BAG NEWSLETTER NO 2
16 May 2010
Over the last two months BAG has gained significant support, not only from residents in the Barangaroo area, but also from people throughout NSW who have major concerns regarding the mass of the proposed development and the proposed apartment/hotel edifice protruding into Sydney Harbour.
The following persons have indicated their preparedness to join the Association’s Committee. Some will be appointed by the ommittee to fill casual vacancies, and the rest will be put to the Association’s members for formal approval in accordance with the Association’s rules.
| Jack Mundey |
Patron |
Environmental champion |
| Jamie Parker |
Mayor Leichhardt | |
| John Stamolis |
Councillor Leichhardt | |
| Genia McCaffery |
Mayor, |
|
| John McInerney |
Councillor, City of |
|
| Shayne Mallard | Councillor, City of |
|
| Chris Harris | Councillor, City of |
|
| Peter Lowry | Board Member National Trust | |
| Christina Ritchie | President, B & WB residents Group |
The following remain as Committee members:
| Ian Campbell | President | |
| Trevor Simpson | Secretary | |
| Rick Bayley |
Businessman | |
| Lindsay Partridge |
Businessman | |
Over the past weeks there have been a number of press releases sent to the media and flyers distributed in the Pyrmont, King Street, North Sydney, Balmain and Kirribilli areas. A number of advertisements were placed to inform the community of the proposed development. These have appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald, Inner West Courier and in local publications such as Nine to Five and City News.
The reaction has been very encouraging. A half-page ad run in the Herald on the weekend of 8/9 May, resulted in thousands viewing our website, and over 1500 new members. It was satisfying to see that 360 were from concerned people throughout NSW and not merely from the areas around Barangaroo. There were also a number of registrations from Queensland, ACT and Victoria. This clearly shows that the development is not merely a local or even State issue and that persons throughout Australia are concerned with what happens in and to Sydney Harbour.
We will continue our membership drive and the awakening of public involvement through more advertisements, press releases and various community meetings with the executives and residents and through communications with other community groups. Over the next few weeks, we expect many more eminent Australians to join the cause.
Council Involvement
The City of Sydney Council passed a unanimous resolution objecting to the Lend Lease development proposal, even though the Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, is on the Government run Barangaroo Delivery Authority, a position that many on the Council consider untenable having regard to her Lord Mayoral responsibilities.
Leichhardt, North Sydney and City of Sydney Councils have agreed to co-operate to oppose the Lend Lease proposal via community actions and legal action if necessary. Both Leichhardt and North Sydney Councils passed motions to that effect at their last meetings and Sydney City Council has a motion on the agenda for the next council meeting. All have contributed councillors to our committee and will work with us to achieve a better outcome for Sydney.
The Councils are planning to canvass all other NSW Councils to join the opposition to the Lend Lease plan and to the Governments Part 3A planning processes generally.
Our Concerns with the Barangaroo Lend Lease proposal and the planning process include:
1. A single developer undertaking the whole development results in lack of competition and places in the hands of one corporate entity the timeframes for the construction, which will be dictated by that one entity’s commercial interests. As such, residents and city workers will be living in a construction site for up to 15 to 20 years, while an unacceptable high density development spreads over the whole site, much as Lend Lease’s Jacksons Landing project has done.
2. The proposed height and mass of the buildings on the harbour foreshore and the erection of a 60 storey hotel/apartment building 150 metres into the harbour waters not only raise general environmental issues, but will set dangerous precedents for future developments in, around and on Sydney Harbour.
3. Because of Lend Lease’s desire to construct a hotel, which has the potential to be converted into apartments, in the middle of Sydney Harbour, the Cruise Ship Terminal is to be relocated to a ridiculously unsatisfactory suburban environment at White Bay.
4. The NSW Government is hopelessly conflicted, being the owner of the land, the developer, the protector of our environment and the consent authority adjudicating on a long list of breaches of the current planning regulations by the Lend Lease proposal.
