City to put Rangers on Bicycles

MEDIA RELEASE

City to put Rangers on Bicycles

Liberal City of Sydney Councillor Shayne Mallard has called upon the Council to introduce bicycle based City Rangers to patrol the CBD and inner city.

Noting that the NSW Police have regularly patrolled the streets on bicycles since the 2000 Olympics, Councillor Mallard asked the Lord Mayor at tonight's meeting to introduce bicycle transport for the City's Rangers.

" Bicycle Police patrols are a welcome sight on our city streets ," Shayne Mallard said.

"City Rangers riding bicycles attending to their duties in parking enforcement and patrolling our open spaces would be a more civic minded way to interact with our community members."

The City currently employs Rangers located in the CBD and at various One-Stop-Shops around the inner city.

"Bicycle based Rangers would also help to activate our emerging bicycle networks and lanes, assisting with education and enforcing responsible behaviour from cyclists and other road users."

Shayne Mallard's proposal was supported by the Lord Mayor.

Shayne noted that there would be no compulsion for existing staff to 'get on their bike' but that a training program, bikes, clothing and equipment would be introduced to volunteers and new staff recruited over time.

"Introducing bicycle Rangers will assist in the physical and mental well being of our staff with the health benefits of cycling well documented."

"Bicycle Rangers will also help reduce our organisation's contribution to traffic and parking congestion as well as be a positive contributor to the environment."

Councillor Shayne Mallard who is a keen cyclist himself looks forward to the success and possible expansion of this initiative to other areas of the Council's 2000 staff.

RELEASE ENDS
28 August 2006

(pictured - Councillors John McInerney and Shayne Mallard at the recent Ride to Work awards breakfast.)

Apology for Insult at the Cenotaph

eCouncillor readers would remember my post on representing the City of Sydney at the VP Day memorial service at the Cenotaph, Martin Place. It was a moving ceremony and a great honour.
Read the post here.

Imagine my anger at opening today's newspapers to see what I feel is a desecration of this sacred place. I visited Martin Place yesterday but the offensive display (in the name of art?) that greeted us on page 5 of today's Sydney Morning Herald had been removed by that time. Just as well with dozens of Vietnam diggers wandering through the Cenotaph attending a reception at government House in their honour. I think it was a pretty appalling oversight by our organisation to let this desecration occur. When I saw it in the SMH I was very angry and disappointed that we had been so insensitive, so careless. I know some will feel that all the victims of war have a right to be acknowledged. Body bags around the Cenotaph is an insult to the respectful memorial of all who die in wars. The impact upon returned service men and women, their families and those who did not return must be paramount in our thinking about uses for the Cenotaph.

The new CEO's report to Councillors is below along with the article form today' SMH. The picture is at the link (Blogger is getting very difficult to upload images).

Bags of controversy over cenotaph display

Stark ... Omeima Sukkarieh, the artist responsible for the display, said she had not intended it to be near the Cenotaph, a placement that has angered the RSL.Photo: Dean Sewell

