REPORT FROM PUBLIC RALLY HELD 15 August

Rally co-organizer Karen Gough said: Over 200 people today attended a public rally called by the Sandon Point Aboriginal Tent Embassy (SPATE) in protest against an approved residential development project at “McCauley’s Beach”, just north of Sandon Point. 

The rally was called for two main reasons: 1)      To correct the mis-information developer Stockland has provided to the community and tell the community that THE VAST MAJORITY OF ABORIGINAL GROUPS REMAINS UNITED IN THEIR OPPOSITION to further residential development at Sandon Point.  2)      To demonstrate whole community support for SPATE’s ongoing legal battles against Stockland and the Stage government to prevent residential development within the Bulli/Thirroul coastal flood plain north of Sandon Point. 

Wadi Wadi Elder, Uncle Allan Carriage, and Roy "Dootch" Kennedy of SPATE spoke about the long battle they have shared to gain appropriate recognition and protection for the unique Aboriginal Cultural Heritage values and natural environmental attributes of the Sandon Point Site. 

Michael Organ, a former federal Greens MP in the local seat of Cunningham reminded us about the political history of the community campaign to Save Sandon Point. 

George Takacs, the current Greens candidate for the federal election made his support clear and Northern Illawarra Residents Action Group president Alex Peterson gave his view as a long term opponent to the development. Other community members spoke. 

A RESOLUTION WAS PASSED UNANIMOUSLY BY APPROXIMATELY 250 PEOPLE THAT:  

“This meeting calls for a Royal Commission to investigate corruption within the NSW State Government and Wollongong City Council that resulted in Part 3A changes to the EP&A Act (1979) to benefit developer Stockland; and the failure to implement the findings and recommendations of the Sandon Point Commission of Inquiry (2003). “This meeting calls for Wollongong City Council to honour its Charter by supporting the Aboriginal community and recognizing all of Kuradji Sandon Point as a culturally significant site.”  

Over $600 was raised in donations for the Kuradji Sandon Point Foundation, a Legal Fund set up by the community to help fund further legal actions against the Stockland and Anglican Retirement Villages’ development projects at Sandon Point. 

Following the meeting most of the 250-strong crowd joined a walk along Wilkies Walk into the Sandon Point Site and to the Aboriginal Tent Embassy on McCauley’s Beach to discuss Wollongong City Council’s recent Coastal Study mapping results, to check out the ongoing Bushcare work of the Sandon Point Community Coastcare Committee and to discuss the new “Kuradji Vegetation Management Plan” commissioned by ILALC in 2009-2010.  

CONTACT :   Karen Gough- SPATE Media Officer  0434 550 181Dootch Kennedy - SPATE and ILALC  0434 366 374