BY PAUL BENEDEK
SYDNEY A mass rally, public forums and independent polling have shown that there is overwhelming opposition to the NSW Labor government's plan to sell eight hectares of Callan Park, near Rozelle. According to polls, Labor is in danger of being defeated in the local parliamentary seat at the next election over the issue.
The 61-hectare harbourside parkland, complete with heritage-listed buildings, is owned by the NSW Department of Health. The site includes a mental health care facility (with 2000 admissions last year) and the School of the Arts.
Premier Bob Carr's government is proposing to close the hospital and move patients to a new facility to be constructed at the Concord Hospital. To pay for this, the government has recommended that 20% of the Callan Park site be sold to private developers for multi-storey private residential housing.
On August 18, 2000 people chanting "Save Callan Park" marched through Rozelle and Lilyfield to the historic park. Rally organisers stated that the issue was not just the preservation of Callan Park as public land, but opposition to the privatisation of all public land. Contingents from the campaign to save the St Marys ADI (Australian Defence Industries) site and Save Our Schools, which is opposed to the sell-off of public schools, joined the protest.
The rally was addressed by former federal Labor minister Tom Uren, actor Colin Friels and Protectors of Public Lands convenor Maire Sheehan. Most protesters wore green ribbons emblazoned with "Save Callan Park", which were also tied to trees, telegraph poles and front gates throughout the area.
Prior to the rally, rowdy public meetings of up to 600 people have vehemently opposed the Labor government's plan.
On August 27, Friends of Callan Park (FOCP) spokesperson Jean Lenane addressed a meeting at Rozelle organised by the Central/Port Jackson branch of the Socialist Alliance. Lenane pointed out the hidden dangers in the government's masterplan, including "artist's impressions" which show seemingly unobtrusive one- or two-storey homes. Lenane pointed out that the third and fourth storeys allowed by the government's plan were presumably blocked out by a splash of green paint!
There are many reasons to oppose the plan, Lenane stated, from the failure to carry out contamination studies to the disregard paid to the heritage value of the site. Callan Park is on the list of endangered places prepared by the Australian Council of National Trusts. Other reasons to oppose the alienation of the land include the disturbance of important Aboriginal archaeological sites it will involve and the loss of mental health services in the central Sydney area.
On August 29, FOCP released results from a poll that showed that 86% of local residents are opposed the government's plan to sell parts of Callan Park. Only 8% believed the government needed to sell the land to fund the new mental health facilities at Concord.
Only 31% indicated they would vote for the ALP if an election was held tomorrow. The Greens polled 23%, almost 20% said they would support independents or were undecided, and the Liberals polled just 15%.
Port Jackson, which covers Callan Park and its neighbours, is Labor's fourth-safest state seat. The sitting member, Sandra Nori, won more than 50% of the primary vote at the last election. However, on the poll's figures and depending on how preferences flow, it is possible that the Greens could topple Nori at the next election.
For more information on the save Callan Park campaign, visit <http://www.callanpark.com>.
From Green Left Weekly, September 11, 2002.
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