Artarmon GAZETTE Edition 37 - February 2007 3 Public School News by Katrina Weir Artarmon Public School Welcomes New Principal
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artarmon www.artarmonprogress.org.au Edition 37 GAZETTE February 2007 Newsletter of the Artarmon Progress Association Depot delivers for Council By Glenda Hewitt The sale of the lease of the Council-owned Works Depot in the Artarmon Industrial Area (AIA) has delivered a great result for Willoughby City Council (WCC). In December 2006, WCC announced that it had signed contracts with the Charter Hall Group to purchase the 99-year lease- hold of the Depot for what has been reported to be in excess of $51 million. WCC’s General Manager, John Owen, says redevelopment of the site will bol- ster economic activity in the industrial area, and allow the council to use the lease income on other projects such as Artarmon Library and the Chatswood Youth Centre. No doubt, the deal also offers certainty for the building of the new $150 million Civic Place in Chatswood, plans for which have been dogged by questions over funding. The refurbishment of the heritage-listed Griffin Incinerator in Bicentennial Park too Above & below: Views of the distinctive saw tooth roof of the building, corner Reserve Rd & Frederick St. will be able to proceed at full speed (this project was also a recipient of a recent In a win for the draft heritage listing of Federal Government grant). the building, the existing form will be While Charter Hall has not yet provided retained, and during redevelopment, details or a timeline, according to the asbestos in the roof and siding will be Council the 16,000m2 site will be rede- removed. The present building, with veloped as a new bulky goods retail its distinctive saw tooth roof, similar in centre. As few suitable sites for bulky structure to others which can be still seen goods development are available on the on the former ABC site, was constructed lower north shore, it would appear that by Federated British Engineering Ltd in demand for the site zoned bulky goods 1950. Travelling cranes manufactured by was strong. Charter Hall has developed a Federated British remain in several bays of number of other ‘homemaker’ type cen- the roof structure. tres throughout the country. Council acted with some foresight, it “The commitment to a project of this now appears, in purchasing the build- size by a company such as Charter Hall ing in the early 1980’s, at a time when will act as a catalyst for development and heavy engineering and industry was growth in Artarmon,” said Mr Owen. beginning to move out of the AIA. The building was bought as a replacement With a useable area of approximately site for the former works depot, which 25,000m2 and parking for over 550 cars, until then operated from what is now the the redevelopment also has the potential Chatswood Chase shopping centre site. to significantly increase the traffic flows in and out of the AIA, particularly on The Council’s Works Depot will now weekends, when these developments are move into a purpose built building in the usually at their busiest. East Chatswood industrial area. NSW State Election 2007: MEET THE LOCAL CANDIDATES Tuesday 6th March 8pm Artarmon Primary School Hall - more on page 3 Artarmon Progress ArtarmonAssociation Progress AssociationABN 77 319 108 019 ABNEstablished 77 319 108 0191914 Editorial The APAEstablished Committee 1914 usually meets Welcome all of our readers and advertisers to 2007 – we look forward to continuing to bring you on the 4th Tuesday of the month, interesting stories and keeping you informed of local issues throughout the year. Our thanks to The APA excludingCommittee December. usually meets on the 4th Tuesday of the month, our advertisers and volunteers who will make this possible. PO Box 540 Artarmon NSW 1570 excluding December. Every year, the number of groups competing for our ‘charity dollars’ is increasing. We all have [email protected] PO Box 540 Artarmon NSW 1570 different ‘causes’ which are dear to our hearts, but I really can’t see that those charities and the Phone 9904 6064 / Fax 9411 6616 [email protected] like who choose to approach commuters at the train station or people in the shopping strip are www.artarmonprogress.org.au Phone 9904 6064 / Fax 9411 6616 doing themselves any favours. COMMITTEE 2006-2007 www.artarmonprogress.org.au Anecdotally, the number of complaints from locals about the myriad groups ‘touting’ for their COMMITTEEPresident 2004-200 Michael5 Dawes funds in both locations recently has grown – a number of representations have been made to Vice President Michelle Sloane station management in particular in relation to that location. President MichaelSecretary Dawes Erica Steppat Vice President MichelleTreasurer Sloane David Bruce-Steer What are readers’ thoughts on this? Joint Secretaries Erica Waalkens Federation Reps David Bruce-Steer Marieka Ashmore Tony Kemm Anne Weinert Treasurer David Bruce-Steer Traffic & Parking Robert Newman [email protected] Committee Keith Anderson Membership Brian Hall Geof Cameron Community & Heritage Michelle Sloane Brian Hall Eva Wiland Tony Kemm Youth