If you think it’s been getting hotter around here – you’re right! Records of average temperatures in Olympic Park (the nearest weather recording station to the City of Canada Bay) show that average annual temperatures have increased from 22.7 degrees in 1998 to 24.5 degrees in 2019, an increase of 1.8 degrees in 22 years. In the same period, the number of days over 30 degrees has increased from 43 … Continue reading
Submission The Canada Bay Greens has responded to the Government’s revised plan for Rhodes with a submission. Here is the submission summary: This submission was in response to the NSW Government’s call for submissions to their revised plan for Rhodes. For details of that plan, go to: https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/Plans-for-your-area/Priority-Growth-Areas-and-Precincts/Rhodes The NSW government plan for Rhodes offers some interesting and useful features for the community. However, contrary to the government’s mantra of … Continue reading
At a meeting of the Canada Bay Council on Tuesday, I was appointed as Deputy Mayor for the next 12 months through a resolution of Council. My thanks to my fellow councillors for their trust in me with this appointment. In the year since taking on the councillor role, I have moved 4 motions (all passed by Council): a motion supporting marriage equality; a motion to reduce Council investment in … Continue reading
This morning I went to Mortlake with the aim of protecting eight mature trees on Tennyson Road Mortlake (next to Breakfast Point). The Canada Bay Council, in responding to local requests for a footpath, had slated eight beautiful old paper-bark trees for removal as part of the work, because of the narrow space for the new footpath. I talked to a number of local residents who were there about the … Continue reading
Council has now agreed to update its Local Environmental Plan (LEP). This major document controls all development across Canada Bay. Council will update it because the previous version from 2013 is now out of date. The key agenda concern for all councillors was to minimise the impact of the NSW state government’s dodgy low rise medium density policy, which allows much looser control over low-rise medium density buildings like dual … Continue reading
One little thing I discovered this week: the NSW government controlled “IHAPs” (Independent Hearing and Assessment Panels) across Sydney all have now been renamed “Local Planning Panels” – by a direction from the Minister for Local Government. Here we see a great example of Orwellian “doublespeak”, with the panels staffed predominantly by people recruited and appointed by the NSW government, with a chair appointed by the government, and now a … Continue reading
Attended Council meeting 12 June, where councillors agreed to update the Local Environmental Plan (the key local document for planning matters) to give Council more control in dealing with new state government rules, of which the latest is their low rise medium density policy. Chaired Council’s environment advisory committee meeting on 28 June. The Committee completed setup of its internal teams, which will take on projects in the areas of: … Continue reading
As of the 1st July, bus services in the Inner West have been privatised. On that day I went to the rally at the Leichhardt bus depot against the privatisation, and in support of support of drivers who are now losing pay and conditions. The privatisation breaks an express promise by the NSW Coalition that buses would not be privatised. We have already seen a large string of bus stops … Continue reading
Most people reading this page will be dealing with some kind of development application that they support or don’t support. Hopefully this page will help you. First of all, don’t send your objection to a councillor thinking they will be able to listen and get the application rejected at a council meeting. That’s because councillors no longer have a decision-making role on development approvals (which in my view undermines local democracy). … Continue reading
Today is World Water Day. I went to a workshop held in Rhodes with the Parramatta River Catchment Group. The workshop gathered broad input on the work and plans focusing on different aspects of the health of the Parramatta River. Their motto: make the Parramatta River Swimmable again! But more broadly, dealing with a wide range of factors affecting the health of the river, including the animals and plants that … Continue reading
