Pittwater Life April 2024 Issue

News
Letters: Readers have their say
Land values anger
In response to your article
on Land Values (Pittwater Life
Feb ’24); I have had extensive
communications on this
matter with Northern Beaches
Council, Dr Sophie Scamps,
Rory Amon, The Valuer
General and NSW Minister
for Local Government Ron
Hoenig.
All of which got me
nowhere, as it transpires that
the Valuer General’s office
has appointed a temporary
CEO whilst it is being
completely overhauled after
a Parliamentary Enquiry
deemed that it was operating
ineffectively for ratepayers!
I live in Bareena Road,
Avalon and my land tax as of
1 July 2019 was $1,110,000;
on 1 July 2022 it increased to
$2,060,000 – almost a 100 per
cent increase in three years!
This value is used by
Council to calculate residents’
rates – and our rates increased
by 14.93 per cent over the
previous year due to increases
in costs and the higher land
tax value.
Plus, the Valuer General’s
office rejected my objection
to the increase (due to their
unfair closing date for
objections, as it precedes the
date that the Council notify
residents of rates increase for
2023/’24).
I trust you might be able
to help us local residents
to combat the emotionless
bureaucracies that we have to
deal with, and pay for.
Name supplied
Avalon Beach
Parking ticket
madness
I understand that in the
interests of ‘sustainability’
Council is set to drop paper
parking tickets and the only
way you’ll find out you’ve
been fined is by email, or post
(‘Print & Post’).
Surely sending an email or
letter is a lot more expensive
than the parking inspector
just leaving the usual ticket?
So what’s the real reason?
Making it harder for residents
to dispute a poorly applied
fine? Adding late fees when
their email went straight to
the ‘junk’ folder?
Sometimes Councils seem to
forget that their primary duty
is serving the community –
not milking it for funds.
Northern Beaches Council
officers have taken some good
decisions in recent years, but
this isn’t one of them!
John Dengate
Avalon
(Editor’s note to readers: see our
update story on page 10)
Why more Mona
Vale Road lights?
Locals are all hugely
disappointed by the Minns
Government’s decision to halt
completion of the Mona Vale
Road western upgrade.
The eastern upgrade is
nearly complete, at immense
cost. But why have they
burdened us with another set
of traffic lights, instead of a
roundabout at the Ponderosa
Road/Samuel Street/Mona
Vale Road intersection? The
previous roundabout there
worked efficiently and well.
Hold ups seemed minimal.
There is acres of room.
We now have 10 sets of
traffic lights between Manor
Road at Ingleside and Bungan
Beach!
Jon Pratten
Whale Beach
Find a solution
for bus rerouting
Re: your article on the
proposed rerouting of buses
down Cook Terrace at Mona
Vale (Pittwater Life, March ’24)
– surely this is a joke? There
are many streets where buses
can’t pass, and where cars are
parked on both sides of the
road. Example to name two:
Gladstone Street at Newport
and Myoora Road at Terrey
Hills.
Perhaps (the operators)
Keolis Downer should get out
from behind their desks to
view the situation. Why don’t
they get on a route 155 or a
197 and see for themselves?
The article mentions that
“parked vehicles have been
damaged”. So of course, the
drivers doing the damage
have left their details on the
damaged cars for the car
owners?
These streets were never
built for buses to go along.
It’s time to come up with
other options. Brainstorm
till you find one that’s
acceptable to bus users and
residents.
Name supplied
Mona Vale
Plaque for old
Victory Tree site
Regardless of whether
or where another Tree of
Remembrance (Victory Tree) is
planted in its place (Pittwater
Life, March ’24), I would like to
see a commemorative plaque,
perhaps on a sandstone plinth,
so people actually notice it,
erected on the site.
I think Council should
pay for it and the landowner
should accept it and be
prepared for the minimal
maintenance it would require.
Comments on the proposed
wording, drafted by Council,
could be published in Pittwater
Life for community feedback.
Joanna,
Mona Vale
14 APRIL 2024
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