Transcript:
Now there’s a park. A national park, uh, on the outskirts of Sydney’s north west, uh, which I know particularly well. Um, it’s called Skyville. Uh, at towards Oakville on the way out to Pitt Town and the like, um, and it’s sort of hidden away And I remember talking about Skyville previously when we had bushfire problems out that way. But it’s a rather significant state level facility. And I mean, historically significant because it has a long, association with the military. It was used as a military training camp during World War two for the Australian first Parachute Battalion and the 73rd Light Company, which saw service distinguished service in PNG during World War two. So it’s played host to government cooperative farming, agricultural as far back as World War One. It was an internment camp and then a training base, as I said, for the Parachute Regiment. So it’s sitting out there and among I remember seeing and people who came to this country from other parts of the world were remember going to various locations. Herne Bay is one of them, uh, near Riverwood. And you lived in those Nissen huts, uh, affordable housing for immigrants. And there’s a Nissen huts out there as well, I think. Anyway, it’s also a memorial for our veterans. It’s called the Skyville Memorial and it’s come to my attention that Penny Sharpe is refusing request to do some work out there to improve this Skyville memorial. So we’ve contacted Brett Wild, the chairman of task force veteran, who knows all about this and is on line to talk to me about it. Good day Brett.
Good morning Ray, how are you?
Not bad. I know the facility particularly well. So it’s basically a national park at the moment. But of course contained within is this memorial as well. Is that right?
That’s correct. It has. It is actually listed on the New South Wales Heritage Register
So what’s the problem, mate? What have we got to deal with?
Um, Ray, we, um, seen the disrespect of veterans and especially the officer training unit aspect of Skibowl. As you mentioned in your intro, it does have a long history. Uh, it has a great connection to the Hawkesbury community. Um, it is um, like most other places, it had a connection with migrants after World War two. Um, it has two of the, um, only remaining what we call Coniston huts left in Australia. Um, they’re two like, big Nissen huts. They were actually made by the Coniston company in the US They were actually Australian field hospitals on Manus Island. They were pulled down, erected on Skyville after World War two and just. And the site became home to a migrant camp. And then after World War two, it trained all the National Service officers for the Vietnam War there. So over 1800 national servicemen who were called up by the ballot. The last time we had national service in Australia, and of those over 1800, 330, um, volunteered to serve in Vietnam. Um, eight of those National service officers in that cohort of 330 paid the ultimate sacrifice. And the most notable officer is Second Lieutenant Gordon Sharp, uh, who was a channel seven cameraman at the time, was called up in the first ballot. Um, he trained at Skyville, went to Vietnam, uh, was part of, uh, um, six RAR caught up in the Battle of Long Tan and is the only officer who died at the Battle of Long Tan. He was unfortunately shot through the neck. He was only in Vietnam for 79 days. Ray. He paid the ultimate sacrifice at the age of 21. Um, we then seen the disrespect of the site and lobbied the then Matt Keen to, um, hand over the site to us. Right. We ended up doing an EOI we currently hold a 14 year licence on the site. Um, we are now preserving what’s left of the military precinct. Um, National parks, to be honest, have let the place fall apart. Right? There’s a conservation management plan, which they wrote in 2009. They haven’t done a single thing. And we are currently uh, in receipt of $5 million from Susan Templeman. And that was a commitment given by Barnaby Joyce at the previous election. And then, um, labor took it off us when they got into power. And Susan Templeman, um, kindly gave it back after eight months of lobbying. We are trying to have the place handed back to community use, the precinct. It’s very important. National parks don’t have enough money to do what they have to do, and they’ve been quite vocal in that. Um, skyville. They’ve refused us to put a national military memorial on the Skyville site. Um, the Battle of Long Tan was on the 18th of August, 1966. Ray and in 2026, we will celebrate the 60th anniversary of Long Tan. Um, most of those gentlemen enlisted at 21 years of age will be, well, in their 80s. Um, and like our World War Two veterans in a handful of years, those gentlemen will be gone. Yet the minister refuses to allow us to put a national military memorial on the site, uh, which then has to have her consent, and then it has to go to, um, the prime minister, Albanese, through Veterans Affairs. So.
