Last chance to have a say on uni expansion plan

By Ashlee Betteridge
Leichhardt Council and the Friends
of Callan Park (FOCP) are making
a final push to encourage residents
to make submissions on the Sydney
Harbour Foreshore Authority’s
(SHFA) draft Land Use Plan for
Callan Park.
The plan would see the University
of Sydney take over a large part of
the site, with an additional 40,000
square metres of floor space as well
as more than 5000 students attend-
ing the campus. About 700 students
would live on the site in student ac-
commodation.
Leaflets will be delivered to resi-
dents in the next week by Leichhardt
Council with detachable cards that
residents can use to return their
comments on the proposal.
Leichhardt Council and FOCP
are currently working on their sub-
missions on the proposal, and are
concerned about the lack of detail
in the plan and amendments being
made to the Callan Park Act.
Hall Greenland from FOCP said
that if enough people raise objec-
tions, the government will have to
rethink its plan.
Submissions on the Land Use
Plan close on February 22.
SHFA will be holding a second
community information session on
the plan at Leichhardt Town Hall on
Saturday February 9 between 11am
and 2pm.
The plan is available for view-
ing at Leichhardt Council, and the
Department of Planning and the
SHFA offices in the city.
For information on the plan visit
www.shfa.nsw.gov.au/callanpark.

Balmain MP outraged over veterans’ ousting from Callan Park

By Ashlee Betteridge
Balmain MP Verity Firth said she is
outraged after hearing that veter-
ans residing in Callan Park had been
moved to other accommodation
without her knowledge.
Reports this week said that the
veterans, some of whom had lived at
Callan Park for as long as 60 years,
had been removed, and some were
being forced to pay thousands of
dollars extra to stay in private nurs-
ing homes.
“I was terribly concerned to hear
that the Sydney South West Area
Health Service had made the deci-
sion to move the veterans residing at
Callan Park without my knowledge,”
Ms Firth said.
“It is particularly concerning to
hear reports that not only is this at
greater cost to the veterans, but that
they and their families have been
distressed by the move,” she said.
Ms Firth said she had raised the
issue of accommodating the veter-
ans with NSW Health last year, and
had been given “firm assurances”
that they would be able to remain at
Callan Park as long as their health
permitted and as long as they, and
their families, desired.
“I have written to the Minister
for Health expressing my outrage
at this decision and asked for an ur-
gent investigation of the options for
these gentlemen, including the cost
of their care,” Ms Firth said.
Email your say on this issue to editor@
villagevoice.com.au.

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Village Voice Balmain February 7