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Oval Car Park Project to be Voted on At Council

3/8/2014

UPDATE: Clr Bingham's motion to stop the Oval car park was lost 5 - 4 but the matter has been delayed. A Councillor workshop is to be scheduled to discuss further.
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The Office of Local Government (OLG) has now responded to Manly Council's submission to build a $34m car park under Manly Oval.

Late Friday 1st August 2014, Councillors received notice of an Extraordinary Meeting for the following Monday 4th August, to vote on the matter.

There has been no public notification of this extraordinary meeting by Council, which will take place after the scheduled Planning & Strategy Meeting which commences at 7.30pm.

The response from the Office of Local Government (below) is ambiguous enough for either side to state that they are right. For example the Council highlights "..the office of Local Government's capital expenditure criteria have been broadly met" , while those concerned about the project and Good For Manly focus on comments such as "While primary concerns have been addressed, I note the significant complexity and risks associated with the project" and "I would draw the Council's attention to these concerns:

1. the viability of the project .....
2. the ability to achieve long term cost of debt at 5%
3. the potential impact of unforeseen cost increases

The response also says: "It is important to note that the response from the OLG should not be construed to be an endorsement of the Manly Oval Car Park".

The OLG response and the Staff recommendation to proceed with the DA for the car park are below:

response_office_of_local_government.pdf
File Size:	734 kb
File Type:	pdf

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report_to_extraordinary_council_meeting_040814_draft_for_gm.pdf
File Size:	26 kb
File Type:	pdf

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11 Comments

Dirk Nagel

4/8/2014 12:30:25 am

I can now see that as the Libs have the numbers, they will vote to proceed (5-4) unless independent Councillors can convince some of the Liberals to "cross the floor".

I am very disappointed with the DLG and Mike Baird.

They are fence sitting.
If the projects fail.....then it is "I told you so"..
and if it is successful they will be patting themselves on the back at the next election (if they are still in power)

I suggest that the independent Councillors write to the Premier and request that the NSW Gov underwrite the project if it proceeds in its current form. If the DLG have these serious concerns the NSW Govt should provide a safety net for the Manly community.

They should NOT leave us with the debt burden because they could not make a firm decision!!!

This project will be a test case for future elections of Liberal Councillors and NSW Liberal State MPs.

They have shown their hand and if they cannot deliver then the Manly Community will REMEMBER THEM BOTH at the next election.

I will be attending tonights meeting.

as they are uneasy as the genewith this project as are the general community

Lisle Fortescue

4/8/2014 01:09:23 am

Let me take you back to the October 2010 Council Meeting when the NSW Ombudsman's Report was tabled by Mayor Jean Hay.
A fortnight later, the Manly Daily launched "Manly2015" as a diversion from this scathing report.
Now we are seeing the similarity of the very things covered in the Ombudsman's Report being revealed in the Manly2015 Plan.
The shiftiness of bringing the matter to Council so quickly in order to prevent discussion is hypocrisy by the Mayor.
For the first time since living in Manly, everywhere I go, there is condemnation of Manly2015. Manly Council knows this and this is their arrogant response.
Manly Council sighted their display in Manly Plaza recently as vindication of its actions. Look at Manly Plaza - what a disaster this upgrade has been, and speaks volumes of the problems facing ratepayers with Manly2015.

Elizabeth Boon

4/8/2014 05:40:57 am

I do not agree with the Council building the car park under the oval. The problems that present themselves have not been addressed, ie the flooding of the area and the stream that runs underneath the oval.

John

4/8/2014 10:54:39 am

Dirk Nagel,

In your comments you should really declare that you ran as a independent candidate at the 2012 council election.

Lisle

4/8/2014 11:29:55 pm

John, thank you for mentioning the 2012 council election, because nowhere did the Liberal Party candidates mention Manly2015 in their advertising brochures, even those which included photos of NSW Premier Mike Baird. As a Liberal voter, I presumed the Liberal Councillors had dropped the Manly2015 concept. How wrong I was, and Liberal voters have every right to feel deceived.

8/8/2014 09:15:33 am

Oh come on lisle, the libs didn't go with it to the election because is wasn't their policy it was the previous council under Peter McDonald.

Neil JACKSON

4/8/2014 04:32:41 pm

I don't support ( I repeat I don't ) support the Manly Oval re-development plan.
Why not call private tenders to take all the financial risk and not the ratepayers of Manly

Frank Westman

4/8/2014 07:00:02 pm

Don't do it. ! It is a stupid idea and you're playing with money that you don't have. !

5/8/2014 02:26:17 am

It is now Tuesday morning, and whilst I do not know the outcome of last night's Council Meeting, the question must be asked "Why the haste?"
Note the wording of the "Conclusion" in the Council Paper - Manly2015 -- Capital Expenditure Review of the Manly Oval Carpark". "Now that Council has addressed all primary concerns raised by the OLG and that the proposal has broadly met the OLG's CapEx criteria, the Council may now progress to DA for the JRPP as per its resolution of 3 June 2013."
This document was issued too late not only to be included in Saturday's Manly Daily, but also the Mayor's column in the Manly Daily. Likewise, now I note there is no reference to it in today's issue.
Am I missing something here? Why the urgency and the secrecy?

8/8/2014 11:13:58 am

Dear John,
Thank you for reminding everyone, that I stood for the 2012 Election as an independent.

My prime reason for nominating 2 weeks before the close was to object to the Manly 2012 Car park fiasco.

I intend to stand again in 2016 and will fight this "financial albotross" that the CURRENT Liberal block is trying to push on us.

Is there a hidden agenda?
Has Council been approached by an interested party?
There is no benefit for residents or the general community in the Manly area.
Where are the plans for more community space, child care facilities, theatres,more open space and I don't mean more paved dingy lane-ways, only in creating more profits for business.This is the prime reason that the Chamber of Commerce is supporting the proposal.

Has the Chamber forgotten that it is the community that keeps business alive. No customers no business.
This car park fiasco will drive people to Balgowlah and Waringah Mall.

The sale and demolition of the Whistler Street Car park will result in even higher congestion and intensification in this location with the construction of 5 levels of residential over a retail floor. Where are all these people going to park?
It will mean and even more intense use of a limited site. Possibly another 3-4 levels of underground parking coming in out of the Whistler Street site.

So much for the architects claim that this will "open up the lanes" and reduce the traffic in Whistler Street.

What A Sham!

Roll around Council elections.... the community wants to be heard.

9/8/2014 04:55:58 am

Oval Car Park Project to be Voted on At Council

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