Will Hazzard and O'Farrell make good on promise to save Cumberland Plains Woodlands

by StreetCorner Staff
09/03/2011

Geoff Brown of the Western Sydney Conservation Alliance has labelled recent environmental announcements by the NSW Liberal Party as Green wash and paltry. His comments come after the Liberal Party's silence on previous commitments to an additional 100 hectares, announced by Shadow Planning Minister Brad Hazzard at the ADI site in Western Sydney.

On the 11 June 2010 Brad Hazzard directly posted this response on Streetcorner to claims made pior to the Penrith by-election that the Liberals were trying to renege on their 2007 ADI commitments. At the time Hazzard confirmed the Liberals would honour the 2007 commitment to preserve an additional 100 hectares of the Cumberland Woodlands.

"The NSW Liberals & Nationals are committed to conserving not only the Cumberland Forest land discussed at the 2007 election but want to go further to a more sustainable model that will protect flora and fauna through establishing ecological corridors as a starting point in future planning. In a NSW Liberals & Nationals government, it won't be just about protecting bits and pieces of high conservation lands - it will be about connecting them and sustaining Western Sydney's natural environment as it grows," Brad Hazzard

The reaffirming of the Liberals committment to saving further 100 hectares of endangered Cumberland Plain Woodland at the ADI Site Jordan Springs development was meet with relief by locals who had been campaigning for a creation of a flora and fauna corridor in Western Sydney.

Since that time, the Liberals have been silent on this commitment.

"The Liberals have put out a NSW Environment policy that only dedicates $103 million to environmental outcomes across the entire state of NSW. It is just paltry," Geoff Brown President Western Sydney Conservation Alliance Inc said today.

Mr Brown said that that money could be spent 'in Penrith alone we could spend that money and not make a dent such is the magnitude of environmental problems in Western Sydney'. "The Liberal environment policy is simply Green wash and people should not get sucked in by this tokenistic announcement," Geoff Brown said.

Geoff Brown is calling on the Liberals and in particular Brad Hazzard to affirm the Liberals promise to protect 'a further 100 hectares of critically endangered Cumberland Plain Woodland at the ADI Site Jordan Springs development'.

"Voters need to call on the Liberals to honour this commitment. We have provided the Liberals with legal advice detailing all the legal avenues open to them to save this land and vast tracts of Penrith's bushland at no cost to the NSW taxpayer. This can be done with the stroke of the pen. What is evident though is that the Liberals do not have the political will to do the right thing. They appear to be looking for their own legal loopholes to claim their hands are tied," said Geoff Brown.

Streetcorner will seek comment from Brad Hazzard and the Liberal's Stuart Ayers and update the community when we receive a response from them.

June 2010 article with response from Brad Hazzard (in comments section)

Barry O'Farrell and Liberals renege on ADI Site commitment

http://www.streetcorner.com.au/news/show...

Will the Liberals honour the committment they made to preserve an additional 100 hectares of the Cumberland Woodlands? Should this committment be honoured? Share your views with the community here

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