At this meeting Randwick City Council will vote to endorse the draft Local Environment Plan (LEP). The  draft LEP 2012 proposes to rezone the heritage Chinese Market Gardens from its current zoning of Residential to RU4, primary production small lots, which prohibit cemetery uses on the Market Gardens site. However, the neighbouring Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park have proposed to expand into the land currently occupied by the market gardens and this proposal has been received favourably by some Councillors.

There has been much reported both advocating for and against retaining the gardens but in the end it comes down to a fundamental decision about LIFE OR DEATH. While cultural sensitives should be respected, at what cost should these be prioritised? 

Matraville Precinct strongly supports retaining the market gardens for their 150 year historical significance and most importantly their food producing contribution. Given the increasing impact of our population growth, it would do well to reflect on the history of Easter Island and the potential cultural and environmental dangers we may face.

PLEASE join us this Tuesday, 22 May 2012, 6pm at the Randwick City Town Hall.

For more information: http://laperousemarketgardens.wordpress.com/

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Countdown begins

On a project that seemed may never start, the end is in sight for all residents of the South East who have endured 100 years of odour. At the AMCOR Community Liaison Group in March, Precinct members and residents were delighted to hear that the expected shut-down date for the B7 and B8 paper machines is 24 May, 2012!

The new B9 machine is set to begin commercial operations in August and assurances from AMCOR and the EPA state that there shall be no offensive odour produced, however time will tell. AMCOR hold its community meeting every three months and all residents are welcome. For more information contact AMCOR on 9695 3535 and lclick here to read the minutes from the AMCOR Community Liaison Group.

EPA builds network

Many of us know that neighbouring industry impacts on the environment of Matraville residents. BUT what many of us don’t know is who to notify when we smell, hear or see something unusual. And of course, there is the perception that it’s just complaining or that someone else will have made the call. But if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? NO! It doesn’t! 

So the EPA (Environment Protection Authority) who oversee and regulate impacts on our environment have decided that it’s time they made information regarding our local industries more accessible. Rather than relying on visiting several websites you can now read and subscribe to the latest updates here http://engage.environment.nsw.gov.au/portal/environmentalissues/epa/epa_bacig/ and if you smell, hear or see something unusual, call the EPA on 131 555.

Precinct promotes

The Matraville Precinct recently received an order of promotional pens. They are a pleasure to write with and all attendees at the next Precinct meeting will receive one. OK maybe not much of an incentive but you’ll also get to meet a bunch of your lovely neighbours.

We have also been working on a flyer and poster to improve awareness and interest in the Precinct, its existence, activities and benefits.

For more local news and views, join us on 14 May 2012, 7pm Matraville RSL.

Each year the Matraville Precinct and Matraville Chamber present this special community event which brings us together to celebrate and share the joy of the festive season. But it doesn’t happen without a lot of hard work and many many hours of volunteered time. Everyone is welcome to help organise this event and indeed we welcome all enthusiastic contributions.

If you are interested in being involved or have any helpful suggestions for ways we can make this event even better then call Carlos on 0419 204 056, email matprecinct@gmail.com or post your comments here.

And …. a date for your diary – 8th December for the 2012 Matraville Christmas Carols.

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A priority for the meeting is to review the Draft Local Environmental Plan (LEP) which controls development and guides planning decisions made by Council. It determines what can be built, where it can be built and what activities can occur on land. The draft LEP has been prepared to meet new State Government guidelines for local planning documents and affects all properties within the Randwick Local Government Area.

The Draft LEP pulls together all the discussion papers that have been exhibited over the last two years.

We have until 2 April to send in our written submissions or you can submit your comments on the yoursayrandwick.com.au/LEP .

See you at 7pm, 12 March, Matraville RSL – ALL WELCOME!

Don’t forget to Facebook us!

