Aschairofwavertonprecinctwithinnorthsydneycouncil,Iwriteattheend Ofafruitlessyear's

WAVERTONPRECINCTCOMMITTEE

2ALarkinStreetWaverton2060

hOctober2014

TheHonMikeBairdMPPremierofNSW

Level 35 GovernorMacquarieTower1FarrerPlace

SydneyNSW2000

DearPremier,

BerrvsBayMaritimePrecinctProposedRedevelopment

AsChairofWavertonPrecinctwithinNorthSydneyCouncil,Iwriteattheend ofafruitlessyear's workattemptingtoworkwithyourMinistersandtheagenciesofyourGovernmentinperformingtheirpublicdutyofensuringthattheBerrysBaymarinaproject,themostsignificantmarinedevelopmentonthenorthernshoreofSydneyHarbourfornearlyacentury,willmeetthepublicinterestcriteriawhichprotectourHarbour.

Puttingitbluntly,wehavebeeneffectivelyignoredbytheGovernmentagencies,RMSandGPNSW,who,sincesigninganundefinedAgreementforLeaseinMayof 2013,(claimedtobecommercialinconfidence)haveabdicatedtheirresponsibilityandlefttheformulationoftheBerrysBayprojectinthedeveloper'shands,despiteitbeingaprojectinitiatedbygovernment.

AsPremier,formerlyTreasurer,andMemberforManly,aSydneyHarbourforeshoreseat,youhavealwaysstoodupforSydneyHarbouranditsuniquevalues.Weneedyouasamatterofurgencytomaintainthis stance.ImmediateinterventionisrequiredbyyouasPremierbeforeyourGovernment'sagenciessignoffonaDAforBerrysBaywhichwillnotprotectthosevalues.

Toexplainthisurgentrequest, weneedtosetoutthematterinsomedetail.

WeknowfromourmeetingwiththedeveloperandRMSback inMay2013 thatthisAgreementforLeasedidnothaveanydetailedplanforhowthe watersoftheHarbourweretobe usedoronthescaleofanymarinainthecontextof publicreservelandsandwatersofWavertonPeninsula.DespitethisbeingaGovernment­ initiatedprojectin2006,RMShadfailed,whenfinallysigninganAgreementforLease,toensureaprocessforRMSasleadGovernmentagencytoprotectthepublicinterestbybeingcloselyinvolvedinthesubsequentapplicationtotheDAoftheraftofplanninginstrumentsandregulatoryrequirements onforeshoreandharbourdevelopmentsexpresslydesignedtoprotecttheuniquevaluesofourHarbour,includingtheSydneyRegionalEnvironmentalPlan2005(SHREP2005). Thedeveloper waslefttodeterminetheDAasitsawfit,running itsown consultationprocess,choosingdelegates,settingtheagenda,providinglimitedinformationonitsthinkingaboutthedetail,butculminatinginnoreport.

Whatwedoknowfromthedeveloper'sconsultationprocesswhichwedid attend,isthatitwantstoadd amassivesuperyachtfacilityto analreadyverylargemarinaandboatstack,withupto 16superyachtsupto45metresinlength.ItwantstoimposeasuperyachtwharfnearlydoublethesizeoftheRozelleBaysuperyachtwharf whichispartoftheindustrial sizedmarinaandstoragefacilityinthatBay.

YourMinisterforRoadsFreight,DuncanGay,hasrefusedtomeetwithusandhasnever personallyrespondedtoasinglecommunicationwehavesenthim,withthe onlysubstantivereplycomingrecentlyfromhisassistantMinister,RayWilliamsafteroverthreeyears of requests.ItisonlyasaresultofanapproachwemadetoGladysBerejiklian,andonlyafterRMShasalreadyindicatedthatithaseffectivelysigned offonthedeal,thatRMS,for whichMinisterGayisresponsible, hasfinallyarrangedforustomeetwithseniorRMSPropertymanagersthisFriday10October.

YourMinisterforFinanceServices,DominicPerrottet,didrespondto usandaskedhismajor projects managerinGPNSW,withdirectresponsibilityforthisproject,tomeetus,whichtookplacelastJuly.Thatofficeragreedtherewereimportantissuestodiscuss,statedthathehadexpertiseinmarinaissues,indicated hewouldconsiderasitemeetingandsuggesteda possibleroundtable discussion.Howeversincethatmeetingtherehasbeencompletesilencefrom thatofficerinresponseto ourfollowupcommunications.He

didsubsequentlysendareply,nottous buttoFriendsofSydneyHarbourindicatinghewasleavingthematterinthehandsofRMS.

YourMinisterforPlanning,MsPruGowardalsodidrespondand referredustoa seniorofficer whoagainmetustwomonthsagoandexpressedwillingnesstolookintotheissuesweconsiderfundamental,butagain,completesilence.

