Pittwater Life September 2023 Issue

News
Letters: Readers have their say
Editor’s note
Curl Curl Greens Councillor Kristyn Glanville has moved
to clarify her statements of record about looking into the
possibility of establishing a ‘Voice to Council’, or comment
Council staff had already undertaken work on the matter.
As we reported in August, Cr Glanville’s briefing notes
to Council said: “As the community considers whether the
Australian Constitution should be amended to provide an
advisory voice to Federal Parliament, there is also an opportunity
to consider whether Northern Beaches Council should also
have an advisory group on a local level. There is existing
work underway by the Community team within Council to
consider these possibilities, and this will be dealt with at a future
meeting…”
After publication of our article Cr Glanville told Pittwater
Life: “When I was writing the motion [to promote community
discussion on The Voice referendum], I became aware the staff
were planning to provide Councillors with a briefing about
how Council engages with the local Indigenous community
members/stakeholders and options for how Council
approaches this.
“Preparing this briefing is the ‘work’ I was referring to staff
doing.”
Our article prompted significant reader response…
Avenues exist
It was reported in Pittwater
Life that Northern Beaches
Council is working on two
related proposals, including
the creation of a Northern
Beaches ‘Voice to Council’.
I am ratepayer and strongly
object to my rates being
misused; there are abundant
avenues already in place by
which local indigenous people
can express their wishes to
Council or any other level of
government. These include
the Metropolitan Local
Aboriginal Land Council,
Aboriginal Heritage office and
Northern Beaches Aboriginal
Education Consultative group.
Andrew Smallman
Mona Vale
Pushing agendas
I was quite taken aback to read
about the ‘Voice to Council’.
There is an assumption that
local Councils exist for the
benefit of their community and
not to push political agendas.
Surely Council’s time,
energy and finance ought
to be focused on issues of
overseeing and budgeting local
maintenance and improvement
to the benefit of ratepayers.
It must be appreciated that
ratepayers in a community
are a mix of differing political
persuasions. This ought to be
respected by all Councils.
Getting involved and
taking sides on a Federal
Constitutional issue is surely
outside the remit of any
Council and unwarranted
expenditure of ratepayers’
money.
Chrissie Jephcott
Newport
Voice dividing us
It is deplorable that any
business or Council should
promote either YES or NO
to ratepayers or customers
without promoting intelligent
and informed information re
both sides of the Referendum.
Of particular interest
is to ensure people read
Part V, section xxvi of the
Australian Constitution: The
Parliament shall, subject to
this Constitution, have power
to make laws for the peace,
order, and good government
of the Commonwealth with
respect to: (XXVI) the people of
any race for whom it is deemed
necessary to make special laws.
The saying ‘Together we
stand – Divided we fall’ is a fair
assessment of what The Voice
is achieving. It is seriously
dividing this once beautiful
country instead of Uniting Us.
Rohan Walter
Newport
Noise cameras #1
I live at McCarrs Creek where
the rocky cliffs of the National
Park amplify the noise, to the
delight of the noise-makers but
not to the residents.
From 8pm to 6am there are
multiple events and as well as
the noise it is evident that the
vehicles are travelling at high
speed. The noise from one
vehicle can be at high decibels
for five minutes.
I have never understood why
people inflict this on others.
Noise cameras are a great
idea, if effective like speed
cameras.
I hope your magazine
can keep us informed of the
progress of this.
Rick Welch
McCarrs Creek
Noise cameras #2
I fully support Rory Amon’s call
for use of noise cameras and
would like to suggest another
possible location – I live at the
bottom of Cabbage Tree Rd at
Bayview/Mona Vale and suffer
considerable noise from some
motorbikes and car hoons.
Because of the local
topography the noise
reverberates through the valley
and can be heard quite clearly
for quite a long time.
Bob
Mona Vale
Wakehurst Parkway
Reading about the confirmation
of funding for the long-awaited
improvements to the Wakehurst
Parkway (Pittwater Life, June
‘23), all I can say is – WHEN?
So many promises have been
made in this respect, but now
it’s time for action.
Could this actually be our
lucky year – and how many
years before we can celebrate
its completion? Here’s hoping
we will still be young enough
to party all along its length and
breadth!
Marianne van de Voorde
North Narrabeen
*Got something to say? Write
to us at readers@pittwaterlife.
com.au
8 SEPTEMBER 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991