Jordan Baker and David HumphriesAugust 28, 2006
THE City of Sydney has come under attack from the Returned and Services League for allowing hundreds of mock body bags - including one labelled "your prime minister" - to surround the Cenotaph in Martin Place.
The artist, Omeima Sukkarieh, said the display was supposed to be a stark reminder of innocent lives lost in war. That it surrounded a monument to real soldiers who were killed in war was an accident.
"Honestly, I really wanted to have it either at Circular Quay or Hyde Park," she said. "It was never intended to be Martin Place. It was just the only place available."
Sukkarieh said she had complied with the City of Sydney Council's protocols. "It was never meant to cause any disrespect, and if it did I apologise," she said.
The national president of the Returned and Services League, Bill Crews, said he would have been offended if Sukkarieh had staged a political protest beside the memorial to make a point. But in this case, the council should have been more careful.
"I take [the artist's] assurance that they didn't deliberately do it at the Cenotaph, but in that case the onus comes on the council for agreeing [to let it be] adjacent to the cenotaph," he said.
The body bags each had an identity meant to shock, such as "your daughter", "your prime minister" or "your doctor".
Sukkarieh said the display was intended to draw attention to the victims of war, particularly those killed in recent conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon.
"There were some people who were not impressed and found it disgusting," Sukkarieh said. "But what's going on is disgusting. I respected everyone's opinions. It just made people think."
The body bag labelled "your prime minister" was not supposed to refer to John Howard but to a generic prime minister, she said.
"One had an ambulance officer, a journalist, a doctor. Death doesn't discriminate against people, and I think it's really about us realising as human beings that, prime minister or no prime minister, we are all the same."
The council was unable to comment last night.
The Minister for Veterans Affairs, Bruce Billson, said this "graphic demonstration" showed "a lack of respect for our service men and women who have given their lives".
"This could be quite traumatic for those who lost loved ones in conflicts while serving our country," Mr Billson said.
He said there were many alternative sites that would have been "more thoughtful and sensitive", and Martin Place was "totally inappropriate".


Lord Mayor & Councillors

I refer to the article on p.5 of today's Sydney Morning Herald regarding the display by Omeina Sukkarieh which used the Cenotoph as a backdrop.
I have written to the State President of the RSL (Don Rowe) to apologise for any offence or disrespect that this may have caused. I have also verbally apologised to the State Secretary of the RSL, Chris Perrin, who is also Custodian of the Cenotopaph.
The City receives many applications for use of Martin Place around the Cenotaph, and such applications are rarely approved (with the exception of events organised by the RSL). In the very few instances where approval is contemplated the City always consults with and seeks endorsement from the Custodian of the Cenotaph, Chris Perrin, who is also the NSW State Secretary of the RSL.
In this case the applicant was verbally advised that the display was to have been in the area between Castlereagh and Pitt Streets, not near or around the Cenotaph. Unfortunately the written approval provided to the applicant did not make this clear.
I have spoken with the staff involved and asked that procedures be reviewed to ensure that this does not occur again.
Monica Barone
Chief Executive Officer

Harmony script

Harmony Park has been well received by the Sydney Chinese community and park locals. Council is to install an interpretative feature to illustrate the meaning of the name. Any eCouncillor readers with suggestions are welcome to email me. Some suggestions include a sculpture or mosaic.

Mallard launches Cycle Strategy...

From Council's internal newsletter:

Cycling in the City Program a huge success

Participants in the City’s Cycling in the City program were recognised at a cycling breakfast at Customs House this week.
More than 30 representatives of the ten government and corporate organisations that took part in the program attended the event, with most arriving by bike.

Councillor Shayne Mallard, himself a keen cyclist, presented certificates to the organisations and also launched the City’s 10-year cycle strategy, which is currently on public exhibition.

More than 100 cyclists have cycled more than 31,000kms on their journeys to work over the 12-week program, which provides peer support to help more people ride their bicycles to work on a regular basis. Participating organizations included ANZ, Westpac, the Australian Taxation Office and City of Sydney.
This stage of the Cycling in the City program has been a huge success, with more than 95 per cent of the participating cyclists indicating they will continue to ride to work and all ten organisations committing to supporting their cyclists in the future.
Major bike groups also attended the event to extend their thanks to the fledgling cyclists, who also received a free breakfast.

Pictured above are Councillors John McInerney (left) and Shayne Mallard at the awards presentation.

Mallard presents Cycling in the City awards

I was pleased to represent Council at the awards presentation for the successful 'Cycling in the City Program'. The program outlined by the City Media Centre below saw more than 100 cyclists ride their bikes commuting to work in the CBD covering 35,000 kms in 12 weeks. I rode my bike (as I regularly do) to make the presentations for 8am at Customs House. I don't usually ride to the North of the CBD but the experience again underlines the work to be done in providing basic safer bicycle infrastructure in our city. See below for details of the program and a link to the Draft Bicycle strategy currently on exhibition.





