Pittwater Life January 2017 Issue

News
Continued from page 9
volume of misinformation
surrounding the future of the
Mona Vale campus and provision
of health care services
on the Northern Beaches, Mr
Stokes reaffirmed there was no
suggestion any existing public
services would be removed
from the northern beaches.
“I get angry when people
say we are closing Mona Vale
Hospital – we already have 56
public beds that are committed
to; we are going to have at least
an additional 10 in palliative
care and at least another 10
allocated to geriatric care.
“That is just what has been
publicly committed to by the
government so far… who
knows what the not-for-profit
and private sector is going to
come up with?”
Amalgamated council
Mr Stokes believes the amalgamation
of the three northern
beaches councils has been so
far, so good.
“Many people I speak to have
been happy with (administrator)
Dick Persson’s performance…
they feel he has been
frank and fearless and has
been able to wander into perennial
arguments that no-one has
been able to resolve.”
An example, Mr Stokes said,
was the management of the
Narrabeen Lagoon – “the most
significant environmental asset
on the beaches”.
“It was face-off across the
lagoon between Pittwater and
Warringah Councils... no-one
was responsible for it.”
One of Mr Persson’s first
moves was to extend the Narrabeen
Lagoon State Park by 60
hectares, with more to come.
Another significant win for
the area is the multimillion
dollar investment to create a
coastal walkway from Palm
Beach to Manly.
“It will be stunning and a
real tourist attraction.”
The Future
“If Pittwater is to stay unique
it needs to tell its story,” Mr
Stokes said.
He cited the shouted-down
plan to utilise Barrenjoey
Lighthouse cottages as public
accommodation and criticism
from some about a lack of
provision for high rise in the Ingleside
plan (included in a 1997
plan) as counter-productive to
ensuring Pittwater retained its
essence.
“When I go in to argue for
us in Parliament I need to be
able say the reason we don’t
have high rise in Ingleside, for
example, is because this area is
different to others in Sydney.
“And we need to allow Barrenjoey
to be used wisely for
something benefiting everyone…
I think there is the opportunity
to regroup there.”
He said that while some
areas of Sydney might have
industrial value, and others
might be dormitory suburbs
for workers or agriculture
areas, Pittwater was “Sydney’s
playground”.
“It is a beautiful place for
people to visit and we need to
protect it for everyone,” he said.
“We should argue for Pittwater
to be different, so it keeps that
beauty for everyone to share.
“So, if I am going to argue
against high rise, we are going
to have to agree to something
like tourist accommodation –
otherwise I can’t win the argument
because there would be
nothing unique about us and
our contribution to everyone
else in Sydney,” he said.
10
JANUARY 2017