We have written to Robyn Parker about when her promised community consultation is to occur and expressed some concerns. Read letter here

Partial back down by NSW Government - community consultation to occur

Robyn Parker the NSW Environment Minister has relented to our community campaign (which included over 1150 individual emails). In a letter to Penrith Council the Minister states that she has instructed NSW OEH to suspend any further Emu relocations. The reason given by the Minister for suspending the relocations (no not the fact she received 1150 emails) is a lack of community consultation by OEH with Council and the community. The letter claims community consultation meetings will take place in early 2014.

This decision is welcome but really is a face saving decision for the NSW Government and the local Liberals. It is in no way a win for the Emus. A win for the Emus is when Robyn Parker publicly states the Lend Lease licence has been rescinded and the Emus are staying - forever.

Read the letter here

Emergency Public Meeting to be held 5.30 pm Thursday the 19th of December. Jim Anderson Park, Greenbank Drive, Werrington Downs

Invites have been sent to Robyn Parker (NSW Environment Minister) , Bart Bassett (the Local Member for Londonderry), Stuart Ayres (the Member for Penrith), Ross Fowler (the Mayor of Penrith), all Penrith Councillors, Luke Foley (Shadow NSW Environment Minister and Mehreen Faruqi (NSW Greens MLC) to front locals about this decision.

Please come, bring friends, the kids, as sign and your questions. You have to show up to win these fights. Share news of this event with all your contacts and urge them to do the same.

Download a pdf of the Public Meeting flyer here You can print off copies to give out to people

Penrith Press story 13th December 2013

Robyn Parkers office refused to answer the questions of the Penrith Press about her decision to allow Lend Lease to remove the Emus. Instead her office put out a statement attributed to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service supporting Lend Leases rubbish that vandalism is out of control and escaped Emus are a danger to themselves and the public. The NSW Government and NPWS is quickly becoming a disgrace. Download Press article here

Email sent to Robyn Parker the NSW Environment Minister

This email was sent by the Western Sydney Conservation Alliance Inc to Robyn Parker on Wednesday the 11th of December 2013 urging her to rescind the licence her department gave to Lend Lease and keep our Emus on the ADI Site. 

Lend Lease letterbox locals informing them of Emus removal

See letter here 

NSW Government issues licence allowing Lend Lease to remove all Emus from former ADI Site

Sign the change.org petition to Robyn Parker now here. Then share with your contacts urging them to do the same

The people of Western Sydney have a right to feel betrayed by the NSW Government after it was revealed they issued Lend Lease a licence that will allow the removal of all the Emus from the former ADI Site. We have been promised for nearly a decade by all levels of government, but specifically the NSW Government, that Emus and Kangaroos would be retained within the proposed Regional Park. So this is a major betrayal.

The NSW Government had previously said Emus and Kangaroos would remain within the proposed Wianamatta Regional Park. Their own Masterplan for the Wianamatta Regional Park states retaining a sustainable population of Kangaroos and Emus as a desired outcomes.

Lend Leases own Macrofauna Management Plan (A plan they had to come up with due to conditions applied by the NSW Government) states: It is part of the vision for this plan that eastern grey kangaroos and emus will be present in the SMP in the long term.

Download NSW Government Wianamatta Regional Park Management Plan here and Macrofauna Management Plan here search the pdfs using keyword retained

Penrith Council in its submissions on the future of Macrofauna within the Regional Park talked of the creation of viewing areas so that Emus and Kangaroos could be seen by the public visiting the Regional Park.

Lend Lease have made the following comments to justify the removal of the Emus

� In accordance with the provisions of Section 127 National Parks and Wildlife Act, 1974, the National Parks and Wildlife Service has issued a licence to Maryland Development Company to relocate emus located at the former ADI site to specified localities within NSW.

� The reason for the relocation of the emus is due to the increasing incidents of vandalism by the public to the boundary fence of the site.

� Emus will be relocated 3-4 birds at a time to ensure their welfare and safety. They will be accompanied by a vet at all times.

� The 2013 census indicates a total of 27 emus live on the St Marys Property.

� Recipient sites have been selected in NSW that have native Australian bushland habitats and the necessary infrastructure in place to allow safe, careful and humane handling of emus. 

Lend Lease Regional Development Manager, Arthur Ilias said:

�There has been a growing need to relocate the emus to a remote and safe location as a result of an increase in incidents of vandalism to the boundary fence. This vandalism has allowed emus to enter on to public roads where they are a hazard to both themselves and the public.�

�A fully accredited and experienced Vet will supervise all capture and transport and will ensure animal welfare is addressed and maintained throughout all aspects of the relocation process.�

Response to the above comments

This is a complete betrayal to the people of Western Sydney. People whose homes backed onto the ADI Site are very fond of the Emus that roamed the fence lines. To many they would have been like pets.

This is what happens when a developer is left in charge of managing a proposed 900 ha Regional Park and its flora and fauna. 11 years ago the NSW Government and Lend Lease signed the St Marys Development Agreement that included an obligation for Lend Lease to transfer ownership of the Regional Park to the NSW Government as soon as possible. 11 years later and only about 63 hectares of the 900 hectares is in NSW Government ownership. What's going on?

The only reason these Emus are going is because of Lend Leases mismanagement. One would assume that if the entire 900 hectare Regional Park was under the ownership and management of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service that that 27 Emus would not be a problem. There was never any major issues with Emus on the site until the ADI Site was sold to Lend Lease in the mid 2000's. Lend Leases primary focus has been on generating massive profits from their adjoining housing development than properly implementing their management plans for the sites animals and vegetation.

Serious questions need to asked of Robyn Parker the NSW Environment Minister about this betrayal, the issuing of the licence and why 11 years after the St Marys Development Agreement was signed Lend Lease still owns about 835 hectares of the promised 900 hectare Regional Park.

Lend Lease should tell us exactly where the Emus are to be sent so that any questions about their ongoing welfare can be properly addressed.

The reason there are Emus and Kangaroos on the ADI Site is because it was a military tradition to place a living example of the Australian Coat of Arms on Defence bases. The ADI Site was a munitions factory making bullets and bombs for our military forces. So the Emus and Kangaroos that exist on the ADI Site are descendents of those first animals. What Robyn Parker and the NSW Government is allowing is a trashing of history. These animals are living reminders of the local history of the region.

Any protest action please call or email Robyn Parker the NSW Environment Ministers Office (02) 9228 5253 office@parker.minister.nsw.gov.au