The Director

Strategic Assessments

NSW Department of Planning

GPO Box 39

SYDNEY NSW 2001

Wednesday 13 February 2008

Dear Sir or Madam:

I seek to make a submission regarding the proposal to redevelop the Australian Institute of Police Management on Collins Beach Road in Manly (REF MP07_0091).

There is widespread community opposition to this proposal. Development at this site would have a disastrous impact on the environment and its habitat (including endangered species).

The community’s view is that the Australian Federal Police (AFP) should remain in their current accommodation at the former School of Artillery.

The proposal should be rejected for the following reasons:

• The demolition and construction would destroy a “critical habitat area” for approximately 60 pairs of Little Penguins, which are an endangered species. The proposal includes building a large entertainment deck above the largest concentration of breeding penguins in the National Park;
• It requires destroying the foraging area for the Long Nosed Bandicoot – another endangered species – to build a car park;
• 21 mature trees (up to 30 metres high) would need to be cut down to make way for buildings and car parks;
• The site is recognised as the first contact between indigenous Australians and Europeans and dense development would dramatically alter the landscape;
• Increased contamination from additional buildings, roadways and car parks is likely to pollute Spring Cove, Sydney Harbour’s only aquatic reserve, and conflicts with NSW Government policy for the site, which states ‘no net increase of pollutants’.

The proposed exemption to permit “the temporary use of land for special events but only if the use of land is carried out for no longer than three consecutive days for each special event” is also unacceptable as this site is too fragile to be used to host large events.

It is not appropriate that this environmentally sensitive bushland be redeveloped to house AFP staff, when there are many other options for their accommodation, including their current premises in the former School of Artillery site.

I urge the Minister to reject the redevelopment proposal and consider returning the site to bushland in line with community demand.

Yours sincerely

Mike Baird

Member for Manly

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