BY ANDREW HALL
CANBERRA — With the ACT Liberal government targeting public spaces such as nature reserves, ovals, lake shores and parklands for privatisation, nearly 400 people rallied in opposition on November 18. Community groups from across Canberra combined to save dozens of open spaces from being sold off to housing developers under the guise of urban in-fill.
Speaker after speaker highlighted the need to stop the revenue-driven approach to urban planning and the privatisation of public assets.
Annabel Dobson from the Save Open Spaces group in Curtin cited the example of their local public reserve and community horse paddocks being targeted for privatisation. "The open spaces are important for the health and well-being of society. Cities are created by, so should be for, the people. We won't be dictated to by politicians who are only serving the rich developers. We will no longer re-elect the politicians that don't serve our interests", she told the crowd.
The rhetoric of politicians was strongly condemned, with Jacquie Rees from the Save Our City Coalition saying "The politicians can't get away with the rhetoric and promises that we always see before elections that then [get] thrown out afterwards."