Pittwater Life June 2022 Issue

News
Locals have a say…
Here’s some readers feedback on current
issues across the Northern Beaches Council
region, as reported by us in recent months…
Council’s ‘arrogant’
call on Parkway
I am appalled by the arrogant
over-ruling by Council of the
concerned residents who took
the care and time to study
and respond to the detailed
studies offered to address
the perennial problem of
Wakehurst Parkway flooding
(Pittwater Life, May).
We were cut off several
times a week this past wet
summer, reducing our exit
roads to two (Mona Vale Rd
and Pittwater Rd) – and not
even those when Pittwater Rd
flooded recently.
Are we doomed to live in
third world-like conditions?
Seems this is good enough
for this Regan-led Council.
But apparently the majority
of respondents wanting
a solution or no flooding
option is not good enough!
More people will become
aware of the significant
limitations to living in the
‘Pittwater Paradise’ area;
this will impact not only
the residents’ access in
and out of the area, but it
will also delay or see the
cancellation of upgrades to
retail areas, facilities and
general improvements, plus
an impact on real estate.
It must give pause to
people considering moving
here who do need to travel
beyond our LGA.
Please, what can we do to
call this Council to account?
Name withheld
Newport
It’s litter-ally a
local disgrace
Re the Wakehurst Parkway:
in addition to the issue of
flood mitigation, what about
the disgraceful management
of the Parkway? There are
broken trees and rubbish
strewn along the length of
the road and most recently
barricade fencing has been
damaged.
It has been like this for
more than a year and would
have added to the recent
flooding as drains were
blocked by the rubbish and
debris – much of it including
plastic bottles and bags
that would now be floating
around Narrabeen Lake or in
our oceans.
Visitors to our prestigious
Northern Beaches could be
excused for thinking they
were in Bali where there is no
garbage control!
I have approached Council
twice – they fobbed me off to
the RMS (Transport for NSW)
who have given me a job
number three times but made
no comment on what they are
going to do.
Last November my
daughter hit some fallen
rock that blew out her tyre; I
pushed that rock to the side
of the road and told a passing
police officer. Would you
believe the rock is still on the
side of the road!
There has been dead
wildlife including Wallabies
lying on the side of the road
for months.
Whilst this is not just a
Wakehurst Parkway issue, it
seems that NSW is a victim
of government lethargy,
investment and care factor
and is using COVID as the
reason why we should put up
with the filth!
It appears there is
a complete lack of
acknowledgement of the
environmental issues and
road repairs, maintenance
and hygiene. Probably all
about the $$$!
Bob Labrum
Warriewood
Tone-deaf Council
wasting our time
The Council’s decision to not
progress the flood mitigation
measures supported by
community is pathetic. They
seem intent on finding any
possible way not to progress
the job – which is simply to
FIX… THE… ROAD.
Imagine if they had been
involved in the original
decision to build it – clearly it
would never have progressed
at all. I shall be writing to
my councillors to ask for an
explanation of their complete
disregard for the wishes
of the community in this
much-vaunted “consultation
process” which appears
to be a complete waste of
everyone’s time.
Richard Lewis
Bayview
E-scooters? Govt
should Ban them!
Thank you for the article on
E-scooters (Pittwater Life,
May). I spend a lot of time
as a pedestrian, so this is an
issue of great concern to me.
I have had two run-ins
recently with E-scooters.
About two weeks ago I was
waiting for a bus in shelter
at the bus stop on Barrenjoey
Road where it joins Avalon
Parade. There are posters at
each end of the shelter, so
anyone coming along the
footpath can’t see if there is
a person in the shelter, and
vice versa.
I decided to walk over to
look at the timetable. Just at
that moment, an E-scooter
with two boys in their late
teens on it sped past on
the footpath and narrowly
missed hitting me. They
were going very fast. As you
mention in your article, the
top speed of an E-scooter is
25km per hour. If they had
hit me, that would be a total
weight of about 130+ kilos
hitting me at 25km per hour;
this would have resulted in
serious injuries to me (and
possibly to them too).
The same thing happened a
week later at the same place,
although this time only one
young man on the E-scooter.
I was relieved to read in
your article that E-scooters
are not allowed on footpaths,
but this rule needs to be
enforced. A hefty fine would
be a very effective deterrent.
I appreciate the
opportunity for your readers
to give feedback on this
important issue.
Sylvia Saszczak
Avalon Beach
… E-skateboards a
safety hazard too!
I can report a near miss
along the walkway around
Narrabeen Lagoon for myself
and dog, from an electric
skateboard.
As a local lady I walk every
day along the lake and these
motorised bikes, scooters
and skateboards cause havoc
to pedestrians and push-bike
riders all the time.
At speeds of 20km/h and
more they are accidents
waiting to happen; they
should be banned.
Jan Collins,
Narrabeen
Lizard Rock
housing must
not proceed
Thank you for the useful
article about Lizard Rock
(Pittwater Life, April).
In whatever way, our
dwindling environmentally
sensitive and culturally
significant areas need to
be preserved in perpetuity.
Without them, we will create
an increasingly barren,
impoverished world of
endless land developments
and nowhere to escape this.
Mayor Michael Regan’s idea
to lease the Metropolitan
Local Aboriginal Land
Council’s landholdings on the
Northern Beaches and care
and manage them forever is
a win-win for the Indigenous
owners and for our broader
community.
This, or another
creative way to keep this
environmental jewel
untarnished, has to happen.
Glenn Barry,
Newport
News
18 JUNE 2022
The Local Voice Since 1991
The Local Voice Since 1991
JUNE 2022 19