This month, residents had the opportunity to hear from and meet Benjamin Law, an Australian author who shared about his experiences with growing up as an immigrant in regional Queensland and then later coming out as gay. His book The Family Law was also adapted to TV for SBS.
The event also doubled up as Council’s official launch of the ‘Welcome Here’ Project, where stickers are used at some of our community buildings to remind members of the LGBTIQ community that they are welcome in our community. The initiative was driven by local resident Alex Free and our local Councillor Alec Taylor as it is a matter that close to both of their heart.
I’ve personally been reflecting on what it means for Australia to be a multicultural, diverse and tolerant society which as councillors we represent. One thing that isn’t often said is that while we are learning to become more supportive of specific minority groups as part of this journey, it’s also important to be equally respectful of the views of others who are not part of these defined minorities. To do otherwise would set a double standard, and it’s unfortunate that respect or tolerance is not always reciprocated.
At our May Public Forum, a young resident came and spoke about the dangerous pedestrian pathway connecting Wambool Street and Jersey Street, Turramurra.
Fortunately in his case, Council already had plans to fix this pedestrian pathway and two months later you can see that it is much more pleasant to use, saving pedestrians a few minutes of their time to and from the train station and shops.
I know that a few weeks ago, I posted something similar on social media and what arose was about 30 requests for footpath / road maintenance throughout the LGA. I’ve passed the list of 30 issues onto Council staff and they will systematically prioritise and work through it while considering other competing priorities. It is unlikely, however, that they will all be resolved within two months. These things take considerable planning and time.
🏘️ Identify suitable planning controls for dual occupancies, which are to be introduced by the State Government in Ku-ring-gai on 01 July 2025. [Councils without existing planning controls like minimum lot size have been given a one year to establish controls whereas most councils commenced this month.]
📐 Work towards delivering upon the Planning Minister’s Statement of Expectations for all Local Councils, including the improvement of DA turnaround times and the updating of strategic planning documents to reflect new short term housing targets and State Environmental Planning Policies.
📄 Request an interim heritage order on the 23 heritage conservation areas within our four TOD precincts, until planning for these precincts is finalised early next year. This is an unusual request that has been rightly raised by Council in the context of an even more unusual decision from the State Government with regard to 6-9 storey developments in federal and inter-war heritage conservation areas. In both of my meetings with the Planning Minister there was a clear unwillingness to honestly explain how 22m / FSR 2.5:1 can be achieved in such areas, so we now put the question to the Heritage Minister for consideration.
⚡️🐶 Investigate further updates to Council’s planning controls and net zero initiatives to support growing demand for electrification, other energy efficiency initiatives, and allowing doggy daycares in town centres.
📹 Update the Code of Meeting Practice to support the live-streaming of the Council’s monthly public forum. The updated Code will soon go out to public exhibition for public feedback before council votes on the final document.
🌳 Allocate funding for the annual round of Environmental Levy Grants and Sponsorships.
🙋♀️ Appoint members of the Status of Women’s Advisory Committee.
🎭 Note a report on the potential cost of reviving the Marian Street Theatre with minimum repairs, and asked for further detail on a pathway / timeline to expanding the theatre as per a previous development application (DA0144/20).
There were other items as well, which you can read about in the draft minutes.
https://eservices.kmc.nsw.gov.au/Infocouncil.Web/Open/2024/07/OMC_16072024_MIN_WEB.htm
😱 It appears that sometime on Sunday night or Monday morning, someone stole half of the war memorial honour roll that commemorates 67 Turramurra residents who served our country, seven of whom died in battle.
Anyone who has information about the theft is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or Hornsby Police.
Earlier this month during NAIDOC Week I visited Southern Cross Care NSW & ACT in North Turramurra as they launched their Reflect stage Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).
The RAP was advised by Brooke Prentis and we had a smoking ceremony and performances by Beatrice and family members. We also planted a Lemon Myrtle tree which (surprisingly) has a refreshing smell.
Many of us grew up following the North Sydney Bears and it was a shame to see them fall off the top tier of competition in the late 90’s.
I recently met with North Sydney Mayor Zoe Baker and Nathan Tilbury – Deputy Mayor Hornsby Shire Council to discuss the latest proposal to bring back the Bears in the form of a venture as the Perth Bears. If successful, this means that the logo and colours are retained, and that our Ku-ring-gai Cubs Rugby League Club have a development pathway to the competition, as well as the possibility of some games held at North Sydney Oval .
You can support the initiatives by becoming a member today (starting from $25 pa).
https://www.northsydneybears.com.au
The NSW Government has committed to delivering 377,000 well-located homes over five years – and it expects Ku-ring-gai to deliver its share of 7,600 in the same period.
A critical element of delivering these targets is the government’s ‘Low- and Mid-Rise Housing’ (LMRH) Reforms. And over the weekend the government announced its approach by gradually updating parts of its website.
It appears that the LMRH is now split into two stages.
Stage 1 of LMRH, which commenced yesterday on 01 July 2024, allows for dual occupancies to be installed in any R2 low-density residential zone across NSW with the exception of certain sites that are affected by flood, bushfire, individually listed heritage items (but not heritage conservation areas), or other criteria.
Some residents will consider stage 1 of LMRH to be good news, as it makes it easier to enter the housing market and allow multi-generational families to live in proximity while having their separate space.
However at Ku-ring-gai we also recognise that if dual occupancies are implemented with the non-refusal parameters that the NSW Government had proposed in December 2023 (minimum lot size 450 sqm, floor space ratio 0.65:1), then it will have a detrimental impact on our urban tree canopy, biodiversity, climate resilience and heritage.
The problem that I have with the announcement over the weekend is that it is silent on the minimum lot size and floor space ratios for dual occupanices. And in the absence of these parameters, the impacts of these dual occupancies are unknown.
As a Council, we have previously proposed more appropriate parameters to the Department of Planning, and we will be following up to confirm its support to provide you as residents the certainty that you need.
Stage 2 of the LMRH involves additional density around train stations and town centres. Further details will be announced later in 2024 (I suspect after the Local Government elections to safeguard Labor candidates) with an implementation date set for the second half of 2̶0̶2̶5̶ 2024 [Department website said second half of 2025 on 01 July but when I checked again this morning it said second half of 2024].
Having said that, we are still in disagreement with a separate set of reforms called ‘Transport Oriented Development’ (TOD). These reforms were imposed on a small radius around Gordon, Killara, Lindfield and Roseville earlier this year.
Despite multiple requests to have sufficient time to plan for the TOD, the NSW Government pushed ahead with their April timeframe. The financial impact on ratepayers is over ten million, and to recover the costs we have had no choice but to take the State Government to court.
I have spoken to the Minister on 02 May and subsequently written to him twice saying that the court action can be avoided if he were to be consistent and given Ku-ring-gai the same opportunity for local planning that he gave to 12 other councils for the TOD (and now 128 councils for the LMRH stage 2). All he has to do is lift the map for our four TOD precincts and set a deferred commencement date in 2025. But he has not been interested in backing down from his position, so the only way we can protect your ratepayer funds is to go through the courts.
In May, Council also resolved for staff to identify different density scenarios for each of the four TOD precincts and to commence a public consultation process towards the end of this year.