• Denison Street is a Major Dangerous Goods Route
• The traffic impacts on surrounding streets and intersections
• The increased risk to local residents, patrons of Hensley Athletic Field and Westfield Eastgardens
• Economic responsibility to local businesses and employment
• Zoning and suitability of development in this area

As per Botany Bay City Council Development Control Plan (DCP) No 30, developments involving residential, active recreation, large commercial or sporting facilities are restricted to ensure that there is no increase in the number of people exposed to risk as a result of the operations of the Botany/Randwick industrial area.

Development should always be safe and enhance the local area and add value to our property – not reduce its value and increase risk.

Join us to discuss the impact development in this area will have on our health, well being and environment at a COMMUNITY FORUM to be held this Monday (6 Feb) evening, 7pm a the Matraville RSL.

Botany Bay City Council, NSW Planning Dept, and Bunnings have all been invited to answer your questions. ORICA has already confirmed their attendance.

WHAT: Community Forum – Development on Denison Street

WHEN: Monday 6 Feb, 7pm

WHERE: Matraville RSL

FLYER: Community Forum 

AGENDA: *** Matraville Precinct Extraordinary Meeting 6 Feb, 2012 ***

ALL WELCOME

RESOURCES/PRESS:

• Botany/Randwick Industrial Area Land Use Safety Study, 2001
• 04/03/03 Botany Bay City Council DCP 30 - Botany/Randwick Industrial Area
• 04/03/03 Botany Bay City Council DCP 33 - Industrial Development
• 00/00/05 State Environmental Planning Policy (Major Development) 2005
• State Environmental Planning Policy (Major Development) 2005 (Three Ports) Port Botany Site Land Zoning Maps
• Major hazards planning, NSW Planning and Infrastructure
• 00/07/08 Hazardous Industry Planning Advisory Paper No 4 Risk Criteria for Land Use Safety Planning Consultation Draft
• 00/00/09 Botany Bay Planning Strategy 2031
• 15/10/10 Three Ports Land Application Map
• 02/11/10 Title search results lot 1 Dp 18290
• 07/12/10 Planning Proposal to amend Botany LEP 1995 and SEPP (Major Development) 2005 to permit a hardware and building supply warehouse development at 25−49 Smith Street and 132−148 Denison Street, Hillsdale
• 16/12/10 Metropolitan Plan for Sydney 2036
• 00/01/11 Hazardous Industry Planning Advisory Paper No 11 Route Selection
• 08/04/11 Area map
• 01/09/11 Botany Bay Precinct Emergency Sub Plan
• 07/12/11 Draft Botany Bay LEP LAND ZONING map 5
• 07/12/11 Draft Botany Bay LEP FLOOR SPACE RATIO map 5
• 19/12/11 Bunnings BIG plans for Eastgardens
• 03/01/12 “There’s no secret that I don’t have much faith in Orica, which has been a serial offender …” NSW Premier, Barry O’Farrell
• 11/01/12 Orica’s 20 Lot subdivision proposed for Dension Street, Eastgardens
• 18/01/12 Elevated mercury detection at ORICA – Botany
• 24/01/12 Chief Scientist: long term HCB storage presents unacceptable risk
• 04/02/12  30 Year Review of Risk Assessment Studies – Steve Haigh

OBJECTIONS/CORRESPONDENCE:

• 00/12/11 Petition document
• 06/11/11 Steve Haigh: OBJECTION DA11-224 (Bunnings)
• 21/12/11 Syliva Hobbs: OBJECTION DA11-224 (Bunnings)
• 25/01/12 Precinct: REQUEST to Botany Bay City Council for extension to submission period for_DA11224 (Bunnings) NO RESPONSE RECEIVED
• 25/01/12 Steve Haigh: OBJECTION to DA11/224 (Bunnings)
• 25/01/12 Steve Haigh: OBJECTION to DA10/386 (Orica 20-lot subdivision)
• 27/01/12 Lynda Newnam: OBJECTION to Botany Bay City Council
• 05/02/12 Lynda Newnam: Orica comment
• 10/02/12 Matraville Precinct: OBJECTION DA11-224 (Bunnings)
• 10/02/12 Matraville Precinct: OBJECTION DA10/386 (Orica 20-lot subdivision)

A petition of 7000 concerned residents was tabled in Parliament in an effort to stave off the auctioneers hammer, but it is by way of a successful appeal (27 January, 2012) to the NSW Land and Environment Court (LEC) that the land now belongs to the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council >>> read the full judgement here.

