t's been almost two months since monster storm waves smashed into Manly, ripping up cement slabs and stone blocks and tossing them out to sea. Marine Parade and beautiful Fairy Bower Pool were particularly hard hit, with damage not just to the footpath and pool, but to the adjacent sea wall and cliff face and underlying sewage pipes as well.
Now repair work is almost complete and the path between Fairy Bower and Shelly Beach, closed since the storms hit, is set to reopen this month. The first job, which started immediately the storm settled, involved work by Sydney Water to repair and secure the three large sewer pipes running under the walkway. This task alone took one month, with the site only given back to the Northern Beaches Council on July 7. The pipes, which would normally be underground, were put in when a sewerage system was first built for Manly in 1898, as it was cheaper to route the pipes around the coast line and then under North Head to the outfall at Blue Fish Point, than it was to tunnel the whole way from Manly Life Saving Club, as originally planned. Once the pipes were repaired, the Council could hire cranes to retrieve the concrete slabs and sandstone blocks which ended up in the water. The heritage sea wall was then repaired and the concrete footpath rebuilt, with new timber handrails and posts now ready to be installed. The entire cliff face above the walkway has been inspected by a geotechnical company, with one section needing rock bolting and shot crete work to make it stable. The Catholic Archdiocese, which is the owner of that section, is funding the work which will finish early this month. Fairy Bower Pool is being cleared of debris thrown in by the storm, a job complicated by the fact that it can only take place at low tide. And the much-loved twin ladies sculpture on the pool edge will be either replaced or repaired, after one of the twins was snapped in half by the force of the waves. The pool is set to reopen by the middle of this month. Further work is on the agenda too. The concrete bottom of the rock pool has been cracked and uneven for months, probably years, before the storm made things worse. Tenders had already been called to carry out repairs and these will be assessed by the Council. As it is important not to make the pool shallower, work will involve removing the existing cracked floor to a depth of 10cm before replacing it with a new 10cm concrete reinforced slab. This can’t be done cheaply but as the pool bottom had become a trip hazard, it is necessary. The most dramatic evidence of the storm’s power was the Fairy Bower toilet block, which was demolished, sheared off its footings and washed out to sea. The Council is preparing a design for a similar facility, which is expected to be completed by late next month. It is not known yet when the new facility will be built. Good For Manly has been impressed by the work undertaken by the new Northern Beaches Council to reinstate one of Manly's favourite walkways, which is expected to be reopened mid August.
0 Comments
The reality of the consequences of the Manly Oval car park has now stirred up Club officials of the Manly Marlins Rugby Club who have launched an on-line petition to Save Manly Oval. Sign at: www.manlyrugby.com.au As reported in the Manly Daily, Marlins Vice President Anthony Bergelin confirmed that the lodged development application for the car park showed a reduction in the size of the playing field by 3.5m, which is totally unacceptable.
With the size of the oval already at its minimum, this major change will make the playing area unworkable according to the Merlins. Quoted in the Manly Daily Anthony Berlin said it was the Club's intention to meet with the Northern Beaches Administrator and the independent consultants reviewing the process to "outline some very concerning aspects of the development process". In the meantime the Oval looks like a bog with the $millions spent on works to install a detention tank earlier this year seeming to only exasperate the condition of the ground, as the recent photos below clearly show. An independent report on the Oval Car Park and Whistler Street redevelopment plans, pushed so vehemently by the then Mayor Jean Hay and General Manager Henry Wong against strong community opposition, is expected to come to the next Northern Beaches Council meeting on 9th August, which will be held at Mona Vale. The Office of Local Government has now confirmed that the former Manly Council meeting on April12, at which the public were locked out and tenders were awarded for the construction of a car park under Manly Oval and the 99 year lease of the Whistler Street Car Park and Library sites - was illegal. Further, Dick Perssons, the Administrator of the new Northern Beaches Council, has commissioned Ernst & Young and Value Network to facilitate an independent review of the projects, following continued concerns raised by Good for Manly, the Save Manly Oval Alliance and hundreds of concerned citizens. This independent review was announced just days after submissions closed for the Development Application of the Oval Car Park, which in turn was lodged just two days before Manly Council was officially amalgamated. Concerns Over Lack of Process Over the past four years Good For Manly has raised serious concerns about the way in which Manly Council undertook the process of developing the Manly2015 Masterplan which originally proposed a 760 space car park under Manly Oval and the 99 year lease to a developer of the Whistler Street car park site. On the 12 April, behind closed doors and with no pubic notification, the Liberal majority on the council voted for a 500 space car park (not 760) and the 99 year lease of both the Whistler Street car park AND library sites. The redevelopment proposal was new to the Councillors and was nothing like the submissions made during the Expressions of Interest process, in fact some would argue it was a 'non-confirming tender'. It had had no public exhibition for feedback, was quite different from anything previously exhibited and the proposed development exceeds the current height limit for the site. Non Compliant Running of Meetings Add to this two years of complaints to the Office of Local Government (OLG) by Clr Candy Bingham that the General Manager, Henry Wong, was systematically refusing to put legitimate motions on the business paper - and you get an idea of just how dodgy the process has been. In the business paper for the Northern Beaches Council meeting on 7th July, (see copy below) a number of letters from the OLG addressed to Mr Wong, dating back to June & July 2014 , are attached. These clearly state that the Council's Code of Meeting Practice was not compliant with statutory requirements and needed to be updated. It never was, and the GM continued his practice of rejecting legitimate motions. In addition the OLG's letter dated 10/6/16 addressed to the interim General Manager of the Northern Beaches Council raises serious issues in relation to the meeting of 12 April which was held in the absence of the public to consider tenders concerning Manly2015 Masterplan. It is pleasing that the new Administration is taking the matter seriously by commissioning an independent assessment. The final report is expected early August. In the meantime the DA process for the Oval Car Park will continue with independent consultants Fox Partners assessing the submissions on behalf of Council. Their report will be peer reviewed. The high level of open and transparent government now operating under the new Council is a joy!
