Oatley residents fighting over water view at the expense of neighbours

We are three families living in Russell Street, Oatley, with concerns about neighbours' developments.

People have lived in the Oatley Bay area for more than a 100 years, and there are often three levels of homes up the slope from the water to the street. Each property was built on top of a lower one with everyone following the principle that the water views are shared.

That is why we have such a beautiful and peaceful residential area.

Now things are changing.

People seem to think only of their own interests and want to maximise their own views, but totally ignoring the interests of their neighbours.

One by one, ugly higher developments have been approved by the council. A lot of families' views are blocked and now the whole area looks ugly.

A good example are our neighbours who are building a new house.

The new house is a few metres higher than the previous, blocking out views for the neighbours behind.

The new roof is painted a bright shade of white. This reflects light and heat.

This type of roof may be acceptable for a house on level ground, but not for our sloped land, as the roof is positioned in close proximity to our windows and balconies.

Now the construction is complete. The new roof has impacted our lives greatly to the extent that we cannot bear to approach our window because of the extreme reflection.

Doesn't the council realise that our waterfronts are becoming a mess and that people are not happy? The council has been doing a poor job of protecting existing residents who have lived peacefully in the area for many years.

Weimin Weng, Ping Xu, Maria Ferraro and Domenico Ferraro, Samuel Kwok, Oatley