The ACF Sydney Branch campaigns on a broad range of environmental issues on the local, state and national level. It comes under the umbrella of the national body of the ACF, from which it receives support and also guiding policies.

Our main objectives are to (i) promote within the government and community a greater awareness of and commitment to environmental issues; (ii) work towards bringing about an ecologically sustainable society, including the stabilisation of Australia's population; and (iii) complement the work of the ACF national body.

ACF Sydney Office

Level 1, 29-35 Shepherd St, CHIPPENDALE, NSW 2008

Tel: (02) 9212 6600, Fax: (02) 9212 6977

The National Parks Association of NSW seeks to protect and conserve the complete range and diversity of species, natural habitats, features and landscapes of New South Wales.

The Association was formed in 1957 to establish a network of national parks in NSW. This was achieved with the passing of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Act and the establishment of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) in 1967. Today NPA continues to build on this work through a network of 19 branches and over 5,000 members.

The major objectives of NPA are to:

1. increase the area in NSW secured for nature conservation, and to work towards a comprehensive, adequate and representative protected area system;

2. ensure that the management of areas secured for nature conservation maintains and restores their natural values;

3. promote nature conservation and the appreciation, enjoyment and understanding of the natural environment.

NPA State Council Office, 9th Floor, 91 York St, Sydney.

Telephone: (02) 9299-0000, Fax: (02) 9290-2525

The National Trust is a community member based not for profit organisation which operates under an Act of Parliament, but is independent of Government. The Trust owns and manages properties and has a strong listing and advocacy role. The National Trust began its listings of important places in 1961 – 62 and now has 15,000 places on the Register. The Trust has 25,000 members. It is concerned with issues affecting both the natural and cultural environment including the issue of the preservation and protection of significant public lands.

National Trust of Australia (NSW) Watson Rd Observatory Hill NSW 2000.

Postal address GPO Box 518 Sydney, NSW, 2001

Tel: (02) 92580123, Fax: (02) 92580164

The Nature Conservation Council of NSW (NCC) is a non-government environmental organisation representing over 130 member groups across the State and up to 150, 000 people. NCC sees the protection of public lands as a priority for preserving the natural environment.

The cultural and heritage values of all significant public lands must be protected for future generations. Many sites of public land in New South Wales contain natural ecosystems essential to supporting catchment processes and biodiversity values.

The remnant bushland present on public land within Sydney is essential to maintaining the cities amenity and is highly valued by the community. Such land must not be sold out of public ownership.

Contact:

Tel: (02) 9279 2466 (02) Fax: 9279 2499

Level 5, 362 Kent St, Sydney, NSW, 2000

The Total Environment Centre was established in 1972 as an advocacy and action centre. In the last 30 years it has undertaken many campaigns in the urban and natural environment, including forest and coastal protection; urban bushland; greenhouse; sustainable cities, lead-free petrol; and waste reduction. A recurrent concern has been alienation of public land by local councils and state government.

TEC has 10 staff including 5 campaigners in the urban, natural, chemical, waste and other fields.

Contact:

Level 2, 362 Kent Street Sydney 2000

Tel: (02) 9299 5599, Fax: (02) 9229 4411

We are a community group dedicated to protecting all of the ADI Site, St Marys, Western Sydney's open space and conservation jewel. The State Government should not be supporting the Commonwealth’s sale of any part of this important public land .  The State Government must immediately repeal the regional plan which permits massive urban development on the Site. The whole of the ADI Site should be reserved as a new Regional Park and Nature Reserve (State seats of Penrith, Mulgoa, Londonderry and Mount Druitt surround the site).

Contact:

Hugh Todd Tel: (02) 4739 6840

An environmental group established at a public meeting of concerned citizens in February 1993 in order to prevent further degradation of Berowra Creek, a tributary of the Hawkesbury River, and its catchment area.