Council’s Hop Skip & Jump Bus service will temporarily extend its Monday to Friday routes during the middle hours of the day, to transport people to Shelly Beach reserve along Bower Street to the car park, and return. This will also enable easy access to The Boathouse restaurant. The temporary service will operate during weekdays until the public walkway is restored for public access. Temporary Bus Timetable – Manly to Shelly Beach and return tripLocation Pick up Times – Monday to Friday only: West Esplanade (opposite Manly Wharf outside Crinitis Restaurant) 8.36 am; 9.36am; 10.36am; 11.36am; 12.36pm; 1.06pm; 2.06pm; 3.06pm Shelly Beach Car Park 8.42am; 9.42am; 10.42am; 11.42am; 12.42pm; 1.12pm; 2.12pm; 3.12pm. In the meantime Sydney Water has inspected their sewer line which effectively runs underneath the old footpath. Discussion are now in progress between Council, Sydney Water and the Catholic Church as to the scope of works required to bring the walkway back into public use. It is hoped that public access will be reinstated with the next two months. Upgrading Sydney Water’s North Head Sewage Treatment Plant - Latest Update
In the independent consultant’s report that was considered by IPART it was stated: “The case for two digesters appears to be based on growth projections to 2036” and the report listed the projection table below as one of three “KEY DOCUMENTS REVIEWED”. This is an interesting table but it is grossly inaccurate! Let us look at the details:
This means that IPART based its recommendation on false data. What is the current state of affairs?
Where does this leave us? At the present time Sydney Water captures about 30% of the solids that arrive at the plant - the rest is pumped into the ocean. If Sydney Water does not have the equipment to process the sewage then it would appear that one of the following options must occur:
These options are totally unacceptable. We have some questions for our Premier and local member, Mike Baird. Mr Baird can you tell us:
On Sunday 5th June, a Public Meeting was held to review the Development Application for the Oval Car Park. You can view the presentations below. Submissions close 1 July. DA 116/2016 - send to records@manly.nsw.gov.au
Update on SubmissionsAs of 20/6/16, 383 submissions have been received, 335 against the car park and 48 supporting the project. In addition the Save Many Oval Alliance, as result of a fighting fund which was supported by local residents and businesses, commissioned independent exports to review various aspects of the DA including heritage, traffic, urban design and flooding issues. A copy of their submission is below and well worth a read.
Other Submissions, both for and against, can be viewed on the Council's website here. Once you have ticked the disclaimer - select DA 116/2016.
Although 'officially' opened over the weekend, the new Andrew (Boy) Charlton Indoor Swim Centre and gym will not be opened to the public until early August. .Former Mayor of Manly, Jean Hay, officially opened the new Swim Centre in the presence of former Olympians, amateur swimmers, the Premier and Local Member Mike Baird and other official guests, while a number of determined local residents held a peaceful protest outside.
Touring the vast facility one had to be impressed by the expanse of space, the open-air feeling and attention to detail in the internal design. A number of large 'portholes' look either out onto the outdoor pools, into the pumping station, or overlook Graham Reserve. However, concerns about the revenue that will need to be generated to operate the facility (as well as pay off the $15m loan included in the estimated total cost of $26m) was in the backs of the minds of many as they observed the large gym with state-of-the-art equipment; a spa; sauna; creche area and three sparkling-clean pools. The additional staff bill of $900,000.00 pa to operate the Centre was also revealed this week by the Northern Beaches Council as part of its 2016/17 budget. Undeterred, regular swimmers did laps outside in the original 50 metre and 25 metre pools in the cool June sunshine. The Swim Centre will be closed for its usual winter maintenance on June 24 reopening in the first week of August. Huge waves battered the Manly to Shelly Beach Walkway over the weekend leaving serious damage in its wake. The walkway was left badly damaged with concrete paving slabs uplifted and displaced, and the iconic twin ladies sculpture at the Fairy Bower pool badly damaged. The force of the water was so great that the toilet block was completely demolished and dumped in shattered pieces on Shelly Beach.
