Julie Owens (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Parramatta Park is one of Australia's most significant sites. Its importance reaches as far back as 39,000 years, for the Burramattagal people. It was also recognised by UNESCO as being of World Heritage significance when it was placed on the Australian Convict Sites listing, back in 2010. Proudly showcasing Old Government House and other colonial buildings, it is one of the oldest public parks in the world. Parramatta Park has been protected by law, with ownership of these parklands vested in an independent trust. This has prevented any government of the day from selling the land of the parklands without the consent of the New South Wales parliament. But in a surprise move the New South Wales planning minister has dissolved the trust and handed over the management of public parks to an agency called Greater Sydney Parklands. This super-agency will have oversight of Parramatta Park Trust, Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust, and Western Sydney Parklands Trust, alongside the lands within the former Callan Park Hospital site and Fernhill Estate in Mulgoa. This is a direct attack on our heritage parklands. Our parks will no longer be protected by independent trusts. This will make it easier for public parklands to be further commercialised and reduced, particularly given the New South Wales government's 50-year vision document, stating that the state is looking at funding mechanisms such as levies to fund our parks. Once again, decisions that affect our community and the places we love are being made without consultation, and our capacity for local input is being permanently reduced.

If you want yet another example of the lack of consultation in state government decisions in my community, you can't go any further than the Powerhouse move. State government investment in arts and cultural institutions in Parramatta is well overdue and it is welcomed by many—including me, actually. But it is imperative that we get it right. If the current Powerhouse Museum project proceeds as planned, it will result in the demolition of two 19th-century buildings that are the only examples of their type located in the core of the Parramatta CBD.

Willow Grove and St George's Terrace make a significant contribution to the streetscape and set the tone in an area that is rapidly being modernised and transformed. I have received countless emails and phone calls from residents opposed to the demolition of these heritage buildings. Petitions circulated in 2018 by the North Parramatta Residents Action Group opposing the demolition of Willow Grove and St George's Terrace attracted more than 13,000 signatures within just seven days of the announcement. I'm not the only person who thinks it's bizarre that a state government would demolish heritage buildings in order to build a museum that acknowledges heritage. In response to the groundswell of community support for Willow Grove and St George's Terrace, the CFMEU New South Wales has placed a green ban on the demolition of these two buildings. But the groundswell of community support was obvious when the department of planning in New South Wales opened submissions and, in just a couple of weeks, the community made 1,301 submissions, with over 95 per cent of those submissions being objections to the plans as they are.

In a city that is experiencing radical change, the preservation of our built heritage is of highest priority. It is a gift that can never be replaced and it is our responsibility to ensure it remains for future generations. With the decision to retain the Powerhouse in Ultimo, there is now a perfect opportunity to pause and reconsider all options to ensure Parramatta achieves investments in the arts and cultural precinct that deliver the best outcome for Parramatta now and in the future.

Another example of the lack of consultation of our community is the World Heritage listing for the Parramatta Female Factory. In June, Susan Templeman, the federal member for Macquarie, presented a petition to this House on my behalf and on behalf of the Parramatta Female Factory Friends. At the time, COVID made it impossible for us all to be here. The petition of 11,155 signatures seeks support from the House for the female factory to be declared a site of World Heritage significance—to become a living museum and national resource centre to be managed by a joint federal and state government trust with the expertise to conserve and interpret the site in accordance with the guidelines of the Burra Charter. Now we find the New South Wales government has lodged a development application for alterations and additions to five female factory buildings, including demolition removal of later additions, plus the adaptive reuse of three buildings as office premises. We seek a commitment from the state government that the National Heritage listing of this site will be observed and that the site will continue to be able to be World Heritage listed.

These are important sites, and community consultation is essential.