After all, there must be something seriously amiss when past King of Spin, “Bobby Dazzler” Carr starts penning and pontificating on population policies in the Sydney Morning Herald. “Perish the thought that we can handle a bigger population” wrote the Dazzler “Some Australians must have felt similar estrangement when they read federal Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner’s defence of Australia’s runaway immigration targets, playfully comparing our population densities with those of Bangladesh.”

Then the Carr crash (with accompanying air – bag), “That Tanner is one of the best minds in federal politics will only deepen the rift between 90 per cent of Australians and their political and business leadership over population policy, or rather the absence of any policy except “more”.” It would now appear that “Bobby Dazzler” is over the selective hearing condition that plagued him in his reign of the Premier State from 1995 – 2005. The transformation went from Premier State to State of Decay to Fort Crumble and even though it did not happen overnight, it is now a nightmare.

Maybe this vacant plot of land might make a nice residential subdivision with very little chance of flooding?

www.timmooneyphotography.com

Sydney to squeeze in 640,000 new homes by Matthew Moore – Urban Affairs Editor the Sydney Morning Herald identified “A forty per cent increase in Sydney’s population over the next 20 years means the State Government has no option but to open up scores of suburbs for new developments, according to radical proposal for Sydney to build 640,000 new dwellings.”

For this to happen, Fort Crumble would need a plan so I went in search and found that it does not look pretty, as Andrew Clennell of the Sydney Morning Herald revealed. Rees desperate to stand for something “In this respect he hopes to get something on the radar at Macquarie Street that has been lacking for the past 12 months – POLICY.”

They obviously can’t hear but thankfully they can read. “Number one on his list is transport. The transport blueprint that Rees promises to hand down sometime over the next three weeks is likely to be treated with some scepticism.” I guess he means this is like a homeless person entering Star City and requesting a seat at the High Rollers Table – after all Fort Crumble is broke. Back to Andrew “This is because of the large number of projects that Labor has promised, and then not delivered, in 14 years in power.”

Oops “Bobby Dazzler” was at the helm for ten of those years – although Fort Crumble would win a wood chopping event as they sure know how to wield that political axe.

• North West Rail link (promised in 1998 and axed)
• North West Metro (announced and axed)
• Bondi Beach rail link (promised then axed)
• Parramatta to Epping rail link (halved to Epping to Chatswood rail link)
• CBD/second Harbour crossing rail link (promised and axed)
• F6 through southern Sydney, (on again, off again)
• M5 duplication (long delayed)
• M4 East extension (long delayed)

Last month’s parliamentary pay increases and the fact that our Fort Crumble premier should be (and is) the highest “paid premier” in Australia have been vindicated. Alex Gooding had this interesting analogy on transport in the Sydney Morning Herald – Three times denied: western Sydney misses out on transport, again (great read) which really adds a poignant perspective on the political decision making processes.
Ongoing calamities when “ Paid Premier” Nathan Rees overturned an earlier decision to contribute $45.000 million for the newly anointed AFL’s western Sydney franchise to build a new home ground – again out came that axe (perish the thought of constituents contemplating the axing our “Paid Premier”)

Macquarie Equities Research – this week released this compelling graph in its Australian economics report. Sketching the outlook for housing “this note examines the recent trends in the housing sector and looks ahead to key factors to watch in 2010.” Looks like a tsunami to me.

Macquarie Equities Research – “In our view, the key factors to consider are the favourable fundamental determinants – strong population growth and constrained supply – alongside the deteriorating level of affordability. With these factors working in opposite directions, it suggests that the more extreme forecasts of a house price bubble or a price collapse will continue to prove wide of the mark.” More of this report in next week’s edition.

Back to Andrew Clennell’s report “Sydney is experiencing transport gridlock. Public transport services in the CBD are overcrowded, even though train services are inadequate and in many suburbs non-existent. In response, transport plans are announced and then re-announced. New rail lines are proposed but then abandoned and governments blame increasing costs and global financial problems.” He did forget to mention that over the last fourteen years the NSW government also collected the highest amount of taxes in Australia’s history. In real estate terms it would be “dilapidated home – run down, neglected, yet with plenty of potential”.

So let’s look at what is happening locally. I went to Wayne Swan’s Nation Building website to see what is happening in Mosman and North Sydney municipalities. Indeed Nation Building personified – bicycle paths, perimeter fencing, a shade structure, and a few water bubblers -no wonder our economy has rebounded with such exhilarating speed. All that it takes is a plan!

