Royal
Park Protection Group Inc
MEDIA
RELEASE
This afternoon the Royal
Park Protection Group discovered that Australand - the “Games Village”
developer – had just axed at least one thousand trees to “clear up” the site
for construction to start. Heaps of felled trees, including century old
conifers and grand old eucalypts, lie stacked on the ground waiting for the
mulcher. A spokesperson for Australand
said that 80 trees had been spared, those earmarked by the Games Minister’s
Office as “significant”. This is 80 out of a total of 2,000 trees on the 20
hectares of what was parkland and which once formed a habitat for birds and animals
and was part of the green corridor connecting Royal Park with the Moonee Ponds
Creek corridor.
Julianne Bell RPPG Convenor
said: “The Bracks Government cannot
boast of having “Green Games” and a “Green Village” and yet chop down nigh on
2,000 trees. The green credentials of
the Government have been shot to pieces.
This fits with the redneck image of the Government. Minister Madden blotted his copy book as
well by earlier on 20 October by authorizing demolition of the Royal Park
Hospital heritage buildings on the site before a determination could be made
by the Heritage Council as to whether the precinct would be included on the
State Heritage Register.”
Some good news came today however for RPPG. Heritage Victoria has decided to recommend inclusion of the Royal Park Hospital heritage precinct on the State Heritage Register following an appeal by RPPG, the National Trust and the City of Melbourne. This is only a provisional determination but recognizes the great cultural heritage significance of the whole complex.
Julianne Bell
commented: “We welcome the
determination by Heritage Victoria but it
is a pity that Games Minister Madden did not wait before demolishing the
offices and laboratory of the world famous Dr John Cade, who discovered the therapeutic
uses of lithium”.
The site has been chosen for
the so-called Games Village, which conveniently provides the excuse for a
massive private real estate development the size of a new suburb.
MEDIA CONTACT: Julianne Bell RPPG Convenor 98184114 or 0408022408 www.royalparkprotect.org.au