N̶o̶w̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶e̶f̶e̶r̶r̶e̶d̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶m̶e̶n̶c̶e̶m̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶L̶M̶R̶H̶ ̶s̶t̶a̶g̶e̶ ̶2̶,̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶m̶e̶a̶n̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶K̶u̶-̶r̶i̶n̶g̶-̶g̶a̶i̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶o̶r̶e̶t̶i̶c̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶o̶p̶p̶o̶r̶t̶u̶n̶i̶t̶y̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶d̶u̶c̶t̶ ̶p̶l̶a̶n̶n̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶8̶0̶0̶m̶ ̶w̶a̶l̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶d̶i̶s̶t̶a̶n̶c̶e̶ ̶a̶r̶o̶u̶n̶d̶ ̶e̶a̶c̶h̶ ̶t̶r̶a̶i̶n̶ ̶s̶t̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶S̶t̶ ̶I̶v̶e̶s̶ ̶s̶h̶o̶p̶s̶.̶ ̶I̶f̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶g̶e̶t̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶d̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶b̶e̶f̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶m̶i̶d̶ ̶2̶0̶2̶5̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶p̶o̶t̶e̶n̶t̶i̶a̶l̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶t̶e̶c̶t̶ ̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶u̶r̶b̶a̶n̶ ̶t̶r̶e̶e̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶o̶p̶y̶,̶ ̶b̶i̶o̶d̶i̶v̶e̶r̶s̶i̶t̶y̶,̶ ̶c̶l̶i̶m̶a̶t̶e̶ ̶r̶e̶s̶i̶l̶i̶e̶n̶c̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶i̶t̶a̶g̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶s̶e̶r̶v̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶a̶s̶.̶[Paragraph stricken out due to Department of Planning website update on morning of 02 July]
̶
̶B̶u̶t̶ ̶C̶o̶u̶n̶c̶i̶l̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶y̶e̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶d̶i̶s̶c̶u̶s̶s̶ ̶o̶r̶ ̶r̶e̶s̶o̶l̶v̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶d̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶L̶M̶R̶H̶.̶.̶.̶.̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶l̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶s̶i̶d̶e̶r̶e̶d̶ ̶s̶o̶m̶e̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶s̶i̶m̶i̶l̶a̶r̶,̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶d̶i̶d̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶e̶n̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶s̶u̶p̶p̶o̶r̶t̶ ̶d̶u̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶a̶b̶s̶e̶n̶c̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶l̶o̶n̶g̶-̶t̶e̶r̶m̶ ̶t̶a̶r̶g̶e̶t̶s̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶S̶t̶a̶t̶e̶.̶ ̶A̶n̶d̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶s̶t̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶d̶o̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶y̶ ̶l̶o̶n̶g̶-̶t̶e̶r̶m̶ ̶t̶a̶r̶g̶e̶t̶s̶.̶ ̶Q̶L̶D̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶t̶a̶r̶g̶e̶t̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶r̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶2̶0̶4̶6̶,̶ ̶V̶I̶C̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶t̶a̶r̶g̶e̶t̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶r̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶2̶0̶5̶1̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶N̶S̶W̶ ̶o̶n̶l̶y̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶a̶ ̶f̶i̶v̶e̶ ̶y̶e̶a̶r̶ ̶t̶a̶r̶g̶e̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶r̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶2̶0̶2̶9̶.̶ ̶S̶o̶m̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶u̶n̶c̶i̶l̶l̶o̶r̶s̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶a̶r̶g̶u̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶d̶o̶e̶s̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶v̶i̶d̶e̶ ̶e̶n̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶c̶l̶a̶r̶i̶t̶y̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶K̶u̶-̶r̶i̶n̶g̶-̶g̶a̶i̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶e̶s̶t̶a̶b̶l̶i̶s̶h̶ ̶a̶ ̶l̶o̶n̶g̶-̶t̶e̶r̶m̶ ̶L̶o̶c̶a̶l̶ ̶E̶n̶v̶i̶r̶o̶n̶m̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶P̶l̶a̶n̶.̶[Paragraph stricken out due to Department of Planning website update on morning of 02 July]
̶
̶A̶n̶y̶w̶a̶y̶ ̶w̶e̶’̶l̶l̶ ̶s̶e̶e̶ ̶w̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶h̶a̶p̶p̶e̶n̶s̶.̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶r̶e̶’̶s̶ ̶s̶t̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶a̶ ̶l̶o̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶a̶m̶b̶i̶g̶u̶i̶t̶y̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶n̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶L̶M̶R̶H̶ ̶S̶t̶a̶g̶e̶ ̶1̶,̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶r̶e̶’̶s̶ ̶a̶ ̶f̶e̶w̶ ̶d̶e̶t̶a̶i̶l̶s̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶s̶t̶a̶f̶f̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶c̶l̶a̶r̶i̶f̶y̶ ̶b̶e̶f̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶m̶ ̶a̶ ̶p̶o̶s̶i̶t̶i̶o̶n̶.̶ [It’s a bit ridiculous that I had to cross out a large chunk of this Facebook post…. The Department should check their material and their dates before publishing the details on the Internet.]
Link to 01 July 2024 webpage.
https://web.archive.org/web/20240701140452/https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/policy-and-legislation/housing/diverse-and-well-located-homes
Link to 02 July 2024 webpage.
https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/policy-and-legislation/housing/diverse-and-well-located-homes
Last night I was delighted to attend Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra’s 40 year anniversary NSW Secondary Schools Concerto Competition Finals.
We have a lot of talented high school students and they each have promising careers ahead of them. I especially enjoyed the comraderie and support that they provided each other backstage.
The competition results are available on their website, and photos will become available later once there is consent.
When I first became Mayor I asked the staff what were we going to do support our athletes during the Paris Olympics.
One of their ideas was Ku-ring-gai’s inaugural Kids Olympics, which we will be running these school holidays with other sporting groups.
Our kids will have the opportunity to try out different sports like triathlon, tennis, football, and table tennis. We wanted to do this to promote awareness of sporting opportunities in the leadup to Paris.
More information is available at krg.nsw.gov.au/kidsolympics
Glad to attend the Ku-ring-gai and Hills Police Area Command 2024 Awards Ceremony, where 37 police officers and members of the public were recognised for their contributions to the community.
This was my second time attending such a ceremony and it was encouraging to hear about the bravery of the officers and civilians who have served us.
Last night as part of our Arts and Cultural Festival I attended the opening of a two week exhibit of Ku-ring-gai Artists at the Grace Cossington Smith Gallery at Abbotsleigh.
On display are works by Eva Barry, Annarie Hildebrand and Alan Tracey. It was good to chat to each of them afterwards to understand what inspired their works.
These works are on display for the next two weeks and they are also on sale. For more information visit
As you know Ku-ring-gai aspires to reach Net Zero by 2040, and part of this involves encouraging residents to electrify their transport.
We will be introducing more EV chargers in the coming months, and we also want to encourage residents to consider making their next car electric.
The NRMA recently held an EV test drive and awareness event at the HART driving school in St Ives. I was joined by Councillor Martin Smith and Councillor Kim Wheatley and we saw a wide range of vehicles manufactured by BMW, BYD, Ford, GWM, Hyundai, Kia, LDV, Mercedes, MG, Renault, Tesla and Volvo. There was also a VW Buggy retrofitted as an EV.
It was a good opportunity to test drive a number of vehicles and at this stage I still say that my personal favourite is the Tesla Model 3. Tesla has had more time to refine their product and it stands above the rest.
As part of Refugee Week we listened to the stories of recent migrants as they shared about hardships in their homeland, their journeys to Australia, the challenges of getting refugee status, and their desire to be productive citizens in society.
The event was held at Gordon Baptist and organised by various organisations under the umbrella of the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Multicultural Network Interagency.
We found this video to be helpful in introducing some of the issues.
https://youtu.be/25bwiSikRsI
Apparently it was Make Music Day today so we had a quartet from the Kuringai Youth Orchestra perform at the Lindfield Village Green from 3-4pm.
I only found out about it this week so we weren’t able to widely promote, and we’ll make sure it has a greater profile next year.
Councillor Barbara Ward and I popped by to take a look and it ended up being a good opportunity to talk to local residents… topics that they asked about included the Transport Oriented Development, Heritage Items, and the Lindfield Village Hub.
This week I joined “Happy Helen” to visit the South Turramurra Girl Guides . Helen helped the guides with a sewing lesson and I was there to talk about the role of government and civil service.
Some questions included:
What does council do? How big is Ku-ring-gai?
Favourite part of being a councillor / mayor?
What are those round things on your neck? Are they heavy?
How old are you? Did you plan to do this when growing up?
[I didn’t plan on becoming a councillor… I thought I’d end up serving the community at a church… The scouts and guides tend to prepare their people for community service]
How come you chose to join scouts? (Instead of guides)
[I grew up with a scout hall across the road so it was an easy choice]
🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺We welcomed 65 or so new Australian Citizens last night.
It’s great to have them join our wonderful country, and I’m also glad that we’ve finally worked through our Covid-backlog (previously been doing 160 citizens each month).
🪆🍀 Develop a multicultural inclusion plan and fund a multicultural festival (think of our well-attended Lunar New Year festival, but bigger).
🏐🍁Make amendments to the Canoon Road Recreation Area Plan of Management to make the site safer to use for under 9’s and more accessible to all age groups.
🏃♀️➡️🏃➡️Reclassify the Roseville Chase Bowling Site to Community Land and develop a masterplan for future recreational use.
⚽️🏑Support Hornsby Council in lobbying for the retention of funding to develop Westleigh Park, which will provide critical infrastructure for residents in Northern Sydney.
📐🔍Make further improvements to our Enterprise Risk Framework and Internal Audit Charter, in alignment with updated requirements from the Office of Local Government.
🌆🏙️We also discussed 345 Pacific Highway, however that is a complex issue and I’d prefer to provide a more detailed post later this week after the recommendations of the Sydney North Planning Panel are also published. It’s not helpful to talk about it in little chunks.
Following considerable public interest as well as some confusion about the range of different housing policies and targets out there, the Council is running a series of community information sessions on the NSW Government’s Low- and Mid-Rise Housing SEPP changes.
The first session was held last night at Council chambers and it was well attended. There are further sessions available both in person and online, and if interested you are free to register to attend whichever one is most convenient for you. The content will be almost exactly the same at each session as the policy change applies consistently across NSW.
As part of Ku-ring-gai’s inaugural Net Zero Communities Grant (funded by our Environmental Levy) we sponsored EnergyZE to hold a community event where like-minded people shared tips on how reducing our carbon footprint.
