Four councils on Sydney’s northern peninsula have put together a unified strategy asking for rapid buses, road upgrades and a new hospital.
A strategy to shape how this region of 273,000 people on Sydney’s northern peninsula will look, feel and grow over the next 20 years has been developed by Manly, Pittwater, Warringah and Mosman Councils through SHOROC, the Shore Regional Organisation of Councils.
By doing so, the SHOROC councils are taking issues concerning jobs, housing and health directly to State and Federal Governments.
Titled Shaping Our Future, the strategy maps out a future vision for the region and seeks public commitment from the State and Federal Governments for the funding of priority infrastructure such as rapid buses, road upgrades and a new level 5 hospital for the region.
“Our region is a unique area with a vibrant community that values our natural environment and lifestyle,” said SHOROC President and Mosman Mayor Anne Connon. “But we’ve got some big challenges as a region and population growth and climate change will only compound these.
“The strategy’s aim is to take collaborative action as a united partnership of councils to secure investment in the region and work even closer together to enhance our environment, lifestyles and communities.”
The strategy unveils how the SHOROC partnership of councils will accommodate population, housing and jobs targets set by the NSW Government for the region.
It also sets out where the main growth will be focused, around key areas in the strategy earmarked to become ‘vibrant sustainable centres’.
“We’re providing the leadership our region sorely needs and calling on the State and Federal Governments to commit the funding in the 2011 budgets to deliver our priorities,” Mayor Connon said.
The key priorities included in Shaping Our Future are:
- Buses – Bus Rapid Transit systems for faster public
transport from Mona Vale to the city and from Dee
Why to Chatswood, Ryde and the CBD - Roads – fixing the choke points on congested
roads - Hospitals – immediate construction of a level 5
Northern Beaches Hospital and upgrades to Mona
Vale Hospital.
Shaping Our Future is designed as a partnership document and outlines how the SHOROC councils will work together with other levels of government, business and the community to enable a more coordinated and cooperative regional intergovernmental approach.
It has been set up to focus regionally on the link between council land use management set by individual councils and critical improvements in infrastructure with a particular focus on housing, employment, health and transport.
The councils developed Shaping Our Future through a detailed evidence based analysis of the challenges and opportunities for the region underpinned by the core values of the community.
Council and SHOROC staff worked with expert planning and transport consultants to assess the major issues for the region now and for the future, to incorporate community views through council research and consultations, as well as conduct a detailed spatial analysis of various land use scenarios and implications for accessibility to transport and services, liveability and sustainability.
The Mayors of Manly, Mosman, Pittwater and Warringah councils are now running an advocacy campaign to seek to secure funding from the State and Federal Governments for priorities in the strategy.
The councils are also asking their local communities to get behind the campaign. SHOROC and council websites include regular updates on the progress of the campaign, an online petition, form letters and emails to download and send to key decision makers, plus the creation of online communities through Twitter and Facebook.
The next step in the campaign is formulating strategies for what is needed regionally in the way of other infrastructure and service delivery, with a particular focus on liveability and sustainability.
Overarching ‘health of the region’ indicators are also being developed to help measure how the region is tracking over time and the strategies in place by councils and SHOROC are contributing to make the councils and region even stronger.
For further information visit www.shoroc.com
