The Hunters Hill Trust

Development pressure increasing

NSW Government proposes to expand code complying development to allow medium density housing in residential areas to be assessed and certified by private certifiers, rather than go through a development assessment process through councils.

The intent is to enable medium density development (ie dual occupancies, manor houses being 2 storey buildings housing 4 dwellings, and terraces) to be fast-tracked in residential areas. It follows new state priorities that include having 90% of housing applications approved within 40 days, and the time to assess state significant projects reduced by 50%.

Hunters Hill Trust is opposed to this proposal which will:

reduce the level of proper assessment of proposals in relation to their context
have a negative impact on the existing character of suburban areas in Sydney
increase the pace of destruction of Sydney caused by the proliferation of badly designed and inappropriate project houses.

Particular exclusions must be made for proposals in Conservation Areas, in the vicinity of heritage-listed buildings, parks, nature conservation areas and in areas of environmental sensitivity. Proper assessment should continue to be made in relation to the impact of such proposals on the existing character of urban and suburban areas.

Further details: HHT submission, NSW Environment Defenders Office submission and Better Planning Network’s information sheet and NSW Planning Discussion Paper. Send your submission to GPO Box 39 Sydney NSW 2001, with a follow up email (Call 1300 305 695 to ask for the relevant email address).

Source: David McWilliam

admin2016-03-11T13:13:09+11:00March 7, 2016|

Council’s sale of public assets

The Trust Executive Committee has sent the following OPEN LETTER to the Councillors of Hunters Hill….

cowell st sold Dear Councillors,

It is with regret that The Trust has learned of the sale of properties owned by the people of Hunters Hill, including No 10 Cowell Street and the open-air carpark within the Gladesville Shopping Village (GSV) site.

According to Mayor Richard Quinn, the Call Option was exercised on 8 February 2016 and signed off by him and the general manager under delegated authority with a settlement date of 4 April 2016. As far as we can tell, there has been no public announcement of this to date.

The finalisation of the sale means that Hunters Hill Council has formally signed away any leverage it might have had in the development of the GSV site. The knowledge that this was on the cards from the beginning has led the developer to prepare a Planning Proposal that trashes the existing planning controls in the LEP and DCP. The Proposal is for an entirely inappropriate development that consists of a clutch of very tall buildings that will have a seriously negative impact on the amenity of the neighbourhood in terms of increased traffic, parking problems, overshadowing and overlooking.

As The Trust has noted a number of times, Council has ignored its responsibility to look after its own heritage at 10 Cowell St. It has procrastinated for over 10 years following the 2005 Davies report that recommended upgrading the listing of 10 Cowell St to Schedule 5 in the LEP. To add insult to injury, when the listing was finalised, The Trust was shocked to discover that it excluded the curtilage of the property. This is unique for a Schedule 5 property listing in Hunters Hill’s LEP.

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admin2016-02-25T07:02:06+11:00February 23, 2016|

SOLD: publicly owned cottage & public carpark gone to developers

10 Cowell St

Hunters Hill Council has sold the publicly owned Cowell Street cottage (pictured) and the open carpark site at Gladesville Shopping Village to Moch Pty Ltd. The Mayor, Richard Quinn, signed the sale documents 2 weeks ago, but we have only just heard about it.

Moch Pty Ltd wants the land as part of its massive over-development of the Gladesville Shopping Village (GSV) that is set to cause huge damage to the community.

The community is still waiting to see Moch Pty Ltd’s final plans, but it is clear the Local Environment Plan (LEP) has been ignored. This diagram shows the building heights that are currently allowed under the LEP and how they are dwarfed by what Moch Pty Ltd indicated they wanted in October 2015.

Tower B would be 101m high (16 stories above a 46m high podium – the equivalent of 26 stories) creating massive over-shadowing, traffic chaos and infrastructure problems.

The sale effectively removes Council’s last ability to take any control of the redevelopment of the site, as Moch Pty Ltd pursues approval with the NSW State Government via the Gateway Process.

admin2016-02-22T16:28:42+11:00February 22, 2016|

Ongoing work to preserve the character and heritage of Hunters Hill

If the State Government pursues its plan for a merged LGA, the Trust will continue to fight for the preservation of the existing character and heritage of Hunters Hill Municipality to ensure that it is safeguarded for future generations and that the existing level of services provided by Hunters Hill Council are preserved and enhanced.

The Trust is not advancing the case for amalgamation, however in the event that this were to occur and given the Trust’s Aim in maintaining the unique and historical character of Hunters Hill, we believe we need to put our energies into advocating for the inclusion of those things we have set out in our submission in any new merged Local Government Area.

Within The Trust and the wider Hunters Hill community there is a range of differing views about the current council and about the proposed amalgamation. As well there are differing levels of passion and enthusiasm for the anti-amalgamation fight. We respect the fact that our members will have come to their own conclusions about this.

We urge members to make their own individual submissions and we hope that our Submission and the Rough Guide can be instructive and of assistance. Submissions should be made before 5.00pm on Sunday 28 February 2016. They can be made online here. You can read the Hunters Hill Trust’s Submission to the Council Boundary Review here.

admin2017-09-03T11:45:06+10:00February 13, 2016|

alienation of Boronia Park

The Weekly Times published this letter from HHT’s Brigid Dowsett on January 12th, 2016

mud washing into Lane Cove River from Boronia Park Oval 3

mud washes into Lane Cove River during construction of Boronia Park Oval 3

vulnerable species, Powerful Owl Image: Brad Law

Powerful Owl (local, vulnerable species) Image: Brad Law

“Over the many years of controversy concerning mismanagement and degradation of Boronia Park with the reconstruction of Oval 3, much debate has featured in the local press. After a protracted 18 month process to develop a revised Plan of Management to better protect the reserve, it had looked as if a well-balanced outcome could be achieved following the selection by Hunters Hill Council of an independent consultant. The needs of the active recreational sporting interests, as well as the legal requirement to preserve and maintain the cultural and natural values of this much loved heritage-listed Crown reserve, were well represented in the first draft Plan.

