Are The Mambo Wetlands Under Threat?

All posts on the Mambo Wetlands Land Sale have been consolidated into this post, it will be updated regularly………………
See more of Mambo-Wanda Wetlands Conservation Group on Facebook
Mambo Fight Continues – 01 Oct 2017 Protest at Site
Update 01 October 2017

Oct 01 2017: Mambo wetland angst sparks rally

Oct 01 2017: Port Stephens Koalas launches ‘Go Fund Me’ page

A successful protest meeting was held today at the Mambo wetlands site at 11 am to discuss the lodging of a DA for the site by the new owner. Speakers included, the PS Mayor Ryan Palmer, Councillors John Nell, Jaimie Abbott, Giacomo Arnott, representatives of the PS Koala Protection group, Ecconetwork and our own Nigel Waters. The meeting was chaired by Kathy Brown and about 300 enthusiastic people turned out in the middle of a Grand final long weekend. The sausage sizzle and the coffee van did a roaring trade and the hat was passed around raising nearly $1,400.00 for the campaign ahead.

Protestors were urged to make written submissions or objection letters to Council before they consider this application by 27 Oct 2017.

Letters of concern the the Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter, Scott McDonald, the Minister who has responsibility for this ‘Mistake,” to remind him that admitting this was good, but fixing it by reversing the process would be even better.

Mambo Wetland Threat – What you can do
Mambo Wetland Threat – Key points for Submissions
The Mambo DA Plan
25 Sept 2017 Update on Mambo Wetlands Development.
 Development Application (2017/620) has been lodged for a $600,000 duplex on the site.

25 Sept 2017: Koalas in Key land conflict

From the EcconetPS Facebook page

 

07 Sept 2017: Mambo Sale among $9 billion in asset sales

Update 04 October 2016

There has been a major initiative from the Hunter Koala Protection Society to highlight the loss of Koala habitat and to promote the idea of a Koala Hospital for the area. The proposed site is the old Samurai, now TreeEscape site at One Mile Beach, Crown Land, Leased by PSC. There has been saturation coverage of this campaign in the Examiner of late. TRRA has invited RON LAND, the Vice president of the Society to address this as the guest speaker at our TRRA AGM, Tuesday 18 September 2016, 7:00 pm at the Nelson Bay Bowling Club. – Press release HERE

We now discover that the Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter has belatedly admitted that the Mambo wetlands site was sold off by ‘mistake’ and we have finally found out who bought it.

Examiner 27 Sept 2016: Scott MacDonald, Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter, says Mambo sale shouldn’t have happened.

Newcastle Herald 28 Sept 2016: Port Stephens MP Kate Washington asks government to reverse Mambo Wanda wetlands sale.

**Saturday 22 Oct 2016: Come and walk the Mambo Wetlands**

This is an initiative by the Greens to draw attention to the Mambo Wetlands issue, save the date…..

95 Spectacular Pictures of the fauna and flora of Mambo Wetlands By Guy Innes, Available to download HERE  (Caution Large PDF File, 25 MB, give it time to load) Can we afford to lose any of this?
Guy Innes: ‘Let Mambo Breathe!’ 

What you can do: 160524 Mambo Wetlands forum – handout

160607 TRRA Letter to Minister for Education & Community Services

0 Koala

Newcastle Herald 07 June 2016: Bidders meet reserve in sale of Salamander Bay land covering Mambo Wanda Wetlands | poll 

Newcastle Herald 06 June 2016: Port Stephens koala habitat at risk by ‘secret’ government land sale 

Examiner May 24 2016: Department of Education land sale prompts Save Mambo Wetlands forum 

Newcastle Herald 24 May 2016: Community forum to discuss school land sale at Salamander Bay

Newcastle Herald 24 May 2016:  Port Stephens Council urges Adrian Piccoli to ‘stop the clock’ on land sale 

Knight Frank Real Estate Promotion (Click on pictures in link)

Mambo Land Sale

Update 20 May 2016:
Letter from Kate Washington MP to all Community Groups Re: ‘Save Mambo Wetlands’ Community Forum 5:45 PM Thursday 26 May 2016 Horizons Golf Course.  TRRA will be supporting this initiative, we will see you there!
Update 18 May 2016:

We received A passionate email today HERE from a resident of Foreshore Drive that he has given permission to use, to assist in our submissions objecting to the sale of the 6 hectares of land in the wetlands currently owned by the Education Dept. who, it seems, have instructions from Mr Baird to sell off all surplus land.

