Re: Inquiry Into the Windsor Bridge Replacement Project

P r e s e r v i n g A u s t r a l i a ' s O l d e s t G a r d e n S u b u r b

P.O. Box 85, Hunters Hill, N.S.W. 2110

The Hon. Gladys Berejiklian, MP

NSW Premier

GPO Box 5341

SYDNEY NSW 2001

Dear Premier,

Re: Inquiry into the Windsor Bridge replacement project

I write as President of the Hunters Hill Trust to seek your urgent intervention to immediately halt the Windsor Bridge replacement project until after the conclusion of the Parliamentary Inquiry into this project that is due to take place shortly.

Please find attached the Trust’s submission to the Inquiry. Given the longstanding community and expert opposition to this project and the scale of this opposition it is unclear whether you have been properly briefed on this issue and the significance of this site to our national history as well as to the local community.

As a significant and longstanding heritage organisation the Trust is particularly concerned with the ability of one single Minister of the State Government to approve a project (under State Significant Infrastructure legislation) that overrides State Significant Heritage protections, without any ability for merit appeal, and ahead of ‘the identification of the heritage value’ – project approval condition B1 (a) – as recorded in the Land and Environment Court case Community Action for Windsor Bridge Inc v NSW Roads and Maritime Services & anor [2015] NSWLEC 167 in the Land and Environment Court, hearing dates 22 & 23 October 2014 and decision date 27 October 2015.

The longstanding recognition of this precinct for over 100 years as an area of great historic significance led to its protection under a Permanent Conservation Order (No. 126) of the Thompson Square Precinct on 2 July 1982. The intent of this order was ‘to control the demolition or alteration of buildings or works; damaging or despoiling a relic, place or land; excavating to expose or move a relic; development of land….’ The Square is also listed on the original Register of the National Estate.

These protections were intended to ensure this unique Georgian precinct, which contains numerous items of State Significance, was protected and continued to contribute to the economic wellbeing of the local area and to our identity as a nation. It is clear from the recent exposure of extremely significant archaeological finds - including convict built barrel vault drains and rare early Telford road paving (incredibly important examples of colonial infrastructure) that ‘relic, place and land’ are imminently at risk of not just despoiling but complete destruction.

Please halt this project at least until the Inquiry is complete so that your government can re-assess the enormity of what is being proposed and what will be lost for ever if other options are not taken. It is critical that we act to protect our national heritage from such irresponsible destruction for the many reasons outlined.

Yours sincerely

Alister Sharp PhD

President, Hunters Hill Trust

Cc Anthony Roberts, MP, Minister for Planning