Presentations were made by:
Dr Kate Wilson, a St Ives resident who previously worked as Executive Director for Climate Change and Sustainability under the former NSW Government;
Kristen McDonald, a former Roseville Public School student (from my year) who now works as the Mobilisation and Engagement Manager at Rewiring Australia; and
Myself as the Mayor, sharing about Ku-ring-gai’s sustainability initiatives.
Afterwards we answered questions as a panel.
I think Kate and Kristen’s presentations will become available later on the EnergyZE website, and mine is available in the link below.
On Friday night we attended the opening of Judith Franklin’s “Country Connection” exhibition at the Ku-ring-gai Art Centre.
Through Art, Judith expresses her culture and life experiences through a range of traditional and contemporary mediums. Her exhibit goes on through to 28 June on weekdays and some of her work is also up for sale. We are also looking into making the exhibit open to public next weekend as well.
For those interested, Judith is also hosting Aboriginal Dot Art Classes these next two Wednesdays. For more information, visit
https://www.krg.nsw.gov.au/Things-to-do/Events-and-festivals/Gai-mariagal-Festival
Last year, the Australian Electoral Commission said that electoral boundaries had to be redrawn – with NSW losing one seat to WA – to ensure approximately equal representation across Australia (178,000 residents per electorate).
The upcoming ‘redistribution’ triggered really strange proposals from political parties and political aspirants. Each party looked to maximise their own chances of forming government by splitting the seats of their opposition, then assimilating the most favourable polling booths to strengthen their own position.
But these proposals were disappointing because they put their political ambitions before the needs of the people.
In my own submission, I suggested that it made sense for each Local Government Area to be represented by ONE Member of Parliament, rather than for an LGA to be split apart like rags among two or three members. The problem with having multiple MPs for an LGA is that their constituents never get a good deal… they end up with MPs whose attention is divided and who do not have the opportunity to give them the attention they deserve.
So I was very pleased to see the independent committee’s proposed redistribution boundaries when they became publicly available yesterday. The boundaries have been adjusted to now mostly follow LGA boundary lines, and it provides certainty and improved service for (most of) the residents of our eight Northern Sydney Councils.
1️⃣ All Hornsby Council residents are now proposed for the federal seat of Berowra.
2️⃣ The entirety of Ku-ring-gai Council plus the vast majority of Willoughby Council are now proposed for the federal seat of Bradfield.
3️⃣ The entirety of Ryde, Hunters Hill and Lane Cove Council as well as a small sliver of Willoughby are now proposed for the federal seat of Bennelong.
4️⃣ The entirety of North Sydney and Mosman Council are now proposed for the federal seat of Warringah.
Of course, it’s also sad to see that NSW’s slower population growth has led to the loss of one seat (North Sydney) but I am of the view that with population growth we will get it back again next decade.
Boundaries and MPs will continue to change with the seasons, but it’s important to recognise the contribution of each of our local MPs. I have a great deal of respect for each of the incumbents regardless of Liberal, Labor or Teal.
I haven’t been active on social media this week because we have multiple sick family members. What started as a restful long weekend up the coast (my first break since January) ended up being a trip to and long wait at Gosford Hospital ED for the little one, and I’ve had to be more hands on with the kids this week.
I understand that half our councillors have been sick this fortnight as well!
As for what’s been happening, we had a well-attended public forum on Tuesday night where we had 16 registered speeches.
On Wednesday I attended the 70th Anniversary and changeover for the Ku-ring-gai Lions as well as the initiation of the Leo Club of Ku-ring-gai. It was encouraging to see so many people prepared to serve their community.
On Thursday I had a meeting with the NSW Local Government Grants Commission where they shared about the process and outcomes of their latest distribution of federal grants across each LGA. I’ll share more about this in a separate post. We also had our quarterly Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee.
Today I briefly presented at a briefing for the Sydney North Planning Panel and tonight we have the opening of Judith Franklin’s Country Connections solo exhibition at the Ku-ring-gai Art Centre, 5:30-7:30pm. This is part of the Gai-mariagal Festival, celebrating the culture and heritage of First Nations people across this month.
I’ve been trying to keep up with the emails but there’s a bit of a backlog right now. Hoping to sort it out in the coming week.
Last month my wife and I had a quiet morning at Pure Brew Co. Gordon. It’s a great place to stop for a drink or a meal, or to study. They even had the UNSW and USYD academic timetables posted on the wall… I’m glad that I’m finished with all that study!
On 16 June, we are scheduled to plant trees at the West Pymble Village Green as part of a scientific and educational initiative on climate adaptation. This Tiny Forest will cover 5% of the site, and towards the edge. More information is available on Council’s website.
https://www.krg.nsw.gov.au/tinyforest
Reflecting on the overall comms leading up to 16 June, I think things could have been better.
We had fenced off almost half the site for related works / equipment movements, causing some residents to wonder whether half the site would be planted when in fact it is a much smaller area affected.
Council did consult nearby properties as part of the process and that should be commended, but with these plus our traffic developments, I think that in addition to household letters we can also provide more information on the website upfront and seek online submissions from the wider neighbourhood.
We will be revising Council’s Community Participation Plan in the coming months to improve the resident experience.
p.s. Photo was taken soon after my flu vaccination, hence the lollypop.
There are three separate State-led housing reforms that will lead to Ku-ring-gai’s population doubling within a few decades.
But we currently have residents out there (unintentionally or intentionally) mixing up the names of the reforms, mixing up suburb names, and mixing up the targets and durations so as to achieve their own political goals.
So just to be clear I will provide links to each of the reforms here.
NSW is seeking to deliver 377,000 new homes within 5 years under the National Housing Accord. Of the 377,000, Ku-ring-gai’s share is 7,600.
https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/policy-and-legislation/housing/housing-targets
As part of delivering the target, there are three separate reforms being applied by the State to Ku-ring-gai.
In December 2023 they introduced in-fill affordable housing provisions.
https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-12/in-fill-affordable-housing-practice-note.pdf
In April 2024 they introduced Transport Oriented Development Part 2 provisions.
https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-12/transport-oriented-development-program.pdf
This month they will be introducing Low- and Mid-Rise Housing reforms.
https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-12/eie-changes-to-create-low-and-mid-rise-housing.pdf
Two months ago I was talking about how this state gov advertising sign that double up as an EV Charger was limited in use due to the charging cable being too short.
Well the provider (Jolt) has fixed that now and as you can see, the cable is long enough to plug in.
It charged at 12.3kwh and the first 7kw is free.
Elsewhere in Ku-ring-gai, local council has 15 free chargers at the Lindfield Village Green and there are more council-owned ones coming to North Turramurra, Turramurra and West Pymble.
Great to have Dr Zeny Edwards OAM as guest speaker earlier this week at an event hosted by Council and the Ku-ring-gai Historical Society.
Zeny Edwards was previously the president of the National Trust and a Chair of the UN Women NSW Chapter. She has made various contributions to heritage, peacekeeping, and other social cohesion initiatives so it was good to have her with us.
Thanks also to Cr Barbara Ward who played a part in pulling this together.
My daughter’s at the point now where she loves to read storybooks, but I’m hoping to broaden her knowledge with non-fiction as well.
I borrowed a few books from the Gordon Library last night and although I had forgotten to bring my physical library card, I was fortunate to login to the library app and use my virtual card.
The kids were keen to dig into the books but I told them it was bedtime and they’d have to wait til the morning.
The NSW Government has just released its housing targets for each council to strive for in the coming 5 year period. For Ku-ring-gai it means 7,600 homes in the 5 years to 30 June 2029.
Under the state’s transport oriented and low- and mid-rise housing provisions, Ku-ring-gai can theoretically meet those targets. The supply is theoretically there. But my concern is whether there are enough construction workers to deliver on this theoretical target.
The target is also too short term. QLD has targets through to 2046, which allows councils to properly plan and deliver infrastructure for future generations. We believe that each council should receive a 20-year target to aspire to, and that councils are best placed to determine where the housing densities should go.
If Ku-ring-gai had the opportunity to deliver long term planning, it may result in the protection of heritage conservation areas and urban tree canopy in some places while other parts of each suburb may have greater density that improves the financial viability and timing of housing delivery.
It’s all well and good to offer councils a financial incentive for meeting these housing targets, but the main constraint here isn’t councils but is rather the availability of construction workers.
We joined other LGNSW councils this morning in meeting with the Minister for Housing and the Minister for Planning. Most of the questions were around the delivery of social and affordable housing.
They said that today, the Premier will be announcing each LGA’s share of the five-year 377,000 housing target. I can’t comment on it until I see the numbers, so we just sit and wait. 🍿 As for longer term targets for each LGA (which would help us with setting up a new LEP), there is currently no information.
As part of the street tree planting initiative in Roseville, Council held an event on the weekend where we discussed the importance of trees and shared ideas on how to keep Ku-ring-gai Green. I was joined by Councillor Alec Taylor and Councillor Barbara Ward.