The Bower Restaurant and nearby shops were also severely damaged. Local member and Premier Mike Baird was quick to respond, pledging funds for public infrastructure storm-damage repair. The important walkway , which is used by thousands of locals and tourists a week, is expected be be repaired within three weeks. The Bower Restaurant already had a development application underway although it is not know what impact the storm damage will have on the current DA. In the longer-term, the Manly to Shelly Beach walkway is due for a major upgrade and funds have already been granted for a masterplan to be prepared. That task will now be taken on by the new Northern Beaches Council. (Storm photographs taken by Elaine de Jager) We saw "people power" at its very best in Manly last Sunday afternoon. Despite 150 kph winds and torrential rain approximately 300 concerned locals turned up at a church hall for a "Save Manly Oval" public meeting. It seemed ironic that a meeting raising concerns about a 500 space car park to be built under a reinstated Manly Oval, was in progress while Manly Oval was actually flooded, particularly around the area where the new detention tank had been installed by Council earlier this year. Expert after expert informed the meeting about major concerns in relation to the DA which was lodged the day before Manly Council was amalgamated into the new Northern Beaches Council. The proposed $28m cost was dismissed by experts claiming the cost would be closer to $45-50m. Traffic experts explained the impact of reducing Sydney Road into one through lane in both directions, and the issue of there being no break-down area. (That afternoon a truck broke down in Sydney Road . Under the proposed new arrangement it would have totally blocked and stopped the traffic proceeding into Manly for hours causing traffic jams likely as far as the The Spit.) And what about emergency vehicles? How are they supposed to access this major road in an emergency? A proposed roundabout at Eustace Street simply will not work, the gathering was told. Dozens of buses, trucks and the dual carriage Sydney Water Sewage trucks which use Sydney Road daily, will be unable to negotiate such a tight turn. But then there was the flooding issue. As torrential rain fell on the roof of the hall, and water was gushing down Sydney Road at a great rate, the sober reality of building an underground car park, in a flood plain at the bottom of a steep hill, sent shivers up the spine. And the DA does not allow for a 1 in 100 year flood, in fact the DA falls well short of the requirement. For many the reality that the existing historic oval will be completely demolished, with road barriers, entry portals, ventilation stacks, public toilet amenities, and other bulidings blocking the existing vista of the oval from Sydney Road, came as a shock. For years they had been told by Council that the oval would be reinstated in its former glory, but the harsh reality of what is required to service and ventilate a large underground car park means that in fact this will be far from the case. Even the historic Merritt Memorial gateway (erected in 1927) which now proudly provides the entrance to the oval, will be relocated further away - with the toilet amenities as its backdrop. But that's not all ..... The DA plans clearly show the relocation of the picket fence reducing further the playing field, which is already short of desired length. This raises serious safety issues, particularly for the rugby players where strict rules apply in relation to the size and standard of the playing surface. The Manly Marlins, who have played on the field for 133 years, have now lodged a submission outlining their concerns. (A copy can be viewed the end of this post). (A recent tongue in cheek cartoon in the Manly Daily by Buddy Ross, captured this concern well.) The final presentation was by former CEO of Wilson Parking, Craig Smith. With more than 30 years experience in building and operating major car parks all over Australia, he left no doubt that the location of the Oval Car Park simply would not work. It was too far away from the CBD and beach, the revenue projections were way out and the operational costs would be very high. Northern Beaches ratepayers were looking at huge annual ongoing losses that could never be recouped. So why is this flawed plan even been considered? That's a question Good For Manly has been asking the former five Liberal Councillors on Manly Council, and Local Member Mike Baird, for four years. The Save Manly Oval Alliance (SMOA) has recently been formed to continue the fight against the Oval Car Park proposal. Already close to $20,000.00 has been raised in a fighting fund which is being used to engage experts to prepare reports against the Oval Car Park DA and engage legal counsel. The Environmental Defenders Office has taken on the case on behalf of the SMOA, and the advice of a leading barrister sought. What Can You Do? Two things: 1. Put in a submission against the Oval Car Park DA No.116/2016. Send your submission to records@manly.nsw.gov.au before July 1. 2. Consider making a donation to the Save Manly Oval Fighting Fund. Details on how to make a submission and how to make a donation are on their website. Save Manly Oval Alliance
A public meeting to give locals the opportunity to hear from experts on the many major concerns relating to the Oval Car Park development application, will be held on Sunday (June 5) at the St Mary’s Parish Hall, Cnr Whistler and Raglan Streets, Manly at 2pm. (More details here).