Contact:

Jean Bolton, PO Box 35, Berowra Heights, NSW, 2082

Tel: (02) 9456 5265, Fax: (02) 9456 5265

The Balmoral Beach Preservation Society is concerned with the protection of local foreshores, public lands and related issues in the Mosman area

Connie Sievers

Tel: 99692434, Fax 99683108

The Callan Park Bushcare Group is an active local group of volunteers, who have worked regularly since 1995 to conserve and restore one of the last patches of remnant indigenous vegetation in Sydney's Inner West (Callan Park Rozelle) as habitat for local native fauna.

Contact:

Kim Wheatley (02) 96607268

The Residents Association has for over 10 years been concerned with open space, environment, development and other issues.

Present Issues include: Narwee High School Site. The Association is working with the community to retain a large proportion of the site as community open space.

Oatley Park Telecommunications Tower. A telecommunications company plans to establish a mobile phone tower in our oldest and largest community park. We are seeking to have the tower moved from the park, away from the school and residential and shopping precincts.

Defenders of Sydney Harbour Foreshores (Defenders) is a Coalition of community action groups and environmental organisations whose aim is to preserve and protect significant public foreshore land in Sydney Harbour (including its river systems) in public ownership for present and future generations.

Defenders was very much involved in the successful battle to save significant parts of the former Defence sites around Sydney Harbour from being sold to private developers. It was involved in the establishment of PPL.

Defenders continues to closely monitor the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust. It is assisting the battle to prevent the State Government from selling off parts of its significant public sites around the Harbour.

Its membership includes the Headland Preservation Group (Middle Head & Georges Heights), the North Head Alliance, Friends of Cockatoo Island, Foreshore 2000 - Woolwich, the National Trust, the National Parks Association and the Sydney Harbour & Foreshores Committee.

Contacts:

Callan Park (the Rozelle Hospital site) is a 61 hectare area of outstanding natural, cultural and heritage significance on the foreshores of Sydney Harbour at Iron Cove. Callan Park has recently been saved from sale by community action, with the support of Leichhardt Council and PPL. Resultant State Legislation has been gazetted. The Government must now proceed to establish a suitable Trust to protect and administer the public facilities on the site including the Psychiatric Hospital. (State seat of Port Jackson)

Contact:

Jean Lennane: (02) 9810 2511

The Friends of Gladesville Hospital is a community action group formed to ensure that the whole of the Gladesville Hospital Site, including the Priory and its curtilage remain in public ownership and control to be properly preserved, protected and managed. The group is networking with many community groups and organisations, including the Hunters Hill Trust, Hunters Hill Council, the National Trust and Protectors of Public Land (PPL) as well as a number of key individuals.

Contact:

Friends of Quarantine Station (FroQS) is a voluntary community group dedicated to the conservation of the Quarantine Station, and to preventing its development into a hotel, restaurant and tourist complex by a private developer Mawland Hotels Ltd.

The committee of FroQS draws on an array of expertise from environmental to natural, cultural and built heritage knowledge and experience. There is a strong community support base with 1300 submissions opposing the proposal submitted last year.

Quarantine Station occupies 31 ha of public land on North Head, the gateway to Sydney Harbour. It has a unique history both Indigenous and European. It is imperative that the NSW Government not approve this proposal entailing irreversible changes to the built and cultural heritage and further threats to already endangered species. Only a holistic management plan for the whole of North Head can deliver a sustainable environmental solution and properly conserve this most valuable icon of Australia’s heritage.

Contact:

PO Box 577 Balgowlah NSW 2093

Friends of Malabar Headland is a community based non-profit group formed in April 2000 to help protect the natural and cultural heritage of Malabar Headland. FoMH is supported by the local and wider community, Local and State Government, the Greens and others.

Malabar Headland is situated 12km south of Sydney CBD, between Maroubra beach and Malabar beach and is presently owned by the Commonwealth. It is the largest, most diverse, best quality unprotected coastal bushland on the Sydney coastline. It is home to a startlingly diverse range of fauna and flora. It provides a unique record of our heritage, with 43 important World War 2 coastal defence sites including forts, unique gun positions, underground defence facilities and a sunken munitions railway.