Council was also giving away tree saplings, and I was invited by Paul and Sue to visit their home afterwards to plant two of them.
It’s International Burger Day so I visited Happi Burger Lindfield for their lunch special. Even at 11am it had good patronage from the Coles construction workers across the road. The burger was quite intense! Worth checking out if that’s your kind of thing, though I’d also say take it in moderation along with regular diet and exercise.
Earlier this month I attended the St Ives Agricultural Show with Councillor Martin Smith and Councillor Kim Wheatley .
We looked at the winning entries for this year’s competition. In particular we enjoyed Ethan’s junior entry for novelty cake.
It was a well attended event with plenty of rides and food stalls. The St Ives show runs each year on the third weekend of May so we’ll see you there again 17-18 May 2025.
As part of the annual Gai-mariagal Festival, we had Aboriginal elder and artist Walangari Karntawarra create a traditional sand painting at the Lindfield Village Green. He shared about his culture and local kids got involved with creating the artwork, which continues to be on display and apparently lasts until it rains.
I was joined by Councillors Simon Lennon, Barbara Ward, Alec Taylor, and Christine Kay (from left to right in picture).
Ku-ring-gai will also be hold other events as part of the Gai-mariagal Festival.
Gordon Library is offering a free screening of the film Lionel Rose on 5 June about the extraordinary rise and fall of Australia’s first indigenous boxing world champion.
The Country Connections exhibition at Ku-ring-gai Art Centre between 14 and 28 June features the work of Darkinjung artist Judith Franklin, who will also host two dot painting workshops at the Centre.
Mudgee-based Indigiearth catering company presents a unique dining experience on 15 June with owner and Ngemba Weilwan woman Sharon Winsor. Along with Australian native food prepared with modern techniques and traditional methods you can enjoy authentic entertainment, musical and cultural storytelling.
For more information visit
https://www.gai-mariagal-festival.com.au/events-2024.html
Meet Dylan from Lendecon. He has identified a problem where we tend to buy equipment and use it once or twice while it sits inactive over 99% of the time. How good would it be if instead of owning the equipment (and committing to the embodied energy / resource used), we can search a directory and borrow from one another?
He has setup a platform to enable this and you can find it at
https://www.lendecon.com.au
Earlier this week I visited the 2nd/3rd Lindfield Cub Scouts where they asked about Local Government, my role as Mayor, and about my own time as a Cub Scout in the 90’s. Some questions include: – What does Council do? – Which day does the garbage get collected? – Favourite part as Mayor? – Least favourite part as Mayor? – Do I enjoy flying? – Favourite activity as a Cub Scout? – What is Damper? – Did I have a woggle? – How can the scouts serve the community?
Yesterday, Councillor Simon Lennon and I presented wreaths on behalf of the community at Living Hope Anglican (St Martin’s Killara). It was also good to see the memorial created for Killara residents who gave their lives for our freedom, and hear from the personal experience of residents who had been affected by war.
This morning I will be attending services at Roseville, Wahroonga and Turramurra.
This week, Council held a free movie screening of Fall Guy at the Roseville Cinemas for all of our volunteers who give up their time to support the community, whether it be to respond to extreme weather events, provide care for our elderly and youth, look after our financially or domestically vulnerable, or care for our environment.
While in Roseville I also stopped by at my favourite bakery for a Steak, Chilli Mexican Pie.
This week, Council held a free movie screening of Fall Guy at the @[100063868380258:2048:Roseville Cinemas] for all of our volunteers who give up their time to support the community, whether it be to respond to extreme weather events, provide care for our elderly and youth, look after our financially or domestically vulnerable, or care for our environment.
While in Roseville I also stopped by at my favourite bakery for a Steak, Chilli Mexican Pie.
I’m at my favourite chicken store for the next 2 hours if anyone wants to talk to me. If there’s extra customers over lunchtime then I’ll move to a nearby bench.
Yesterday was Wear It Orange Wednesday, a national day to thank the tens of thousands of volunteers who serve the community through storms, floods, road crashes, and other first responder incidents. These guys are the true heroes as they freely do it out of genuine care for the community.
Yesterday I was invited to visit Parliament House to deliver an opening statement then answer questions at the Transport Oriented Development Parliamentary Inquiry. Although it was not a perfect process, it was encouraging to see this aspect of democracy at work and I’m glad that we had the opportunity to share our experience of recent events.
Great weather and an enjoyable run with over 2,000 participating in the Lindfield Fun Run this year, raising funds for KYDS Youth Development Service and Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter.
🌳🌳🌳 At Council we recognise the role that trees play in keeping our suburbs cool and fresh while also providing a home for our wildlife.
On my way to work, I met these sub-contractors who have been planting trees the last few days. They said that the trees were generally well received by the majority of residents they met.
Last week I visited the Men’s Kitchen, where their aim is to teach men how to cook.
A typical session involves 10 men and 3 instructors. The men choose what they want to cook from a recipe book and purchase the ingredients beforehand. The instructors provide guidance on the day and then they sit together afterwards to enjoy what they’ve cooked.
It’s a great way for the men to become independent or to provide for loved ones, while also building up a sense of community.
At Ku-ring-gai they meet on Thursdays in Lindfield and Fridays in Turramurra. For more information, contact info.kg@menskitchen.org.au
Earlier this year, the Men’s Kitchen were the recipients of the Mayor’s Award for an Outstanding Contribution by a Community Group.
Last week I visited the Men’s Kitchen, where their aim is to teach men how to cook.
A typical session involves 10 men and 3 instructors. The men choose what they want to cook from a recipe book and purchase the ingredients beforehand. The instructors provide guidance on the day and then they sit together afterwards to enjoy what they’ve cooked.
It’s a great way for the men to become independent or to provide for loved ones, while also building up a sense of community.
At Ku-ring-gai they meet on Thursdays in Lindfield and Fridays in Turramurra. For more information, contact info.kg@menskitchen.org.au
Earlier this year, the Men’s Kitchen were the recipients of the Mayor’s Award for an Outstanding Contribution by a Community Group.
I want to make it clear that I have no problem with 6 storey buildings. People gotta live somewhere and I welcome them.
But what I have a problem with is the state government claiming that heritage controls will be respected, because in practice they cannot.
In the Transport Oriented Development (TOD) program documentation it says that “heritage controls will apply to the extent they are not inconsistent with the new standards”.
In the SEPP it says that the consent authority cannot apply more onerous standards than the maximum height and floor space ratio set within the TOD provisions.
I’ve asked the Planning Minister multiple times in person and in writing how it is possible that we do FSR 3:1 in an HCA (later revised to FSR 2.5:1, matching what’s in this image) while still following the Apartment Design Guide for amenity. He told me the usual spiel about how councils have the ability to assess against heritage.
This is a problem not just for Sydney’s North, but also for the Ashfield, Dulwich Hill, and Marrickville. But for the Inner West they’ve kicked the can down to December and it’s currently radio silence.
The government just needs to say it as it is. The Heritage Conservation Areas within a TOD precinct will be a thing of the past.
Once again I need to make it clear that I have no problem with 6 storey buildings. My problem is the message that HCAs are compatible with the TOD.
And at Ku-ring-gai we are exploring ways to save these HCAs while still providing great infrastructure outcomes for future residents.
Happy Mothers Day! Check out our Mothers Day portraits from students at Lindfield Public, Holy Family Primary, and Reddam. The competition is organised by the Lindfield Chamber of Commerce and the portraits hosted by…
Café Lyon Lindfield
Chem Pro Chemist
Ciao Down
DiJones Lindfield
Gelatiamo
Jeeves Dry Cleaners
Lindfield Print
@lindfield_specialty_butcher
My Sewing Supplies
Ogalo Lindfield
Stone Real Estate
Swimart Lindfield
I had four radio, two newspaper, and two television interviews yesterday.
The way it usually works is they ask a bunch of questions and then you only get quoted for a few seconds (TV) or a few sentences (print). So the full message never goes out unless there’s a really smart pre-prepared soundbite.
The media was keen on discussing the unanimous vote on legal action. But on hindsight, I think I should have drawn more attention to our other unanimous vote to explore alternate scenarios for each of the TOD precincts. I did talk about it in most interviews, but I guess that’s not what the media is interested in portraying (with wordcount).
1. It makes the hills easy to climb. I would struggle with Tryon, Nelson and Culworth on my push bike but the e-bike makes it effortless.
2. I wish it had indicator signals. Using arms to signal left and right turn is a pain.
3. Still very conscious of sharing the road with cars, and overall safety. Because I’m not moving quickly, I sometimes pull over to let cars pass.
4. Our roads are great for cars but some are not so good for cyclists. Need good wheels and suspension.
5. It takes a lot longer to get to places, but if you have the time it’s a great way to check out the neighbourhood.
My first thoughts on this eight week eBike trial.
1. It makes the hills easy to climb. I would struggle with Tryon, Nelson and Culworth on my push bike but the e-bike makes it effortless.
