The Hunters Hill Trust Incorporated
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Thursday 15 May 2014 @ 6.30 pm
Presidents Report
Welcome and thank you for your presence this evening.
Hunters Hill Trust Committee
Your committee continues to work hard on behalf of members in the struggle to preserve the heritage and character of Hunters Hill.
On behalf of you, the Trust’s members, I would like to thank allof the Executive Committee:
Tony Coote, Vice President – HHT Journal editor & HHT representative on Hunters Hill Council’s Conservation Advisory Panel (CAP).
Peter Stockdale, Treasurer.
David Gaunt, Secretary.
Maureen Flowers,Membership secretary.
Kate Russell, Website manager.
Brigid Dowsett, Vice President Ryde Hunters Hill Flora & Fauna Preservation Society (RHHFFPS).
Alister Sharp, Friends of Riverglade Reserve (FERR) & Boronia Park.
With special recognition and thanks to all the above committee members who balance busy lives but manage to allocate time to the work of the Trust.
Annual General Meeting
Last year’s AGM held on Thursday 18 April 2013 at the RSL Hall. Our guest speaker was Corinne Fisher from Better Planning Network.
As mentioned last year we are attempting to hold the AGM earlier in year in effort to link membership subscriptions that are based on calendar year, with the AGM & finalisation of yearly accounts.
The Committee has met on a regular monthly basis since April and we continue to work in the spirit of the Trust as it was founded in 1968.
Membership
Current membership is 344 members, comprising 162 Family, 110 Single, 12 Life Family & 48 Life Single.
Any non members here tonight might consider joining the Trust before they leave.
Campaigns
Gladesville Shopping Village (GSV)
The developers of the GSV are in the process of amending their plans to address the many points raised inthe report byArchitectus. Amended plans will be re-advertised and further submissions called for before Architectusassessthe amended plans. The Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP) will not be involved until after this process is complete. Unfortunately the cost of Architectus’s reports is borne by the community through its rates, not by developer.
The HHT has written to HH Council urging (1) to revisit the listing of 10 Cowell Street and (2) to review and revise the current DCP for GSV that allows, amongst other things, a zero set back along Flagstaff Street. The Newbold review of 2009 removed this set back provision.
Boronia Park
The HHT believes the report of Council’s Review Committee into the substantial expansion of No.3 Oval at Boronia Park was unsatisfactory & should not have been accepted by Council. Because the project was never formalised with a DA, it has drifted unacceptably and committed Council to considerable unplanned expense. There has been misleading information, poor management & financial irresponsibility. The Trust is still concerned about the HHRUFC’s proposals for a “community facility” and for the installation of lights on Oval No. 3. We anticipate these will be covered in the review of the Plan of Management for Boronia Park, scheduled for next financial year.
Riverglade Reserve
Following the adoption of a revised Plan of Management for Riverglade Reserve, Council has now laid a new concrete path through the lower part of the reserve, & plans to add a toilet block soon & possibly a children’s playground. The intention of the new path is to take most cycle traffic through the reserve, making the path on the water's edge safer for young & elderly.
Hunters Hill Village
Two of the three new developments at Ryde Road / Gladesville Road (Hunters Hill Hotel & Mapledorams Corner) are near completion & it is now clearly apparent how the additional storey on the hotel site (exempt from the three storey limit in the DCP) changes the scale of the village. The building dominates the heritage listed hotel, is out of human scale, & sports a façade that is a “frantic mix of materials, shapes and colours”.
Lane Cove River foreshores
The degradation of natural & bushland character of foreshores of Lane Cove River is still of concern to Trust. The foreshore from Boronia Park to Figtree Bridge is threatened by unauthorised developments along Bonnefin Road, with significant cuts into the topography sites cleared of natural vegetation.
Issues:
1. Garden suburb character more vulnerable than ever to change. Scale of new development impinging on spaces
2. Council responsibility to plan for public & residential interests - over private, corporate, club, non residential use
3. Privatisation of public land – private money being used to undertake development on public land – GSV & Boronia Park
4. Need to retain urban forest - biodiversity corridors – often public amenity on private land
5. Loss of trees – authorized & non authorized of trees in private gardens without certain replacement of appropriate mature species – also loss of street trees & heavy pruning
6. Costs of “big brother” developers borne by community– both social & financial, with loss of infrastructure (traffic and parking) & amenities (open space)
7. Problem of policing controls - Council should assume responsibility for following up failure to comply under private certifiers
State Planning Legislation
The proposed new Planning Bills are currently on hold. With a change in Premier and Minister for Planning, it appears that they have been taken off the government’s present agenda. The HHT supports the BPN’s call for a rewriting of the proposed bills & for a return to recommendations in the independent review conducted by Moore & Dwyer with its strong community & environmental focus. Prior to Barry O’Farrell’s resignation, the Upper House led by David Shoebridge requested a Call for Papers in relation to the Planning reforms. Responding to an email request, Michael Baird advised that the extent of papers requested was too broad and costly & he would be taking the matter back to the Upper House. Thirty boxes of papers on the NSW Planning Reforms have now just been released (22 public & 8 privileged) & a small group of BPN volunteers have commenced going through the papers.
Activities
Tour of Cockatoo Island Tour for Heritage Week - Thursday 16 May 2013. Nick Hollo, Deputy Director of Sydney Harbour Federation Trust.
Hunters Hill Council Public Meetingon proposed new Planning Act & changes to Local Government - Thursday 6 June 2013. HHT outlined heritage implications of proposed changes.
Vienna & HHT Forum to update on Planning Bills – Sunday 16 February 2014. Local member, Anthony Roberts unable to attend.
Hunters Hill Trust Christmas Party - Friday 29 November 2013 at former Medical Superintendent’s Building, Gladesville Hospital. Guest speaker Jocelyn Jackson, conservation architect.
In memory
Monica Sheehan (died 12 February 2014)
Known as Mrs Kelly’s Bush - inspirational battler– Green Bans historic role in NSW planning – beyond local achievement – internationally recognised.
Committee resignations
Peter Stockdale stepping down as Treasurer – joined three years ago and filled role when Chris Hartley went overseas.
Robyn Christie stepping down as President with huge regret – approximately 20 years of being on HHT Committee. It has been a very fulfilling & happy time sharing one’s professional passion alongside hard working people with the same commitment to the future of our suburb. I am undertaking further studies & longer travel commitments overseas with family.
Robyn Christie
President
15 May 2014