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Dangar Island Mooring Co-operative Information Booklet

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(Accurately,scaled,!computer,generated!image!showing!the!proposed!co,op!facility.!Field!of!view!is!from!the!Webbers’!pontoon!to!the!ferry!shed.)!

For!a!long!time!now,!the!Dangar!Island!community!has!had!insufficient!options!for!the!safe!and!reliable!berthing!of!small!commuter!vessels.!Solutions!have!been!investigated!since!1979!when!Ian!and!Denise!Forrest,!on!behalf!of!a!group!of!residents,!wrote!to!Hornsby!Shire!Council!(HSC)!about!the!use!of!tinnies!for!commuting.!!In!1995!another!attempt!was!undertaken,!this!time!through!the!Dangar!Island!League!(DIL)!when!Terry!Dorrough!was!President.!Neither!attempt!to!raise!funding!from!the!Hornsby!Shire!Council!was!successful.!

In!late!2009,!island!residents!again!approached!the!League!to!see!if!a!viable!commuter!tinnie!berthing!facility!similar!to!the!Brooklyn!Mooring!Co,op!(BMC)!could!be!established!on!Dangar!Island.!Since!then,!the!DIL!sub,committee!has!been!working!to!examine!all!the!options!and!their!impacts!on!the!island.!!This!group!has!regularly!addressed!the!community!through!Mullet!Mail!articles,!many!public!meetings,!newsletter!mailings,!and!emails!as!well!as!the!League’s!website.!

As!a!result!of!this!work,!the!Dangar!Island!Mooring!Co,operative!Committee!(DIMC)!now!has!a!fully,developed!proposal!for!a!small,vessel!mooring!facility!situated!off!the!public!wharf.!!

A!few!of!the!key!points!regarding!the!co,op!are:!

, it!is!only!for!small!tinnies!and!dories,!the!same!as!the!BMC.!Large!yachts!will!not!and!cannot!berth!at!the!co,op.!, it!is!the!“smallest!and!cheapest”!that!can!be!built!on!Dangar!Island!given!the!weather!conditions!and!the!

number!of!community!remembers!registering!interesting!in!using!the!facility!(currently!40!berths.)!, many!of!the!co,op!members!will!be!moving!from!using!anchors!and!running!lines!that!continually!damage!the!

river!bed!, there!is!no!other!location!on!the!island!to!build!the!facility!that!is!both!allowed!under!the!Dangar!Island!

Development!Control!Plan!from!HSC!and!as!practical!as!the!chosen!location!, it!will!provide!a!safe,!reliable!berthing!for!tinnies,!many!of!which!will!be!moving!from!the!beaches!thereby!

improving!them!for!recreational!use!, the!facility!is!occupied!by!existing!residents!and!property!owners!on!Dangar!Island,!95%!of!whom!already!have!a!

tinnie!or!dory.!It!will!not!increase!either!development!on,!or!visitors!to,!Dangar!Island.!, The!proposed!wharf!has!fewer!linear!metres!of!wharf!and!pontoon!than!the!total!of!the!neighbouring!five!

private!jetties,!yet!will!provide!safe!mooring!for!up!to!40!families.!

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!There!is!currently!some!mis,information!circulating!about!the!proposed!co,op.!It!is!the!purpose!of!this!brochure!to!present!accurate!and!verifiable!information!regarding!the!proposed!facility!in!an!easy,to,read!format.!If!you!have!heard!any!information!that!is!contrary!to!the!information!presented!here,!we!are!more!than!happy!to!discuss!it!with!you!personally!to!answer!any!specific!questions!or!concerns!you!might!have.!We!believe!it!is!very!important!that!everyone!is!

well!informed!with!the!facts!of!the!proposal.!Please!contact!us!at!wharf@dangarislandleague.net!

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We!urge!you!to!attend!the!DIL!AGM!at!the!end!of!September!to!cast!your!vote!for!the!creation!of!the!tinnie!tie,up!facility.!It!is!for!the!community’s!welfare!and!it!has!been!long!sought!after.!The!proposed!co,op!is!the!smallest,!cheapest,!least!invasive!way!of!doing!this.!

