Ingrid Simson, Stockholm, Sweden
My name is Ingrid Simson and house #24 on Linnaeus Estate is my home. The house was acquired by the Simson Family Trust about 20 years ago and I inherited it in 2019.
I fully subscribe to the Linnaeus Estate Charter, which, until a month ago was available to be read and appreciated by anyone. Take a look for yourselves:
www.linnaeus.com.au/site-management-1 when you click on this site you will notice that the Charter has disappeared, fortunately my husband downloaded it just before it was removed from the Linnaeus website.
The website still does, however, mention that: ‘the Linnaeus Estate trust… will act as custodian of the site for the future generations.’ This is in accordance with the original Charter’s commitment to future generations.
I am not qualified to comment on the precise environmental impact of Brandon Saul’s proposed DA to turn Linnaeus Estate into a tourist centre with an exclusive restaurant and hundreds of guests and employees in cars arriving daily around the clock. Yet, I am certain that this will have a massive and lasting impact on the environment for generations to come.
Brandon Saul’s company will be by its very nature expansive, he will seek Council and NRPP approval which, in my opinion, will enable him to take full control of Linnaeus. I imagine that Saul’s goal is to ensure that Linnaeus becomes profitable for himself and his shareholders.
As a Swede I feel certain that my compatriot Carl Linnaeus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Linnaeus) would be appalled at the thought that this extraordinary natural gem named after him was to be sold to businessmen, rather than leaving it as an environmental educational centre for generations to come. I know that the historical major financial backer of Linneaus Estate fully supports the educational goals of the Charter and it would like the precious site, so well described in the Linnaeus Nature Guide, to remain in as pristine a condition as it is today.
I respectfully request you to reject the DA.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