City of Sydney Cycling in the City Program Huge Success
15 August 2006
Participants in City of Sydney's Cycling in the City program will be recognised at Customs House tomorrow (August 16) at 8.00am.
More than 100 cyclists from ten leading government and corporate organisations have cycled more than 31,000 kms on their journeys to work over the 12 week program. The program is designed to help more people ride their bicycles to work on a regular basis through peer support.
Program participants, at least thirty of whom will arrive by bicycle, will be presented with certificates by City's Councillor Shayne Mallard.
Participating organisations in the Cycling in the City program included ANZ, Westpac, the Department of Environment and Conservation, IAG, the RTA, the Australian Taxation Office, Lend Lease, Telstra Wholesale, the City of Sydney and AMP. Each organisation nominated an average of ten cyclists to participate in the program.
Each cyclist received free intensive cycle safety training, free bicycle maintenance training, free membership of Bicycle NSW and other equipment. In return the cyclists had to commit to riding to work once a week on average for twelve weeks and provide the City with data from their rides.
This stage of the Cycling in the City program has been a huge success, with more than 95% of the participating cyclists indicating they will continue to ride to work and all ten organisations committing to supporting their cyclists in the future.
This event comes at an exciting time for the City of Sydney as it launches its ten year cycle strategy, designed to increase the number of trips made by bike from the current 2 per cent, to 10 per cent by 2016.
City of Sydney's cycle strategy is on public exhibition until end September 2006. It plans to connect each of the city's villages with a network of bicycle routes, make city streets safer for cyclists and set in place a range of activities to promote cycling and its benefits. For more information see: www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Council/OnExhibition/

Oxford Street Revitalisation

There is no simple answer to the changes happening along Oxford Street. Many have been unfolding for more than a decade as a result of incremental changes of use. others are more recent following the success of Westfield at Bondi Junction. Elizabeth Farelley takes a look at Oxford Street in today's SMH . Whilst I agree with her general assessment of the situation the different characteristics of Oxford Street make it impossible to make the general observations about why the strip is changing. For example the change of use in the 'pink' end has been driven by the success of the bars and night clubs that have in turn pushed rents higher as more operators seek properties to open new entertainment venues or expand existing ones. In many ways Oxford Street's (pink end) difficulties are a result of its own success or 'excess' as the community seeks somewhere smart to meet, eat, drink and party squeezing out the retail variety along the way.

Council's plan to redevelop our property holdings at 56 - 76 Oxford Street (view proposal on Council's web site here as item 2 with PDF attachments) is to incorporate a large 1st floor food hall, ground floor specialty food shops and rear lane (Folley Lane) eat street will dramatically improve and diversify the offering at this end of Oxford Street. I believe the development worth tens of millions will act to attract visitors to the strip and generate a business renewal. I doubt though that it will contribute to reducing thee rents.

Oxford Street is baring all, and it's no Mardi gras
Elizabeth Farrelly
Twenty years back, in its heyday, Oxford Street exemplified this diversity. Rents were low and shops brimmed with the adventurous and the experimental. To walk the walk was to have a cultural adventure, never knowing what might come next.
Gradually, though, as success led to consumerism, Oxford Street snowcloned itself under avalanching boutique and chainstore cliches. Rents skyrocketed and adventure went west, to Newtown.
So when the vacancies began, it was easy to take a Darwinist stance, seeing it as a natural correction that would send the chainstores scuttling back home to the mall, reduce rents and, after initial pain, return the creatives.

Sydney turns White

Sydney received an unexpected white dusting yesterday as an unexpected hail storm turned the streets white. Some of Council's properties were damaged (details below) but in general the storm passed without too much hardship. The temperature dropped 10 degrees in 30 minutes! People running in the hail and cars not reducing their speed as they sped past Town hall where I took these happy snaps. It was all over in 30 minutes and the ice melted away in 60 minutes.


