Have your say – VPA 15 Centennial Ave

Lane Cove Council has received a proposal from HYECORP Property Group for 7-15 Centennial Avenue and 92-96 Gordon Crescent, Lane Cove.

The proposal is to transfer land at 15 Centennial Avenue to Council to form part of the Stringybark Creek Reserve in return for transferring the floor space of this property to the adjacent development at 7-13 Centennial Avenue.

This would mean that Council will receive the land at 15 Centennial Avenue free of cost in addition to a cash contribution of $175,000 which will be utilised to remove the existing dwelling and regenerate the area providing a continuation of Stringy Bark Reserve. Hyecorp will be able to build 31 additional units on their development on their 7-13 Centennial Ave development.

To have your say  complete Council’s survey or make a submission to the Council’s Manager – Governance, quoting the reference I.Naylor – DA11/233,  by:-

• Post – Lane Cove Council, PO Box 20 Lane Cove 1595;
• Fax – 9911 3600; or
• Email

Written submissions will be received by Council until 5pm Thursday 5 December 2013.

Further information Lane Cove Council’s website

URGENT NEWS – Community session for 150 Epping Rd Development

Lane Cove Council has just informed us that the developer at 150 Epping (former Shell petrol station) has put in significant amendments to the approved Planning Concept Plan.

The 150 Epping Road development was the subject of a Part 3A planning proposal to develop the land for mixed use purposes that included residential towers and commercial office space comprising six buildings ranging from 6 to 20 storeys. The proposed amendments include removing the proposed pedestrian access bridge over Epping Rd, removing commercial space, reducing retail space, deleting a cumulative traffic study, deleting a child care centre removing a community bus, increasing parking spaces and changing arrangements regarding developer contributions and bushland management.

Lane Cove Council is organising an information evening for residents next Tuesday evening, 13^th August, at 6.30 pm, in the Council Chambers.

Council hosting forum on local government reform

Lane Cove Council is hosting a community session on Wednesday 12 June to provide information about the recommendations featured in a recent independent review of local government.

To register for the information session or provide feedback to assist in our our formal response to the Division of Local Government, view the Current Issues section of our Lane Cove Council’s website.

Community input into Council’s response on NSW Planning reforms extended

Residents attending the SBCRA’s recent community forum requested another week to prepare submissions to Lane Cove Council on the NSW Government’s planning reforms, in order to be able to incorporate information from the forum into their submissions.

We are pleased to announce an extension for community submissions to Lane Cove Council has been granted until Friday 7 June.

More info on Council submissions can be found on Lane Cove Council’s website.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to have your say!

SBCRA Community Forum on NSW Govt’s planning reforms

If you aren’t aware of the State Government’s proposed planning reforms, you need to be before its too late!

Under the NSW Government’s proposed new planning system residents could lose the right to comment on 80% of development applications in their neighbourhood.

The SBCRA together with Lane Cove North, Lane Cove West, Riverview and Northwood Residents’ Associations held a well attended public forum on Thursday 30 May informing residents about the proposed planning reforms and how it will affect planning in our area.

Key note speaker  Corrine Fisher from the Better Planning Network provided an insighful analysis of the proposed planning reforms and why residents need to act now to inform the NSW Government about concerns they may have with the proposed system.

The Better Planning Network is an affiliation of nearly 400 NSW community groups that includes Lane Cove groups.

Public submissions on the NSW Government’s planning White Paper and draft legislation are due on 28 June, 2013.

For more information on the NSW Government’s planning reforms and White paper see the NSW Government Planning Reforms on the right-hand side tool bar of our website – it includes background information on the reforms, what they mean, how to respond, what community forums are available and useful links for preparing submissions.

The Better Planning Network website also provides information about the proposed reforms and an easy to action email template that you can use to submit your feedback to MPs and NSW Department of Planning.

JRPP refused DA for 62-70 Gordon Crescent

The Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP) met on Thursday 9 May 2013, to assess DA13/24 62-70 Gordon Crescent.

The development application includes destruction of 5 houses and the construction of 69 units including basement parking.

The JRPP refused this development application due to extensive breaches of the LEP and the DCP.  It is now being dealt with by Land & Environment Court proceedings.

The full assessment report and JRPP report for this development assessment can be found  at http://www.jrpp.nsw.gov.au/DevelopmentRegister/tabid/62/ctl/view/mid/424/JRPP_ID/1307/language/en-AU/Default.aspx,

We will provide further information on the assessment of this development when it becomes available.

Mowbray Precinct Working Party

Council has appointed eight local residents to join the West Ward Councillors and Council staff in a working party that will address issues relating to the Mowbray Precinct’s transition during the current and future development of properties and infrastructure in the area.

The Committee will

• provide input and feedback on amenity, environmental and other issues during the period of intensifying development
• provide input and feedback on infrastructure planning; and
• contribute ideas for the enhancement of a sense of community for the current and changing population, including proposed open space and a potential community centre

Residents appointed to this working party include:  Guy Hallowes, Deborah Hill, Ann Proudfoot, Mark Joyner, Kylie Bryden-Smith, Frances Vissel, Brian McDonald and Elizabeth McDougal.

New Working Hours in the Mowbray Precinct

Council voted unanimously to reduce the Saturday working hours in the Mowbray Precinct at their meeting on 18 March.

There was a very strong message given to the Councillors by the community about the impact of the construction noise and the limited respite (1 day) for residents living in the area and around the Mowbray Precinct developments.

The Saturday building working hours for any new development approvals are now 8am to 12 noon on Saturday, in line with Willoughby Council’s Saturday working hours.

Unfortunately this is not retrospective and only applies to new developments that are yet to be approved.

Had the previous Council had the same empathy to the situation when we requested the same reduction last year, some of the newer approvals would have come under the ruling.

It could be a few years before we have our peaceful Saturday afternoons back. But better to get this now as we have a lot more developments still go!

Read North Shore Times article on this matter http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/north-shore/an-hour-more-shut-eye-for-lane-cove-resdidents-but-contruction-could-last-for-years/story-fngr8h9d-1226606956992

Successful Clean up Australia Day

All the recyclables found on Clean Up Australia Day

SBCRA and Lane Cove West Residents Association joined forces for Clean up Australia Day on 3 March.

We had 32 enthusiastic volunteers who helped clean up in the bushland areas surrounding Stringy Bark Creek, Batten Reserve, Moore St, Hands Quarry and along the bushland corridor as far as the old Shell Petrol Station on Epping Rd.

The amount of rubbish collected was extensive including takeaway coffee cups, hundreds of plastic bags, items of clothing and shoes, snack wrappers, cigarette packets and lighters, a television set,  car wheel rims, shopping trolleys and kids toys.

This year we concentrated on counting the recyclables which included 278 plastic bottles, 265 aluminimum cans, 163 glass containers – a total of 706 recyclables.  Have a look at what we collected in these photos.

Read the rest of this entry »

Mowbray Precinct Development Control Plan

The Development Control Plan (DCP) for the Mowbray Precinct also came into effect early 2013.

This is an important document as it complements the Local Environment Plan (LEP) and has new conditions including maximum number of storeys that may be accommodated with the height limits, a minimum 40% deep soil landscaping area, and revised setback conditions.

This DCP is entitled Locality Plan 6 and can be found in Part C – Residential Locailities of the Lane Cove Development Control Plan http://www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/Council%20Services/Development%20Control/Development%20Controls/LEPandDCP/LEPandDevelopmentControlPlans.htm