Back to Randwick-Botany Greens
Randwick Green Mayor Murray Matson said:
"The Chinese Market Gardens is the oldest market garden operating in Randwick City.
"Its heritage significance is unquestionable. It’s listed as a local heritage item in Council’s planning controls, it’s listed as a State heritage item and just this month the National Trust also listed it on their national register.
"Council has a strongly held view that the Chinese Market Gardens should be retained and protected because of its significant historical and cultural value. We are currently proposing to rezone the land as Rural Small Holdings to reflect and protect its agricultural status.
"I welcome the return of planning powers to local government. Local government is well placed to determine local development. Councils have expert planning staff capable of assessing complex planning proposals and publicly elected Councillors who live locally, know the local community and are accountable to the community."
The state government had been considering a submission from a public trust managing the Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park, which incorporates Botany cemetery, to expand into Crown land used for Chinese market gardens.
Last week the new NSW premier announced that the project would be one of a number of projects under the to be discontinued "Part 3A" legislation that would be returned to local Councils to deal with.
In May 2008, the NSW Department of Lands, advised against using the site for a cemetery expansion on heritage and flooding issues.
"The site in its current state would most likely require significant engineering works to overcome the current constraints such as a high water table and flooding issues. Given the current environmental constraints and current state of the subject land, the site is considered not suitable for the establishment of a cemetery. As per the Australasian Cemeteries and Crematoria Association (2004) Guidelines for the establishment of a Cemetery if the water table is too high burials may not be possible. The other significant factor to be considered in any preliminary investigation to the establishment of a cemetery is the heritage significance of the Chinese Market Gardens which are listed on the State Heritage Register." NSW Department of Lands