New South Wales Governor Professor Marie Bashir.

Governor says Triguboff kidding over developing parks

By Maria Stojkovska

The Governor of New South Wales has defended billionaire developer Harry Triguboff’s call to fill Sydney’s national parks and open spaces with houses.

Professor Marie Bashir, who today launched Parks Week 2006 at Sydney’s Botanical Gardens, said Mr Triguboff’s comments were “tongue in cheek”, and posed no serious threat.

“I think he was well aware of the fact that it would produce a bit of rebound, and he did it in a way to be provocative,” Professor Bashir said.

Mr Triguboff, Australia’s richest developer, told newspapers that Sydney’s real estate slump could be reversed if forests and parks were opened up to development.

Professor Marie Bashir’s comments follow intense media scrutiny of Mr Triguboff’s comments and protests from environmentalists.

In a recent report in The Australian, Acting NSW Premier John Watkins said Mr Triguboff would not get his way. This is in contrast to the position of former NSW Premier Bob Carr.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Mr Triguboff convinced Mr Carr there should be more development in Sydney and to change laws governing owners' corporations.

The backlash from the NSW Greens against Mr Triguboff’s developmental vision comes in response to such political influence. The Greens say this situation demonstrates the need to end political donations from property developers.

Professor Marie Bashir believes there is no threat to national park lands, even if there is a degree of sincerity to Mr Triguboff’s comments.

“I don’t think there is a threat there because we have a very assertive population that are very committed to walking and health,” she says.

A long-time advocate of national park lands, Professor Bashir hopes that Parks Week will further promote the health and social benefits of national parks.

As the first woman appointed Governor of New South Wales, she says some of her most proud moments have come from including new lands into national parks. Professor Bashir predicts that Mr Triguboff’s comments may even have a reverse effect.

“He is an intelligent man; he would have realised that by saying something like that, people would realise how precious parks are.”