Website Last Updated - 01 February 2017
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE CUT TOO MANY TREES ?
URGENT - MONA VALE NEEDS YOUR HELP
The Draft Mona Vale Place Plan is currently on public exhibition. This plan will increase building heights in Mona Vale from present of 13 metres to 23 metres. It proposes to remove right angle bay on street parking on Bungan Street and Pittwater Road (adjacent the Mona Vale Memorial Hall). It proposes residential apartments on-top of industrial units in Darley and Bassett Streets with no additional parking provided. We urge you to go to the following web address and object to this Place Plan.
http://savemonavale.weebly.com/
Update - The Place Plan has been withdrawn - "Temporarily"
PROTECT LOT 3
"Pittwater Council" wants to sell donated Community Land in Mona Vale to Developers
Help STOP this, Please Sign the Petition NOW at:-
https://www.change.org/p/pittwater-council-protect-lot-3-2?recruiter=152284525&utm_campaign=mailto_link&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition
Please pass the link on to your friends, family, work colleagues, Facebook, Twitter, we need as many signatures as possible.
Please Help to Stop Pittwater Council Selling Community Land to developers that was donated over 50 years ago and is currently held in Trust for to remain as Public Open Space.
Pittwater Council is proposing to reclassify and then rezone community land in Kitchener Park Mona Vale in order to sell it to developers to build Residential Flat Buildings.
The site at 1596 - 1598 Pittwater Road Mona Vale, commonly known as Lot 3, is 5,404 square metres in area.
The site was donated in 1964 to be part of Kitchener Park with a caveat placed on it “Never To Be Sold”.
The site is encumbered by a Declaration of Trust imposed by the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure to preserve it forever as a Public Open Space. Pittwater Council now wants to remove this Declaration of Trust.
The site is currently zoned "Community Reservation & Open Space". The proposal will firstly change the "Community" categorisation to “Operational”which then allows Council to sell the land. Secondly Council then proposes to rezone the land from "Recreational" to "Residential" and sell it to developers.
The site is referred to in the Kitchener Park Plan of Management (2009) and Pittwater Council have incorrectly classified it as a “Park” when it should have been classified as “Bushland”. Council has said it is under-utilised as a “Park” but when its “Bushland” classification is assessed its use is being achieved.
The site concept Residential Flat Building design shows 95% of the existing trees will be removed.
The site is part of Kitchener Park and it has important biodiversity and critical fauna habitat values. It is classified as a Wildlife Corridor with threatened fauna species that do exist on the site consisting of the Powerful Owl, Grey Headed Flying Fox and Swift Parrot.
The site has important ecological flora value with at least 12 species many with significant tree canopies ranging from Swamp Oaks, Swamp Mahoganies, Angophoras, Acacias, Scribbly Gums and Iron Barks and should be retained as a Tree Museum.
The site must be preserved, as it is the last remnant coastal woodland in this area and remain held in Trust for the community as part of Kitchener Park. In conjunction with Lot 2 and the Bowling Club the area can be used as follows: -
* Passive Recreation in its natural state for the community’s enjoyment and for the protection of wildlife and natural habitats.
* A Community Centre similar to Gosford Council’s Japanese Gardens, Art Gallery, Workshops and Tea House Café. The centre provides an important cultural and educational resource for the community as well as one of the region’s great family attractions.
* A Community Centre similar to Sutherland Shires Hazlehurst Gallery and Arts Centre with Sculpture Gardens, Art Gallery with contemporary art from Australia, Mexico and South Africa, Knitwork Classes and Exhibitions, Art Classes and Workshops for school holiday classes, Adults, Children, High School and Master Classes and Café open from 9am – 4pm Monday to Sunday.
* A Community and Organic Garden Centre similar to Marrickville Council’s Addison Road Community Centre for Arts, Culture, Community and Environment which is Australia’s first, largest and longest running community centre since 1976. It provides accessible and affordable spaces for 22 community organisations, disadvantaged groups, local artists and cultural associations.
* A Men’s Shed similar to the Gosford Community Men’s Shed.
* A Botanical Garden modelled on Warringah Council’s Stony Range Regional Botanic Garden.
The site is well located to provide the above as it is close to transport with a major bus route along Pittwater Road adjacent the site. The Pittwater Council area is well behind in providing such facilities.
The site is awkward and its location is not suitable for the intended high density housing and will result in poor amenity for the new residents. It is also dangerous for future resident vehicles to exit onto that section of Pittwater Road with poor sight distances to the 2,000 plus vehicles going past this site every hour in peak times.
Pittwater Council states that in order to complete their proposed infrastructure upgrades to Kitchener Park they need to sell this piece of land. However, Council can apply for a low cost loan from the State Government with a half a percent interest to complete the upgrades, meaning that they do not have to sell this site at all.
Pittwater Councillor Bob Grace has objected to the sell off, saying the council should fund the new skate park through its capital works spending program and out of general revenue, not out of selling a public asset.
Pittwater Council previous General Manager Angus Gordon has publicly stated under his review of possible sale of public lands Lot 3 should not be included.
Please sign this petition to stop Pittwater Council selling this community land that was donated over 50 years ago specifically to be retained as public land for public purposes under the terms of the donation of “Never To Be Sold”.
Sign the Petition at https://www.change.org/p/pittwater-council-protect-lot-3-2?recruiter=152284525&utm_campaign=mailto_link&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition
Contact us at [email protected]
Go To Our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/protectlot3
Other Links
https://www.adrive.com/public/XzXKEF/Lot%203
http://www.gosford.nsw.gov.au/arts-culture-and-recreation/arts-culture/gosford-regional-gallery-and-arts-centre
http://www.sutherlandshire.nsw.gov.au/Arts_Entertainment/Hazelhurst/Whats_on
http://www.arcco.org.au/
http://www.warringah.nsw.gov.au/play/stony-range-regional-botanic-garden ;
http://www.pittwater.nsw.gov.au/council/documents_on_ex/document_pages/draft_planning_proposal_r000113
http://savelot3.blogspot.com.au/ ;
http://www.pittwater.nsw.gov.au/building__and__development/eplanning_portal#ePlanning%20Portal then click “Application Search” and type in R0001/13 for more details.
Also send your personal objection to Pittwater Councillors and our Local Member Rob Stokes by copying and pasting the following email addresses:-
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Our Committee is at Lot 3 every Saturday from 9am until Midday. Drop in and talk with us, see for yourself the beautiful woodland that Pittwater Council wants to sell to developers, sign our petition, everyone is welcome. HELP SAVE OUR PARK.