It has been more than 10 years since members were Because work on Benledi is proceeding more asked to let the slowly than expected, the Glebe Library Open management committee Day has been postponed until Saturday 20 May. know what should be the For more details, see: priorities of the Glebe https://whatson.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/events/ Society. If you haven’t glebe-librarys-20th-birthday already done so, there’s still time to participate in the survey which will close é on 5 April. If the number of dogs parading around the The survey can be completed in less than 10 Blackwattle and Rozelle Bays is anything to go minutes and will provide the management by, Glebites are dog-lovers ... but should dogs committee with valuable feedback about what be allowed in cafés and pubs? Have your say in members want. Jamie Parker’s survey at: http://www.jamieparker.org/dogs_in_pubs_survey. Members should have received an email with a link to the survey, which is: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Q32ZJ39. UrbanGrowth NSW will be holding a drop-in community information session as part of The Allan Hogan Bays Precinct Open House Program. This is a President great opportunity to get up to date with what UrbanGrowth has planned for the Bays Precinct and to let them know what you think. It is being It is with great sadness that the Society heard of held from 10am to 1pm on Saturday 8 April at the death of Albert Mispel on 15 March. His Glebe Town Hall. funeral was held on Monday 20 March at the Camellia Chapel, Macquarie Park Crematorium. Albert led the campaign in the early 1970s against the expressway program that would have decimated Glebe had it gone ahead. Albert was an Honorary Lifetime Member of the Glebe Society. More to come in the next Bulletin. Nick Hespe is retiring after eight years as a champion of the Glebe community in his role with the City Council. The Society thanks him for his commitment to the Glebe community and his support for our work. Some of us were fortunate to have shared dinner with Nick and his wife, Amanda, at a Thirsty Thursday in July last year. We wish Nick all the best. Sydney Fish Markets are part of the Bays Precinct and on the table for re-development. (image: Denise Chan, Flickr) April 2017 1 Dear Virginia, I wonder if I might add a little to the comment about Bellevue’s being saved from illegal demolition in 1975 by community activists in the article on William Jarrett in the last Bulletin. There was much concern about Venetia at the time (there was confusion then between the cottage and the larger house that had been demolished), but late in 1975, when I was President, I received a phone call saying that Venetia was being demolished. The Vice- President, Allan Sorrenson, went down to the site and was able to call a halt to the work that had begun. (He was bigger than me!) I think that without this particular intervention by the Society the outcome for Bellevue might have been rather different. Jim Coombs wrote a column in the Bulletin (No.9 of 1975) about it. It was all part of the general Jeanette Knox, holding one corner of the Glebe Society anti-expressway banner, is second from the left. With her, fight against overdevelopment that was being from left to right, are Bernard Smith, Joy Wallace (behind), waged with Parkes Development at the time. Kate Smith, Jan Potter, 1972 (Image: Sydney Morning Herald, reproduced in Meredith and Verity Burgmann, Just for the record. Green Bans Red Union: The Saving of a City, 2nd edition, Regards, 2017). Jeanette Knox being purchased for investment by those flush with superannuation funds, and this continues to drive up prices beyond the power of first home The public has until 31 March to comment on buyers to obtain finance. In other words, homes proposed changes to the Planning Act, and the are bought by those who do not need them, and BPN Workshop was designed to assist its 400- those who do need them cannot afford them. I odd member organisations to get their thoughts have been through this situation with my own in order. Before I comment on the two major daughter, so I know it is the case. presentations, I should make my position clear. The problem for both the Federal and State The State Government is under a lot of pressure Governments is that these investors are their to reduce the cost of housing. The proportion of supporters, so there is reluctance to recognise persons owning their own home is falling, and the nature of the problem or do anything about it. first-home buyers are finding it particularly It is in the State Government's power to increase difficult. The main solution to the pressure of supply, and this is what the changes to the Act demand being touted by the Government is to are primarily intended to achieve, even though it increase supply. While this may seem orthodox is not the answer. The former Minister, Bob economics it is not, as many such as Ross Stokes, was a qualified planner, and actually Gittins have pointed out, a problem of supply and understood what some of the problems were, so demand. What is happening is that dwellings are of course he had to go, and be replaced by a 2 Glebe Society Bulletin Minister who doesn't ask awkward questions. changes will be published on the Society's Where there are positive aspects of the changes website. we can confidently attribute them to Bob Stokes. Changes and their impacts On 22 March the President and Convenors of There is a new emphasis on Strategic Planning the Planning and Heritage Subcommittees met and preparation of Plans for future development. with Nigel Fox, Development Director of The new Commission for Greater Sydney is Visionland. This was the second meeting, and deeply involved in this. Authorities will be we would expect a development application to required to draw up Community Participation be lodged within a month or two. Plans (where they don't have them). This is obviously a good thing, as well as providing The discussion was wide ranging. Bidura itself, more certainty for all concerned. Unfortunately, including everything fronting Glebe Point Rd, is the provisions for consultation are not already protected as a City of Sydney Heritage mandatory. This vagueness may well lead to a Item, but will be given maximum protection by process that is inadequate, as has been the case being made a State Heritage Item. When this so often in the past. part of the site is sold, a condition of sale will include public easements that will guarantee Independent Planning Commission continued public access to the site, both from Control of State Significant Development and Glebe Point Rd and from the new development Infrastructure will no longer be through the at the rear. The buildings and gardens will be completely discredited Part 3A, but through fully restored and interpreted. public inquiries conducted by the Commission. Unfortunately, such an inquiry extinguishes any The remainder of the discussion focussed on the right to appeal, even if the basis on which the measures taken to ensure future development decision was made is incorrect. conforms to the judgement delivered by the Court last year. The developer will produce Code-based approvals and private elevations from Glebe Point Rd showing that no certification part of the new structure will be visible above the Apart from the plans and Local Planning Panels, roofline of Bidura, and will also produce drawings these are the main means for increasing supply. of elevations from Avon St. The proposed Again, these strongly favour developers, and development is much smaller than any under their scope is increasing. They are also closely way in Glebe at the moment, such as those in tied to the Government's supporters. Developers Cowper St and Wentworth Park Rd, and only a also have review rights. tiny fraction of the one at Harold Park. The total Environmental Protection of dwellings is about 80, including the nine Emily Ryan, Outreach Director for the terraces at the rear, all with three bedrooms, and Environmental Defender's Office, was a mix of apartments, mainly two bedroom with particularly concerned about the lack of some one bedroom apartments. The rooflines reference to Climate Change and the lack of will be adjusted to prevent overshadowing of independence in the preparation of houses in Ferry Rd. A turntable will be installed Environmental Impact Statements. These in the basement so garbage trucks cause the matters are easily fixable, and again reflect a least possible disturbance to neighbours. bias toward developers. Parking spaces for Bidura will be included in the The persistence of these problems leads John basement. Mant (who has a lengthy and intense involvement in planning matters, including as City of Sydney Councillor and author of planning legislation) to call for the entire history of planning legislation, based on British models dating from 1936 and earlier, to be abandoned. His proposal is to replace this system by one in which all proposals have to obtain approval, but where their impact is more easily assessed using At the Society's suggestion, the developer modern cadastral maps and computer-generated agreed to include details of demolition imaging. However, it would be difficult for people procedures with the Stage 1 DA, so neighbours to give up the protections they currently enjoy, or will be able to see the methods used and how to have confidence in such an assessment they will be affected.