Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I want to renew my pleas for the Howard government to release funding for the full clean-up of Pooh Corner before it is handed over to the Brisbane City Council for management and conservation. Pooh Corner is an endangered woodland ecosystem and a natural habitat for Brisbane’s remaining population of eastern grey kangaroos located in the south-western suburbs of Brisbane. Pooh Corner was at the centre of a controversy last year when it was revealed that the Howard government wanted to sell off this environmentally significant land to the highest bidder. But, after intense community lobbying, it was gifted to the Brisbane City Council.

I have written to the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Campbell Newman, who has been a very vocal supporter of saving Pooh Corner, urging him to lobby the Howard government also. All previous requests of mine for this to happen have been denied. But with the new parliamentary secretary, Sandy Macdonald, handling the disposal of defence land, there might be a different view taken.

In addition to being a dumping ground for old cars and all sorts of rubbish, there has been unexploded ordnance on the site in the past. If this is the case then it should be immediately cleared or verified to be cleared by the Department of Defence before any handover to the Brisbane City Council occurs. Simply saying, ‘She’ll be right, mate,’ and that their job is done because of the handing over of the land to the Brisbane City Council is not good enough. The land should be handed over in a condition such that it is ready and able to be used and is safe for the people that use the land on a weekly basis. This is a very important piece of land. (Time expired)