13thFebruary 2018 Edition One. In this edition:
Presidents Message, AGM March 27,
DA process HSC,
Amendments to Tree & Vegetation Control Plan,
LEC proceedings for Malton Rd, Clean up Australia.
Message from the President This
eNews is an important edition for a couple of reasons. The Trust
committee has locked in a date for our Annual General Meeting.
Note in your diary Tuesday 27th March at the Beecroft
Bowling Club. Full details are below. I have indicated to the
committee that I am prepared to stand again as President. But some
of our committee members won’t be renominating for various reasons, so
we are looking for people with fresh ideas and a passion to serve our
community.
Two important items will be debated at Hornsby Council’s February General Meeting this coming Wednesday night February 14th. The first item deals with how Hornsby Council determines development applications. Procedures will change from 1st
March whereby all Councillors will be prohibited from determining
development applications. Details below. The second item of
interest will be the Draft Amendments to the Hornsby Development Control
Plan 2013 relating to tree and vegetation preservation.
Mr Damien Tudehope MP, our Member for Epping, has provided the Trust
with an update on the pedestrian lift at Beecroft Station. The Transport
and Infrastructure Minister Hon Andrew Constance MP has confirmed that
funds have been allocated this financial year for the planning of the
lift. While the schedule of works is still to be determined,
community consultation on the upgrade is expected to start soon.
Hornsby Council has also been active in running workshops for small
business. Last week one was held with the Beecroft shop
keepers. I believe the workshop was well received and was seen as a
positive step in improving retailing in Beecroft.
The saddest news though was the passing of Harry Wallace. I had the
good fortune to know Harry through the Beecroft Forum. Those who
knew Harry, will understand the significance of his loss to not only
Beecroft and Cheltenham but to many others outside our community.
Annual General Meeting The Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust AGM will be held on Tuesday 27th
March 2018 at the Beecroft Bowling Club, 128 Copeland Rd commencing
7.30 pm sharp . Some of the current committee members are unable
to re-nominate for various reasons so the Trust is seeking new
committee. It is important to maintain a continuous injection of
new people on the committee. After all, the Trust is only as good
as the community it serves. Nomination form can be downloaded from the
Trust website bcct2119.com.au. CLICK HERE
Please pay your 2018 subscription prior to coming, as it will minimise
delays in entering the venue. There will not be a guest speaker, however
there will be a Question and Answer session with our elected
representatives. Supper will be served after the AGM.
Development Approval Processes at Hornsby Council commencing March 1st 2018 Last
year the State Government gazetted new planning legislation prohibiting
Councillors from determining development applications. For Hornsby
Council, because of the delay in the amalgamation process, the date of
commencement of this new approval process is the 1st March
2018. There will be three levels of approval. Put simply, the
three levels are based on the estimated cost of the development; under
$5mill, under $30 mill and over $30mill.
The lowest level under $5mill, which will cover the majority of house
related developments, will be determined by Council’s staff. The second
level for development over $5 million will be determined by an
Independent Hearing and Assessment Panel (IHAP). Expect large
residential developments, like Seniors Housing, to be captured in this
level. The third and highest level will be the Sydney North
Planning Panel (SNPP), which replaces the former JRPP. The SNPP will
determine development above $30mill in a number of northern suburb
Councils.
Item 7 in the Wednesday night Council agenda is the appointment of the
expert and community representatives for the IHAP and SNPP. The
report and staff recommendation for the appointment of personnel on the
new planning panels can be accessed via the following link. http://businesspapers.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/Open/2018/02/GM_14022018_AGN.PDF
What does this all mean? Everyone will be on a sharp learning curve. The
role of our Councillors will change. They will still be able to
influence development outcomes through amending the local planning
controls but they will need to learn new procedures on how to discuss
issues with council staff on our behalf.
As a matter of interest, with respect to Parramatta Council, this new
approval regime commenced mid last year, soon after Parramatta Council
completed its amalgamation process.
Draft Amendments Hornsby Development Control Plan 2013 - Tree and Vegetation Preservation This
item was discussed in our previous eNews when it was on
exhibition. The draft amendments will increase the protection of
vegetation within the Shire of Hornsby, back to a similar level of
protection that existed five years ago. The report and staff
recommendation can be found in the business papers as a supplementary
item. Use the link to read the report. http://businesspapers.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/Open/2018/02/GM_14022018_AGN_AT_SUP.PDF
Land and Environment Court proceedings - 79-87 Malton Road, Beecroft
Please find below an extract from Council’s Solicitor which was sent to Hornsby Councillors on Friday 9th February 2018. The acting General Manager at Hornsby Council kindly gave permission for the Trust to publish the email.
"I can confirm that I appeared before the List Judge, Robson J, at
the Land and Environment Court this morning. Appearing for the defendant
was Clifford Ireland, instructed by McKees Lawyers.
