Ballast Point Park Opening
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the balmain THe Peninsula 311 association N A Incorporated news sheet Vol 44 No 3 issue 312 Founded November 1965 Sept 2009 BALLAST POINT PARK OPENING The opening of Ballast point Park is large industrial sites, on the Balmain Henry Szeps and Jack Mundy was both intoxicating and sobering and as peninsula, being considered for formed to help the campaign. not to rain on the parade I shall briefly redevelopment at that lime; Balmain We didn't get all of what we wanted (a be sober and then get into celebrating in Power Station, Chemplex, Unilever, mosaic lined free-form neo- the Australian tradition. Ampol and Caltex. Three planning Hunderwasser dunny and a Petty power takeovers by the State Govt., six sculpture for instance) and if we had we court cases, numerous protest meetings may not have been any more and fund-raising functions and a lot of appreciative. angst later, four of those sites were rezoned for residential development and one. Caltex at Ballast Point, Leichhardt Council decided should remain zoned waterfront industrial until such time as it could be acquired for a park. The crowd gathers The most sobering issue is that, "never was so much owed by so many for so little", to sort of paraphrase Churchill The official opening speech during WW II. "never ... was so much owed by so many to so few." The As it is we can bask in the glory of reclamation and rejuvenation of Ballast what has been achieved and SHFA can Point look over 20 years. 15 years of take any fiack. If you don't like the campaigning for it to be open space and BA members at Tank 101 result, remember that vegetation will 7.5 years for the demolition, planning, cure all in a few years and if it doesn't, remediation, construction and planting; That is when the Ballast Point time, forgetfulness and familiarity will. a long time. In that time huge amounts Besides we did get two toilet blocks Campaign Committee came into its of money changed hands, thousands of own. In the 15 years leading up to the rather than one, we already have a Petty hours of person/time was expended on announcement by Bob Carr that the plaque outside the main entrance to the fundraising. campaigning, marching, land would be acquired by the State park, thanks to Leichhardt Council, and demonstrating, planning. lobbying, Govemment the BPCC carried on an frankly, the public sculpture at the point does have some similarities to a dunny: leafleting epic campaign to keep the concept in The first attempt to save Ballast Point the public's view. This was thanks to a little house with vents and a hole in was in 1928 when Menevia (otherwise the bottom to drop things through! many people, far loo many to name, known as Minevia) was up for sale and who contributed their time, money, Contd. Pi! 2 Balmain Council wanted to purchase it enthusiasm, talents and ideas to but couldn't due to a lack of money and I n 1909 - 100 years ago achieving a park at Ballast Point. These more pressing issues. Texaco (Caltex) Painless extraction 1/6. with gas 2/6 a tooth. people included Helen Styles. Susan Invalid port and sherry 5/- bottle. Whiskies bought the site and established an oil Frisoli. Roger Parkes. Issy Wyner, Phil from 3/6 bottle. Tooths Reschs 6d bottle. terminal there. Jenkyn. Leichhardt Councillors. June Today has been a long time in coming Lunsmann. members of the Ballast for the Ballast Point Campaign Point Tnist and many others. The I N T H I S I S S U E Committee, but it has been worth the Ballast Point Trust, by the way, with Page 1 Ballast Point Park opens wait. The BPCC was established in the notable members such as David late 1980's after the first proposal to 2 D e v e l o p m e n t u p d a t e s Williamson. Colin Sullivan, Robyn 3 S e r g e a n t I r a G r a y develop the site for housing was made Williams, Paddy McGuinness, Bruce 4 & 5 Steps to (he Foreshore public. The committee grew out of a Petty, Kate Grenville, Sandra Nori, 6 P r o f C o l i n S u l l i v a n more general movement that wanted to Larry Hand, Peter Baldwin, Kep 7 R i c h a r d O ' C o n n o r see appropriate planning for the five Enderby, Tom Uren. Margaret Throsby. 8 What's on at (he Watch House 1 Ballast Point Park Opening Contd. from Pg 1 II is easy to concentrate on the downsides Cart, in 1997, was a wise investment. of the campaign and how things might have been belter. The grey hair (if the Besides the park there have been a hair exists at all) and wrinkles, while not number of good things to come out of the directly attributable to the campaign, campaign: the sense of community, the were not helped by it, and are clearly new friends and acquaintances, the evident in those present today. The lack realization that there were other things to of participation by young people and accomplish and now the sense of well, it needs to be said, the cost, are also achievement and good fortune. Had of concern. We were not self-centred and Ballast Point not been acquired by the self-serving people. We realised that State Government in 2002 we would not there were many other calls on the State be celebrating the transformation of an government's funds. In jest I can say that ugly private industrial site to a beautiful in the end we increased the property public park today. Given the present values which resulted in higher rates and The sculpture on the foreshore financial situation we should consider increased sales tax revenues and so we ourselves fortunate in more ways than will eventually more than compensate for More seriously, the cost was a one. the multi-million dollar consideration but we felt that the long- Fergus Fricke outlay to acquire Ballast Point and create term investment of headlands for the a park. people of NSW, as proposed by Bob Update on Developments: • Iron Cove Bridge duplication: It seems to be full • Bays Precinct and Consultation: The first two steam ahead by the NSW Government with earmuffs and meetings have taken place at last as part of the State hotel vouchers for desperate residents if noise levels Government's Consultation process for the Bays become intolerable during construction for more than 2 Precinct. But no sooner were these underway than more nights. But what happens after construction is complete? ad-hoc development approvals were made. Now Will the loss of parkland, the increased traffic through delegates to the Community Reference Group are Rozelle and restricted access to and from Victoria Road wondering what purpose there is to the consultation and provide any benefit? even the Taskforce itself. Discussion and determination • CBD Metro: The recent feasibility study confirms on the Cruise Passenger Terminal relocation seems to have been passed into the hands of a new Govt Steering suspicions that the proposed Metro, even if it does eventually reach the West, will save only a few minutes Committee, protected from any influence or input by the on travel times. The financial cost? - S8.3Bn! The cost to community. The Bays Precinct consultation appears dead our Heritage and village atmosphere that we cherish and and buried. From 80 hectares to 40 hectares and falling, that brings visitors and business to our area could be lost what is there left to plan? forever. The developers rub their claws in glee as the • White Bay Power Station: The Conservation Plan of Tigers' site is destined for a remake bigger and more management has expired so what now for this Heritage awful than we feared. item? This is one site for which the State government is • Multiplex site; With no buyer currently signed up for asking the Community to express its ideas. After many the site, discussions continue between Council and locals years of neglect it's time to plan and lock in its future to determine what rezoning and under what strict before it too falls into such disrepair that the Planning conditions development would be acceptable on this site. Minister, with her new powers to delist Heritage items, The preferred option so far seems to be a mix of uses that may assign its future to the bay dust. is predominantly residential, with no buildings higher • Callan Park: There is not yet a lease to sign. than 4 or 5 storeys. Negotiations continue between Council and State • White Bay: The State Government has excelled itself Government re the buildings that SHFA now wish to this time in its disregard for constituents and proper keep and a grant to help pay for expensive ongoing planning principles by approving the Baileys industrial maintenance and upgrade of what is a special and much- development for wharf 6 before the planning process and needed regional park for the inner-west. consultation has even begun. The Wharf 6 site is the most Editor prized public foreshore site in White Bay and is the closest to people's homes. This development proposal Note of apology; fails to satisfy noise, and other safety and compliance The content of the article, Heritage Rozelle Neighbourhood, written by John Williams, which was published in the regulations in its original and revised version.