Arranged by the Save Manly Oval Alliance the meeting is expected to attract hundreds of concerned residents many of whom have been fighting against the Manly Oval Car Park proposal since 2012. “Save Manly Oval Alliance is seeking legal advice on how the process has been handled by the former Manly Council which pushed through this DA just days before the amalgamation was announced”, said President Jack Steggall. “In the meantime we have only until June 17 to lodge submissions against the many issues associated with this controversial DA”, he explained. According to the Alliance, who are engaging independent experts to prepare reports on the various aspects of the DA, there are serious flaws with the oval car park plan. PLEASE SEND IN A SUBMISSION - See Below for Key Points How To Oppose Manly Oval Car Park Development Application 1. Email your submission to: records@manly.nsw.gov.au 2. Quote DA 116/2016 3. There is no set format for submissions. Cover the points that concern you the most. See list below for ideas. Object to the DA and ask the Joint Regional Planning Panel reject it. 4. Include your full name and address for verification purposes. 5. Submissions close 17th June – so don’t delay! Independent Experts Have Identified the Following Issues: Heritage
Sports and Public Recreation
Public Safety
Roads and Traffic Impact
Environment
Financial Analysis
Breach of DA Processes
For More Information go to: Save Manly Oval Alliance. www.SaveManlyOval.com.au Wondering where you can park on the Northern Beaches under the new universal one sticker parking system? Under the new Northern Beaches Council, residents displaying a beach and reserve parking permit, a Pittwater, Warringah or Northern Beaches permit sticker will have free parking at over 40 locations on the Northern Beaches. Manly residents will be sent a parking permit sticker within three weeks. Former Manly Council residents who park in the former Pittwater and Warringah Council areas need to buy a parking ticket until they receive the new parking permit sticker. They also need to enter their vehicle registration for their digital permit in former Manly Council areas such as at the Manly beachfront, until they receive their Northern Beaches sticker. Some restrictions apply:
Birdwood Park, North Narrabeen Beach, Mid Narrabeen, Narrabeen St Beach Carpark, Robertson St Beach Carpark, Devitt St Beach Carpark, Collaroy Beach North, Collaroy Beach South, Fisherman’s Beach, Long Reef Beach, Dee Why Beach, Dee Why Headland, North Curl Curl , Mid Curl Curl, South Curl Curl, McKillop Park Reserve, Freshwater Beach, Moore Road, Freshwater (beach end), Gore Street, Freshwater, Jamieson Park, Middle Creek Reserve, Manly Dam, Avalon Beach, Bilgola Beach, Clareville Beach, Governor Phillip Park, Palm Beach, Mona Vale Beach, Newport Beach, North Narrabeen Rockpool, Ocean Road, Palm Beach, Warriewood Beach, Bayview Baths, Bilarong Reserve, Pittwater Park, Palm Beach, Winnererremy Bay Reserve, Whale Beach, Shelley Beach, Clontarf, Sandy Bay, Spit Bridge. Note: There are areas where parking permits ARE NOT VALID, including: Rowland Reserve, Bayview, Church Point Reserve, Church Point, Woorak Reserve and Iluka Park, Palm Beach. How it works
For more information on the One Council - One Beach Parking System visit: www.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au (Information provided by Dick Perssons, Administrator, Nth Beaches Council) What do you think? Is this going to be good for Manly residents? At midday on Thursday 12th May the Proclamation was published abolishing Manly, Warringah & Pittwater Councils and creating one Northern Beaches Council, to be run by an Administrator until the next Council elections in September 2017. By the end of the day Councillors were notified by staff that their emails had been switched off and access keys decommissioned. All Resident Community Precinct Groups were told they were disbanded. The community was in shock – it all happened so fast.
Enter the Administrator … Dick Persson has been appointed by the Premier to form the new Council. (Mr Persson is well-known and highly regarded as the former Administrator of Warringah Council from 2003-2008). He quickly appointed former Pittwater General Manager, Mark Ferguson, as the overall GM, with Henry Wong (Manly) and Ric Hart (Warringah) as Deputy GMs, along with the existing six Deputy GMs. All general staff have been guaranteed their jobs for three years. However some changes will obviously need to be made at the top level. Former Councillors were contacted by the Administrator and invited to continue contributing on interim committees. One Week Later …. The first Extraordinary Council Meeting was called on 19th May by the Administrator, at the former Manly Council Chambers. A packed gallery was personally greeted by Mr Perssons, “call me Dick”, setting the tone for a relaxed and engaging meeting. One hour was set aside for the public forum with 15 speakers addressing issues such as the Oval Car Park (of course), Manly2015 Plan, Plastic Free July, Sydney Road upgrade, the future role of precincts and cost issues in relation with the new Swim Centre. Mr Persson was attentive, polite and asked questions. One Northern Beaches Parking Sticker The Administrator replaces the Councillors, therefore any matter on the agenda, he decides. First item of business – he initiates one Northern Beach parking sticker, effective immediately, although Manly residents will need to wait three weeks for new stickers to be issued. He stated that while technology can generally be a good thing, in the case of ticketless parking meters this clearly had not worked. Manly ratepayers will get their parking stickers back! This will entitle us to park anywhere on the Peninsula - at the beaches, parks and reserves for free all day; and four hours will remain at Manly beachfront, Shelly Beach, Clontarf, Sandy Bay and Spit Bridge. Each household will receive two stickers, which will be posted in the next couple of weeks. Manly Precinct Forum Groups The Premier, Mike Baird, has given an undertaking that the precincts are to continue under the interim Council. It is expected that the Administrator will address this issue shortly. Council Interim Committees Former Mayors Jean Hay and Michael Regan, and former Deputy Mayor, Kylie Ferguson, will be part of a newly established Implementation Advisory Group, and will chair new Local Representation Committees made up of many former councillors from all three councils. These committees, under the headings of Social, Environment and Economic, will provide advice and guidance to the Administrator. The next Council elections will be September 2017. One Point Of Interest … Mr Persson stated that overall the Government received 28,000 submissions in relation to the state-wide amalgamation proposals, 18,000 were from the Northern Beaches with the majority supporting one council. The meeting