FoMH has prepared a Draft Community Plan Of Management which was launched by the NSW Premier in August 2002. The Draft Plan includes the following key recommendations, transfer of ownership of headland from Commonwealth to State Government and the entire headland to be declared a National Park / Public Open Space

Contact:

PO Box 6023 Malabar NSW 2035

Chair: Peter Ryan, Tel: (02) 9311 2334,

The HPG was formed in 1996 to combat plans by the Commonwealth to sell off for housing parts of the significant former Defence lands at Middle Head and Georges Heights. The campaign by HPG and other members of the Defenders of Sydney Harbour Foreshores was eventually successful leading to the establishment of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust.

HPG has over 2,000 supporters and continues to have input into the planning process so that its aim of creating an outstanding national park for all Australians on Middle Head and Georges Heights is achieved.

Current concerns are Mosman Council’s proposal for a sports complex at the former Commando 1 site on Georges Heights, and sale of Markham Close residences.

Contacts:

Address: PO Box 435, Mosman 2088

The Hunters Hill High School site lies in a prominent position on the Lane Cove River in Sydney Harbour and within the Conservation Area of Hunters Hill. The School and its site has recently been saved from closure and sale through the actions of the School and local communities, supported by Hunters Hill Council and PPL. The Government has now agreed to maintain and upgrade the School. This agreement must be honoured. (State seats of Lane Cove and Ryde).

Contact:

Local citizens formed the Hunters Hill Trust in 1968 in response to a proposed town plan which, if implemented, would have destroyed the unique heritage and character of the Municipality. Fine old houses and leafy streets would have become 3 storey walk-up home units and carparks.

The Trust was successful in prevented this development and it continues to work to preserve the heritage and beauty of the Municipality. This is an ongoing battle, as so much of what is beautiful and significant in Hunters Hill, both built and natural, continues to be threatened by the increasing pressures of development and inadequate policies of State Governments.

Of particular concern is a proposal to build units within the existing curtilage of ‘The Priory’, whose buildings and grounds, located within Gladesville Hospital, form the most important heritage complex in Hunters Hill. The Government has prepared draft plans for the sale of parts of Gladesville Hospital, which is strongly opposed by the local and wider community. The Trust was actively involved in the successful struggle to keep Hunters Hill High School open.

Contact:

The Secretary, Len Condon, PO Box 85, Hunters Hill 2110.

President Tony Coote (02) 9817 3466

Maroota Forest Conservation Committee (MFCC) is a community group formed in November 1999 as a result of widespread community concern over the possible conversion of the former Maroota State Forest north of Glenorie to private land. The local community had been led to believe that the forest would become a National Park due to its high biodiversity values. The community believe its present rural 1b zoning is totally inappropriate given the extremely high conservation significance of the forest. This zoning would open up the possibility of agricultural development that would permanently compromise this environmentally unique area.

contact: Carolyn Hall, (02) 9656 1800

The MPBA has for nearly forty years endeavoured to protect remaining bushland and open space in Mosman from alienation and development, both at the political and the 'grassroots' level. Association members pioneered the science of Bush Regeneration in the mid 1960s. As a member of NCC it also concerns itself with wider conservation issues.

Contact:

A number of years ago the State Government set up the Honeysuckle Corporation to sell and develop public land along Newcastle Harbour and Throsby Creek. Most of this land has now been sold.

However in the Civic area lies the last piece of public land on the harbour. The land used to be a railway marshalling yard and similar land at Roma Street Station in Brisbane has been made into the Roma Street Parkland with lakes, waterfalls, parks and gardens for the enjoyment of the public. Newcastle needs such harbourside land for the additional people being accommodated nearby and the people already living in the city.

This land, already owned by the State Government, should be kept in public ownership and developed as Parkland.

Contact:

David Evans Tel: 02 4943 1095

The aims of the Committee are to retain the Prince Henry Hospital Conservation Area in public ownership, to continue its 124 years of public medical use and related non-profit charity and community activities. The conservation area has many heritage values and coastal scenic values.

The Government must be stopped from selling off this significant public site to private developers. The local member (Maroubra) is the Premier.

Contact:

Alex Alexandrou, Tel: 0429 314 298

The Rockdale Wetlands Corridor. The Government should stop the plan to relocate the golf club on to public land and properly protect the Rockdale open space corridor, including its wetlands, in public ownership. (State seat of Rockdale).

