Andrew Bragg (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to make some remarks about the 20th anniversary of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust, which was passed by the Howard government in order to protect and preserve the lands which were used primarily by the defence forces over the past hundred years or so. What this trust has enabled is the preservation of military history, the preservation of environment and the preservation of significant Indigenous and other cultural heritage on Sydney Harbour. You would have to argue that Sydney Harbour, being the most beautiful natural harbour in the world, is well served by having a trust like this.

It is unusual for the federal government to be running something like this, but I think it has enjoyed bipartisan support, and it is doing a good job. The government has put some additional money into this trust in the past budget or so to ensure that remediation of the buildings can be completed so that there can be broadened public access. That's really the key point here. These lands are for the public and for the public's enjoyment. They are not to be sold off or closed up in anyway.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I want to pay tribute and give my thanks to the more than 200 volunteers of the Headland Preservation Group, who have given their time to ensure that the sites look good and that, when you go to one of the sites, you can be given a decent tour and some advice about what has happened here—from the military perspective, from the Indigenous perspective and so on and so forth. Here's to the next 20 years of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust!