Kids Cottage

On Monday evening the Rev Charlie Bramall and Todd, one of his parishoners presented Council with a petition asking us to reconsider our policy limiting use of the White St Kid's Cottage facility in West Artarmon.
Years ago, when my daughter attended after school care at the original facility - an adapted federation era cottage - I was aware that this facility was too small to be used by the community as a meeting place & that the only alternative in West Artarmon was (the not readily available)St Basil's Church Hall. When I was elected to the Council I advocated for a KC redevelopment as a mulitpurpose facility for the many people who lived in the immediate vicinity. It was a hard lesson for me when after the project's unfortunately lengthy lead time, I came to understand that without adequate and timely consultation the very best of intentions can backfire! A number of the redeveloped Centre's neighbours felt that Council had so blighted their outlook and disturbed their amenity that the least we could do was severely curtail the type of activity it housed and the days & hours during which it could be used. Which Council did, by resolution and it is not available to anyone outside of Council's out of school hours and family day care programs.
Rev. Bramall would like us now to revisit this resolution and allow him to hold Sunday morning services in the facility. What do you all think?

The Phoenix Bushcare Group

Here they are! Maybe you've noticed how the grassy area near the rail underpass at the top of Burra Rd has been slowly restoring itself? Well these are the local heroes behind the scenes making it all possible. Front to back they are Neil, Brenda, Mary and Barry supported by Liz in blue, from Council's Bushland staff. I was lucky enough to walk by at smoko and was invited to join them for tea and one of Brenda's yummy muffins. We sang Happy 35th Birthday to Neil (altho' there were one or two skeptics about that !) Meeting every 2nd Thursday 10 - 1 they are just one of around 50 such groups caring for our natural heritage areas throughout Willoughby City. Call Mandy on 9777 7875 for more information about groups near you - or drop by on a Thursday morning..

Alectura lathami (Suburban Turkey!)

Last year my neighbour Christine announced the arrival of the Scrub Turkey below Channel 9. Well this morning at 8.00am on my morning walk through Artarmon Reserve, who should strut out across the railway path not 2 metres ahead of me but said turkey! I imagine that it won’t be long before the Council starts getting complaints from residents about these birds “ruining their gardens” with their scratching & nest making – can’t wait (Thanks Neil - for this photo of our bird!)

The impact of positioning NSW as “Open for Business” is being felt keenly in local government. We are experiencing a sustained and far reaching erosion of local democratic process as the Iemma government eagerly fosters the business of property development. As the Greens have brought very much into focus, the property development industry is the most generous contributor to (major) political party campaign funds. The state government’s overhaul of S94 (developers) contributions will prevent us from providing the infrastructure residents have come to expect and the “Standard Template” for Local Environment Plans (LEPs) reduces our capacity to protect and preserve local environmental values along with our ability to achieve (with community endorsement) a higher level of ESD than the state government prescribed / lowest common denominator approach (e.g. BASIX).And as regards our funding base, the Productivity Commission in its Draft Report concluded that:

A wide variety of legislative and regulatory restrictions are imposed by jurisdictions on the raising of ownsource revenue by local government, although generally these do not appear to be significant impedediments to revenue raising in most jurisdictions, with the exception of rate pegging and concessions in New South Wales (my emphasis)

At the same time, a recent seminar run by the Environmental Defender’s Office examined the latest raft of the NSW government’s “Planning Reforms”. It was great to see Progress Association reps from Willoughby in attendance (Castlecrag & West Ward), in fact there was good representation from the northside generally (Ku-ring-gai, Hornsby and Pittwater) and especially good to see that they are getting organised. That’s about it for the good news though. Planners, lawyers, academics & environmental activists were joined by these (self described) ‘ordinary folk’ giving voice to deep concerns about the shutting down of public participation in NSW planning processes. Following on from the notorious Part 3A amendments last year, significant changes are proposed to :

• The process of Plan Making (particularly our LEPs)
• Development Assessment (including introduction of 3 levels of Planning Panels (highly controversial where they have been implemented e.g. in South Australia)
• Exempt & complying development – to be expanded to 50% of all developments (no notifications & no qualitative criteria)
• Private Certifier’s role extended to include discretionary matters & possibly subdivisions
The deadline for submissions is February 8th - find the EDO’s recommendations here

And finally about the Netball trial at Artarmon Reserve, the proposal was introduced at a Committee meeting late last year. I moved and was supported by Barry Thompson, to have the Council Officer’s report circulated, inviting your feedback. I thought it a bad idea at the time and judging by what you have copied me in on – I’m in good company!

What weed is that?

8.00am Thursday morning, Clare, Frances & Taus, members of Council's Bush Regeneration Team are weeding at the edge of the shared path next to Artarmon Oval. It's just the best thing to know that our Council is providing this kind of work for people - enjoyable, creative and full of meaning. Most mornings I walk through Artarmon Reserve to get my morning coffee enjoying the sights & sounds of my suburb, greeting the regulars walking their dogs, cycling to work, walking to school. Just a few steps further on and there's this raucous screeching - lorrikeets feasting on the banksias overhead! Truly its a sweet life.

Snakes Alive (well fresh anyway)

Well here's something for you.

A resident of Burra Rd took this pic of a kookaburra with its mouth full - over the back fence. We think it might be a black bellied swamp snake. ( Please click on the pic - stunning detail)
In 2001, Council commissioned Dr Arthur White to conduct a fauna survey of Willoughby's remnant bushland. His method included corroborated historical data, "baited hair tubes" search for and collect tracks, burrows,shed fur, feathers and scats, spotlighting, examination of trees for scratchmarks and drays. Of Artarmon Reserve however, he wrote "intensive surveys were not carried out here because of the high public exposure of the site and its complete isolation from other reserves". Fauna records were confined to "opportunistic observations made by the public during the survey period" and these amounted to :

• 4 types of mammal (Ring & Brushtail possums, Grey headed flying foxes & dogs)
• 4 types of reptile (Eastern Water & Garden skinks, Green Tree & Golden Crown snakes, the latter having been run over in the carpark)
• 2 types of frog (Common Eastern froglets & Striped Marsh) and
• 40 species of birds (subject for another day!)