So just stop there. Brett, when you say the minister, are you referring to the state minister, Penny Sharpe? Are you.
That’s correct. It’s got to have approval from the minister’s office and the minister’s office refuses.
Well, look, I’m not surprised, given my dealings with Penny Sharpe in relation to the Brumbies. Also my relations with the National Parks and Wildlife, who I wouldn’t, uh, if they told me it was raining, I’d go outside and cheque because I don’t think they tell the truth much too often. But just so I know what I’m talking about is so I can talk to the Premier about it. You’ve got 5 million, have you? You’ve secured that, that’s for sure.
Yeah. We’ve already spent $1.5 million and the charity, um, has raised other funds. We plan to spend $9 million on that site. We want to not only, um, implement some of our veterans programmes Ray, but there’s, you know, we need to look at homelessness week is coming up in August. There’s currently 6000 homeless veterans. There’s 80 rooms on that site which have been abandoned. And, um, the gyprock walls have been taken out by national parks. And the building lays empty. They’re sporting fields there that have been there since 1911, that national parks refuse for us to recommission for the Hawkesbury and Pitt Town community. Um, there’s a drastic need for an emergency evacuation centre. Um, so we’ve raised considerable amount of funds, although we’re pretty focused on veterans. Ray, the community, of Hawkesbury have been very kind to us. And a lot of people know our work. Right. Um, and we’ve sort of kept on the project against the odds. We’ve been at this for four years, Ray. You know, I mean, what national parks need to do is get out of our way, allow us to do what we have to do. We’ve got $9 million. Why would you want to treat an organisation with contempt that’s got $9 million to invest in a state government asset that they’ve let deteriorate? And mind you, Ray, there’s a little street in the national park called Long Tan Place that was named Long Tan Place in November 1966 to honour the sacrifice of Gordon Sharp There’s one of the original married quarters that are there, which has a heritage order on it and a restoration order. Um, and national parks have done nothing with that except knock down nine other houses and refused to abide by the heritage order. But they do things like make us put in disabled toilets when there’s no disabled toilets on the site. Yet they’re making a veterans charity put in disabled toilets to fulfil an obligation that they’ve failed to do under the human rights Convention.
Have you, put them in or you got to put them in the disabled toilets?
We have to put them in before we’re allowed to use the two big Coniston huts. Right. You know but under the Human Rights Convention 1999, which in New South Wales government is a signatory to, they have an obligation to ensure all government facilities, um, had disabled access. The national parks have given us no money at all. Ray. We’ve spent $83,000 on consultants just to do work, and my board of directors is saying, why are we wasting any more time? And to be honest, Ray, you know, Chris Minns last week was chest beating himself about how there’s disrespect to veterans in the community. Um, and that why we’re not allowed to go to Bunnings on Anzac Day. I’m telling you, Ray, that there is a huge amount of level of disrespect from the new South Wales government, ministers and staff who work for the government in relation to veterans. So Chris Minns can’t cover himself in glory here by saying he’s the champion for veterans, yet they’re trampling all over veterans at Skyville. That’s disrespectful Ray.
Well, I’ll tell you what I’m going to do, Brett. Um, obviously, as you’d be aware, I’m off to Queensland tomorrow, then to Paris on Tuesday, but I won’t be putting this aside. Um, I’ll give you a gold plated guarantee that between now and when I do leave the country, I’ll. certainly be talking to the Premier about it. And when I return, uh, this will be top of the agenda. I’ve got a few things on the boil at the moment. Yes, Skyville should be. We should be doing exactly what you want to do on behalf of the veterans and behalf of the community. I mean, we’re talking about a large population in the Hawkesbury, and you’re talking about disaster relief and all the rest of it where it floods out there and people can’t get out and can’t get in.
