Ku-ring-gai Council backflips on contentious street bench application for St Ives

A north shore council has backflipped on contentious plans to place a wooden bench on a suburban street after the proposal sparked a public furore dubbed as “benchgate”.

A north shore council has backflipped on contentious plans to place a wooden bench on a suburban street after the proposal sparked a public furore dubbed as “benchgate”.

Six of ten Ku-ring-gai councillors have now voted to allow the seat to be installed on the nature strip of Mariana Close – just three weeks after the majority of councillors voted against the proposal due to concerns including safety.

The decision to approve the bench at Tuesday’s council meeting follows weeks of tension between neighbours which included supporters and opponents putting forward their final arguments about the pros and cons of the seat at a public forum attended by councillors last week.

The seat saga began during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic when resident Andy Bloom installed the bench on the nature strip outside her home, without seeking council approval.

As previously reported by the North Shore Times, Ms Bloom said the seat was designed to bring the community together at a time of social isolation.

Resident Andy Bloom (right) pictured outside her home with a fellow resident.

However, opponents argued the seat was out of character with the residential area, presented a safety and public liability hazard and had encouraged noise and disturbances including street parties, social gatherings and yoga classes.

The seat was ultimately removed following a community meeting between neighbours, prompting Ms Bloom to seek formal approval from Ku-ring-gai Council to make the seat permanent in an agreement that included her covering the installation cost.

The bench was installed on the small cul-de-sac during Covid lockdowns.

The application headed for a second vote at this week’s council meeting after three councillors submitted a rescission motion against a council decision to reject the application last month.

Councillor Martin Smith – a supporter of the bench – argued it was important to draw a line under the saga which he said had drawn the attention of the wider community through petitions and debate on social media.

“It’s got that much attention and started to bring this council into a position where we’re being questioned about how much interference we as councillors have with day to day small issues,” he said.

“The public outcry for common sense has been enormous in St Ives and unfortunately much wider than what we anticipated.

A photo of tyre marks at the location taken by objectors to the bench.

“Quite often you get a very small minority that speak very loudly and as councillors we need to look at all the facts that are put forward and make reasonable decisions, not by the people who are screaming the loudest.

“This is a great thing for the community and I look forward to sitting on this bench.”

Councillor Christine Kay – one of four councillors who opposed the bench – said she remained concerned about the safety issues relating to the installation.

Her concerns included reports by residents the seat had encouraged “gatherings of residents, children playing in the middle of the road, parents shouting ‘car’ when a car is coming, and strange men sitting on the beach at night”.

“Since the illegal bench was removed there have been no mass gatherings. I am concerned that a permanent bench could have a reputation risk for us (because) anything that happens will come back to the council,” she said.

The bench was ultimately approved on a six-month trial basis until February, at which time it could be made permanent pending the consideration of a council report assessing any issues arising during the trial.

Ku-ring-gai Councillor Martin Smith is a supporter of the bench.

Andy Bloom said she hoped to have the bench installed as soon as possible which was originally intended to be painted in rainbow colours, but will now be a standard brown in line with council guidelines.

In the lead-up to the council’s vote, Ms Bloom also started a petition signed by more than 100 people which urged supporters to: “stand with those of us who want to sit down”.

“It was interesting to watch democracy work because there were always more of us that wanted the bench, than didn’t,” she said.

“The bench was only ever intended to be a community initiative and a place for residents to watch their children while they’re riding their bikes. To me it feels more like a relief more than a victory.”

Resident Betty Hall – who was opposed to the bench – said she was disappointed by the council decision and remained concerned about safety issues including instances of previous traffic accidents where the bench is to be located.

A poll by the North Shore Times showed 69 per cent of 507 respondents did not support the bench due to unacceptable impacts on neighbours.

“I’m very disappointed with the outcome because the council trivialised our concerns,” she said.

“They acknowledged we’ll be impacted but still voted for it and we’re concerned it could jeopardise the safety of young children and also set a precedent for other streets.

“We don’t understand why it got this far but we have to start to move forward and heal as a neighbourhood.”

Councillor Alec Taylor – who voted against the bench last month but supported it at Tuesday’s meeting – said his change of heart was partly based on assessment by a council director who performed a risk assessment of the street and deemed the area as “low risk”.

Speaking at the meeting, he recognised the bench still had a high potential to impact two neighbouring homeowners opposed to the installation.

Councillor Sam Ngai called for council staff – rather than councillors – to have the final say on the bench applications in the future in a move he said could avoid future “benchgate issues” from arising.