Minutes of Last Year's BCCT AGM 2011

Minutes of Annual General Meeting

Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust

Monday, 7 March 2011 - Cheltenham Recreation Club

1.         Opening:  President Michael Stove opened the meeting at 7.35pm, noted that the meeting would be audio recorded, and welcomed some 120 members & residents including:

• Hon Philip Ruddock (Federal MP)
• Councillors Michael Hutchence (Deputy Mayor, Andrew Martin and Robert Browne (Hornsby Shire Council, C Ward) and Bruce Mills (B Ward)
• Marcia Horvai, Vice President PHDCT
• Peter Colacino and staff from Transurban (M2).

Apologies were received from:

• Greg Smith SC, MP
• Councillor Nick Berman – Mayor of Hornsby
• Daryl Watson
• Stuart Pittendrigh
• Robert Raymond
• Peter Downey
• Pamela Bough.

President’s Report

The President referred to the Agenda and Reports distributed on seats and prior to the meeting.  He then spoke to his report, including achievements and highlights of the year for the Trust.  He thanked the Committee for its work, including Ross Walker for the Autumn & Spring Walks, Ilona Kernick for representing the Trust and community at Council Meetings, and Dr Raimond Pohl and his helpers for Clean-Up Australia Day.  He also spoke to all points set out in the published Agenda & Reports noted above.

[Moved by Carolyn Watt, seconded by Felicity Findlay.  Accepted by meeting.]

2.         Minutes of Previous Annual General Meeting

The minutes of the 2010 Annual General Meeting were read and confirmed.

Arising from that, a resident noted that the very dry season had made a significant impact on trees in our area.

[Moved by Felicity Findlay; seconded by Ilona Kernick. Accepted by meeting.]

3.         Treasurer’s Report

Colin Johnston presented this report and financial statement and paid tribute to Daryl Watson’s work combining Membership Officer and Treasurer’s roles so effectively.

[Moved by Bill McDonald; seconded by Clive Troy. Accepted by meeting.]

4.         Committee Reports – as circulated, from the following Trust committees (convenors), were received:

ü  Environment & Bushland (Ross Walker)

ü  Housing & Development (Stuart {Pittendrigh)

ü  History Group (Roderick Best)

ü  Bulletin & Special Projects (Carolyn Watt)

ü  Strategy & Policy (David Clark).

[Moved by Colin Johnston; seconded by Jim Vandore. Accepted by meeting.]

5.         Resolution – Life memberships:

The meeting agreed to confer honorary life membership on the following members for their exemplary service:

a.       Wayne Yeo (former Treasurer, with some 40 years prior service) presented by Hon Philip Ruddock MP

b.      Keith Coble (retiring Auditor with some 30 years recent service)
presented by Deputy Mayor, Councillor Michael Hutchence

c.       Ross Walker (who has given over 15 years of committee service, continuing in a notable array of roles) presented by his friend, Councillor Robert Browne

d.      Brian Sippel (who coordinates some 40 resident volunteers to distribute some 4100 bulletins, during every 2-3 months, for 10+ years) presented by his friend, Councillor Robert Browne.  Brian paid tribute to his great team of distributors – some who go back 20 years, including his neighbours, the Hallidays.

 [Moved by Michael Stove; seconded by Colin Johnston. Accepted by meeting.]

6.         Resolution – Constitutional Change

President Michael Stove advised the meeting that the resolution to adopt an amended Trust Constitution, set out on the materials with the Agenda, would not proceed as there were two versions in circulation.  He advised an amended Constitution would be presented to Trust members at a later date.

It was then proposed that the current Objectives of the Trust not be changed in such amendment.

[Moved by Malcolm Powell; seconded by Jo-Anne Cox. Accepted by meeting.]

 7.        Election of Committee

The President thanked retiring Committee members, including the following three who were not seeking re-election: Frank Murray (Hornsby Resident of the Year), Ilona Kernick (Council liaison for Trust and 2119) and Bill McDonald for his Architectural and committee skills.

The President then introduced Marcia Horvai, President of the Pennant Hills & District Civic Trust to conduct the election.  Whilst recognising two people seeking nomination were absent, she sought any declarations of conflicts of interests.  None were noted.

