Hardys Bay Residents Group Inc.

Minutes

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting for Hardys Bay Residents Group Inc. held at 7.30 pm Tuesday 29 April, 2008, Hardys Bay Church Hall.

Welcome:  President Adrian Williams welcomed new and existing members.

Apologies:  Susan Johnston, Carolyn Shrimpton, John & Treveen Brown, Pauline Garde, Jim Macfadyen, Peter & Jocelyn Sloane, Catherine Christie, Marilyn Cordell, Alan Bennett, Brent Walker, Richard Harper, Jim Macfadyen, Pam Mainsbridge, Joyce & Graham Dalzell, Bill & Angela McGill.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting:  Minutes accepted as true and accurate record. Moved by Bill Egan and seconded by Kel Gulliver.

Financial Report:  Bank account balance is $2,596.30.  From 19 January until 18 April we had income of $806.56 being $152.00 memberships, newsletter donations $650.00 and bank interest $4.06.  Outgoings were church hall hire $25.00, foreshore oyster clean up reimbursements $419.06, repairs to “Rocky” barge $962.50 and wreath for Anzac Day at the RSL $40.00.

• Bill Egan runs our www.hardysbay.com website advised we are receiving between 1500 – 1800 hits per month.   There is definitely an advertising opportunity here.  Website is self sufficient and is updated monthly.

AGM Procedure:

• Individual thanks to all office bearers for work carried out over the past 12 months. 

Election of Executive: Nominations for President, Vice-President, Secretary/Treasurer, Publicity Officer.

• Nominated and accepted were: President: Adrian Williams, Vice-President: Bill Egan, Secretary/Treasurer: Kay Feltham and Publicity Officer: Allan Wilson. Moved Terry Feltham as accepted and seconded by Rob Hill.

Election of Committee:

• Executive Committee consists of varied expertise.  8 names submitted, however only need 6. Alan Bennett – lawyer involved in the marina; Terry Feltham – oyster foreshore clean up; Rob Hill – marina; Brent Walker – actuary; Graham Smith – siltation and sits on the Mudflat Creek Risk Management Committee; Pauline Garde – medical background; Fiona Atkinson – environmental issues and Sandy Robinson – mosquitos.
• Pauline and Sandy happy to stand down.  Moved Bill Egan as accepted and seconded by Allan Wilson.

Business Arising from Minutes:

Newsletter Distribution - Currently distributing between 1500 – 1800 newsletters and notice of meetings.  Thanks to Lance Dover, Adam Klasterka, Frances Bradfield, Michael & Linda Crehan, Geoff Steel and Elizabeth & David Butler for offering to help out.  A new list will be advised when the next distribution is required.

Marina Update -  Adrian advised he received a letter from Dept Planning today and reviewed the past few months.

• 2 months ago Michael Sparks PowerPoint presentation was not working and he was invited to come again. 
• At the executive committee meeting they advised they did not want to re-present. HBRG would support a suitable modernisation of the current marina provided its size was limited to its existing footprint and building height.  
• Advised they had gone to Dept Planning submitting their proposal under Part 3A of the Environmental Act.
• Immediately set up a sub-committee – legal, engineer, planning, finance, environment, publicity, political and website.
• Bill superimposed marina extension over aerial photo on the website showing enormity of development.
• Set about a serious 16 page submission within the footprint.  Alan Bennett, Allan Wilson and Adrian worked around the successful Careel Bay marina development application to help.
• Politically – 14^th March, John Dellabosca, Minister for Central Coast sent a letter to Frank Sartour advising HBRG’s views is taken into consideration.  The Minister’s office has been very helpful.
• Encouraged to write individual letters to Dept Planning.
• We were given a copy of letter sent to the marina 18 March 2008 – letter in public domain but not a public document – declaring under part 3A they were unable to go through because under part 6A zoning it is not permissible.
• Lots of meetings with Dept Planning - consultants from marina met.  All land zoned 6A around the foreshore and parking was not permissible.
• In excess of 100 letters submitted on size and scale.  Dept Planning will send letter to all individuals.
• Outcome – marina is reconsidering what they will do.
• Gosford City Council and Jim Macfadyen has been very helpful – has made a plain English version of Part 3A available to us.
• No DA submitted to Council.
• Michael Sparks in the press made the point that groups refused to cooperate.  He was invited to present to us twice and to the Progress Assn once – in excess of 100 boats plus hardstand and shops – they were open to negotiation.  When he came to the committee meeting we told him we were concerned about the size and put it to them “what size is the minimum they could accept?”  Answer was 100 boats plus hardstand and shops. 
• At the first meeting we asked if this was the whole proposal as we were happy to see it within the existing footprint. 
• Clearly it was always 100 plus boats – environmental aspects OK but never about size for community input.
• Refused to speak again at meeting and to set the record he went to the press and said we wouldn’t co-operate.  Progress Assn presentation was similar to ours and they did not support it.  Of the other 3 groups – Progress Association, Graham Anderson has been very helpful; Bouddi Society – not actively but has supported, but the other group did not support it at all.
• This is certainly not a personal thing – they have a business to run.
• Vigilant on what’s going on – will update our website with anything new.

Current Issue Updates:
Mosquitos – Battling with NP&W for licence to treat salt marsh mosquito with Bti.  John Dellabosca announces $185,552 grant to Australian Catholic Universities to evaluate if any impact on the food chain – balanced view.  All done worldwide before and given to NP&W also from Mike Muller, the leading expert in Queensland.  Position hasn’t changed – good to see research and will pursue with Cameron Webb who is on the University team to make sure field studies are done.

Siltation – Graham Smith can’t be here tonight.  The Floodplain report is available at Killcare Store.

Newsletter – April edition 1500 circulated.

Foreshore – Just over 3 months - Bill has written to Peter Dunn at Council to give outcomes to the public on the foreshore development.

Pretty Beach Pool – Project from last meeting – mangroves in the Pretty Beach pool.  Worked with the Progress Assn and cleaned out the pool and try to repair netting with 15m of string!

Sports Field – Council was approached and nothing in the area zoned suitable and pointed us to the new one at Kincumber.  Kel Gulliver had spoken to Jim Willis at Killcare Surf Club who would support this.  There was an old oval Cnr Putty Beach Rd and Beach Drive – 6A zoning – spoke to Jim Macfadyen to look at it again.  Adrian to go back to Vicki Redrup at Pretty Beach School – need clarification as to their needs.

Correspondence – 183 emails re marina and Dept Planning letters.

• Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal – Yvonne McCall – 24 – 25 May need volunteers for a couple of hours.  Please let Adrian know if you can help out?

Next meeting:  Tuesday 24 June, 2008, 7.30 pm Hardys Bay Church Hall.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 8.30 pm.