.

Our councils are doing it tough mentally and physically although they are making plenty out of parking fines as Vikki Campion reported in The Daily Telegraph. Where you’ll cop a parking fine. North Sydney Council collected $7,000,000 which was up 48 per cent from $4,700,000 and Mosman Council $1,700,000 up 89 per cent from $910,000. It should also be noted that Mosman Council has been aggressively investing in new parking meters so one could expect a significant revenue increase with this return on investment.

In retrospect, if our population continues to explode it would then not be unreasonable to draw a conclusion that our water supplies face significant declines too (it did happen well before the proposed population explosion). Now when you renovate or build a new home, you must provide water tanks in accordance with local Council building regulations.

So why, in any Mosman or North Sydney parks, ovals or reserves, have the respective Councils not installed water tanks? After all they have only to connect to their very own street storm water. Look at the number of parks, ovals and reserves located below street level. Balmoral Oval, Rosherville Reserve, Forsyth Park, Tunks Park, Primrose Park, Cremorne Point Reserve, Sirius Cove Reserve, Allan Border Oval, Rawson Park, Spit Reserve and Reid Park. These are but a few that are all entirely dam- dependent and coincidentally, always have their sprinklers on when it is raining.

Warragamba Dam is presently at 55 per cent capacity and declining – although the Kurnell desalination plant is soon to be completed and that will supply up to 15 per cent of Sydney’s water. Of course we can’t leave out evaporation as this coincides with policy that has also evaporated.

Then again I have never been one to water down an edition.

Cheers ^__^

For this week’s recorded Mosman real estate, Cremorne real estate, Cremorne Point real estate, Neutral Bay real estate and Cammeray real estate sales www.rwm.com.au/news/

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Map showing parks, bushland, open space, playgrounds and ovals in Mosman

Locations and facilities Balmoral Foreshore Reserve and Beach

Balmoral Park

Bradley Bushland Reserve

Carroll’s Lookout

Chinaman’s Beach

Chowder Head

Clifton Gardens

Clifton Gardens Reserve

Countess Park

Curraghbeena Park

Ellery Park

Harnett Park

Hunter Park

Joel’s Reserve

Lawry Plunkett Reserve

Little Ashton Park

Little Curraghbeena Reserve

Memorial Park

Memory Park

Mosman Park

Parriwi Lighthouse

Parriwi Park

Quakers Foreshore Reserve

Quakers Hat Park

Rawson Park

Reid Park

Rosherville Reserve and Chinaman’s Beach

Sirius Park and Foreshore

Spit West Reserve

Balmoral Foreshore Reserve and Beach
Edwards Bay Road to Balmoral Park, Balmoral

Toilets, shops, island, rotunda, swimming enclosure with sharkproof net, baths, change rooms, swings, fishing, sailing and restaurants. Pay and display parking available at Southern end.

Balmoral Park
South end of the Esplanade, Balmoral

Bicycle track, play equipment, kindergarten, sporting facilities, fitness circuit, recreation and bushland reserve, two playing fields, two synthetic wickets, cricket nets, night lighting on playing fields, carpark, toilets, seating and sailing club. Parking accessible to people with disabilities. Pay and display ticket parking.

Bradley Bushland Reserve
Middle Head Road, Mosman

Nature walkway, wildflower walk and seating. Street parking.

Carroll’s Lookout
Eastern end of Edwards Bay Road, Mosman

Look-out and seat. Street parking.

Chinaman’s Beach
McLean Crescent, Mosman

Children’s playground, bushland reserve, street parking and carpark (pay and display ticket area) large open reserve, toilets, change rooms, beach with no net.

Chowder Head
Morella Road, Mosman

(Sydney Harbour National Park) Remnant bushland, bird watching, spotlighting, foreshore bushwalking track from the Zoo Wharf to Clifton Gardens, views of the city and harbour. Bush regeneration sites.

Clifton Gardens
Adjoining Clifton Garden Reserve, Morella Road, Mosman

Sydney Harbour National Park. Remnant bushland, birdwatching, spotlighting, views of the city and harbour, bushwalking track to Rawson Oval.

