Pittwater Life July 2017 Issue

News
Flood management simplified
Amendments to policies
and development controls
will make it easier for Northern
Beaches residents to manage
flood risk and save them
money when they develop
their land.
Council is simplifying
requirements for flood-prone
sites, which affect an estimated
15,000 properties from
Palm Beach to Manly – with
the majority on the upper
peninsula.
Council GM Environment
& Infrastructure Ben Taylor
explained the three former
councils differed in their approach
to flood risk management,
resulting in varied
experiences and outcomes for
residents and businesses.
For residents of the former
Pittwater, the changes mean
that some buildings such as
sheds, carports and swimming
pools will be exempt
from flood requirements.
Other minor development
such as minor additions or
internal alterations may not
require detailed consulting
reports or building a new
place to shelter, depending
on the level of risk at the
property.
Designer Kinga Monaghan
from Blue Sky Building Designs
at Newport welcomed the
move.
“I worked on a project
where owners in North Narrabeen
were trying to get
approval for a small alteration
and addition – they called
me because their original
designer had been unfamiliar
with the council requirements,”
Kinga said.
“The DA conditions
shocked them; they had to
relocate the electrical work
above the FPL (flood planning
level) and build the extension
600mm higher than the rest
of the house. Plus they had to
make sure that the existing
house was flood-proof.
“The owners decided to start
again – the second time mainly
just internal alterations and
replacement of some windows
into sliding doors. But to
comply, we had to propose a
shelter – an attic that could be
accessed in case of flood.”
Kinga said that despite
never having experienced
flooding in their 15 years’
residency, the owners paid
double the cost of a standard
process and had to wait a
frustrating two years.
“Designers understand the
requirements for larger developments
but for the small
projects it's not necessary,”
she said.
“Simplifying the application
process and not requiring
the flood report can save 2-3
weeks’ preparation time – and
even around $3,000 before
the DA is even lodged.”
Council will arrange oneon-one
information meetings
for residents on request; call
1300 434 434.
* Northern Beaches Living
feature – P29.
Former Pittwater Councillor
Selena Griffith will run as an
independent candidate for the
Pittwater Ward in the upcoming
Council election.
The Elanora Heights resident
and UNSW academic says she
remains disappointed Pittwater
was forced to amalgamate.
“As a ratepayer under the
new Council, I have not seen
any improvement in any services
and my customer-based
interactions with staff revealed
they are still working in silos
reflecting the three former
councils,” she said.
“From my experience advising
on the change process, I do
not believe there has been the
promised success in ‘harmonising’
the three councils.
“There has been a huge
loss of corporate memory, key
knowledge, skills and talent
across the new entity.
“So beyond the crowd-pleaser
parking sticker, I don’t think
any demonstrable benefits have
been delivered to the residents
of former Pittwater, Warringah
or Manly Councils yet.”
Ms Griffith said it was
discouraging to see political
factions forming around
the larger council, which she
believes will make it difficult
for local communities to be
Selena
to take
a stand
heard above party positions in
decision-making.
“I am standing to ensure I
can continue the consistent,
independent, community advocacy
I provided in my tenure on
Pittwater Council,” she said.
“I have good relationships
with local community groups
and want to work closely with
them to achieve the continuation
of the values, culture, and
sense of identity our community
fought for and enjoys.
“I want to ensure these values
of community engagement,
environmental protection and
sensible, inclusive development
are not diluted or lost,
but rather strengthened and
support the other communities
across the Northern Beaches.
“I want to help develop a
council which respects, celebrates
and supports its diverse
communities and ensure access
to assets and resources are
equitably distributed.”
Ms Griffith said the September
9 vote was critical to the future
tone of local government.
“The new council will be
laying the foundations for how
our community will be dealt
with and run,” she said. “It is
very important that this forms
independently, without political
interference.”
Photo: Bettina Kingma
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