Member for Coogee

Have your say on Council’s financial sustainability

To help build long term financial sustainability and meet the demands of our growing community, Woollahra Council is considering applying to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) for a Special Rate Variation (SRV). This would allow Council to address a range of priority projects directly linked to heritage protection, recreation and trees, climate change action, active transport, community infrastructure and service improvements. We are seeking community feedback on three SRV-related options, which will help identify the level of funding commitment that residents and businesses believe is appropriate for the community’s future.

Visit yoursay.woollahra.nsw.gov.au/srv for further details and dates for opportunities to speak to staff about the proposed SRV at pop ups across Woollahra and via a webinar. To have your say, you can also email at records@ woollahra.nsw.gov.au, or make a submission by mail to PO Box 61, Double Bay 1360, before Oct 4, 2022.

Enter the 2022 Woollahra Garden Awards

Is your garden one of Woollahra’s best? We’re encouraging all residents, local businesses, school groups and community organisations to showcase their gardens – big or small – by entering this year’s Woollahra Garden Awards. We want you to share your creativity, hard work and sustainable gardening practices with us.

Don’t miss your chance to win some great prizes. The overall winner will receive a $500 garden voucher. The winner of each category will receive a $100 garden voucher. Entries Oct 14. Winners will be announced in November. Visit woollahra.nsw.gov.au/ gardenawards to enter.

Rose Bay Cycleway

A new 2.4km cycleway will improve safety along New South Head Road in Rose Bay, ensuring the iconic Rose Bay Promenade is accessible for all to enjoy. Located between William St, Double Bay and Norwich Rd, Rose Bay, the Rose Bay Cycleway provides a safe solution for cyclists and pedestrians and enhances transport options along the area’s only direct connection to the city.

Delivered by Woollahra Council with funding assistance from the NSW Government, the Cycleway incorporates separate spaces for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles along the Promenade, through a design that balances the needs of all road users, having incorporated extensive community feedback and concerns around safety.

Inter-war flats

Waverley Council is inviting the community to provide feedback about our new Inter-War Flat building design guidelines. The guidelines help protect, maintain and modify our wonderful and much-loved Inter-War residential flat building heritage. The guidelines provide advice to those who intend to maintain, upgrade or alter Inter-War residential flat buildings in Waverley. Consultation closes Sept 19. For more, including details about our Have Your Say days, visit haveyoursay.waverley.nsw.

gov.au

Draft Development Control Plan

We are also seeking feedback on our proposed changes to the draft Waverley Development Control Plan (Waverley DCP). The Waverley DCP contains detailed planning and design guidelines to support the planning controls set out in the Waverley Local Environmental Plan. Proposed updates include implementing the Our Liveable Places Centres Strategy and Inter-War Flat Building Heritage Design Guidelines and sustainability and waste updates. Consultation closes on Sept 19 Have Your Say days are also planned. For details, visit

haveyoursay.waverley.nsw.gov.au

Shark nets

The NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) manages shark mitigation in NSW including shark nets. In 2021, Council participated in stakeholder consultation with DPI on preferred shark mitigation measures.

The feedback we provided based on the science and data, and as part of this consultation, is that we support shark mitigation options that minimise impacts on marine biodiversity while protecting our swimmers and surfers. This includes not supporting the continuation of shark meshing at Bondi and Bronte beaches due to the devastating impacts on marine wildlife and there being more modern and effective technologies available to track and monitor sharks. Waverley Council is not, nor has it lobbied the state government for the abolition of shark nets at our beaches. We have simply fulfilled the government’s request for feedback on the matter. Council will continue to have discussions with the government on its shark mitigation strategies and respects whichever strategies it employs. Council also resolve this month to investigate training our lifeguards as drone pilots to help monitor shark activity.

Waverley Garden Awards

Nominations for the Waverley Garden Awards open in September. Held every three years, the awards celebrate the joy and fulfilment gardens provide. Gardens help improve the quality of our environment and wellbeing. Any type of garden can be nominated, so to find out more, keep an eye out for updates on our website or email

publicgardening@waverley.nsw.gov.au

New home proposed for Randwick WIRES

Council is contributing $400,000 to help build a new animal shelter at Randwick Environment Park to support WIRES volunteers house and rehabilitate injured native wildlife.

Transitioning to Net Zero Emissions

Randwick Council is well on its way to achieving net zero emissions by 2030 with greenhouse gas emissions forecast to reduce by 80% this financial year compared with 2017/18. Emissions from electricity usage has been eliminated with the procurement of 100% solar energy and Council has been working to upgrade street lights with energy efficient globes, install rooftop solar and to convert our vehicle fleet over to hybrid and electric.

Grants awarded for community groups

Twenty six local community groups have been awarded funding of more than $134,000 as part of Council’s Community Creative, Community Partnership and Community Connect Investment Program. This includes funding for the Jewish Film Festival at Randwick Ritz, Latrobe Community Health Service Family Fun Day, La Perouse Junior Rugby League Club and funding for a Seniors Wellbeing program in Coogee and Kensington run by Holdsworth. Some of the Community Partnership programs include a retreat for victims of domestic violence and an after school tutoring program for in need children.

New Maroubra Beach plaza

McKeon St at Maroubra Beach will be closed to cars and handed back to people as part of a six-month temporary plaza that will be open from the end of Sept to Mar 2023. The project is being funded as part of a $500,000 State Government Streets as Shared Spaces grant. Outdoor dining fees for local business will be waived to encourage them to take advantage of the new space. The proposal was consulted with the community recently with 90% supporting the plan and 89% agreeing that people would stay longer if it was a well-designed public space. Council will create additional parking on nearby Fenton St to offset the temporary parking reduction.

Plan to tackle port noise

Council will write to the Port Authority of NSW to request that a noise abatement strategy be developed to help reduce night time noise emanating from port operations. Residents have reported a recent increase in excessive noise at night including low-frequency noise from vessels and loud bangs associated with loading and onloading containers, crane alarms and high pitch tones.

Marjorie O'Neill MP

MEMBER FOR COOGEE

Hi Everyone,

Too often, the big decisions that shape our communities are taken out of the hands of locals who stand to be affected the most. Managing competing priorities can be a challenge and often involves a juggling act, but it’s the job of a competent government to consult, listen, and deliver on the needs and wants of the communities it represents.

While the NSW Government may have failed to listen and act on the demands of the tens of thousands of locals who signed petitions, wrote letters, and attended rallies as part of the fight to Save Our Buses.

As your local member, I will not be engaging in back-room deals and political horse-trading on the issues that matter. Our community deserves transparency and accountability from their Government as much as they deserve high quality public transport. Whether you love our new public transport network or hate it, I want to hear from you on what is working and what isn’t, what changes are needed and what you think should stay as is.

To have your say and help shape the future of our public bus network in the Eastern Suburbs, scan the QR code below or head to the Save Our Buses campaign page on my website to fill out the survey.

OFFICE CONTACT DETAILS

If you have any issues relating to the NSW Government, or you are not sure where to go to for help, please contact my office on (02) 9398 1822;

coogee@parliament.nsw.gov.au

or visit us at 15/53-55B Frenchmans Rd, Randwick.

You can also visit my website at marjorieoneill.com.au and while you’re there, be sure to sign up to my online community newsletter too!