Naremburn Matters

There’s a bit of a shakeup happening at Naremburn Community Centre. Council Officers have developed plans which involve providing increasing space for the preschool and library and improved meeting spaces for community groups. Importantly, a recommendation to “relocate & rename” the Council run After School Care Service has recently been adopted by Council. The relocation is to Bales Park, Willoughby.

The population age structure of Naremburn/St Leonards is interesting and unlike the rest of Willoughby Council area in several ways. On the basis of Census data, we know that the suburb has a significantly higher number of residents aged 25 – 34 years. As you would expect, these people are starting families as evidenced by the steady growth of under 4 year old children. In 1996 there were 382, in 2001 463, and last year there were 596 – a clear upward trend.

The closure of Naremburn Public School was such a mistake wasn’t it? Council’s unsuccessful attempt to resist the sale of this public asset in the 1990s was the first unpleasant lesson for me as a new Councillor, in understanding the nature of the relationship between state and local government. Council’s decision to ‘relocate’ the After School Service 10 years later is a consequence, since the children must attend school in Cammeray, Artarmon and Willoughby, those are the preferred locations for out of hours care services. I think it sad that as the number of children in our suburb grows, the services to support them are withdrawn.

On the other hand, we are very fortunate in having two faith based communities in Naremburn St Cuthbert’s and St Leonard’s, both of which are doing a fine job of community building, something which school communities especially primary schools provide a focus for. I was especially pleased and excited to hear that Irma di Santo’s ambition to bring an icon from her family home in Italy to its new home in St Leonard’s Church has now been realised. Our Mayor Pat Reilly told me that he had attended recent celebrations associated with this friendship across the seas and that the festivities extended to a procession along Merrenburn Avenue as well the as much feasting in the best of Italian tradition!

Another development which you will have noticed and which we hope will bring great opportunities for the local community to come together is the refurbishment of the Walter Burley Griffin designed Incinerator in the Bicentennial Reserve. Council was successful in obtaining a federal grant to treat and restore this iconic heritage item which has suffered neglect and extensive ‘concrete cancer’ as a result of poor management by the previous leaseholder/s. The building is now happily, back in our hands and our plan is to establish an exhibition space, a café and hopefully some ‘artist in residence’ facilities at the lower level. Importantly we will install a lift - sensitively designed so as to add to and not detract from the original fabric of the place – to allow access for people with disabilities.

Finally, Willoughby Leisure Centre is now being managed directly by Council. This should allow us to provide services better related to your needs. Kate Day, the Centre’s Manager would like to hear from you about that. There may be some scope for physical extensions and personally, I have been advocating to establish a bike hire service, such as those servicing Centennial Park.