Northern Beaches Council: 1st year anniversary highlights
In an interview to mark the elected council’s first year, Northern Beaches Mayor Michael Regan has reviewed the key issues that impact residents — and sounded out what are the main focuses going forward.
Manly
Don't miss out on the headlines from Manly. Followed categories will be added to My News.
ONE building could be used as the major base for the Northern Beaches Council to house its staff, with Manly’s Whistler St Carpark one location highlighted by mayor Michael Regan.
In an interview to mark the elected council’s first year, the mayor said he believed the next year could see real progress on an east-west transport corridor between Dee Why and Chatswood.
He also said improved and cheaper waste services to start from July next year would easing the strain on ratepayers’ hip pockets.
As it nears a year since he was elected mayor on September 27, Cr Regan said he hoped to build upon already growing relationships with the State Government to achieve the results promised when mergers were put on the table.
“Over the rest of this council’s term, my focus will continue on the three areas that residents consistently tell me they want action on - transport, planning and sustainability,” he said.
THE FIRST 12 MONTHS:
The councillors have had almost a year to get on with the merging of Manly, Warringah and Pittwater into one council.
“The first 12 months has been getting our heads around the organisation, where it is at, where it has come from in terms of the three councils,” Cr Regan said. “The three cultures, what the administrator had done and now where the 15 councillors all lie in terms of what their priorities are going forward.”
Among the highlights, according to the mayor was the hiring of new chief executive officer Ray Brownlee, who is due to start next month, and the relationships the council has made with State Government MPs and senior bureaucrats. He also pointed to the significant amount of infrastructure backlog the council was clearing creating a transport strategy for the peninsula and new waste contracts.
He said the council’s achievement of getting planning laws on the State Government’s low-rise medium density housing code was just one example of the merged council’s influence.
It would have meant terraces, manor houses and dual occupancy homes could be approved without a development application from July.
“The Government listened and they are keen to now explore further with us,” he said. “We are meeting with the minister shortly to further explore the boarding house stuff and the missing middle, which is a positive step forward. They are the things a bigger council promised to be able to do and we are finally starting to deliver.
A NEW COUNCIL BASE:
The council is the biggest employer on the northern beaches and among the top of the agenda items would be to find a suitable base big enough for most staff.
“Ideally you would have it somewhere that is easy to get to and central that attracts the best and the brightest,” he said. “That could be Manly, if we had a proper east-west connection Dee Why makes sense.”
Cr Regan stressed there would still be a silo in Mona Vale and likely in Frenchs Forest and Avalon.
“You would be looking at new facility somewhere or you would be looking at retrofitting. It is a decision the new CEO can look at,” Cr Regan said.
There are opportunities in Dee Why next to the area known as “Site A”. Part of that area - between Howard and Oaks avenues - is earmarked for a proposed police station upgrade but there is space for both, or to expand the civic centre site in Dee Why.
“Another potential location that could be investigated could be a Whistler St Carpark redevelopment in the future, depending the outcome of the silly court case we are involved in,” Cr Regan said.
The dumped developers of the site Built-Athas are suing the council for $76 million over a broken contract to build units, commercial space and a new library on the site.
Any redevelopment of the site, either with the council as developer or through a partnership with a third party would retain or improve parking, Cr Regan said.
The former Manly council chambers would be retained and community input would be sought for its use.
SAVINGS ARE COMING:
“We should start to see the financial benefits of the merged council over the next two or three years,” Cr Regan said.
The council recently signed off on a 10-year deal with United Resources Management for a new fleet of trucks and waste collection, rumoured to be worth $20m.
Cr Regan said there were savings in the last round of rates through a reduction in costs to waste services, despite the fact rates themselves increased by 2.3 per cent.
“We have started savings with the waste contracts, we have seen the initial waste savings,” Cr Regan said.
“Now with the contract coming forward we should see additional waste savings and even better the environmental outcomes and the additional life it will lead to for Kimbriki,” he said.
The new waste management centre, which starts next July at the same time as the URM contract, would divert about 70 per cent of waste from landfill.
However, Cr Regan stopped short of guaranteeing a drop in rates.
“I think if you have a look at the savings coming forward, we should actually start to see the rates stabilise, at the very least,” he said.
TRANSPORT:
The extra b-line bus influence that comes with a merged council could soon see an east-west rapid transit system coming for the northern beaches.
“We have been partnering, actually genuinely partnering with the State Government,” Cr Regan said. “I think you will see the results of that come forward very soon.
