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Developers gain by new system Dear Sir, The new NSW Government planning system, which will advantage developers who’ll be given carte blanche to go ahead, will merely be a rubber stamp system. It seems the Planning Department finds it a nuisance to consult with communities and wants to fast track submissions. Do the citizens of NSW get in the way of department business, perhaps. How inconvenient. Communities need to be involved in the whole process for they have to live with whatever decision is made. It seems that it’s high-rise monstrosities that make developers and real estate agents millions these days – despite community concerns. A case in point is the catastrophic Ryde Civic Centre redevelopment. Are “independent experts” really independent? I believe they are consultants with ulterior motives working for developers. Communities must be allowed to take back control – not relinquish it and have real influence in where they live. I urge you all to write to the NSW Planning Minister with your concerns by September 14. Take back your community. SUZANNE MARKS Our candidates and Agenda 21 Dear Sir, With council elections fast approaching, it is imperative that we ask the various candidates where they stand on Agenda 21. Look and listen for buzz words such as sustainability, smart energy, outcome-based education, sustainable development, social justice, precautionary principle. Use of these expressions is a strong sign that the candidate is an Agenda 21 sympathizer. Agenda 21 is a project of the United Nations and acts out the mantra “think globally and act locally”. Agenda 21 is now the strategy whereby environmentalists aim to achieve control of our lives. The strategy involves circumventing democratically elected national governments by quietly installing Agenda 21 regulations at local government level. All who value freedom should support candidates who openly oppose Agenda 21 regulations and those who do not use the telltale buzz words. ROD McLEOD School misses out on vouchers Dear Sir, Coles have been great for supporting sport within schools with their ‘Sports for Schools’ campaign, especially with childhood obesity being sucha concern. However, Gladesville Coles have let down one of our local schools by not creating a box within their store for the public to deposit their vouchers that help towards getting sports equipment. Our Lady Queen of Peace is on Victoria Rd, three blocks away from Coles Gladesville, and even with constant requests from parents within our schoolthey still haven’t created a box so the public can help our students get much needed extra sports equipment. I have spoken to the manager and was told that if OLQP was registered with the program then a box would be created. I spoke to our principal and sports teacher and was assured that we were registered, however Coles still hasn’t responded with a box. They seem to feel it more appropriate to give vouchers to schools outside our local area, and not to a little school within walking distance of theirfront door. It’s very sad when you consider the faces on the kids at OLQP eachtime they have a look at the shops to see if their school’s being supportedby the local community LOUISE BUCHANAN Beware a push for development Dear Sir, Beware, and be very afraid, of politicians and councillors ardently pushing for unnecessary development projects at our expense. For they are bearing gifts to themselves either: financially; as favours for developer mates; cementing their power base; or simply to satisfy their own vanity of wanting to leave behind the legacy of their term in office, set in stone, literally. It is an insult to ratepayers’ mentality if we are not cynical about the motivation behind the support for the project by the Mayor and the notably ALP/Liberal backed councillors. Elected officials wanting to do good, serve the community and make a difference are far and few in between; and the likes of councillors Terry Perram and Justin Li deserve our support as a counter force to the power of party-backed officials with their own collective agenda We do have one respite - the people must speak on September 8 local council election day - to send those self-serving, vested interest group to oblivion lest they strike before we can say no. SHEREEN KHOR Selling off the people’s land Dear Sir, I write to applaud Clr Ivan Petch’s remarks ‘Civic Centre Plan is taking us for a Ryde!’ (TWT 8/8). Finally, we see some commonsense expressed on this contentious issue and, unsurprisingly, this comes from the most experienced servant Ryde Council has ever known. If the Lend Lease proposal is compelling value in August, it will be equally compelling in September. As Ivan Petch says, the “deal at any cost mentality” embraced by some first-term councillors must be rejected, and any decision to proceed must only come after first demonstrating this is not a massive rip-off. Thank you Ivan Petch for appreciating that this is not just another high-rise proposal, but a proposal to sell off valuable land owned by the people. As such, all people of Ryde are entitled to a proper say - something we’ve not had since the Lend Lease proposal first surfaced just over two months ago in early June. RICH THOMAS Helping hand when needed Dear Sir, Last week my husband decided to take our dog for a walk. So what, nothing interesting about that, I can hear you say. Well, my 54-year-old husband has Alzheimer’s Disease and he strayed off his usual route and couldn’t remember how to get home. I would just like to thank the Good Samaritan who drove both of them home after being approached by a complete stranger for directions. So thank you whoever you are, it’s good to know that help is still out there for those who may not look like they need it but for one reason or another, they do. ANGELA GILLESPIE Advert pays off Dear Sir, Meadowbank Scout Group had their flier in TWT for two weeks to advertise their market day last Saturday. The result was fantastic, all stalls were booked and plenty of buyers came despite the poor weather. All proceeds go towards sending scouts to the Jamboree in Queensland. Well done TWT and its readers KEN PATON Mayor’s strong sense of service Dear Sir, It gives me great pleasure to pay tribute to Clr Sue Hoopmann who has announced that she will retire and not contest the forthcoming Hunters Hill Council election. Sue and I have become great friends and colleagues since 1999, when we both successfully contested the Council elections. Sue had previously been a councillor for two terms, and was returned with significant support from the community. She was elected to her first term as mayor in 1999, and a second term in 2001, and was subsequently elected as the first popularly elected mayor of Hunters Hill Municipality in 2004, and then again in 2008 As such, she is the longest serving mayor in the 150 years of Hunters Hill Council. Sue Hoopmann has led our local community tirelessly and generously throughout her time as mayor. Her strong sense of service and her committed efforts to achieve the best outcomes for the common good have been the hallmarks of her local government career. She is a genuine altruist who has contributed her time and talents well beyond anyone’s expectations. She is a superb networker, and has successfully gained the support of many people across the political divide to promote the interests of our local community. Sue leaves a significant legacy through the many projects and programs that were initiated through her leadership, including: * the establishment of Hunters Hill Preschool and Riverside Preschool at Henley; * Hunters Hill Food and Wine Festival, which has raised over $130,000 for local community organisations and clubs; * retaining The Priory for community use and establishment of The Priory Preservation Trust.Sue has also served diligently in a governance role on several boards, including: * Chairperson of Metropool, a self-insurance pool of eight NSW Councils; * Vice-President of the Northern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (NSROC);* Board member of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust. As her time on Council draws to a close, I extend sincere thanks for her friendship, her decisive leadership and her extraordinary service and commitment to our community over many years, and I wish her every blessing in the future. Clr RICHARD QUINN |
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