13th July 2024. Edition One. In this edition: President's Report, Westleigh Park Grant Funding,
Signage in Chilworth Reserve, Meet the candidates Parramatta Council,
Beecroft Bush Dance, Beecroft Probus,
Trust eNews, Trust Membership,
Beecroft in the 50s and 60s, Local JP, Councillor Sreeni Pillamarri's Newsletter,Hornsby Council News Bulletin,
City of Parramatta News Bulletin, Recent Development Applications.
Message from the President Dear Fellow Residents,
Warm greetings to you all, as we enjoy the last of the autumn colours even if the chill in the air is closer to freezing!
In our last e-news we provided a link to the letter received on the M2Noise. CLICK HERE to read our response to this letter. No further response has been so far received.
We are also awaiting responses to our correspondence firstly pursuing
what we consider to be an inherent conflict in the appointment of
private certifiers and secondly trying to get the Roads and Maritime
Services to care for the ford over Devlin’s Creek that was part of the
Great North Road built in the 1820s.
What has been pleasing to see is that Council has replaced the trees
that were felled in Malton Road with advanced native trees. You may
recollect that Council did this because of an arborist's report about
the trees being unsafe and mitigation of the risk no longer being
feasible. This replacement is much appreciated and our recent rain will
help them settle in. Thank you to Council for doing this.
Elsewhere, in Cardinal Avenue, another heritage tree, despite efforts to
protect it during nearby building work, then had its roots cut by the
NBN as part of its work to lay new cables.
Unfortunately the NBN does not need to check with Council as to where it should dig. That seems like a regrettable ‘overkill.’
In terms of building work, and despite all of our rain, the work in
refurbishing the Village Green seems to be moving apace and will
hopefully be ready for Spring. We hope to enjoy the new play and adult
exercise equipment when this work has finished. The other
building work proceeding rapidly is the building adjacent to Wongala Car
park which is being rebuilt so that Beecroft vet will have new premises
to move into as his present premises will be demolished to build
the Keynote Residences on Wongala Crescent.
Did you know that the building being extensively refurbished for the vet was (at least in part) built as a service station?
Another
closure will be the Rotary shop for pre-loved books. I understand that
its lease is not being renewed and no other rental property in Beecroft
can be found for this venture. While it is still open why not
check out the books on sale – remembering that my wife Louise, will want
the whodunits!
It
was with much sadness that I read of the death of Margaret Seale. The
Seale family has made a significant contribution to Beecroft and
Cheltenham for well over a century. Family members have been prominent
and have had significant houses with beautiful gardens. One family
member was an important local architect. The family member of the
most renown was probably Allan Seale, who was a gardening guru and
television presenter. Margaret was Allan’s widow, a stalwart of our
community in her own right. She almost made her century.
Hornsby Council is clearly reeling from the State Government's
withdrawal of $36 million from the plan to refurbish Westleigh Park.
This is the unspent money from a 2018 grant given in 2018 where work was
not commenced because of the extent of planning and consultation that
the proposals necessitated. This is a blow to recreational space within
easy reach of Beecroft and Cheltenham and though it is outside of the
remit of the Civic Trust, it might be worth an expression of readers'
views directly to the NSW Premier.
I had a competing appointment but I expect that the most recent
programme of the Beecroft Orchestra last weekend attained its
consistently high and very enjoyable standard.
Finally, I note that volunteers are always welcome to work on the National Trust property Ahimsa,
as they battle invasive weeds. Details of how to help (when the weather
is dry) are elsewhere in this news. In a different garden patch, the
volunteers from the Beecroft and District Garden Club continue to do a
fantastic job on the gardens at the Beecroft Railway Reserve.
I hope to see you around our suburbs as I walk briskly to beat the cold and head for a nice hot coffee!
Civic Trust Spring Walk in September The Trust will be holding a Spring Walk on Sunday afternoon the 22nd September.
Further details will be in our next eNews.
Massive New Development in Epping Plans for a twin tower development reaching up to 36 storeys in Epping’s Rawson Street have been endorsed by Parramatta Council.
The multi-million dollar proposal at 53-61 Rawson Street was approved by
Council to proceed to gateway determination with the NSW Department of
Planning.
Under the proposal the current Coles supermarket and adjoining four
storey office building (Binet Homes) would be demolished to make way for
the development.
One tower would reach up to 33 storeys and the other 36 storeys.
A three to five storey podium would support the towers and provide a new supermarket as well as other retail offerings.
When put to a vote nine councillors approved the proposal and three opposed it.
Electoral Redistribution The
Australian Electoral Commission has proposed an electoral
redistribution which would abolish the electorate of North Sydney in NSW
and rearrange other electorates to better balance the numbers of voters
in each electorate. Bennelong and Berowra, as shown in the
attached map, will be affected by the proposed changes to the Bennelong
electorate. CLICK HERE for a larger map of Bennelong on the AEC website.
The Berowra electorate will lose West Pennant Hills and gain part of Epping. CLICK HERE for a larger map of Berowra on the AEC website.
The Federal member for Berowra, Julian Leeser MP has more to say on this subject. A link to his July News Letter can be found near the end of this eNews.
Westleigh Park Grant Funding On
June 12, Mayor Philip Ruddock presented a Mayoral Minute on the loss of
State Government funding for Westleigh Park. This matter has been
in the news and the Trust believes it is in the community’s interest to
be aware of Council’s position. CLICK HERE to read the Mayoral Minute.
State government funding for a much-needed recreational precinct at
Westleigh Park, incorporating new sports facilities, is to be taken
back, even though work on the project has been underway and Council was
ready to start construction in December (subject to DA approval).
