Cunninghams Reach is where the Lane Cove River bends under Figtree Bridge, and changes from a bushland river, as it begins to enter Sydney Harbour. Near the bridge there is small bushland parkland with an aspect to the bushland river. This is a park quietly enjoyed by many who go for weekend picnics, people who fish or go kayaking each day, and many more for whom it is a walking destination. The land is crown land. The original Sydney University Boat Club boat shed in Lane Cove was over the water in a quiet part of Burns Bay. This shed was burnt down in the early hours of 29th March 2006. Arson was suspected. Sydney University has developed a plan for a huge new club house for the Boat Club which will replace the old club building but is over three times the size. The University has determined that then new multi-million dollar facility should be placed on the prime waterside park at Cunninghams Reach Park. The Lane Cove Council is currently considering the development application for this new club house.

The shed would alienate over 60% of this small park and spoil it for the many locals and visitors who use the park for passive recreation. The boat club edifice would be just ten metres from the water's edge, and would stretch right back to the cliff face. It is 10.6 metres high (ie, taller than a typical three storey building). Its total area is 1284 sm, being 829sm at ground level, and 454sm as a second floor. The building would stretch 60 metres along the river foreshore. Thirty trees would need to be cut down to allow it to be built dominating and spoiling the feel of the park.

Volunteers have spent a large amount of time helping to make this park what it what it is today. Needless to say these volunteer groups are protesting about this outrageous alienation of our precious waterside park.

The Club claims that it will support a training scheme for children who go to school in Lane Cove. This makes no sense. The only secondary school in Lane Cove is Riverview with already has extensive rowing facilities on its own land.

This building, arguable the largest rowing boat shed in Australia, is primarily for the use of 30 elite level rowers. Sydney University claims that they need the space for multiple rowing shells for each rower. The upper floor contains meeting rooms, offices, a video room and canteen and is linked with a lift.

This building is more than three times the size of the boatshed in Burns Bay which it replaces. It is 4.5 times the size of the newly completed Macquarie University boatshed on Tambourine Bay Lane Cove. Macquarie University is understood to have a similar number of rowers as Sydney University.

You can get an idea of the mamouth scale of the building by comparing it in elevation to the old rowing club building in the adjacent picture

Sydney University's proposal includes no additional parking. Any additional formal parking would probably consume the little bit of the park left after their building, paths, gates, fences and boat drying areas are installed.

Sydney University's DA proposal says that the 20 car spaces which are in the park at present would be enough (for them) but they go on to describe how they will block off all the parking when they need to load their boat trailers. It is impossible to see how this can work.

This photo shows parking at Cunninghams Reach now on a busy day e.g. Fathers Day

These days 30 rowers means almost 30 cars. Already on many days the car park is heavily occupied. Sydney University Boat Club's own web site has photos and an article describing how their car parking at the old site was busting at the seams with 32 cars and this was back on 1st July 2004. How the Lane Cove Council, which is so particular with provision of parking for residential and commercial developments, could be asked to appove such an arrangement beggars belief.

As well as the huge building, the parking, the boat trailers, the paths, the fences and gates, the boat drying area and the launching ramps what about all the other "stuff" that comes with a rowing club. Never seen it? Then have a look at any of the rowing clubs in Sydney or better yet go to the temporary facility which Sydney University has established on Tambourine Bay in Lane Cove. This picture of the Tambourine Bay facility shows some of the "stuff" which will find its way onto Cunninghams Reach Park and the narrow neck of water around it.

If Sydney University needs such a huge facility then it should seek a site which is large enough to accommodate it including the parking required for cars and boat trailers. There are at least 10 sites in Lane Cove and nearby waterways which have large areas, adequate road and parking access not to mention sewerage and water none of which this site provides.

Sydney University Boat Club already has a boatshed at Blackwattle Bay. The top floor is leased out as a licensed restaurant. If the club needs storage space and video and meeting rooms then it should first look to taking back the area it already has in Glebe.

Our further complaint is that the community has not been consulted. The Development Application has been treated as if it was a neighbourhood domestic one, instead of a matter of general public importance. Council records show just 21 households were notified of this proposal. The people probably most effected are on the Hunters Hill side of the Lane Cove River. The Lane Cove Council has ignored them. The Hunters Hill Trust has written to Lane Cove Council in strong terms requesting that they do not allow this development to proceed. You can see their views on The Hunters Hill Web Site. The President of the Trust Tony Coote makes some very good points drawing on history and broad environmental intent for the area. His letter is here.

As well the objection from Shaun Bailey and Robyn Stutchbury makes some excellent points about the major deficiencies in the DA relating to land use zoning, parking, public benefit and others. This document is recommended reading and the points raised need to be considered and responded to by Lane Cove Council officers. Another objection to the DA, among many we have seen is from Dr Peter Tyler it has been copied to Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir Chancellor of University of Sydney. Yet another excellent submission to Lane Cove Council and Councillors is from the Environmental Defenders Office. The EDO is a non profit non Government community legal centre specialising in public interest environmental issues. The EDO submission covers the legal aspects of Council's consideration of the alienation of this public land. You can read it here.

