Inquiry into inner-city councils Workshop – Wednesday 22 November The Glebe Society will conduct a While the workshop may propose workshop on Wednesday 22 changes to the present local November at 7 pm at Benledi , 186 government system, the Management Glebe Point Road, to devise a Committee decided that it would not submission to the Government’s be practical to prepare a submission inquiry into the provision of services suggesting an alternative system. by inner-city councils (see page 1 of The workshop will be a structured the October/November Bulletin). event, and participants will be asked There is no doubt that there will be a to think deeply about the issues change in our local government involved. It will not be a forum for system as a result of this inquiry, and council bashing or lobbying by the aim or the workshop is to achieve ’interested parties‘. the best outcome for Glebe. Copies of the outcome of the The workshop is open to all members workshop will be made available to of the Society, and the Management other Glebe community groups for Committee has also invited the Glebe comment, and a draft submission will Chamber of Commerce and several be considered by the Management 10/2000 November/December 10/2000 November/December 10/2000 November/December 10/2000 November/December 10/2000 November/December other Glebe residents with specialist Committee at its meeting on 13 knowledge. December. Judy Vergison, who conducted the The Committee had hoped to call a Society’s strategic planning workshop public meeting to discuss the issue, a couple of years ago, will run the but in view of the number of other workshop. She will work through a public meetings, the requirement to set of processes that will help us finalise our submission by 18 identify key issues for the local December, and the Society’s limited government of Glebe, such as the resources, it decided that a workshop preservation of the heritage nature of was the most practical way to proceed. the suburb, and the balance between If you are planning to attend the effective local representation and the workshop, we would appreciate you desire for economies of scale in the letting us know, on 9518. 6186, for delivery of services. catering purposes. Bruce Davis Leichhardt Council is holding public discussions during November on matters relating to the inquiry at: GLEBE TOWN HALL MONDAY 20 7 PM LEICHHARDT TOWN HALL MONDAY 27 7 PM BALMAIN TOWN HALL THURSDAY30 7 PM The Council is encouraging everyone to participate in this debate. More information from Council's website at Glebe Society Bulletin Glebe Society Bulletin Glebe Society Bulletin Glebe Society Bulletin Glebe Society Bulletin <www.mycommunity.com.au/Leichhardt. A publication of THE GLEBE SOCIETY Inc Box 100 Post Office Glebe NSW 2037 Australia GPR Streetscape Committee ... ABOLISHED! YOU WOULD THINK, WOULDN’T YOU, Road upgrade works after 2001. Presumably this reflects that a council with its finances in tatters and facing the the parlous state of the council’s general finances. twin threats of a local government (read ‘boundaries’) But it does raise two interesting issues. enquiry and a predatory Frank Sartor would put itself out First, there is still $192,000 available for the current year, to be courteous to its constituents - particularly a council for which a budget has been approved as follows: which has prided itself on its credentials in ‘open council’ and ‘participatory democracy’? Street tree removal/replacement and guards $30,000 Community notification $1,800 One of the more successful initiatives of Leichhardt Footpath upgrades $105,000 Council in this regard is (or was) the Glebe Point Road Custom seating Streetscape Steering Committee, on which the Society’s Stage 1 readjustment to finished footpath levels $9,000 representatives are (or were) Fiona Campbell and Ted New seats and installation $25,000 McKeown. Yet when the members of the committee Street art projects turned up to a scheduled meeting at Benledi at 7.00 pm Bridge Road railing $5,000 on Thursday 26 October they were greeted by a sign on Footpath motif inserts $5,000 the door to the effect that the meeting had been cancelled Noticeboards, including installation $10,000 and regretting “any inconvenience” caused. Uncommitted (previously proposed as All very mysterious, not to mention irritating, to people consultancy fees for D M Taylor who had put themselves out to be there at a pretty Landscape Architects Pty Ltd) $1,200 inconvenient time, and all of whom could have been Until that money is spent, we would have thought that reached by that high tech device, a telephone. All the the committee, comprised of relevant stakeholders, had a more mysterious, and downright infuriating, to discover continuing interest in overseeing the expenditure. In