Residents win battle of Tama Park

In a victory for residents Waverley Council has moved to compulsorily resume the rear portion of 362 Birrell Street and extend and protect Tamarama Park.

After years of protest against several different development proposals for the lot, residents finally have something to cheer about.

The motion was moved by Labor councillors Ingrid Strewe and John Wakefield at the April 19 council meeting. During an extraordinary meeting that saw vigorous debate, several amendments were put and lost before the original motion was carried.

“Protecting the waterfall was our most important aim,” Cr Wakefield said. “Moving to resume the land covering the waterfall will ensure that this important environmental asset is retained for future generations.”

He said that while moving to resume land was a complex matter, it was well within council’s grasp to do so.

“Resuming that portion of land with the waterfall is both legally and financially achievable,” Cr Wakefield said.

Mayor Sally Betts agreed the matter involved a “complex process”.

“Part of the new local government requirements are that you have to indicate the source of the funds before you attempt to buy the property,” Cr Betts said.

“That’s a bit of an issue for us because we obviously don’t have any funds in our budget for that.”

Cr Betts said she would be looking to the State and Federal Governments for support with the purchase.

Paula Masselos, secretary of the Bronte Precinct Committee, has been a key organiser of the residents’ group that fought the development. She described the outcome as  only a partial victory.

“I think many in the community would have preferred that the decision had been made to buy the whole lot because that would be a simple solution to a potentially complex issue, but I am really happy with the result,” she said.

Some of the complexity revolves around the top of Tamarama Park being zoned as an “unmade road”, something that Ms Masselos said she would be speaking about to Coogee MP Bruce Notley-Smith.

The campaign for the resumption of the lot, as well as the closing of the road, has been well coordinated with some 250 emails and a petition with more than 500 signatures sent to the council, and even a website, www.savetamapark.com, outlining the group’s aims.

Ms Masselos also pointed out the significance of the motion in the larger context of public open space throughout Waverley.

“There was a discussion about why we should be putting money into saving the waterfall when there are so many other things to do,” she said.

“But this is a broader issue of public open space, very limited public open space, and this is an opportunity that doesn’t come up very often and council has to be able to seize these opportunities when they come. It’s a legacy issue.”