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Review Panel Summary Misses Significant Points

Please see this document. This is a Summary of the Submission Review Panel dated 28th February 2012 and is publicly available on the DA Tracking Section of the SSC website. It is interesting to note that this document does NOT include several significant points including things such as Aboriginal Heritage and the threat to fauna including vulnerable species (the broad headed snake and the red crowned toadlet), as well as the need for a full geotechnical survey, amongst other points.

If you are concerned about this or if you wish to give feedback to the Council regarding the Information Session held on 28th February you can write to Mr J Rayner, General Manager of Sutherland Shire Council:

Postal Address Locked Bag 17, Sutherland 1499
Phone 9710 0333
Email ssc@ssc.nsw.gov.au
Fax 9710 0265

We understand the Council are likely to write to those who rsvp'd to the Information Session next week, providing a summary of the meeting.

LEADER NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

We know that some people unfortunately don't receive a Leader newspaper via delivery to their home, therefore we'd like to draw your attention to a Leader article that was published on Thursday (page 3):

http://www.theleader.com.au/news/local/news/general/residents-condemn-brethren-hall-plan/2472739.aspx

As always, you can add comments at the bottom of the article on their website.

SSC Announces the Public Meeting details

The SSC have announced invitations have been posted to all people who have lodged a complaint against DA 11/1270

VENUE: Sutherland Entertainment Centre

DATE:  Tuesday 28 February 2012 commencing at 6pm


A Glimpse of the Future

Channel Nine's A Current Affair have filmed a segment on the lead up to the Exclusive Brethren meeting this week which saw people from all over the world arrive and driven by bus to a gated Brethren compound.
 
This is what our quiet neighbourhood will become if this innapropriate development is allowed.
 
See the story here.
See the Channel 10 news story here

More coverage on Channel Ten news on Feb 6.
 

As you're aware, January 31 was the closing date for submissions to be received by Council. We could not be told on that day how many submissions they received, only that it was "many".
 
We as a community group, hand-delivered a lengthy submission to Council outlining our concerns regarding this development proposal. Although the closing date has officially passed, we have been unofficially informed that Council will continue to accept and acknowledge submissions up to the date of a public information meeting (date yet to be advised). Therefore if you haven't already written to Council, you should do so asap. Sutherland Shire Council address is: Locked Bag 17, Sutherland 1499 Email ssc@ssc.nsw.gov.au. Make sure you include your full name and address on your letter. The DA number is DA 11/1270. There is no need to write to the Councillors individually anymore, we've been advised that they've 'got the message'.

Also, remember to follow up with Council if you have not received a letter acknowledging receipt of your submission. Phone no. 9710 0333.
YouTube: Fly around the site and see it for yourself

Important info

Thank you to everyone for your continuing support and to those of you who have written emails to us. We appreciate your patience in waiting for us to reply - we are trying our best to respond to everyone in a timely manner.
Please send your complaint letters directly to Sutherland Shire Council to register your opinion. Also request an invitation to the proposed Public Information Night and allow three working days for council to confirm you may be invited.
Sutherland Shire Council Contact Details
Postal Address Locked Bag 17, Sutherland 1499
Phone 9710 0333
Email ssc@ssc.nsw.gov.au
Fax 9710 0265

VOLUNTEERS

Firstly a huge thank you to those people who came along to our volunteer meeting on Sunday afternoon, we greatly appreciate your support. We do need more volunteers however, so if you're keen to help out we'd really love to hear from you. We have a separate email address for our volunteers:   heathcoteresidents@gmail.com  

If you are keen to help, please send an email to our volunteer email address with your name, address and phone number - one of our co-ordinators will contact you. 


We are aware that there are some people who'd volunteered already but simply weren't able to make it on Sunday - please email your contact details to that email address - we'd like to know if you're still able to help.

We'd also really appreciate hearing from someone who might be able to offer legal or other professional services.

PETITIONS

We are aware that there people who are collecting petitions on our behalf, from neighbours and friends etc. Please remember to tell them that it's important that they write to council as well, especially if they would want to be invited to a council-run information session/public meeting on this issue in future (it's possible one may be held mid-February but this is yet to be confirmed).

NEW DATE FOR RETURNING PETITIONS TO US

Please note that we now need petitions to be returned to our PO Box by close of business Friday 27th January. If you have left petitions somewhere to be signed by local residents (eg. in a shop), please ensure that you return them to us with sufficient time to be received at our PO Box by this date - as they will be handed to Council on the Monday morning. (Our website will be updated with this revised date in the near future)

Our PO Box address is as follows: PO Box 1062, Sutherland NSW 2232.

BUSHFIRE

Please write to us with your personal stories about being evacuated in times of bushfire - we'd also love photographs if you have any.

