Minutes of the Committee Meeting

of the Palm Beach & Whale Beach Association Inc

held at 7pm Monday 14 June 2016 at the Cabbage Tree Club

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The President welcomed the Committee to the meeting. Following the Annual General Meeting and the elections, the President welcomed Elizabeth Ginsberg as a new member of the Committee, congratulated Doug Maher on his appointment as Treasurer and John Warburton as Vice President. He noted that Ian Kennedy has suffered a head injury. The good news is that he had been transferred from RNSH for rehabilitation and the Association wished him a good recovery

Present: Committee: Richard West (President) Janette Davie (Secretary) Doug Maher (Treasurer), Virginia Christensen, Susie Kennedy, Merinda Rose, John Giblin, Storm Jacklin. Elizabeth Ginsburg, Martin McCallam. Member Visitor to the meeting: Cathy Glass

Apologies: Ian Kennedy, Stuart Taylor (Vice President) John Warburton (Vice President) Bruce James

The president suspended standing orders and welcomed Tony Maddox, the owner of the Palm Beach Fish Shop and Brendon Barry, owner of Barrenjoey House.

40 KM SPEED ZONE FOR A SECTION OF BARRENJOEY ROAD

Tony and Brendon addressed the meeting on the proposed 40 km Zone Barrenjoey Rd opposite Park, Palm Beach and requested the PBWBA support their proposal for amendments to the Council’s proposal.

The Palm Beach & Whale Beach Association (PBWBA) fully supports the proposal of the Department of Main Roads to install a 40 km zone on Barrenjoey Rd. opposite Pittwater Park, Palm Beach. The works are to be carried out by the Council.

The proposal was discussed at the recent meeting with and at Pittwater Park.

There have been two further meetings between the council, the residents and the owners of the commercial properties, but these meetings have not produced a satisfactory outcome to all of the parties.

The council's most recent plan, moves the bus zone on the eastern side of Barrenjoey Rd from its present position to outside Barrenjoey House and the Fish Shop. The footpath in this area is narrow and used as an outside eating area for both restaurants. The council is paid a fee for use of this area. There is no space for a seat or bus shelter to be installed in this area.

Customers eating on the footpath at Barrenjoey House and the Fish Shop and guests staying in the upstairs bed rooms in Barrenjoey House will be subjected to unacceptable lavels of diesel and noise pollution.

Tony and Brendon presented a further plan to keep the bus stop in its present position and extend it at both ends. They propose that the pedestrian crossing be moved to the north of the bus stop.

A motion to support the plan of the residents and owners of the commercial properties as presented at the meeting was moved by Janette Davie and seconded by Doug Maher.

PBWBA will contact the local member and the Council, in support of the residents amended plan.

The residents should also contact the council and local member, and they should register to speak at the council meeting on Thursday night.

(NOTE; Further to the Minute Item above, a meeting was held on the Thursday and an acceptable resolution has been reached. There was no requirement for residents and committee to speak at the Thursday meeting)

MINUTES OF THE MAY 9 COMMITTEE MEETING: Confirmation that they were an accurate record of the meeting was moved by Storm Jacklin and seconded by Doug Maher Business arising from the Minutes: Website development: Richard West and Susie Kennedy will meet with Will Fernandes on website development.

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING MAY 9, Confirmation they were an accurate record of the meeting was moved by Martin McCallum and seconded by Janette Davie.

Agenda item: COUNCIL AMALGAMATIONS Extracts from NSW Government collateral

NSW Premier Mike Baird and the Minister for Local Government announced 19 new councils in NSW commencing 12 May 2016. The Minister has indicated his in principle support to create a further 9 new councils, subject to the decision of the courts.

The Minister has announced that he will proceed with the formation of the following councils: Armidale Regional Council :The merger of Armidale Dumaresq and councils Canterbury -Bankstown Council : The merger of Bankstown City and Canterbury City councils Central Coast Council : The merger of City and councils Council : The merger of Parramatta City*, *, Auburn City*, Holroyd City* and * councils Cumberland Council : The merger of Parramatta City*, Auburn City* and Holroyd City* councils : The merger of Shire and councils Federation Council : The merger of Shire and Shire councils : The merger of Hurstville City and Kogarah City councils Council : The merger of Shire and councils : The merger of Boorowa, and councils : The merger of Ashfield, Leichhardt Municipal and Marrickville councils Mid-Coast Council : The merger of , Great Lakes and Greater Taree City councils Council : The merger of and Shire councils : The merger of Shire and councils : The merger of Manly, Pittwater and Warringah councils Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council : The merger of Palerang and Queanbeyan City councils Snowy Monaro Regional Council : The merger of Bombala, Cooma- & councils : The merger of Shire and Shire councils Western Plains Regional Council : The merger of Dubbo City and Wellington councils

The following merger proposals are pending Legal Action Armidale Dumaresq, Guyra Shire, and Walcha councils Bathurst Regional and Oberon councils , Cabonne and Orange City councils Burwood, and Strathfield Municipal councils and Rockdale City council and Maitland City councils Hornsby Shire* and Ku-ring-gai councils Hunter’s Hill, Lane Cove and councils Mosman Municipal, North and Willoughby City councils Newcastle City and Port Stephens councils Randwick City, Waverley and Woollahra Municipal councils Shellharbour City and Wollongong City councils