concluded with the public invited to stay for refreshments. The next meeting will be held at Pittwater in two weeks, and future meetings will rotate amongst the old council areas for the time being. In the meantime it is business as usual with Customer Service Counters operating at Manly, Pittwater and Dee Why. The Save Manly Oval Alliance has now briefed the Environmental Defenders Office which is obtaining senior legal advice about the strength of a legal challenge and the likely outcome against the Oval car park development. This course is looking very positive. In addition experts have now been engaged to contribute to a substantial submission that is being prepared, addressing the development application for the Oval Car Park. (Submissions close June 17, 2016 and can be sent to records@manly.nsw.gov.au) A Public Meeting is being organised for Sunday 5 June, 2pm at the St Mary’s Parish Hall, corner Raglan and Whistler Streets, Manly. This will provide the opportunity for residents and concerned locals to hear first-hand from leading experts on the issues of flooding, traffic, heritage and why a car park in this location simply won’t work. Fighting Fund In addition to very generous donations from our local residents, the business community has now come on board following a briefing meeting last week. It is anticipated that $40,000.00 will need to be raised. The Fighting Fund has already raised around $20,000. Please support the campaign by donating at www.savemanlyoval.com.au Representation has also been made to the newly appointed Administrator of the Northern Beaches Council. The Alliance continues to grow in support. We can still stop this crazy plan! TTwo thousand cigarette butts. That's how many are collected from Manly Cove every week by local cleanup group Bommie Australia. That's 10,000 a month! Organiser Jude Furniss said it takes the group just one hour to collect the rubbish. "It's an absolute disgrace," said Good For Manly president and former Manly Councillor Candy Bingham. "Congratulations to local groups who are working to fix the problem. But it should not be up to them to be responsible for Manly's rubbish collection." Smoking has been banned from Northern Beaches beaches for years, with Manly the first council to introduce a ban in 2004. But a spokesperson for the newly formed Northern Beaches Council said not a single fine had been issued in that time. Bommie Australia founder Jude Furniss said the council needed to do more to enforce no smoking areas, but the real solution was for smokers to stop throwing their butts on the ground in the first place. As well as organising beach cleanup days, Bommie Australia works to educate the community about the toxic effect of cigarette debris on our environment. Butts ends make an area look ugly and unloved, which often "permits" people to trash it even more. And when butts end up in the water - either because they were dropped directly on the beach or washed down through the stormwater system - they leach a toxic mix of chemicals, including cadmium, arsenic and lead, into our precious aquatic environmemt. As well the butts. which can survive in seawater for up to 5 years before breaking down, can be swallowed by marine life, including Little Penguins, with deadly consequences. "I am disgusted and stunned by people’s blatant littering and disregard for our beautiful surroundings," Ms Furniss said. "I'm asking smokers to clean up their act and take pride in where they live, work and play." Good for Manly says it's time for Council to take more serious action. Provide reciprocals for butts in popular areas, fine people who litter and encourage create marketing ideas to get the message across that there is no excuse - bin your butts! NSW We've done it! In a huge win for the environment, NSW is getting the Container Deposit Scheme that really works. The one that turns drink bottles and cans into cash. Under the new scheme reverse vending machines and bottle collection centres will provide an immediate 10 cent "reward" for every empty container deposited. In South Australia, where the scheme has been in place for the past 30 years, 80% of cans and bottles are recycled. It's expected to be the same here. And that's not all - charities, clubs and community groups have also hit the jackpot. For them access to extra funds is just one clean-up away. In SA $60 million was distributed in this way last year alone. It might not have been this way. The NSW government was fiercely lobbied by Coca-Cola and other big drink companies to implement their questionable Thirst for Good scheme. This scheme provided no direct reward, so no incentive, for people to recycle bottles and cans. Instead, if enough drink containers were collected a donation would be made to a pre-allocated or club. The drink companies fought hard for their no-incentive scheme, but the community fought hard too. "With Premier Mike Baird as our local MP, the Manly community has more influence than most," Good For Manly Cllr Candy Bingham said. "Congratulations to everyone in the Manly community, especially Manly Environment Centre and Greens Cllr Cathy Griffin, who fought so hard to get Mr Beard to make the right choice. Groups such as the Boomerang Alliance ran a strong campaign for change." Here’s how the Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) will work: • 10 cents will be paid for each drink container returned to a depot or reverse vending machine. • The containers must display a NSW CDS label, and be between 150ml and 3 litres. • Wine, beer, milk, and juice will not be eligible for the scheme. • Depots will be both large-scale operations and pop-ups. • Anyone returning a container is eligible for a refund. • Drinks containers can still be disposed of in council-run waste and recycling collection schemes, but the household won’t receive a refund. The 10c will go to the councils and will go towards waste collection costs in their local area. • The 10c refund, administration and handling fees, will be covered by the beverage industry. Next? A campaign for the inclusion of wine & beer bottles, which are a major issue in Manly's public areas. A fighting fund has been launched by the Save Manly Oval Alliance in a bid to stop the Manly Oval car park development for which a successful tenderer was selected by Manly Council on 12 April in an extraordinary meeting closed to the public. The DA for the carpark has been lodged today with the Joint Regional Planning Panel. It will be on public display for 28 days for comment.
Independent traffic studies have clearly shown that the proposed 500 space car park this will result in traffic chaos in Manly's CBD and surrounding areas of Fairlight and Balgowlah. The car park, which is possible due to the 99 year lease of the Whistler Street car park and Library sites for redevelopment, will only provide a minimal number of additional parking spaces, further away from the CBD.