In the last 12 months $300,000 has been spent upgrading the station which currently houses a victims of crime unit. However, calls by the community for the station to be fully operational 24/7 have not abated.

As per the LEC judgement the site is to be vacated within two months. Might this mean yet another step further away from adequate police resources servicing our neighbourhood?

More:

• 19/11/10‘We saved Malabar Police Station’ Matraville Precinct
• 27/01/12 ‘Malabar Police Station named Aboriginal Land in LEC’ Southern Courier
• 29/01/12 Randwick LIBERALS media release Future of Malabar Police Station now in severe doubt

It should be noted that Matraville Precinct is
apolitical, non-denominational and respectful of all ancestry.

Eastgardens will get a new look if Botany Bay City Council approves Orica’s proposed 20 Lot subdivision of land at the corner of Corish Circle and Denison Street.

But what of the existing contamination? The Botany Industrial Park (BIP) is the third largest complex of its type in Australia and consists of three Major Hazard Facilities (MHFs – A Major Hazard Facility has the potential to cause a major accident, where the consequence may rival that of a natural disaster in terms of loss of life):

• the ChlorAlkali Plant (Orica)
• the Surfactants Plant (Huntsman)
• and plastics manufacturing plants (Qenos)
• plus another five MHFs across the road at Port Botany and another two across the railway line in Banksmeadow. Grouped these exponentially increase the level of risk.

In addition there is the:

• contaminated Groundwater Treatment Plant
• Car Park Waste Encapsulation Remediation Project
• stored HCB ‘celebrity’ waste, as titled by Orica’s own Bill Crowe
• Mercury Soil Remediation project which has currently stalled until a more successful method of remediating the mercury can be employed.

And … then there is the increase in risk associated with a Major Dangerous Goods Route and the subsequent  growth in population and traffic this development would bring. This risk has been highlighted in both the Botany/Randwick Industrial Land Use Safety Study, 2001 and Botany Bay City Council’s own DCP 30, yet strangely not considered in the proposed subdivision.

Not to mention, an international airport, major shopping centre, premier sporting ground, and suburbs with booming property values and bursting with young families. It’s as obvious as the nose on your face that this is a recipe for disaster. And all within 10 km of a globally celebrated city!

Surely this area has borne enough of the cost of industrial development and deserves some respite from the horrors of the past.

Surely our communities are entitled to some reassurances from our local, state and federal representatives that our health and well-being are respected.

Surely this land would better serve Sydney’s environment and communities as a buffer from this heavily industrialised and contaminated precinct whose legacy will be with us for hundreds of years.

Register your objection to this development with Botany Bay City Council.

OTHER RELATED DOCUMENTS:

• Statement of Environmental Effects – ORICA Proposed subdivision
• Botany Industrial Park 2011 - this brochure provides an overview of BIP activities and emergency procedures

Image source John R. Brogan & Associates

Botany Bay City Council has received an application from Bunnings to develop 140-148 Denison Street (map). The proposal includes:

• Construction of a hardware and building supplies centre with a total floor area of 11,820 sqm, together with a covered outdoor nursery, café, office, amenities and loading areas;
• Provision of 420 undercroft car parking spaces;
• Construction of a signalised intersection and associated roadwork to facilitate access, including land dedication to Council for a left turn lane from Denison Street;
• Hours of operation to be 7:00am to 9:00pm, Monday to Friday and 8:00am to 6:00pm Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays.

Interestingly the Traffic Impact Assessment concludes that “the development will not result in any adverse traffic impacts on the road system” (read more here), however this seems surprising given the existing congestion at the intersection of Denison and Wentworth. Both of these roads are dedicated truck corridors and truck traffic is projected to grow by 70% in 10 years!

