Public land at 16C Vernon Street

As reported in our webpost of 10 December, at Council’s 25 November meeting, the 3 parcels of land including the significant foreshore site at 16C Vernon Street (opposite) were deemed ‘surplus to the needs of Council and the community’ and the motion to sell was carried 5 votes to 2.
 
The attempt to characterise this site as accessible only by the adjoining owner is incorrect.   Access is possible but has never been enabled by Council, and this site, which could become part of the Great North Walk, has been allowed to sit idle without any infrastructure or signage to encourage public use.
 
At Council’s last meeting of the year on 16 December, the resolution was put forward to authorise the sale and specify a ‘selective’ tendering method.
 
Objections were raised by community speakers that, apart from the controversial act of selling a valuable piece of public foreshore, this sale did not fit within legislative framework.  In addition, no Aboriginal heritage consultation has been carried out despite documented occupation along the Lane Cove River.
 
It was also argued by the Trust and others that the method of disposal should be by ‘open’ tender to encourage any interested parties to bid which would give the best possible outcome for the community. However Council insisted that in their view the adjoining neighbour/s were likely be the only interested bidder/s and an invitation to submit a bid in a ‘selective’ process was the best option.
 
The Vernon Street site already owes the ratepayers of Hunters Hill a huge return, given that Council had to compulsorily acquire it in 2005 for $2,515,000 after a lengthy legal battle with the adjoining neighbour, who may now be the purchaser.
 
If retained, this valuable asset will only grow in monetary value. So if the logic, as stated by Council, is to raise operational revenue in order to provide “intergenerational equity”, this action is inexplicable and contrary to the intention.
 
Detailed objections were put forward by Cllrs Williams and Lane, who argued that the disposal of the Vernon Street foreshore would be to the detriment of the public, and recommended pausing the process until Council at least had an accurate survey of the site and other important information on which to base a meaningful decision.      Regrettably this course of action was rejected and the motion was carried by the votes of Cllrs Prieston, Virgara, Tannous-Sleiman, Kassab and Mayor Miles.
 
Privatising a spectacular asset that will yield income only once, and depriving future generations of precious Sydney foreshore, is a tragic loss of public space and patently poor fiscal management.