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Current & past articles

Ku-ring-gai GeoRegion Project receives Grant funding from the Community Bank, Lindfield & Districts

FOKE and Steering Committee members of the Ku-ring-gai GeoRegion project were delighted to attend the Grants Presentation night on 20th February. FOKE sincerely thanks the Board of the Community Bank-

RALLY Save our Suburb 12th March Sydney Domain Ipm

Rally: Save Sydney & Ku-ring-gai on Tues 12 March 1pm

AT Tree of Knowledge behind Parliament House, Hospital Road, Domain. Map here. PROTEST against the new planning laws proposed by the NSW Government. THREATENS every suburb across Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central

TOD Submissions DUE 28 March

The NSW Parliament has announced an Upper House Inquiry into the Development of the Transport Orientated Development Program (TOD). The TOD Program will devastate Ku-ring-gais heritage conservation areas and environmentally

Tell NSW Government Your Thoughts by Deadline 23 February 2024

Send your submission HERE by deadline Friday 23 February, 2024 Ideas to help you send your submission: The NSW Minns Government planning ‘reforms’:

What will the development being proposed within 400 metres of the stations look like? No setbacks. No trees. No conservation areas.

Visit Ku-ring-gai Council to find out more here

NSW Labor DETERMINED TO DESTROY KU-RING-GAI

“You have something special here in Ku-ring-gai. Fight for it.” – Tom Uren Ku-ring-gai is about to be destroyed. It is now time for residents to fight for Ku-ring-gai. The

NSW Government announces intentions for MORE HOUSING DENSITY

At the last Ku-ring-gai Council meeting, less than two weeks before Christmas 2023, Mayor Ngai tabled a Mayoral Minute : “The Trickle of Information Regarding Housing Density Changes – Tuesday

FOKE supports Mayoral Minute 21 November, 2023

14 November 2023 Dear Mayor and Councillors FOKE wishes to express its support for the Mayoral Minute of 21 November, 2023 that outlines his initial response to The Hon Paul Scully

FOKE Thanks Mr McKee

FOKE President Kathy Cowley wrote to Jehn McKee, on 14 November 2023, thanking him for his service as Ku-ring-gai Council General Manager from 2006-2023. Read FOKEs letter below: Dear Mr

Vale Dr Tony Recsei (1938-2023)

FOKE was pleased that a Mayoral Minute for FOKE member, Dr Tony Recsei. Read it below: KU-RING-GAI COUNCIL MAYORAL MINUTE: Vale Tony Recsei: Respected Volunteer and Community Leader “On behalf

FOKE Submission: Opposition to rezoning Patyegarang/ Lizard Rock, Morgan Road, Belrose (PP-2022-3802)

FOKE opposes the rezoning of land at Patyegarang, Morgan Road, Belrose (PP-2022-3802), formerly known as ‘Lizard Rock’ on public exhibition until 7 November, 2023 FOKE wishes to express its strong

FOKE Submission: Inquiry into the planning system and the impacts of climate change on the environment and communities

Read FOKE’s submission into the UNSW Legislative Council’s Inquiry into the planning system and the impacts of climate change on the environment and communities 3 November 2023 Dear Ms Higginson

Submission: Lourdes Village – inquiry into the planning system and the impacts of climate change

FOKE thanks Catherine Brady for her submission to the Inquiry into the planning system and the impacts of climate change on the environment and communities, 3 November, 2023 Introduction Thank

First Ku-ring-gai GeoRegion Trail Signage Installed: Fox Valley Diatreme, Browns Field

The ‘Ku-ring-gai GeoRegion (KGR), an area of approximately 440 sq km, is a community-backed project initiated by FOKE. The GeoRegion embraces the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, other bushland areas, as

Ku-ring-gai Council’s E-News Omits News of GM’s Termination

FOKE has written to the new Acting GM David Marshall asking why news of the former General Manager’s dismissal was omitted ‘From the Mayor’ newsletter published on 22 September 2023.

Outrage Over GM’s Sacking

Ku-ring-gai Councillors elected Clr Sam Ngai as the new Ku-ring-gai Mayor and Clr Christine Kay as the new Deputy Mayor at its meeting on Tuesday 19 September, 2023. Following this

For Ku-ring-gai’s sake reinstate GM

SPEECH TO PUBLIC FORUM, KU-RING-GAI COUNCIL by Mrs Kathy Cowley, FOKE President Tuesday 12 September 2023 “The decision tonight to reinstate the General Manger Mr McKee is a critical one

FOKE Calls on Councillors to KEEP Mr McKEE

FOKE is deeply disturbed that six Ku-ring-gai Councillors – Sam Ngai, Alec Taylor, Greg Taylor, Barbara Ward, Simon Lennon and Christine Kay – recently voted to terminate Mr John McKee, as

Saving Ku-ring-gai Trees

Is Ku-ring-gai’s urban forest on the brink of extinction? FOKE remains concerned about the cumulative loss of Ku-ring-gai’s canopy trees and asks where the evidence is that Ku-ring-gai Council’s tree

50th Anniversary of World Environment Day

The 50th Anniversary of World Environment Day was celebrated on 5 June, 2023. Sadly, since that first World Environment Day, celebrated in 1973, the environment continues its decline due to

Ku-ring-gai’s Urban Forest Strategy needs stronger action

The Ku-ring-gai Draft Urban Forest Strategy lacks support for improving Biodiversity. There is no discussion on how current forests will be protected from dieback, tree death and cumulative impacts, nothing about

