The Mayor's Column
Important news! Councillors have recommended that the draft Mosman Local Environment Plan 2007 be adopted for the purpose of public exhibition.
The revised LEP proposal, which was on council’s agenda last Tuesday night, is the culmination of eight workshops attended by councillors and staff, six community focus groups and information sessions attended by Mosman residents and planning practitioners, and five sessions shared by councillors and eminent architects, town planners and visionaries in planning cities of the twenty first century.
It has been exciting talking about possible improvements at Spit Junction, for instance. There was debate on the height of buildings. Would you like to see an iconic Council Chambers with stunning views and state of the art community facilities?
Would you consider a theatre, community meeting place, underground parking and increased green space in the civic centre?
How do you want us to provide the estimated sixty more dwellings a year that the state government has required of us over the next twenty-five years?
Do we build more units? Will they be along the corridors of Military and Spit Roads with easy access to public transport?
Will we look to modest dual occupancy and dividing some of our large homes into spaces which house more than one family while retaining the footprint and fabric of the building?
How will we zone areas where we have a chance to re-think? Where existing use right once ham strung local government, the state government has now allowed local councils to apply more stringent controls. We can revisit some of the controversial sites which concerned the community.
It is vitally important to hear the voice of the community on these wide-ranging matters which will shape our future and the quality of our lives.
The draft LEP will shortly be submitted to the NSW Department of Planning with a request that the Department issue Council with a certificate to allow the draft LEP to be publicly exhibited in accordance with section 66 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.
Once certification from the Department is received, the draft LEP will be placed on public exhibition for a period of two months. Opportunities for you to read the draft LEP and supporting documents and make a submission during the public exhibition period will be well publicised.
Go to www.mosman.nsw.gov.au/planningreview for more information.
The future of Mosman is in your hands.
Cr Denise Wilton, Mayor of Mosman
