The debate has started in earnest: Should Manly, Warringah and Pittwater merge into one Northern Beaches Council? Size matters. That's the message from the State Government which is pushing for councils across NSW to merge into bigger, "stronger" groupings. The government report on the matter, from the Independent Local Government Review Panel, has recommended huge cuts to the number of councils operating in Sydney and across the state. Instead of the existing 41 Sydney councils, the reports says we should have less than 20. And instead of our current three Northern Beaches councils Manly, Warringah and Pittwater the report says we should have just one. But it's not that easy. While Warringah Council supports the amalgamation scheme, both Manly and Pittwater are opposed. What Does Future Hold for Manly Council? The first preference for Manly and Pittwater councils is to stay as they are. But if that's not possible, the two councils want to split Warringah and take half each, something Warringah Mayor Michael Regan describes as "laughable". Cr Regan says Warringah Council is the best performing council in the Northern Beaches region, so it should be the last one on the chopping block. It's also the heavyweight of the group, with a population of 140,000, compared with 40,000 in Manly and 57,000 in Pittwater. However a division of Warringah, using Warringah Rd as the boundary, would mean local council areas would be more in line with State and Federal government electoral divisions. And should an area the size of the Northern Beaches, which supports two Federal Government and two State Government seats, have only one local government body? Supporters of Manly Council's bid to remain independent, also point to the 8 million tourists that visit Manly every year, massively boosting our nominal 40,000 population. Current Financial Position Strong As well, Manly's financial situation is strong. An independent audit of Manly's finances, presented to Council this week (10/11/14) gave the council a clean bill of health. The report from accounting firm Hill Rogers Spencer Steer said Council's books and records were well kept and up to date. It had an operating surplus of $4.6 million, and has good liquidity with available working capital of $1 million and $2.75 available for every $1 of debt. Manly Mayor Jean Hay said only 32, out of the 152 councils in NSW, were endorsed as financially sustainable, and Manly was one of those. "Small councils can be just as strong financially as big councils," Cr Hay said. And while the State Government has so far ruled out forced amalgamation, it is ramping up the pressure. Each council has until the end of June next year, to come up with a plan for "future cooperation with neighbouring councils". If not, they risk losing access to subsidised loans and government grants. Would bigger councils mean more efficient government and greater political clout? Or less access to local representation and a weaker sense of local identity? What do you think?
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Now that the tender for the construction of the new indoor Swim Centre at the Manly Boy Charlton Pool has been awarded, a number of Councillors are raising concerns about the price tag for the facility, which is already 22% over budget.
According to Clr Candy Bingham, the budgeted allowance for the indoor facility is $15.5m (Long Term Financial Plan 2013/14). However the cost, including architect fees, is now closer to $19m. In her Mayoral Column on 25/11/14 in the Manly Daily, Clr Jean Hay assured Manly ratepayers "there is no cost blow-outs ... the approved tender has three separate components: the new indoor swim centre, the improved amenities for the LM Graham Reserve and the new 'co-generation energy plant' " however, this statement is misleading as the items quoted were tendered separately, and listed separately, in the Long Term Financial Plan. The additional items account for another $2.8m, on top of the $19m for the indoor swim centre. It all started when Clr Barbara Aird broke the story to the Manly Daily prior to the October Council meeting on 13th. This was met with a furious attack by the Mayor claiming Councillor Aird had breached the Code of Conduct by revealing 'confidential information' as the tenderer had not been finalised. In publicity and offensively attacking Clr Aird the Mayor breached the Code herself, but seemed completely oblivious to the fact as she demanded that all councillors attend a refresher workshop on the Code of Conduct. It has subsequently been revealed that Clr Aird did not break the Code, supported by the fact that the winning tenderer publicity notified neighbours days later saying they were the new contractor for the facility; and Regulation 269 of the Local Government Act that clearly states that the contract price was a matter of public knowledge once the winning tenderer had been selected. There is no argument that Manly will benefit from this new indoor facility and that Council, in being successful in gaining a 10 year fixed interest loan at a subsidised rate, has obtained a good deal. What concerns ratepayers, and many Councillors, is the continued lack of transparency and secrecy around all major projects undertaken by this Council. Given the project is already 22% over budget, isn't now the time to reassess the facilities being offered to see where reasonable cost cutting can be made? What do you think? The Royal Far West children's charity is set for a $35 million redevelopment of part of its Manly campus, with a new proposal for a Centre for Child Health and Learning, on the site of the 'Elsie Hill' building on Wentworth St (next door to the Manly Community Centre). The organisation urgently needs to expand and modernise its premises to continue helping country kids with their medical and educational needs. CEO Lindsay Cane said the charity wanted to build something Manly "would be proud of". "We want a state-of-the-art building," Ms Cane said. "Somewhere where people from the bush feel comfortable and safe and where our clinicians can do their job." The existing red brick building, which has little obvious architectural merit, lies between RFW's Drummond House and the Manly Community Centre. It will be transformed into a "state-of-the-art" seven storey, six level building, which will house a fully integrated school, purpose-built clinical consultation rooms, open space and play areas. It will link to Drummond House, the RFW's accommodation centre, through its lower stories. A DA for the building will be submitted in December after public consultation. RFW Operations Director Kevin Bone said the success of the plan depends on the fund-raising campaign. He said the charity was hoping for contributions from both the state and federal governments, as well as members of the community. If the plan is successful, Mr Bone said the organisation would then focus on its "vision" to develop the rest of the campus as a "hub" for education, learning and well-being. He said engaging with the community and taking community ideas on board was crucial for the success of the redevelopment plan. Plans to upgrade the total site, which fronts Wentworth St, South Steyne and Victoria Pde, where first launched early last year. But that plan, which involved selling off beachfront land for a new hotel, apartments and shops, met with fierce community opposition. Now the charity has taken community wishes on board and scaled back its redevelopment plans. Community Information Sessions Community information sessions will start this week, with the project's architect, town planner and project manager taking part in "open forum" meetings. Sessions will be held at the RFW Medical Centre, South Steyne, on Wednesday (Nov 5) from 4 to 7pm; Thursday (Nov 6) from 6 to 8pm; Thursday (Nov 13) 10 - 1pm and Friday (Nov 14) from 1 - 4pm. It is not necessary to book. For more information go to www.rfwredevelopment.org.au or download the Development's details below.
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AuthorCandy Bingham, Deputy Mayor & Manly Ward Councillor on Northern Beaches Council. Background in marketing, public relations and community engagement. Author of five business books. Former Lady Mayoress of Sydney. Aka Candy Tymson. ........................................
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