The proceedings were mentioned before the Court at approximately 9.45am.
The defendant submitted to the Court, in support of its proposed
directions, that it was not in a positon to enter a plea until the full
prosecution case was before the Court. Mr Ireland referred to the
decision of Pain, J in EPA v Bulga Coal, where certain notices were
ordered under the case management provisions of the Criminal Procedure
Act 1986.
In response to the suggested orders by the defendant, it was
submitted that the prosecutor has already put substantial documentary
and affidavit evidence before the Court which ought to be considered
first. It was submitted that the prosecutor’s compliance with a s.247E
notice, would be a substantial burden, noting that the defendant has not
considered all of the documents presently available.
In a reply, Mr Ireland identified that there were potential
witnesses who have not provided statements such as those who were on the
subject land at the time of the breach being observed by the Council’s
officers. Accordingly, the defendants submitted that there were matters
that ought to be the subject of evidence before the Court prior to
entering a plea.
In making directions in accordance with those sought by the
defendant, the Court noted that completing the prosecution case was a
substantial task and the Court allowed a further of time for the
prosecutor’s case to be completed. The Court’s orders were as follows:
The
prosecutor is to file and serve upon the defendant any further evidence
to be relied upon at the hearing of the proceedings and a finalised
s.247E Criminal Procedural Act 1986 by 9 March 2018.
The defendant is to serve a notice in accordance with s.247F of the Criminal Procedural Act 1986 on the prosecutor by 16 March 2018.
The proceedings are listed for entry of a plea and/or further directions on 13 April 2018.
I
note there were members of the Byles Creek Community Association in
attendance during the mention. They asked as to whether they could
report on the Court proceedings to their members and I noted that there
are no restrictions on the reporting of this matter."
I note that the matter is back before the Court on 13 April 2018, after which an update will be provided to you.
Ray Park Heritage Group Book Launch "From Fruit Bowl to Housing Boom" The
Ray Park Heritage Group promotes the preservation of local history of
the area bounded by Carlingford Road, Pennant Hills Road, the M2
Motorway and Beecroft Road. Group member, Chris Staples, has written
"From Fruit Bowl to Housing Boom" which traces the history of the area
from farms to housing. This magnificent pictorial heritage book is full
of photographs of the early settlers and their activities and homes as
well as maps of the many subdivisions which occurred at the three time
periods.
The book is a must for anyone interested in local history. It will be launched on Saturday 10th
March at 2.30pm by local historian, author and former MP Andrew Tink,
at the front office display area of Lyon Real Estate, 73 Beecroft Rd,
Epping. The book will be on sale for $35 at this venue until 23rd March or by contacting rpheritage@netspace.net.au
If you wish to attend the launch, please contact rpheritage@netspace.net.au by 7th March.
Bambara Crescent Beecroft from patio of No. 35 early 1963
Parramatta Council clean-ups After
our last eNews there appears to has been some misunderstanding
with Beecroft residents residing south of the M2. Last November,
Parramatta Council's bulk waste clean-up service moved to a pre-booked
system. This means no more scheduled clean-up dates; instead each
eligible household can make up to four free bookings for a bulk waste
clean-up each year with an increased size limit of 2 cubic metres.
The new system provides more flexibility for residents and improves
the presentation of our neighbourhoods. Book a clean-up on the website CLICK HERE or call 1300 580 811.
Reminder - Clean Up Australia - Sunday 4th March 2018 The
Trust has registered the Beecroft Village Green again and we will be
setting up at the picnic tables from 9am. All welcome to come down
and lend a hand. Children are welcome also but must be
accompanied by an adult. There will be plenty of bags, both white
for rubbish and yellow for recycling, and a limited number of
gloves. If you are coming along, it is preferable for you to bring
your own gloves.
Areas that need cleaning up include forgotten areas around the shops and
car parks, the open spaces and streets and along the train line where
there is no sense of ownership.
Annual Memberships for 2018 are now Due... CLICK HERE
Keep our two suburbs strong and informed by being a member!
To support or join the Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust, please visit our website. CLICK HERE
The
eNews has become our main method for disseminating information to the
community. Currently we have over 1040 email addresses, up from 900 two
months ago. We encourage residents who receive the eNews to tell
their neighbours and friends. The eNews letter is available to all
who subscribe. Trust Membership is not a requirement.
The eNews archives are available HERE. To subscribe to the eNews: CLICK HERE.
At this stage, the Trust will continue to distribute the printed bulletin as not everyone uses the internet. We
are continuing to looking for volunteers who like walking and who may
be able to distribute approximately 100 Bulletins a couple of times per
year, as this is all done by kind members of our community. If you are
able to help out, even as an occasional fill in person, please contact trish@bcct2119.com.au.
The Trust has always had an unwritten policy to assist any resident regardless of their membership status.