Council consideration of the development

The Council first considered the Development Application on 6th July. At this meeting an alderman managed to force a site meeting to occur prior to a decision being taken. This meeting started at the old SUBC shed site in Linley Park at 8.30am on Saturday 1st August. It then moved on to Cunninghams Reach. The well attended meeting saw many questions asked and some heartfelt and at times emotional discussion. You can see photos of the meeting here.

The Development Application was re-listed for the General Council Meeting on 3rd August. Following 1 hour 40 minutes of nominal 3 minute addresses fom the packed public gallery the Council resolved to defer consideration of the DA until 7th September. The North Shore Times article on the meeting and outcome is here.

There is a campaign of public notification with letter drops and local signage underway - this is the community doing the job the Lane Cove Council officers should have done.

There was a very well attended public meeting at Cunninghams Reach Park on Saturday 5th September.

The meeting was addressed by Professor Frank Talbot of Macquarie University's School of Environmental Management and on the legal aspects of this proposed land alienation by the Environmental Defenders Office's Melissa Jolley. You can see Frank's suggestions and letters to the Mayor, Lane Cove Council and Colin Rockcliff Director of Infrastructure Services Sydney University here.

You can see the North Shore Times' coverage of the meeting here and more photos from the meeting here.

You can see from the photos how the numbers of people involved in this issue have risen markedly as information on this alienation of park land has been made available. At the same time a simple petition has been generated calling on Lane Cove Council to reject this development. In a very short space of time 1,200 people have signed the petition. These people comprise local residents as well as park users and other concerned people from other areas in Sydney.

At the Lane Cove Council Meeting on 7th September when this DA was again scheduled for Council attention it was standing room only in the chamber. Again there were many appeals by local residents for the Council to reject the development and again Sydney University asked Council to defer the decision. This time Sydney University requested time to allow it, in the light of community concerns, to undertake a "fundamental and detailed review of its proposal".

The University has begun its "fundamental review" and met on 25th September at Cunninghams Reach and possibly elsewhere. On 16th November Dr Michael Spence Vice Chancellor of Sydney University broke the eight week communications silence on the Universitiy's deliberations. In an email which you can view here he says they are still considering building their mega boatshed on our park. So the threat to the massive alienation of this park is still alive.

On 14th December 2010 FOCR met with Deputy VC Professor Derrick Armstrong and the Director of Campus Infrastructure and Services, Mr Colin Rockliff at Sydney University. At this meeting the University outlined its plan to select a new architect for the project and to review the needs and concepts as well as the site for the new SUBC club. They indicated that the revised plans could take some time to determine and document. You can see the information on the meeting here. On 22nd January 2010 Mr Rockliff conveyed more detail timing of the University's boatshed plan. You can see this here.

With absolutely no information forthcoming from S.U. we approached the Vice Chancellor Dr Michael Spence. He responded in February 2011 indicating  that he expected we would be contacted in the "coming weeks"  to commence consultation. The full text of Dr Spence's response is here.

Despite all these assurances  the University has  communicated nothing to date (July 2011). They have however visited  the site (end June 2011) with what our man on the ground reported were developed plans which they discussed as they photographed the site. You can see our man on the ground's report here. 

Finally we were granted a meeting with SU people working on this project on 29th  September 2011. From this meeting it was clear that SU had still not finalised the site for their new plan for the new boatshed.  

At a subsequent meeting on 30th November 2011 they disclosed that finally they had done a comprehensive survey of potential sites. They looked at 19 sites, short listed three, and advised that they had decided to develop plans and submit a Development Application to re-build on their original site on Burns Bay. This is a sensible decision which we, and likely the majority of the Lane Cove community, would support. 

Approval of course will be subject to Council's consideration of any devil in the detail and the resolution of a zoning issue. 

We remain vigilant and will continue  to monitor and report  developments.

In summary

The original decision by Sydney University to build their boatshed taking over 60% of the Cunninghams Reach Park was a very bad one.There was clearly an attempt to keep this development under the radar of public notice. It is only with the efforts of  a few members of the community and some Lane Cove Councilors who became aware of the enormity of the construction and alienation of the public land that letter box drops and media attention was focused on this outrageous proposal.

On this web site you can see information on some of the activities undertaken by the Friends of Cunninghams Reach (FOCRs) to highlight the impact and oppose this original outrageous plan.

There are very many other locations which could house this facility. The University at the outset should have properly consider its options for the scale and location of their new rowing facility and not just make a grab for the best and most accessable piece of waterside property they could find. They should be required to look at property they already own or lease to house such facilities as offices, meeting and rowing video and training rooms and the like.

Recently with the appointment of new management and a property consultant by Syndey University a proper evaluation of their boat shed site options has been undertaken. 19 sites were investiagtion and three (Cunninghams Reach, Burns Bay and Blackman Park) were short listed. On 30th November 2011 the University advised that they will seek Council approval to rebuild on their old site at Burns Bay. 

There are issues which the Lane Cove Council will have to consider including a zoning change however FOCR, and likely the majority of the community, consider that this is the best decision. We will follow the process from here with keen interest.