Dear FOKE Members - Friends of Ku-ring

FOKE • P.O. BOX 403 • KILLARA 2071 • Tel (02) 9498 1807 or (02) 9416 9007 • Fax (02) 9498 2553
July 2008
Dear FOKE Members
HIGH, WIDE AND OUT OF CONTEXT – NEW APARTMENT BLOCKS – COMPLIANCE AUDIT
REQUESTED.
The public has every reason to feel duped.
•
When about to take responsibility for urban consolidation, the NSW Department of Planning’s
spokesperson, Mr. Chris Johnson, was reported as saying that the ideal developments would be “fourstorey garden apartment buildings, no taller than the mature height of native trees planted around
them.” (“Treetops to be the limit for boomtown apartments” July 19, 2005).
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Instead of infill developments being tailor-made to Ku-ring-gai, as was first intended, the highly visible
apartment blocks are alien to their context, anti-environment, anti-heritage and anti-social. FOKE
argues there is a serious disconnect and inconsistency between the stated aims, objectives and principles
of key control planning documents and what is being built.
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FOKE has therefore requested both the Mayor and the Planning Panel to conduct a Compliance Audit
of these apartment blocks against the following State Government’s and Council’s criteria for multi unit
developments:
The Aims and Objectives of the NSW State Government’s State Environmental Plan (SEPP 65) –
Design Quality of Residential Flat Development The design of residential flat buildings is to be
considered in accordance with the SEPP 65 design principles, being:
•
Principle 1: Context: Good design responds and contributes to its context. Context can be defined
as the key natural and built features of an area.
•
Principle 2: Scale Good design provides an appropriate scale in terms of the bulk and height that
suits the scale of the street and the surrounding buildings
•
Principle 6: Landscape Good design optimises that together landscape and buildings operate as
an integrated and sustainable system, resulting in greater aesthetic quality and amenity for both
occupants and the adjoining public domain.
The Aims of the NSW Government Local Environment Plan (LEP 194) Plan for the multi unit
developments along the Railway Pacific Highway Corridor and St Ives Centre.
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To encourage the protection and enhancement of the environmental and heritage qualities of
Ku-ring-gai.
•
To encourage the protection of the natural environment of Ku-ring-gai, including biodiversity,
the general tree canopy, natural watercourses, natural soil profiles, groundwater and
topography and to reduce and mitigate adverse impacts of development on natural areas
•
To achieve high quality urban design and architectural design.
FOKE, WINNER, KEEP AUSTRALIA BEAUTIFUL COUNCIL (NSW) 2000 METRO
PRIDE AWARDS, NSW HERITAGE OFFICE CULTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION AWARD,
“HERITAGE WATCH OVER OUR PLACE OF NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE – KU-RING-GAI”
General Aims of Ku-ring-gai Council’s Development Control Plan No 55 Ku-ring-gai Multiunit Housing Railway/Pacific Highway Corridor and St Ives Centre which include the following:
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Achieve a landscape setting for multi unit housing that replenishes the tree canopy, retains the
landscape character of Ku-ring-gai though the selection of appropriate species and provides a
high level of aesthetic quality and amenity for both occupants and the adjoining public domain;
•
Provide for a harmonious relationship between the new multi unit housing and the natural
environment of Ku-ring-gai, including biodiversity, general tree canopy, natural watercourses
and to mitigate impact so natural areas including Nation parks and bushland reserves.
Environment Heritage and Resources, Key Directions of the NSW Government’s Metropolitan
Strategy North.
•
Protect the natural environment of the subregions.
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Protect the cultural and heritage elements of the subregion.
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Manage all development sustainably.
One can’t fail to see that the aims & objectives of LEP 194, SEPP 65, DCP 55, and the Government’s Metro
Strategy, are not being met. On the contrary those Plans and that Strategy are allowing significant, deleterious
changes and poor planning outcomes.
► Please make your views known to the media, Council/Councillors and the Planning Panel. See
enclosed Contact Information Sheet for addresses.
DESTRUCTION OF THE VALUABLE KU-RING-GAI CONTEXT – A PLANNING TRAGEDY OF
NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE.
Having completed a Study in 2000, Ku-ring- gai’s Council planning consultant Travis McEwen concluded,
“Ku-ring-gai exhibits environmental splendour of such a scale it is of national significance.” The photograph
below shows the Ku-ring-gai tree canopy like a green Plimsoll line across the Municipality, a giant awning, a
covering, a shelter under which people live, work and play.
