Silvertail North Shore lawyer acting for the shadowy Quaranic Society, Jeremy Bingham, boasted from his London pad that he had never lost a case in the Land and Environment Court. Chk Chk Boom, Jeremy!

Any type of Development Application on the proposed site was bound to create community opposition because our planning laws do not allow for it. The strategy of the ‘reverse-racists’ to have Camden portrayed as ignorant bigots was beneath contempt.

Attempts were made to diffuse the issue below the radar but it was clear the apologists for the Quaranic Society wanted conflict because the salivating media machine had to be fed. An approach was made by a developer who owned land at Sefton which is zoned for educational purposes, is closer to the catchment area for Islamic students, and could easily accommodate their plans.

The response from the chief apologist of the Quaranic Society was ‘we will take it if you give it to us for nothing!’ This arrogant bastardry was an indication of their confidence of winning their appeal in the Land and Environment Court. It was a gamble they were willing to take because Jeremy ‘had never lost a case’ and success in the court represented a financial windfall for the developer. Land zoned for ‘educational purposes’ is far more expensive than land for primary production!

There is no place in our society for unethical organisations who play the race card for profit or personal advantage. There are no winners when this happens.

We now have a case where the reputation of Camden as a peaceful rural city has been smeared. The other victims are the greater majority of peaceful Muslims who live in our society.

I have now led two groups of young Muslims across the Kokoda Trail and I can report that they are as proudly Australian as any of the others I have led. It is unfair that they have also been so unfairly stigmatised by such a grubby attempt to circumnavigate our planning laws.

We now have the task of rebuilding our image and our relationship with the Muslim community. We have to learn more about each other through engaging each other in education, arts, sport and recreational activities.
And we have to isolate religious extremists and bigots from both sides of the debate.

This system is ripe for conflict between democratically elected representatives and unelected Judges. The application to build an Islamic School in Camden is a case in point.

According to Local and State Planning Authorities the application by the Quaranic Society breaches every planning instrument which has been developed to protect the social, historic and economic integrity of local communities.

The application generated a massive community protest as the land is not zoned for educational purposes and there is no local demand for such a school. Local objectors noted that there are numerous sites zoned for educational purposes in the new growth areas of Bringelly and Oran Park. They also noted that these sites are closer to suburbs that have large concentrations of Islamic families.

Land zoned for educational purposes is more expensive than the proposed site which is zoned for primary production. The proponents of the Islamic school stand to make a windfall profit if they are successful in their appeal to have the zoning changed.

They have skilfully played the reverse-race card to support their development. Pigs’ heads were mysteriously placed on the proposed site (one can only wonder if they were the same ones used to gain a similar reaction at Annandale a couple of years ago!). Religious zealots from both sides of the secular divide were joined by the odd redneck to share their 15 seconds of fame in front of a baying media.

Camden Council, to their great credit, refused to enter the secular debate and maintained their focus on existing planning laws. They sought additional information from the proponents of the school but were ignored. Submissions from professional planners at State and Local Government level were unanimous in their objections to the development. Camden Councillors were unanimous in their decision to reject the proposal based on this advice.

The strategy of the proponents then became clear. Kaiser Trad, media spokesman and public apologist for Sheik El Hilaly, branded the decision as racist. Silvertail lawyer, Jeremy Bingham boasted that he had never lost a case in Court.

Democracy is well on the way to getting shafted under their skilful use of reverse-racism and the ‘law’. Christmas Eve was used as a cut-off date for new submissions and the middle of the Easter holidays was chosen for the Court to sit in Camden. A cruel irony for busy families who might have wanted to register their objections.

The heart of the town, Argyle Street, is as pleasant as any other in the country. Historic buildings, interesting shops, gourmet restaurants and street-walk cafes provide a wonderful ambience for both residents and visitors.

Camden is a geographical hub between the world’s most beautiful harbour-side city, the spectacular Blue Mountains National Park, the historic Southern Highlands and the seaside resorts of the South Coast. It is the most desirable address in Australia.

Our civic leaders and town planners are entrusted with the task of ensuring the historic integrity of the area is not violated by unseemly developments.

Recent developments and renovations in Argyle Street have uplifted the shopping experience. The new wine bar at The Exchange is better than similar establishment in the Sydney metropolitan area – because it is in Camden!

Regrettably the two supermarkets that bleed the most money from the town are in the two grottiest buildings. City based executives of the two establishments are obviously more interested in the dollar value of customers than the social value of their clientele.

Any proposal for either of these two corporate monoliths to relocate and build a shopping mall in the vicinity of Argyle Street must be resisted by our civic leaders and town planners. If people are attracted to the common, sterile, impersonal atmosphere of an air-conditioned mall with franchisees being screwed to the max then let them visit nearby regional shopping centres.

The removal of government services from Camden by the State Labor Government has been a cruel and short-sighted act. We no longer have an RTA office. We no longer have a maternity ward at our hospital. Our Ambulance is not allowed to deliver patients to the emergency ward. Our Police Station is set to go. One has to question why the Labor government has abandoned the town and left it vulnerable to developers to fill the void?

Recent revelations on the cosy relationships between Labor mates and developers has led to media speculation that the new strategy for the worst Labor government in the State’s history is based on ‘dollars for decisions’. Let’s hope Camden does not become a victim of this disgraceful trend.