The Minister has decided the following proposals will not proceed:

Berrigan Shire and * councils Boorowa and Young Shire councils , Gundagai Shire and Harden Shire councils , , councils Dungog Shire and Gloucester Shire councils Goulburn Mulwaree and Palerang* councils Hawkesbury City and The Hills Shire* councils Jerilderie Shire* and Murrumbidgee Shire councils Kiama Municipal and Shoalhaven City councils Manly, Mosman Municipal and Warringah* councils North Sydney and Willoughby City councils Palerang* and Queanbeyan City councils Pittwater and Warringah* councils Tamworth Regional and Walcha councils

The Newly Formed Northern Beaches Council.

On 12 May 2016 the Minister for Local Government, Paul Toole, announced the newly formed “Northern Beaches” Council. Each new council will receive up to $15 million to invest in community projects like junior sporting facilities, playgrounds and library or pool upgrades. Each new council will receive up to $10 million to streamline administrative processes and cut red tape. (Unspent funds may be redirected to community projects) Ratepayers, in new council areas, will have their rates protected against future increases, meaning they will pay no more for their rates than they would have under their old council for 4 years. Elections for new councils will take place on 9 September 2017.

Council Administration Administrator: Dick Persson AM Administrator of Warringah 2003–2008 and Port Macquarie-Hastings 2008–2009 General Manager : Mark Ferguson General Manager of Pittwater 2006–2016 and Coffs Harbour 1998–2005 Deputy General Manager : Henry Wong General Manager of Manly 2002–2016 and Lane Cove –2001 Deputy General Manager: Rik Hart General Manager of Warringah 2007–2016 and Chief Executive of Hutt City Council 2001–2006 Advisory committee: Several committees were established at the council's first meeting to advise the Administrator and the Council on implementation matters and are composed of former councillors and of the three former councils: Former Manly , Chair of the Implementation Advisory Group, Chair of the Social Committee. Former Warringah Mayor Michael Regan, Implementation Advisory Group, Chair of the Economic Committee. Former Pittwater Deputy Mayor Kylie Ferguson, Implementation Advisory Group, Chair of the Environment Committee. Former Manly Councillor Cathy Griffin, Implementation Advisory Group. Former Warringah C Ward Councillor, Jose Menano-Pires, Implementation Advisory Group. Former Pittwater Mayor and North Ward Councillor, Alex McTaggart, Implementation Advisory Group.[3]

The Local Government Proclamation announced that the next council elections for the newly formed area would occur on or about 9 September 2017. That election will be for fifteen Councillors elected proportionally in five wards, with three councillors elected in each ward. The mayor will be elected annually by the councillors; a process that continues the practice of Pittwater, but not Manly or Warringah, whose mayors were formerly directly elected since 1995 and 2008 respectively. The names of the wards are Manly Ward //Curl Curl Ward /Warringah Ward /Pittwater Ward/Frenchs Forest Ward/

This process has been totally undemocratic. The Minster has amalgamated and sacked some councils. A number of other councils have not been amalgamated pending the outcome of legal action. Other councils have not been amalgamated.

There is absolutely no logic to his decisions which are political. The residents of Pittwater have been disenfranchised they will be left without a democratically elected council for 16 months.

The final outcome will depend upon the decisions of the legal cases in the land and environment court. ------Pittwater for Ever. Press Release. TO DIE SO YOUNG! DEATH OF LOCAL DEMOCRACY

The Pittwater community was enraged and in shock at hearing the Baird government’s decision to amalgamate Pittwater with Warringah and Manly Councils.

Pittwater Forever chairman Tony Tenney said that only last Friday assurances had been given that one council on the northern beaches was not government policy. Pittwater Forever, representing 19 community organisations, was deceived: this policy was in its death throes and would be abandoned less than a week later..

Tenney said that all its members felt betrayed, first by their Council in not supporting its residents, 89% of whom wanted Pittwater to remain on its present boundary. Secondly, by the Baird government’s policy of forced amalgamations and our local member’s failure to deliver on the wishes of his constituents in Pittwater. People felt let-down and had lost faith in Planning Minister Rob Stokes.

The government’s consultation processes were phony and lacked integrity and have led to the diminution of local democracy. Mr Tenney pointed out that Pittwater residents would now go from having nine out of nine councillors representing them to having only three out of fifteen in a massively enlarged local government which could hardly be called local any more.

This whole dysfunctional process has been particularly painful and distressing for the people of Pittwater, who conducted a long struggle to secede from Warringah just 24 years ago.

The government’s decisions concerning amalgamations were clearly politically driven: Councils which strongly supported their communities (Kiama) and others in marginal electorates or which had powerful advocates (Walcha) were excluded from the forced amalgamation program. At the next state election, the Baird government will be severely punished by voters in Pittwater and elsewhere who value and want to retain their own local councils. Mr Tenney said that this anger and sense of betrayal would likely affect many marginal Liberal and National Party electorates in the upcoming federal election.

