Tunks Ward 27 March 2012

WELCOME TO THE TUNKS WARD

COMMUNITY FORUM

6.30pm Welcome Penny Holloway, General Manager

6.35pm Introduction

Cr Zoe Baker, Deputy Mayor

6.40pm What’s happening in your local area

7.30pm Have your say: Opportunity to ask questions of Council - Raise your issues and concerns

8.00pm Close

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN TUNKS WARD?

Council will provide updates on local projects:

• ANZAC Club

• Neutral Bay dining precinct

• Parraween Street car park development

Plus presentations on:

• Urban Forest Strategy

• Tunks Park upgrade works

AIMS OF FORUM

Community Forums provide all residents with

the opportunity:

• to be informed of changes in their neighbourhood

• to find out what is happening locally

• to share information with other residents/neighbours; and

• to participate in the delivery of Council services and facilities

FORUM PROTOCOLS

• Save questions until the end of each presentation

• During the Q&A section participants may speak for up to 2 minutes

• The MC will accept only 1 question at a time

• Do not talk over another participant, Councillor or staff member who is addressing and/or responding to a question

Project Updates

Penny Holloway

General Manager

ANZAC CLUB

• Council resolved 28 November 2011, that its

preferred strategy is to dispose of the ANZAC

Club site and establish an investment portfolio to

fund community and recreational projects.

• Council also resolved to prepare a Planning

Proposal for the ANZAC Club site, Cammeray

which incorporates a Masterplan process setting

the planning parameters within which a

development proposal may be considered.

PARRAWEEN STREET CARPARK

• Proposal is to amalgamate the two adjoining sites:

carpark and Early Childhood Health Centre (ECHC)

resulting in mixed use development with:

– potential to provide at least two levels of basement

parking for 114 cars

– much-needed open-space parkland

– key worker housing units

– new ECHC with community room, lifts,

– café with outdoor dining fronting Parraween St

• 28 November 2011 - Council resolved that a Planning

Proposal be prepared for site

NEUTRAL BAY DINING PRECINCT

• Proposal involves - decorative lighting and

new shared zones.

• Traffic Management Plan being prepared for

the proposed 'shared zones' in Young and

Grosvenor Lanes. Intend works to be carried

out this financial year.

• Council engaged a specialist to prepare DA

and tender for Stage 1 of the decorative

overhead lighting project. Timing of actual

implementation TBA.

Urban Forest Strategy

OVERVIEW

• What is Urban Forest? Urban forest can be defined as the

totality of trees and shrubs on all public and private land in and around urban areas and is measured as a canopy cover percentage of the total area.

• Why is Urban Forest important?

• Biodiversity

• Urban Heat Island reduction

• Reduction of pollution

• Atmospheric purification

• Energy savings

• Stormwater savings

• Social/economic benefits

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN

TRADITIONAL TREE MANAGEMENT AND

URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT?

Traditional Management Urban Forest Model

Trees as ornament Trees as infrastructure

Trees have low priority Trees have equal priority to other

infrastructure such as roads and

services

Trees have no monetary value Trees are seen as a valuable

asset

Trees as individuals Forest (or canopy cover)

Tree maintenance Forest management

Small and ornamental trees Large canopy trees

Aesthetics based design Ecological based design

Legal boundaries determine

management

Urban forest as a continuous

resource regardless of ownership

boundaries

WHAT IS THE IDEAL URBAN FOREST

CANOPY COVER? Internationally recommended target canopy cover for our climatic range

is approx 40% made up of:

• 15% cover in CBDs

• 25% cover in Urban areas

• 50% cover in suburban areas

Based on our land use North Sydney’s target is 35.5%

NORTH SYDNEY FACTS

•More than 54% of the land area is covered by hard surfaces (roads, buildings and footpaths).

•Only 10% of the land area is zoned public open space or public recreation.

•Only approximately 5% of the land area is zoned bushland

We need to work with all land owners if we are to achieve our target

SO HOW ARE WE PERFORMING?

