The Hunters Hill Trust Journal Volume 59, No 2, December 2020 is available here.

As it is such an important new proposal, we have devoted this month’s Journal to providing information for members and the local community about the Draft Community Infrastructure Plan 2020 proposed by Council, which contains their ‘blueprint’ for our municipality for the next 10 years.

This edition includes:

• From the President’s Desk –  with a summary of the major issues
• The developments planned for the following locations:
  • Gladesville Road/Figtree Park
  • Town Hall, Council Administration Centre and Works Depot
  • Henley Precinct
  • Gladesville Commercial Centre
  • Special/Sole Purpose Facilities/Remnant Land
• Our members’ views on the above proposals
• The question of the $250m Public Spaces Legacy Program

A big thank you to everyone who took part in our survey.  We were delighted with the response and level of engagement and our Submission to Council, including a Position Statement of key messages drawn from your feedback is here.  

If you haven’t yet done a submission on the major changes proposed for our municipality, we would encourage you to do so, by the closing date of 9th November, to ensure your views are heard.  Email the General Manager, Mayor and Councillors at the following addresses: rosswilliams@huntershill.nsw.gov.au; bencollins@huntershill.nsw.gov.au; elizabethkrassoi@huntershill.nsw.gov.au; jimsanderson@huntershill.nsw.gov.au;  justinemclaughlin@huntershill.nsw.gov.au;  zacmiles@huntershill.nsw.gov.au;  miscamblel@huntershill.nsw.gov.au

We would like to bring your attention to Hunters Hill Council’s Draft Community Infrastructure Plan now on public exhibition and here is the link: https://www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/participate/cip/

The Plan has a 10-year horizon, with short term actions and longer term projects built around “three key community hubs – The Village Green, Heritage and Cultural Facilities Hub and Lifestyle and Wellbeing Hub”.  At this stage we are being asked for our views on various proposals that will potentially change significant areas of our municipality.   For instance – in the absence of firm detail as to how the stated intentions for the Village Green (Figtree Park) Hub are going to be realised – the extent and number of facilities to be housed (including Council Admin moved from the Town Hall) plus an extra 1 or 2 new developments and associated parking will obviously have a considerable impact on the area with potential loss of trees and existing green space.

However to ensure your views are heard, email your feedback (subject Draft Community Infrastructure Plan 2020) to the General Manager and Councillors at: rosswilliams@huntershill.nsw.gov.au; bencollins@huntershill.nsw.gov.au; elizabethkrassoi@huntershill.nsw.gov.au; jimsanderson@huntershill.nsw.gov.au; justinemclaughlin@huntershill.nsw.gov.au; zacmiles@huntershill.nsw.gov.au; miscamblel@huntershill.nsw.gov.au

We feel it’s important to engage with the process and, as this 51 page document is rather difficult to read, a text-only version is here which, at just 20 pages, may be easier to digest.  Changes are being proposed for our beautiful Municipality and it is critical that our voices are heard so that we can all help shape its future.

The Hunters Hill Trust Journal Volume 58, No 1, June 2020 is available here.

This edition includes:

• From the President’s Desk – Alister Sharp
  • Boronia Park Plan of Management
  • Revised Plan of Management for Riverglade Reserve
  • Council Matters
  • Oversight of Development Applications
• Final Plan of Management for Boronia Park
• The 1919 Influenza Epidemic in Sydney
• DA Updates
  • The Lost & Found Department – 39 Alexandra St
  • ‘Windemere’ – 25 Ernest St
  • 61 Downing Place
  • Loss of Sandstone Kerbs
• Vale Jack Mundey
• AGM Report

The Trust were shocked to discover the removal of a large section of heritage sandstone kerbing in Gladesville Road, alongside St Josephs College.  Astonishingly, this work has resulted in the replacement of the sandstone kerb stones with concrete and it is not known what has happened to the large blocks of hand hewn sandstone which have been removed.  This has drastically diminished the streetscape and setting for this landmark building.  Here is our letter to Council and please write to the General Manager Lisa Miscamble at miscamblel@huntershill.nsw.gov.au if you would also like to comment.

