Media Release

30 September 2002

Greens candidate for the state seat of Coogee, and Randwick Councillor, Murray Matson today called for the immediate release of all correspondence between the Centennial and Moore Park Trust and the private schools organising their Rugby Union Grand Final on 21 September.

Cr Matson expressed his concern that the Trust may have signed an on-going agreement without any public consultation.

Cr Matson said: "It appears that the Trust is re-running its late 1990's betrayal of Eastern Suburbs residents, when it allowed more than 2 ha of public park land to be permanently lost to the Eastern Distributor.

"Then it was construction giant Leighton and finance monolith Macquarrie Bank that got their way with the Trust.

"This time the Trust rode rough shod over its own regulations that prohibit fencing, PA systems and marquees to be erected to facilitate the recreational activities of a small number of very wealthy private schools.

"The outcome, however, is the same: the community ends up with less public land.

"We do not even know how much these schools paid for the right to alienate a large slice of Queen Elizabeth park and to erect so much built form on it.

"The great fear now is that some kind of backroom deal has been struck between the Trust and the politically well-connected wealthy private school lobby to allow them to continue to monopolise the Park for years to come.

"The only way the Trust can clear the air is to release all its correspondence with the wealthy private schools involved and any other relevant documents.

"Public land in the Eastern Suburbs is too scarce to allow any more of it to be lost to private interests. This time, The Greens intend to make sure that community needs do not fall victim to the avarice of a small minority or to the Trust's lack of courage," Cr Matson said.

For further details: Murray Matson on (02) 9661-9413