5. In the context of a development worth about $6 billion and of the size of North Sydney, the Government steadfastly refuses to release any details of the commercial arrangements with Lend Lease or details of any applicable approvals in relation to works that are already underway, including the construction of a temporary cruise ship terminal. This lack of transparency and the removal of consent powers from independent authorities, such as the Councils, only serve to raise suspicions and scepticism and to create an environment for potential corruption.
6. Recent events in regard to other developments undertaken under the umbrella of the Government’s Part 3A powers, as well as the Government’s conduct in relation to the proposed Barangaroo development, have presented a picture of an increasingly arrogant State Government that disregards the concerns of various communities in favour of the commercial interests of property developers. Barangaroo affords the opportunity to focus on jettisoning these potentially corruptible processes once and for all.
Latest views of the Development
Attached is an artist’s impression of the scale of the development. This is taken from Pyrmont Bay Ferry Wharf.
Letter From Paddingtom Society
Paddington Society letter to John Tabart,CEO, BDA
re: Feedback on the Lend Lease Development Proposal for Barangaroo
May 4, 2010
paddington_society.pdf
Liechhardt Council opposed to Barangaroo overdevelopment and move of cruise ship terminal
Leichhardt Council Ordinary Meeting 27 April 2010
RESOLUTION: BARANGAROO AND CRUISE TERMINAL
RESOLVED STAMOLIS/PLATE
1. That Leichhardt Council approach City of Sydney Council and North Sydney Council for these councils to work together to oppose the move of the cruise ship terminal to the Balmain Peninsula and the gross overdevelopment at Barangaroo.
2. Council investigate and challenge the claim that the concept plan has not been changed and how the concept plan for Barangaroo was amended to allow for the removal of the cruise ship terminal and whether approval has been granted to demolish the existing terminal at Barangaroo (note that the various concept plan modifications for Barangaroo did not include the removal of the cruise ship terminal).
3. That Leichhardt Council, City of Sydney and North Sydney Councils investigate the various approvals relating to the cruise terminal with the aim of jointly or separately investigating the option (cost and likely outcome) of taking legal steps to prevent the removal of the cruise terminal from Barangaroo to the Balmain Peninsula.
4. Council should take measures to raise local community awareness of this important issue (eg banners, leaflets, posters).
Letter From Planning Insitute of Australia
The PIA submits that the NSW Government should demonstrate leadership in planning best practice principles for the development of the Barangaroo site...the proposal for private hotel development within Sydney Harbour water should be questioned...
Click here to view letter to the Barangaroo Development Authority from the Planning Institute of Australia NSW Division: Response on the Barangaroo Public Display 15 April 2010
barangaroo_delivery_authority_final_15_april_2010.pdf
NEWSLETTER NO 1
9 April 2010
Welcome to our first newsletter and thank you for joining BAG. The BAG Committee’s intention is to update members on a regular basis with new articles, press releases and general information on the progress of the organization.
BAG was formed in February 2010 and our campaign commenced in earnest on 3 March 2010. Since then we have met with the following people and attended/viewed the following.
On 3 March BAG committee members had a meeting with Chris Harris, Councilor Sydney City Council and Sylvia Hale, MLC Greens. Ms Hale then arranged a meeting with the Cross Benchers, Shooters Party & Christian Democrats, in order to gain their support which they believe they have done.
On 8 March BAG committee members were invited to Sydney City Council to put forward BAG’s position to the proposed development. This resulted in a number of Councilors supporting BAG’s concerns. Another meeting was held with Shayne Mallard and John McInerney who also supported our concerns.
At the Council meeting on 15 March the Sydney City Council passed a resolution (Item 9.5) strongly opposing aspects of the Barangaroo development (see Attachment A).
This resolution was passed unanimously.
Further support was confirmed when Leichhardt Council passed a resolution at a formal meeting in March 2010 stating their concerns about the current planning process and reasons why planning has departed so significantly from the award winning design (see Attachment B).