DIMC:!Ant!Schinckel,!Sue!Merricks,!Stuart!Allen,!Tom!Weddin,!David!Pakes!

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Frequently Asked Questions

!1. Q.!Why!have!a!mooring!facility?!!A.!The!purpose!is!to!provide!a!safe,!convenient,!around,the,clock!berthing!facility!for!small!tinnies!for!residents!of!Dangar!Island!who!do!not!have!waterfront!jetties!themselves.!!2. Q.!How!many!Berths!will!there!be?!A.!We!currently!expect!that!it!will!be!between!30!and!40!berths.!As!at!this!writing,!we!have!strong!commitments!for!40,!with!a!few!probably!available!for!renting.!!!3. Q.!What!size!boat!will!the!berth!take?!A.!The!DIMC!is!ONLY!for!small!boats,!the!same!size!restrictions!as!the!Brooklyn!Mooring!Co,op!will!be!in!place.!These!restrictions!are!a!maximum!of!5.5m!in!length!and!2.25m!in!beam.!The!rigging!system!will!be!compatible!with!the!Brooklyn!Co,op.!Large!boats!(cruisers,!yachts,!etc)!will!NOT!physically!fit,!nor!will!the!rules!ever!allow!them!to!berth!at!the!DIMC.!!4. Q.!What!will!the!wharf!look!like?!!!A.!Please!see!the!professionally!generated!computer!image!of!the!proposed!DIMC!below.!This!is!not!an!artist!impression,!but!a!professional,!computer,generated!view!constructed!from!the!SMEC!plans!in!Appendix!A.!It!places!boats!and!pontoons!at!the!correct!distance!from!the!photo!location!to!generate!the!view.!!

!!The!current!design!produced!by!SMEC!is!for!a!slightly!sturdier!version!of!the!BMC!wharf!in!2!or!3!arms!–!this!reflects!the!heavier!conditions!compared!to!the!BMC!site.!It!will!have!about!the!same!“visual”!impact!in!terms!of!pier!size,!pontoon!size!etc.!!It!will!accommodate!about!half!the!tinnies!that!the!BMC!has!space!for.!!It!is!the!minimum!“fit,for,purpose”!design!possible.!The!floating!pontoons!will!be!a!little!wider!(2.4m!for!the!wider!section!and!1.2!for!the!narrower!sections),!heavier!and!more!stable!than!the!BMC!ones!to!reflect!the!more!severe!exposure!in!this!location.!At!the!maximum!size,!each!arm!would!be!approximately!24!metres!long.!For!comparison!with!the!BMC,!this!is!the!length!of!the!single!BMC!pontoon!closest!to!the!pool.!!

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The!SMEC!design!provides!some!level!of!wave!attenuation!to!the!tinnies!within!it,!protecting!them!from!the!worst!of!the!weather!and!stopping!them!being!swamped,!as!so!often!happens!at!present!in!rough!weather.!The!SMEC!report!is!available!on!the!website!or!you!can!ask!the!DIMC!members!for!a!copy.!!Please!see!Appendix!A!for!the!SMEC!design.!The!full!version!can!be!downloaded!from!the!DIL!Website.!!5. Q.!Will!the!coAop!physically!displace!any!existing!locations!where!tinnies!are!tied!up?!A.!No.!All!of!the!new!berthing!facility!will!be!beyond!the!existing!fire!barge!pontoon!on!the!public!jetty.!Please!refer!to!the!aerial!photo!in!below!that!shows!the!entire!co,op!west!of!the!new!HSC!public!jetty,!but!well!inside!the!first!commercial!“orange”!buoy!off!the!end!of!the!existing!wharf:!!

