Environmental Vandalism At Gan Gan Army Camp Chris Evans - Shadow Minister for Defence

Media Statement - 25 June 2003

Defence Minister Robert Hill today confirmed in Parliament that the sale of the 97-hectare Gan Gan Army Camp near Nelson Bay to a private developer would proceed as planned.

The Howard Government has ignored the wishes of the local community by selling this high conservation land to the highest bidder.

As long ago as November 1999, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service urged the Howard Government to transfer the land to NSW for inclusion into the adjacent Tomaree National Park. This would ensure that the land was preserved for the future benefit of the people of Port Stephens.

The environmental value of the land is well established. It is prime habitat for many rare and threatened species of flora and fauna, including a significant koala colony.

A decision by the Howard Government to gift the land to protect it from development would not be unprecedented.

The Government gifted several ex-Defence sites on Sydney Harbour bordering the Prime Minister's electorate to NSW during the 1998 election campaign. It also shored-up Jackie Kelly's marginal seat in 2001 by promising to preserve 850 hectares of ex-ADI land in Western Sydney.

The Commonwealth formally acquired Gan Gan Army Camp from the local community at no cost in 1955. And now Robert Hill wants to sell the site to a private developer and reap a massive windfall gain.

The sale of Gan Gan Army Camp is yet another example of Defence undertaking an unnecessary fire sale of property at the end of the financial year to prop up the budget bottom line.

Labor calls on the Howard Government to call an immediate halt to this outrageous sale process, and to transfer this heritage site to NSW so that it can be preserved for future generations.