PEOPLE POWER WON THE DAY THEN AND CAN DO NOW. C'MON MOSMAN!!

Edwards Beach, Balmoral  was retained, 
thanks to People Power and Mosman Council 
which listened to, and was able to act upon local issues. 

Help to keep Mosman independent by attending the Mosman Community Meeting  - 

Monday 8 February, 6 pm at the the Mosman's Returned Service Club

FYI -'People Power' - 
Extract from 'THROUGH THE HEADS   to  Balmoral, Sydney'  

Shark Barriers at Balmoral -     One of the rejected  ideas was a 'Blackpool- style pier’ extending from the Island towards Wy-ar-gine, parallel with Edwards Beach. At the end of the pier there was to be a four towered edifice which would have dwarfed the future Bathers Pavilion and from there to the Wy-ar-gine rocks, a shark barrier was to be built.’ 

Fear of sharks  - shark barriers 

   From the cliff tops, silhouettes of Blue Pointers and Bronze Whalers were sometimes seen cruising over the white sandy bottom of the fish channel between Wy-ar-gine Point and the Spit.  

The danger was well known as Watkin Tench in 1788 wrote, “Sharks of an enormous size are found here.”  and “One of these was caught by the people on board the Sirius, which measured at the shoulders six feet and one of d a half in circumference…”


Various solutions had been suggested, one of which included ‘a Blackpool- style pier’  - see above which was rejected.  Another of Council’s initiatives was to erect a shark proof barrier along the full length of Edwards Beach.  This was to be made of turpentine piles and battens and would be revenue producing by  fencing in the beach and charging admission  for swimmers wishing to avail themselves to six acres of shark-free water.
The outcry from residents was deafening.  

“Hands off the Beach! Hands off the Beach!” was a public rallying cry in 1930, adopted by those who were opposed to Council’s initiative re their response to the problem of shark attacks.  A Beaches Defence Committee was formed against the turnstile component of the barrier plan and at an overflowing Town Hall meeting in 1930; the protest was led by Julian Howard Ashton, a son of Julian Rossi Ashton.  “We are not hostile to the Council.  We are opposed to any scheme which will fence off the beach against the public.”



In 1935 the Council accepted a tender for the steel net enclosure to be suspended between the Island and a tripod opposite the northern end of the Pavilion.   There were no shark attacks in Mosman waters during the next four decades probably because of the meshing program inside and outside the Heads and the proliferation of powered water craft.      Summarised from Mosman  - A History   Gavin Souter                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Why Mosman Matters

Some facts

It's unique in so many ways; historically, its cultural heritage and natural beauty along with it's village atmosphere and community spirit.

If the proposed amalgamation with Manly and Warringah, for which the government has no mandate, goes ahead, Mosman would no longer be the same Mosman we know and love.

Details of how you can help prevent this happening are found in the previous post.  

Claire 

My Camp - Arthur Streeton

Mosman residents want to control their future and Keep Mosman Independent!

Mosman would only have 2/10 councillors on the amalgamated mega-Council. We would be outvoted on all Mosman issues 


Mosman would lose its sense of heritage, local community, and volunteer spirit 


Mosman would lose control over development applications and planning 


Mosman would suffer over-development and increased traffic flow  


Mosman would suffer increased council rates and lose control over spending 

Proud to be Mosman - let's keep it that way!

Hi there

I love Mosman and, like many others, want it to remain as the unique place we have the privilege to live with on a daily basis.

 I fail to see how this will happen if the proposed amalgamation takes place, because with a representation of 2 out of 10 councillors, we'll lose control of how council rates are spent.

MOSMAN COUNCIL:- 

Proud to be Mosman  |  Protecting our heritage  |  Planning our future | Involving our community

If you agree with these community goals, you can make a difference now  by responding to the action plan as set out below.     Claire

MAFA supports SOCC

Outcomes of Amalgamation

1. Your rates will rise by up to 50% as Mosman land values are high relative to Manly and Warringah
2.  BUT we will lose all control over how council rates are spent.  
   With only 2 out of 10 councillors we will be out-voted on all Mosman-specific issues
3. Mosman will no longer determine its own development applications and we will likely see a surge in high-rise

What you can do?   (Priorities in date order)

Priority 1 - Attend  a public meeting on Tuesday,  2 February 

at Manly Golf Club, 38-40 Balgowlah Rd, Balgowlah, NSW 2093. 