The climate change debate makes respect and protection of Ku-ring-gai’s green mantle even more compelling.
Therefore, it should be expected that, in any future planning decisions, be they the State Government’s, the
Planning Panel’s or the Council’s, this overarching nationally significant green context would be truly respected
and conserved.
Looking south over Ku-ring-gai to Chatswood showing the
environmental splendour of Ku-ring-gai against the skyline of
Chatswood
The design of residential flat buildings is to be considered in
accordance with the SEPP 65 design principles, being:
Principle 1: Context: Good design responds and contributes to its
context. Context can be defined as the key natural and built features
of an area.
NSW State Government's State Environmental Plan (SEPP 65) –Design
Quality of Residential Flat Development
Sustainability recognises the significance and diversity of community
and regions for the management of the earth, and the critical
importance of "sense of place" and heritage (buildings, townscapes,
landscapes and culture) in any plans for the future.
Photo from Pacific Highway, Pymble by Dr M Galloway May 2004
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NEW APARTMENT BLOCKS – COMPLIANCE AUDIT REQUESTED
Photos - community members
Ku-ring- Council’s Development
Control Plan No 55 Ku-ring-gai Multi
unit Housing Railway Pacific Highway
Corridor and St Ives Centre.
Development Control Plan No 55
Achieve a landscape setting for multi unit
housing that replenishes the tree canopy,
retains the landscape character of Kuring-gai though the selection of
appropriate species and provides a high
level of aesthetic quality and amenity for
both occupants and the adjoining public
domain;
Ideal developments would
be ``four-storey garden
apartment buildings, no
taller than the mature height
of native trees planted
around them'' Government
spokesperson, Mr. Chris
Johnston “Treetops to be
the limit for boomtown
apartments''
July
19,
ENVIRONMENT HERITAGE AND
RESOURCES, KEY DIRECTIONS OF
THE NSW GOVERNMENT’S
METROPOLITAN STRATEGY
NORTH
Protect the natural environment of the
subregions
Protect the cultural and heritage
elements of the subregion.
Development Control Plan
No 55 Ku-ring-gai Multi
unit Housing Railway
Pacific Highway Corridor
and St Ives Centre.
Provide for a harmonious
relationship between the
new multi unit housing and
the natural environment of
Ku- ring-gai, including
biodiversity…, general tree
canopy,
(LEP 194) Plan for the multi unit
developments along the Railway
Pacific Highway Corridor and St Ives
Centre. To encourage the protection
and enhancement of the environmental
and heritage qualities of Ku-ring-gai.
(SEPP 65) –Design Quality of
Residential Flat Development
Principle 2: Scale Good design
provides an appropriate scale in
terms of the bulk and height that
suits the scale of the street and the
surrounding buildings
NSW Government Local Environment
Plan (LEP 194) Plan for the multi unit
developments along the Railway Pacific
Highway Corridor and St Ives Centre.
To encourage the protection of the natural
environment of Ku-ring-gai, including
biodiversity, the general tree canopy,
natural watercourses, natural soil profiles,
groundwater and topography and to
reduce and mitigate adverse impacts of
development on natural areas.
(SEPP 65) –Design Quality of
Residential
Flat
Development
Principle 6 Landscape Good design
optimises that together landscape and
buildings operate as an integrated and
sustainable system, resulting in greater
aesthetic quality and amenity for both
occupants and the adjoining public
domain.
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SUSTAINABILITY RECOGNISES CONTEXT.
“In Search of Sustainability “ edited by Jenny Goldie et al, CSIRO, 2005) lists seven foundation principles
which includes:
Community, regions, ‘sense of place’ and heritage
Sustainability recognises the significance and diversity of community and regions for the
management of the earth, and the critical importance of “sense of place” and heritage
(buildings, townscapes, landscapes and culture) in any plans for the future.
► Future plans for Ku-ring-gai should recognise the basic principle of sustainability, “sense of place and
heritage”.
PROPOSED STAGE 2 OF KU-RING-GAI’S RESIDENTIAL STRATEGY – PROPOSED
RECLASSIFICATION OF COMMUNITY LAND TO OPERATIONAL LAND FOR INCLUSION IN
PROPOSED TOWN CENTRES.
Council called for submissions and conducted a public hearing into reclassification. If land is reclassified from
“community” to “operational” status Council can sell, lease or otherwise deal with it. The 18 parcels of public
proposed for reclassification currently serve the community as car parks, an early childhood centre, a
neighbourhood centre and libraries.
