NEWS THAT MATTERS

Austin Butler Reserve, Woy Woy.

Liesl Tesch at Austin Butler Reserve - CLICK ON IMAGE to view the Austin Butler Reserve action Group on  YouTube.

Ms Harije says the staff recommendation to “repackage” Tranche 3 of the 2020 asset disposal program is a “massive breach of the community’s trust”.

 

“If the Administrator, Mr Rik Hart, adopts this resolution in its current form he will be committing yet another act of unforgiveable environmental vandalism.

 

“He must know that Woy Woy town centre is in the middle of a heat sink with canopy cover of less than 10 per cent. This stand of Paperbark and She Oak trees behind Woolworths is the last natural shade in the town centre.

 

“Mr Hart is supposed to be acting in the best interests of the community in the absence of an elected council. How can he, then, ignore the 1600 residents who have signed a petition to save Austin Butler Oval?”

 

She says Mr Hart needs to be reminded that the community’s trust has been breached on several occasions during his tenure.

 

“We were told no environmental land would be sold but Spring Creek Wetland at Doyalson was sold for less than its environmental or market value. We were told there would be no fire sales and yet Warner Business Park was sold for a fraction of the price, then was resold by the purchaser within months."

 

For those of you who may not recall, the purchaser made a $100 million profit of the deal - had the land been sold for its true market value it would have gone a long way to pay off the $150 million loan Hart handed to the community. A loan who details are still shrouded in secrecy!

 

Ms Harije said that we were told only $50 to $60 million of assets needed to be sold as part of the council’s financial recovery plan.

 

"We are now told the council is back on a sound financial footing but the asset flog off continues in the disguise of this bulk land reclassification,” she said.

 

Founder of Save Central Coast Reserves, Sue Chidgey said, “After many visits to the reserve I am amazed at the huge diversity of bird life which depends on the dozens of mature trees within it. These trees also provide an important place for local shopping centre workers to recharge in their breaks within nature.

 

“The Council’s plan to sell this reserve directly to the shopping centre for its development is against the core principles of protecting and maintaining community assets for the current and future well-being of residents and the vital importance of cherishing our local environment of both flora and fauna.”

 

Ms Harije said that Central Coast Council’s reclassification of 80 lots of land from operational to community looks great until you scratch the surface. “I sincerely hope that this time Mr Hart sides with the community he is supposed to represent and rejects the reclassification of Austin Butler Oval."

 

In an unexpected announcement at last night's Council meeting, Administrator Rik Hart said the community will be given the opportunity to decide about the long-term future of their area, in particular, from a community greening and street tree perspective.

 

“Council has been contacted by the shopping centre owner and their major tenant, Woolworths, about the parcel of land next to Peninsula Plaza in Woy Woy, who are concerned about the viability of future operations in relation to logistics and public safety around current arrangements for the loading dock. This land is currently occupied by around 40 trees, some of which would need to be removed to mitigate these risks (and which would be subject to a separate development assessment process),” Mr Hart said.

 

“I have heard from dozens of community members about the importance of the trees on this site, and more broadly, about the lack of mature shade trees throughout Woy Woy and the Peninsula.

 

“I resolved at the 22 August Council meeting that the community’s perspective on this matter is paramount. I will be guided by the community’s perspective through further consultation on the following two options: (A) the site is retained in Council ownership (which would stop the sale process), or (B) the site is sold with all proceeds from the sale allocated to greening of the local community, for example, via an extensive street tree planting program.

 

“Considering the value of this land is in the millions of dollars, the resultant greening program (delivering thousands of trees) would be fully funded and could deliver a significant, long-term, and meaningful boost to canopy cover, shade, and mature trees in the local area. A greening program would go a very long way to offsetting the heat impacts associated with reduced tree canopy and climate change.”

 

CEN Executive Member, Joy Cooper, says the Peninsula Plaza has had over 30 years to fix its loading dock and done nothing.

 

“It is not up to Central Coast Council to provide Woolworths with a cheap solution,” Ms Cooper said.

 

“Where is your credibility, Mr Hart? Why are you putting the ‘needs’ of a mega-corporation like Woolworths ahead of the needs of the current and future residents of the Woy Woy Peninsula?

 

“How many more times will this council under administration make a deal with a corporation to sell off public land at mate’s rates?”

 

Ms Tesch, however, still encourages locals concerned about the potential loss of Woy Woy’s green space to make their voice known to Council on the issue.

 

“We have launched a petition that will go directly to Council to help in our fight to protect this land. It is a lovely piece of land, providing essential shade and amenity to Austin Butler Oval users and shoppers alike. It’s a beautiful shady spot that is teeming with all kinds of birdlife,” Ms Tesch said.

 

"I encourage concerned community members to sign my petition and contact my office and I will continue to communicate the communities’ concerns to Central Coast Council.”

 

Save Our Austin Butler Trees petition can be found at Liesl Tesch community petition.

 

To sign the petition in person, please visit Liesl Tesch’s office at 20 Blackwall Road, Woy Woy. or make a submission directly to the Council Administrator, Rik Hart. Points to consider are:

 

Council documents highlight the following.

 

• The site, referred to as 'curtilage,' covers a vast expanse of 4000 square meters, extending well beyond the safety fence perimeter.

 

• The reasoning provided centres around pedestrian safety and creating manoeuvring space for trucks.

 

• A direct sale to a neighbouring entity is proposed to facilitate a shopping centre update.

 

Reasons to save the trees.

 

• This area serves as a vital habitat for wildlife and a serene space for workers to recharge.

 

• The loss of mature trees translates to an immediate loss of habitat, rendering mere tree planting inadequate.

 

• Claims of pedestrian safety are tenuous, considering the persistent presence of vehicles.

 

• The proposed sale lacks competitive bidding, shortchanging the community of the best sale price.

 

• The recent urgency for shopping centre renovation contrasts decades of inactivity.

 

• Previous sale requests  to council were dismissed, underscoring the community's sentiment.

 

• The trees and green space significantly enhance our collective well-being.

 

• If the land is sold, the car park becomes trapped within shopping centre boundaries.

 

• The Peninsula's vulnerability to heat island effects necessitates preserving trees.

 

• Exploring alternatives like a multi-level car park while retaining trees is viable.

 

Central Coast Council will now conduct community engagement on the options resolved at the 22 August 2023 Council meeting as part of the public exhibition process for the reclassification of land (Item 2.5 – Bulk reclassification of land – Operational-to-Community and Community-to-Operational).

 

“I encourage the community to think about the short- and long-term impacts of each option before having their say. This is a chance for the community to have a measurable impact on the future of their area, Mr Hart said.

 

“In short, the proposal is to sacrifice a few dozen mature trees now, for the benefit of thousands of trees planted in the area over the next 10 years which would provide a substantial benefit for future generations.”

 

But there is no guarantee that Mr Hart's plan will come to fruition, since it would seem obvious that he still wants to placate commercial interests - would it not be better to retain the Austin Butler Reserve trees and in addition, in concert with the community, embark on a greening programme? Donate a tree for the Peninsula would be a worthwhile community campaign.

 

Source

• Between 2005 and 2014 canopy cover in Woy Woy declined by 173 hectares, while the area of impervious surface increased by 84 hectares and unpalatable space increased by 113 hectares.

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