Issue No. 58
To the residents of Willoughby South:
Welcome to this edition of The 272 which has been supported by the generous sponsorship of La Botte Italian Restaurant (608 Willoughby Road, Willoughby 2068).
The aim of The 272 is to build community spirit in the Willoughby South area, so readers are invited to comment below on any issue pertaining to our community.*
You can contact the Willoughby South Progress Association at:
Email: hello@willoughbysouthpa.org.au
Editor: Tony Tenney
*The views and opinions of individual contributors are not necessarily those of the WSPA.
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A word from your new president...
By Leah Bulfin
Dear Willoughby South residents,
It is my pleasure to present to you the new, updated The 272 – a newsletter prepared by the Willoughby South Progress Association for the residents of Willoughby South. It is our aim to keep you informed on matters affecting residents of Willoughby South and to encourage you to get involved in your local association.
Willoughby South is a fabulous area to live, combining a great location to the City and other major centres, yet with plenty of parks, green space, good schools, great restaurants and local shopping. It is an area undergoing much change at the moment and certainly has its challenges. Some of the challenges we have faced in recent times include the loss of bushland and greenspace due to the proposed NSW Government Tunnels projects, reduced and cancelled bus services, increased development with less community consultation, the rise of Complying Development Certificates further reducing community consultation and affecting our conservation areas and the increasing lack of housing affordability, just to name a few.
While some of the changes happening in our area are necessary and some are even welcomed, the Progress Association works hard to represent our community to ensure that the demands of an ever-growing and ever-changing city are balanced with retaining some of the things we value, such as our bushland, green space, parks, liveability, good community consultation, transparency from Government on issues that affect us, transport and ensuring development is appropriate and compliant with Council planning policies.
It is a challenging time – Willoughby has a new LEP (Local Environment Plan) and DCP (Development Control Plan) coming into place very soon. However it is also an exciting time for our area and a time to get involved to ensure that our area develops and grows into the future without losing the things we value and love.
Please come along to our next meeting to hear more about what is happening in our area. We have our local member, Mr Tim James giving a short presentation that night and to hear any concerns from our local community.
Date: Tuesday, 6th September
Time: 7:30pm
Location: Naremburn Community Centre
I hope you enjoy reading the latest edition of The 272!
Leah Bulfin,
President, Willoughby South Progress Association.
It is a challenging and exciting time for our area. Get involved to ensure that our area develops and grows into the future you want without losing the things you value and love.
What are the priorities for residents in Willoughby?
By Kristina Dodds
Willoughby South Progress association together with Naremburn, Chatswood West, Artarmon, Castlecrag, Northbridge and Castle Cove Progress associations form the Federation of Willoughby Progress Associations (FWPA). They meet four times a year. This Federation brings together residents from Progress Associations across Willoughby. They are a direct voice to Council and an opportunity to formally voice common concerns and ideas that are relevant across the Willoughby Local Government Area.
The Federation of Progress Associations has just agreed to a strategy map for 2022 that lists urgent priorities that have a broad impact, priorities of moderate urgency and those that are a longer-term priority.
There are FOUR urgent priorities that were agreed by all progress associations, they are summarised below. They include:
Transparency and Accountability Consultation: we have asked that Council reinstate Advisory Committees for greater transparency and community participation.
Green and open spaces, waterways and streetscapes: asking for better protection of local natural assets.
Planning and major projects: the priority is to ensure the Beaches Link Tunnel is cancelled/reassessed.
Reinstating bus services
The Federation has written to Council and to State MPs about these priorities.
Advisory Committees
In February, the Federation wrote to Mayor Tanya Taylor about Council’s decision to disband the Advisory Committees.
This is of great concern to the Progress Associations as they are an important in facilitating transparency and consultation.
Advisory committees have operated within the framework of the Council’s community engagement strategy for some time and while renewal and change is always needed, to disband the highly effective Advisory Committee structure which has served the city for so long is very concerning. Advisory Committees include the Bicentennial Reserve and Flat Rock Gully Committee, the Heritage Advisory Committee, Access, Bicycle Consultative Committee and Sustainability. They bring together council staff and key stakeholders to assist Council in planning and decision making.
Beaches Link
The other priority for the Federation, and the residents of Willoughby, is the estimated $20 billion Beaches Link (BL) and Western Harbour Tunnel (WHT) toll road project. The BL and WHT will take eight years to construct, take valuable greenspace and bushland across Willoughby, will reduce air quality, has a marginal benefit cost-ratio and, as WCC noted in their submission to the Beaches Link Environmental Impact Statement, there will be no benefits to the people of Willoughby. These tollways are also not expected to ease congestion traffic.