And what of the inevitable impact on many local businesses? We’ve recently lived through the ‘grand’ opening of the IKEA superstore in Tempe, do we want MORE homogeneous shopping choices?

RELATED DOCUMENTS:

• Botany/Randwick Industrial Area Land Use Safety Study, 2001
• Steve Haigh submission to Botany Bay City Council re:DA11-224

The plans are on public exhibition until 21 December 2011, (Matraville Precinct understand that an extension to 3 February for the submission period has been granted) at the Customer Services Counter, City of Botany Bay Council Offices, 141 Coward Street, Mascot, between the hours of 8.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. Monday to Friday (except public holidays) or access them here. Any person may make a submission in writing to Council in relation to the proposed development. Quote Council’s Reference Number DA11/224 in any correspondence and any person objecting to the proposal should state the land they own or occupy and the reasons for their objections.

Matraville Precinct want to know your opinion regarding this development – add your comments below.

Not to be dampened by the weather (last year’s was the same), the organisers of the
2011 Matraville Christmas Carols have yet again put together an amazing evening of entertainment, showcasing our talented local students and performers.

MATRAVILLE CHRISTMAS SHOW 2011

5.30pm __ Stars Talent Schools “Born This Way”

6.05pm __ MC/ Compere – Welcome everyone and introduction (1 song)
6.10pm __ Ministers blessing
6.15pm __ St Agnes Primary School –The Nativity
6.25pm __ MC (public announcements – amenities, candles, food, drink, and sponsors )
6.30pm __ Dance To The Limit “Christmas”
6.45pm __ MC (1 song)
6.50pm __ Danielle Belleli ( 2 songs )

7.00pm __ MC introduces the Mayor, Cr Scott Nash
7.05pm __ Matraville Soldier Settlement
7.10pm __ Island Breeze
7.20pm __ Amber Griffith (2 songs)
7.30pm __ MC (1 song), introduces Michael Daley (MP for Maroubra)
7.35pm __ Stars Talent Schools Christmas Show
7.50pm __ Amber Griffith ( 1 song )
7.55pm __ MC (1 song), introduces Santa and his helpers

8.00pm __ Danielle Belleli ( 1 song)
8.05pm __ Island Breeze
8.15pm __ Amber Griffith (1 song) Danielle Belleli ( 1 song) then duet
8.25pm __ Carlos and Cr Robert Belleli  thank all involved
8.30pm __ Marist Bros Band/Singers (5 songs)
8.50pm __ Good Night

STALL HOLDERS AND VANS

• Golden Gozleme Turkish
• House of Pie
• Paradise Cuisine
• Southend Boardriders sausage sizzle
• Fairy floss
• Da Vinci Arts & Craft Face Painting
• Aboriginal Business Affairs
• Matraville Precinct and Fairfax Publishing
• St. John Ambulance
• Coffee Crew
• Joe’s Ice Cream
• Snow Cones

SPONSORS OF THE EVENING

• Randwick City Council
• Qenos
• Salmat
• Jazzright Production Services
• AMCOR
• Kingsford Timber Mitre 10
• Noel d’Souza Pharmacy
• Matraville RSL
• Eveready Alarms
• Top Cat Catering
• Peter’s Pharmacy
• Sydney Ports
• Qik Fix Computer Solutions

Whether you are for or against the Bunnings development, it is difficult to deny the exponential increase in risk it will generate. Increased traffic and intensification of population on a dedicated Major Dangerous Goods Route seems negligent at best. Read a local submission highlighting the facts. And this is not the only significant development proposed for this area – Orica have applied to Botany Bay City Council for a 20 lot subdivision for their site opposite the proposed Bunnings and Hensley Athletic Field, and neighbouring Westfield Eastgardens.

Other topics of discussion on Monday evening will include:

• Who will protect the Chinese Gardens from being consumed by the Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park?
• What does a B2 zone for Matraville actually mean?
• What are our public transport needs?

Join us for a drink at the Matraville RSL, 7 pm this Monday evening (12 Dec, 2011).