Monday 24th November 2003.

At 8pm on every second and fourth Monday (mostly) of each month, Woollahra Municipal Council members meet to consider the reports of their various committees, and decide matters that affect the running of the municipality.

The agenda is available on the council site, (www.woollahra.nsw.gov.au) and minutes of the deliberations are noted by a council employee, and a journalist, probably from the Wentworth Courier.

Woollahra has fourteen councilors and a Mayor.  The Mayor, John Comino, sits with the General Manager and heads of department at a table on an elevated platform at the eastern end of the room, facing West.  The councilors sit on either side of a table running east-west down most of the room, and three rows of about ten seats are provided for the public at the western end of the room.

Clerical and other staff sat in front of and below the Mayor & Department Heads.

When the meeting started, the public gallery was full. 

A petition was presented, I think by Valerie Corrigan, about 5 Herbert Rd, Edgecliff.

Kerry Huxley (Paddington) got into a heated discussion with Valerie Coorigan, (Double Bay) about something.

There were congratulations on the development control plan that had been submitted for Paddington, Valerie disclosed that the greater clarity & guidance had resulted in legal costs from challenges dropping from $2,000,000 last year to $600,000 in the most recent year.  She also mentioned that there had been no successful challenges for two years.  There was mention that council should not see any DA that did not comply with the DCP. (Development Control Plan).

Martin Watts (Double Bay) pointed out that the Double Bay Development Control Plan was opposed by all resident groups in Double Bay.

The corporate Works Committee had a proposed road closure on the agenda, item 8.1.  Martin Watts indicated that it was recommended that a space as large as a parking spot was to be sold to a nearby resident for $38,000.  Simon van Vegchel and Andrew Petrie spoke against that suggestion, mentioning that ICAC recommended best practice called for a procedure that asked for bids.

The Development Control Cttee deliberations were passed with little discussion, and about half of the public gallery left.

The Kia-Ora master plans committee item attracted much discussion.  Kia Ora is a development centred in Double Bay that involves quite a tall building on council and private property from Woollworths reaching south.   disclosed that there was a $16 million bond to be held by WMC against completion of stage three of the project, which was a new council Library and parking station.  Geoffrey Rundle from Cooper raised concerns that stage three could turn out to be left hanging, like the hole in the city where the Anthony Hordern's building once was.  He asked for a legal opinion on how council could obtain guarantees that stage 3 would be completed.  Andrew Petrie  said that Kelly had last week covered those issues.  The GM supported Rundle, and Christopher Dawson came out against Rundle, but bowed to the GM's expertise.

Next were the Urban Planning Committee which has begun to examine the idea of "walking buses" where groups of schoolchildren are escorted by parents as a group on their way to and from school.  Christopher Dawson cracked a laboured funny, by stating that the motion "has legs".  Andrew Petrie did not trust other parents, wanted to see their bona fides.

Fiona King asked when the sculputures for the council gardens would be available for inspection, and was told "tomorrow".

Andrew Petrie wanted to know who had authorized all the new traffic lights in Edgecliff Road.

The parking meters in Lyon Park were mentioned.

By this time we were two in the visitors gallery, and it was 9.15. 

The meeting dissipated.