Glebe Island lease angers community

Community groups are angry over the decision to put 12 hectares of land on Glebe Island up for lease.

Sydney Ports Corporation is receiving applications for lease of the land. Community groups in the area are concerned over its future use.

Elizabeth Elenius, a community representative for the Glebe Island White Bay Community Liaison Group, said the community groups were not consulted over the decision.

“It’s an outrage… it’s just more piecemeal strategy. We weren’t told this was going to happen,” she said.

Ms Elenius said the decision ignores the long term planning structure for the Bay Precinct.

The Sydney Ports Corporation (SPC) declined to comment on whether community groups had been consulted on this issue.

Ms Elenius said this was another symbol of how the recommendations of the community reference group for the Bay Precinct area have been ignored.

Pyrmont Action Group are concerned the eventual use of the land won’t fit into maritime history of the island.

A spokesperson from SPC said expressions of interest into the land must be for port and marine related use.

Sydney Ports Corporation declined to comment on a definition of port and marine use.

Glebe society will be raising their concerns over the lease of Glebe Island with the Premier and relevant ministers.

Submission for use of the land, which makes up almost a quarter of the island, closed yesterday.

Sydney Ports Corporation refused to disclose information of what offers had been received.