Chris Dobney
An estimated 1,000 people attended a community rally to save Suffolk Park’s ‘village green’ yesterday afternoon.
Organisers, Suffolk Park Progress Association, say the rally to save the ‘surplus’ government land at Lot 60 Beech Drive from developers was ‘the collective crescendo of the past fortnight’s local community campaign.’
The event went ahead despite a last-minute undertaking from education minister Adrian Piccoli on Tuesday that a planned auction of the land on November 29 would not now go ahead.
A performance by local singer and mum Renee Simone had the crowd dancing and singing along to We are Family.
Speakers included community representatives and Byron shire councillors.
Byron Council nevertheless will still have to stump up money for the site that up until now has been in public use as playing fields, a children’s playground and a community garden.
Councillors will meet this morning to agree on an offer price, which will then have to be approved by the Department of Education.
The department had indicated an asking price at auction of around $5 million for the largely undeveloped land on the assumption that it would be rezoned for housing.
Byron mayor Simon Richardson said, however, that he was confident the council could settle on a suitable price.
‘We do have some money in the open-space Suffolk Park section 94 contributions fund for this exact type of activity, and we’re pretty confident that we’ve got enough to purchase it,’ he told ABC radio this morning.
Old trick
But Labor’s north coast spokesperson Walt Secord described Tuesday’s announcement, for which the Nationals’ north coast spokesperson Ben Franklin had taken the credit, as ‘an old trick’.
Mr Secord demanded the Baird Government hand over the land to Byron Shire to protect it forever –rather than attaching conditions.
He added he was ‘worried about the fine detail in the proposal. ‘
Under the plan, Byron Shire Council has first option to buy the land – but it does not guarantee it would remain in public hands.
Mr Secord said: ‘I fear that this is a trick. The Nationals should give the land to the community for a symbolic amount such as $10 – rather than the estimated $5 million.’
‘I also fear that the Nationals will say that the council was unable to pay the $5 million and then it would forge ahead with a new auction date,’ he said.
‘Ben Franklin’s plan does not guarantee the site would not be sold to property developers. The community needs a guarantee.’
‘Finally, this is not a Ben Franklin victory. This is people power. This is democracy in action. It is disgraceful that Ben Franklin would take credit for the hard work of local community activists such as the Suffolk Park Progress Association,’ Mr Secord said.
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