“As a result of what we have been doing in the last 12 months building those relationships one-on-one with the State Government... we should see some of those things we have been wanting fast-tracked.
“Better public transport is a must and it’s imperative we see a rapid bus transit to Chatswood, past the new hospital at Frenchs Forest, and also look at the Mona Vale to Macquarie corridor.”
INFRASTRUCTURE:
The council is forecast to save $20 million over the next two years. Increased efficiencies through mergers has seen the council start to chip in to the infrastructure backlog.
One area that has benefited from the increased wallet of the council is East Esplanade, which is undergoing upgrades -albeit delayed - to beautify the area.
Eventually it will also include new toilet facilities and CCTV cameras in the area known as “The Office” to improve a growing trend of anti-social behaviour.
“We should see the infrastructure that the previous councils couldn’t maintain which we have started to see, particularly in Pittwater and now Manly is starting to see infrastructure that would never have been done by Manly Council,” Cr Regan said,
“Equally we are starting to see the Palm Beach walkway and things that never would have been able to have been done under the single councils, they just couldn't afford it.
“Now we are starting to see investment in that infrastructure which is the basic role of a council.”
This is all while the council has started to reduce the debt taken on by the former Manly and Pittwater councils, Cr Regan said.
The council is undertaking an asset review to get a better idea of what maintenance is needed and how best to use its buildings. Cr Regan said he was frustrated at how long staff were taking and said he would urge the new CEO to get on with the job.
“The administrator was big on spending money, unfortunately the priority was not given to the asset audit,” he said. “They were more interested in spending money than finding out our true financial position.
“Incidents like the deterioration of 40 Baskets Pool shouldn’t have happened, measurements should have been put in place immediately, the same with the 29 public wharves in Pittwater which are in some state of disrepair. That’s should have been a higher priority for the administrator so the elected council could get on with understanding its true financial pci and looking for more rate savings.
HIGHLIGHTS
Overall:
§ Significant ongoing consolidation into one council to ensure the ongoing delivery of high quality service to the community.
§ Approved Delivery Program and budget (following considerable community consultation) which includes a strong financial position with a $436 million budget forecast for 2018/19 of which $109.7 million is allocated specifically to building and improving infrastructure with an additional $3million for new footpaths.
§ Introduced new high tech waste service to be rolled out mid 2019
§ Consolidation of library services – now one catalogue system across the region
§ Launched improved online customer service hub
§ Developed Council’s first Transport Strategy with significant community input
§ Adopted Events Strategy
The provision of services and infrastructure for the community has included:
§ delivery of critical sections of the 36km coastal walkway from Palm Beach to Manly
§ surf club upgrades including release of concepts for a new surf club for Mona Vale
§ numerous sports fields upgrades including completion of Cromer synthetic fields, Melwood oval and Lionel Watts netball courts (almost complete), start of Lionel Watts synthetic fields, renovation of St Matthews Farm and Reub Hudson Oval , completion of cricket nets at Weldon Oval and Killarney Heights Oval
§ Ongoing delivery of sports field lighting program for parks
§ upgrades to many playgrounds including new playground at Berry Reserve
§ Significant delivery of shared paths
§ Church Point carpark completion
§ Macpherson St bridge upgrade completion
§ Terry Hills skate park completion
§ Redman Road Plaza stage 1 completion
§ Harborview Childcare at Seaforth (completion end Oct)
§ Marine Parade upgrades including resurfacing and repairs to rock pools
§ Improvements at East Esplanade underway
§ Nolan Reserve amenities upgrade (underway)
§ Completion of upgrades to Careel Bay foreshore
§ Started south Palm Beach rejuvenation
§ North Harbour amenities under construction (completion due end of Oct)
Allocated $1 million dollars to go towards funding Community Grants, including:
§ The Burdekin Association Youth Hub
§ Lifeline Northern Beaches website upgrade
§ Humour Foundation – clown doctors for Bear Cottage
§ Fighting Chance Australia – stronger employment programs for people with disabilities on the Northern Beaches.
Secured a further $21.1 million dollars to go towards significant community projects including:
§ Wakehurst Parkway flood mitigation
§ Regional Performing Arts Centre Mona Vale
§ Mona Vale SLSC clubhouse upgrade
§ Currawong Beach Heritage refurbishment
§ North Pittwater foreshore improvements at 3 locations
§ Barrenjoey High School Community Performance Space
§ Long Reef SLSC clubhouse upgrade
§ Scotland Island wastewater feasibility study
§ Avalon/Newport permanent netball courts
§ Newport SLSC refurbishment – planning