LEADER ARTICLE

The article in the Leader last week has generated a lot of discussion in the form of 'comments' being posted on their website - and it was the "Most Popular" article on their website for several days last week. Keep it on the media radar by clicking on the article on-line and making a comment! link: http://www.theleader.com.au/news/local/news/general/brethren-church-project-concerns-residents/2417109.aspx

REMEMBER OUR FOCUS

Our focus is to stop this DA being approved by Council - to stop this DA going through we need to concentrate on our key arguments relating to bushfire, traffic and environment. How we do this, is by being in contact with our Sutherland Shire Council Councillors - they are the decision makers. Please ensure that you write to all of the councillors voicing your objection, before 31 January.

Contact details for all the SSC Councillors and our State Member of Parliament can be found at the bottom of this message. Please also find contact details for Mr Brad Hazzard Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, and Minister Assisting the Premier on Infrastructure NSW. Please submit your letters to Mr Hazzard as well.

Thank you
on behalf of
Heathcote Residents - a Community Against Inappropriate Development


Sutherland Shire Council - Councillor Contact Details
http://www.sutherlandshire.nsw.gov.au/Council_The_Shire/Contacts_and_Opening_Hours/Councillors

The Hon. Brad Hazzard MP

Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, and Minister Assisting the Premier on Infrastructure NSW

Member of the Liberal Party
Level 33 Governor Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Place
SYDNEY NSW 2000
email: office@hazzard.minister.nsw.gov.au
Mr Lee Justin EVANS, MP
Member for Heathcote, Acting Speaker
Member of the Liberal Party
Shops 1 & 2
17 - 23 Station Street
ENGADINE NSW 2233 P (02) 9548 0144 F (02) 9548 5639
Eheathcote@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Can you volunteer?

Firstly a huge thank you to those people who came along to our volunteer meeting on Sunday afternoon, we greatly appreciate your support. We do need more volunteers however, so if you're keen to help out we'd really love to hear from you.

 Email address for our volunteers: heathcoteresidents@gmail.com
 
If you are keen to help, please send an email to our volunteer email address with your name, address and phone number - one of our co-ordinators will contact you.

We are aware that there are some people who'd volunteered already but simply weren't able to make it on Sunday - please email your contact details to that email address - we'd like to know if you're still able to help.

We'd also really appreciate hearing from someone who might be able to offer legal or other professional services.
The importance of writing to Council

Aside from the obvious need to write to the council outlining your concerns regarding this proposed development, we are now aware that unless you write to the council personally, you would not recieve an invitation to attend a meeting with an Independant Hearing and Assessment Panel.

Email: ssc@ssc.nsw.gov.au
Mail/by-hand: Locked Bag 17, Sutherland NSW 1499
Mail/by-hand: PO Box 1062 Sutherland NSW 2232
By Hand: 4 Eton Street, Sutherland over the counter

The role of the IHAP is to "consider unresolved objections and makes recommendations for the council to determine". It is our understanding that you are not invited to these type of meetings if you have only signed a petition.

This is crucial therefore that you write to council personally, if you want the opportunity to have your say at an IHAP meeting. "Applicants and objectors are invited, in writing, to attend IHAP to address the panel. Once the panel has considered an application, there is no further opportunity for applicants or objectors to address the Environment and Planning Committee or a full council meeting."

Further information on IHAP is available on the council website.
A Current Affair story on Tuesday night.

We can confirm that the "A Current Affair" story will go to air tomorrow night - Tuesday 10th January on Channel 9 at 6:30pm.

A promo for tomorrow's ACA story will be on their show tonight.

We kindly request that you do not contact other media today (eg. radio), but instead wait until after our story has been aired on television tomorrow night.

Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any questions or comments - we will try to reply to you as soon as we can.

Thank you,
on behalf of
Heathcote Residents - a Community opposing an Inappropriate Development

 

 

HOW YOU CAN HELP

We'd love to hear from you if you think you can help us with:

  • distributing and collecting petitions in Engadine/Heathcote shopping centres;
  • letterbox drops, photocopying, doorknocking with petitions
  • professional assistance or services – eg. legal advice, printing services

You can contact us via email on heathcoteresidents@gmail.com

 

IMPORTANT LINKS

We encourage you to ‘spread the word’ amongst neighbours, family and friends and to personally write to/email the council regarding the proposed development.
You need to state your full name and address on your letter/email for it to count.
We know there are a lot of our neighbours still away on holidays so please knock on their door when they come home.

Click here for the council's website to view the plans.
To see them select the 'Agree' button at the bottom of the Terms and Conditions (so long as you do agree to them!)
On the next screen, in the Application Number box enter DA11/1270 and press 'Search'.
On the next screen select the 'Show' button.
You can click the grey up and down arrows to expand and contract each section of the application.

Closing Date for viewing the plans and writing to the council is 19th January 2012.  An extension of this closing date is likely, but still not confirmed – we will keep you advised.

Click here to read about the beautiful Heathcote National Park