Public land sales slammed Lost in space

Alex de Vos
Community groups have slammed State Government over the loss of public open spaces across the region.
They hit out against the loss of caravan park sites, golf courses, harbours, parks, gardens and foreshore areas during a parliamentary select committee on public land development hearing in Geelong this week.
A Geelong branch of the Labor Party used a submission to the hearing to accuse the Government of secretly privatising public land.
“Alienation by stealth of public open space should be outlawed,” Geelong West branch’s Phil Flaherty said in the submission.
“All public land and public open space should remain in public hands.
“The Harding Park sale is a textbook example of alienation of public land, erosion of its value as public open space and its loss to the public.”
The branch’s submission demanded tighter scrutiny of local government and businesses on decisions regarding land development.
Geelong Environment Council’s submission opposed any sale of publicly owned land without replacement.
“Land is a finite resource and cannot be replaced unless some private land is purchased in its place,” environment council president Joan Lindros said in the submission .
“An independent body to hear disputes should be established, not the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.”
Select committee member David Davis, a Liberal MP, said the Government had failed to protect public open space from developers under its coastal spaces strategy.