SUFFOLK PARK community representatives met with NSW National Party MLC, Ben Franklin on Sunday evening. They discussed the proposed auction of Lot 60, Beech Drive and how they were aiming to stop it.
The 3 ha site is currently home to the Suffolk Park F.C, a Community Garden, BMX Bike Track and a Children’s Playground.
Mr Franklin is in ongoing discussion with Adrian Piccoli, NSW Minister for Education, the National Party minister responsible for selling the land. He is hoping the minister will remove the land from commercial sale and transfer it to Suffolk Park’s Community/Byron Shire Council. A Byron Bay resident himself, Ben Franklin visited the ‘village green’ to see what it is the local community is campaigning to save.
“I believe government should be about genuine, community representation. If that’s the case, then to keep this land in public hands… should be an easy decision to make. “ said Mr Franklin.
Patsy Brosnan, Vice President of the Suffolk Park Progress Association explained, “This entire neighbourhood was once open fields.”
“We’d like to keep these current fields for community use; a tribute to the past and a legacy for future generations of Suffolk Park residents.
“To do this it must become Byron Shire Council land, zoned appropriately and held in perpetuity as community, recreational space – to provide an open space for the social, physical and mental well being of this community. “
A Community Rally will be held onsite at 5 30 pm on Wednesday, November 16. Speakers will include Byron Shire Council Mayor, Simon Richardson and Victoria Handley, the Director of Coogera Pre School – which regularly visits the community gardens as part of its curriculum.
A large crowd is expected, after the progress association’s petition to save the ‘village green’ received over 2,000 signatures.
A Byron Bay resident himself [only after Ballina electorate was ‘lost’], Ben Franklin visited the ‘village green’ to see what it is the local community is campaigning to save at Suffolk Park.
Why would Ben Franklin have to visit the community land for the above reason?! He should know! No need for him to see what the problem is. The problem is the land grab all along the coast – Brunswick Hds foreshores, their caravan parks for up-market cabins, as is happening to all coastal caravan parks. The Roundhouse land at Ocean Shores was community but it went ‘under the hammer’ & @ a depleted cost. This is just the same – forget people & just grab as much land as possible, sell it off. Now and future needs for people just doesn’t come into the equation. Disgraceful!!!
All over the eastern coast of Australia places adjacent to holiday towns have been affected by people with money wanting to develop them. I have worked to stop this development from happening with my local community, here on the Sunshine Coast in QLD. After the initial shock of seeing what was being planned and the way developers were running through council objections, we came to realise that the only thing that was going to stop the development was strong community opposition and that community coming together to create a space for community consultation- many public meetings where the communities opinion could be heard- this is the key. Get the community working as one voice. Be organised. Don’t give up. If it’s important get it done.