Who gets a say on what happens on the river?

The government? The council? The landowners? The land's custodians? You and me?

In this episode, we're revisiting a story that we covered a couple of months ago, the redevelopment proposal to turn the Kogarah Golf Course into a logistics hub and possible data centre.

Since that episode a broad protest movement has emerged, coalescing around the group called SCRAP (Stop The Cooks River AI Project). Meanwhile, councillors on Bayside Council are railing against their lack of input in this "State Significant Development" and calling for major changes to the proposal.

This proposal has become a major flashpoint of community unrest. Questions are being asked about what input, if any, the community will have into what the development will look like. Many are asking for better consultation, some are advocating that the whole site be turned over to the public, or to nature, or to Aboriginal custodianship.

We're still awaiting a response to submissions from the developers, and we're a way off a decision by the Independent Planning Commission. Bayside Council is trying to discuss a land swap, to get the public park actually facing the river, but so far they're coming up short. Community groups have had meetings lined up, dates, times and venues agreed, and then they're cancelled.

In this episode, we're heading along to one of the SCRAP protests to chat with organisers and hear the speeches. We've also got interviews with local Bayside councillors who have strong opinions about what should happen here, despite being locked out of the planning process.

We've also got a reading of a beautiful and hilarious love-letter to the river, 'Cooks River I Want To Swim In You', by Izzi Boustead.

And we have all of your River News for October 2026.

Featuring: Aunty Rhonda Dixon-Grovenor, Jordan Ryan-Hennessey, Dr Padraic (Paddy) Gibson, Caitlin Boyce, Gabby, Clr Olivia Barlow, Clr Izabella Antoniou, Yomna Touni, Clr Peter Strong, Clr Soraya Kassim and Izzi Boustead.

Host/producer: Niall Edwards-FitzSimons

Music by: riverkid

Thanks also to Jason L'Ecuyer, Glen from the River Canoe Club, and Zoe Ferguson.

You can read the statements we received here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1mnqGH2lhKJwRczzPUBSzhLISrrj5F0wi?usp=sharing

This episode was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and the Bidjigal and we pay respect to elders past and present.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.