Pittwater Life July 2024 Issue

ikes which, incidentally,
provide little or no exercise for
the riders.
E-bikes must be banned from
pedestrian walkways – that
means shared paths.
Ian Roberts
Warriewood
No infrastructure a
major e-bike issue
Your article on ‘The Code’
(Pittwater Life – June) highlights
the alarming risk of accidents
which will be caused by the
latest spike in fat-tyre e-bikes
used by teenage students.
Although it is undoubtedly
important to promote safety
and compliance with e-bike
power and speed regulations,
the safety campaign does not
take into consideration the lack
of safe infrastructure – which
is the most important risk
factor of cycling in general.
The shared footpaths which
constitute the majority of
cycling infrastructure, are
basically designed for foot
traffic only. They run in front
of homes and bus shelters
and therefore it’s a recipe for
disaster when cyclists riding
at speeds of up to 25km/h mix
with pedestrians, mums with
prams, dog walkers, mobility
scooters and smartphone
zombies.
Bikes of all kind are an
unregistered, uninsured mode
of transport which must be
kept off footpaths.
Eli Friedlander
North Narrabeen
Find a workable
graffiti solution
I live in Narrabeen and
have written to Council on
numerous occasions regarding
the graffiti in this suburb. They
have always come back to me
saying they can only address
the problem on public land and
not private property.
Above the shops on Pittwater
Road, Narrabeen is the worst
for graffiti; it is very unsightly
and brings down the aesthetics
of the area. One also wonders
how the vandals reach the top
of the shops and no-one ever
sees them?
I have suggested to Council
that maybe they could
contribute to the cost incurred
by the shop owners to remove
the graffiti, but no action is
ever taken.
Thanks for your article and
hopefully they will come up
with a solution sometime in the
not-too-distant future.
Patricia O’Brien
Narrabeen
Rein in fat cat
Council salaries
Outrageous residential rate
rises predicted for the future –
and six Council executives earn
more than the Premier of NSW?
Perhaps savings could be made
from the top down before rate
payers carry the burden.
Denis Suttling
Newport
Council giving us
poor productivity
I think the wages paid at the
Northern Beaches Council are
ridiculous. Productivity is very
poor and value for rates is
appalling.
I would suggest a large pay
cut – and if they don’t agree
then it’s time to find another
job.
Christopher Bardwell
Warriewood
Rate rise ‘not
more than 3%
above peg’
Northern Beaches Council
is unlikely to push for
a residential rate variation
of more than three per cent
above the rate peg set by the
Independent Pricing and
Regulatory Tribunal (IPART),
it has been revealed.
Last month, senior Council
employees appeared at the
NSW Government’s inquiry
into the ability of Councils
to fund infrastructure and
services.
Mayor Sue Heins said staff
gave evidence to highlight
issues Council faced around
long-term financial sustainability
in the face of rising
fixed costs and cost-shifting
from the State and Federal
Governments.
“Over the three years to
June 2023, inflation was more
than double the increase in
rates income over the same period,”
she said. “Over the same
period, we experienced six
natural disasters at a cost of
$14 million, COVID had a $41
million impact, and the Emergency
Services Levy increased
this year by $3.1 million.”
At the inquiry Council
pledged its support for the
rate peg, with flexibility to adjust
to cover items unique to
its LGA in consultation with
the community.
IPART had also suggested
this, within a margin of 3 per
cent above the rate pegging
limit.
“We hope to see recommendations
from the Inquiry that
address the issues that we
have raised.”
– NW
News
The Local Voice Since 1991
JULY 2024 13