Peninsula No 36
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PAPER INC Print Post Approved PP255003/04388 12 February 2002
Andrews criticises NRMA closure A decision by NRMA Insurance to close the office at Woy Woy and relocate its services to Gosford has drawn strong criticism from Member for Peats, Ms Marie Andrews.
Woy Woy NRMA office in Deepwater Plaza will close soon Photo – Davy C. Green
Recycling plant proposed for Bulls Hill quarry Gosford Council staff have recommended approval to rezone the Bulls Hill Quarry site to allow it to be developed as a composting and recycling facility. The council decided to defer a decision until after a site inspection scheduled for today, Tuesday, February 12. Camden Soil Mix Pty Ltd had applied for the rezoning, seeking preparation of a draft local environment plan to enable the site to operate as "Bays Park Resource Recovery Facility". The facility would involve the composting of organic materials including green waste, food waste and poultry carcasses to produce soil conditioners for sale in the agricultural, horticultural, landscaping and plant nursery industries. It would be able to process 60,000 tonnes of green organic material, 30,000 tonnes of construction-demolition material and 10,000 tonnes of food waste and poultry carcasses a year. Enclosed vertical composting units would be used which "allows for maximum control of the process and ensures odour emissions are minimal". The applicant's air quality study was unable to state that the
proposal would meet EPA performance criteria. In their report, council staff suggested to the Council that it "evaluate the economic and environmental benefits of the facility to the wider community against the undesirable odour impacts that may occur locally". They noted "it would not be until the facility is operational that any realistic assessment of odour impact could be made". Council staff recommended that the rezoning proceed to allow consideration of a separate development application for an organic composting-recycling f acili t y a nd c onst ruc tio n demolition recovery facility at the former quarry at Woy Woy Rd, Woy Woy Bay. The site is currently Crown land administered by the Department of Land and Water Conservation (DLWC). The council was told the facility was of "a regional scale" and was required to facilitate the council's commitment to resource recycling and to reduce the amount of refuse within conventional landfill sites. The life expectancy of both Woy Woy and Kincumber waste depots would be extended as a result of recyclable material being
diverted to the quarry site. Green wastes were currently transferred to Sydney by Camden Soils for recycling, a process which would be undertaken locally should the facility go ahead. The Council was told that the quarry site had not been rehabilitated and was contributing to the siltation of Woy Woy Creek and Correa Bay "… due to the lack of management controls in place during the qua rry operation". The redevelopment was intended to result in a better environmental outcome than if the site were to remain in its current condition. The National Parks and Wildlife Service and NSW Fisheries raised objections on environmental grounds to the site being used as a recycling facility. The council officers commented that the concerns related more to any future development application for the site, rather than a rezoning of the land. Council agenda DH.021, February 5
"This closure will mean once again the loss of services to residents on the Woy Woy Peninsula and surrounding areas. "It comes on top of a number of bank closures and will cause much inconvenience for many local residents, particularly senior citizens," Ms Andrews said. Ms Andrews said she had written to NRMA Insurance Ltd some months ago seeking a review of the company’s decision to close the Woy Woy office. In her representations, she pointed out that the Woy Woy Peninsula area serviced a large population, including many persons aged 65 and over. The majority of these people are known to prefer to carry out their business transactions on a "face-to-face" basis, she said. "That is certainly the case in the somewhat complex area of home and car insurance. "There are 21 NRMA offices
across the State and in the ACT which are due to be closed and four of these are on the Central Coast." Only Gosford and Lakehaven will remain open after February 22. "There appears to be no heart left in the banking and insurance industries today," Ms Andrews said. "They all appear to be hell-bent on making bigger and bigger profits without worrying about providing too many services for their customers. "Apart from the loss of the insurance services, roadside services will disappear from Woy Woy as well. "The financial investment side was sold by the NRMA some months ago. "While residents will be able to renew their insurance policies and membership of roadside services at Woy Woy post office, the fact remains that most people prefer to have the face-to-face service," Ms Andrews said. Press release, January 14
Pearl Beach to be monitored Annual environmental assessments of the beach at Pearl Beach are planned to monitor the need for "beach scraping", Gosford Council has been told. The assessments "could possibly include collection and interpretation of photogrammetric data to promote better understanding of the modal cycles of beach accretion and erosion". This followed a request from Pearl Beach residents that "beach scraping procedures be activated". Gosford Council's Coastline Management, Lagoon Management and Coastal Planning Committee (CLP Committee) advised that three "triggers" detailed in Broken Bay Beaches Coastal Management
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Plan must be met before the work could proceed. They were: An escarpment of more than one metre is formed in the back beach area by storm erosion. The beach berm has recovered sufficiently to provide sand to fill the back beach area. Back beach area has not recovered two months after a storm. Discussion took place on the possible need for an environmental impact study. The council's environmental engineer will ask Planning NSW whether such a study is required and then finalise the draft Pearl Beach - Scraping Guidelines. Council agenda CL.011, January 22