Police shake up Forest Lodge sit-in

It took four police officers to remove one activist from the Orphan School Creek building site on Tuesday morning, where residents continued their protest against the City’s development plans.

Police gave the hoard of 20 locals 10 minutes to exit the site, but Forest Lodge resident Susan Stringfellow refused to leave.

Police then lifted her off the site before she lay on the road, blocking a work truck from entering the area.

The ongoing protest follows Council’s decision to go ahead with building a wide concrete ‘switchback’ path through the planned wildlife habitat, despite community pleas to reconsider.

“All the residents just feel betrayed by Council. It made me so angry that all our concerns have been so overlooked,” said Mrs Stringfellow.

Activists tried to negotiate with building contractors to withhold from constructing the path, but the City demanded that work push forward.

“The actual subcontractor said he didn’t have to do work on the path today…but it seems that the City of Sydney is directing him to do so,” said Chris Blair, a resident whose house sits on the site’s fringe.

Although construction was blocked by assembled activists on Monday, Tuesday’s display was not as successful, despite increased numbers.

Police at the scene on Monday negotiated an agreement with protesters and contractors that there would be no work on the path that day.

“This will be ongoing unless there is some resolution between residents and Council,” said Inspector Jason Green of the Leichhardt Local Area Command.

City Councillors Meredith Burgmann and Chris Harris have arranged for an Extraordinary Council meeting to be held next Monday, in which residents are expected to take the issue to Council.

“Basically what we want to know is what process has happened that neither Council or community knew about these changes [to the plan],” said Councillor Harris .

Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, used her casting vote to force the approval of the zig-zag path through the proposed habitat at the City’s last Council meeting. But residents say the amended plans ignore long-held promises of a wildlife habitat through the area.

“Clover thinks she knows best and that she is going to bully us into this,” said Mr Blair.

“We are absolutely committed to maintaining this protest and will continue until Council change the plans.”