F3-M2 Tunnel Project

Information pamphlets have been sent out by Roads and Maritime Services.

The proposal is for twin tunnels each two lane with provision for future widening to three lanes.

Community Information events are being held in Turramurra on 22 October, Muirfield Golf Club Barclay Road North Rocks on 23 October, and Hornsby War Memorial Hall 2 High Street Hornsby on 24 October, all from 6:30pm to 8pm.

Further information is available at www.rms.nsw.gov.au/f3tom2.

This blog will update as more information becomes available.

Beecroft Forum

Guest Speaker for the next Beecroft Forum Dinner is Professor Tim McCormack, Professor of Law at University of Melbourne, and Special Adviser on International Humanitarian Law to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. 

 

Date:               Thursday 7 November

Venue:             Pennant Hills Golf Club, Copeland Road, Beecroft

Time:               7.00pm for 7.30pm

Cost:                $50 per adult

Payment:         Cheques to “MIAT” and mailed to 52 Hannah Street, Beecroft 2119

Electronic:       Commbank Account Name MIAT – BSB 062 113 – Account 10132308 – please remember to give your name as the reference.

ETTT Meeting with the BCCT Committee

Three representatives of the ETTT attended before last night's BCCT committee meeting and the following issues were discussed.

1. Trust is very concerned by ETTT’s recent extreme tree and habitat clearance along rail corridor;
2. Trust Arborist presented ETTT reps with professional report on how to save historic 100 year old Bunya pines opposite Beecroft Station
3. Need for an Arborist to be part of ETTT team
4. Trust Architect noted it is also essential to avoid the shotcrete walls – like that South of Eastwood Station
5. Shotcrete walls are subject to graffiti – gabion walls are not
6. Gabion walls would save long term maintenance
7. Trust Doctor noted need for integrity of process to be transparent, engaged and environmentally-cognisant
8. Trust Architect and Arborist pointed to suitability of gabion walling to preserve above pines (recent example RTA at Wentworth Falls – road and rail)
9. One metre clearance from catch drain on walls could be obviated by gabion walling in station precinct
10. James is being assailed by NTTAG misinformation
11. No Beecroft lift proposed – new ‘old bricks’ wing walls at western end of pedestrian underpass at Beecroft Station
12. Trust Architect requested definite lines of fencing along the section of work between Copeland Road and Chapman Avenue
13. Fence planting of vines like Kennedia (Tennis Club)
14. Trust to take photos of playground in use by locals
15. Engineering design / AECOM urban design team – under ETTT supervision
16. April 2013 consultations undertook to respect the cultural plantings
17. Sydney Blue-gum high forest offset plantings – to be finalised 12 months after Office of Env & Heritage approval – website has Bio-baking ratios.
18. Hornsby Shire Council is yet to look at local sites for Bio-banking
19. Electrical stanchions [1500vDC] will not impact wall and environment set-backs
20. How to better address notable recent loss of vegetation and its effective restoration
21. Site management has been severely lacking – the ETTT Lawson team should enhance restoration
22. Revamped Wongala Crescent car-park needs to be IN at top and OUT at bottom for better local traffic flows
23. Trust Doctor provided a report to the ETTT team on the local habitat of the rare and endangered Gang-Gang cockatoo.
24. Beecroft Cheltenham History Group website is www.bchg.org.au

Beecroft Shopping Centre Development

The developers who had been trying to buy up all the properties in the Arcade, in order to develop them as five storey mixed developments, have sent a letter saying that insufficient parties have signed up so they have withdrawn their offer to purchase.

Meanwhile nothing more has been heard of the parallel Module development, whose DA is with Hornsby Shire Council.

Slums of the Future

An interesting article by Clover Moore, Lord Mayor of Sydney, in the Daily Telegraph newspaper today starts:
"Small and badly designed apartments might be what some property developers want, but it is no good for the people who actually buy and live in them."
Later the article says:
"What the development lobby wants is to sideline the community's input so some irresponsible developers can build quick and dirty to turn a buck."
Proposed changes to the approval process for commercial developments seem aimed at assisting the developers achieve this.

BCCT Interview with Gladys Berejiklian

Rod Best and four others from the BCCT committee had a half hour meeting in Parliament House with the state Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian on Wednesday, at which the Minister explained how the NWRL will be world class.  The NWRL will stop at Chatswood, and Northern line trains will run from Epping to Strathfield.  This leaves concerns about how the North Shore line will be boosted to offset the loss of Northern Line trains that presently go through the Epping to Chatswood tunnel and then on over the harbour bridge.  Questioned about this, the Minister explained that the number of trains on the North Shore line will be increased to make up the deficit.

Rail Chief to be interviewed on 702 Radio

Linda Motram will be interviewing the new Sydney rail chief Howard Collins on the 9am morning show on 702 ABC Sydney.  Now is your chance to ask about how the NWRL will integrate into the Sydney rail system.
Go to http://www.abc.net.au/sydney/programs/702_mornings/ to find out how to submit questions.