2. I wish it had indicator signals. Using arms to signal left and right turn is a pain.
3. Still very conscious of sharing the road with cars, and overall safety. Because I’m not moving quickly, I sometimes pull over to let cars pass.
4. Our roads are great for cars but some are not so good for cyclists. Need good wheels and suspension.
5. It takes a lot longer to get to places, but if you have the time it’s a great way to check out the neighbourhood.
The Planning Proposal for 345 Pacific Highway will be decided by the Ku-ring-gai Local Planning Panel on Monday 20 May, 12:30pm.
I haven’t had time to read through the reports but on page 35 the recommendation appears to suggest a reduced height of 12 storeys and FSR of 3.5:1. My own concern regarding Pacific Highway road widening appears to also have been covered, although I have yet to look into the detail.
Ku-ring-gai Councillors have no influence over what this independent planning panel does. The independent panel also has no obligation to follow the recommendations of the assessing officer.
With normal development applications, the meeting is open to the public but for an item like this, it’s closed off from public for some reason (I think that’s weird). I’ll ask council staff if there is a way for the public to make submissions.
So council just met and voted unanimously to proceed with legal action as well as to explore different density scenarios for our four Transport Oriented Development precincts.
I understand that there are some residents concerned about the cost of legal action but let me assure you, the benefits far outweigh the cost. In the last six months alone, Ku-ring-gai has already lost tens of millions in lost infrastructure opportunities as a result of a State Government that has shown no interest in talking to us prior to making detrimental decisions.
The value destruction is extensive.
They expect us to deliver the housing – and I am certainly up for the challenge – but to cripple both infrastructure expenses and funding before imposing a SEPP is just poor form.
13 councils have been willing to engage with the State to get the best possible outcomes, but the State was only genuinely interested in working with 12.
Wishing my good friend a speedy recovery. He has been a great representative for our people, and before his time in parliament I have enjoyed my chats with him at the blood donation clinic.
In the interim, any State queries are covered by other MPs who are familiar with our local area.
Meet Zac from the team at West Pymble Pharmacy and Pymble Pharmacy . They provide walk-in flu vaccinations on most weekdays, just call up in advance to confirm his availability.
It cost me $25 but for residents over 65 it is free.
Meet Zac from the team at @[100094667931538:2048:West Pymble Pharmacy] and @[100057157492830:2048:Pymble Pharmacy] . They provide walk-in flu vaccinations on most weekdays, just call up in advance to confirm his availability.
It cost me $25 but for residents over 65 it is free.
For those familiar with ‘The Trolley Problem’ then this is my summary of the dilemma that faces all councillors tomorrow night. We do it one way and get criticised. We do it another way and also get criticised. Critics from both sides don’t understand the complexity of the situation. As for how the trolley got to where it is right now, that is a frustrating thing as well… I wish the State Government was more genuine in its intent to collaborate with Local Government. And my perspective on the matter is covered in yesterday morning’s post (photo taken in the city).
𝗡𝗼 𝗜’𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗨𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗘𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿.
I’ve been researching electric cargo bikes with the intention of taking my kids on school runs and doing other fun stuff. Bikes give you some exercise, take up a lot less space than a car, and are cheaper to run.
But they’re not THAT cheap.
This one here is a Tern GSD S10. If purchased upfront with a whole bunch of accessories it’s about $9,000. Who has that kind of money for a hobby?
I’ve actually been considering something similar at half the price. The Aventon Abound with accessories is about $4,000. I’ve seen the reviews and I reckon it’s just as good if not even better. But there’s one slight problem… it’s not street legal! It has a 750W motor but NSW legislation only allows for 500W / 25kmh motors. And even if you put a speed limiting device on the bike, the power means that it is still breaking the law. [Though I doubt a police officer would ever know your e-bike’s motor output.]
Anyway I’ve been agonizing over it. So many options to buy, all of them so overpriced or illegal, that the decision is too hard to make and I end up doing nothing. I’d rather save the money for a family holiday, or leave it in the mortgage offset account.
If I did get one, perhaps I’d earn the money back through some deliveries.
On a more serious note, I do believe that eBikes will become more common in our TOD precincts when families only have one parking spot and no ability to street park. When I walk around places like Crows Nest I already see bikes everywhere, and it’s going to be similar if we end up with 20,000 new dwellings around four train stations.
As Mayor, I’d therefore want to try one out for an extended period and understand the infrastructure implications (similar to how I was the first councillor to get an EV).
If you search for ‘electric bike hire’ there’s a few options to get a bike for the short term. One such provider is Lug+Carrie which is currently doing a half price eBike ‘trial’ in Ku-ring-gai so I’ll probably end up with them. But I’d encourage anyone interested to do the research and figure out which provider gives the best value for your personal circumstances.
𝗡𝗼 𝗜’𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗨𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗘𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿.
I’ve been researching electric cargo bikes with the intention of taking my kids on school runs and doing other fun stuff. Bikes give you some exercise, take up a lot less space than a car, and are cheaper to run.
But they’re not THAT cheap.
This one here is a Tern GSD S10. If purchased upfront with a whole bunch of accessories it’s about $9,000. Who has that kind of money for a hobby?
I’ve actually been considering something similar at half the price. The Aventon Abound with accessories is about $4,000. I’ve seen the reviews and I reckon it’s just as good if not even better. But there’s one slight problem… it’s not street legal! It has a 750W motor but NSW legislation only allows for 500W / 25kmh motors. And even if you put a speed limiting device on the bike, the power means that it is still breaking the law. [Though I doubt a police officer would ever know your e-bike’s motor output.]
Anyway I’ve been agonizing over it. So many options to buy, all of them so overpriced or illegal, that the decision is too hard to make and I end up doing nothing. I’d rather save the money for a family holiday, or leave it in the mortgage offset account.
If I did get one, perhaps I’d earn the money back through some deliveries.
On a more serious note, I do believe that eBikes will become more common in our TOD precincts when families only have one parking spot and no ability to street park. When I walk around places like Crows Nest I already see bikes everywhere, and it’s going to be similar if we end up with 20,000 new dwellings around four train stations.
As Mayor, I’d therefore want to try one out for an extended period and understand the infrastructure implications (similar to how I was the first councillor to get an EV).
If you search for ‘electric bike hire’ there’s a few options to get a bike for the short term. One such provider is @[100063454519480:2048:Lug+Carrie] which is currently doing a half price eBike ‘trial’ in Ku-ring-gai so I’ll probably end up with them. But I’d encourage anyone interested to do the research and figure out which provider gives the best value for your personal circumstances.View in Window
Of the Killara residents I met yesterday, NSW Housing Policy was the main topic but Marian Street Theatre was mentioned as well.
Council currently has an approved Development Application to renew and expand the theatre. The 2018 community-led price estimate was $10m, but an experienced quantity sureyor has priced it at $24m. This is for a 249 seat theatre, as site constraints cannot support more than that without triggering other issues.
Council currently does not have $24m of 𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 funds sitting around so residents have been keen to explore alternate funding solutions.
One idea has been to borrow money. This was a popular idea in 2021 but Australia’s cash rate has since gone up from 0.10% to a 10-year high of 4.35%. Most bank loans are 5-7%. So if council had borrowed money to build the theatre, it would have been over a million of interest alone, plus principal repayments and operating costs taking it to $2m per year.
Another idea has been to use developer contributions. This currently isn’t possible as Marian Street Theatre is not listed in Ku-ring-gai’s 2010 Contributions Plan, though the contributions plan will eventually have to be updated to reflect the dramatic changes anticipated from NSW Housing Policy. As for why Council hasn’t updated it for 14 years, it’s because the Contributions Plan was developed under a legacy system where contributions were not capped. However the modern system imposes caps to the size of each contribution, which has made it extremely difficult for other councils to raise funds to deliver much-needed infrastructure. NSW councils have been complaining about this issue for years! But Ku-ring-gai is fortunate to have established a development contributions plan just before the change in the system, and so has held onto the old plan to maximise the infrastructure we deliver for you.
The increased population will not only increase the volume of development contributions (for upfront construction costs), but also an increase in rates and fees (for covering ongoing operational costs). This may improve the viability of the theatre in the coming years.
Before the announcement of all these housing policy changes, another funding option floated has been a once off increase in rates (special rates variation) similar to what Hornsby and Willoughby have done in the last two years. In Ku-ring-gai’s case, we have had a 40% increase in operating costs in the last decade while the rates that we collect (which are pegged by the State Government) have only increased by 28%. Council can continue to identify cost efficiencies but at some point, there will be no more to squeeze out.
Yet another idea has been to sell community land to fund the theatre. But in an LGA where we are expecting the population to double, selling off community recreation space is a bit short-sighted.
There was also the option of using proceeds from the sale of the old Lindfield library site to fund the build of the new theatre – and this is an idea that I still support to this day. But with the new library delayed in its current form, it means the sale of the old library is delayed and there is a chain reaction to the timing of Marian Street Theatre.
