We welcome the proposed development in the Mt Colah area.

The Mt Colah commercial area and some houses along Pacific Highway are extremely run down and in places derelict, ie. boarded up houses, weeds 5ft high on vacant land and commercial properties closing. This does nothing to encourage new people to the area or generate prosperity for the area.

However, if this proposal is to go ahead, we would like council to take into account the following suggestions:

1. The length of Pacific Highway between Asquith & Berowra should be improved with centre garden nature strips & kerb & guttering.

2. The current timetable for City Rail trains should be amended to improve the frequency of service (the current 30min service into the city will be insufficient for the increased population in the area)

I agree that the Mount Colah shops on Pacific Hwy are in need of an upgrade. They are dilapidated at best. However I think the proposal of a five story precinct on the other side of the highway to be absolutely preposterous. It will irreversibly and detrimentally change the nature of the suburb forever. People move to Mount Colah to avoid the high rise apartments of other Sydney suburbs and it is what makes this suburb so special. Two story town houses built in a style to fit in with the surrounds would be a much better option.

How can Hornsby call themselves the BUSHLAND SHIRE anymore?

Ok, agree with the comments about the commercail side of Mt Colah. It is dilapidated and needs a face lift.

The 5 story unit blocks - no way.

As others have said, you move to Mt Colah to avoid unit blocks. When we moved here 4 years ago, it was partly because there were no units, and the current zoning did not allow for them.

I do not want to look out of my front window, and see someones washing hanging from a 5 floor balcony. I like the sunset, winter sun, the trees and my privacy!

Enough complaining, what can we do to stop this ? I am not against rezoning per say, but 5 storey units - I dont think so.

I strongly oppose this development for the following reasons:

* Apartment blocks are not in keeping with the character of this suburb (anyone driven through Warrawee, Lindfield etc lately?)

* I have concerns about the safety of bringing more people into Mt Colah, Mt Kuring-Gai and Berowra when there is effectively one road in, and one road out. In a bushfire situation there is roadblock and there has been no planning amongst different sectors on how to remedy this. Council needs to have an emergency plan in place for how to coordinate traffic when bushfire is in this area. You are planning on putting high-density housing right on the main escape routes.

* Agree with the previous poster about the (in)frequency of City Rail services to these stations, whats the point of putting more people in when the transport services are crap?

I agree with most comments that rezoning is not a bad idea but the proposal of high-density units in this part of Sydney is ridiculous.

Roads out of Mount Colah are terrible - traffic wise (the Pacific Hwy or Pennant Hills road)

The trains - when they actually come - are usually quite full during peak times.

Has anyone also been having blackouts? Apparently, Mount Colah is towards the "end of the line" resulting in power outages (2 in the last 2 months for us and we're in the proposed residential precinct).

While I don't want to lose what Mount Colah as a suburb can offer - large backyards and quiet streets - if there is no avoiding this rezoning, then it should at least be a realistic approach not just a "let's chuck up some units... that'll fix it"

I am looking forward to seeing Mt Colah rejuvinated. Cafes, restaurants...all make for an interesting and inviting suburb to live in.

However I dread the idea of 5 storey blocks becoming the new Mt Colah skyline. I would be far happier if the development stopped at 2 or 3 stories which could blend in to the landscape.

Am also keen to hear how the Hornsby to Berowra area will accommodate the needs of a growing population. Schools are already at capacity, child care is near impossible and train services are third world as too is station parking.

I do hope the voices of Mt Colah residents are heard, we may be few in numbers but we have a beautiful suburb that we should develop with respect for our natural surroundings.

The Mt Colah precinct suggested between Domino Pizzas to Caltex Service station on Pacific Highway (PH) needs a major uplifting anyway. Thats what the Council should be focusing on. Specfically stated between Parklands and Judith - A 2 -3 story with the ground level being shops , cafes etc. WOW !

With the Caveat : this needs to be actioned first.

1. Mt Colah train Station needs trains to stop there.

Especially the Gosford and Wyong services skip Mt Colah - Why ?

2. Schooling is limited and needs to be adressed.

3. Maximun 2 - 3 story.

If this gets in .. 5 story , it will spread all the way along PH just like Wahroonga & Warrawee

The reason I live in MT Colah is because it is beautifull

I say NO ! to 5 stories apratments. This will make it UGLY !

Generally I do not believe that the is a strong argument in saying this development is out of place. Some say it will be "ugly"...Please define "Ugly", because we can hardly have any worse then the poor single store commercial buildings currently located here, beside an actual development is not yet proposed. It may be ugly, but this is all very subjective.

Has anyone stopped to workout what 5 stories is? What 18m Max. at some points across the site, fronting onto a 4 lane highway...... Hardly a ridiculous scale. Given your average single story house is in the region of 6 to 7m high to the ridge, we are not talking 5 single story house stacked on top of each other. We are talking a building only 3 times the average house, again not a difficult scale to reconcile give the area of the proposed site and the minimal number of properties directly adjacent.Why do we feel the need to preserve the status quo, it should be questioned at every turn.

On the upside (or what should be an upside)this type of development would bring increase population, this should.... I do stress SHOULD mean more services. It is this point I would like to stress and it is this point I believe as a resident that we should be more concerned about and be vigilant in lobbying for these services that are not always forthcoming.