Pittwater Forever is a federation of 18 of the major Resident Associations within the Pittwater area. We assist in representing their interests responding to the NSW Government’s reform proposals for Local Government “Fit for the Future”. ------Minutes of the Committee meeting 14 June Continued .

The communication committee of Pittwater for Ever met with Rob Stokes following the sacking of . The President Richard West and committee member of PBWBA Ian Kennedy are members of the Pittwater for Ever communications committee

They expressed their dismay regarding the dismissal of Pittwater Council and the appointment of of the northern Beaches council. Rob Stokes had said he would resign if there was one council for the Northern Beaches

However, he said he had reconsidered that statement and that the people of Pittwater would be better served if he remained the Minister for Planning.

A meeting with the Administrator Dick Persson and the Local Member Rob Stokes has been since held. This was a very productive meeting. The various issues facing Pittwater were discussed. Discussion was had concerning the fact that the council parking stickers for each individual council will now be valid through out the new northern Beaches council and the potential impact on Pittwater.

Arrangements were made for Dick Persson to visit various areas with in Pittwater and the first visit is to be to Palm Beach and Whale Beach.

MEETING SUMMARY: PBWBA meeting with Dick person, Administrator Northern Beaches Council, and the member for Pittwater, the Hon. Rob Stokes, at Pittwater Park.

Richard West, Storm Jacklin, Ian Kennedy, and Virgina Christhenen attended the meeting. It was a cordial and productive meeting.

1. Pittwater Park. We discussed the problems with long-term cars parking in the parking area and general disrepair of the park. The park is crown land which is administered by the council. The administrator promised to have a plan of management for the Park in two months. The law states that any money collected from crown land areas should be spent in the same area.

2. Walk way from Pittwater Park to Palm Beach. He stated that this was a major safety issue. He promised that the project start. The funds would be from council funds and the NSW Government

3. 40 Km Zone Barrenjoey Rd. There was agreement that this project should proceed. A meeting has been arranged with the residents next week. (that meeting has now been held)

4. Palm Beach. Dick Persson stated Palm Beach reminded him of Coogee 30 years ago. He agreed that plans would be commenced for landscaping and adequate road drainage at the beach.

Barrenjoey Headland; Rob Stokes has announced that the views of the community and the PBWBA have been into account. The plan for short-term accommodation on the headland will not proceed. The sewerage system will be connected as the Council had planned.

Valuations: The president reported that there had been a productive meeting with the valuator general. Storm Jacklin reported that he had appealed and had received a significant reduction in the value of his land

Membership: Secretary reported that an additional 25 membership renewals had been received and that the focus was on members who were still unfinancial at mid year. Elizabeth Ginsberg volunteered to co- ordinate a membership drive at the Palm Beach Markets, and will be seeking volunteers to assist.

Reference Groups: All the council reference groups and committees have been suspended with the establishment of the Northern Beaches Council. Merinda Rose stated that she had returned from holidays to attend a reference group Committee meeting. She was not informed that the meeting had been cancelled.

The main advantage of Pittwater Council was the involvement of the community groups in committees and reference group meetings. Concern was expressed that this will not continue under the new council.

Development Applications: The number of DA'S has increased each month. All had been reviewed by the Committee and no further comments were warranted to Council.

Dog Committee Martin McCallum reported that there had been no further meetings of the dog committee. Issues in Pittwater need to be addressed. The president will contact council to determine the fate of the dog committee

Hoons: After a recent and effective blitz by the police the problem is on the increase again. Elizabeth Ginsberg is organising the petition which we will present the local member. The website for registering information including justification for speed cameras will be provided to the committee by Elizabeth Ginsburg. In the meantime, residents are requested to call OOO to report “hoons” in the area.

Morning Coffee/Tea - neighbourhood gathering: The first morning coffee/tea meeting was held in Governor Phillip Park and was well attended.

The next event is scheduled for Monday 27 June at the Whale Beach Deli at 10:30. As coffee etc is available there, you may not need to bring your thermos. The July morning tea will again be at Gov. Phillip Park on Wednesday 27 July at 10:30. Elizabeth Ginsburg is to be congratulated on this initiative.

Ambulances Services: There was a recent incident when an ambulance was not available to treat and transport a child with an anaphylactic reaction. There is a need for ambulances to be available and in service in Pittwater particularly with the opening of the new northern beaches hospital. There is some doubt that the Avalon ambulance station is a fully operational station as claimed by the government.

GENERAL BUSINESS:

B-LINE Bus Service: Discussions are currently taking place regarding extending the service to Newport, given the availability of a significant commuter parking at Newport beach and the existence of necessary

road infrastructure, including three lines of traffic in each direction between Mona Vale and Newport. Concern was raised that the extension of the service to Newport might also mean an increase in the housing infrastructure in that area.

Due to the limited capacity of the road network between Newport beach and Avalon Beach further extension of the service is not currently being considered.

Meeting closed at 9.15 pm

The next meeting is on Monday 11 July 2016 at 7 pm at the Pacific Club.