Today, I pay tribute to a gentleman of politics, Tom Uren, who passed away yesterday, aged 93. Mr Uren served Australia in war, in fact was a Prisoner of War on the infamous Thai Burma Railway, and while held captive, a witness to the nuclear age, with the bombing of Nagasaki. He was also a man who had strong beliefs, which saw him join the Labor Party. Mr Uren was also an environmentalist. And to that end, he understood the importance of the Cumberland Plains, and the need to preserve remnant bushland. In 1973/74, during the Whitlam Administration, Mr Uren, responsible for Urban Development and Housing, resisted strong pressure from the ACTU, that would’ve seen the ADI site at St Marys redeveloped without consideration of the areas of remnant vegetation. He believed saving bushland on the site was vital for the health of Western Sydney, while critical of plans to build more than eight thousand houses without adequate railway infrastructure. Post politics, he continued that fight, being a part of a major rally in April 2001. The site was sold off during the Hawke administration for housing. While the site was eventually developed, it was through the work of people including Tom Uren and other local State and Federal politicians of the time, that ensured vital bushland remnants were preserved. Tom Uren is survived by Christine and Ruby, and his adopted children, Michael and Heather.
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 01:16:52 +0000