All positions were declared vacant. As 13 nominations for the committee were received and 10 were to be elected, the election procedure was explained. Ballot papers were distributed with members to mark ten boxes beside the candidates they wished to elect. Councillor Browne referred to the Constitution requiring a minimum of 3 from Cheltenham and 3 from Beecroft on the Trust Committee. The ballot then proceeded. The scrutineers, Gordon Winch and Wayne Yeo, were recognised.

During counting, the President presented a token of esteem to mark Hon Philip Ruddock MP’s birthday.  The President then invited local Councillors to present their reports:

8. Councillors’ Reports

Deputy Mayor of Hornsby Shire, Councillor Michael Hutchence

• Importance of the Trust advocating for 2119 – especially on town centre planning , and DAs – Ilona Kernick to also be congratulated
• Be active – communicate with Trust and Council
• Leaf litter in Council gutters and drains – Council is thinly spread on this
• Flood study submissions encouraged
• Adoption of Australian Standard - Tree Preservation on Construction Sites
• Mayoral election – will continue to be direct-elected by residents.

Councillor Andrew Martin

• Green offsets policy by Council has not worked well for tree preservation
• Cost-cutting may threaten the existence of Council’s Heritage Committee
• Trust should monitor and scrutinise
• Over 900 submissions on Council’s Town Centre planning proposals
• Councils are still part of NSW government and that reduces the independence of local government to represent their community   

Councillor Browne

• Reiterated the concerns above that cost cutting may threaten the existence of Council’s Heritage Committee
• Green offsets policy for tree preservation – very hard to value trees, and local compensation for the loss of green in our area
• Location of new trees on public land, as private land size is becoming smaller, a trend that is likely to continue – with implications for green offsets policy
• Complying affordable housing issues in Pennant Hills – possibly for Beecroft?
• Imperative that Trust and community are vigilant on advocating local issues
• The issue of local School extensions ignoring heritage and local planning controls is hard for Council to police, in the absence of real legislation.

Resident Survey Results – the President invited Colin Johnston to present the results of email survey responses from residents about possible closure of the

Murray Farm Road

bridge over the M2 tollway during its widening. This showed overall agreement for interim one-lane, two-way flow across the bridge, controlled by traffic lights.

10. Other Business

a.         The Secretary noted the Trust committee was considering Mr Ray Barham as Honorary Trust Auditor, and should make an appointment at its next meeting.

b.         A motion was received from Felicity Findlay:

Beecroft-Cheltenham Civic Trust wishes to express concern for any proposal to disband the Hornsby Shire Council Heritage Committee, and would strongly object to any such move. 

[As a former Councillor] she said, in support, that Council’s Heritage Committee does not just monitor heritage but recommends DAs be changed to reflect streetscape, to make new buildings more suitable and amenable to the area.

Councillor Browne noted concerns with careless cut-backs in Council that impacted heritage; Councillor Martin also exampled the practical importance of that Committee; Councillor Hutchence noted that once public input was sought by Council on such cut-backs the Trust and residents should respond directly.  Felicity Findlay did not exercise right of reply.

[Moved by Felicity Findlay; seconded by Jo-Anne Cox. Accepted by meeting.]

Committee Election Results

After a short recess, Marcia Horvai [President, Pennant Hills & District Civic Trust] declared the results of the ballot; the following 10 were elected to the Committee:

1.      David Clark

2.      Colin Johnston

3.      Stuart Pittendrigh ©

4.      Ross Walker

5.      Michael Stove

6.      Peter Hewitt

7.      Carolyn Watt ©

8.      Roderick Best (H)

9.      David White

10.  Felicity Findlay ©

(H indicates History Group, © indicates Cheltenham resident)

Marcia Horvai congratulated those elected.  President Michael Stove thanked her, all those who had nominated and members and residents for attending this AGM, which he closed at 9.40pm. 

A brief recess was declared to allow presentation set-up, by Peter Colacino and his staff from Transurban, on the M2 Tollway widening proposals and their local impacts.  Their presentation was augmented by questions from residents. 

President Michael Stove concluded the discussion at 10.30pm and thanked everyone for their attendance and participation.

President.