Contact:

Since 1993 the local community has worked to retain and restore the Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest, now classified as an Endangered Ecological Community, covering two-thirds of the surplus school site.

Contact:

The aim f REG is to ensure that all public land in Ryde LGA, including National Parks, Crown land and Community land and any other category of public land, is held and managed for the benefit of the people, and that it's natural and cultural heritage significance is identified and conserved.

One current issue of concern is Brush Farm House and Brush Farm Park. These are listed heritage items. No Conservation Management Plan has been endorsed for Brush Farm House, and minimal maintenance on the house has been carried out over the last 10 years.

Contact:

Jenny Noble, Tel: (02) 98581343

The action group of staff, students, parents and the local community fought an active campaign to prevent the closure of this historic and valuable High School. In March 2002 the Education Minister announced that the School would be retained and become the first Visual Arts & Design High School in NSW.

There are continuing issues relating to building school numbers and to adequate funding being provided by the Government to fulfil the promises made.

Contact:

Shane Forrest, Tel: (02) 9569 0020

SEE is a group of local Erskineville residents who live adjacent to the Estate, are tenants of the Estate or people who live in the broader Erskineville area. As local residents and tenants we all enjoy living in and near a high quality public housing development that is integrated with the local community. We value the Estate for its ample green space, its medium density, and the harmony with which tenants live within the Estate and surrounding neighbourhood.

Our goal was simple – to maintain the Estate in its present form with the ongoing minor improvements necessary to allow residents to live in security and comfort. We were successful in demonstrating the weight of local opposition to the proposed development to the responsible Minister, Andrew Refshauge. To do this we met with the Minister, organised a large public meeting, achieved coverage of our views in the local and major papers and received support from the local ALP branches

We are seeking to get the Estate listed as a Heritage Site and we continue to monitor and watch over the site.

Contact:

Jan Flanagan, Convenor, Tel: 02 9557 5635

SBAG campaigns to protect important areas of remnant bushland in the Sydney Basin through direct action and support for local community groups. Our present major campaign is protection of the ADI Site between Penrith and St Marys in Western Sydney. 

Contact:

Noel Plumb Tel (02) 8800 8303

The Sydney Harbour & Foreshores Committee was founded in August 1979 to work for the protection and enhancement of Sydney Harbour. Its ambit of interest extends from Port Jackson to Middle Harbour and the Parramatta River. Membership includes a range of waterside Councils, community organisations and individuals.

Contact:

The Department of Defence site on Balls Head Road, Waverton is at risk of being sold off from public ownership as surplus land. This cliff-top site provides magnificent panoramic views of the western Harbour and is the missing link in a green corridor from Berry's Bay to Gore Creek. The community is campaigning for the site to be a public park.

Contact:

The Western Suburbs Hospital closed in 1994. The aim of the Committee is to keep the whole site in public ownership for appropriate public health care facilities.

Contact:

Bruce Elliott, Tel: (02) 9744 8440

The Committee was founded in 1984 with the aim of turning the Caltex oil storage site into a public park. The site is located on the Balmain peninsula in a very prominent position in Sydney Harbour.

The community has for many years been fighting the overdevelopment of the suburb. In 1992 a new Council was elected. The Council moved ‘that Ballast Point would not be rezoned until funds were available to buy the site for public open space.’ The Council has maintained that position. The Ballast Point Campaign Committee became the rallying point for the continuing campaign. The paid up membership is currently well over 400 with informal membership in the thousands.

As a result of the very strong public campaign, the Government made the decision last year to purchase Ballast Point for public parkland. A small maritime refuelling station will continue to operate at the site.

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The Committee and the community have a strong ongoing role. Firstly, to ensure that there is transparency in the finalisation of the transfer to public ownership. Secondly, to help co-ordinate public participation in the planning process. Thirdly, to assist good communication between all interested parties.

Contact.

Roger Parkes, Chair Tel: (02) 9810 8978;

Contact:

Jo Holder 02 9331 6621

Contact: