The development application is currently with the Minister for Planning. Last year the Minister declared the site as State significant. This development has all the hallmarks of Currawong, which the member for Pittwater continues to fight against for his community. The Minister for Planning must listen to the community. They lined from one end of the northern beaches to the other to stop any more developments on both sites. I reiterate my submission to the department that it must reject the development proposal. This unnecessary development should not go ahead. The police college is situated in the middle of a pristine national park, part of the North Head complex. It is the home of the only penguin breeding colony on the mainland of New South Wales. It is also the home of another endangered species, the long nosed bandicoot. The police college sits above Spring Cove, which is Sydney Harbour's only aquatic reserve, and next to Collins Beach, which is of great national significance as it is the place of the first meeting between early settlers and indigenous Australians.

The proposed development is completely inappropriate. The Australian Federal Police proposes to spend $20 million building a three-storey complex with 55 hotel suites, 47 car spaces and a large entertainment deck directly above the largest concentration of breeding penguins in the national park. Throw in a couple of poker machines and it would replicate establishments in Las Vegas. Yet this development is proposed for an area as significant and precious as North Head. The demolition and construction would destroy a critical habitat area for approximately 60 pairs of little penguins. The foraging area of the long nosed bandicoot would be destroyed to build a car park. Twenty-one mature trees, some up to 30 metres high, would be cut down to make way for buildings and car parks. Finally, increased contamination from additional buildings, roadways and car parks would pollute the aquatic reserve at Spring Cove, which is very much at odds with the New South Wales Government policy of no net increase of pollutants.

Clearly, the development should not go ahead. It is an unbelievable demand on the community to give up a site of such historical and environment significance to support these types of developments. It is even harder to understand because the Australian Police College has an alternative site. It has already relocated to the former School of Artillery site up the road. It is located on far less sensitive land, it is secure and it is available. The Australian Federal Police should remain there. A couple of weeks ago I joined a group of residents to demonstrate our heartfelt concerns for the future of this headland. Residents of all ages scrambled across the rocks and carefully erected signs opposing this proposed monstrosity in this precious spot. It was in the middle of the day and hot, yet everyone was determined to stand up for the environment. They did not lose their focus.

Two of the warriors of that group were Ellie Griffin, who is 12 years old, and Angelika Treichler, who is a little older than that. Angelika is the leader of community volunteers who day in and day out do incredible work as penguin wardens. Most nights when the penguins are breeding they stand by their nests to keep them safe from dogs or passers by. Every day after school for the past four years Ellie, who I stress is just 12 years old, visits the penguins. As she says, "They are just so special." She was brought to tears at the thought that they would be damaged by this proposed development. I call on the Minister for Planning and his department, who have the power, to reject the Australian Institute of Police Management development application. The development is inappropriate and unnecessary and is strongly opposed by the entire community. If the Minister governs for all the people of this State, whom he represents, the people all the way from Manly to the end of Pittwater oppose this development and the development at Currawong. It is in his hands. The Minister for Planning has the chance to do the right thing and we call on him to do so.