The first National Trust Corporate Breakfast for 2009 was held on Wednesday 29 April at the Intercontinental Hotel, Sydney. With over 130 people in attendance, special guest MC, Quentin Dempster (ABC TV and Stateline NSW) kept the morning flowing and ensured the proceedings ran smoothly. Speaking to the topic: “Committing to our Heritage: a Balancing Act for Political Parties”, there was no disappointment when The Hon. Kristina Keneally MP, Mr Brad Hazzard MP & Ms Sylvia Hale MLC took the floor and put their points forward.

At the Corporate Breakfast, the Minister for Planning, Kristina Keneally, took the opportunity to announce that she was refusing the proposed residential development at Currawong, situated in picturesque Pittwater, a decision applauded by The National Trust.

Reasons for the refusal cited by the NSW Planning Department include:

• The development proposed is unacceptable as it is incompatible with the overall heritage significance of the site
• The proposed dwellings would be of excessive scale in the context of the historic cabins
• Significant risks to both life and property would be associated with development  of the valley floor
• The development was inconsistent with State Coastal Protection Policies  and Coastal Design Guidelines
• Sustainable sewer service provisions and stormwater management could not be demonstrated
• The development was generally contrary to the public interest since the proposal is inconsistent with planning objectives for the site, is beyond the community’s expectations for the site and will result in adverse impacts on historic heritage and environmental values.

John Neish, Executive Director of the National Trust (NSW) praised the Minister’s decision. “After years of heated debate about the importance of this site, the Minister has accepted that Currawong’s unique heritage needs to be preserved. If development had gone ahead, the European, Indigenous and environmental heritage of the site would have been obliterated. Now, Currawong will have an ongoing role in the psyche of the people of NSW.

“I also want to acknowledge the heroic efforts of the Friends of Currawong and their president Shane Withington, who have worked tirelessly towards this result.”

 

The National Trust (NSW) Executive Director John Neish, and Graham Quint, the Trust’s Advocacy Manager will feature on this week’s Stateline program.
Stateline can be seen on ABC Television, Friday nights at 7.30pm. The program is repeated on Saturdays at 12pm.

 

The Hon. Kristina Keneally’s MP speech please click here.

To view Mr Brad Hazzard’s MP speech, please click here.

To view Ms Sylvia Hale’s MLC speech, please click here.

For copies of the media release, please see our media release page by clicking here.