FOKE submitted that the public was not informed overall as to what facilities were to be retained, excluded or
modified. In addition, we stated that the community land proposed for reclassification is ideally located and
sized to meet open space requirements for the proposed enlarged Town Centres. We therefore questioned the
“wisdom” of Council being given the capacity to sell this land to fund the purchasing of other less well-placed
lands for open space – a process involving acquiring and amalgamating individual home sites – a difficult,
expensive exercise with uncertain results.
Reclassification of community land as proposed by Council will facilitate overdevelopment and overprovision
of shops and dwellings; will result in developments, which are highly visible above the canopy; unsustainable
developments and developments alien to their context. This outcome is unacceptable.
► When the Report is released, you are encouraged to make your views publicly known and known to
Council. Again, please use enclosed “Contact Information Sheet.”
THE MINISTER’S DIRECTION TO MAKE “MORE EFFICIENT USE OF EXISTING
INFRASTRUCTURE.”
The functionality of the Pacific Highway is a matter of significant, public concern. Its ability to operate
efficiently and effectively is now under even greater threat from Ku-ring-gai’s Residential Strategy Town
Centres (part 2), which proposes enlargement of the retail, commercial and residential centres that sit astride it,
and from the proposed enlarged centre of St Ives that feeds into it via Mona Vale Road.
The “Highway” is the “main street” of the Pacific Highway shopping centres with their attendant pedestrian and
vehicular traffic, all of which will undoubtedly increase with the Town Centres’ enlargement. There are real
and increasing concerns as to how it is going to function efficiently not only as a “shopping strip” but also as
part of AusLink National network, as Metro Road 1 linking the NSW North Coast to the NSW South Coast, as
the northern artery to and from the City linking the Harbour Bridge to the F3; as a signposted route from the
north to both the domestic and international airports and as the main north-south route through Ku-ring-gai.
Notionally, the Pacific Highway is three lanes in each direction, but this is reduced to two in each direction
when parking is permitted along parts of its length and where turning bays remove a lane. The pressure on the
Pacific Highway is already being experienced by the inadequacy of a number of the turning bays which results
in queues of cars wishing to turn extending beyond the turning bays and blocking the “through” lanes of the
Pacific Highway; and the extent of the traffic which enters or crosses the Pacific Highway at various points in
Ku-ring-gai and the inadequacy of those entry/crossing points.
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► FOKE asks that the planning authorities convene a public meeting without delay, to explain how the
functionality of the Pacific Highway will be maintained given the Minister’s direction to make “more
efficient use of the existing infrastructure.”
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2008.
The Annual General Meeting of Friends of Ku-ring-gai Environment Inc. (FOKE) and the customary
subsequent Public Forum were held in the Killara Uniting Church Hall on 15th May 2007.
The 2008 President’s Report begins:
This Report comes at a time of diminishing democratic rights; widespread discontent with the NSW urban
consolidation policies; unpopular proposed changes to the Planning Act; major and increasing
infrastructure problems; further destruction of Ku-ring-gai’s character and heritage; and ever increasing
revelations linking political donations to the influencing of planning decisions in NSW.
(Full Report enclosed.)
We were delighted to welcome to the well-attended meeting the 2008 Guest Speaker, Dr Zeny Edwards,
President of The National Trust of Australia (NSW). Dr Edwards’ topic “Defending our heritage”
included discussion on the increased powers of the Planning Minister, climate change, loss of habitat and
loss of biodiversity.
On view were FOKE’s display & power-point presentation, depicting sites and streetscapes impacted by
rezoning as a consequence of the NSW Government Local Environmental Plan 194/200/202/204/207.
These displays continue to shock all comers. Most of the sites and streetscapes lie in Ku-ring-gai’s core
heritage rich areas. People are appalled at the destruction of once beautiful streets, involving demolition
of quality homes, the removal of trees, the changes to the topography with deep excavations to
accommodate multi storey underground car parks. The replacement buildings are variously described as
“ high, wide and ugly” and as resembling “Eastern European army blocks”.
POLITICAL DONATIONS TO MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES AND THE INFLUENCE ON
PLANNING DECISIONS IN NSW.
At all levels of government, Federal, State and Local, there is widespread discontent with the undue influence
of developers’ donations to major political parties in shaping planning decisions. For complete lists and the
extent of ‘property industry’ donations to Federal and State major political parties please refer to website
www.democracy4sale.org. Despite the NSW Upper House Hearing having been completed and its Report
handed down with 47 recommendations, the issue of donations influencing planning decisions at all levels,
remains. Ku-ring-gai is an attractive place for exploitation by developers. Rezoning for more intense
development favours them.