Manly Council Notification of public inquiry into the proposal to amalgamate or alter the boundaries of local government areas Manly, Mosman and (part) of Warringah.

Members of the public who would like to attend the meeting are requested to register prior at: www.councilboundaryreview.nsw.gov.au
or call 1300 813 020 before 12 noon, Friday 29 January 2016.  Also register if you wish to ask a question of  Michael Bullen, the Delegate who will assess the proposal in accordance with the provisions of the Act.      

There are 2 sessions – either 1:00pm to 5:00pm and 7:00pm to 10:00pm

There is a free Mosman Council bus service – call 9978 4109 to book your seat

Priority 2  - 

Join us at our Mosman community meeting, 

at Mosman RS Club, 6pm, Monday 8 February 

The purpose of this meeting is to fully inform residents on every aspect of this forced amalgamation proposal.

Priority 3 - Make your written submission to the NSW Government by 5pm, Sunday 28  February, to GPO Box 5341, Sydney, NSW 2001 or online here http://bit.ly/1QnQySk

More Information

Visit www.councilboundaryreview.nsw.gov.au or 1300 813 02

1. 
   

For a wider perspective, Save Our Councils Coalition is a cross-council non-politically-aligned coalition of metro and regional councils. They are having their next public meeting at 11:30am on Saturday 30 January, at Strathfield Town Hall – all members of the public are welcome. More details from facebook.com/saveourcouncils/ or saveourcouncilsnsw.com.

   

Holiday wishes from Balmoral

Holiday wishes to share

from a special place

Wishing you peaceful time and space

to live in the moment
 

with the timelessness of a child

To do something joyful and playful

To find your holiday rhythm

And look forward to a Happy New Year in 2016

Claire and Christopher

Photos from 'Through the Heads to BALMORAL, SYDNEY

to be released late January.

Available now as an Ebook - http://www.amazon.com/THROUGH-Balmoral-Sydney-Claire-Mitchell-ebook/dp/B01830DBKO

"Will our local issues matter under proposed amalgamation?"

I ask myself this question, 'Will our local issues matter?

The answer has to be, "Not as much."

KEEP LOCAL SERVICES LOCAL ** SIGN THE PETITION **
Mega councils mean less input on local matters that directly affect YOU. Call your local MP and tell them you want to keep your local services local. Sign the petition today > http://chn.ge/1L7wPyQ

‪#‎KeepCouncilsLocal‬ ‪#‎KeepItLocal‬ ‪#‎NoForcedMergers‬



We strongly urge the New South Wales government to engage in a more collaborative and consultative process before undertaking any action to amalgamate councils. Many of the proposed amalgamations involve councils that have clearly demonstrated that they are viable entities. The claimed advantages of scale resulting from council mergers are unsubstantiated while at a community level there has been little or no serious engagement in the amalgamation debate. 

Local government is the closest tier of government to the people and as such is most responsive to the needs of the community enabling them to have an input into matters that impact on them directly (such as development applications and strategic planning).

There is a very real risk that in creating larger councils residents will be alienated from the decision-making process and that sense of community will be eroded or lost. Participatory democracy at a local level is fundamental to good governance providing residents with a mechanism by which their voice can be heard.  This is best served by viable, smaller councils, rather than large, unwieldy bodies.

