Concerning the front-page story on the potential loss of the car park at Carss Park let me tell the Kogarah Bay Progress Assoc what to look forward to as I saw another car park lost at South Hurstville. I am not sure of the result for parking to the businesses on King Georges and Connell's Point Rds considering parking is restricted in the vicinity now, but you can expect traffic delays and temporary road closures as works are done. You can expect plenty of witches hats as roadside parking is reserved for delivery and dump trucks. You can expect additional roadside parking taken up by the labourers. You can expect noise and when the offices or units tare completed, you can expect there has not been enough parking allocated so that the excess residents or workers cars will take whatever parking is available on the street. You can expect this no matter how much the Council wants to keep their meeting results secret.
This is a Council talking of 'future income-generating assets' yet a Council still want to apply for a special rise in rates. A Council that contains many former Councilors who voted for amalgamation when the residents were against it. An amalgamation that resulted in millions of dollars being given by the Government to the new Council. The amalgamation promised reduced costs as with a singular Council there would be no duplication of positions or services. A Council overseeing ridiculous amounts of over and poorly planned developments bringing it more rates as the population explodes and the infrastructure is left lacking.
This Council had plenty of revenue, enough to erect signage to let us all know the names of the suburbs we live in. To replace grass with synthetic surfaces. To spend millions building exotic Cricket Centre of Excellence for not just the local community but for Cricket Australia and Cricket NSW. To want to build a regional swimming centre on parklands and then pay to remove the old Community Swimming pool from a separate site and ignore a $5 million pledge from the Prime Minister to do so. And the list goes on and on.
This Council may hope COVID-19 delays the next set of elections, but in doing so, they are selling the farm and the future for those to come. This has to stop.
JCR, South Hurstville
Oatley magpies evicted
For over 30 years a majestic Eucalypt stood proudly in Mimosa St, Oatley. As the only established street tree for 100 metres, it provided welcome shade on hot days and a haven for magpies and their chicks. However, Georges River Council removed it just because it had lifted an adjacent driveway although there was no other apparent risk to human life or property.
Other councils, e.g. City of Sydney, take a different view. They readily redesign footpaths, smooth over the damage with asphalt or take any steps necessary to retain established trees. The former Hurstville and Kogarah councils did similar, with Kogarah going the extra mile and placing a notification on the tree. How things have changed under the Georges River administration, which replaces landmark trees with small species such as water gums and even exotic crepe myrtles.
Council will most likely argue otherwise and has claimed that it checked the tree for wildlife. However locals will verify that the magpies were there on the morning it was culled, and what's worse is that National Parks (which is supposed to protect native wildlife) declined to undertake an impartial investigation. Council is currently removing ten more from Hurstville Rd, Oatley. I'm not sure how this complies with its Tree Management Policy which stipulates a 40% increase in tree cover across our LGA, but it sets a very poor example for homeowners and developers.
Peter Mahoney, Oatley
Getting out of the City
It is impressive the Leader is focusing readers on how we can help regional NSW recover from Bushfires, and CoronaVirus. Pleasing to see our Mayor, Kevin Greene making a case for holidaying on the NSW South Coast.
Knowing our Mayor is a Cricket Tragic, after swimming, he might like to venture across the mountains and take the Don Bradman trail. Breakfast at Bowral and visit the magnificent Bradman Museum and the cricket pitch on which the Don learned his cricket skills. Travelling south he could visit Cootamundra for an overnight stop, plenty of evening meal choices. Next day he could visit the Bradman Museum in the District Hospital where the Don was born. He could then take a short drive to the Cricket Captain's Walk starting with Johnny Mullagh, captain of Australia's first indigenous team to play in Britain, and any others including the Don, all in bronze.
Then after lunch, he could drive Temora, The Friendliest Town in NSW. Temora Rural Museum has the cottage in which the Don lived before moving with his family to Bowral. The museum showcases rural life in many ways with machinery, local buildings, early equipment from the "Temora Independent" newspaper. After an evening meal and a good night's sleep a visit to the Temora Aviation Museum a working museum with connection with Defence and apprenticeships. A call at the Railway Station will see how this museum has brought back the rail history of Temora and the Temora Council Youth Zone. He could drop into the local Men's Wear Shop and visit Mayor Rick Firman, who would be happy to explain how his council has achieved great relations with the local community. How the local youth raised one-third of the cost for a cinema complex and the council and Federal Government added the other money. Volunteers operate the cinema. There is much to learn by getting out of the City, visit and listen to country people and at the same time help their economy. Brian Shaw, St George