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Fighting Fund Launched To Stop Oval Car Park

11/5/2016

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.

The Save Manly Oval Alliance has been seeking legal advice from the Environmental Defenders Office, (a State Government Agency that supports community legal cases) who are assisting in the mounting of a legal challenge against the oval car park development. Funds are urgently needed from the community to stop this project from proceeding.

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.

16 Comments

Tom

11/5/2016 05:00:10 pm

Do you people not have anything better to spend your money on?
Progress and development is good, and the whistler st car park is horrible. This will revitalise Manly CBD and will make Manly so much nicer

Candy Bingham

11/5/2016 05:32:41 pm

Hi Tom. Always welcome conflicting views it just so happens that many of us don't agree that the current plan will be good for Manly. Convenient parking is essential to ensure a thriving business area.

Susan

12/5/2016 09:49:20 am

Hi Tom, I concur that opposing views are always welcome as it makes us always consider our position. However I would like to know what your understanding of the development is, eg: what do you think it will cost and what do you think are the benefits? Do you think there are any negatives?
In my case I've been following the project since the very beginning, since Council's first community sessions a few years back. I regret that they've yet to convince me this is a worthwhile development

Bruce Webb

12/5/2016 08:23:11 am

Progress is good but not all developments are. What Manly council is doing is NOT progress and it is certainly not a healthy development for Manly.

I feel that you are late in the game on this issue and I would advise you to actually come completely up-to-speed on the issue instead of trolling as you are.

Where is the progress when you demolish a structure (Whistler St Carpark) that is financially positive for the ratepayers only to replace it with a huge debt?

Where is the progress in demolishing the current library building only to have it replaced with a residential tower complete with the additional traffic that comes with such a structure?

Where is the progress in destroying an iconic oval that is publicly owned so you can hand off the carpark underneath to commercial interests and only gain a pitiful number of parking spaces?

Finally where is the progress in causing traffic chaos on Sydney Rd., due to the entrance & exits of the carpark.

If Manly Council was really intent on making progress they would have invested more in ensuring there was more amenity in the area, reducing traffic and forcing people onto public transport instead of trying to build a legacy that the councillors can hang their hat on after retirement.

12/5/2016 10:31:09 am

Hi Bruce,
My intention was not troll and by being rude and assuming that I am "late in the game" without knowing anything about me or the research I have done you are automatically discrediting your own argument. I wonder who is trolling who?
There can be no denying that the Whistler St car park is ugly and makes that whole area look terrible. Also this huge debt that you speak off is relative. Think about the jobs this project will create, think about how much more appealing Manly will be going forward and how that will, in my opinion, positively impact business in Manly. Furthermore the debt might seem large now but in 20-30 years time with inflation this will no longer be the case and actually it is probably better to take this debt on now when interest rates are low.
I do agree that the council has gone about this process in the worse possible way and people should have been consulted but everyone I know is for this project we just do not shout about it and are condescending to people who do not agree with us.

Bill Anntrep

12/5/2016 09:13:35 am

So much irony in this group using fear and scare tactics to trick people.
Words like chaos , destroy, destruction - it's a laugh.
Get some perspective.

12/5/2016 09:48:15 am

12/5/2016 09:48:47 am

Michael Ace

12/5/2016 06:37:02 pm

Tom u really have 2 b kidding ur self, P & D is only good where it's needed & it's certainly NOT required here in Manly. A 99 year lease to the developers is totally unrealistic. Yes that car park is an eyesore but so much could be done 2 revitalise it. It's literally a blank wall waiting 2 b set up. Think vertical gardens, office space, hole in the wall type shops, some permanent pre paid parking, an innovative open air cafe on top etc. no one really wants to trudge over to the oval & go underground 2 find their car.

Russell harrison

12/5/2016 09:16:18 pm

Agreed, Tom. The Whilstler car park is horrible, rennovate it, you dont need to spend $37 million to build an alternate car park and rip up an invaluable green space (the oval) up to do it to dliever a net gain of about 20 car spaces.

DN WALKER

12/5/2016 07:08:09 am

Tom, while respecting your views it is, I believe, better to know the full story. Firstly, the current car parking station in the centre of Manly is structurally very sound and could, with a minimum cost be modernised and capacity increased to suit the needs of the CBD. Secondly, the new car park under the oval will only increase the car parking capacity of Manly by about 50 car spaces-at a cost of $50+ million this is a very expensive amount per additional car space and the new car park is NOT in the CBD. Thirdly, the councils proposal to demolish a perfectly sound library building and replace it with a high rise apartment block topped by a library on the top floors which will be either uncomfortable to use because of the vast coverage of glass windows or very expensive to keep cool and an unsafe building for our senior citizens and our school children if there was ever a major security scare with the only way to exit the building would be by a stairwell-something very difficult for seniors in particular to manage. But it is good to hear an opposing view albeit misguided.

Julian Smithers link

12/5/2016 07:47:06 am

To whom do I make my cheque,& to what address?

12/5/2016 03:36:01 pm

Thanks for your support Julian.
Cheques should be made out to:
Save Manly Oval Alliance
24 Wanganella St, Balgowlah 2093.

or online at MyCause.com

Peter

12/5/2016 10:15:08 am

I am not in any way against good progressive planning. The aftermath of the proposed car park development will be congestion on Sydney Road and "rat runs" through back streets of Manly. This seems obvious.
Mike Baird has outlined concerns over the project's financial viability but cannot do anything about it as it does not contravene any local government regulations.
If it proceeds time will tell but there are serious doubts.
Maybe the council amalgamations being fast tracked albeit for political reasons could put a hold on the projects and make them a council election issue.

Burton Bradstock

16/5/2016 10:43:04 pm

Dear Candy,

STOP , READ the reports with an open mind then actually take time to THINK. Its called critical thinking and well worth try.

How can removing cars from the centre of Manly and revitalising the heart of our town be anything but good. Come on! time to stop the nonsense you're peddling about traffic, flooding and heritage concerns and get on board with making Manly an even better place to live.

Traffic -the Oval car park would move traffic out of the centre
Flooding - utter nonsense - has any of your team read the hydraulic report
Heritage - the Oval will look the same in 2 years time once the car park is built. There are dozens of underground car parks in heritage parkland in London, Paris and NewYork all under land with longer and richer histories than Manly Oval. Whistler Street car park is hardly a heritage item

I'm flabbergasted that anyone would want to save Whistler Street car park. It is horrid - parking spaces are too tight, no access to the lift (when it works) on odd floors and no cosmetic efforts will ever make it look good. This car park is one of the biggest attractors of traffic -It is also dragging cars into the very heart of Manly.

Please stop your campaign of hate and work constructively with the new Council for what's best for Manly not best for your ego.

17/5/2016 10:09:01 am

Hi Burton

With the greatest respect, I have spent the last four years examining this plan in great detail. I have received advice from independent traffic experts (Wilson & Secure), I have gone through the hundreds of pages of reports with a a forensic account, worked with civil engineers, infrastructure experts and financiers - they all say that the plan, in its current form, is flawed.

Pretty artist's impressions do not address the issues. Yes, Manly looks tired and needs an upgrade. But let's please work together to get the facts and ensure it is the best solution.

Happy to meet for coffee anytime to discuss.
regards
Candy

Fighting Fund Launched To Stop Oval Car Park

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