Unfortunately for the future of the natural areas of Boronia Park, its native wildlife and habitat corridors, an aggressive and persistent push by the organised sporting lobby has succeeded in having its wish list delivered by our elected Councillors. The Plan that was adopted on 7 December will see more intensive use and access to the reserve for the dominant sports, placing increased pressure on the sensitive bushland and adjoining wetlands, already impacted by their proximity to the roadway and sporting fields. In addition, if lighting is allowed for Oval 3 it will result in even greater pressure and disturbance.

The lengthy process of developing the Plan, and Council’s ongoing attempts at remediation following the Oval 3 debacle, have come at great expense to rate-payers. We will continue to bear the cost of implementing the provisions within the Plan that satisfy the demands of organised sports clubs, while the budget for bush regeneration languishes. Council has ignored the ample space available for parking along Park Rd and favoured invasive parking along the internal roadway and increased vehicle access. This will place both pedestrians and the Park’s natural values at unnecessary risk. The determination to construct an exclusive Clubhouse and achieve long term tenure for sporting clubs represent further alienation and disruption to shared public land.

Long necked tortoise Source: Wikimedia commons

Long necked tortoise (local) Source: Wikimedia commons

Short beaked echidna Source: Wikimedia Commons

Short beaked echidna (local) Source: Wikimedia commons

Those who champion the protection of nature in our increasingly over-developed city, can surely expect better than this from our local Council?”

endangered Angophora floribunda Source: anbg.gov.au

Angophora floribunda (local, endangered) Source: anbg.gov.au

xanthorrhoea arborea Image: Friends of Lane Cove National Park

admin2016-01-22T13:00:51+11:00January 21, 2016|

Public inquiry into Council amalgamations

proposed Council boundaries for Inner Sydney, 2015

Register H E R E if you would like to either attend or speak at the public inquiry into the amalgamation of Hunter’s Hill, Ryde and Lane Cove Councils. A public meeting will be held on:

Tuesday February 2nd, 1:00-5:00 pm and 7:00-10:00 pm

Hunter’s Hill Sailing Club.

HHT Executive Committee members will be attending the afternoon session. You can read the background documents here.

Submissions to the enquiry will be accepted until 28th February, 2016 online at www.councilboundaryreview.nsw.gov.au or GPO Box 5341, Sydney, NSW 2001.

admin2016-01-21T12:04:08+11:00January 18, 2016|

sorry business: Council’s changes to Hunters Hill LEP

Cowell Street cottage

The Trust contacted the Hon Mark Speakman, Minister for Heritage and Minister for Environment to tell the sorry tale about how Council’s last minute changes to the Local Environment Plan allow the publicly owned, heritage listed building at 10 Cowell Street Gladesville to be relocated from its current site.

‘We feel that Council has misled the community. We have come to believe that, as owner of the property at 10 Cowell Street, Council’s real interest is to ensure that the development of the Gladesville Shopping Village is not encumbered by any heritage listing on the lot. This is because the land is more valuable if it can have umpteen units built on it. In other words Council has a clear vested interest in removing the building from the development site.

The listing of the building without its curtilage is quite ingenuous as it is simply a nod to the developer to make a proposal to move it somewhere else, or, in a more likely scenario, to propose a full photographic survey of the property prior to its demolition.’

Read the full letter: NSW Minister for Environment & Heritage.

admin2015-12-27T08:22:03+11:00December 27, 2015|

proposal to demolish 2 Vernon Street Hunters Hill

Council has received a Development Application to demolish 2 Vernon Street, Hunters Hill in order to build a new house and pool.

The property is within Heritage Conservation Area C1, adjoining Mornington Reserve (a heritage item) and not far from other heritage items at 42 Woolwich Road, and 6 Vernon Street.

You have until January 20th to send your comments on DA 2015/1205 to Hunters Hill Council:

PO Box 21, Hunters Hill, NSW 2110

Email: council@huntershill.nsw.gov.au

admin2016-09-15T11:58:43+10:00December 24, 2015|

Map of proposed new Council boundaries

Inner Sydney Map

NSW Government has released a map showing Hunters Hill Council being merged with Ryde and Lane Cove Councils to form a huge new municipality with 160,000 residents.

‘Delegates’ will prepare a report outlining:

financial considerations
communities of interest
elected representation
employment of staff
service and facilities
the attitude of residents and ratepayers.

Find out more: https://www.councilboundaryreview.nsw.gov.au/

admin2015-12-18T22:33:49+11:00December 18, 2015|

Medical Council of NSW recognises Gladesville Hospital

image Douglass Baglin

The Medical Council of NSW recognises the significance of the Gladesville Hospital site that they now occupy. The Council’s 2015 e-newsletter to the 32,000 medical practitioners registered in NSW includes an article on the history of Gladesville Hospital.

We are reminded of the need to protect the heritage values of this precious site. For more images and information visit our page on Gladesville Hospital.

admin2015-12-13T11:39:41+11:00December 13, 2015|

Preserving Our Heritage since 1968

The Hunters Hill Trust

The Hunters Hill Trust

Preserving Our Heritage since 1968