Electorate Media Releases

DEADLINES LOOM FOR PLATYPUS

27th June 2008

Member for North Sydney, Joe Hockey MP, said today that the Rudd government should be coming clean on where plans for the remediation and future of Platypus are at following assurances given in Senate Committees earlier this month.

“The government has been silent on what its intentions are in relation to Platypus," Mr Hockey said.

“During Senate Estimates hearings the Executive Director of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust revealed that the government was yet to make a policy announcement on whether it would maintain the previous government’s policy of transferring this site to the Trust.

“Both the Trust and the Department of Defence did, however, give assurances that by 30 June this year they were intending to:-

“The Government should inform residents whether these important milestones have been reached.

“The former government announced that $20 million was to be provided in the 07-08 financial year and I can’t see any reason why this has been delayed.

“The Trust, following extensive public consultation, had completed a decontamination plan so it’s a mystery as to why funds are being held up.

“Decontamination alone will take two years and further delays just mean a longer wait for residents before Platypus becomes part of the publicly accessible foreshore domain.

“Peter Garrett should be cracking heads in the Department of Defence and the Trust to get this moving – it’s not good enough for both agencies to be passing the buck between each other," Mr Hockey said.

Further information: Trent Zimmerman – 9929 9822