In all of the sceanrios mentioned above, I wouldn’t expect Council to be able to fund the construction of the theatre until 2026/7. And for someone with a long-term view like myself, that’s fine. But I also understand that for Killara residents, they would prefer a shorter (but unachievable) time horizon.
I also understand that with a local government election coming up, there is already electioneering on this topic. The reality though is that all Gordon ward candidates will likely want to build the theatre, and regardless of who the community elects, each councillor will be faced by the same constraints listed above. Don’t think that by electing so-and-so, it will improve outcomes on this particualr issue. You’ll need to decide who to vote for based on other criteria.
In February, our Gordon Ward councillors moved a motion to explore a lower cost ‘open the doors’ option for the Marian Street Theatre. That report will come out in June, and will inform us of whether there is a viable lower cost way of reviving the theatre.
Thanks Bunnings Pymble for inviting KYDS Youth Development Service to run the inaugural sausage sizzle. All proceeds went to supporting young people with mental health services. You can find out more at www.kyds.org.au
Thanks @[114392424590704:274:Bunnings Pymble] for inviting @[100057506479179:2048:KYDS Youth Development Service] to run the inaugural sausage sizzle. All proceeds went to supporting young people with mental health services. You can find out more at www.kyds.org.au
I first wrote to the Planning Minister in November requesting a meeting to discuss housing. This he arranged for mid-February and later postponed to end-February. It took over three months to get the meeting, but at least he’s more responsive than the Transport Minister (crickets).
At the February meeting I asked for 12 months to plan for our Transport Oriented Development (TOD) precincts and he said NO. He later gave other (Labor) councils extensions ranging from 9-15 months.
He also said that we’d meet again in March, but then cancelled on me.
We finally met a second time in May and once again on grounds of fairness, I asked for 12 months similar to what he had offered other councils. He said NO. I told him that some residents wanted Council to commence a legal challenge if there wasn’t time to do proper planning.
On grounds of fairness, I also asked for funding to support some of our most pressing amenity needs (public open space, which we need to secure now as it cannot be retrofit). I said if he can make it work, we’ll promote it as a win-win. But surprise surprise, he said NO.
I pointed to the TOD Part 1 (Accelerated Precincts) program which aims to provide 47,800 homes in 15 years within a 1,200m radius of eight centres such as Crows Nest, Hornsby and Macquarie Park. I said it was unfair that they were getting $520m of infrastructure funding (~$10,800 per dwelling, 6,000 dwellings per centre) when we were getting no funding for 5,000 dwellings within an area 1/9th the size. And four of these.
He stuck with the no infrastructure funding line, and told me that I was wrong… That it was 47,800 dwelling in five years, and that there would be many more homes to come. He did say, however, that if Ku-ring-gai wanted to establish an Accelerated Precinct with 1,200m of a train station, he’d be open to talking about funding.
Of course I didn’t commit to anything as that would require a decision of council. But I did tell him that he needs to update his website if the intent genuinely is 47,800 dwellings in five years, because since December it has been saying 15 years.
If Labor had been genuine in working with Ku-ring-gai, we would have had a different outcome.
𝗡𝗦𝗪 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝘁
You may have read in the papers that 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁. This is not a decision that should be taken lightly, however, I believe that it is necessary in the interest of future and current residents.
The first reason is 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. In my first meeting with the Planning Minister (over 3 months after I requested it), I asked for a 12 month extension to consult with the community and establish proper planning for the four Transport Oriented Development precincts and he said NO. Later on I find out that he has offered similar extensions to the majority of other councils, and is using Ku-ring-gai as the scapegoat. So what’s with that? It seems like the only way to get an extension is to go to court.
The second reason is 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. These TOD precincts will generate over $200 million in Housing and Productivity Contributions for the State Government, but when I asked the Planning Minister to assist us with some of our most time-sensitive / critical infrastructure needs (i.e. open space, which cannot be retrofitted) he did not commit to giving us a single cent. 𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗱 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗞𝘂-𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴-𝗴𝗮𝗶, 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱 $𝟮𝟬𝟬𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝘅𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀? Meanwhile, TOD Part 1 gets $520m of funding.
The third reason is out of respect for 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲. Now for those who have tracked my 6.5 years on council, I am not a heritage yes-man. On each occasion, whether it be a heritage conservation area or an individual heritage listing, I personally assess what’s proposed on its merits and I vote accordingly. Sometimes I vote in support of heritage listing. At other times I’ve been boo’d and scolded by residents during council meetings for voting against heritage protections on specific items that I didn’t believe met threshold. But what NSW Labor has legislated means the complete destruction of all heritage conservation areas. I do not believe it is possible to do floor space ratio 2.5:1 and height 22m while maintaining the integrity of a garden-style heritage conservation area. And many of Ku-ring-gai’s HCA’s are definitely worth fighting for.
Like the open letter before this, it is not a matter that should be taken lightly. Having said that, when there is so much at stake then I do believe it is worth taking a risk-based approach to decision making.
I do want Ku-ring-gai to provide more housing for the residents of tomorrow, but I also want it done on fair and just terms.
Yesterday we were joined by a group of Korean residents who came to learn about Australia’s three levels of government, Ku-ring-gai’s specific responsbilities and services, as well as the ways they can contribute to Ku-ring-gai’s policies and decision making. Glad to meet so many engaged residents.
I’m pleased to announce that Council has appointed our Acting General Manager David Marshall as Ku-ring-gai’s next General Manager.
During his seven months in the acting role, he has led a range of process improvements.
We conducted a customer service audit which led to improvements to our training, procedures and systems that will lead to more timely response in the coming months.
For residents concerned about the ongoing loss of tree canopy and habitat destruction, Council’s response is limited by State law but we have introduced order provisions under the EP&A Act to require replacement planting of illegally removed trees, with regular follow-ups and fines if the order is breached.
With our asset infrastructure backlog, we have identified new methods which may significantly bring down the cost of maintaining our ageing stormwater infrastrucutre…. expected savings of ~$100m over the lifetime of the assets.
We have introduced a library app and are investigating the provision of an app to cover borader council services.
We are now reviewing the Development Application process, seeing what we can do to streamline the process and improve the customer experience as a whole. Other service reviews will be announced in the coming months.
Internally, councillors are also getting better follow-up to their queries, regular activity updates, and a proactive response to regulatory change.
In particular, David has been responsive to each councillor’s concerns regarding the upcoming Transport Oriented Development and Low- and Mid-Rise Housing policy changes. His role is to proactively provide the councillors with information and options to consider, then to carry out whatever it is that Council resolves. It was also his proactivity that resulted in early resident notification in January when other councils had not yet grasped the implications.
There were other promising candidates in the selection process as well. I would have been happy to work with any of them, though was of the view that David would be the most appropriate for Ku-ring-gai at this point in time. Local Government plays a sepcial role in the community and I am encouraged at the talent that is contributing to the sector.
To celebrate the end of uni, the kids wanted Deep Fried Ice Cream so we went to SILK Dining at St Ives Shopping Village. The food is pretty amazing and generously portioned – much better than what you could get in Chatswood – and it was quite a peaceful experience on an early Monday night.
Bubs was fine with me carrying her again, so that was a bonus.
To celebrate the end of uni, the kids wanted Deep Fried Ice Cream so we went to @[100063619295866:2048:SILK Dining] at @[100063684966751:2048:St Ives Shopping Village]. The food is pretty amazing and generously portioned – much better than what you could get in Chatswood – and it was quite a peaceful experience on an early Monday night.
Bubs was fine with me carrying her again, so that was a bonus.
We have had some queries about the General Manager recruitment process so I can say the following.
A. We had the help of an independent, experienced and well-priced external recruitment firm.
B. We had a large number of job applications, including several strong candidates.
C. We had a first round of interviews last month and the final round interview will be later this week. [The candidates are all fantastic and I’d be happy to work with any of them.]
D. After the final interviews, the ten councillors will likely resolve to make an offer to one of the candidates (subject to final negotiations on duration, package, etc.).
E. We probably won’t be able to announce the new General Manager until next week. Please be patient.
The recruitment process has taken up some of my time in recent weeks, but I’ve spent a larger chunk of it on housing policy.
Initial thoughts on yesterday’s Transport Oriented Development (TOD) Part 2 provisions.
Please note that I’m talking about what’s in the legislation itself, not what’s in a media release (which is not legally binding).
https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/pdf/asmade/epi-2024-135
The 400m radius remains the same. Some would question whether it is realistic when TOD Part 1 uses a 1,200m distance.
The changes to height and floor space ratio sound gentler but in reality do not fix anything. What’s proposed is equivalent to the Lindfield IGA development with one less floor. There will still be no setback and it won’t achieve Greater Sydney’s 40% urban canopy target by 2036. The reduction in FSR will also mean that the any proposed development is less feasible, resulting in a slower rate of housing delivery.