that it was not the particular, additional meeting that had been community cancelled, it was the “All very mysterious, not to mention irritating, noticeboards (a major committee itself - and interest of The Glebe this had in fact been to people who had put themselves out to be Society) have been a done by mayoral there at a pretty inconvenient time, and all of ‘carry forward item’ for minute on Tuesday 24 whom could have been reached by that high so long that we really October, two full days wonder if they will ever before the scheduled tech device, a telephone.” appear. Now that the meeting. The minute supervisory committee was full of praise for the work of the committee, and is no longer in place, we can only hope that the council resolved to thank its present and past members and to can resist the temptation to supplement its ailing general hold a reunion. The only thing it forgot to do was to finances at the expense of these committed funds. actually tell the members of the committee that their Secondly, we really query WHY funding is not available services had been dispensed with. into the future. The council has a substantial income WHY WAS THE COMMITTEE ABOLISHED? stream flowing from its 20 year contract for street furniture and associated advertising with J C Decaux. And why was the committee abolished? Ostensibly, This of course relates mainly to major roads such as Glebe because (to quote the mayoral minute) “the work of the Point Road, Norton Street, Leichhardt and Darling Street, committee is now concluded as the latest phase of the Balmain, and we understood that the funds generated in current masterplan is now underway”. those streets would be spent in those streets, rather than This simply will not wash. The committee has only ever being absorbed into general revenue. been a consultative and supervisory body. The money has This is certainly a question that would have been asked at always come from the council and been spent by the the meeting on 26 October - if there had been a meeting council. All that has really changed is that apparently no on 26 October. more funds will be available specifically for Glebe Point ... continued p3 2 The Glebe Society Bulletin Blackwattle Bay Foreshores A framework plan being developed for the Bank Street The framework plan is part of the Government’s foreshore of Blackwattle Bay will be closely coordinated planning process for strategic sites around the Harbour, with plans developed for Glebe foreshores. The Bank and will identify broad principles for the future Street area is directly across the Bay from Cook Street, development of these sites. and stretches from the Fishmarkets to land zoned open space at the stump of the Glebe Island Bridge. Much of Other points to emerge from the workshop included: the street is now overshadowed by the approaches to the • The Heritage Fleet’s hold on its Rozelle Bay site Anzac Bridge. seems tenuous, as the Waterways Authority The Department of Urban Affairs and Planning appears to favour income-producing tenants for conducted a workshop the site. * involving other • Suggestions that the Glebe Island Bridge should “Discussion was Government authorities, be preserved as a heritage facility and used as generally supportive local government and limited means of access from Bank Street to community groups to of the Society’s James Craig Road were seriously discussed. This discuss the framework plan objective of a could perhaps be achieved by a group of on 8 November. volunteers, similar to the Heritage Fleet group, foreshore walk and Discussion was generally using the money said to be earmarked for cycle way ... ” supportive of the Society’s demolition of the bridge. (see Collin Hills’ objective of a foreshore proposal in Bulletin 8/2000 pp6-7). walk and cycle way extending from the Three Bridges Walk in Glebe, across the head of Blackwattle Bay, and • A decision on the masterplan for the Fishmarkets on through Pyrmont towards the city. However the is expected soon. The plan is will place increased meeting was told that there are problems to be overcome emphasis on retailing and less on the wholesale with regard to access in front of Glebe High School. function, but no actual redevelopment work is likely to occur for some years. While the Hi-Mix concrete batch plant next to the Fishmarkets is likely to remain for many years, State • A discussion on the use of Blackwattle and authorities have been discussing a possible move of the Rozelle Bays by rowers threw up the interesting Pioneer batch plant from Blackwattle Bay to Glebe point that the problem of wash is mainly due to Island. However sites offered by to Waterways so far large ocean-going trawlers whose deep draft have not been acceptable to the company. Pioneer’s makes wash inevitable.