By Xavier Smerdon
THREE years ago Michael was killed in a tragic motorcycle accident.
His mother, Rosie Azzopardi, thought she would never experience that kind of stress and heartache again.
But when she received a letter from the Department of Sustainability and Environment saying that they would be compulsorily acquiring her land, she was devastated.
“It destroyed me,” she said.
“I was so sad that I was having trouble breathing.
“I had to deal with losing my son and now I have to deal with losing my home.”
Her property is one of 31 homes that will be taken to establish a grassland reserve as the Government expands the Urban Growth Boundary.
“They are valuing grasslands more than the people and their homes,” Rosie said.
The DSE has said the reserves will be home to several threatened and critically endangered species including the Golden Sun Moth, Striped Legless Lizard, Growling Grass Frog, and the Button Wrinklewort (a wildflower).
Rosie said that her son’s young daughter was distressed by the situation.
“He has a little girl and she says, you know, these are my Dad’s memories,” she said.
“She has a little pony here that he bought her, and a bike, these are her memories of her Dad and they are taking that away from her.”
Residents have said they were told by the DSE that in 18 months after they acquire their land, it can be rezoned as residential or industrial if it is determined that it was not suitable for a reserve.
“They are going to rezone it for sure,” Rosie said.
“They want to buy it from us for peanuts, and then they will sell it to developers and make millions.”
The distraught resident said she would not leave without a fight.
“I’m not leaving here.
“They will have to take me out of here in a box.”
