Oxford Falls Valley – Impact to Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment

Even as Wall Street consults the entrails of the goat on the steps of the New York stock exchange, the Wizards of Oz are planning to sell off the Warringah Farm.

The BATTLE FOR OXFORD FALLS VALLEY continues. The resident’s army needs YOU! NOW is the time to step up and fight!

We are at the pointy end of a five-year battle!

PUBLIC MEETING:

WARRINGAH COUNCIL CHAMBERS. MON FEB 16. 6PM.

THE PLANNED DEVELOPMENT:

Almost 400 units. Four storeys high! Motel, bowling greens, restaurants, shops, swimming pool, gymnasium – a mini-city  aged care “resort” in the middle of the semi-rural haven of Oxford Falls Valley!

This development by Sid Londish ( Tiffany Developments Pty Ltd.), will be the end of the Oxford Falls Valley – the semi-rural valley you enjoy on your ( already congested) drive down the Wakehurst Parkway.

·      MORE TRAFFIC

·      HIGH RISE BUILDINGS

·      ENDANGERED NATIVE SPECIES THREATENED

·      NARRABEEN LAGOON CATCHMENT IMPACTED

PLEASE, PLEASE,PLEASE:

Take a moment to make your protest heard. Write a letter, an email, make a phone call, come to a meeting, tell your friends!

Objections must be made by February 27!!

No matter how short or lengthy your objection might be- this is a numbers game. Thousands of objections will make the NSW Minister for Planning, Kristina Keneally take note!

This cannot be another Catherine Hill Bay or Currawong!

It is important that we gather hundreds of submissions and that each is different. Please use our suggestions as a guide and make your protest personal.

Write immediately and tell the State Planning Minister, Kristina  Keneally MP how you feel.

·      I object to this development that includes almost 400 apartments because…

·      I object to this development that includes 656 car park parking spaces because…

·      I object to this development that includes 38 separate buildings including 8 x four-storey buildings and 18 x three-storey buildings because…

·      I object to this development that includes a motel, golf course, shops, restaurants, supermarket, gym and bowling alley because…

I am worried about :

The effect on the Narrabeen Lakes Catchment area.

The lack of public transport and increased traffic.

The effect on the native flora and fauna.

The change in character for this semi-rural haven.

The lack of compliance with Warringah Planning Policy (LEP 2000) or State Planning Policy ( Seniors Living Policy and Metropolitan Strategy).

This plan is only at concept stage – how big could it become?

Write a submission, pen a letter, send an email – no matter how long or short. Make your views heard!!

On line: Ofag.info/reject ( this will take you automatically to the Dept of Planning)

By mail: The Director,Urban Assessments,Department of Planning. GPO Box 39. Sydney.NSW 2001

Contact direct: Catherine.otto@planning.nsw.gov.au Ph: 9228 62 63 Fax: 9228 6540

For further information go to: www.ofag.info or join our mailing list at:  info.ofag.info

Thanks for your support from the Oxford Falls Action Group – fighting for your family’s future!

Localism: managing the Commons?

David Bollier is an editor at onthecommons.org and he’s interested in the way people manage common resources – including surf breaks. He opens his essay entitled “A Surfing Commons in Hawaii: The Wolfpak of Oahu manages access to the biggest waves in the world.” thusly:

You can find a commons in the most unlikely places. Case in point: the clan of surfers at the Banzai Pipeline beach on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. A motley tribe of musclemen maintain order and respect among the crowds of surfers vying to catch the big waves there. This social community based around a shared resource even has a name, “The Wolfpak,” and has been the subject of a documentary film, Bustin’ Down the Door, recently released on DVD.

Why would a commons form around legendary surfing waves? Because top surfers from around the world make pilgrimages to the Pipeline to test themselves against the waves. The Pipeline has been likened to the Mount Everest of surfing – a place where the best go to prove their mettle and talent. Not surprisingly, there is enormous competition in the water over who is entitled to ride which waves…. and resentment against outsiders who don’t respect the social protocols that the local surfing crowd has developed over time.

Bollier’s piece seems to be at least partly inspired by an interesting feature about the Wolfpak (why no “c”? And what’s Hawaiian about wolfpa(c)ks anyway?) which appeared in the New York Times sports section on 23 January 2009. Entitled Rough Waves, Tougher Beaches , it profiles the group of blokes who’ve somehow become the (current), er, managers of Pipeline and thereabouts.

According to writer Matt Higgins, these chaps (no mention of any chapettes) mostly come from Kauai, which kind of suggests that geographic origin and localness is a reasonably elastic relationship. Anyway, we learn something of one Kala Alexander who is quoted thusly: ““The code is to respect other people,” Alexander, 39, said. “People come over here and don’t respect other people. You’re going to run into problems if you do that.””