INCORRECT STATEMENTS, IGNORED CONTEXT, SHIFTING GOAL POSTS, “SPIN” –
PLANNING PROBLEMS.
Some of the planning problems such as lack of appropriate interface between new apartment blocks and existing
dwellings now facing Ku-ring-gai’s Planning Panel are of the NSW State Government’s own making. In 2004,
the then Minster rejected Ku-ring-gai Council’s Plan for medium density and imposed its own. More rezoning
to fix the problem should not destroy Ku-ring-gai even further. Rezoning should be pulled back to allow for
interface zones as originally intended.
Planning for Ku-ring-gai is occurring in a heritage vacuum with current attendant planning problems. It is
galling to read the NSW Government and Department of Planning spokespersons’ recent media statements that
councils have had plenty of time to secure conservation areas and listing of heritage items. That may be so, but
it does not recognise the role played by the NSW Government and the Department of Planning in actively
blocking gazettal of conservation areas in Ku-ring-gai for six years or more!
It therefore comes as no surprise that the NSW Government’s Metro Strategy for the North lists Kuring-gai as having no conservation areas. Good planning outcomes cannot occur when this legitimate
and critical planning instrument is withheld and when consideration of context is cast aside as has
occurred in Ku-ring-gai. For further discussion on the planning debacle please see enclosed
President’s Report 2008 page 1.
Willoughby has 12 Conservation Areas, Mosman 11, Hornsby 5 and North Sydney many more.
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FOKE RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES:
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“www.sos.org.au “Save Our Suburbs (NSW) – for Sustainable Living. Save Our Suburbs (NSW) Inc is
a non-profit & non-aligned group of residents, opposing forced rezoning and over-development of
Sydney’s suburbs. We promote sustainable living to protect our planet.”
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“www.fairgo.org FairGO is an Australian-based, lobby network built by the voters, of the voters and
for the voters – completely independent of government. It aims to help people in democratic countries
with national, local or personal issues. Almost anyone can influence government for good if they do it
properly. However, most who influence government do so for their own enrichment and empowerment.
Without any party preferences, FairGO exists to help ordinary voters to influence government via
elected politicians Use this website as a resource to help you lobby state and federal politicians, in the
most effective way, about issues that matter to you. – Greg Bloomfield, Founder.”
Sincerely FOKE Committee
A Carroll 9498 1807, K. Cowley 9416 9007, J. Langley (Treasurer) R Maltby (Minutes Secretary),
J. Johnston, M. Galloway, J. Harwood, J. Kitson, K. Pickles, J. Posen, D. Warner.
IMPORTANT DIARY NOTE – COMMUNITY FORUM
THURS 31 JULY 2008
7.00 PM – 9.00 PM
PLANNING, SUSTAINABILITY & DEMOCRACY
ST ALBANS CHURCH HALL, LINDFIELD – CNR TRYON ROAD & LINDFIELD AVE
Mr Fred Chaney AO will speak as an ex-elected representative perspective about the issue of citizen
engagement and what is lacking in the current system.
Dr Lyn Carson from the University of Sydney will speak on what democracy actually means, the ideas of
citizens’ juries and deliberative democracy.
Mr. John Mant a veteran of planning law reform across Australia has extensive experience advising
governments on planning systems. He will discuss the NSW planning system and the recent changes.
Professor Stuart White from the Institute for Sustainable Futures will talk about the challenges of creating
sustainable development in our local communities.
Ms Helen Dalley a Walkley Award-winning journalist, host of Sunday Business and Sunday Agenda for Sky
News will be the moderator for the evening.
“Format of the evening: A moderated discussion between the guest speakers followed by a world café style
discussion by all participants. We will be focusing on the issue of democracy at a local government level,
specifically in relation to planning decisions in Ku-ring-gai. We would love to hear your opinions and ideas
about how we can get better democracy locally, so please come and join us at this forum. We are also going to
discuss the idea of setting up a Community Jury for Ku-ring-gai. A Community Jury involves ordinary men
and women in decision making and is an effective way for the community to present a strong voice in the
planning outcomes. It can only happen with your support.”
NewDemocracy is a not for profit organisation promoting reform and a partner in this Community Forum
www.communityjury.com.au
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER YOUR ATTENDANCE:
allison@communityjury.com.au,
Kathy Cowley 9416 9007.
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