Andrew Charlton (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As the second-oldest city in Australia, the history of Parramatta is also the history of our nation. Just north of Parramatta's CBD sits one of Australia's most significant heritage assets, the Parramatta Female Factory. Established in the 1820s, this precinct was home to thousands of female convicts and vulnerable girls. But, today, this site is under threat from encroaching developments.

Last year we added this site to Australia's UNESCO World Heritage tentative list, but there's more we need to do. We need to stop building around the Parramatta Female Factory and push for UNESCO World Heritage listing as soon as possible.

East of Parramatta's CBD is the heritage precinct that encompasses Elizabeth Farm, Hambledon Cottage and Experiment Farm. It was from these buildings that some of Australia's first crops were sprouted and where Australia's merino wool industry started. For over 200 years these buildings have been remarkably preserved, thanks to dedicated local volunteers and activists. But now they face a new threat. A proposed development of high-rise apartments, up to eight storeys tall, threatens to loom over these national treasures.

There's never been a more important time to act. We need to stop the Gregory Place development and protect these sites with national heritage listing.