Hornsby Shire is in desperate need of recreational spaces and new sports
facilities for grassroots sport. The NSW Government's housing targets
makes this need even more critical. By 2026 there will be a shortfall of
34 sportsgrounds in the Hornsby Shire.
The site for Westleigh Park comprises around 36 hectares of cleared open
space and bushland. The redevelopment will create a major parkland with
six new sportsgrounds for football, athletics, rugby, AFL and cricket.
There’s also space for unstructured passive recreation experiences
including cycling, mountain biking and walking.
Sport and recreation promote physical and mental health and bring
communities together. The residents of the Hornsby Shire deserve better.
We are calling on you to stand your ground and demand that the state
government keeps its promise for funding for sporting facilities at
Westleigh Park. CLICK HERE. to read the Mayor's letter.
The Impact of New Housing Reforms on Beecroft and Cheltenham The
NSW State Government has recently gazetted a new State Environmental
Planning Policy called the Low and Mid Rise Housing SEPP (LMR
SEPP). The SEPP will now permit dual occupancy and semi-detached housing
in the R2 low density zone. This SEPP, as it infers, applies State
wide. So all R2 residential zones in Parramatta and Hornsby LGAs
(including Beecroft and Cheltenham) will be impacted. This blanket
permissibility will not apply to lands that have certain constraints.
High bushfire risk areas, for example, are expected to be a logical
constraint. Also councils will have twelve months to negotiate a minimum
lot size for dual occupancies. Based on details provided to date, the
finer details of the planning controls are yet to be finalised for our
two councils.
The trust intends to arrange a public meeting so Council town planning
staff can explain how the these significant planning controls will
impact on Beecroft and Cheltenham.
SEPP = State Environmental Planning Policy
LMR = Low and Mid-Rise Housing
LGA = Local Government Areas
New Signage in Chilworth Reserve Hornsby
Council, in collaboration with Parramatta Council, has installed new
information signs throughout Chilworth Reserve. The new signs, each
providing a practical map of the reserve plus directional arrows, are
located at every track entrance and at internal intersections. No
excuses for getting lost!
As a background, the project was grant funded from the NSW Government
Places to Roam – Regional Trails program. Hornsby Council designed
and managed the project. City of Parramatta provided a letter of
support at the time of the application, and also consent to put signs on
their land, as well as advice on their branding style.
Meet the Candidates Hornsby Council The
Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust will be holding a "Meet the Candidates"
for the upcoming Hornsby Council elections on Thursday 29 August at the
Beecroft Presbyterian Church Hall, Welham St. Beecroft, Starting at
7.30pm.
Meet the Candidates Parramatta Council The
Epping Civic Trust will be holding a "Meet the Candidates" for the
upcoming Council elections on Tuesday 20 August at 7.30 pm in the Church
of Christ Hall, 31 Bridge St. Epping.
Beecroft Bush Dance Tickets are available at the door.
Beecroft Probus has Become a Mixed Club Beecroft Probus, established as a men's club in 1981, is now a mixed club and is currently seeking new members.
Like "Probus Beecroft West" and "Beecroft combined", we provide social activities for retired and semi-retired residents.
We meet regularly on the fourth Monday of each month at the Cheltenham
Recreation Club with a guest speaker and an interesting topic.
Our web site is at present undergoing changes, therefore is is best to contact the President Ross Walker on 0412 257 556 for more information.
Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust eNews The
Trust publishes this monthly eNews newsletter. If you would like
to receive this newsletter on a regular basis, please CLICK HERE to subscribe to the eNews.
Beecroft in the 50s and 60s The
trust has been granted permission to publish a collection of
photographs from the 50s and 60s. The photographer was the late
Ted Richards, a former Beecroft resident and founder of the Beecroft
Cheltenham Civic Trust. Ted also served as the Trust's President
for many years. Hannah Street looking west from Wongala
Hannah Street looking west from Wongala
Beecroft Road near intersection with Hannah.
Local Justice of the Peace Timothy
Abrams, a Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust committee member, has
generously offered his services as a Justice of the Peace for any
residents requiring this service.
Tim can be contacted on Mob 0417 662 405
Dr. Penelope Crossley has also generously offered her services.
Penelope is a practising solicitor and is happy to witness documents pro
bono for 2119 residents. Penelope can be contacted on 0449 232 474.
Civic Trust Facebook page The
Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust has for quite some time had its own
Facebook page. If you have not yet visited the page CLICK HERE
Julian Leeser MP. July Newsletter The Trust's policy is that we will publish submitted newsletters from any of our elected representatives. CLICK HERE
Hornsby Councillor Sreeni Pillamarri's Newsletter June 2024 The Trust's policy is that we will publish submitted newsletters from any of our elected representatives. CLICK HERE
Hornsby Shire Council's July News Bulletin Can be viewed CLICK HERE
City of Parramatta's July News Bulletin Can be viewed CLICK HERE
Recent Development Applications The
Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust's Web Site now has links to recently
submitted Development Applications in the 2119 postcode area for both
Hornsby and Parramatta Shire Councils. This page will be updated
with every eNews publication. CLICK HERE To access them.
Other objections and correspondence with council can be viewed CLICK HERE
Keep our two suburbs strong and informed by being a member!
To support or join the Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust, please visit our website. CLICK HERE.The
eNews has become our main method for disseminating information to the
community. We already send the eNews to many of our residents. We
encourage residents who receive the eNews to tell their neighbours and
friends and suggest they too subscribe. The eNews letter is
available to all who subscribe. Trust Membership is not a
requirement.
The eNews archives are available HERE. To subscribe to the eNews: CLICK HERE.
There is an active Civic Trust Facebook group; to view the Facebook CLICK HERE.
The Trust will assist any resident regardless of their membership status.
