Support TOD Disallowance Bill
Letters are needed to be sent to the Upper House Crossbench calling on them to support the Hon. Scott Farlow, MLC & Shadow Minister for Planning's Private members Bill to
FOKE
Friends of Ku-ring-gai Environment
Welcome to FOKE
Friends of Ku-ring-gai Environment is a community group dedicated to the conservation and protection of Ku-ring-gai’s built and natural environment. On behalf of residents we work for the maintenance of Ku-ring-gai’s built and natural heritage and the enhancement of its existing character and amenity.
It’s YOUR home and YOU DON’T HAVE TO SELL
The Transport Oriented Development and Well-Located Housing SEPPs have triggered a surge of interest among developers, leading to a frenzy of activity akin to a gold rush. Developers are increasingly
Koala documentary at Roseville Cinema THIS Wed 17 July
New evidence debunks the scientific basis that has justified the logging of critical koala habitat. Knowing this it is even more important to see this koala documentary at Roseville Cinema
Attend, listen & watch TOD Inquiry on Wed 24 July
The final public hearing on the Development of the Transport Orientated Development (TOD) will be held in the Macquarie Room, Parliament House, Sydney on Wed 24 July, 2024
FOKE Talk, July 2024
Read FOKE's newsletter 'FOKE Talk', July 2024 to find out the latest issues facing Ku-ring-gai.
FOKE’s President Report, 22 May 2024
Read Kathy Cowley, FOKE President's Report that tells the work that FOKE has done to protect Ku-ring-gai over the past year.
Good news – Lourdes planning proposal rejected
Retirement Village owner, Levande's amendments to redevelop the Lourdes Retirement Village, 95 Stanhope Road, Killara has been rejected by the Department of Planning following the Sydney North Planning Panel (SNPP)
Hope – Council’s legal action
Ku-ring-gai Council Vs NSW Government is expected to proceed from Friday 19 July 2024.
Important dates
FORUMS ON LOW AND MID-RISE HOUSING POLICY IN JUNE AND JULY
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Friends of Kuringgai Environment
FOKE is a community group with a focus across the Ku-ring-gai area, defending our natural heritage and opposing inappropriate overdevelopment.
theconversation.com/why-yimbys-nimbys-bimbys-and-yigbys-all-matter-for-democracy-and-our-future-c...![]()
Former Planning Minister Rob Stokes articles states:![]()
"Slurs are no substitute for substance![]()
So far, so good. But the debate is turning personal. NIMBY is now a subjective insult, not an objective definition.![]()
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Labelling critics of development NIMBYs questions their motivation, avoiding the need to examine the substance of their criticism. A healthy debate about urban futures must acknowledge the differences between unreasonable and reasonable objections to development.![]()
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And citizens might oppose a development proposal for many reasons, some baseless, but others reasonable. Sociologist Robert Lake argued that NIMBYs are best defined as locals standing in the way of capital, not social goals.![]()
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It is better to ask what a NIMBY is saying “no” to – or a YIMBY is saying “yes” to – and on what grounds, rather than question their right to take part in the debate at all. Opposing development that would cause pollution or destroy biodiversity seems a valid reason to be a NIMBY. Opposing development on the basis of class, race or religion is not.![]()
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The purpose of planning is to enable citizens to collectively choose the future for their city. A healthy debate between YIMBYs, NIMBYs and everyone in between strengthens urban democracy and, in doing so, shapes our cities in ways that better serve all who live in them."
Why YIMBYs, NIMBYs, BIMBYs and YIGBYs all matter for democracy and our future cities
theconversation.com
Healthy planning debates shape our cities for the better and should not exclude anyone based on crude characterisations of their motives.
www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-06/trees-killed-vandalism-crime-sydney-castle-cove-council/104041534![]()
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For those who love and want to protect of our precious trees and wildlife that depends on them ........ See Louise of Tree Watch's comments.![]()
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"Louise and her husband Jim are part of a growing group of frustrated North Shore residents who say they see illegal tree loppers in action all the time.![]()
They’re members of Tree Watch, which was started by the Voices of Ku-ring-gai community group, and they act as pseudo tree vigilantes.![]()
Anytime they hear or see anything suspicious around a tree, the members communicate on their WhatsApp group and then report it to council. Sometimes they’ll even go and confront whoever’s there.![]()
“It’s always on a Saturday. Always on the weekend when council’s not open,” Louise says.![]()
“Often I’ll go into the house and go, ‘What are you doing? Where are the owners?’ You know, I’m quite confrontational.”
