Fears new buildings could cause ‘irreversible damage’
New buildings would be allowed for the first time at Middle Head under a State Government proposal to build an environmental education centre for school children.
Under the proposal, a covered outdoor learning area (COLA), storage facility, public toilets and mobility parking would be built. The COLA would be constructed next to an existing heritage cottage on site, the Soldier’s Institute, which would be refurbished to incorporate staff facilities and a learning space.
To be known as the ‘Middle Head – Gubbah Gubbah Environmental Education Centre,’ the proposal is a joint initiative of NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS) and the Department of Education.
The draft proposal requires an amendment to the Sydney Harbour National Park plan of management, with new buildings not currently permitted to be built at Middle Head.
The Headland Preservation Group (HPG) has come out strongly against the proposal, which would see up to 120 school students a day visit the site.
“The construction of new buildings in the precinct is likely to create a precedent for future development at Middle Head,” President Jill L’Estrange told North Shore Living.
“This will have the almost inevitable consequences of irreversible damage to the environmental, Indigenous and historical values of this nationally important precinct.”
HPG said 10 Terminal site, about 200 metres down from the Soldier’s Institute, was a better site for the centre, as existing buildings could be used.
Under the plan, the government would also look at building a turning circle for bus drop-off at the existing Middle Head carpark and an ‘accessible driveway’ into the centre.
Mosman Council unanimously supported the plan with no discussion in December. Mosman Mayor Carolyn Corrigan said she expected the unique environment at Middle Head would be ‘sensitively re-adapted’, and the centre would provide ‘valuable and informative experiential learning about the area’.
A spokesperson from NPWS told North Shore Living that no other buildings were proposed to be built ‘at this time’. The decision to adopt the plan now rests with NSW Minister for the Environment James Griffin.
By Michelle Giglio