This week I put forward a motion for the Parliament to call on the State and Commonwealth Governments to purchase a huge swathe of bushland at Maddens Plains in the Illawarra that is currently up for sale. The sale is being touted by the real estate agent as an opportunity for biobanking. My motion calls for a much better idea – for the Government to purchase the land for conservation in perpetuity.

The area for sale is so important. It forms part of a chain of conservation reserves which extend from Royal National Park down to the south coast. It is also part of an east west corridor of catchments and NPWS reserves that extend from the Illawarra coast to the Blue Mountains.

In fact Wollongong City Council (WCC) was unanimous in its motion calling on Council to urgently work with the State and Federal Governments to purchase the Maddens Plains land. The Councillors have said the land should be brought into public ownership and become part of the Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area.

The bushland for sale is currently zoned for both Environmental Management and for Conservation. The area that is zoned as Environmental Management can be developed. This sale is a rare opportunity for the NSW Government to ensure all of this high conservation land is brought into the public ownership and reserved for conservation and future generations to enjoy in perpetuity.

The text of the motion is below.

That this House notes that:

1. Almost 6 million square metres of high conservation value land, comprising the majority of Maddens Plains, is currently for sale.
2. The sale is being touted as an opportunity for biobanking.
3. The land is currently zoned E2 Environmental Conservation which is not to be built on and E3 Environmental Management which will allow for development.
4. That the land forms part of a chain of conservation reserves which extend from the Royal National Park down to the south coast and that is is also part of an east west corridor of catchments and NPWS reserves that extend from the Illawarra coast to the Blue Mountains.
5. That Wollongong City Councillors (WCC) resolved unanimously to support a motion that Council urgently work with the State and Federal Governments to purchase the Maddens Plains land.
6. That Wollongong City Councillors have said the land ought to be brought into public ownership and become part of the Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area.

That this House calls on the government to:

Move to immediately purchase the entire Maddens Plain land that is for sale and to reserve it in perpetuity for conservation.