[Greens-Media] Greens MP Calls for Inquiry into Crown Land Sell-Off

[Christopher Holley]

Greens MP Calls for Inquiry into Crown Land Sell-Off


NSW Greens MP, Sylvia Hale has today called for a parliamentary inquiry
into the management of Crown lands in NSW.

Speaking at a demonstration outside the Department of Lands office in
Wollongong, part of a series of simultaneous demonstrations in centres
across NSW, Ms Hale said the community was becoming increasingly
concerned by the state government’s policy of selling off or leasing
Crown land.

"Given the enormous contribution of Crown land to the life of the
community and to biodiversity conservation it should be managed in the
public interest to protect its social, cultural and environmental values
and to add to the wellbeing of rural and regional communities in
particular,” she said.

“This government’s policy of raising operating revenue from Crown
lands threatens some of the state’s most important ecological areas
and public recreation land which will be sold to private interests or
leased to developers.”

“The community will pay the price for this through the loss of
important environmental protections and the loss of public open
space,” said Ms Hale.

Ms Hale has written to fellow Upper House MPs asking that an inquiry be
established to investigate whether the government’s approach to
commercial leasing, disposing and developing of Crown lands is in the
public interest.


Contact: Chris Holley (02) 0230 3030 / 0437 779 546