6th September 2012 - The Bush Telegraph Weekly

COUNCIL ELECTION 2012
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE RESIDENTS OF HORNSBY SHIRE
Before you vote on 8th September to elect a Mayor & Councillors to Hornsby
Council, consider these issues and the questions that candidates should answer.
Hornsby Quarry:
Hornsby Shire rate-payers have paid tens of millions of dollars compensation to CSR for the empty quarry.
Hornsby Council now proposes to fill the quarry, which could take up to 20 years of heavy truck movements
at 10 minute intervals every week day, turning Hornsby & the surrounding residential roads into an industrial
quagmire.
If (re)elected, to council, will you properly investigate & present other viable alternatives, such as the
“stable-lake” option for community input?
Hornsby Shire Housing Strategy:
Hornsby Council has vigorously pursued, against residents’ wishes, 5 storey high-rise precincts in inappropriate
locations such as neighbourhood villages, bushfire prone areas & areas of limited escape in the event of a
catastrophe, i.e. a bushfire.
If (re)elected will you actively seek to prevent such precincts from being developed as high rise?
Section 94 funds Developer Contributions:
$6.3 million of compulsory developer contributions for public facilities (S94 funds) were spent by the council
on a little used Equestrian centre in Galston.
If (re) elected how will you treat the allocation Section 94 funds to maximise the benefit for the
majority of rate-payers of Hornsby Shire?
Councillors representing their community:
The present council has a record of not listening to their constituents and not properly addressing the
concerns of residents of the shire, as highlighted above.
If (re)elected, how would you propose to ensure that the council and councillors truly represent the
wishes of their community?
Council’s agenda:
Hornsby Council has inconvenienced & angered the shire’s residents with issues such as the closure of
Hornsby pool, the demolition of the CWA building, the dilapidated state of the Hornsby pedestrian overhead
bridge, the Brooklyn pump-out saga and many others.
If (re)elected will you seek to ensure that the council’s policies and actions are more responsive
to the wishes of the community?
Council Rates & Councillors’ salaries:
Hornsby shire rates: $1,138 p.a.* but Ku-ring-gai shire rates: $697 p.a.* Not withstanding this, Hornsby
councillors have recently awarded themselves pay increases to the maximum allowable amount.
*Based on block of land valued at $500,000
If (re)elected to council how do you propose to reduce our unacceptably high rates?
Don’t forget that we get to exercise our democratic right only once every 4 years!
Motherhood statements are not enough; Councillors need to know that they will
be held accountable throughout their term!
The question for you is, on the basis of candidates’ answers, Is it time for change??
John Lambeth, on behalf of North Of Hornsby Residents Action Group, Non-political, Non-aligned.
(northofhornsbyresidentsactiongroup@hotmail.com)