It is a high-risk and expensive plan that will change the character of our historic Manly Oval for ever. The old car park and Library in Whistler Street are to be demolished for shops, apartments, offices and a new library on the 5th & 6th floor resulting in a major loss of ground floor community space. FUNDS ARE URGENTLY NEEDED TO: 1. Take legal proceedings in the Land & Environment Court challenging the validity of Council's tendering process for the Manly Oval car park and the Whistler Street car park and library site. 2. Challenge the Development Application for the Oval Car Park. Experts in traffic, heritage, hydrology and the environment will be engaged to prepare expert reports for the Joint Regional Planning Panel who will be making the decision on whether the project proceeds. 3. Pay legal fees to the Environmental Defenders Office to pursue these cases. Your support will save our Manly Village and unique Oval. TOGETHER WE CAN STOP THIS! Please help by Making A Donation - NOW. WHO IS BEHIND THE FIGHTING FUND? The challenge will be mounted by the Save Manly Oval Alliance (SMOA) which is an incorporated community association. www.savemanlyoval.com.au President: Jack Steggall, former local solicitor Vice President: Jeremy Bingham, former Local Government Lawyer & former Lord Mayor of Sydney Secretary: Roger Freney, economist and formerly Commonwealth Treasury Treasurer: Ian Jones, Chartered accountant Supporters include: Three former Mayors of Manly (ie Peter McDonald, Sue Sacker & Judy Mellows); former Local Member of Manly, David Barr; John Ferrarin former Director of JWT Partnership to name a few. See list here .. its impressive. New legislation will finally enable Councils to impound boat trailers if they have been parked on a residential street without being moved for a period of 28 days or more. Effective from 1 October 2016 the new laws will enable Councils to impound boat trailers if they are parked on a street for more than 28 days without being moved, irrespective of whether the trailer is legally parked and still registered. Previously the trailers could only be ticketed or impounded if they were out of registration, were considered ‘abandoned’ or had exceeded stated timed parking periods. Although the new legislation will still enable boat owners to park in residential streets provided they move their trailer within each 28 day period (at least as far as a different block section on the same street or to a different street), it is a good start. Councils will still need to provide notice of at least 15 days before impounding a trailer and the new powers do not apply to any other type of trailer (ie box trailers, advertising trailers, camping trailers and the like). While in most areas the issue usually only pertains to a small number of streets and individual trailers none-the-less they can generate significant local concern, particularly if the trailer has been parked for months and sometimes years. What do you think of the new legislation? (Source: Our thanks to SHOROC for this information.) The new Andrew Boy Charlton Indoor Swim Centre opens at the end of the month and yet Councillors still have not been provided with a business plan, despite repeated requests from the Independent Councillors.
At a recent Planning & Strategy meeting, consistent questions by Councillor Candy Bingham querying the costs of the new centre, and projected revenue, were met with a tirade by the Mayor Jean Hay that "such consistent negative comments are a disgrace". But the answers still have not been provided nor a business plan provided. "One has to wonder how the staff have come to the conclusion that a small gym operating in the centre, will attract hundreds of memberships at $2,776.40 pa with the cost of classes then to be at an extra fee. Clearly comparisons with other local gyms (of which there are about 15 at last count) has not been undertaken otherwise the fee proposed would be halved", Clr Bingham said. Apparently the Council will run all programs at the Swim Centre with the cost of lane hire expected to be prohibitive to existing community groups and established squads. Participants are also required to pay an entry fee. Warren Riley, who has been swimming at the Boy Charlton Pool since it opened is dismayed. He and fellow "While I have been vocal about whether the community really needed a new indoor swim centre of this size, nonetheless, now that we have it, it is important that it is accessible to the whole community. After all, we now have six pools, a steam room, sauna, spa and gym as well as a creche. Surely it makes sense to provide these facilities at a reasonable price to ensure that the swim centre remains profitable and popular", Clr Bingham concluded. Will you use the new swim centre? There is an interesting difference of opinion in the State government’s bureaucracy about proposals to increase Sydney Water’s plant capacity at North Head. On 22 March 2016 the NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) released a draft report on Sydney Water’s proposed expenditure for the period July 2016 to June 2020. Sydney Water had sought funding for a project to amplify biosolids production at North Head Sewage Treatment Plant at a cost of $40.1M. They proposed to install two additional digesters to improve the plant’s capacity to treat sewage arising from the population growth in the catchment. IPART had engaged a consultant to consider Sydney Water’s proposals and they recommended that only one digester be approved and funding reduced by $13.3 million. They suggested that that Sydney Water had not made a strong enough case to warrant a second digester to cope with anticipated demand. IPART accepted this view. Environment Protection Authority’s (EPA) response to the draft report The EPA was concerned that the proposed reduction in capital and operating expenditure will result in a deterioration of performance of Sydney Water’s sewage reticulation networks and treatment plants. Sydney Water’s response to the draft report Sydney Water maintained that the expenditure of $40.1 million for the North Head WWTP was required to address the lack of capacity in the digesters and other limitations at the plant. The drivers cited by Sydney Water for the expenditure at North Head included the plant’s reliability, performance, inadequate digestion, high transport costs and odour complaints as well as the plant’s ability to meet the environment protection licence effluent quality and load limits. The Community response A number of members of the Manly community, including the Manly Environment Centre, also made submissions on IPART’s draft report. Given Sydney Water & Coastal Catchments pay a huge dividend to the State Government (2015 - $664m and expected to be close to a $1billion in 2016) clearly the money is there to upgrade the facility - it is a no brainer. Sydney Water want it, the community want it and the growing population of Sydney needs it. We will be watching very closely how this interplay of opinions plays out and will keep you informed of the outcome. It is very clear that the decision had already been made before the Councillors formally voted on Tuesday night on the successful tenderers for the Oval Car Park and Whistler Street site. Otherwise how can you explain the detailed information board being erected in Whistler Street on Friday morning? Whether you agree with the proposals or not, you have a right to expect that due process will be followed. From day one, this has not been the case with the Liberal-led Manly2015 Plan.
