Over the past six months individual Councillors have presented their ideas to each other during workshops aimed at developing 2050 visions to be included in Council’s highly successful and proactive management plan, MOSPLAN.
Traffic, transport, land use and residential density issues have dominated these Councillor workshops where frustration has been expressed at the lack of support from successive State Governments and their neglect of the traffic and transport problems that confront Mosman and the Northern Beaches.
“Politically, Mosman and its neighbours on the Northern Beaches are either ignored or taken for granted and if today’s Mosman is to be protected we must be realistic in our approach”, Mayor, Anne Connon said. “Traffic, transport and land use issues are entwined and while a light or metro rail option on the Spit/Military Road corridor is appealing to some – and there has been robust debate on this matter – the Councillors have agreed that it is not only highly unlikely ever to be funded by the State Government, but also would bring with it increased densities and unwanted high-rise which would have significant impacts on residential amenity. This has led Councillors to the conclusion that buses are the only realistic option in going some way to address our traffic congestion”, the Mayor said.
Councillors will be working with their Northern Beaches colleagues to encourage stronger east-west connections along Mona Vale Road and the Roseville Bridge with priority bus lanes and a future rail option on this corridor.
While taking this position, Councillors do not favour major changes to vehicular accessibility that would keep peninsula residents commuting in their cars through our area, but rather improvements to increase use of bus services.
Many hours have been devoted by Councillors and senior staff in preparing for the challenge of leaving a lasting legacy of a Mosman that maintains its existing lifestyle and village feel. “It is not an easy task as we must be mindful that Mosman will be called upon to play its part in a Sydney whose residential densities will increase by over 60% in the next forty years” Councillor Connon said.
The other issues of importance identified by Councillors are community, environment and local economy and together with transport and land use these are the building blocks of the future.
Development of the Mosman 2050 visions has been a testing time and your Councillors want to know if they’ve got it right.
Talk to us at one of five Street Speak events and comment on each vision here on the website.
