Hill 60 win

Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells with Save Hill 60 group member Helen Hamilton

AFTER months of protest and indecision the fight to save Hill 60 has been won, according to many.

Wollongong City Council will purchase the former defence site for $1 from our Federal Government.

The land at the centre of the turmoil is a 6212 square metre former Army Reserve Depot site located to the far south eastern corner of Hill 60. Earlier this year the Defence Department put the site up for sale

Senator Cencetta Fierravanti-Wells said at least one tender was received by the department however it did not conform. She said the power of the people who argued against the proposed sale changed the mind of the Federal Government who last week offered the site to Wollongong City Council.

As a result of the Federal Government listening to community concerns the government has decided to offer the defence site at Port Kembla to Wollongong City Council under concessional priority sale guidelines, Senator Fierravanti-Wells said.

She praised the local community for expressing their concerns to her about the original sale and for contributing to this final decision.

As someone who grew up in Port Kembla I am well aware that there was a large level of community concern about the proposed sale. The Federal Government has listened to the local community and has given the land back to the community for public use.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence Sandy Macdonald said the sale of the land to council would enhance the protection of the heritage values of the surrounding area.

According to Wollongong City Council Lord Mayor Alex Darling council will now consider whether to accept this offer but looks forward to working with residents to open up the land as public space complete with appropriate facilities such as walking trails.

Deputy Lord Mayor Kiril Jonovski said he would table a notice of motion on November 6 at councils next Environment and Planning Committee meeting calling for a report on options for rezoning the land.

He and fellow ward 6 councillor Zeki Esen said they would like to see the land converted from its current 2(a) Low Density Residential to RE1 Public Recreation Zone.

Cr Jonovski and Cr Esen have liased with the community since the proposed sale was brought to their attention helping fight for the result now achieved, to have the land back in the hands of the community.

Cr Jonovski said Indigenous community members were displaced from the site by the Department of Defence when it assumed the land for World War II operations in 1941 and were told the land would be returned to them at the conclusion of the war.

That war ended four years later yet here we are in an entirely new century and still the rightful owners of the land have not been restored, he said.

Local community members are considering last weeks announcement a win. Save Hill 60 Group member Helen Hamilton said they were very relieved to hear good news in regard to the site.

Weve been working on this for a long time and Im very pleased they have decided to do the right thing and give the land back to where it belongs, she said.

Spokesperson for the Northern Illawarra Aboriginal Collective Inc. (NIAC) Chris Illert said to rezone the land is not enough. He said if Wollongong City Council rezones the land away from residential use now it would still be able to change the zoning again in the future putting Hill 60 and the surrounding area at risk of being taken out of public ownership once again.

He said NIAC would like to see the entire Hill 60 site listed on the State Heritage Register ensuring its protection or native title established through the National Native Title Tribunal.