Every time Hannah Young embarks on a nature walk near her grandparents’ home she wonders if it will be the last.
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Since she was three years old, Hannah, now 10, has visited bushland along Denton Park Drive at Aberglasslyn on a trek her family has named ‘Hannah’s Walk’.
But with the bushland zoned for further residential development, Hannah has chosen to speak out.
“If all this was to be knocked down then I wouldn’t be happy,” Hannah said. “I love all the nature here. It’s really nice and peaceful and beautiful and I’d love it to be here for other children as well.”
Hannah’s grandmother Norma Dallen said the thought of losing Hannah’s Walk was heartbreaking.
“We’ve almost stopped bringing Hannah here because she gets too distressed because she knows what is planned for this place,” Mrs Dallen, of Rutherford, said.
“I have promised Hannah that we will try to do our best to save this bushland but I have to be honest and tell her that greed overcomes many good things. I mean, who do we think we are to destroy something like this? It’s all we have.
“But together people are powerful and I know we are not alone.”
Ray Dallen echoed his wife’s and granddaughter’s sentiments.
“We have to keep speaking out about this because once this bushland is gone then there is nothing left,” Mr Dallen said. “I would love to know how people would react if someone wanted to destroy Blackbutt Reserve?”
The 35-hectare site is owned by Maitland City Council and is zoned for residential development.
Last year council was presented with a 300-signature petition calling for the development plan to be aborted.
The future of the land is yet to be decided.