DURING Council’s February meeting Mayor Pettett spoke about the risk of remaining as a “can’t do” Council rather than becoming “can do” one. I sense he is worried the remaining Council term will swing by and no ground will be broken on the log-jam of major community projects. The Lindfield Village Green looks great, but I doubt Mayor Pettett wants this held up as his ribbon-cutting legacy.
Roseville and Gordon Bowls Sites
With a higher population density and apartment living, and more female participation in sport, green space is at a premium.
The first of the substantial community matters up for discussion at Council was the sale of the old East Roseville Bowling Club site, and consideration of the equivalent disused site at Gordon. These clubs have been closed for years and rather than re-purpose them, Council has been looking to sell-up and cash-in, originally counting on $30 million for each site.
The NSW Government altered the zoning from multi-dwelling R3 to the less valuable R2, dramatically lowering the likely windfall to just $11 million each.
It’s not a popular strategy, and impacted Roseville Ward Councillors Sam Ngai and Alec Taylor put forward a motion to review the planned Roseville sale.
This was closely defeated with Mayor Pettett using his casting vote. Council needs the cash, so those sales are now set to proceed, and that green space will be lost for future generations.
Marian Street Theatre
A notice of motion was put to pause this redevelopment while a potential mystery philanthropist re-visits the design with the Save Marian Street Theatre Committee. That too was from the relevant Ward Councillors, Simon Lennon and Barbara Ward.
Council staff confirmed this move was risky, potentially adding years to the project should there be substantial change to the design.
The pitstop itself would likely bring more architectural expense, adding to the $1.2M already expended on the project. The completion cost has already blown out from $9.8 million to $20 million plus. The re-opening had been planned for 2021. The staff also disclosed that some Councillors were not aware that funding for the project does not exist, which is more than a trifling speed hump on the long and winding road to completion.
The other fiscal challenge will be funding the ongoing operating cost deficit.
Norman Griffiths Oval
Councillor Greg Taylor’s notice of motion to delay the new synthetic football field at Norman Griffiths Oval had attracted criticism in the meeting lead-up - halting the re-development was not a part of his policy platform in the December 2021 elections.
The greatest community advocate of this new facility is West Pymble Football Club President Kevin Johnson. Mr Johnson recently compiled a 21-page report promoting the benefits and refuting the environmental concerns and contrarian economics from the anti-synthetic lobbyists. Mr Taylor didn’t endear himself to Mr Johnson when they twice met in October 2021.
Mr Taylor arranged the one-on-ones as a former club member - without disclosing that he was already a registered candidate for the December Council elections. Notably, integrity, honesty and transparency were parts of Mr Taylor’s policy platform.
The oval in question was developed in the 1960s. Norman Griffiths wasn’t a fleet-footed soccer player from yesteryear, but a rugby-loving Ku-ring-gai Council Town Clerk of 50 years’ service. The oval was named in his honour in 1969.
By the way, the topography in that precinct is not as pristine as you may assume. Long before Bicentennial Park opened in 1989 cattle grazed, poultry pecked, strawberries were cultivated and shrubs propagated. Swede Jonas Lofberg’s 30 acres in West Pymble also became a Council quarry for many years where 80 men were employed to remove 80,000 tons of stone.
The area also had an incinerator, designed by Walter Burley Griffin no less. Along with those ashes, residents’ “night soil” and household waste was the fill for the ovals.
As it happens Mr Taylor isn’t the only tall environmentalist musician politician with childhood memories there. Midnight Oil front-man Peter Garrett grew up in Grayling Road. His song-memoir In The Valley is a metaphor of his emotional trials and the local bushland of his childhood. The “Victa-neat” lawns is a neat lyric in the heart-warming song. In his autobiography Big Blue Sky, he fondly recalls his youth around Broadway, as Yanko Road was called back then. Mr Garrett represented his school in athletics and recalls playing soccer and cricket down at the local oval. The West Pymble “Soccer” Club was formed in 1957 when he was about to start school at Gordon West Public School.
Following the assurances provided by Council staff, Councillor Taylor’s (revised) motion was defeated.[1] The design and construct phase and the review of relevant environmental factors will soon be underway, and the much-needed facility will be redeveloped for future generations. The West Pymble Bicentennial Club, otherwise known as the West Pymble bowlo, will also benefit from the multi-million-dollar facility next door. Councillor Taylor did not respond to requests for comment.
Side Hustle
Councillors also adopted a recommendation to pay themselves the superannuation guarantee, effectively a 10% pay rise that’s set to rise to 12% over the next couple of years. The current Ku-ring-gai Councillor fee is $26,310 pa and the Mayor’s is $96,210. The rate-payer funded superannuation expense will start at $33,300 pa.
Councillors are quick to recuse themselves at the merest chance of a conflict of interest in a charity or some-such, but nobody needed to repair to the ante-room for this most conflicted of votes. Councillor Ngai said the higher remuneration package may assist in attracting better quality Councillors, all the while taking care not to disparage the current crop seated around him.
While not unanimous, this was unsurprisingly passed without rancour. Some Councillors asked could they refuse to receive the payments – I’ll let you know if anyone does!
Greg Cook was a candidate for Gordon Ward in the 2021 Ku-ring-gai Council elections.
[1] Correction: Councillor G.Taylor's motion was amended and passed by the Council, this is reflected in the meeting minutes.