5 Council properties have been affected :
Hilder Booler- water damage to switchboard, ceilings and carpet, centre unlikely to open tomorrow.
Pyrmont Community Centre- water damage area roped off centre can function
Paddington Town Hall- Cinema ceiling and sound system damaged unlikely to open tonight or tomorrow some other areas affected
Redfern Day Care- some water damage assessment needed
94 Oxford- water penetration assessment in progress

'Harmony Park' reconciles Council's past actions

With very little new open space added to the City's parkland over the past few decades it is a rare event indeed when Councillors have the opportunity t select a name for a new park. This unusual honour came to the Council over the past few months. The naming of a new park is a process that usually arouses many opinions and some debate. I think that is a healthy and appropriate thing.



In the case of the proposed park on the former Police Centre car park, Council resolved on 27 February to seek community consultation and input with six names suggested. The result of the consultation survey is available on line on this link as item 3 of the Finance Committee agenda: http://web-internal/Council/MeetingsAndCommittees/2006/Committees/310706/finance.asp

In particular I refer to clause 14 where you can see that 169 people responded to the survey and that no one name achieved an outright majority of support. The results were:
Surry Hills Park 52 responses 30.7%
Barrabarri Park 45 responses 26.6%
Harmony Park 33 responses 19.5%
Milk Park 29 responses 17%
balance 10 responses

Councillors debated the merits of the various names and I moved that we support 'Harmony Park'. Not on the basis of the proposed 'Surry Hills Park' name being boring but because I strongly believe the naming of a new public space like this is a rare opportunity to take a historical perspective and interpret it for contemporary times and future generations.

The land of the park and neighbourhood has a strong and troubled historical connection to Sydney's early Chinese community and local government actions. The area of Goulbourn Street, Poplar Street and Wentworth Avenue were home to a significant community of Chinese Sydneysiders at the turn of the 1900's. At this time the City of Sydney engaged in 'slum clearance' particularly after an outbreak of bubonic plague that was largely attributed to the 'slums' and the Chinese community by authorities of the time. This must be considered in the context of the White Australia policies of the time.

"In 1905 The Municipal Council (City of Sydney) was given power to resume properties ... One of the first to go was Wexford Street (to make way for Wentworth Avenue).. which housed large numbers of Sydney's Chinese community and in those days newspapers showed no hesitation in heaping contempt on them. Lurid stories of opium dens, gambling holes and brothels staffed by kidnapped white girls made good copy" (Pictorial History of South Sydney p64).



I feel that the name 'Harmony' that has strong Chinese resonance as well as contemporary harmonious connotations for our troubled times is an excellent historically relevant name for the new park and one that leaves a 2006 legacy for future generations to consider and interpret. It is in a sense a reconciliation for the City with the spirit of those thousands who were evicted and suffered at the hands of the Council during that time (not only the Chinese).

Some including several Councillors put the casethat we were ignoring community views as expressed in the responses to the survey. That is not the case. Councillors are elected to make decisions and in doing so consult their constituents and the community. The survey results were not clear cut and there was in fact no majority opinion. Council decisions are not popularity contests but rather the debate and weighing up of various views, evidence and reports. In this instance our staff offered one option and several alternatives as they are required to do. Council then is in an informed position to make the final decision.

Some details on Harmony park from Council's web site:

http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Development/CityImprovements/SurryHillsPark.asp

The new park will cost $3.6 million to construct – and is the first new open space in the CBD in many decades. The park is being developed on the former Energy Australia construction site and Police Centre car park, between Goulburn, Brisbane and Hunt Streets. The park will service some 5,000-plus residents and CBD workers within the surrounding district, with the emphasis on landscaped open and green space for casual activity.

The remediation of contamination is complete and clean imported fill laid across the site. The new park landscape works are well underway. Heavy rains caused some delays in early June. The in-ground water storeage tank on the corner of Brisbane and Goulburn Street has been constructed to capture, treat and store stormwater for park irrigation purposes. Stairs, retention walls and paths are now under construction. Park lights have been installed and mature trees delivered to site. Decking and paving will commence shortly. The park is due to be completed by September 2006.

http://www.sydneymedia.com.au/html/2796-lord-mayor-turns-first-sod-on-new-cbd-park-.asp

Development of the 7,000 square metre site follows agreement between the City of Sydney, NSW Police and Energy Australia. The agreement has allowed Energy Australia to work on part of the land for its tunnelling and service connections into a new substation building, located between the park and the Police Centre.
The park was designed as a collaboration between Council's City Projects department and landscape architects Spackman & Mossop, and in consultation with environmental scientists and arborists.