The minimum lot width is a welcome change and will result in better outcomes for future residents.
2% minimum affordable housing target is very low. The Inner West for example has 15% in perpetuity and the Northern Beaches has targeted 10% in selected areas.
The SEPP itself is silent on heritage, and there are some provisions which might suggest the heritage conservation areas are still under threat. Further clarification is required.
It is also unclear whether a subsequent council-led change to the Local Environment Plan could result in the removal of the SEPP. What was proposed in December suggested that this was an option, but the SEPP that was gazetted yesterday does not provide for this. I will ask the Minister on Thursday.
I expect the state to raise $1.5Bn of Housing and Productivity Contributions from these developments in 37 precincts, but nothing has been committed to improving local infrastructure. This is different to Part 1 where $520m was committed for critical road upgrades, active transport links and public open spaces (approx. $10,800 per dwelling). I will be asking the Minister on Thursday re: infrastructure support.
I’m aware that the Department of Planning’s website has been updated with slightly watered down TOD parameters. But the SEPP has not yet been gazetted and I don’t have access to the final words.
I won’t be making any comment until I see the legislation.
Come get your lemonade and herbs. 1 Edmund Street West Lindfield.
All proceeds go to our entrepreneurial kids.
Person who spends the most gets a Pokémon card.
Final assignment handed in for my final course at uni (Development and Planning Law).
In the last few days, our baby has started to cry whenever anyone other than mum picks her up. I know I’ve been away a while, but I need to somehow get her used to me again.
This month I’ve had six uni students approach me with interview requests regarding the Transport Oriented Development Program. They are aspiring journalists or legal practitioners, and I wish them all the best with their assignments and future careers. I’ve got an assignment due this Sunday as well, and fortunately it’s on the same topic. There’s a few citizenship and ANZAC ceremonies to attend also, so it will be a busy week.
Another day of work while the kids are having school holiday fun. Enjoying the fresh air though!
The ACT is a really beautiful place and since 2020 their electricity has come from 100% renewable sources. Having said that their ecological footprint was estimated at 9x their land size, in other words, there’s much further to go before they are considered self sustainable.
Early morning bike ride. Great to see others up and early as well.. I notice so much more about a suburb when travelling by foot or bike (rather than car).
For years I thought the light rail project was a waste of money because buses had more flexibility in taking people from Point A to Point B, and I’m sure the project was hugely disruptive to local businesses. But now that it’s all done, I think the outcome isn’t too bad either. The footpaths have been widened and it encourages more pedestrian traffic in the local area.
In the future, perhaps such projects can be implemented without such a significant cost. I’m thinking trackless trams and autonomous buses.
I was also reminiscing the days when I used to work on George Street. At that time, you could take eight trips in a week on your Opal card to unlock free travel. Every few hours on a Monday or Tuesday, I’d go out for a walk and catch the bus one stop as it’s cheaper to ride one stop than to pay for Killara Wynyard. I’d have free travel unlocked before my Tuesday trip home. Those days sadly did not last when they changed the rules, and the annual cost of going to work jumped up hundreds of dollars.
For years I thought the light rail project was a waste of money because buses had more flexibility in taking people from Point A to Point B, and I’m sure the project was hugely disruptive to local businesses. But now that it’s all done, I think the outcome isn’t too bad either. The footpaths have been widened and it encourages more pedestrian traffic in the local area.
In the future, perhaps such projects can be implemented without such a significant cost. I’m thinking trackless trams and autonomous buses.
I was also reminiscing the days when I used to work on George Street. At that time, you could take eight trips in a week on your Opal card to unlock free travel. Every few hours on a Monday or Tuesday, I’d go out for a walk and catch the bus one stop as it’s cheaper to ride one stop than to pay for Killara Wynyard. I’d have free travel unlocked before my Tuesday trip home. Those days sadly did not last when they changed the rules, and the annual cost of going to work jumped up hundreds of dollars.
Meet Jack. He is a street vendor for The Big Issue Australia and I was particularly drawn to the Bluey edition, which narrates the rise of Australia’s favourite kids show.
This week’s edition also covers the challenges of Youth Homelessness, with over 28,000 young people aged 12 to 24 who do not have a home to live and face structural and financial challenges with accessing community housing.
There’s also an article on residents who commit their lives to saving local wildlife such as grey-headed flying foxes, lapwings, bare-nosed wombats, ducks and eastern grey kangaroos.
You can get your copy from vendors like Jack across the Sydney CBD. This photo was taken right outside Wynyard on George Street.
Earlier this week the North Shore Times reported a Planning Proposal for a 15 storey development at 345 Pacific Highway Lindfield which caused a stir. If approved, it will have implications for increasing housing supply, setting a new precedent of heights in the suburb, and also traffic implications. The developer has rejected Council’s suggestion of widening the Pacific Highway southbound bottleneck from 2 lanes (effective) to 3 lanes, matching the 3 lanes present at the rest of the highway. Details below.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲?
Council’s Local Environment Plan (LEP) zones this land as E1 Local Centre. 2,665 sqm of land with allowed heights of 11.5m (3 storeys) and floor space ratio of 1:1 (i.e. 2,665 sqm of floor space).
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗢𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 (𝗧𝗢𝗗 𝗦𝗘𝗣𝗣)?
As the site is within 400m of Lindfield Station, which is a future TODD site, the owners will be allowed to build at a height of 21m (6-7 storeys) with floor space ratio of 3:1 (i.e. 7,995 sqm).
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗹?
It is a proposal, typically initiated by a land owner, to change the properties of an existing LEP. In this case, the owner wants to build taller than the 3 storeys and 2,665 sqm of floor space that is currently allowed.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸?
An increase of the height from 11.5m to 55m (15 storeys).
An increase of the floor space ratio from 1:1 to 4.5:1 (11,992.5 sqm).
𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹?
No, it has been initiated by the land owner.
𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱?
A range of reasons were provided including
Proximity to the railway station, multiple bus services, and the highway. The absence of environmental constraints such as bushfire or flooding hazards.
Minimal impact on neighbouring properties due to being an ‘island’ site.
Consistency with various State, Regional and Local planning objectives.
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗲𝗱?
From what I understand, the Planning Proposal is going through two separate and parallel pathways.
The conventional path has council officers assessing the proposal. Once assessed, it will go to an independent planning panel (in this case the Ku-ring-gai Local Planning Panel) in May before going to a Council vote in June. If Council supports the proposal, then it will go to the Department of Planning for a ‘Gateway Determination’. If Council does not support, then it will follow an alternate path (which has already been triggered).
The alternate path which is happening in parallel is that the owner has requested a ‘Rezoning Review’ which means that an independent planning panel (in this case, probably the Sydney North Planning Panel) will review the matter before it goes to the Department of Planning for a ‘Gateway Determination’. It’s too early to tell how long it will take the independent panel to assess the matter, but Q2 or Q3 2024 may be a reasonable estimate.
In either case, if it reaches Gateway Determination then there will be some further assessments and public exhibition of what’s proposed before a final decision is made. Depending on what exactly happens, the decision maker may be the council, or a planning panel, or even the Minister of Planning. It is too early to tell which path will be taken.
𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱?
I don’t know. But there has been a history of planning proposals rejected by Council but subsequently approved by an alternate pathway.
𝗜𝗳 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀?
It may provide for more housing near the town centre. Each person has their own interpretation over whether this is good or bad.
It may set a precedent for building heights and floor space ratios elsewhere in the suburb.
I caught the train to work from Turramurra yesterday and had a quick walk through Cameron Park.
Cameron Park was formed by acquiring four adjacent residential blocks to expand an existing council park. Its size is now over 5,400 sqm and it provides a range of recreation options for current and future residents who live in homes without a backyard.
With adequate planning and time to buildup funds, Council hopes to provide open space options to all Ku-ring-gai residents, however this has become more difficult in recent months with significantly increased land values under State Housing Policy. I’ve asked for funding to support the provision of amenities to support the policy, but to date we have not received a single cent.
📰 Publishing an open letter in national, metropolitan and local news publications to address Council’s concerns about the impacts of State Housing Policies
Each year Council runs a community grants program for equipment, outreach services and cultural activities.
One of last year’s recipients was St Swithun’s Anglican Church Pymble who used the funds to purchase gym / exercise equipment. It was good to see it put to good use and freely available to the public.
On Saturday I was invited to join the Turramurra Trotters as they celebrated their 50th Anniversary.
This group was initially setup by residents to train for the City2Surf and it remains a key objective, but it has also been a great channel for community connection. On their records have been 1,970 participants and over 71,000 times recorded. They now offer different running / walking / cycling groups to cater for everyone.
The group meets at 6:30am on Saturdays near Kiplings, and they tend to have coffee afterwards. I joined the walking group and had a great chat with local residents while also enjoying the scenes of Turramurra.