Clifton Gardens Reserve
Morella Road, Mosman

Adjoining Sydney Harbour National Park. Toilets, lots of trees, large open area, play equipment, two basketball hoops, change rooms, seating, baths and wharf. Parking available (pay and display ticket area).

Countess Park
Cnr Awaba and Countess Streets, Mosman

Street parking, children’s playground, gently sloping tree studded area with seating.

Curraghbeena Park
Raglan Street, Mosman

Street parking, seating, foreshore bushland reserve and play equipment.

Ellery Park
Western side of Spit Road, Mosman

On-site interpretation works and signage relating to the history of the site and the orginal Spit Bridge, seating, viewing deck.

Harnett Park
Mosman Bay

Carpark, foreshore walk, harbour frontage, rest park and bushland area, rowers’ club and marina.

Hunter Park
The Esplanade, Balmoral

Street parking, play equipment, seating, rest and recreation park, scattered trees and lawn area and Hunter Memorial. Disabled access to toilets on opposite side of The Esplanade.

Joel’s Reserve
13 – 15 Julian Street, Mosman

Street parking, open grassed area, Heritage feature, walking track to foreshore, bushland restoration works. Joel’s Reserve is the site of a major stormwater treatment project that was completed in late 2006.

Lawry Plunkett Reserve
Beaconsfield Road, Mosman

Street parking, play equipment, seating, rest and recreation park with an open grassed area and Natural and Cultural Heritage Walk.

Little Ashton Park
Whiting Beach Road, Mosman

Bushland, gardens and rock art. Free mulch available on Sundays 9am to 3pm. Limited access (no trailers please).

Little Curraghbeena Reserve
Southern end of Musgrave Street, Mosman

Small amenity reserve with grassed area, seating and harbour views. Fish from the seawall.

Memorial Park
Cnr Gouldsbury Street and The Crescent, Mosman

Street parking, seating and a children’s playground. Toilets at Allan Border Oval.

Memory Park
Cowles Road, Mosman

Street parking, playground, seating, basketball hoop, a flat grassed area, handball court, large trees and a rest area.

Mosman Park
The Crescent and Myahgah Road, Mosman

Toilets at Allan Border Oval, memorial gardens, seating and street parking.

Parriwi Lighthouse
Parriwi Road, Mosman

Lighthouse and bushland reserve with seating, lookout with views of Middle Harbour, rest area and street parking.

Parriwi Park
Spit Road, Mosman

Nature and bushland reserve with seating, lookout, bushwalking and street parking.

Quakers Foreshore Reserve
Bay Street, Mosman

Street parking, nature reserve and foreshore reserve.

Quakers Hat Park
Quakers Hat to Pearl Bay, Mosman

Street parking, bushland reserve, Beauty Point Foreshore nature walk that is steep in parts with lookouts, small sheltered beaches. Access from Southern end of Pearl Bay.

Rawson Park
Cross Street, Mosman

Seating, netball courts, toilets and change rooms at Rawson Oval, rest and recreation area, Scottish Cairn, Anderson Memorial, carpark and street parking.

Reid Park
Harnett Avenue, Mosman

Play equipment, sporting facilities, synthetic cricket wickets, Bolivia Bridge, street parking, seating, large open reserve and bushland reserve.

Rosherville Reserve and Chinaman’s Beach
McLean Crescent, Mosman

Children’s playground, bushland reserve, street parking and carpark (pay and display ticket area) large reserve, toilets, change rooms and beach with no net.

Sirius Park and Foreshore
Sirius Cove Road, Mosman

Rest and recreation park with a bushland and foreshore reserve, carpark and street parking, play equipment, fishing, toilets, sailing, change rooms, seating and bushwalking.

Spit West Reserve
The Spit, Mosman

Toilets, public BBQ (patrons must check fire restrictions for the day and bring their own wood), children’s playground, synthetic cricket wicket, Lucinda Federation Memorial, parking (pay and display ticket area) and a large grassed area.

Booking parks & reserves
These reserves, beaches and parks are available on a casual basis. Council bookings are essential for organised events of more than 50 people. See Venues for hire.

Parks and Gardens Policy
A Parks and Gardens Policy has been devised to acknowledge the importance of Parks and Garden reserves and the value placed on them by the community:

Parks and Gardens Policy
The policy will ensure that these areas are maintained in a holistic manner and kept in the best possible condition for current and future generations.

http://www.mosman.nsw.gov.au/mosman/recreation/parks

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