HCC Candidate's reply: Peter Sexton

Text below of reply from Ald Peter Sexton, received 5 October:

Dear Mr Plimpton,

Thank you for your email. I have been an advocate for a walkway around
Battery Point for many years. While Chair of Council's Parks Committee, I
initiated an environmental and heritage survey of the Battery Point
foreshore. Even though this survey documented a number of aspects of the
Battery Point foreshore which are extremely important to know regardless of
any walkway proposal, the so-called 'Friends of the foreshore' opposed it.

I have written a number of times to the Mercury about this issue and most
recently I wrote explaining that the Council had undertaken a community
survey to guage the level of support for a walkway and despite around 80%
support, the State Government, through the Minister David Llewellyn,
continues to deny approval for Council to use the Crown land between the
high and low watermarks for a walkway.

In essence, Council can do nothing on Crown land without State Government
approval and for years, the State Government has refused to grant Landlord
approval. We can only keep trying, but it will require a different response
from the State Government if we are to ever build a walkway around the
Battery Point foreshore.

Peter