Thank you to Peter Mahoney in last week's Leader Letters for alerting us to the "disposal of surplus property" by the council. I am glad Mr Mahoney let the residents know as it seems, by going into 'confidential session' the council did not want to tell the people they are meant to represent. As I look at the influx of duplexes and even see Council advertising, they are adopting an amendment to development control plan two which is increasing floor space by 3:1 to 4:1 and over doubling height up to 60m from 23m. Council wants to dispose of surplus property. According to Mr Mahoney, this could include parks and open spaces.
When will this all stop? Surely Council should keep property that they can try to rent meaning an income and retaining the asset for future Councils to hold not sell and be gone. But most importantly, the council must retain ALL parks and open spaces accessible to the public. With this almighty increase in development and population for the Georges River LGA, we have to retain green and open spaces everywhere. These areas benefits and advantages are well known and documented for the health and wellbeing of future residents both physically and mentally as well as the environmental benefits it brings in absorbing rainwater not overloading drains and being the lungs of the planet.
Council think of the future please not just the dollar figures floating in front of your eyes. Leave a legacy for generations to come not just for your term of election.
Name and Address supplied, Hurstville
Editor's note: The Leader has contacted the council for comment on this matter. They have indicated they will respond.
Screaming kids and rates
I have written to the council and I am appalled that the decisions made on behalf of the ratepayers are not in their interests or benefits.
Enormous funds upgraded the waterfront at the park, but despite personally not using the pool I want it restored. I don't want a Webster Park. I am sure the recent development occupants will love their tranquility devastated by screaming kids. But they will pay rates for the privilege.
Alan Taylor
How about we adopt a park?
Three letters in the Leader 5/8/20 and letters every week all with the recurring theme of Councils not listening to residents or not being consulted, e.g. via public meeting on the site of relevant space, park and pools. Whether Bayside or GRC. Gardiner Park, Todd Park, Carss Park, Claydon Reserve, Beverley Park Golf Club fence et al., the list and complaints of council action goes on and council attitudes never seem to change.
Open spaces that were known as Crown Land and its usage or development seem the main problem, but their management is vested in Councils, so it's putting a fox in charge of the henhouse.
Regulations are buried in reams of Policies, Local Management Plans and Acts of Parliament which take a reasonable, ordinary person-hours to track down and days to understand by which time any possibility of public objection is either not possible or too late. How have we ended up with many regulations with which residents are unhappy? In some cases as I found two years ago after research, Councils are not obliged to inform residents of development on Crown Land provided within its own regulations so they can do without consultation or objections, nor do they have to consult when they decide to move Building Plans by several metres after work has started---fox/henhouse again.
Think it's time an informal, volunteer panel of interested, affected residents is established for each park or reserve, so there is a recognised point of contact by Councils when they wish to make major changes. The information can be circulated amongst residents by residents and a public meeting at the park called when anything arises. Councils are not doing that so we should.
Each group needs volunteer legal person to understand the gobbledygook, people with time to doorknock/deliver notices, people prepared to type and print. Each group could help each other as each acquires skills. I will volunteer if only to type and print as I am sick of it all too. Every time I read such a Letter to Editor, I think "here we go again". I will ask the Leader Editor if willing to pass on an email address if anyone asks. Big things have small beginnings. Let councils know we will "adopt a park".
L. Roels
Sans Souci
Todd Park/Carss Park
Last week's letters highlighting this fiasco have really exposed the council's lack of accurate information being drip-fed to the local residents. In addition to the misinformation about the amount of space needed and the destruction of what little green space we have left, the complex if built will require 1,200,000, that's one million two hundred thousand visits a year to cover costs. Good luck to the residents of Blakehurst and Carss Park trying to get in and out of their suburbs, not to mention the long-suffering drivers using the Princes Highway being held up by constant light changes at Bunyala Street. The ratepayers might also ask where the $57 million will come from to build it?
Grant McKirdy
Blakehurst
Exercise is the new green
Another high-rise plan (Leader August 7th) and another street in darkness.
Exercise is officially recognised in this pandemic as essential. When beaches closed, we took to footpaths.
Streets in high-risk areas are cold, windy and frankly inhuman. City planning should keep some sunlight at street level.
That is where humans walk and live.
We ask parks and gardens - where art thou? But they cannot answer and we must speak out for them.
Margaret
Oatley
Leaf blower hours
Council street cleaning, particularly leaf blowing, around urban centres needs to be done well before 6am. The same applies to garbage and recycling collections. To do these activities after 6am would be hazardous to the workers themselves, to pedestrians and to vehicular traffic.
Gary Frances
Bexley
WRITE TO THE EDITOR
craig.thomson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