Happy Birthday Christopher

Birthday greetings to you ...  I hope you are having a happy day enjoying our foreshores as you do - maybe fishing for marlin or taking our advice  'TO 'TAKE A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE'      Claire

Photo – Christopher Maait      Not a black marlin,  but nevertheless a marlin proudly caught, tagged and released to the waters off Sydney

And every fisherman’s dream come true :-     “MARLIN MASTERED AT HARBOUR GATES”  ‘A 50kg black marlin was caught, marked and returned to the water at the entrance to Sydney Harbour.’ Daily Telegraph-  13/2/15  ‘GONE FISHING’  with Al McGlashan Al commented that in all the years he has fished Sydney waters, that he always had wanted to catch a marlin, not offshore, but right between North Head and South Head.  Al concluded, “Sydney Harbour just keeps on getting better and better these days because where else in the world could you catch a marlin just minutes from the city?” Extract from 'Through the Heads to Balmoral, Sydney'

BLOGGER THANKED FOR BEING A FRIEND

Mosman Daily - July 23  2015

WHICH WORKSHOP TO CHOOSE?

Hi there

I'm honoured to be Mosman Community College's First Friend and look forward to meeting other friends of the college.  I've included some information below, from the MCC website with a link to the free upcoming workshops.  

I can't make up my mind - I missed out on  'Blogging Bootcamp' and I know I need to become more proficient with my I-pad, but because of my winter project of gardening in between writing, I'm drawn to 'Gardening for Balconies, Courtyards & Patios'.  I think the latter will win, because it's therapeutic to have a break from computers.  Then again,  it would be good to be able to 'Cook Seafood with Perfection'.  I'll let you know how I go.

Cheers Claire
Ps - I'm secretly pleased that 'Flying Trapeze workshops are not offered!

Jane Egan, principal, (actually she's 2nd from the left & I'm 3rd) considers the college to be a vital hub in the community and outlines the idea behind the initiative. 

“We value your friendship and we're keen to make you feel more a part of the Mosman Community College. 
We would like your involvement to be rewarded with generous benefits and invite you to join the 
Friends of Mosman Community College.”

A one-time Friendship payment of $50 will entitle you to:

• One free one day workshop: Click here to see a list of our upcoming workshops for you to chose from.
• Invitation to Friends Only Events. Become part of the College community and join us at a variety of events throughout the year, with guest speakers and the opportunity to meet like-minded College Friends.
• Friends Price to other College Functions.
• Special Friend's Rate on some courses. 
• Regular newsletter

MOSMAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Photography Field Trips                                    VIEWMAG.NET - 2015

Photo - Christopher Maait

Do you have a need to get out and explore? Take a look locally - at the Mosman area and its spectacular foreshores.
With the recently opened vista of military sites and fortifications, held for 100 years for the defence of Sydney Harbour, these foreshores are steeped in Sydney’s military and navigational heritage.  Bushland walking tracks provide opportunities to view major Sydney icons such at the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, or to simply absorb the natural environment.

If you have an interest in photography, Mosman Community College includes in its program each term a field trip - walking, talking and photographing along the bush track from Athol Wharf to Bradley’s Head. Here you can learn about your camera and take photos “in-the-field” while experiencing the bushland around Sydney Harbour.

Long-term photography tutor Christopher Maait conducts the one-day course. He knows the track well having collaborated with local resident Claire Mitchell to produce the book, ‘Mosman Meanders and foreshore flavours.

In over ten years teaching at the college Chris has conducted many photography fieldtrips around Mosman, but Bradley’s Head is always a favourite with his students. It has become an integral part to his regular Photography Classes. He says there is a real pleasure to walk so close to home and still feel as though we are far from anything. Nature abounds in floral and animal specimens, living
amongst the Eucalypt and Angophora stands along the way. It’s always amazing to find students who have lived in this part of Sydney much of their lives and have never been to Bradley’s Head!
This area is so close to the CBD and is renowned for its history and beauty.

Mosman Foreshores Photography Field Trip is only a small part of this extensive walking track, so should you be inspired to do more walking, with friends and family in tow, a copy of the book is
included as a keepsake or reference of your journey.

For booking information on the Mosman Foreshores Field Trip or
the book ‘Mosman Meanders and foreshore flavours’ visit the website www.mcc.nsw.edu.au