Page 4290 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 25 October 2017
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The Red Hill nature reserve is very important environmentally. It contains nationally significant remnant endangered yellow box and red gum grassy woodland. This comprises over 200 native plant species, a number of which are threatened and rare, as are a number of animal species which are supported by the woodland. It is also of national significance; it has been included in a nomination for inclusion on the National Heritage List. It is a critical part of the multifunction urban open space system. It has visual, cultural and ecological significance. It is being impacted adversely by a number of things: dumping of gravel, building spoil, dumping of trees and other vegetation, installation and maintenance of telecommunications infrastructure, creation and widening of fire trails, gas pipeline construction, planting of exotic and non-indigenous native species, maintenance of power lines and cables, removal of vegetation for flood prevention and fire suppression, and water supply infrastructure.
There has been significant piecemeal activity over this area which has resulted in significant damage to this area. This damage should stop. We understand that the Telstra site has the additional issue of two adjacent legacy rubbish tips containing toxic waste. Remember, it is next to the Telstra site. Telstra, as a telecommunications organisation, would have had PCBs as part of their waste, and there is every reason to believe that there is asbestos in this waste. It just seems crazy to consider developing on that.
As well as Red Hill being a very valuable nature reserve, it is part of the local amenity for the people who live in the suburb of Red Hill and the people who live in Deakin, Hughes and Garran. It is a significant part of their local amenity. The roads that will be affected by any development there are roads they go along on a daily basis. Kent Street is already dangerous and overcrowded. It will lead to more congestion on that road and in nearby suburbs.
As has been noted, the golf club is in a bushfire-prone area. Some of this land has been assessed as high bushfire risk. Providing safe access to this site will have a major impact on Red Hill. I assume that there has been discussion that the access would be through the nature reserve and not through urban areas.
Interestingly, the Canberra Times reported that the golf club has asked the government to waive or discount the lease variation charge that the proposal would otherwise attract. The Canberra Times reported that the proposal would bring in an $18 million windfall for the club. This leads to considerable issues as to who should get the benefit of any lease variation and how this should be shared with the community as a whole, rather than a few hundred people who may be members of the Federal Golf Club.
The other important thing is that it is unlikely to be the last development on the golf club land. In my first term in the Assembly I had the privilege—possibly—as did Mr Coe, of considering a second Territory Plan variation for the golf club in Holt. They had already put residential in the middle of their golf course that got them some money and out of trouble for a period of time. However, it was not enough to solve all the problems, and they were back for a second go.
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