Preserving Our Heritage since 1968

The Hunters Hill Trust

The Hunters Hill Trust

Preserving Our Heritage since 1968

Proposed subdivision of Church land

St Peter Chanel Church (image Wikimedia)

The Marist Fathers have owned the land at 5 Crescent Street Woolwich since 1889 when they bought it from George Shannon Arthur and William Cope for 700 pounds.  The Council, in recognition of the contribution the church, its buildings and curtilage makes to the community, has waived collection of rates on the land since that time – 127 years.

The Marist Fathers now want to create two house blocks of around 1000m2 each along the northern boundary of the land, which has a frontage to Crescent Street.

Most of the existing trees, shrubs and ground cover will be removed to allow the construction of buildings, garages, driveways and recreation areas. 

This would be a very bad outcome for the community:

  • The curtilage of the Church, which is is included in the heritage listing, will be significantly reduced
  • The beautiful park-like setting of the church will be significantly changed for the worse
  • The character of the Conservation Area, particularly in Crescent St will be adversely impacted by the replacement of the landscaped area along the boundary of the church with houses and driveways and the removal of large chunks of the existing rock forms.

Open this link to see the aerial view more clearly.

2017-12-15T22:15:40+11:00December 14, 2017|

SOS green space: signs of hope

Community pressure and the SOS Green Spaces campaign is having an impact:

  • NSW Minister for Planning is appointing a Parks and Open Space Coordinator to provide leadership and direction
  • NSW Government Architect’s Office is preparing a best practice policy for Sydney’s green spaces
  • Greater Sydney Commission plans to significantly expand Sydney’s tree cover.

Image:RicardoCarloLonza

The habitat of koalas and other wildlife is threatened by plans to house hundreds of thousands more people in Western Sydney. Total Environment Centre’s forum on November 16th will unpack the issues and strategies to manage risks.

Register to attend: Last Chance for Western Sydney Bushland.

2017-10-28T12:32:47+11:00October 26, 2017|

what about green space in the Domain?

Sydney Modern NE perspective

We are very concerned about the location of the Art Gallery of NSW’s controversial Sydney Modern Project.  The proposed design involves a series of pavilions on the open space Domain lands at the entrance of Mrs Macquarie’s Point with the Entrance Plaza and part of the main buildings over the landbridge.

Read about the issues at stake set out in the Briefing Paper prepared by concerned citizens Roslyn Andrews, Gillian Appleton and Bruce Donald who highlight:

  • loss of public open green space at the same time as Sydney population is soaring
  • adverse impacts on district views, pedestrian and vehicular access and parking
  • lack of informed consultation with all stakeholders and the public.

The design concept: (more…)

2017-12-14T14:43:16+11:00October 13, 2017|

what lies ahead for Crown Lands in NSW?

Crown Lands are precious and irreplaceable.

The draft Crown Lands Regulation 2017 and the Crown Lands Management Act 2016 will affect the use, management and potential transfer or sale of publicly owned lands across NSW.

The new regulations will govern the proposed transference of Crown Lands to local government.  Better Planning Network points out serious risks and problems in the current draft.  Read BPN’s submission here.

Image: NSW Dept of Industry

About half of NSW is Crown Land. Some of this land is for public use such as national parks, state forests, schools, hospitals, sporting, camping and recreation areas.  There are also significant portions of Crown land that can be leased for commercial or agricultural purposes or developed and sold.

Read the submission sent by Hunters Hill Trust here.

Send your own message (large or small) to the Department of Planning before October 15th:  here is the link.

2017-10-15T10:03:51+11:00October 6, 2017|

threats posed by ‘State Significant Infrastructure’

HHT recently met with Anthony Roberts, Minister for Planning and Carolyn McNally, Secretary of NSW Planning and Environment to discuss concerns about unsympathetic development across Sydney, the draft Medium Density Housing Code as well as concerns about Gladesville Shopping Village and Windsor Bridge.  Detailed correspondence has followed that meeting (see below).

We now seek assurance that a declaration of ‘State Significant lnfrastructure’ will not be used to bulldoze inappropriate development through the Hunters Hill Municipality.  ‘Priority Growth Areas’, ‘Priority Precincts’ and ‘Urban Renewal Corridors’ now located all over Sydney are causing significant destruction of heritage, tree cover, amenity and consequent community stress.

We applaud the recently announced ‘Better Placed’ state-wide design policy to ‘ensure the delivery of high quality urban design and better places for people across NSW’ but design guides will not turn the tide of poor design, and development driven by profit that is rampaging across Sydney, unless there is a mandatory compliance requirement to a set of standards with community and civic outcomes at their core.

Image: Advertiser, SA National Trust

Sense of place is being obliterated through lack of protections for character, mature tree coverage and consideration of resources captured in existing buildings.

View the Trust’s powerpoint presentation to the Minister and Secretary in July.  Read the Trust’s follow up letter to Minister Roberts.  Read Ms McNally’s detailed response to HHT.   You can also see the Trust’s most recent letters to Ms McNally and to Minister Roberts.

2017-10-14T16:36:32+11:00September 4, 2017|

Trees: a local strategy

The Importance of treeS

Speaker:  Jeff Angel, Executive Director Total Environment Centre

When:  Sunday 3 September 2.30pm

Where:  RSL Hall 56 Alexandra St Hunters Hill

Hosted by Vienna Committee FREE Admission

A canopy of mature trees has always been a feature of Hunters Hill. However the Vienna Committee has been concerned at the rate they are disappearing and this was highlighted in an article in the SMH in April this year that reported that Pittwater, Warringah, Hornsby, Willoughby, Hunters Hill and Manly local council areas have seen the highest percentage loss in their tree canopy in the past seven years. (more…)

2017-10-14T16:37:30+11:00August 27, 2017|

SOS: Sydney’s urban green spaces

Image: GSC

It’s obvious that community groups need to become more effective in protecting Sydney’s green spaces, especially since the Greater Sydney Commission’s District Plans and the new and proposed state legislation are upon us.

The Total Environment Centre (TEC) is inviting community groups to a forum to improve collaboration and build effective strategies.  Speakers and facilitators include:

  • Jeff Angel, TEC
  • Corinne Fisher, TEC
  • James Grant, Australian Institute of Landscape Architects
  • Emily Ryan, Environmental Defender’s Office NSW.

When:   Saturday 1st April, 10am – 3pm, lunch provided
Where:  Mitchell Theatre, Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, 280 Pitt Street, Sydney.

RSVP and more info: Building the voice: community forum.

2017-10-14T16:57:26+11:00March 16, 2017|

We are a volunteer community organisation with over 50 years’ proud representation on behalf of the residents of Hunters Hill, advocating for our suburb’s unique heritage and environment.

If you would like to donate to our cause, your contributions will be greatly appreciated and very carefully used.

Donations can be via bank transfer to: CBA Bank; BSB 062000; Acct 16211909, or by cheque payable to Hunters Hill Trust sent to PO Box 85, Hunters Hill 2110.

Please email us at huntershilltrust@gmail.com so we can acknowledge your kind contribution.

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