What is going on in Mt Penang ‘Parklands’?
It appears the name ‘Mt Penang Parklands’ is a euphemism for prime real estate, available for sale, for undisclosed sums, to industry and developers.
Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation (HCCDC), which owns and operates the Mount Penang Parklands, is destroying what’s left of valuable community space.
In the last couple of years over 25 hectares of vital native habitat of (the) parkland has been sold to Borg and Stevens Groups for industry and commercial development.
After tick box community consultation HCCDC goes ahead and does what it wants, which includes ignoring the public and trashing the last bit of free open community space we have in Kariong.
Currently they are bulldozing a very extensive and (quite well-built I might add) road straight through the Parklands in the name of better access.
What a lie.
It’s going to be one-way from Kangoo Rd to the high school, which in my opinion is going to ruin the access we currently have.
This new road is an example of total over engineering, unnecessary destruction, and stupidity at its best.
No creative thought has gone into the design.
Many large trees that provide food and habitat to our native wildlife have been bulldozed and woodchipped.
With a tiny bit of imagination these trees could have been left where they were, and the road could have swerved around them.
That’s novel; a road with a slight curve, to save these majestic trees.
These trees could have been a centrepiece of the design, a nod to the Central Coast’s desire to maintain greenspaces and reduce the greenhouse effects of the Somersby Industrial Estate.
By the time this letter goes to print another five or so huge established trees will have been bulldozed.
Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo food gone; Ring Tail possum homes, and most likely the possums and their babies destroyed.
The native wood ducks’ ducklings will be paddling around dust and road grit as the works raze their way through what was once, and should have been left as, peaceful habitat and open space.
But I suppose that will be nothing once the new fast-food outlets and tyre repair place are built next door to the high school.
Rubbish will be the norm then.
Email, Sep 15
Lisa Bellamy, Kariong
I am horrified to learn of this desecration of the parklands. I thought this area was to remain as parklands for ever. Just who is making the decisions to do this?
Disappointing. Did you see or comment on the Development Application?
Local authorities, elected to take care of these things asleep on the job. Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.