These photos show

Cremorne in 1940 (top) and

2005 (bottom)

• In 1997 we had 19% cover

• In 2004 we had 24% cover

• In 2008 we had 34% cover

DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT OUR

EXISTING URBAN FOREST

•Based on 2008 aerial

•mapping data:

•Red = CBD

• currently 10% cover

•(international target 15%)

•Orange = Urban Areas

• currently 35% cover

•(exceeds international target of 25%)

•Blue = Suburban Areas

• Currently 43% cover

•(international target 50%)

STRATEGY

• Prioritise areas where targets are not being met

– CBD’s, suburban areas

• Prioritise High urban heat island areas

– CBD’s, transport corridors, heavily developed areas, carparks

• Capitalise on any planting opportunities

– On all land regardless of ownership boundaries

Tunks Park Playground Upgrade

Completed December 2011

• Tunks Park has always had a children’s playground

• In 1996 an old treated pine climbing structure was replaced with a modest bushland-themed, custom-designed playground (image below)

• This was the first playground to be upgraded in accordance with the North Sydney Playgrounds Plan of Management.

• This playground catered to the predominant user group at the time, children in the 6-12 age group.

HISTORY

The existing playground, constructed in 1996

WHY UPGRADE AGAIN IN 2011? • Community Demand - the 1996 playground became a very popular destination and users were asking Council to expand the facility

• Wear and Tear - High levels of use and the rigours of its harbourside and bushland location meant that the existing Playground was showing considerable wear and tear.

• Increased Usage - Changes in the surrounding land use were placing increasing demand on the playground

• Changed Usage - Changes to local demographics - supported by census data (continued population growth, particularly families)

•The existing facilities were fairly basic,a little tired and geared to older users

HOW? • This project was not on any capital works program and there were still other original playgrounds to be upgraded under the Playgrounds Plan of Management

• Strong community desire for Tunks Park Playground to be upgraded

• So Council developed a preliminary concept and sought grant funding

• The application was successful and got $45k on a 50/50 split basis.

• The preliminary concept was placed on public exhibition and finalised in accordance with community input

THE PROCESS

The project was undertaken in three stages:

Stage 1 - refurbish existing playground facility

Stage 2 - increase equipment within existing playground footprint

New stand up seesaw, spring deck and geoclimber cable cube were installed within existing playspace.

Old timber equipment was refurbished and new mulch installed

Stage 3 - expand the playground to increase facilities for younger users and create an active ‘swing-zone’ area

OBJECTIVES

• Style and character that complements the existing bushland-themed playground

• Visually unobtrusive

• Utilises shade provided by existing trees and vegetation

• Incorporates gardens and landscaping as integral components

• Can accommodate many children within a relatively small area

• Caters to a wide age range but subtly separates the age groups

• Provides a pleasant environment for parents and carers with lots of seating positioned to facilitate easy supervision

SPECIAL FEATURES

•A beautiful water rill skillfully constructed by Council's stonemasons.

•A spring mounted tap allows children to deliver tiny amounts of water and watch it trickle along the rill.

•Cute rubber frog sculptures stand guard at the end.

REFURBISH & RE-USE

•The original timber animal tic tac toe panel and spring see-saw were refurbished and relocated into the new junior area.

•Existing park benches were relocated and new picnic tables were added

•Before

•After

THE RESULTS

•Before

•After

Tunks Park

Sports Turf Upgrade

TUNKS PARK LEVELING AND DRAINAGE

Sep 2011 - Council engaged a contractor to upgrade Field 2.

Works included:

• installation of safety fence around the entire site

• eradicating weeds and existing turf

• removal of irrigation heads

• re-levelling

• irrigation installation and testing

• laying turf and maintenance

In addition to levelling and drainage works contractor installed irrigation

pipes as per irrigation design prepared for Tunks Park. This will result in

significant cost and time saving with the proposed future works.

Tunks Park Field 3 will be upgraded in a similar time frame and to

minimise the inconvenience for the residents and hirers. Works will

begin in Aug/Sep 2012.

Tunks Park Irrigation

• 2011/12 -Council allocated $200,000 for the irrigation system design

and installation

• Apr 2012 - Tender issued

• Aug/Sep 2012 -Completion

Preferably both projects will for a combined tender/delivered by one contractor.

TUNKS PARK LEVELING AND DRAINAGE

Precinct Committees

in Tunks Ward

• Precinct Committees are the voice of the

community and have been for nearly 40 years

• 25 Precinct Areas in North Sydney LGA

• 7 Precinct Committees in Tunks Ward - only 3 are

currently operational

More information including upcoming meetings:

www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/precincts

or call 02 9936 8181