Green light given to development despite exceeding height limit

BY JARROD MELMETH

Lake Macquarie Council has approved a development application from poultry company Inghams, to construct four grain silos at their Cardiff site, which will be almost 25-metres high, double the legal height limit for the area.

The land on the corner of Nelson and Durie Road has a prescribed height limit of 15-metres under the Local Environment Plan, while the proposed development is 28.5 metres in height including the replacement conveyor system which will be located atop the new silos.

It is understood the applicant submitted a written request to vary the maximum building height which was supported by council on Monday night.

The approval follows an incident in January 2017, where a silo collapsed damaging two other silos which were later demolished.

Lake Macquarie Cr Kevin Baker was the only councillor to object to the application due to the combustible nature of grain dust.

"Grain silos can be very dangerous. We were quite lucky we didn't have a significant explosion in the collapse last year. One thing we just have not really taken into consideration is, is this the right development in the right area?

"It may be permissible under the industrial zoning, but is having a large dangerous goods site adjacent to a train line and other buildings the right thing to do?

"I just do not think council has considered that in the best way," Cr Baker said.

The site at Cardiff Inghams for the proposed development.
Image: Google Maps.

Council votes to keep support for Butterfly Cave

BY JARROD MELMETH

Lake Macquarie Councillors have voted against a recission motion put forward by Councillor Kevin Baker demanding that Council withdraws its support for an application lodged by the NSW Aboriginal Land Council seeking further protection for the Butterfly Cave at West Wallsend.

Acting Mayor Wendy Harrison and Councillors Barney Langford and Brian Adamthwaite spoke out against the motion which was supported by only three Councillors.

The cave is believed to be in danger of collapse if construction of a residential housing estate planned to only allow a 20-metre buffer zone is allowed to go ahead.

The site - which was formally declared an Aboriginal Place in the same year approval was given to develop the housing estate - has also traditionally been used by Aboriginal women and girls, as a private meeting place for hundreds of years.

NSWALC lodged the application on behalf of the Awabakal Local Land Council asking the Minister for Environment and Energy, Josh Frydenberg, to extend the 20-metre buffer zone to 100 metres claiming "the use of heavy machinery and construction tools is a source of vibration that may cause irreversible physical damage to Butterfly Cave" and "the removal of native vegetation and diversion of watercourses irrevocably affects the traditional use of the area."

In June Mayor Kay Fraser wrote to the Department of Environment and Energy extending her support for the application by the NSWALC, which Councillor Kevin Baker said is inappropriate.

"Council should not be lobbying for one side or the other on any position when we are actually a consent authority.

"What my recission motion sought to do was to still put a submission into the federal government authority that is running this investigation but, have that submission detail the process that has been taken in relation to the consent, how everything has progressed and also detail the steps that are being put in place to ensure that the Butterfly Cave is not going to be damaged through the construction process.

"Put through a factual response rather than lobbying for one side or the other," Cr Baker said. 

Cr Baker said all politics aside he does support protecting the cave.

"My wife and children are Aboriginal and I am a strong believer in Aboriginal culture and heritage.

"I have long felt the Butterfly Cave needs to be protected and I think the council is doing a fantastic job through the construction management plan and the construction certificate process, in putting in some really detailed measures to make sure the Butterfly Cave is protected throughout the construction process.

"But, the council have guidelines under the law to follow and we feel it is important that those laws are upheld and that the correct process is followed," Cr Baker said.

 The specified area known as Butterfly Cave in West Wallsend.

Fire safety standards motion for Lake Macquarie

BY JESSICA ROUSE

In the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy in London, a Lake Macquarie Councillor is putting forward a motion tonight for the review of fire safety standards in buildings throughout the region.

On June 14 the Grenfell Tower in West London become a towering inferno killing an estimated 79 people. Combustible cladding used to insulate the tower and improve its appearance is being blamed for the rapid spread of the blaze and now there are concerns for other buildings built using the same material.

Upon reflection, it was found the tower would've failed fire safety standards.

Back home in Lake Macquarie, Councillor Kevin Baker says he's confident a vast majority of buildings are compliant, but every precaution must be taken to avoid a tragedy like that in London.

"As I've said in my motion it's something that needs to be considered across all levels of government and I think it's an issue that is sitting there at the forefront of everybody's minds and now is the time to act to make sure everybody is conforming to the highest levels of safety standards."

He wants to ensure nobody has to live through a horrifying fire and making sure everyone has their standards in line so everyone is safe, is the best possible way to ensure it never happens.

"Generally speaking I'm confident that 99 per cent of the people do do the right thing and I'd really love to hear that any review comes back and finds that everything is perfect. That would be the best case scenario but I think it is important that we do a review," said Kevin Baker.

Outrage over sex offenders portraits CONT.

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Pressure is mounting on Lake Macquarie Council after their refusal to remove portraits of convicted sex offenders from the council chamber.

At the end of last year, the council decided on a gag order for a confidential meeting regarding whether or not portraits of councillors convicted of sex offences should stay hanging or on council asset plaques.  

It's understood a majority of councillors voted down the motion to remove all photographs and plaques of disgraced former Mayor Douglas Carley and councillor turned state MP Milton Orkopoulos.

Liberal Councillor Cr Kevin Baker along with Cr Jason Pauling and Cr Nick Jones opposed the notice of motion to keep the matter confidential - but can't comment any further on the specifics due to the gag effect imposed by the Mayor and a majority of Councillors. 

The councillor is absolutely baffled as to why council think it's okay to keep the portraits hanging where they are because it sends the completely wrong message to sex offenders.

"I feel that there's no place in our city where these photos should hang but especially in positions of pride. I think it's abhorrent that these photos remain in these positions of honour and I think it sends a really bad message for victims of abuse that we continue to display these images of people who have committed these horrible crimes," said Cr Kevin Baker. 

He adds council need to practice what they preach.

"We feel that Lake Macquarie city council needs to have more transparency around this and other matters and it's the only way to really service community interest best. The mayor even speaks about transparency in government in a little speech at the start of every meeting and I think it's about time that Lake Macquarie council starts walking the talk in regards to transparency"

The council say they're not going to make any hasty decision now, with Mayor Kay Fraser reportedly backing the decision for historical purposes.

Tony Phiske, a social worker from the Survivors and Mates Support Network says the portraits are confronting for abuse survivors and with all of the attention brought to child sex offences through the Royal Commission he can't believe the photographs and portraits are still in the public eye.

"A lot of people are taking on board what has impacted them over a large number of years, and for them to be confronted with something like a portrait that hasn't been removed it can very much be a slap in the face."