The Beaches Link will have no benefits to the people of Willoughby.
The Federation wrote to Natalie Ward, The Metropolitan Roads Minister in August 2022.
It asked the government:
- To pause the project to provide an opportunity to redesign and re-assess to minimise community, health, environment and project risk.
- To address contamination risks to the Harbour which have been vastly under-assessed
- Flat Rock Gully dive site: This is an historical, industrial tip site. The breadth and type of contamination has been considerably under-scoped given the acknowledgment that the landfill holds or is likely to hold toxic waste such as refrigerant, chemicals from RNSH, PFAS, asbestos, dioxins and chromium, and is located in a residential area in proximity to sporting fields which host thousands of children weekly.
There are very few sites with such a complex risk profile taking into account contamination, hydrology, remnant bushland and proximity to people and children’s activities. The chosen dive site location is within what was a deep valley and remains a major water catchment for the area, leading to Middle Harbour. We have asked for real alternative options to be provided for community consultation, including removal of the temporary dive site from the Flat Rock Gully catchment.
- Air quality: The Artarmon stack will be within blocks of the Lane Cove Tunnel unfiltered stack, in reach of schools, while the double stack at Cammeray will release pollutants over the numerous schools and parks that serve the wider area, including Willoughby South. We have asked that a detailed assessment be completed with regard to health risks.
- Alternatives: to provide a comparative assessment of the sustainable alternatives to the Western Harbour and Beaches Link toll road tunnels and publishing these options for public consultation.
- Undertake an updated traffic analysis, design and business case for the project be updated and re-published to include updated traffic analysis projections (post-COVID).
The Federation also stated that it is essential and fiscally responsible to re-assess the business case for the tunnels and properly look at alternative options, taking into account the above changes and new information before Sydney is locked into another 1 million vehicle kilometres per day (quoted in the EIS) and a $20 billion + 10 year commitment. We look forward to Minister Natalie Ward’s reply.
Reinstate bus services
The reinstating of bus services is a priority to the residents of Willoughby. You can read more about the privatisation of the buses and the Parliamentary Inquiry in this newsletter.
Willoughby South Progress Association is made up of everyday residents who give of their time because they want healthy, vibrant and connected places to live and work, to improve where we live and maintain what we treasure and why we might have chosen to live here in the first place. Why not join the Willoughby South Progress Association and make a difference now and into the future.
Behind the scenes at Artarmon Bowling Club clubhouse
By Kate Lamb
In February 2016 Willoughby Council was ‘gifted’ the former Artarmon Bowling Club clubhouse along with its two greens for $1M drawn from a $6.5M recreation trust fund, as compensation for loss of public land to the Gore Hill Freeway. Soon after, the community first learnt of Council officers’ intention to demolish the clubhouse.
Locals had become accustomed to use the facility as a venue for occasional parties, workshops and regular yoga, exercise and dance classes and have been resisting ever since the ‘Citizen’s Panel’ which in 2017 supported a ‘retain & refurbish’ option. Not satisfied, the Council officers, supported by incurious Councillors, embarked upon a prolonged campaign of attrition or to quote one person involved “we will be consulted until we get it right.”
The intervening years have seen amongst other things, over 700 petitioners seemingly ignored, a Design Competition with undisclosed specifications, reluctant acceptance of the site and building as a local heritage item, a contested online ‘survey’, two DAs, the first with over 54 submissions in opposition and a further eight with ‘concerns’ to the second and a S. 55/A DA modification.
In June this year, the Willoughby Planning Panel approved DA-2021/5/A for ‘partial demolition, adaptive reuse and refurbishment of the former Artarmon Bowling Club clubhouse into a new community facility and associated landscaping works’. To this day, there are no finalised publicly available drawings/plans or elevations relating to this approval as modification has been continuing throughout.
Whilst about one third of the hall’s timber floor may be removed for indoor activity, there can be no doubt that thanks to persistent advocacy in support of community needs and aspirations, the quality and attributes of the development will be impressive and a far cry from the officers’ preference for an open BBQ pavilion. However, not including Council’s consultancy fees throughout their six year campaign of attrition, the cost of this facility is currently estimated at over $2M.