The subtext isn’t (or maybe wasn’t) too sub with Mr A. Apparently there are videos of him on YouTube in which he may be viewed dispensing “problems” to those who failed to meet his exacting standards with regard to respect.

Happily it appears that Mr. A and his compatriots have mellowed in recent years. Possibly taking a leaf out of the bikies PR book, the article notes that the Wolfpak has taken to participating in annual beach clean ups and even visits sick kids in hospital. As well, a spokeswoman from Honolulu PD is quoted as saying that “surf-related assaults are very rare” these days. That’s a fine thing, although just why is open to some conjecture. Lawsuits are raised as one possible factor. The commons getting enclosed by the law perhaps?

Feel free to use the comments option to add your thoughts!

GOVERNMENT EXTENDS RIP CURL PRO SUPPORT UNTIL 2011

The Rip Curl Pro Surf & Music Festival has been granted funding for a further three years by the Victorian Government leading up to the 50^thanniversary in 2011 the Premier John Brumby announced yesterday at Bells Beach.

Mr Brumby and the Sports and Recreation Minister, James Merlino met with two-time World Champion and Rip Curl Pro Contest Director Damien Hardman at Bells Beach today to make the announcement.

“The Rip Curl Pro is a major draw card on a dynamic calendar of major events including the Melbourne Grand Prix, Australian Open and the AFL Grand Final,” Mr Brumby said.

“That’s why I am delighted to announce that the Victorian Government will support the Rip Curl Pro for a further three years, delivering on our commitment to building on Victoria’s world-class major events.”

Mr Merlino congratulated event organisers for supporting both men’s and women’s surfing at the annual Rip Curl Pro Surf & Music Festival. 

“It creates an exciting platform to celebrate excellence in sport and attracts strong tourism to the region,” Merlino said.

Rip Curl Group Advertising and Marketing Chairman Neil Ridgway said Rip Curl was excited to extend its relationship with Victoria for a further three years and to have the world’s most prestigious surfing contest sit in the Victorian ‘Hallmark Events’ program sanctioned the Rip Curl Pro as elite. 

“This partnership helps to cement both men’s and women’s professional surfing for the next three years and that is very important for both ASP world tours. Rip Curl sees surfers as equal no matter what their gender and that attitude is epitomized in the Rip Curl Pro.”

Surfing Victoria Rip Curl Pro Event Director Max Wells welcomed the announcement. 

“The Rip Curl Pro is an amazing event that is held in very high regard by our surfers worldwide, so on behalf of Surfing Victoria, I wish to express our appreciation of the long term and continuing support of our iconic event by the Victorian Government,” Mr Wells said.

Surfrider polls the Pols in Warringah

Over the last week, Surfrider Foundation has asked the candidates a series of 9 questions about issues of direct concern to surfers on the Northern Beaches. If you’re a voter, you really should spend a few minutes reading what these folks have to say about dumping sewage into the sea, allowing more development in the catchments and seawalls.

check it out here

RealSurf’s Shari standing for Council

We Love Warringah announces beach policies

Local government elections are coming up and the following item was received from the We Love Warringah party. WLW is running on a set of policies that are pro-beach and pro-surfing. RealSurf will be happy to publish similar policy documents from other coastal Council candidates and parties. All we ask is that the statements be short, to the point, and to deal primarily with your policies about beach and surfing issues.

Dear Realsurfers…

OK – you might think these are the three most tedious words you will ever find in the same sentence together – Local. Government. Elections.

But the people who will control your waves – your access to breaks through parking spaces, rock-dumping extravaganzas, sea walls and beach-side development – are asking for your vote on September 13.

For all Sydney north-side surfers, there’s no more critical vote than the one you’ll cast in the Warringah Council election – the body that administrates the beaches from Queenscliff to North Narrabeen.

In the past local surfers and we, their supporters, have battled to stop a proposed massive concrete sea wall from Collaroy to Narrabeen. We have fought a 250-seat beach-front café at Narra; an ugly development on the beach at South Curl Curl and a three-storey office block and function centre at Longie.

There is one group contesting the election– We Love Warringah – that has been forged from the heart of these battles.

We want your vote so that we can continue to pursue the interests of surfers on Council.

We advocate sand nourishment rather than sea walls; we want to negotiate with surf clubs to limit their ad-hoc expansion; we want to declare Longie a conservation zone; we want to fight those who are dog-whistling the forces of law and order in a bid for “zero tolerance” on the Northern Beaches.

The We Love Warringah team is a non-politically aligned group of local residents who put beach preservation at the top of their agenda.

If you live, surf and vote in Warringah – we ask you check out our website at www.welovewarringah.com.au and share the love.

Wherever you see the symbol of the blue heart – that’s where we are.
Paul Jaffe. Mayoral and A ward candidate.
We Love Warringah