Essay Wow!

In November 2006, Addenbrooke Pty Limited, a company which deals with private developments lodged an application to redevelop the Rose Bay and Point Piper Marinas. The proposal is under review by Woollahra Council and has divided the local community. Both sides are providing strong arguments and campaigning intensely by creating petitions, distributing pamphlets, displaying banners and holding meetings.

The redevelopment would turn the marinas into the largest in Sydney. The developers want to add another 107 fixed berths for boats to park and moor, and remove 105 of the 120 swing moorings. The fixed berth area will increase from 4500 square metres to 44000 square metres. A new 75000 litre fuel tank will be installed and the sewage pump out facilities will be upgrades. Also, disabled access will be improved.

Those opposed to the redevelopment, headed by the organisation Save Rose Bay, believe that adding another 107 berths will bring more people to the marina, and so create much more traffic. Forty percent of the existing views on the Rose Bay promenade will be lost or reduced and the bay will lose its open water character. Also, by removing so many of the swing moorings, smaller boats will have to pay higher fees in order to park inside the marina. Due to the significant increase in the marina’s footprint, the bay will look jam-packed with boats when seen from the Rose Bay Promenade or on the water. Kayakers or little boats will find it dangerous navigating in the bay and around the marina. The new 75000 litre fuel will become a safety hazard to the Rose Bay promenade, and, there will be a risk of fuel spillage into the water when refilling, as no fuel spillage barrier is proposed, any spillage could enter the harbour with no containment.

Addenbrooke’s main argument in favour of the redevelopment is that there will be less boats and more bay. They aim to do this by concentrating the flotilla of boats in the bay into the new fixed births, resulting in 65 less boats. The new marina will only take up 4% of Rose Bay, compared to the current marina which occupies 6%. The new marina will also open up 2 hectares of new open water space. The modern new marina has been designed to float, which is more environmentally friendly than the current 30 year old structure supported by hardwood pylons. By removing 105 swing moorings, delicate sea grasses will be able to grow back. Also, the new modern 75000 litre fuel tank is safer, cleaner because it uses diesel fuel rather than the more volatile petrol.

A representative of Rose Bay Marina, who wished to be known only as Grant, when interviewed described the new marina as more environmentally friendly for a number of reasons. The fact that the new marina will be afloat will allow for new underwater rejuvenation, and the oils that currently seep out of hardwood pylons will cease. The redevelopment will also reduce the metal in the water by around 50%, reducing the amount of rust. The removal of 105 of the swing moorings is much better for the environment, as swing moorings have large chain shackles, about as thick as your ankle attached to sea bed. These chains act like a lawnmower when the boats move around; ripping up the sea bed and grasses. With the removal of many of the moorings, these effects will be drastically reduced. Countering community concerns regarding parking and increased congestion, Grant argued the new marina will park all the cars in the Lyne Park Car Park, 600 m down the road and either bus or boat the members to the marina.

The proposal has attracted widespread community and media attention, with six articles in the Sydney Morning Herald and one in the Daily Telegraph. Most of these can be viewed on the Sosrosebay website. An article in the Sydney Morning Herald described how an elite boy’s school had gone to the police after it was discovered students were being paid to collect signatures in favor of the Marina. The redevelopments have been fairly criticised in the media, and looking at the blog on Sydney Morning Herald’s website, it is easy to see the broader community sentiment towards the redevelopments.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the redevelopments have been left to the council, rather than state or even federal government. The SMH criticised this approach, calling it, “beyond council jurisdiction”. Although, due to changes in policies over marinas, the Planning Minister will have no say on the topic, rather, leaving the decision to Woollahra Council for what may become, Sydney’s largest marina. Retired Maritime Authority manager, Ivan Patrick said that the council may be less concerned with the harbour-wide impact of the development, compared to state government.

The key issues are the battle of redevelopment and change against the conservation of an existing environment, as well as aesthetics, the environment and benefits to the boating community. Both sides make good arguments, but also have weaknesses. The local community is looking to protect Rose Bay’s existing aesthetics and traffic flows, while ignoring undeniable benefits such as improved public facilities, greater safety in fuel management, and potential improvements to the marine environment. The developers, who it must be remembered are profit driven, are looking to meet the demands of the local boating community, but probably have little regard for the legitimate concerns of Rose Bay residents.

There is an obvious distrust between the Rose Bay community and the developers. It would seem the developers have not made enough compromises in order to keep the local community satisfied. This distrust is aggravated by obvious inconsistencies in the developer’s propaganda. A Rose Bay Marina fact sheet states there will be 50 less boats, whereas on the website it says there will be 65 less boats. Do such inconsistencies make the whole proposal flawed? No, but they certainly give cause for suspicions. Such inconsistencies and widespread community discontent make it hard to determine if the developments should proceed. In the absence of an independent report examining in detail the pros and cons of the redevelopment and what compromises could be made to better satisfy the local community, the development should not be allowed to proceed.

Woollahra council will meet in around two months to determine the outcomes of the redevelopments.

Bibliography•http://saverosebay.org/index.htm•http://rosebaymarina.com.au/index.html•http://blogs.smh.com.au/newsblog/archives/your_say/009825.html?page=6#comments•Marina Myths – Busted!!, Rose Bay and Point Piper fact sheet•Grant, Rose Bay marina spokesperson•http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/councils-left-to-approve-marinas/2007/02/08/1170524236601.html•http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22051355-5006009,00.html•http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/marina-concerns-the-devils-in-the-detail/2007/02/22/1171733955321

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