It is worth noting that Council’s documentation associated with the online Have Your Say ‘survey’ in 2019 estimated the cost of restoration at a mere $1.4M. Meanwhile, the trust fund has been run down to nothing due to aforesaid consultancies and ironically, a very fine restoration of Northbridge’s Bowling Club clubhouse.
Councillors' Counsel
Thoughts from your Councillors representing Sailors Bay Ward.
A message from Mayor Tanya Taylor.
Willoughby Ratepayers will benefit from cost of living relief with the average rates set to fall by an average of $38 this financial year.
Despite falling rates, Council is pursuing an ambitious agenda in 2022/23. The Budget includes a $57 million capital works investment – the largest annual spend in more than a decade.
The schedule includes a range of projects across Willoughby with the most significant investment of $10 million set aside for the Willoughby Leisure Centre upgrade. This project also recently attracted $5 million in NSW grant funding under the NSW Government’s Multi-Sport Community Facility Fund.
Prior to work starting, the Willoughby Leisure Centre will host a tropical-themed pool party as part of Emerge festivities on October 9. This will be one of the last opportunities to enjoy the aquatic facilities before the facility is transformed.
On another note, Council is achieving significant progress on the sustainability front.
In line with our goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2025, Council has flicked the switch to 100% renewable energy.
We are looking at what we can do to reduce our carbon footprint across the board, including adopting solar-powered landscaping tools, replacing street lamps with LED alternatives or providing incentives for residents to switch to renewable energy with Council’s Solar Bulk Buy program.
The long-anticipated Emerge Festival is on throughout September with live events for the first time since 2019. The festival starts on September 1 and runs until October 9. Emerge will feature a packed program of community events including our vibrant Chatswood Street Fair on Saturday 3 September. Visit emergefestival.com.au for the full program of events and attractions.
For regular Willoughby City Council updates, follow us on Facebook or sign up for our monthly Council News e-newsletter.
Email: tanya.taylor@willoughby.nsw.gov.au
We are looking at what we can do to reduce our carbon footprint across the board.
Councillor Hugh Eriksson
Firstly, I would like to thank the WSPA Committee for their ongoing production of The 272. I have been contributing to the newsletter now for 10 years and I understand all the hard work it takes to put it together, these community newsletters are critical – now more than ever.
I thought I would take this opportunity to outline my four (continuing) priorities for this term of Council, having been re-elected for a third term and with many new faces on Council it is important, I believe, to ensure we focus on our core responsibilities:
- Maintenance of local roads, fair parking for residents, traffic policy that benefits the majority view – not special interests
- Continuing upgrades to sport infrastructure
- Common-sense government that focuses on local services, not state and federal matters
- Fiscal responsibility that keeps our rates some of the lowest in Sydney
As always, please reach out to me on any matter, I look forward to catching up with you around our city!
Cr Hugh Eriksson.
Email: hugh.eriksson@willoughby.nsw.gov.au
It's important we focus on our core responsibilities – local services, not state and federal matters.
Councillor John Moratelli
I am honoured to have been elected as one of the councillors for Sailors Bay Ward as the lead candidate for the Local Independents for the Environment (LIFE) team, and aim to achieve as many of the items on LIFE’s platform as I can during this term of council.
During the election, I was struck by voters’ receptiveness to LIFE’s commitment to protect and enhance our local environment by opposing the Beaches Link Tunnel (BLT), improving recycling, protecting and enhancing our green spaces, and improving council’s engagement with the community.
This impression was reinforced by the strong showing of environmental candidates in nearby councils.
Although successful in having council adopt a strengthened anti-BLT position on 28 March, I was disappointed that my proposal to spend up to $10,000 to obtain advice regarding a challenge to any planning approval was excised from the motion.
At its August meeting, Council will consider its advisory committee structure. These committees enable council to access knowledgeable and skilled community volunteers to help it achieve its aims. I encourage residents to consider the report and voice any opinion they have as to the best structure.
Residents can contact me about this and other issues via email.
Email: john.moratelli@willoughby.nsw.gov.au
I was struck by voters’ receptiveness to LIFE’s commitment to protect and enhance our local environment.
Councillor Roy McCullagh
Hello Willoughby South Residents,
As a Sailors Bay Ward resident first, and a Councillor second, my focus is always on addressing the issues that impact residents of Sailors Bay Ward on a daily basis. Some recent wins include:
- Installing a new basketball ball hoop in the basketball court opposite Bonds Corner.
- Installing the first ever Give Way sign and road safety markings at the corner of Gunyah Street and Baringa Rd.