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6. Q.!What!about!noise!and!light?!A.!We!have!placed!a!very!high!priority!on!minimizing!sources!of!noise!and!stray!light!from!the!DIMC!–!every!effort!is!being!made!to!ensure!this!facility!is!as!quiet!as!possible.!Metal!on!metal!connections!will!have!at!least!one!of!them!coated!with!a!soft!material!to!minimise!noise.!The!removal!of!a!need!for!stern!anchors!will,!for!members,!remove!the!noise!of!chains!being!hauled!over!transoms!that!pervades!the!area!at!present.!!!!Lighting!will!be!designed!to!only!illuminate!the!areas!required!for!safety!of!users!and!safe!navigation!from!the!water!–!we!will!minimize!any!unnecessary!light!pollution!by!careful!selection!of!fixtures!and!shields.!!!7. Q.!Why!has!this!location!off!the!public!wharf!been!selected?!A.!Hornsby!Shire!Council!planning!documents!(Dangar!Island!Development!Control!Plan,!see!below)!only!permits!the!construction!of!commuter!wharf!facilities!from!the!water!front!of!6!Riverview!Ave!to!the!middle!of!the!waterfront!of!25!Yallaroi!Cres!and!nowhere!else.!Below!is!the!relevant!map!from!the!Dangar!Island!Development!Control!Plan:!

!To!perform!full!due!diligence!however,!we!have!also!extensively!studied!all!7!public!access!points!around!the!island.!They!all!have!very!significant!problems!associated!with!them,!and!the!best!location!is!the!public!wharf.!At!the!July!2011!public!meeting!residents!agreed!the!public!wharf!location!was!the!best.!The!others!were!rejected!for!a!number!of!reasons,!including!that!the!access!is!too!steep,!there!is!no!buggy!access,!no!handicapped!access,!greater!local!disturbance,!some!sites!are!on!far!side!of!island!from!users,!environmental!restrictions!and!impacts,!significantly!increased!costs!and!worse!weather!exposure,!among!others.!!!It!should!be!noted!that!for!over!150!years,!when!access!to!the!island!has!been!examined,!this!area!of!the!north!shore!has!always!been!selected!as!the!best!from!a!number!of!perspectives,!especially!weather.!!!The!Dangar!Island!Development!Control!plan!can!be!downloaded!from!http://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/media/documents/planning,and,building/dcp/area,plans/Dangar,Island,DCP.pdf!!!!

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8. Q.!Why!are!you!recommending!the!proposed!design?!A.!It!is!the!safest!option!according!to!the!internationally!recognise!consulting!engineers!(SMEC)!and!we!believe!it!is!the!best!possible!solution!to!a!difficult!problem.!It!is!the!smallest!/!cheapest!“fit!for!purpose”!design!that!will!work!safely!on!Dangar!Island!for!a!co,op.!The!proposed!wharf!has!fewer!linear!metres!of!wharf!and!pontoon!than!the!total!of!the!neighbouring!five!private!jetties,!yet!will!provide!safe!mooring!for!up!to!40!families.!There!is!no!“smaller!/!cheaper”!option.!We!have!tried!hard!for!over!3!years!to!find!one,!talking!to!many!wharf!design!and!manufacturing!companies.!!!9. Q.!Why!is!it!heavier!duty!than!the!plastic!private!pontoons?!A.!Private!jetties!are!built!to!lower!standards.!A!facility!with!more!users!needs!to!be!to!a!higher!standard!to!ensure!the!boats,!people!and!the!structure!itself!are!suitably!protected,!safe!and!sturdy.!In!addition,!this!design!provides!a!component!of!wave!attenuation,!which!will!minimise!the!risk!of!weather!damage!to!the!facility!or!the!tinnies.!!A!facility!that!is!not!designed!properly!will!not!be!insurable!for!liability,!and!it!is!possible!your!private!boat!insurance!will!be!invalidated!if!it!is!tied!up!to!a!facility!that!is!inadequately!designed.!

