Tuesday 24 January 2017

Barrabuwari Muru, Gardens of Stone, Yabun Festival, Transporting Pets, ANZAC Obelisk, Homeless Street Count, Lunar New Year and Volunteer for Equality

Barrabuwari Muru

The Australian Museum proposes a major upgrade and expansion project including a new multi-story building on the corner of William and Yurong Streets that will extend over the top of the existing buildings to create a central ‘Grand Hall’.

If the government approves the Barrabuwari Muru master plan as part of its State Cultural Infrastructure Strategy, there will be an international architecture competition for the new building design and community comment on detailed plans. Information and comment HERE.

Gardens of Stone

The spectacular and rare environmental and Aboriginal art values and threatened plant and animal species of the Gardens of Stone are at risk from mining with significant parts of the area excluded from the adjacent Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. Underground mining has already collapsed cliffs, cracked pagodas, polluted water sources and dried swamps, and now miners want to extract all remaining coal, including through open cut mining.

I have asked the Minister for the Environment to reserve the Newnes Plateau and other sandstone uplands adjoining the Gardens of Stone National Park. This is also an important bushwalking, rock climbing and camping area and I encourage you to also write to the minister. My letter is HERE.

Yabun Festival

The Yabun Festival again celebrates the survival of Australia’s Indigenous cultures in Victoria Park on 26 January 10am-7pm. Information: http://yabun.org.au. Gadigal Information Service organises the event and runs Koori Radio 93.7FM 2LND

Transporting Pets

Older and disadvantaged people in rural and regional areas have very limited transport options, with basic tasks like shopping, banking and going to the doctor a challenge, documented by our Legislative Assembly Committee for Community Services Inquiry into transport access. I encouraged the committee to include options for pet owners without cars in rural and regional areas and our final report found significant problems, recommending more work by Transport for NSW.

The outcome should benefit pet owners across NSW – the current rules for public transport are confusing and make it hard if you don’t have private transport, see HERE.   

ANZAC Obelisk

My questions in Parliament reminded the government that the ANZAC Obelisk needed to be returned after it was removed in 2014 to make way for the ‘bridge to nowhere’ over Anzac Parade, see HERE. The obelisk is returning to Moore Park near the Anzac Parade / Moore Park Road intersection and should be ready for Anzac Day.

Homeless Street Count

The City of Sydney needs volunteers to help with the February Street Count on the NIGHT OF Monday 20 February into the early hours of Tuesday 21 February. About 150 people will count rough sleepers across the city streets and parks to help get needed action to reduce homelessness.

Details HERE. 

Lunar New Year

The Lunar New Year brings in the Year of the Fire Rooster and I hope you can celebrate through events like the Lunar Lanterns trail, Martin Place Lantern Hub, dragon boat regatta and over 80 community performances from 27 January to 12 February. Information HERE. 

Volunteer For Equality

Would you like to join the fabulous volunteers at the Equality pop-up shop at 122 Oxford Street, selling merchandise to raise funds for marriage equality and helping the campaign for equality? Join us HERE.