| The Hon Gary Gray AO MP Special Minister of State |
The Hon Peter Garrett AM Federal Member for Kingsford Smith Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth |
GG 13/13
20 February 2013
Two senior ministers have reiterated the Australian Government’s commitment to progressively transfer the Malabar Headland site to the State of New South Wales (NSW), to create a magnificent coastal national park and public open space.
The first stage of the national park was officially gazetted by the NSW Government on December 7 last year.
“This was a great outcome for the people of NSW and I am keen that the intended transfer of Lot 202, which is approximately 50 hectares of land on the eastern and southern edge of the headland, also goes ahead in a reasonable time,” Special Minister of State Gary Gray said today.
Lot 202 is already zoned as national park and is earmarked to be transferred to NSW and gazetted as national park.
“Over the past 12 months, a huge clean-up of Lot 202 has taken place with 235 tonnes of waste and contaminated soil removed to prepare the site for future handover,” Mr Gray said.
Kingsford Smith MP, Peter Garrett, said, "I know local people are genuinely pleased that Malabar Headland National Park is a reality.
"My office has received many calls, emails and letters emphasising the community desire that Malabar Headland is accessible to everyone in the community for a range of recreational uses. That is why we have made the commitment for public open space, and it remains a priority for me.
“As part of the broader clean-up of Malabar Headland, the Commonwealth has recently commenced priority upgrade works on the northern boundary of the headland. These works will mitigate the potential risks regarding groundwater and surface water contamination leaving the site, and are targeted to be completed by June 30, 2013, dependent on weather conditions as well as unforeseen circumstances that may arise,” Mr Gray said.
“Assessments are also currently being undertaken to investigate the timing and scope of future stages to be undertaken in 2013-14.
“The Remediation Action Plan for the whole site is being developed and is expected to be completed mid-year. Once it is approved by an Environment Protection Authority accredited site auditor, it will be published on Finance’s Malabar Headland website.
"We are resolutely committed to create, 12km south east of Sydney, a beautiful new coastal park for permanent public use.”
On March 2, 2012, the Australian Government officially transferred the first parcel of the headland to the NSW Government for use as national park. This transfer of 17.7 hectares of heritage-listed bushland was widely welcomed and was officially gazetted by the NSW Government as the Malabar Headland National Park on December 7, 2012.
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