10. Q.!What!is!the!environmental!impact?!A.!The!co,op!has!the!potential!to!provide!tinnies!with!an!alternative!mooring!location!that!is!superior!to!many!of!the!existing!locations!including!the!south!beach!where!tinnie!traffic,!anchors,!propellers!and!running!lines!are!known!to!damage!the!seagrass!(the!breeding!habitat!of!fish).!Initial!indications!from!expert!advice!is!that!reducing!the!number!of!these!running!lines!in!shallow!water!by!creating!a!single!facility!situated!in!water!too!deep!for!sea!grass!is!beneficial!to!these!environments.!DIMC!are!continuing!to!research!this.!!In!addition!to!the!preservation!of!sea!grass,!floating!pontoons!and!the!associated!piles!create!their!own!micro,environment!which!serve!as!excellent!habitats!for!many!forms!of!marine!life.!!11. Q.!Will!more!people!boat!when!this!facility!is!built?!A.!All!of!the!applicants!are!residents!or!property!owners!already,!and!95%!of!them!own!a!tinnie!now,!so!the!increase!in!boating!is!likely!to!be!small!unless!the!convenience!of!pontoon!access!encourages!islanders!to!enjoy!their!boats!more!than!they!do!at!present.!!12. Q.!Can’t!we!make!it!smaller!and!cheaper?!A.!The!size!is!set!by!the!number!of!boats!wishing!to!use!the!facility.!There!is!no!unused!space!being!included!in!the!design!–!the!pontoons!are!the!minimum!length!possible,!and!will!protrude!above!the!water!the!minimum!amount!possible.!The!only!way!the!size!could!be!reduced!is!to!restrict!the!number!of!boats!to!less!than!the!40!who!have!requested!spots.!The!community!so!far!has!given!strong!direction!that!they!prefer!a!co,op!model!that!provides!a!location!for!everyone!who!wants!one.!!!We!are!trying!to!do!it!for!the!minimum!cost.!None!of!us!(including!the!people!working!on!the!committee!)!wants!to!spend!more!money!than!absolutely!necessary!on!this.!However!to!ensure!it!is!storm!proof,!safe!and!will!provide!a!reliable!long,term!facility,!a!minimum!engineering!standard!is!required.!For!over!four!years!the!committee!has!examined!a!wide!range!of!design!options!with!wharf!suppliers!etc,!and!this!is!the!optimum!mix!of!reliable,!fit,for,purpose,!safe!and!economical!design!features.!!!There!simply!is!no!“smaller!cheaper”!version!–!we’ve!tried.!If!you!really!think!you!have!one,!please!talk!to!us!–!we’d!love!to!hear!the!details!!!!!! !

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13. Q.!Will!it!increase!the!number!of!people!visiting!the!island?!!A.!No!–!this!facility!is!only!for!residents!and!owners,!so!it!can!only!increase!the!number!of!visitors!if!you,!the!residents,!decide!to!use!your!boat!to!bring!more!people!to!the!island.!It!is!not!a!public!facility.!!14. Q.!How!much!will!the!facility!increase!the!traffic!at!the!public!wharf?!A.!Weekday!peak!hour!is!one!of!the!busiest!times!for!the!BMC,!and!the!Dangar!co,operative!is!expected!to!be!similar.!Of!the!current!applications!for!a!place,!approximately!15!families!commute!regular!business!hours!and!5!of!them!already!keep!their!boats!in!the!vicinity!of!the!public!wharf.!As!a!result!there!is!expected!to!be!an!increase!of!about!4!or!5!boats!per!hour!during!those!two!‘rush!hours’,!with!some!additional!sporadic!traffic!during!other!parts!of!the!day.!!15. Q.!Who!can!apply!for!membership?!A.!All!Residents!and!Property!owners!of!Dangar!Island!are!eligible!to!apply.!!16. Q.!Are!the!rules!for!the!CoAop!fixed?!A.!No,!the!Coop!members!can!elect!to!change!some!of!the!operating!rules!to!better!fit!the!membership!as!the!needs!evolve.!Most!of!the!general!“operating”!rules!for!the!Coop!can!be!altered.!Some!rules!are!based!on!requirements!from!the!Department!of!Fair!Trading!for!Co,operatives!and!may!not!be!changed!(e.g.!the!requirement!for!a!Board!of!Directors,!minimum!number!of!meetings,!account!keeping,!etc).!!17. Q.!When!will!we!be!able!to!make!a!formal!application!for!membership?!A.!We!expect!that!to!be!during!late!2013.!However!it!is!dependent!on!the!approval!process!and!exact!contracting!model!and!may!well!slip!into!2014.!We!will!keep!everyone!informed.!!18. Q.!When!will!we!need!to!pay!for!membership?!A.!After!the!first!round!of!applications!is!received,!the!Committee!will!call!for!deposits.!This!is!likely!to!be!approximately!25%!of!the!total!estimated!cost.!When!the!construction!contract!is!finalised!the!balance!will!be!required.!!!19. Q.!Can!people!share!a!berth?!A.!Yes,!there!is!provision!within!the!Rules!for!a!group!of!people!to!share!a!membership,!though!only!one!boat!may!be!moored!at!a!given!time.!The!committee!encourages!adoption!of!this!provision.!!!!20. Q.!Will!berths!be!attached!to!a!person!or!a!property?!A.!Berths!will!be!attached!to!a!person!or!a!group!of!people.!This!is!to!ensure!that!anyone!who!is!eligible!under!the!Co,op!Rules!can!apply!in!the!future!instead!of!only!being!able!to!join!the!Co,op!if!they!buy!a!house!that!has!a!Co,op!spot!attached.!!21. Q.!Will!I!own!my!berth?!A.!Membership!is!membership!of!the!Co,operative!and!is!not!the!purchase!of!a!physical!berth.!Membership!will!entitle!you!to!use!a!berth.!The!location!of!this!berth!will!be!allocated!to!you!by!lottery.!Holders!of!a!NSW!Mobility!Parking!Scheme!(MPS)!permit!will!be!placed!as!close!as!practicable!to!the!point!of!access!to!the!shore.!