Ourlocalmember, MsJillianSkinner, hasformanyyearssupportedthecommunityandCouncilpositionontheneedforanyworkingwaterfrontdevelopmentinthishistoricharbourforeshoreBaytobesensitive tothebushlandandreclaimedindustrialreservelandswhichsurroundit,buthasbeenunabletosecureameetingforuswithMinisterGayinthethreeyearsyouhave beeninGovernment.WhenwemetMsSkinnerlastweek,shehadarrangedforanRMSliaisonofficerfromMinisterGay's officetoattend.Heconfirmedthat theMinisterandhisDepartmentconsideredthemselvespowerless toplayanymanagementrolewiththedevelopmentbecauseoftheAgreementforLease.Thisconfirmstheutterly passiveroleoftheGovernment sincetheAgreementforLease,essentiallyvacatinganyresponsibility.

WeknowexactlywhattheRMSofficerswillsaytousonFriday:ItisalluptoaJointRegionalPlanningPaneloncethedeveloper,unconstrainedbythepublicagenciesfollowingtheAgreementforLease,produceswhateverDAitwishes.AstheRMSliaisonofficerdidinthemeetingwithMsSkinner,theywillrepeatthe completelyflawedargumentthatbecausethedevelopermadesomeconcessionsfromthemassiveambitclaimoriginallyproposedwhenitwasatendererandhadnolegalstatus,somehowthatentitlesitinpreparingaDAtobeleftcompletelyalonebytheGovernmentonissuesofscaleandrelationshipwithneighbouringreservelands.

Governmentsaretheservantsofthepeople.They arenotbusinessesfortheprivateuseof developersorclosedagenciesoperatingasfiefdoms.YourGovernmentrisksbeingseenattheforthcomingelectionas

failingthepeopleofNSW innotprovidinganopenand informed processtoensurethatanyDAresultingfromatenderprocessovermanyyearshasalreadycompliedwiththeconstraintsdesignedtokeepourHarbour

thejewelthatitis,andtokeepthisuniqueBerrysBaywithinitsadjacentpublicreservelands,adefiningpartofthevaluesthepeopleofthiscityandStatehaveworkedfordecadestorestore.

Fromyoursupportof yourconstituentsopposingtheClontarfMarinaDAyouwillbefamiliarwiththeAimsofSHREP2005whichyourMinistersandtheagenciesofyourGovernmenthavea responsibilitytoapplyintheexecutionoftheircustodianshipofSydneyHarbour:

toensurethatthecatchment,foreshores,waterways andislandsofSydneyHarbourarerecognised,protected,enhancedandmaintained:

(i)asanoutstandingnaturalasset,and

(ii)asapublicassetofnationalandheritagesignificance,forexistingandfuture generationsToachievethatAim,thefollowingprinciplesapply:

(a)SydneyHarbouristoberecognisedasapublicresource,owned bythepublic,tobeprotectedforthepublicgood

(b)thepublicgoodhasprecedenceover theprivategoodwheneverandwhatever changeisproposedforSydneyHarbouroritsforeshores,

(c)protectionofthenaturalassetsofSydneyHarbourhasprecedenceoverallotherinterests.

Asa measureofthescaleofover-developmentproposedforBerrysBay,notethat,whereasthecontestedClontarfDAwasinitiatedbythemarinaoperatorandentailedaconversionfromswingmooringstomarinapens,withnonetincreaseinthenumberofboatson-water,bycomparisontheBerrysBaydevelopmentunderyourGovernment'smanagementlookstoleadtoamassive increaseinboatparkingandstackfacilities,madeupofabout90-100vesselson-waterinmarinapensand50indry-stackstorage,allinanenclosedbaywhichisoneofthegems ofSydneyHarbour.

Thelocalcommunityhasbeenworkingenergeticallyforover20years,onbehalfofallfourmillion residentsofSydney,toachieveanappropriateoutcomeforBerrysBay.Wewouldsupportamarinare-developmentof acharacterandscaleappropriatetothisbeautifulbayinitswonderfulreservelandsetting.

Evenatthisstageitisnottoolatetosettheprocessbackontrack.Ratherthanleavingthefate oftheBaytobedeterminedbyacontestedJRPPprocess,yourinterventionasPremierisrequiredtoasserttheprimacyoftheHarbourplanning instruments, resetthecommercialgoalsanddirectthedevelopertoreviseits proposalstoworkwithinthoseparameters.BerrysBaycandoitsshareofthelifting,butthegreatergoodfortheStateisachievedbykeepingon-waterboatparkingclosetoprioruselevels,andtogainadditionalupsideinthelongertermbyallowingtheBayandBallsHeadto attracttourismandgenerallypromotethewaterswestofthebridge.Thiswillnotbeachievedbyswampingthearea withparkedboats.

YourinterventionisneededurgentlyaswearetoldthatRMSapprovalofconsenttolodgetheDA isimminent.Werequest thatyouintervene tofinallyensurethatallthekeystakeholdersvisit the siteandthenmeet aroundthetableto agreeonanappropriatelysizeddevelopmentwhichallpartiescouldsupport.Weawaityouraction.

Yourssincerely

c:::;..·

SidFrench

ChairWavertonPrecinctCommittee 0418218827