Ku-ring-gai GeoRegion Study a Major Step Forward

As highlighted previously, in 2018 FOKE initiated a project to add extra protections to, and increase awareness of, Ku-ring-gai’s natural heritage focusing originally on Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. This has

North Turramurra Residents disillusioned

When council, in 2010, proposed redesigning the North Turramurra Golf Course to include soccer fields and changeroom facilities, council promised to incorporate a park with children’s playground and BBQ facilities

Ku-ring-gai Council plans to sell more community assets

One has to delve into the Ku-ring-gai Council’s Community Strategic Plan’s detailed attachments to unearth the basis of the Strategic Plan. Unfortunately, the Draft Long Term Financial Plan (DLTFP) accompanying

Assault on our Suburbs

Though at first glance the Draft Design & Place State Environment Planning Policy incorporates all the ‘well meaning’ principles of good planning in its introduction, the detail in the objectives

“A sting” in Planning Department’s Approval of Ku-ring-gai Housing Strategy

Council submitted Ku-ring-gai’s Local Housing Strategy to the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) in December 2020 with the core objective of meeting Ku-ring-gai’s housing targets to 2036, through

Chaos in Ku-ring-gai Council Prior to Council Elections

Since the September 21st when new Mayor Cedric Spencer was installed as Mayor after a tied 5-5 vote was resolved by his name drawn from a box, no effective Council

Heritage Act Reforms

In May 2021, the NSW Government announced a major review of the Heritage Act, 1977 which would contribute to its legislative reform. The NSW Heritage Act is the single most

Council’s Quiet Divestment of Community Land

In a controversial decision in June, council resolved behind closed doors the future of ‘surplus’ parcels of ‘operational’ land for divestment. Ratepayers deserve to know which council owned land is

The challenge of protecting and enhancing Ku-ring-gai’s character

Following on from December’s article on Ku-ring-gai’s Local Character Study, we now have the next iteration of these Broad Local Character statements for review as a result of comments received

Minister Stokes, a pandemic inspired opportunity for a better NSW!

NSW Planning is going forward with plans for high rise and high density in Sydney when all the facts suggest that the Covid-19 epidemic has changed the way people will

Ku-ring-gai’s Housing Strategy – Further changes!

Ku-ring-gai Council is preparing yet another Residential Housing Strategy, a planning process driven by the NSW Dept of Planning to periodically rezone more and more of our established garden suburbs

NSW’s Catastrophic Summer Needs Action

New laws are urgently needed to protect Ku-ring-gai’s bushland, forested landscapes and biodiversity. Australia’s unprecedented 2019-2020 bushfires have changed everything. Never before has Australia witnessed an 11,000km fire edge that

NSW Planning agenda for megacity Sydney!

Ku-ring-gai Council has prepared a draft 20 year Local Strategic Planning Statement (LSPS) for Ku-ring-gai that meets the objectives and population targets established by NSW Planning, and its implementation arm,

Ku-ring-gai’s Plans for our Future: Massive increase in High Density!

Following many months of deliberation, the Greater Sydney Commission (GSC) North District Commissioner, Dr Debra Dearing, and council staff have released for public comment, the Draft Ku-ring-gai Local Strategic Planning Statement (LSPS). Ultimately,

The Once Lucky Country

‘The Once Lucky Country’ article makes some poignant warnings about where Australia’s cities, especially Sydney and Melbourne, are headed under current planning policies in terms of housing cost, liveability and

Berejiklian’s Destructive Record on the Environment

With the Berejiklian Government now re-elected, we cannot ignore that this Government has demonstrated such contempt for protecting the environment. It was positive to hear that the Don Harwin, NSW

Higher Density: The Facts Don’t Stack Up!

By Tony Recsei, President of Save our Suburbs. Save Our Suburbs, a community group with members across Sydney, is alarmed at planning policies being introduced to force high-density into suburbs

Celebrating 25 years

This year marks 25 years of FOKE working to protect the Ku-ring-gai’s heritage and environment.Over this time, we have made hundreds of submissions to Council, various NSW Government departments and

Council Amalgamations

NSW Government’s Council Amalgamation Push always lacked validity. In July 2017, the NSW Government stated it would abandon forced council amalgamations, ending an 18-month war with the state’s local municipalities.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Finally, the Berejiklian Government is having a moment of pause in their developer driven destruction of our suburbs. In May 2018 Planning Minister Roberts responded to the pressure caused by

Lindfield Hub and sale of Library site a big negative for Ku-ring-gai!

The Lindfield Hub site which is to house the new Lindfield Library, Seniors and Community Centre as well as shops, cafes, supermarkets and carparking is still far from finalised. However,

A Population Policy or a Pre-Election Mirage?

Since our 2017 AGM when Dick Smith spoke of the need for a Population Policy and limits to what our cities can absorb each year, the concerns have only increased

High Impact Recreation in Bushland – a Trojan Horse?

Ku-ring-gai Council is currently promoting more ‘recreational use’ of our bushland reserves. FOKE has real concerns that these high impact sports will seriously threaten Ku-ring-gai’s natural environment by clearing, fragmenting and

Protecting Ku-ring-gai’s Local Character requires more diligence.

Council is seeking input into the development of Ku-ring-gai’s Local Character in order to manage development ‘in a way that conserves and enhances Ku-ring-gai’s unique visual and landscape character’. This

New Zoning Increases Bushfire Risk For Ku-Ring-Gai Residents

In Ku-ring-gai the memories of the fatal wildfires in 1994 and 2001/2 are still vivid for many residents. Our municipality is both blessed and cursed with close proximity to natural

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