$150,000 Bill For Clean-up
Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday September 2, 1987
Warringah Shire Council has rejected an application by Monash Country Club to extend a practice fairway and car park.
The club now faces a $150,000 clean-up bill to consolidate more than 30,000 cubic metres of fill already dumped without the council's consent.
Councillors voted 6-5 on Tuesday night to reject the Ingleside club's application after considering details of the proposed land-fill operation, particularly its impact on 2.5 hectares of bushland.
The club president, Mr Hymen Penn, told an earlier meeting that the illegal dumping was done in "complete innocence".
The application before the council on Tuesday night asked for permission to dump another 274,00 cubic metres of fill necessary to establish a practice fairway and provide additional car parking. The extensions are needed to reach standards required to attract Australia's major golf championships.
Councillor Julie Sutton said the council could be seen to be dealing harshly with the club if it rejected the proposal.
"The club has shown foolish disregard for the legalities of tipping and has been punished by being made to look silly in the eyes of the public and by not getting the money it could have got for dumping," she said. "The Monash Country Club is a prestigious club with magnificent facilities which brings only credit to the shire, and the council could be seen as being very punitive in dealing with it if we refuse this application."
Councillor Mark Hummerston said a refusal would not constitute a punitive measure. "If we wanted to be punitive we would pursue an illegal land use action," he said.
"If it had been Joe Bloggs Pty Ltd, someone who stood to profit personally, he would be in court by now. Instead, we propose to allow the club to submit a development application to resolve the problem of the illegal fill."
Other council decisions included:
The rejection of a Department of Housing request to rezone land in Mona Street, Mona Vale, to allow for mixed public housing. The council voted to send a letter to the Minister, Mr Walker, saying that, while it supported in principle the need for public housing in the shire, it considered the site unsuitable.
© 1987 Sydney Morning Herald
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