Alliance calls for Crown land details

Recently-released information about the sale of Crown land at Woy Woy Bowling Club has highlighted the need for more openness about Crown land management and sale, according to Crown Land Alliance Central Coast.

The group has written to Member for Gosford Ms Liesl Tesch, asking her to obtain and release a list of all Crown land on the Peninsula "so that the public has ready and low-cost access to this information".

"According to the Auditor General's report 97 per cent of commercial leases on Crown land are approved through direct negotiations, which can create opportunities for dishonesty or bias," said Alliance convenor Mr Kevin Armstrong

The report found that the Department is not currently managing the sale and leasing of Crown land effectively.

Across the State, there were 225 Crown land sales between 2012 and 2015.

The Department had not provided clear and up-to-date guidance for staff to make informed, consistent decisions about the sale and leasing of Crown land, according to the Auditor General.

"The Department often does not provide opportunities for people to understand and have a say in decisions about Crown land," said Mr Armstrong.

"Its approach to community consultation has been focused on notification, rather than meaningful engagement.

"Decision-making about Crown land is not transparent.

"Some of the data the Department uses to support decision-making is inaccurate."

"Given that the NSW Government response to the scathing Attorney General's report into the management of Crown Land, and a Parliamentary Enquiry, has been to devolve responsibility for Crown Land management to local government, it would appear that an alert public may be the only watchdog to protect extensive public land interests from alienation via secretive sale or long-term leases," he said.

According to the Alliance, the privatisation of the NSW Government's property titles office has meant it was now prohibitively expensive for community members or groups to conduct title searches to find Crown Land.

SOURCE:

Media release, 18 Aug 2018

Kevin Armstrong, Crown Land Alliance Central Coast