'Money always wins': Inside Sydney's underground tree-killing industry
www.abc.net.au
Sometimes they're armed with a chainsaw, sometimes a bottle of poison, and often they're operating in broad daylight. So why is it so hard to catch Sydney's tree killers?
This is to let you know that the Lourdes Planning Proposal has been rejected by the Planning Department and is not to proceed. The Department accepted the advice of the Sydney North Planning Panel that the proposal was not appropriate because issues such as bushfire risk had not been adequately addressed. As a result, this planning proposal is at an end. We thank Clr Kim Wheatley and the other members of the SNPP for rejecting the proposal. Our submission objecting to the Planning Proposal is on the FOKE website along with the power point presentation we gave to the Sydney North Planning Panel on 15 December 2023.![]()
Ku-ring-gai Councils submissions and the experts opposing the Planning Proposal were outstanding.![]()
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The Department of Planning's final report will be placed on our website www.foke.org.au
www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/how-do-you-add-density-to-a-nimby-neighbourhood-ask-a-local-20240623-... ![]()
Indu Blachandran listed candidate for Gordon Ward on 14 September has published an Opinion Piece in the SMH. What do readers make of her opinion?![]()
Indu Balachandra appears to:![]()
• extol YIMBY values ![]()
• not support Ku-ring-gai Council's legal action against the TOD and belittles Council's efforts to protect Ku-ring-gai by describing it as "an almighty stouch"![]()
• supports increased density around railway stations and quotes SMH survey which is pro-density (link to Sydney housing crisis: "Voters back increased density around train stations as Liberals remain split (smh.com.au)"![]()
• shows no understanding or genuine concern for protection of heritage conservation areas or heritage houses ![]()
• has little understanding of the mandatory TOD standards that will wipe out heritage and environment.![]()
• mischievously poses hypotheticals such as "I wonder if our street could become a Legoland of apartments with museum-like heritage listings dwarfed in between" when we know already that real estate agents are buying up heritage areas![]()
• knows little about Ku-ring-gai's environmental significance![]()
• supports density![]()
• have little understanding that local governments have little power, and what power they have for rezonings is being taken away from them. ![]()
• naively believe that local governments have the power to step in "to moderate" a housing strategy. Is she serious? Has she read the Council reports? Has she read the Council's TOD Submission?![]()
• accept the TOD because "residents need certainty"![]()
• not acknowledge the Ku-ring-gai Council survey where a majority opposed the government's housing policy. Makes no mention of the submissions to the Low and Mid Rise Housing where also a majority opposed the housing proposals ![]()
• omit the significance of Ku-ring-gai community groups who wrote submissions to the TOD Upper House Inquiry about their deep concerns about the TOD including the Ku-ring-gai Historical Society, Eryldene Historic House and Garden, Killara Lawn Tennis Club, FOKE, East Gordon Residents ![]()
• have done little research despite saying she is committed to "processes of representation that galvanised me to stand as a local independent in the council elections in September".![]()
• be neutral (and thus supportive) of the NSW Government to account for its "gay abandonment" of its urban tree canopy![]()
• have no to little understanding that the TOD has NO "proper consideration for tree canopy, infrastructure and heritage". Again does not hold the NSW Government to account for this but casts dispersions on Ku-ring-gai Council![]()
• insult older Ku-ring-gai residents by writing "Do we really want to be a community of seniors?"
How do you add density to a ‘NIMBY’ neighbourhood? Ask a local
www.smh.com.au
I found my community on Sydney’s leafy north shore. We can build more homes without destroying what we love.
www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/bad-for-the-whole-of-nsw-inside-the-north-shore-s-nimby-crusade-20240...![]()
Michael Koziol stoking the YIMBY vs NIMBY binary.....![]()
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"This YIMBY movement is now weaponising the world ‘NIMBY’ to … admonish individuals who advocate for the preservation of heritage.’![]()
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Friends of Ku-ring-gai Environment president Kathy Cowley"
‘Bad for the whole of NSW’: Inside the north shore’s NIMBY crusade
www.smh.com.au
Ku-ring-gai Council is taking the state government to court to block its planning reforms. But even in NIMBY central, attitudes about housing policy are starting to shift.