Then we had the tender process … Tenders closed on 15th March. On the 30th March a last minute (unscheduled) 20 minute presentation was given by the General Manager on the recommended tenders to Councillors saying the staff report had been finalised. An extraordinary meeting was called for Tuesday 12th April. Councillors were given notice on Thursday 7th April that they could view the tenders (massive documents) before the Extraordinary meeting the following Tuesday. Councillors were required to sign not one, but two confidentiality agreements. But this week was the absolute pits …. On the night of the meeting, the general public were refused access to the Council Chambers to hear the start of the meeting. Although a closed session was proposed none the less the law states that it’s the Councillors who decide, not the General Manager, and that a vote needs to be taken to go into closed session at the start of the meeting. This was not done. Rangers refused access to some 80 local residents who turned up to hear the debate. The police were called. The meeting went ahead with the blinds closed and the doors locked. Attempts by the non-Liberals for the correct procedure to be followed were refused. That wasn’t the end of it. Although the meeting was in ‘closed session’ and therefore I am not permitted to report on what was discussed in the meeting, I don’t think you have to be Einstein to work out how the vote went – based on statements made by the four non-Liberal Councillors (Candy Bingham, Barbara Aird, Cathy Griffin and Hugh Burns) prior to the meeting and the ongoing recorded stand by the five Liberal Councillors led by the Mayor Jean Hay. Councillors were told there was no opportunity for them, or the public, to make comments or suggestions about the winning tenders but that any feedback could be made at the time of the Development Application. (This is exactly what was done with the Indoor Pool complex and we all know how well that has gone). A rescission motion, signed by all four non-Liberal Councillors, was lodged after the meeting at 10.06pm by email. But it was refused on the basis that the tenderers had already been notified. (Not sure that a phone call to tenderers after 9pm is usual business practice?) Then to add insult to injury …. The very next day the winning tenders were announced on Manly Council’s website with substantial photographs, copy and a fly-though video which had not even being seen by the Councillors! Two days later Council staff were erecting an elaborate information board in Whistler Street with all the details about the Oval Car Park and Whistler Street winning tenders. That’s two days later … you think they would at least have had the decency to pretend the final decision was made by the full council and allow some time to look as though everything hadn’t been pre-prepared and ready to go. As I said, democracy is dead in Manly. The announcement of council amalgamations is expected to be in the next 10 weeks – what a mess the new Council will be left with.
But it is not over. The Save Manly Oval Alliance has committed to fight the decisions firstly at the Development Application stage, and then in the Land & Environment Court if necessary. They have my full support. Proposed changes to Sydney Road to accommodate the Entrance and Exit Ramps for the Manly Oval Car Park will be a disaster according to local experts. The above plan comes from a report commissioned by Manly Council and provided to the three companies invited to tender for the construction of the Manly Oval Car Park, and is the one used by the successful tenderer Abergeldie. The plan shows the location of:
The following are some of the more obvious problems with this arrangement:
Perhaps, one of the biggest concerns is that of safety.
To get more information on the problems associated with this arrangement, go to the review by David Wunder at http://www.savemanlyoval.com.au/traffic-report.html. David Wunder, Ian Sharp and Terry le Roux Save Manly Oval Alliance 15 April 2016 This week Manly Council announced the winning tenderers for the long-drawn out Manly2015 process of the Oval Car Park and Whistler Street site. Oval Car Park The design and construction of a 500 space car park underneath a reinstated Manly Oval was awarded to Abergeldie for around $28m. This is well within Council’s budget of $34m which was originally set aside for a 760 space car park. Many local experts still question whether $28m is a realistic budget given the complexities of the site – only time will tell. Many questions still remain about the management of traffic in Sydney Road and the proposed use of a roundabout at Eustace Street. These issues will need to be addressed if RMS approval is to be gained. The Save Manly Oval Alliance has vowed to continue to fight the car park proposal. Whistler Street Site The proposal for the Whistler Street site was a surprise, taking a new look at what could be done within the triangle space. Although KPMG’s original report stated that the Whistler Street car park site would be valued at around $16m, well-known Architects FJMT for Built Development Group & Athas Holdings, turned the design on its head producing an innovative approach that utilised the total site (Library & old car park) and offering Council a two-level library on the 5th & 6th floors, 50 car parking spaces (intended for disabled and 30 minute parking only) and a ‘theatre’ which in fact is two small 80 seat cinemas. Council will also receive a cash payment of $37m from the deal in exchange for a 99 year lease for both the car park and library sites. Already dubbed ‘the glasshouse’ by locals because of the extensive use of glass in the design, the new development will include retail at ground level, sixty-eight apartments, commercial space and library, meeting spaces and council offices. The General Manager of Manly Council said that work is expected to start on the oval car park in October this year and take about 12 months to complete. Once operating the Whistler Street site will be redeveloped with a time-frame of 2 years to complete. During this time the Library will be re-located in temporary accommodation yet to be decided. No opportunity has been provided by Council for Councillor or public feedback on the new Whistler Street plan. Let’s hope the developer has the sense to undertake community input before their Development Application is