Development here also has the potential to bring a level diversity to the area and an improved commercial environment. With the right development which I believe would be made up of a good mix of housing types and commercial space this potentially offers a great deal.

In the recent public housing forums held by Hornsby Councils' Planning Department, one of the posters read:

"The Challenge for Hornsby Shire:

How can council ensure an adequate supply of houses to meet state government requirements based on a predicated growing & aging population, while PROTECTING BUSHLAND, PROPERTY VALUES, EXISTING RESIDENTIAL CHARACTER and NOT OVERBURDENING ROADS & SERVICES"

By any measure, Hornsby council planning has NOT ACHIEVED ANY of its stated objective.

A five story flat roofed public housing style box building planted in the middle of predominately single story pitched roof housing is the very antithesis of the stated objective; blighting the bushland, reducing our property values, destroying the existing residential character and overburdening our roads & services!

Our former N.S.W. Regional Director Planning Northern Metropolitan Sydney Area - our area- (now retired & living in multi storey high-rise in Sydney, commented last week about proposed 5 storey high-rise in Asquith - Mt. Colah - Mt. Kuring-gai - Berowra;

"AN OUTRAGEOUS PROPOSAL"

"TOTALLY ALIEN TO THE AREA"

"ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS"

"LACKS COMMON SENSE"

"A TOTALLY STUPID JOKE"

"THIS IS NOT BARCELONA, MADRID OR LONDON"

"IF IT HAPPENED IN ANY OTHER COUNTRY, THERE WOULD BE RIOTS"

Hornsby Council, (unlike Kuring-gai Council, which refused to listen), has previously undertaken good sensible planning in the shire. This new scatter-gun approach, 'one size fits all', is ridiculous".

When a top town planner with 25 years experience in the N.S.W. planning department said this - as well as the vast majority of residents- it is time for Hornsby Council to STOP TRYING TO FORCE 5 STOREY HIGH-RISE DOWN OUR THROATS & come up with a revised plan that develops our village communities instead of attempting to reduce them to the lowest common denominator.

NO LEGITIMACY—NO CONSTITUTION—NO HEAD OF POWER

The following are based not on assumptions but “officially” admitted FACTS.

The Australian Constitution DOES NOT recognise ‘local government’

Attempts by the “government” to alter the constitution to recognize ‘local government’ have failed TWICE. The last Referendum was held on the 3rd of September 1988. 67% of the population REJECTED the proposal for recognition of a third tier of “government”, namely, local “councils”.

The result of any Referendum is LAW. Despite that clear unmistakable affirmation of the Constitution by the people of Australia IN ALL STATES, the “government” (Hawke) introduced the ‘Local Government Act 1989” (1993 in some states)

All the bureaucrats, in every “council”, are relying on this ULTRA VIRES, NULL and VOID Act to justify their UNLAWFUL actions.

The “council” has no power over your property unless you consent! The concentration of power comes from a vacuum. The Constitutional power you have that you decide to ignore does not go away. It accumulates to whomever wishes to have it via the issuance of ignored/ uncontested/ lost claims. Remember all the Council Notices in your local rag that you don’t read? How many times have you had someone speak on your behalf about what they say you decided? They can only do so with your consent in law therefore what they say and do with that consent compels you to their will even though it is against your conscience to do so. Many times they use bluff to compel you.

The remedy at hand is to ask them in a notice to provide their origin of power to direct you in anything.

"He who does not repel a wrong when he can, occasions it."

"He who fails to assert his rights has none."

"He who does not deny, admits."

The Constitution of Australia requires that State Government attends to it’s infrastructure. It gets the resources to do this from the Federal Government as it is unable to tax by law. As “councils” are not government they are relegated in operation into a state of being, not unlike that of, a sub contractor to the State Government in providing services for which they receive state monies. As they are not government, and need to be somehow legally recognized in law, they are set up as businesses e.g. CITY OF NOWHERE ( abn 345 345 345). As a business they can operate within business guidelines. They CHARGE you for services that the Constitution has already legally required the State Governments to provide you without taxes. When you use those services you are required to pay for them as they are NOT government services. Just as you have a right to choose to pay for a private hospital rather than use the free public hospital you can also “choose” to use a private business to provide your local infrastructure. You consent and choose the private business to undertake your local requirements by accepting and paying the demand on the rates notice or by ignoring it. (Remember, "He who does not deny, admits.") Just by phoning your local “council” and speaking to someone about this or that you have accepted their “authority”. You have consented to do business with them. Remember querying the bill from your solicitor about paying for a phone call to ask him/her whether they got your fax etc? Recognition of authority is “deemed” to be consent.

Should a local council business (“your council”) become insolvent you have consented to individually meet the financial shortfall.(The buy back of the Quarry) You have consented to this by not informing this local council business that this is not the case. If the local corner shop goes broke do you consent to pay all of it’s bills also?

If you have a local matter then take it to the State Government Local Government Minister’s office and if that reaps no help approach your local State Member to get it done. That is what the Constitution requires you to do as a loyal Australian.

If you do nothing with this information you have “consented” to give your right to act on your behalf on these matters to others. It is also your right to do this. All power in Australia rests in the hands of individual Australians and when used this power can rewrite the Constitution and direct the highest court of the land to your bidding!!!!

THE POWER TO CHANGE THIS COUNTRY IS IN YOUR HANDS