22. Q.!What!happens!if!there!are!more!applicants!than!berths!at!the!start!of!the!Coop?!A.!At!the!start!of!the!Co,op,!if!we!do!not!have!enough!berths,!membership!will!be!offered!in!an!order!established!by!published!criteria!set!out!on!the!application!form.!Those!who!do!not!get!a!berth!at!this!point!may!have!their!names!added!to!a!waiting!list.!!!!

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23. Q.!Can!I!sell!my!membership?!A.!Yes,!but!membership!is!by!application!to!the!Co,operative!so!therefore!the!Co,operative!will!administer!membership!transfers.!When!a!membership!is!cancelled!it!will!be!offered!to!the!next!person!on!the!waiting!list!for!the!entry!price!current!at!that!time.!This!money!will!be!transferred!to!the!previous!membership!holder.!!24. Q.!What!if!I!want!to!cancel!my!membership!and!there!is!no!one!on!the!waiting!list?!A.!This!will!need!to!be!assessed!on!a!case,by,case!basis.!If!possible!the!berth!will!be!rented!out!until!a!buyer!is!available.!!25. Q.!Why!will!the!coAop!be!responsible!for!the!transfer!of!memberships!and!therefore!berths?!A.!This!is!an!integral!part!of!the!structure!of!a!co,operative!–!to!be!part!of!it!you!will!need!to!be!a!member!which!means!the!co,operative!administers!these!matters.!!26. Q.!How!much!will!yearly!fees!be?!A.!The!main!yearly!membership!costs!relate!to!the!operating!costs!of!the!co,op.!These!include!insurance!and!maintenance.!It!is!not!clear!right!now,!as!it!will!vary!over!time!(BMC!yearly!fees!have!ranged!from!$34!to!many!hundreds!of!dollars!per!year).!We!will!aim!to!establish!an!estimated!fee!schedule!at!the!time!of!formal!membership!creation,!based!on!advice!from!the!designers!on!the!maintenance!schedule,!insurance!etc.!!27. Q.!How!can!I!keep!informed!about!DIMC!plans!and!activities?!!A.!We!will!ensure!that!the!Web!site!(http://www.dangarislandleague.net/League/Berthing/index.html)!is!regularly!updated!(there!will!be!a!major!update!on!15!September!2013).!We!will!also!email!people!who!provide!an!email!address,!and!continue!to!provide!communications!via!the!Mullet!Mail!and!other!forums.!!28. Q.!I!don’t!have!a!mooring!location!in!Brooklyn!–!can!the!DIMC!help?!A.!The!DIMC!purpose!was!to!address!the!issue!of!lack!of!commuter!/!tinnie!berthing!on!the!island.!While!we!would!like!to!see!more!berthing!in!Brooklyn,!we!do!not!feel!the!DIMC!can!take!on!the!issue!of!Brooklyn!berthing!at!this!point!in!time.!Note!however,!that!the!members!of!the!co,op!may!elect!to!do!this!once!it!is!established.!!!29. Q.!Will!it!impact!the!ferry!service?!A.!There!is!likely!to!be!a!negligible!impact!on!the!ferry!service.!The!Ferry!operator,!Rick!Stockley!agrees.!!According!to!our!surveys,!very!few!extra!people!will!purchase!a!boat!and!start!commuting!who!don’t!already!commute!by!their!own!tinnie!or!dory.!!30. Q.!I!can’t!afford!it!–!what!does!this!facility!offer!me?!A.!We!are!hopeful!that!there!will!a!few!spaces!available!for!rent!for!those!who!cannot!afford!the!membership!fee.!DIMC!also!strongly!encourages!people!to!form!group!memberships.!If!it!is!possible!for!you!to!form!a!group!and!use!only!one!vessel!there!would!be!a!saving!in!membership!and!boat!costs.!

