Tony Burke MP: Save Australia's FIRST and OLDEST town square from destruction

The issue

Thompson Square, dating from 1795, is the oldest civic space in Australia.  It is the heritage heart of Windsor, the third-oldest place of British settlement in Australia. Windsor is about an hour and a half from Sydney's CBD.  The NSW Government plans to demolish the existing historic Windsor Bridge and replace it with a high, modern bridge structure. Their plan, known as Option One, includes bulldozing a major arterial approach road  through Thompson Square. The Government has declared the project to be State Significant Infrastructure (application SSI-4951). This means that heritage and environmental protections are effectively 'switched off' for this project. Thompson Square is an important part of the shared Australian story and our nation's history. It is a rare, tangible example of our colonial origins. Its survival affects ALL Australians. An alternative, such as a town bypass, must be considered in preference to this disaster. The signatories of this petition therefore urgently call upon the Australian Government to act to protect this nationally important site, to ensure its preservation and protection for future generations.

 ***NOTE*** If you signed our paper petition addressed to the NSW Legislative Assembly we also need you to sign this one too! Our online petition targets the Federal Government. We want the whole of Australia behind Thompson Square!

avatar of the starter
CAWB Community Action for Windsor BridgePetition starterCAWB is a community action group formed in response to the Government's decision to demolish and replace the existing historic Hawkesbury River bridge (Windsor Bridge) at Windsor and bulldoze a major, arterial road through historic Thompson Square. CAWB is made up of independent, local people from a wide variety of backgrounds including lawyers, engineers, financial advisers, business owners, teachers, architects, builders and academics. CAWB is also made up of families who have passion for the Hawkesbury and their local community. Many also have ties to the very early settlers in the Hawkesbury and are proud and protective of both their long-standing family ties to the area and the historical significance of Windsor. We are not aligned with any particular political party.
This petition had 1,996 supporters

The issue

Thompson Square, dating from 1795, is the oldest civic space in Australia.  It is the heritage heart of Windsor, the third-oldest place of British settlement in Australia. Windsor is about an hour and a half from Sydney's CBD.  The NSW Government plans to demolish the existing historic Windsor Bridge and replace it with a high, modern bridge structure. Their plan, known as Option One, includes bulldozing a major arterial approach road  through Thompson Square. The Government has declared the project to be State Significant Infrastructure (application SSI-4951). This means that heritage and environmental protections are effectively 'switched off' for this project. Thompson Square is an important part of the shared Australian story and our nation's history. It is a rare, tangible example of our colonial origins. Its survival affects ALL Australians. An alternative, such as a town bypass, must be considered in preference to this disaster. The signatories of this petition therefore urgently call upon the Australian Government to act to protect this nationally important site, to ensure its preservation and protection for future generations.

 ***NOTE*** If you signed our paper petition addressed to the NSW Legislative Assembly we also need you to sign this one too! Our online petition targets the Federal Government. We want the whole of Australia behind Thompson Square!

avatar of the starter
CAWB Community Action for Windsor BridgePetition starterCAWB is a community action group formed in response to the Government's decision to demolish and replace the existing historic Hawkesbury River bridge (Windsor Bridge) at Windsor and bulldoze a major, arterial road through historic Thompson Square. CAWB is made up of independent, local people from a wide variety of backgrounds including lawyers, engineers, financial advisers, business owners, teachers, architects, builders and academics. CAWB is also made up of families who have passion for the Hawkesbury and their local community. Many also have ties to the very early settlers in the Hawkesbury and are proud and protective of both their long-standing family ties to the area and the historical significance of Windsor. We are not aligned with any particular political party.

The Decision Makers

Tony Burke
Leader of the House, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for the Arts

Petition Updates