lodged. Both projects will require the approval of the Joint Regional Planning Panel. Manly Council voted last night in closed session to proceed with the Oval Car Park and the 99 year lease of the Whistler Street site. The plan for Whistler Street involved the total site being redeveloped for retail, commercial, apartments and some library and community space. What do you think? Built Development Group & Athas Holdings (local Chris Athas already owns a number of successful retail & commercial properties in Manly) were the successful tenderer. All has been done with great haste just 10 weeks before expected announcement of council amalgamations. No opportunity for Councillors, or the public, to provide comment until the Development Application is lodged. More details to come ..... Meanwhile the Oval Car Park tender was awarded to Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure for $27,733,747. The whole of Sydney was shocked when 26 of our little penguins were massacred by a fox last winter. The North Head little penguin colony has survived but now the birds face another threat. This time it's man made and may be even worse. Q station resort hotel wants to crank up the volume at its Quarantine Station site. The Mawland Group, which runs the hotel, has applied to change its planning controls, including boosting visitor numbers, and playing music in an outdoor area just metres away from little penguin nests. Just as worrying is a request to remove NSW Parks and Wildlife Service as co-proponents of the site, meaning that independent oversight would be minimised and Mawland would have prime responsibility for care of the Quarantine Beach penguin colony. "It's a terrible suggestion,” Good For Manly councillor Candy Bingham said. “That would mean that our beautiful little penguins, which are already right on the borderline of survival here on the mainland, would be left in the care of a company that has no environmental expertise, and is run for profit. I’m also concerned that Mawland has asked for its environmental audits to be decreased from every five years to every eight years,” The outdoor music plan is problematic as well. The proposal is to allow ambient dining music which would not exceed 50 dB - a volume similar to “conversation at home” - when measured at the edge of the outdoor eating area. While it’s true that the existing ban on any amplified music does impose limits on activities - such as weddings - at the site, and the hotel is not asking to play music loud; the penguin colony still needs to be taken into account. Of concern is that penguins choose quiet, secluded areas for their nests and the birds are active around dusk, when the music is likely to be played, with adult birds returning to their nests to feed their young at that time and mating pairs also likely to be disturbed. The same concerns surround the proposal to boost maximum permitted guest numbers from 450 to 600 people. “All this is less than one year after the endangered colony was savaged by a fox, sparking a massive effort by Parks and Wildlife staff and almost 100 volunteers,” Cllr Bingham said. “The group braved long, cold winter nights and freezing winds to physically guarded the nesting sites at Quarantine station, Collins Beach and Store Beach on a round-the-clock three-month-long vigil. What a disaster if their efforts went to waste.” The Mawland proposals are now before the Department of Planning and Environment. Images: Activities at Boilerhouse Restaurant, pictured at Quarantine Beach, may be ramped by. North Head and the Q Station complex including Quarantine Beach and jetty. For the past 21 years Narelle Simpson has trained swimmers at Manly’s Boy Charlton Swim Centre. The popular swim coach has also trained elite swimmers in Australia’s Olympic, Paralympic and World championship teams. She has spent years coaching Northern Beaches lifesavers, triathletes, water polo champions and marathon swimmers, including James Pittar the first blind swimmer to cross the English Channel. But none of that made any difference to Manly Council. The council did not renew Ms Simpson's contract or offer her any ongoing role in the new-look swim centre, which will open its doors in July after a massive $25 M indoor facility addition. Council plans to run the Learn to Swim programs in the new facility. The situation is so bad that dozens of Ms Simpson’s ’squaddies’ came to Manly Council's 4th April meeting to express their frustration and rage. They were there thanks to a motion by Cllr Cathy Griffin that the Council formally recognise Ms Simpson’s huge contribution to the community over the past two decades. Even that had been bungled with the council sending a letter of thanks along with a notice telling Ms Simpson her contract would not be renewed. “Narelle is a huge asset to this area,” swim squad member and lawyer Mark Houston told councillors. “Her achievements as a swim coach are outstanding. If she goes a whole bunch of people will have nowhere to go to train - triathletes, open water and pool swimmers. It’s Narelle that makes the difference - they follow her. We don’t even know if she can hire lane space after the new centre opens on the first of July.” Rows of fit-looking, young swimmers agreed, with many vowing to boycott the new swim centre unless their coach was treated with respect. Good for Manly Councillor Candy Bingham said the Council’s plan to manage the new swim centre itself has created a nightmare for contractors. “It’s totally unacceptable that, with less than three months to go, existing contractors don’t know if they can continue to hire lanes” she said. "No one - not even the councillors - have seen any business plans on how the new centre will operate." And while the business plan, and the new centre manager remain elusive, there is some comfort at least for Ms Simpson and her swimmers. A motion by Cllr Hugh Burns that all existing squads and their coaches be guaranteed at least 12 months’ access to swim lanes after July 1st, was passed. Ms Simpson will also receive a more fitting letter of commendation and thanks. “Operational plans for the new centre still remain a mystery with councillors being kept in the dark, despite repeated requests for information ,” Cllr Bingham said. "it's just not acceptable". |
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. ........................................
View Videos
|