!Simply!not!pursuing!this!current!option!will!not!result!in!a!cheaper!one!in!the!future!–!there!simply!is!no!cheaper!option,!and!no!one!else!will!pay!for!it!on!our!behalf!(sadly).!!!!!!

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31. Q.!!Will!it!result!in!more!people!wanting!to!live!here!and!building!larger!houses?!!A.!There!have!been!concerns!expressed!that!this!facility!will!enable!people!to!come!to!Dangar!and!build!excessively,large!houses.!The!size!of!buildings!on!Dangar!Island!is!limited!by!the!HSC’s!Dangar!Island!Development!Control!Plan.!If!easier,!safer!boating!was!going!to!cause!undesirable!development!it!would!have!already!occurred!with!the!68!waterfront!properties!that!have!private!wharves.!Interest!in!all!spots!available!in!the!co,op!is!from!existing!island!residents!or!owners!who!have!houses.!None!of!the!owners!of!vacant!blocks!have!registered!any!interest!in!the!co,op.!!32. Q.!!What!approvals!are!required!–!will!I!have!a!chance!to!view!the!proposal!again!and!provide!input!to!HSC?!A.!There!will!be!an!appropriate!approval!process!required!by!the!Hornsby!Shire!Council!(HSC).!This!is!likely!to!be!a!full!Development!Application.!!33. Q.!Why!isn’t!it!free?!We!have!looked!hard!at!all!possible!sources!of!funds.!We!have!simply!been!unable!to!find!any!mechanism!or!funding!body!to!pay!for!this.!Government!agencies!will!only!fund!a!public!facility.!Technically!this!is!for!a!private!group!–!the!residents!of!Dangar!Island.!!Even!if!it!were!to!be!made!“open”!to!anyone!to!use,!it!is!clear!that!95%!of!the!use!would!be!residents,!and!so!Government!agencies,!rightly!or!wrongly,!will!not!fund!it.!!Yes,!there!are!communities!in!Australia!where!Council!has!provided!public!tie!up!facilities!–!however,!these!have!either!been!in!areas!where!significant!“non,resident”!use!occurs,!or!where!Council!has!a!different!attitude!and!funding!availability.!!In!Hornsby!it!is!clearly!not!going!to!happen!–!we!have!been!trying!since!1979.!!!!Other!State!and!Federal!funding!sources!have!also!been!examined!and!we!cannot!obtain!funds!from!any!of!these!areas.

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Appendix!A!

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The!heavy!dashed!line!marks!the!proposed!tinnie!tie,up!facility.!The!wharf!extension!is!HSC’s!public!facility.!