Committee members have since met with Barry O’Farrell and Brad Hazzard to ascertain the Liberal’s position.
Further meetings have been held with Clover Moore and The National Trust. The National Trust has major concerns and will release its position paper within the next few days.
Advertising
Since mid April advertisements and editorials have featured in the Sydney Morning Herald, City Central, Nine to Five, Inner West Courier and City News. The Committee is in constant contact with journalists keeping them updated on their progress.
Flyers
5,000 flyers have been delivered by committee members via letterbox drop to the Pyrmont, King Street Wharf, Walsh Bay, eastern end of Balmain and North Sydney precincts. Personal letters have also been distributed to occupants in commercial buildings. Our intention is to continue distribution over the coming months and we are seeking assistance with this rather large task. If you are able to help by delivering flyers in your neighbourhood please contact 0413 809 803.
A further 5,000 flyers have now been printed and are ready for distribution.
Volunteers and Assistance
As mentioned above volunteers are needed to distribute flyers to a wider audience.
Please contact us if you can help.
Current Focus
The Committee is now focusing on broadening its base to Councils and other community groups who are concerned that this is both a gross overdevelopment and a glaring example of poor, secretive development processes being implemented by the NSW Government.
The BAG Committee appeals for all its members to circulate this brochure to family, friends and business colleagues urging them to support BAG’s aims.
Trevor Simpson
Secretary
Barangaroo Action Group
E-mail received 22 March 2010 from Councillor John Stamolis, Leichhardt Municipal Council and published here with his permission
To the Secretary
Barangaroo Action Group
Dear Sir/Madam
The current dismantling of the original award-winning design for Barangaroo will have an adverse impact on our foreshores, our CBD, on business/industry and on our nearby communities.
The recent proposal to build a 236 metre hotel on Darling Harbour, leaving the cruise terminal to be shifted to the Balmain Peninsula (White Bay), has produced a range of poor outcomes for us all.
· Relocating the cruise passenger terminal from Barangaroo will result in poor planning outcomes for both Barangaroo and White Bay. That is, a massive hotel is now proposed for Barangaroo while White Bay will suffer loss of amenity, open space and the opportunity for renewal and enhancement of the foreshores (i.e. two wharves will be needed for the terminal and a new road will need to be made along the entire length of all the White Bay foreshore).
· Relocating the terminal may have adverse economic outcomes for the tourist precinct in and around Darling Harbour and The Rocks.
· The terminal is currently operating very well at Baranagaroo (East Darling Harbour), as it has been for many years.
· Retaining the terminal at Barangaroo is in keeping with the original award winning plan for Barangaroo.
· Leichhardt Council and its community are expressing serious concerns about the relocation of the terminal to White Bay, directly in front of a high density residential community on the Balmain Peninsula.
· All tourist amenity, key services and multi-modal transport are available from or close to Barangaroo not White Bay. White Bay is not an optimal location for the cruise industry and its customers.
· The hotel proposal is unacceptable from any perspective (i.e. scale, design, heritage, foreshore planning etc)
Thank you
Cr John Stamolis
Leichhardt Municipal Council
ANOTHER BACK ROOM DEAL – NSW GOVERNMENT MUST COME CLEAN
The NSW Government must come clean on why it ditched the award-winning Barangaroo redevelopment concept in favour of Lend Lease
19/03/2010
Dear Readers
In answer to your questions I would like to advise that the Barangaroo Action Group was formed earlier this year by a group of local residents from apartments in and around King Street and Kent Street, Sydney Wharf and Darling Island.
The President is Dr Ian Campbell and I am the Secretary. We are in no way aligned to any particular political party nor do we have any affiliation with organizations who have been involved in this development such as Multiplex or Hill Thalis.
We have formed an association which is registered as a non profit organization and which is funded by the founding members. Our aims are clearly set out in the documentation we are making available to the public at large. I hope this answers most of your questions.
Kind regards
Trevor Simpson
Barangaroo Action Group