Report on Community Meeting 14 May 2016 Below

Original Post –  12 May 2016 :

Some very observant local activists noticed this ad in the Newcastle Herald Saturday 7 May 2016 and contacted PS Council for a response:

Mambo 5

 

“A number of Department of Education sites were listed for sale in the Newcastle Herald on 7 May 2016. We have received a number of queries in relation to these sites as have Councillors.

182 and 246-248 Port Stephens Dr and 10-14 Short Rd, Salamander Bay 

The land for sale includes seven lots, with six of the lots between 657m² and 680m² in size and one lot being 5.6ha in size (182 Port Stephens Drive). The sites are all zoned E2- Environmental Conservation and are currently heavily vegetated. Port Stephens Council owns the sites to the east and west of 182 Port Stephens Drive (see diagram below). The minimum lot size for subdivision of these lots is 40ha, with all of the lots being under Mambo 4this requirement. 

The constraints on the site include bushfire, acid sulphate soils, Koala habitat (supplementary) and flooding. The site is also subject to the provisions of SEPP 71 – Coastal Protection.

Council has not received any planning proposal to rezone the land or has had any meetings regarding the future development of these sites. The site is noted by the Office of Environmental Heritage as having high environmental value.  

Under the current environmental zoning, any future development is limited and must be in accordance with the Local Environmental Plan.”

Mambo 3

TRRA contacted Walter Lamond, Chair of the 355B Landcare Group that has been caring for the site on behalf of the local residents for the last 20 years and he indicated that although they were aware of who owned the land, they had no indication that the department had now designated the land as surplus to requirements and that it was to be sold off in an online auction on 9 June 2016. He also indicated that an application

Mambo 1

had been put in some time in 2011 for all the Mambo Wetlands to be declared an Aboriginal place, because artifacts etc. had been found on the site.

Mambo 2

Local Member Kate Washington has been contacted and is investigating this proposal and has put a question in Parliament to the Education Minister.

The Mambo Wetlands Community Group has set up a Facebook Page and have arranged for NBN3 TV to cover a meeting they are having on Saturday 14 May 2016 at 10:00 am at the site and have asked concerned people and local Community Groups to show support.

The Maps show the site bounded by Foreshore Drive and Port Stephens Drive with Council land on either side, and this is all in what most of the Community thought was the Mambo Wetlands Reserve.

Dick Appleby – TRRA MEDIA Officer

Examiner 12 may 2016: Department of Education lists Salamander Bay and Fullerton Cove properties for sale 

Newcastle Herald 12 May 2016:  Port Stephens Drive school land sale at Salamander Bay sparks Mambo Wanda wetlands fears

 

Update 14 May 2016 – Community Meeting: The meeting at the Mambo Wetlands site was very well attended by about 120 people, which shows what can be done when local community groups work together to mobilize their membership at short notice on a good cause. 160514 Community Meeting The meeting was addressed by State MP Kate Washington,  Federal Labor Candidate for Paterson Meryl Swanson, representatives of the Greens, community groups including TRRA. NBN3 TV arrived towards the end of the meeting and interviewed some of the speakers.

The community gathering on 14 May 2016 endorsed, by acclamation, the plan put forward by Walter Lamond of the Mambo Wanda Wetlands Landcare Committee that was as follows:

1. CALL ON THE NSW MINISTER FOR EDUCATION TO CANCEL THE AUCTION

2. CALL ON THE OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENT AND HERITAGE TO EXPEDITE THE APPLICATION TO HAVE MAMBO DECLARED AN ABORIGINAL PLACE.

3. CALL ON THE NSW MINISTER FOR EDUCATION TO PASS OWNERSHIP OF THE LOTS TO THE PORT STEPHENS COUNCIL.

4. CALL ON THE PORT STEPHENS COUNCIL TO MOVE TO HAVE ALL THE LOTS WITHIN THE MAMBO WETLANDS CONSOLIDATED INTO A SINGLE RESERVE

 

This entry was posted in 2016, Council Amalgamations, PORT STEPHENS COUNCIL, STATE GOVERNMENT and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.

3 Responses to Are The Mambo Wetlands Under Threat?

  1. Eileen says:

    Below is the link to Facebook for the community forum to save mambo wetlands. This will be held on Thursday 26 May at horizons golf club. 5:45pm for 6pm start.
    Any troubl verity the link to the lease go to mambo wetlands community Facebook page for more information
    https://www.facebook.com/events/489863331203984/

  2. Philip Dawson says:

    We see koalas moving through Mambo Wetlands regularly, development of thie site would be a tragedy

  3. Eileen Donaldson says:

    Thank you for mentioning that NBN will be out on Saturday and sharing the FB page. Hopefully we can get this area protected for ever after. I like on forward to meeting you on Saturday.

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