Rep Ross Dickson Sonia Powell Letters to the Editor Public Information Meetings Melanie Travis Mercedes Riviera D/A Applications Michael Dawes Projects Officer Sonia Powell Hampden Lane rat running artarmon I am writing to raise my concerns over the use and misuse of Hampden Lane behind the artarmonGAZETTE Artarmon shopping strip. PO Box 540 Artarmon 1570 GAZETTE My first issue is the number of staff of our local shops who feel that no-one is looking and that The Artarmon Gazette is published quarterly by the it is ok to quickly drive out the end of the lane way - which is one way - in the wrong direc- ArtarmonPO ProgressBox 540 Association. Artarmon It is distributed 1570 by volunteers, free of charge to Artarmon residents and tion because their shop is closer to that end and it is quicker to get out. Well, the community is businesses.The Artarmon Gazette is published quarterly by the Artarmon Progress Association. It is distributed by volunteers, watching and we do take notice of your actions. Thefree Artarmon of charge Gazette to Artarmon seeks residents to inform and businesses.residents and Second is the lack of pedestrian access along the length of the lane. It is wide enough to include businessThe Artarmon people aboutGazette current seeks local to inform events residentsand issues and andbusiness provide people them aboutwith acurrent forum localin which events to anddiscuss issues a footpath down one side; does it need to be so wide for one way vehicle traffic? matters of interest and concern. and provide them with a forum in which to discuss Which leads me into my third and final point about Hampden Lane. We all know that it is used Writtenmatters contributions of interest and concern.and photograpadvertising as a ‘Rat Run’ so that vehicles can avoid the Hampden Road pedestrian signals. Perhaps introduc- materialWritten to contributionsthe Editor. Material and photographs can be received are onwelcome. disk or Pleasevia email. submit Some all minornon-advertising editing may material be necessary to the Editor.for tion of speed humps and a reduction from the 50km/h speed limit could reduce the dangers to considerationsMaterial can ofbe spacereceived and on layout. disk or via email. Editing may pedestrians sharing this lane. Viewbe necessaryand opinions for considerationsexpressed in theof spaceArtarmon and layout.Gazette areView not andnecessarily opinions those expressed of the in theArtarmon Artarmon Progress Gazette Greg Smallwood, Buller Road Associationare not necessarilyor its members. those ofWhile the allArtarmon care is Progresstaken forAssociation accuracy, noor itsresponsibility members. canWhile be alltaken care byis thetaken Association,for accuracy, the Editor,no responsibility Typesetter orcan Printer. be taken by the Association, Editor the Editor, Anne Designer Weinert or Printer. LCT Report Card Editor 9904 Anne 6223 Weinert The Report Card on the Lane Cove Tunnel (Gazette, November 2006) makes very disturbing reading. [email protected] 9904 6223 [email protected] Advertising Geof Cameron The average citizen could be excused for wondering how a situation could arise where the project Advertising 9411 John 6461 Yates failed on almost every test designed to minimise its adverse impact on the local community. [email protected] 9410 3960 [email protected] If this citizen had been around in March 2004 when the Minister for Planning gave the green Distribution Tony Kemm Distribution 9419 Tony 6927 Kemm light for the project - subject to 259 Minister’s Conditions of Approval - then he would be more 9419 6927 puzzled because these conditions should have eliminated many of the nasty impacts. Design/ Sonia Powell Production Design/ 9427 Zohannia 1017 Pty Ltd But unfortunately, even though it was the RTA’s clear responsibility to abide by these conditions Production [email protected] 9427 1017 [email protected] – and insist that it contractor did likewise – the conditions were ignored whenever it suited. Cartoons Wendy Bishop Cartoons 9420 Wendy 4884 Bishop While it is too late to change the Lane Cove Tunnel works, we might ask candidates at the forth- 9420 4884 coming State election if they favour giving the Department of Planning the power, budget and Printing Premier Print Solutions Printing The Printing Department 9901 3434 duty to enforce conditions of approval, with serious financial penalties for non-compliance. 9439 5000 AdvisoryAdvisory Michael Michael Haynes Haynes Michael Haynes, Chelmsford Avenue Committee Committee Toni Glenda McKay Hewitt John Toni Peacock McKay Mollie John ShelleyPeacock Rhoda Rhoda Stewart Sexton Thanks for assistance Erica Waalkens Mollie Shelley On 1 November 2006, I had the misfortune to have a bad fall on the footpath in Broughton Rd, Katrina Katrina Weir Weir breaking my kneecap and smashing my face up rather badly. I spent a month in hospital. APAAPA Website Website Hosting Hosting Courtesy by Interosys of Globecast A number of people came to my rescue, and I think it must have been two men who made FUTURE DATES a seat with their hands and carried me across the road when I said I would like to go to the Medical Centre, not home.