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What are the big social issues facing Waverley in the next 10 years?
There are many social and cultural issues which Waverley will face in the next 10 years, some of which are unique to our area and some of which we share with communities everywhere. What are the biggest social issues we will be grappling with? And do you have ideas to improve the social and cultural fabric of our communities?
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Comment 1 8 Jul 2009, 3:25 PM
Overdevelopment is major concern
Comment 1.1 23 Aug 2009, 12:35 AM
The developers are getting a dream run, I'm afraid: especially under mayor Sally Betts.
The bad old days are back: the ones that gave us those terrible high rise blocks all over the municipality that overshadow and blight our streets and houses.
The variety of lcoal residents here is the soul of Bondi and we're facing a real battle to survive the influx of new money here.
Comment 2 19 Jul 2009, 5:54 PM
Transportation so that businesses and residents can enjoy their lifeswtyle without being locked out from their rightful enjoyment of Bondi Beach and the quality of businessews in close proximity. In my view overdevelopment is not a problem provided the infrastructure is sound. Council has so far done very little to make resident's life enjoyable nor allowed owners to have a reasonable imput for their property to have the value ascribed by the so called independent valuer general
Comment 3 23 Jul 2009, 11:08 AM
The biggest issue for Bondi is how to keep its heart. With so much money to be made here, developers will not let up till every last vestige of open space has gone.How do we maintain the community with a belief that Bondi is ours.... ? Not the councils, not the backpackers, not the developers... but us the people and the families and the old people.
Comment 4 25 Jul 2009, 9:57 AM
I like many are considering leaving bondi due to the sheer number of highrises. I have lost faith in council to protect Bondi and the social feel this beautiful area once had. It's a developers heaven and Town Planning continue to turn a blind eye.
Comment 4.1 15 Aug 2009, 12:44 PM
Not just gentrification but elitification. Many if not most locals will be forced out within 5 years, caught between grasping developers and thrusting yuppies while Council happily collects planning fees. Still, what can be done? This is Sydney, and the rich rule. Penrith, here we all come.
Comment 4.2 19 Aug 2009, 8:42 AM
The only reason there are highrises is because there are people willing to pay to live in them. the only way you can stop development is to stop people coming here, then some may call you an elitist. what to do ?? what to do ?? and if you want to leave amigo, i am sure that you will not be whinging about the massive increase in the sale price you get from selling your current residence. if it is too much money for you, pls think of me.
Comment 4.2.1 23 Aug 2009, 12:39 AM
Sorry, can't agree: selling out and moving on is not the solution.
Bondi Beach, for example, has avoided the worst of high Rise development that blights Australia's east coast. Why? because people didnt agree to take the dollar and flee. No, the value of Bondi is not in dollars and cents but in the quality of life here.
I say FIGHT! Don't give in. Remember that The Rocks and paddington were almost destroyed in the 1960s. Only a few fighters sdtopped this calamity.
WE CAN STOP THE KIND OF DEVELOPMENT THAT WOULD DESTROY THE BONDI WE LOVE
Remember, though, that this is the Council that pulled down a gracious Victorian mansion to build its concrete bunker on Bondi Road, so don't expect too much enlightend thinking from them. The ball is in |residents' court.
Comment 5 27 Jul 2009, 4:08 PM
As Bondi residents we have experienced and continue to experience, first hand the corruption of the Private certification process introduced by State planning Minister Sartor to deliberately out manoeuvre local Council. Proven legal and physical evidence has exposed this deliberate side stepping of local Council ordinances and sensitive control planning to expose the legislation as one of, if not the most repugnant piece of legislation ever enacted by the state government.
This corrupt ubiquitous system of licensing private certifiers to circumvent Council planning to oversee, approve, and "sign off" on developments has been unequivocally proved to be an avenue for more…
Comment 5.1 19 Aug 2009, 8:49 AM
Removed by moderator - the comment failed to respect other users
Comment 6 15 Aug 2009, 9:46 PM
I think people noise at night is a great problem which is caused by hotels having licence laws with hours that extend too far into the night. So many nights I am woken by drunken people screaming in the street. This happens much more in the summer months and these people are usually pack packers. Please shorten hotel licensed hours.
Comment 7 19 Aug 2009, 8:14 AM
<b><ul><li>Noise Control and
<li>Private Car Parking spaces being used without owners consent.</ul></b>
<b>NOISE CONTROL</b>
Police need to have access keys to all apartment blocks to be able to have direct access to offenders.
Waverley Council should have a bi-law which makes it an IMMEDIATE FINE of %500 first offence, $1000 second offence and $2000 for all other offences for noise complaints where 5 or more people complain to the police.
This is especially needed for backpackers
<b>PRIVATE CAR SPACE OFFENDERS</b>
How many people come home to find someone in their private carspace?
People often park in my joke security buildings carpark IN MY space and </li> </li> </ul> </b> more…
Comment 7.1 19 Aug 2009, 8:40 AM
Good idea to fine the bad guys and then less chance of council rates going up :) makes me happy.
Comment 8 19 Aug 2009, 12:25 PM
I think that increasing the number of people in the area is unavoidable... Waverley and the state government have little say on immigration policies - and who wouldn't want to live here? so transport becomes the key issue. Ensuring effective public transport and trying to reducing car (and carparking) dependency is crucial for our suburbs. I commend the council for adopting policies that address these issues
Comment 9 19 Aug 2009, 4:11 PM
1. Overcrowding- is an issue which affects all residents.
2. Transportation to the Waverley area- never ending traffic jams are not the solution. Serious thought needs to be given to effective public transportation particularly to the beaches.
3. Too many large drinking establishments and anti social behaviour. Nottinghill in London is a wonderful example of how stylish, boho boutiques, restaurants and cafes worked and blended in with a high residential population. The two can go beautifully hand in hand were it not for the horrendous around the clock pubs, particularly in BJ-which makes the place unpleasant.
4. Overdevelopment of high rise.
5. Promoting sustainability for residents and businesses. There is no reason why we can not try and go more off the grid as well as harvest our storm water for our parks.
Comment 10 23 Aug 2009, 12:43 AM
Maintaining social variety
The money pressure on all of the Eastern suburbs will see the rich edging out the poor. Waverley Council was a world pioneer in encouraging affordable housing, and this has served the municipality well.
Some current Councillors (Liberals) laugh at the the policy and want to get rid of it - just as cities around the world are realising its benefits.
Social change brings inevitable tensions, but rapid gentrification brings honogenisation.
Comment 11 23 Aug 2009, 8:49 AM
Housing affordability, homelessness, population ageing, youth unemployment, lack of support for people with mental illness