Pauline Tyrrell, Greens Councillor, City of Canada Bay Council

 Here is a summary of my activities over the past year:

Environment:

I participated in several community events in support of: the Parramatta River Catchment Group’s ‘Make Parramatta River Swimmable’ Campaign; a meeting of Sydney Water with residents; Clean Up Australia Day with CBG members; and Canada Bay Bushcare.

I was successful in convincing Council to lobby for more action on wet weather sewer overflows. I moved a motion for Council to investigate alternatives to using the herbicide, Round Up. The State Government finally passed Container Deposit Legislation. The Greens in both the state and local governments had long been lobbying for this.

Rhodes redevelopment:

Station Precinct: the developers’ height proposals for this area kept getting taller over the year until they were over 40 storeys. I have been voting against these proposals.

East Rhodes Priority Precinct: Canada Bay Council has also been working on a plan to redevelop the area between the railway line to Concord Road and possibly to the Brays Bay foreshore. This is still in the early stages.

Homebush Bay Bridge was opened this year, with CBG members and I attended the opening. I successfully moved for Council to ask the RMS to allow cyclists to use the bus lane on the bridge to avoid clashes with pedestrians.

Five Dock Town Centre:

Council is attempting to revitalise this area. To complement plans to create more of a town square and enhance the streetscape, an independent study suggested an increase in height of some buildings of up to 5 to 6 storeys. Local landholders wanted 8 storeys and Labor and Liberal voted for a compromise 7 storeys.

I maintained that we should keep the original 6 storeys recommended by the independent planners and eventually this was supported by the Council.

North Strathfield and Concord West:

Under the Draft Parramatta Road Urban Transformation Strategy, Urban Growth NSW plans to increase the housing density along Parramatta Road and also into North Strathfield (‘Homebush Precinct’); Burwood Rd, Concord; and Kings Bay, Five Dock. They have now reduced the area of expansion into Concord West, at least for the time being.

Amalgamation:

The State Government proposed to merge Canada Bay Council with Burwood and Strathfield Councils (ignoring Council’s suggested merger with Auburn). In February 2016 Council resolved to work with Burwood and Strathfield Councils and rejected my amendment to reaffirm Council’s previous “Stand Alone” position in Council’s written submission to the Delegate.

Canada Bay Greens members and I spoke against this merger proposal at the public inquiry on 4 February 2016. We also participated in anti-amalgamation meetings and rallies over several months.  In March 2016 the NSW Government’s appointed Delegate, held a public inquiry into this proposal and on 12 May 2016 the State government announced that Canada Bay Council, Burwood Council and Strathfield Councils were to be merged.

As a result of Strathfield Council’s challenge to the State government’s merger proposal, the Land and Environment Court determined that the Delegate’s report was flawed and therefore the proposed basis for the amalgamation was not valid.  The State government has not appealed this decision and at this stage the merger has not proceeded.  Canada Bay Councillors’ terms have been extended indefinitely.

I chair the Canada Bay Council Access Committee.

I am Council delegate for the: Sustainable City Committee; Parramatta River Catchment Group; South Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (SSROC); Drummoyne Community Centre Management Committee; and the Concord Senior Citizens Centre Advisory Committee.