• Features include:
  A series of lawn terraces connected by embankments across the natural slope of the site that will provide for informal recreation;
  An upper lawn terrace that will serve as an area for people to meet and sit while enjoying views across the park;
  A palette of trees including new native, evergreen and deciduous trees as well as garden beds and lawn areas to supplement existing trees and create a strong framework to the park's open centre.
  A variety of park entry points making the area easily accessible and highly visible from adjacent streets and buildings;
  Clear park signage and disabled access;
  A north-south pedestrian pathway providing for better access through to neighbouring areas;
  An in-ground water storage tank that will collect storm water and treat and purify it for reuse in the irrigation of the park grounds.

Barons looks safe for now

eCouncillor is back in Sydney after a few weeks in sweltering Europe. I take a break and a horrible war breaks out and Clover Moore announces CCTV for Oxford Street. The latter something eCouncillor has been calling for for the past 6 years.

Council Committees met last night and will do so again tonight to clear a record number of DA's and reports including the Hyde Park masterplan and Bicycle Strategy. On a long list of development applications is one to demolish a Kings Cross landmark. I strongly oppose the demolition and called on Council to reject the proposal even though staff recommended approval. I am pleased to report that the application was refused at Committee last night and that should be concluded at Council on Monday night. The applicants options are now to either go to court and overturn the Council decision or come back with a new DA involving restoration and adaptive re-use of the buildings. Either way Barons is not out of danger yet.

MEDIA RELEASE

Mallard calls on Council to save the last of Kings Cross' unique character

Liberal Sydney City Councillor Shayne Mallard has called upon the City Council to act now and save the rapidly disappearing unique character of Kings Cross by tossing out the application to demolish the much loved 'Barons' bar and restaurant on Roslyn Street, Kings Cross.
This Monday night Council's Planning Development Committee will consider an application to demolish the three intertwined buildings that date back to the 1880's and to replace them with a four storey modern building containing a restaurant and commercial offices.
Shayne Mallard said that , “This represents yet another loss to the unique character of Kings Cross and it’s gone far enough.”
"Council has successfully managed the ongoing clean up of Kings Cross and the economic renewal is now well underway, however we must act urgently to save the last buildings of Kings Cross' unique bohemian past."
"Barons and the related small businesses are the last examples of the much loved Kings Cross of yesteryear".
In calling for the refusal of the demolition Shayne Mallard points to the lack of independent research by Council on the social heritage of the buildings and no evidence in the reports of any proposed adaptive reuse of the existing buildings.
"This is an opportunity to restore the buildings and preserve the unique heritage streetscape of Roslyn Street. "
"Heritage value is not just about bricks and mortar - it must include the human and social history of a place."
"The demolition of Barons will be the end of the Kings Cross of old - the Kings Cross that attracted the artists, musicians and the unique characters to the area for over a century."
In strongly opposing the proposal Councillor Shayne Mallard said he was acting in the interests of residents and businesses in the area.
"The community strongly objects to this proposal with 51 submissions and a 1118 signatures on a petition all calling for the retention of the heritage buildings and preservation of the mixed small shops at street level."
"The demolition of Barons will be the sad farewell to the bohemian Kings Cross of yesteryear."
Councillor Shayne Mallard is a member of the Planning Committee. It will meet from 530pm on Monday 31st July at Sydney Town Hall Council Chambers. Members of the public are encouraged to attend.
The details of the Development Application including colour images are available on-line

http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Council/documents/meetings/2006/Committee/Planning/310706/31-07-06_PDTC_ITEM4.pdf
RELEASE ENDS
28 July 2006