Media Release
Wednesday, 3 September 1997
Eastern Distributor - Police Remove Three Protesters While Builder Ignores Heritage Restrictions
Police removed three anti-Distributor protesters from on top of earthmoving equipment after a crowd of 50 invaded the Moore Park construction compound on Saturday.
Protest supporters later claimed to have found proof that heritage restrictions are being ignored by the builders.
Randwick Greens Councillor Murray Matson stated today,
"While walking over the ploughed up site, we found numerous broken china plates, bottles and other material believed to date back to the 1800’s when the area was camped on. By law Leightons Pty Ltd is obliged to stop work immediately but hasn’t done so."
Condition 131 of the building approval for the project reads,
"If, during the course of construction, the Proponent becomes aware of any heritage or archaeological material, all work likely to affect the site(s) shall cease immediately and the relevant authorities including NPWS, Heritage Council and the relevant Local Aboriginal Land Council(s) shall be consulted in terms of an appropriate course of action prior to recommencement of work. Any required permits/consents shall be obtained and shall be accompanied by appropriate supporting documentation."
Cr Matson stated that a significant portion of Moore Park still remained undisturbed and work should halt while it was evaluated. He said,
"There is a case for saying that Leightons should halt work. On Saturday we had to tell them the significance of what we were seeing lying under our feet in the torn up dirt. There are 151 conditions to the approval that the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning imposed and Leightons have just demonstrated ignorance of one of them. They need to do something to re-establish their credibility on being trusted to abide by the other 150."
Cr Matson stated that spokespeople of the ‘LinkUp’ protest group had brought the matter to the attention of the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning and that he had also personally written.
CONTACT: Randwick Greens Councillor Murray Matson