LATEST NEWS

NEW AQUATIC CENTRE TO SERVICING BEROWRA AND ADJOINING SUBURBS TO OPEN IN 2013!!!

The brand new state of the art facility, Action Indoor Sports Mt Kuring-Gai opened up in October this year. The Centre boasts 4 multipurpose rubber courts, 2 full pace run-ups and 3 bowling machines for Cricket, Softball & Baseball practice. They are open 7 days & nights running competitions for Junior & Seniors in Soccer, Cricket, Netball and Actionball. Action Indoor Sports also hosts children's birthday parties & has air-conditioned party rooms and function rooms available for all occasions.

The highly anticipated KidSwim Mt Kuring-Gai will open in Term 1 next year. The 20 metre pool will focus on on Learn to Swim and Aqua Fitness. The great response from the community has got directors Tim Blakeley & Austin Morey highly considering building a larger pool to cater for other interests in the community.

Email aismtkuring-gai@bigpond.com for further information.

 
LIVELY DEBATE ON RAIL LINK AND DEVELOPMENT TO MARK THE END OF THE YEAR

A large number of residents turned up for the final meeting of 2012 at Hornsby Shire Council with the North-west Rail Link and a number of development issues at the top of their agenda.
 
In response to a public meeting attended by approximately 160 people in Cherrybrook, Council resolved to express its opposition to the use of Robert Road as the main thoroughfare to access the coming Cherrybrook train station and to suggest alternatively the use of Castle Hill Road for access. Representations will be made to the State Government as a matter of priority.
 
While a suggestion of mine to re-consider the restoration of County Drive to two lanes each way was accepted, Council was not prepared to hold off the push for additional development in the Hornsby Shire's rural district until shortcomings in the road network are addressed in Cherrybrook and adjoining suburbs.

A number of development issues on the agenda were the subject of lengthy debate and contributions from residents, many of whom rarely (if ever) attend council meetings.

A five-storey unit proposed for Carlingford caused the most heated debate, largely because a neighbouring property owner would have been "isolated" from further development, causing significant financial loss and a poor outcome for the community as a whole.  An attempt by the independent councillors to defer the matter to the next meeting to allow further negotiations was defeated by the Liberal councillors on party lines.

A subsequent recission motion was then submitted by the independent councillors which would have brought the matter up again for debate in February.  Less than 24 hours later it appears that the developer and neighbour are now back at the negotiating table and a mutually agreeable outcome now appears imminent - a better outcome for the neighbour, the developer and the community as a whole!
 
The fact that the Liberal councillors voted as a block on each item of this motion was apparently not due to caucusing but rather a considered decision of each councillor.


MERRY CHRISTMAS AND  A HAPPY NEW YEAR

In the case of a council-related emergency over the break, please contact Hornsby Council’s after hours paging service at 9847 6666.

I can be contacted at any time on nickberman@bigpond.com                  

Christine, Kate and I would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a safe, happy and prosperous New Year.