Peninsula No 50
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PAPER INC Print Post Approved PP255003/04388 10 September 2002
Rose Cottage at Bensville to be demolished Gosford Council has approved a plan to demolish buildings, including the historic "Rose Cottage", at 32-34 Kalaroo Rd, Bensville. The council's heritage committee had recommended against the demolition. The buildings will be replaced with a mixed residential and commercial development, comprising a separate commercial building and a residential flat building. There will be shops in the buildings fronting Kallaroo Rd and a residential component fronting Union St, consisting of four residential units. Rose Cottage and ancillary structures on the site had been identified as historic buildings and consequently the application was refer red to the Herit age Committee for comment. At a committee meeting last September, the committee reported: “Amended plans have been submitted to Council for the propose d developm e nt in Kallaroo Road, Bensville, which seeks to demolish two important buildings related to the history of Bensville.
"The original development application was considered by the committee in June 2001, and (was) strongly opposed. "The amendment relates to the residential flat component whereby it is proposed to reduce the number of units from six to four. "Demolition of the historic buildings is still proposed, and the committee again registers its strong opposition.” A report in relation to a Heritage Study of the structures was considered by Council at its meeting of August 6, 2002. The Bensville shop and residence (Rose Cottage) were included a schedule of the heritage study recently presented to the council. The y were included in "Schedule B" as the owners had objected to the listing of the building, deferring their "listing" as heritage items until a number of policy issues had been addressed. Council was told that because the buildings were "not listed as heritage items" the application could not be refused on historical grounds. Council planning staff c o n s i d e r e d t h e p r o p os e d development fell within zoning
"Rose Cottage" at Bensville is to be demolished guidelines. They said that the proposed development was consistent with the aims and objectives of the Draft Local Environment Plan for neighbourhood business centres. The council's Traffic Advisory Unit recommended: a) Provision for cyclists in the
form a bicycle rack. b) Dedication of land as road over the frontage of the site. c) Consideration be given to a full geotechnical investigation the paved roadway in front of the development, with a design to current standards which would a achieve 25 year life and
examples of similar pavements showing that they are performing satisfactorily.” The development was considered suitable for the site, consistent with the objectives of the zone and was approved. Council agenda DH.101, September 3
Government radio communications transmitter planned Gosford Council has agreed to allow emergency radio communication facilities to be constructed at the Umina water reservoir site, off Castle Circuit, Umina. Council consent, as owner of the land, was required for the lodgement of a development application by Telstra on behalf of the NSW Government Radio Network (GRN). Consent has also been granted to enter into licences with Telstra to cover the occupation of council land. Telstra told the council: "The GRN consists of a large number of radio communications sites throughout NSW. "The network provides radio communications only to government agencies such as the Ambulance Service of NSW, NSW Fire Brigades, Rural Fire Service, State Emergency Service, Water Authorities, Energy Australia, State Rail etc. "The GRN provides day-to-day
and also emergency communications for these agencies. "The GRN does not provide commercial or public telecommunications services in any form. "The GRN currently provides radio service in the Central Coast region through a number of established sites. "There is now a request from some GRN agencies (notably ambulance) to increase portable (ie hand held) radio coverage over greater areas of the Central Coast to better service the local community." Telstra requested that as the proposed installations are required as a matter of urgency, particularl y by the N SW Ambulance Service, Council allow the GRN access to the two sites to permit occupation whilst the process of entering into formal licences for community purposes continues. The site at Umina had been identified by the GRN as ideal for
the proposed installations. The Umina (spheroid) reservoir site required no development consent. The GRN proposed to install radio equipment within the base of the water tower, alongside the Police and Council radio equipment. It will also be necessary to install a single 6m “pole” on the top handrail of the tower. As an option, the GRN may investigate bringing in the GRN links by microwave. This would entail the mounting of a small dish antenna, about 600mm in diameter, on the existing structure. The site is owned by Council and is classified as community land under the Natural Areas Bushland Draft Plan of Management which allows for the erection of structures for emergency or council-approved community services. The applications were referred in-house to the Water and Sewerage Directorate, being the
Everglades
manager of the Umina reservoir, and the Natural Areas Manager, as corporate owner of the land on which the Umina reservoir is sited. The Water and Sewerage Directorate asked that security measures be arranged with GRN and that the proposed installations do not interfere with existing Council facilities. It asked that a representative oversee the installation. The Natural Areas Manager asked that no clearing of native vegetation take place during the installation and that council’s draft Plan of Management for Natural Areas and Bushland is adhered to. The GRN assets are owned by the NSW Government but are currently designed, installed, managed and maintained by Telstra. As ownership of the GRN r em ai ns wit h t he NSW Government, all agreements for landlines and site rentals are to be in the name of the Department
of Information Technology and Management. The GRN is a non-commercial network used exclusively by Government agencies for the benefit of the local community. It is therefore proposed to enter into licences with the Department of Information Technology and Management based on a community rental. Under Council’s current community guidelines rental would be in the vicinity of $500 (plus GST) per annum. The proposed term of each licence is envisaged to be five years with three options of five years which could equate to a 20 year term. The GRN will be responsible for all costs associated with the preparation of licence and lease documentation, including investigation fees and any rates and taxes which may apply to formalise the agreement. Council agenda FS.126, August 27