Metropolitan Aboriginal Land Council asks cops to stop MPs entering ‘Lizard Rock’

The Indigenous landowners of a proposed development site have called in the police to take action against protesters and politicians it claims are trespassing on their land.

The Indigenous landowners of a proposed development site on Sydney’s northern beaches have called in the police to take action against protesters and politicians it claims are trespassing on their land.

Metropolitan Aboriginal Land Council (MALC) chief executive Nathan Moran said letters were also being sent to federal MP Sophie Scamps and other politicians and community members who MALC claims appear in photographs on social media on the site.

The move follows a stoush between the land council and the community since its plans to develop the 71ha site into low-rise housing, shops, a community centre and recreation facilities were deemed by the Sydney North Planning Panel to have merit and for the proposal to proceed to the next stage.

However, community opposition and the threat of losing as many as two Liberal seats to the independents who were campaigning against the proposal forced the state government to backflip, with the Coalition last week pledging to stop the proposal should it be re-elected on March 25.

MALC owns almost 1000ha on the northern beaches. Mr Moran said the land council had been working on the proposal for two decades, having made its own cultural assessment that had led to the registering of three cultural heritage sites.

Nathan Moran at the site of the controversial housing development planned for Belrose. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

While the community name for the development site has been “Lizard Rock” after a painted boulder in the area, Mr Moran said MALC referred to it as the “Morgan Road lands”.

He said hundreds of “private property” signs that had been erected in the area had been ripped up or vandalised over the past decade, with mountain bikers even building “infrastructure” on the site, which the land council has since removed.

He said it was insulting that protesters and politicians such as Dr Scamps were entering the site to be photographed as part of their campaign against the development.

Mr Moran said all the land council wanted was for proper process to be followed and for politicians not to tamper.

“There has been a lot of misinformation about our proposal for the Morgan Rd lands, which do not adjoin a national park and (is) next to sewer services, electricity and other services,” Mr Moran said.

“This land was previously farmland, agricultural land and housed an extraction quarry at some stage. There has been increased density allowed at other sites.

“We have called Northern Beaches Local Area Command (police) and asked them to take action against trespassers.

“We are also writing letters to those we can identify in photographs.

“It is private land and we will take action against anyone breaking the law.”

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