council.

We are disturbed by proposals that the most modern mental health buildings and large adjacent open space would be excised from the area offered to Council and given to the Ambulance Service. These buildings are needed for vital mental health uses. Ambulance administration does not need such purpose-built facilities and precious parkland.

We support Leichhardt Council in its efforts to hold the ministers and the state government to the offer made publicly on October 22, 2008. We also expect that our local MP Verity Firth will move urgently to ensure that the offer she was party to is honoured and that the whole area offered to the control and management of Leichhardt Council is in fact handed over.’

Protest at Verity Firth’s Office office - June 12, 2009 at 10am. 112A Glebe Point road Gelbe. See Events page for details.

Once again the Friends of Callan Park are back in action to protect Callan Park from the State Government. There is an attempt afoot to renege on the promise made last October by Verity Firth and the planning minister Kristina Keneally to hand over 40 hectares of Callan Park to Leichhardt Council.

There is little doubt now that someone in the state government wants to betray that promise.

The Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority which is negotiating the Callan Park handover to Leichhardt Council has told Council that 10 buildings (including the most modern mental health wards) and a several hectares of open space are to be handed over to the Ambulance Service.  They had been promised to the Council.

Verity made the pledge and is our local member, so we are going to demand she honour the promise and represent her constituents.

You can download a copy below of the original map presented with the media release by Verity Firth and also the latest version showing the expansion of area within the green coloured zone.

See Maps here.

Original Keneally - Firth press release (PDF 398k)

Latest Callan Park SHFA Map (PDF400k)

Protest at Verity Firth’s Office office - June 12, 2009 at 10am. 112A Glebe Point road Gelbe. See Events page for details.

Broughton Hall, this historic area at the western end of Callan Park, is still in the hands of the NSW Health Department. The department is leasing the buildings in this area piecemeal to various NGOs and charities, most of whom were located at Rozelle Hospital previously.

However, there is no commitment from NSW Health to restore Broughton Hall (built in 1840 and now boarded up) and its gardens. For more than two decades NSW Health has allowed this heritage area to deteriorate.

Adjoining Broughton Hall at the end of Wharf Road are the post-World War II veterans’  wards empty since the last old diggers were evicted 18 months ago. Given the escalating casualties of the Afghanistan occupation and war, these buildings too could be utilised for pressing mental health needs.