Frenchs Forest resident Tim Pace in YouTube protest about new Northern Beaches hospital

Resident Tim Pace has turned to YouTube because he is fed up with delays in land re-zoning around the new Northern Beaches Hospital site

Tim Pace complains about Frenchs Forest re-zoning. Pic credit: YouTube

• Frenchs Forest housing around the Northern Beaches Hospital

A FRENCHS Forest man sick of waiting for a rezoning around the Northern Beaches Hospital has taken matters into his own hands, making a video showing the plight of his neighbourhood.

The two-minute monologue was uploaded to change.org by Tim Pace along with a petition, which has had more than 450 signatures since Friday.

Roadworks on southern side of Warringah Rd of the new hospital being built at Frenchs Forest

The Karingal Crescent resident said he got to a “breaking point”, after “multiple deadlines passing and not been met and excuses after excuses after excuses” from the authorities.

The video shows Mr Pace standing in his backyard, which has been severely cut off by a, ugly, boarded fence so work can be conducted.

“There doesn’t seem to be much end in sight,” he tells the camera.

“Some people are telling us Christmas, others are saying further beyond that, so who knows?”.

Mr Pace said residents have been patient, but the time was coming for action.

He called out Education Minister Adrian Piccoli, Northern Beaches Council administrator Dick Persson, Planning Minister Rob Stokes, and Wakeurst MP Brad Hazzard.

Brad Hazzard is one of the MPs that Tim Pace has taken aim at.

“They need to hear that we have been patient and we are not going to be patient for too much longer,” he said.

“we have obligingly let them put in temporary fences that encroach on our backyards, some peoples backyards up to two metres gone, mine is about a metre and a half,” he said.

“We have put up with the noise, we have put up with the dust, with the vibrations, we have put up with a lack of privacy”, he said.

Now, “what we want is an precinct plan, so we can have some hope, and some certainty about what we are going to do in the future.”

In the petition, he calls for the government body responsible for the delays to come forward.

Following the petition’s launch, Mr Pace said the policy makers had “added salt to our wounds” with an Roads and Maritime Services announcement, that they would be conduct 20 nights of work.

An RMS statement said most vegetation clearing has been completed and the remainder of work will be carried out on Warringah Rd, Wakehurst Parkway and Forest Way from Saturday between 7am and 6pm on weekdays and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays.

It said night works would occur between 6pm and 7am to minimise the impact on traffic flow.

“It is another thorn in the side of us residents, another black eye and something we will have to deal with, we have got no choice,” Mr Pace said.

Mr Hazzard said he supported the petition,

“I am with Tim and the residents all the way, I agree with them,” he said.

“The frustration I feel is enormous, but it is nowhere near as much as the residents because they are living and breathing it,” he said.

Planning Minister and Pittwater MP Rob Stokes stressed that the infrastructure needed to be right.

“The government is working with the local council to ensure an appropriate planning framework is developed in conjunction with the delivery of the Northern Beaches Hospital in 2018,” Mr Stokes said.

“This involves technical studies to analyse the appropriate land uses, urban forms and densities as well as associated public infrastructure and spaces.”

Northern Beaches Council administrator Dick Persson and Education Minister Adrian Piccoli did not respond to questions about the petition.