What’s your favourite TV show? I like to watch ‘Nailed It!’ on Netflix with the kids. In this show, amateur bakers are asked to replicate masterpieces in a compressed period of time, and with the promise of winning $10,000. It’s a great example of what happens when something is rushed, poorly planned, and without the right person for the job. Other examples in the link below. https://people.com/food/best-baking-fails-netflix-nailed-it/
![Earlier this month I attended the @[100057107273906:2048:St Ives Agricultural Show] with @[100026694423632:2048:Councillor Martin Smith] and @[100081079106909:2048:Councillor Kim Wheatley] .
We looked at the winning entries for this year's competition. In particular we enjoyed Ethan's junior entry for novelty cake.
It was a well attended event with plenty of rides and food stalls. The St Ives show runs each year on the third weekend of May so we'll see you there again 17-18 May 2025.](https://roseville.online/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/441926107_1224216502313602_8856245241786594356_n_1224806528921266.jpg)
![As part of the annual Gai-mariagal Festival, we had Aboriginal elder and artist Walangari Karntawarra create a traditional sand painting at the Lindfield Village Green. He shared about his culture and local kids got involved with creating the artwork, which continues to be on display and apparently lasts until it rains.
I was joined by @[759939782:2048:Cr Simon Lennon], Councillor Barbara Ward, @[100075918232069:2048:Councillor Alec Taylor] , and @cr_christine_kay (from left to right in picture).
Ku-ring-gai will also be hold other events as part of the Gai-mariagal Festival.
Gordon Library is offering a free screening of the film Lionel Rose on 5 June about the extraordinary rise and fall of Australia's first indigenous boxing world champion.
The Country Connections exhibition at Ku-ring-gai Art Centre between 14 and 28 June features the work of Darkinjung artist Judith Franklin, who will also host two dot painting workshops at the Centre.
Mudgee-based Indigiearth catering company presents a unique dining experience on 15 June with owner and Ngemba Weilwan woman Sharon Winsor. Along with Australian native food prepared with modern techniques and traditional methods you can enjoy authentic entertainment, musical and cultural storytelling.
For more information visit
https://www.gai-mariagal-festival.com.au/events-2024.html](https://roseville.online/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/444485282_1224207152314537_7119197563815953786_n_1224293498972569.jpg)
![Meet Dylan from @[61553281002581:2048:Lendecon]. He has identified a problem where we tend to buy equipment and use it once or twice while it sits inactive over 99% of the time. How good would it be if instead of owning the equipment (and committing to the embodied energy / resource used), we can search a directory and borrow from one another?
He has setup a platform to enable this and you can find it at
https://www.lendecon.com.au](https://roseville.online/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/444235574_1222912832443969_2339568977793095521_n_1224181868983732.jpg)
![Yesterday, Councillor Simon Lennon and I presented wreaths on behalf of the community at @[100064588543857:2048:Living Hope Anglican] (St Martin's Killara). It was also good to see the memorial created for Killara residents who gave their lives for our freedom, and hear from the personal experience of residents who had been affected by war.
This morning I will be attending services at Roseville, Wahroonga and Turramurra.](https://roseville.online/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/438695888_1201377744597478_8615130556043782866_n_1201767981225121.jpg)
![This week, Council held a free movie screening of Fall Guy at the @[100063868380258:2048:Roseville Cinemas] for all of our volunteers who give up their time to support the community, whether it be to respond to extreme weather events, provide care for our elderly and youth, look after our financially or domestically vulnerable, or care for our environment.
While in Roseville I also stopped by at my favourite bakery for a Steak, Chilli Mexican Pie.](https://roseville.online/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/444485116_1221642722570980_6601304072574562361_n_1222200615848524.jpg)
![Great weather and an enjoyable run with over 2,000 participating in the @[100064649686516:2048:Lindfield Fun Run] this year, raising funds for @[100057506479179:2048:KYDS Youth Development Service] and @[100067239740050:2048:Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women's Shelter].](https://roseville.online/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/442485153_1218791189522800_7352719710173997707_n_1218791206189465.jpg)
![Happy Mothers Day! Check out our Mothers Day portraits from students at Lindfield Public, Holy Family Primary, and Reddam. The competition is organised by the @[100068015786689:2048:Lindfield Chamber of Commerce] and the portraits hosted by...
@[100064038067937:2048:Café Lyon Lindfield]
Chem Pro Chemist
@[100054263150546:2048:Ciao Down]
@[100070080633885:2048:DiJones Lindfield]
Gelatiamo
Jeeves Dry Cleaners
@[100063519582284:2048:Lindfield Print]
@[17841433694156126:6057:@lindfield_specialty_butcher]
My Sewing Supplies
@[100064304425107:2048:Ogalo] Lindfield
Stone Real Estate
Swimart Lindfield](https://roseville.online/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/427984346_1213265286742057_3182763649797678986_n_1213679580033961.jpg)
![Meet Zac from the team at @[100094667931538:2048:West Pymble Pharmacy] and @[100057157492830:2048:Pymble Pharmacy] . They provide walk-in flu vaccinations on most weekdays, just call up in advance to confirm his availability.
It cost me $25 but for residents over 65 it is free.](https://roseville.online/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/438198096_1210576433677609_3786893754057912609_n_1210924220309497.jpg)
![Thanks @[114392424590704:274:Bunnings Pymble] for inviting @[100057506479179:2048:KYDS Youth Development Service] to run the inaugural sausage sizzle. All proceeds went to supporting young people with mental health services. You can find out more at www.kyds.org.au](https://roseville.online/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/279728830_1432746743852061_6454383030726338901_n_1432831340510268.jpg)
![To celebrate the end of uni, the kids wanted Deep Fried Ice Cream so we went to @[100063619295866:2048:SILK Dining] at @[100063684966751:2048:St Ives Shopping Village]. The food is pretty amazing and generously portioned - much better than what you could get in Chatswood - and it was quite a peaceful experience on an early Monday night.
Bubs was fine with me carrying her again, so that was a bonus.](https://roseville.online/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/438301658_1205695170832402_2533860440641080758_n_1206758134059439.jpg)
![Morning all! We have had some queries about the General Manager recruitment process so I can say the following.
A. We had the help of an independent, experienced and well-priced external recruitment firm.
B. We had a large number of job applications, including several strong candidates.
C. We had a first round of interviews last month and the final round interview will be later this week. [The candidates are all fantastic and I'd be happy to work with any of them.]
D. After the final interviews, the ten councillors will likely resolve to make an offer to one of the candidates (subject to final negotiations on duration, package, etc.).
E. We probably won't be able to announce the new General Manager until next week. Please be patient.
The recruitment process has taken up some of my time in recent weeks, but I've spent a larger chunk of it on housing policy.](https://roseville.online/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/440409538_1205750110826908_3932953761341014076_n_1206025214132731.jpg)
![Visiting the @[100064957681170:2048:Australian War Memorial] and explaining to the kids the role that their great grandparents played in protecting our way of life.](https://roseville.online/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/438254638_1199561251445794_7873342951405298759_n_1199983841403535.jpg)
![It's the school holidays and while the kids are having fun at @[100064803633603:2048:Questacon], I'm stuck at the hotel doing work.
It's not too bad a place for an office.](https://roseville.online/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/437938793_1199327094802543_7466382084589198_n_1199782301423689.jpg)
![Meet Jack. He is a street vendor for @[100064784168119:2048:The Big Issue Australia] and I was particularly drawn to the Bluey edition, which narrates the rise of Australia's favourite kids show.
This week's edition also covers the challenges of Youth Homelessness, with over 28,000 young people aged 12 to 24 who do not have a home to live and face structural and financial challenges with accessing community housing.
There's also an article on residents who commit their lives to saving local wildlife such as grey-headed flying foxes, lapwings, bare-nosed wombats, ducks and eastern grey kangaroos.
You can get your copy from vendors like Jack across the Sydney CBD. This photo was taken right outside Wynyard on George Street.](https://roseville.online/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/437931420_1196799368388649_571593407570435055_n_1198537491548170.jpg)
![Each year Council runs a community grants program for equipment, outreach services and cultural activities.
One of last year’s recipients was @[100064915680982:2048:St Swithun's Anglican Church Pymble] who used the funds to purchase gym / exercise equipment. It was good to see it put to good use and freely available to the public.](https://roseville.online/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/438198297_1194884808580105_5986037143484216901_n_1195923691809550.jpg)
![On Saturday I was invited to join the @[100034752386305:2048:Turramurra Trotters] as they celebrated their 50th Anniversary.
This group was initially setup by residents to train for the City2Surf and it remains a key objective, but it has also been a great channel for community connection. On their records have been 1,970 participants and over 71,000 times recorded. They now offer different running / walking / cycling groups to cater for everyone.
The group meets at 6:30am on Saturdays near Kiplings, and they tend to have coffee afterwards. I joined the walking group and had a great chat with local residents while also enjoying the scenes of Turramurra.](https://roseville.online/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/437678938_1195289561872963_1388869468224916730_n_1195291661872753.jpg)
