Helping neighbours help each other

Why did I become involved? Ian Curdie resident of Lavender Street since 1986

I became aware of various issues affecting the residential amenity of my new neighbourhood and I wondered what the community thought – was there something we could do to improve our lot?

The motivating issue concerned the volume of through traffic, including thousands of buses, using Arthur St between Lavender St and the Pacific Highway. Since Council closed Miller St at Blues Point Road, creating St Peter’s Park, traffic had been diverted into Arthur St. It seemed that the residents of Arthur St had been disadvantaged and their residential amenity was becoming severely affected as traffic built up over the years.

Working with my neighbours, Lavender Bay Precinct, and North Sydney Council, we identified a cure and after much lobbying, the NSW government provided to Council the funding required to realise the roundabout at the corner of Lavender and Alfred Streets, Milsons Point, which allowed the bulk of northbound traffic to easily access the Pacific Highway without going through residential streets. In the process, Arthur St was closed south of Middlemiss St and a welcome green space created in 1993, near where Henry Lawson described the view in his poem “Above Lavender Bay”. During this process I made many new friends.

Officeholder

Secretary of Lavender Bay Precinct for a number of years in the past, have also chaired Precinct and was Co-Convenor of the Combined Precincts.

Other Precinct Achievements

In no particular order, Lavender Bay Precinct has been active in bringing about:

Preserving the world-renowned harbour vista at McMahons Point

Fending off a proposed floating heliport

State acquisition of 1 Henry Lawson Ave, McMahons Pt and its eventual incorporation into the foreshore reserve

Fostering a group of volunteer gardeners who support Wendy’s Secret Garden

Current and Future endeavours

Preserving Bradfield Park, Milsons Point and the heritage features of the railway viaduct, the approaches to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the railway station forecourt which are threatened

Working to realise the Sydney Harbour High Line, keeping the Lavender Bay rail siding accessible to the public by linking with a recreational pathway the Sydney icons of Harbour Bridge, Luna Park, harbourside parks like Wendy’s Secret Garden and Sawmillers all the way to Waverton station and the Coal Loader.