We now have an update from the General Manager at Hunters Hill Council who wrote that ‘the works were discussed with our Heritage Adviser at the time who advised that the sand stone gutter was not heritage listed, therefore appropriate infrastructure works could be undertaken.’   
However this does not explain what work necessitated their removal in the first place and ignores the fact that the kerbstones are ‘heritage’ items even if they are not ‘listed’.  In fact their removal goes against the Local Environmental Plan 2012 which states that one of the ‘particular aims’ is ‘to conserve Aboriginal heritage and European heritage that influence the character and identity of the municipality’.

Fortunately since the original travesty of the removal of the sandstone kerbs in Gladesville Road, it now appears the Council have reverted to putting them back in place once the road has been repaired thus maintaining our irreplaceable heritage streetscape.

2 July 2020

What a win for the community! 

Finally some commonsense.  The Berejiklian government has done a backflip and the unique Powerhouse Museum, home to some 400,000 artefacts, will not be bulldozed and will remain in Ultimo!   As many of us have argued, the obvious and most cost effective option is for a new venue at Parramatta which is an opportunity to provide a second cultural centre to display more of the institution’s huge collections.  However the proposed building appears to be more of an ‘entertainment centre’ and the site is completely inappropriate, being on a flood plain. The government is also still apparently determined to demolish important heritage items to make way for it and dismissive of the green ban that the Union has placed on their demolition!  The Trust’s letter to Anthony Roberts is here.

Previous update:

There have been some very important news reports recently criticising the proposed relocation of the Powerhouse Museum eg last weekend’s article in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Continuing issues include:

• the destruction of the site in Ultimo, so suited to the collection;
• inadequacy of the design of the new space;
• the perception that it will be a local entertainment space rather than a state museum;
• concerns about the future safety of rare and precious objects, large and small;
• blowout costs that cannot be tolerated when so many other community needs must be met;
• continuing concerns about destroying heritage buildings in both locations.

If you would like to add your voice we encourage you to:

1.  Write to the Premier and your local MP – addresses at: https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/members/Pages/all-members.aspx

2.  Make a short submission to the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment here. https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/project/26576 objecting to the ‘new powerhouse’ design plan and the demolition of heritage in Parramatta. 

More details here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YgnQWkgn0BF7tjM8JH1a2oEfQbBzhbnS/view

—

March 2020

A fresh parliamentary inquiry has been launched into NSW Government’s $1.5 billion plan to relocate the Powerhouse Museum to an inappropriate flood prone site in Parramatta,  Overwhelmingly the voices of the community have advocated to preserve the current site, build a new locally influenced cultural institution at Parramatta and use the funding saved from moving the Powerhouse Museum to create regional museums and galleries.  Given the project in Parramatta has now been declared a ‘State Significant Project’ we are concerned that the use of this legislation has only been enacted to enable the Government to override and ignore all reasonable opposition or community input and permit the destruction of local heritage.  Here is a link to The Trust’s submission to the Premier and political representatives to which so far we have had an acknowledgement but no detailed response.

The Trust remains committed to protecting, conserving and enhancing our heritage-listed Boronia Park.  Green space is so precious, especially in light of our current situation where parks have become a lifeline.  

The final consultant’s report on the Draft Plan of Management will be reviewed by Council on Monday 27 April and we will report back on the outcome.  Here is a link to the Trust’s submission to the 2019 Draft Plan and a Letter to Residents from the Hunters Hill Trust and Ryde-Hunters Hill Flora & Fauna Preservation Society.

The Hunters Hill Trust Journal Volume 57, No 2, December 2019 is available here.

This edition includes:

• From the President’s Desk – Alister Sharp
  • The updated ‘Green Book’
  • New Plans of Management
  • An update on the Plan of Management
• DA Updates
  • 1 & 3 Ryde Road
  • The Lost & Found Department – 39 Alexandria St
  • The Sorry Saga of ‘Windemere’ – 25 Ernest St
• Every picture tells a story
• Christmas Party & Book Launch
• “St Malo Trees for Mousetraps”