Graeme P Harrison
BE(Syd), BSc(VUW), MBA(Harvard), FAIM, MNIA, MIEAust MACS,   MIEEE,  MAIE,   MACM,  MIREE,  AMAusIMM,  JP
454 Maroubra Road Maroubra Beach 2035
Tel&Fax:+61(2)9349 7470 Mobile: +61(500)UGETME
Email: <me@MyPostBox.com>

18 November 2002

Courier News
wfitzgibbon@couriernews.com.au

MEDIA RELEASE

OUTCRY OVER 6 FLOORS FOR BEACHFRONT PUB SITE

Since our story in the Southern Courier of 29 October 2002 on ‘Problem Pub is Hot Property’ there has been a flood of complaints submitted to Randwick Council and the Premier regarding the DA to build a six-storey apartment building on the site of the heritage-listed Maroubra Bay Hotel.

Maroubra Beach resident Graeme Harrison said “All of the residents who participated in establishing the Development Control Plan for the Maroubra Beach Commercial Precinct (and who are still contactable by the precinct committee) have signed the petition to Council and the Premier to stop the six-storey concrete and glass apartment building that will swamp the heritage-listed three storey hotel.  To ensure the fix-up of the beach area, the DCP stipulated that redevelopment of properties on the North side of the McKeon Street shops had to be under 8m at the footpath, climbing to not more than 12m after a setback of 6m from the footpath.  That was done so that the cafes and retail on McKeon Street would not be in permanent shade during winter.  Now we’ve got Multiplex proposing a 17.5m wall where the DCP allows 8m, with a councillor singing the praises of the development.  Cr Bastic says the pub will be replaced by ‘a small brasserie’ and this would ‘enhance’ the beach, but he failed to mention the five storeys of apartments to go above the small brasserie.  This is the same site where Cr Bastic removed (by mayoral minute) the heritage listing just weeks before the site was auctioned some years back.  The other councillors re-instated the heritage order after they learned what Chris had done.  I think it is inappropriate for anyone from the consent authority to participate in generating positive PR on a DA that is clearly in breach of all existing planning laws.  It deservedly undermines the faith people ought to have in their council as representing the interests of the residents.”

Kerri Hamer who was also on the Maroubra Beach Plan of Management Committee and former Secretary of the Maroubra Beach Precinct Committee said “We spent some years developing the DCP and the DCP puts an absolute ceiling of twelve metres on the whole area to keep the development under the height of the Seals Club… and the community will not accept one millimetre above 12m.”

Franz Weiss, immediate past-President of the Maroubra Beach Precinct Committee said “It would set a precedent for other excessive development along the beachfront.  The DA exceeds the 12m height limit by over 5m and exceeds the allowable floor space ratio.  It will also exacerbate traffic and parking problems in the area.  Moreover, the juxtaposition of the old façade and floor spacing, with a ‘modern’ façade and different floor spacing is jarring.  The new façade is straight lines and contemporary finishes, the old façade is curves, castellations and masonry.  This will not be an attractive development.”

Effee Manousaki, neighbour of the proposed development said “I applied for a garage at the back of my property which was earlier approved but which was recently refused as Council told me people didn’t want to look at a wall of just seven feet, but now I’ll have a 64 foot high wall on the footpath right next to my house.  It won’t look nice, and will cut all my afternoon sun.”

Brian Vazey, past President of the Maroubra Beach Precinct Committee said “The DCP is a sensible compromise, coming out of a extensive public consultation and debate.  It would be an insult to ride roughshod over it.  The McKeon Street public area must not be put in permanent shade during winter.  It is foolish to put high buildings along the waterfront and block views and sea breezes.  The lower the building line along the waterfront of Maroubra Bay, the better it will be for a large number of people well into the future.  We shouldn’t have a few people sitting along the waterfront in high buildings blocking off the views of others.”

Mr Harrison said “At Coogee, Council sold off the views by allowing large developments right on the beachfront, for the sake of nominal contributions by the developers towards the beach fix-up.  If you went back to all those who lost their views and asked them if they’d have preferred the beach fix-up to have taken two years longer, but with the retention of their views, I’m certain they’d all prefer their views back.”

A public meeting is being planned to discuss the community concerns.  <see if you can get details from Larissa at RCC, as no-one else at Council knows about it, and otherwise the precinct will hold the meeting and let you know details for next week’s paper>.

Mr Harrison says in the meantime, please pop into the little shop just North of the hotel on Marine Parade and sign the petition asking Council to stick to the existing planning laws.  We have a thousand signatures so far, but would like still more to put to the Premier and Council, to ensure that the elected representatives understand where the community sit on the issue.  No-one is against development, but it has to be done within the parameters set in law when this developer bought the site.  Those who’d prefer to submit a few words on the matter by email should send an email noting they don’t want an unsympathetic treatment of the heritage item, nor more than 12m to RCC on general.manager@randwick.nsw.gov.au and cc it to the Premier on bob.carr@parliament.nsw.gov.au, and the Minister for Planning on deputypremiers@mail.ccsu.nsw.gov.au, and finally to the precinct on me@mypostbox.com for collation.

_______________________________

Graeme Harrison (0411)680666 me@mypostbox.com

Brian Vazey 9349-6043 vazeyb@accsoft.com.au

Franz Weiss 9314-1911 fpweiss@rivernet.com.au

Effee Manousaki 9314-1265

Kerri Hamer 9349-5170  (0412)042201  khamer@oakhill.nsw.edu.au

Dr Ute Vollmer-Conna (Precinct Chair 1998-9 & High School Site Negotiator 1994-6) hm9344-5534  work9385-2945 ute@unsw.edu.au

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