- Approval for road safety signs and road safety markings at Mason Lane and Roche Lane, and improved street lighting on Gunyah Street.
- Lobbying for the repainting of the Northbridge Car Park markings, and regular cleaning of the car park.
In addition I have been meeting recently with local community groups and residents in relation to projects such as the Willoughby Leisure Centre upgrade; traffic concerns; permit parking for residents in and around Willoughby South.
In our June Council meeting, I raised a number of questions including, why did Council agree to spend $14,833 (taken from the Environmental Levy Fund that all rate paying residents contribute to) on Climate Change Forums without briefing Councillors beforehand, when the Council is facing a severe financial deficit due to the implications of COVID – 19?
If you have anything that I can assist you with, please do not hesitate to reach out to me via email.
Email: roy.mccullagh@willoughby.nsw.gov.au
I want to hear how I can help you.
As a resident, my focus is always on addressing the issues that impact residents of Sailors Bay Ward on a daily basis.
What I learnt at the Bus Privatisation Inquiry
By Ken Wilson
Greater Sydney buses are now run by private operators, who in a race to the bottom, bid for contracts to run a number of routes according to prescribed timetables. Fare box revenue goes to the government and operators are paid according to their bid. They need to meet a set of Key Performance Indicators that do not include the objective of attracting new customers or retaining old ones. Pre-privatisation a radical shake up of routes was done by State Transit, removing long distance routes such as the 340 and 257 and forcing commuters into longer commutes using two or more buses.
Virtually no consultation was entered into before the changes and in the case of the 257 the cancellation was advertised as a bus “improvement” with the effect that there is still confusion as to whether or not it is still running. Petitions with over 5,000 signatures concerning the cancelled routes 272, 340, 257, 343 and 430 have yet to receive a response from local member Tim James or the state government. Interestingly, the Sydney North Planning Panel’s approval of the Channel 9 development allows for some units without car parking AND is based on a traffic report that was out of date at the time, listing four bus routes that no longer exist.
There are winners and losers across Sydney and Newcastle. Changes are apparently based on opal data only. Willoughby does now have many more buses operating to the CBD (outside peak hour) via the Warringah Freeway. Alas, our peak hour and non-freeway services have been cut. It appears that the profit motive is now so strong that the social service aspect of bus services is now mostly missing. Further, the government has effectively cut back its bus transport expenditure, capping it at a reduced level and signing it into contracts that will see these changes last for three or more parliamentary terms. The, elderly, pensioners, school children, the disabled, those who cannot drive, and those who have difficulty finding or paying for parking have all slipped through cracks in the opal data. Waverley Council, after getting no response from anyone, to their long list of concerns, hired a bus and drove to Bega in a failed attempt to meet with the then Transport Minister, Andrew Constance.
Circumstances under privatisation vary around Sydney. Transit systems which cover the inner west attracted the most criticism from passengers and drivers, yet offered the most spirited defence of their operations at the inquiry. In the inner west new drivers earn the same as old drivers but only because they work more hours as their hourly rate is lower and they are hence given more shifts. Reduced pay rates (around $3 an hour) are making it harder for bus companies across Sydney to hire new drivers, with the effect that services are being cancelled at the last minute. Many Willoughby drivers commute from as far as Gosford where they can now get similar or even better pay and conditions working for the excellent local “Red Bus” service provider. Before privatisation they were awarded free train travel and could nap on the train, but today they are required to pay for the trip to work and many are now, instead, driving long distances before or after their shifts. The Red Bus company is concerned that after providing many years of great service on the Central Coast, they are now likely to become extinct as their contract is being put out to tender.
Government members appeared at the inquiry and managed to successfully disrupt the hearings, resulting in there not being enough time for witnesses to be properly interviewed. An extra day was added to try and overcome this problem. The local member for Willoughby did not appear at the inquiry. However we were well accommodated by the Chair, MLC Ms Abigail Boyd (Greens, who lives on the central Coast) and well represented by Mark Buttigieg (MLC Labor).
Going forward it is recommended that we form a relationship with our own operator, Busways, and lobby for better services. However, they can only make recommendations to the government which then decides what changes, if any, are made. This opens the door to more disturbing practices where a government boosts its re-election chances by moving bus resources out of safe seats, where the population is growing rapidly, to less safe seats where it isn’t growing at all. There is also the opportunity to improve the sale price of coming toll tunnels mega projects by cancelling bus services that compete with the new roads.
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