BCCT Blog

This blog has been campaigning on issues of the M2 Widening Project that affect residents of Beecroft and Cheltenham, simply because no other site on the internet was adequately covering the local aspects of the project.
It is therefore with pleasure that I can advise everyone that the Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust has started a blog that will cover those issues. The address is BCCT2119.blogspot.com, and I suggest you monitor it for news on the fate of the Kirkham St road bridge over the M2.

Landlords are mere mortals too!

It saddens me how some tenants respond to a rent rise by angrily giving notice to quit. Owners and landlords can't just walk away from a property when the bank raises mortgage interest rates, or the state or shire raises rates and other duties. Surely it's reasonable to pass on those costs?
Some tenants get upset when the managing agent hassles them about rent arears just before Christmas. They need to understand that if the tenant doesn't meet his payment obligations, the landlord might have to cancel the family's holiday. Is that really fair?
None of the landlords who give their properties to us to manage are monsters, they are just people like the rest of us, who have invested in property and are trying to meet their increasing costs in difficult times. The reason the government gives them tax breaks is precisely because the country depends on landlords to make housing available to those who don't yet own a house.

Tree Conservation

Today I received this email:

"A quick note to let you know that the Hornsby Shire Council Tree and Vegatation online discussion forum will close at 5.00pm on Friday 24 December 2010.
Your comments and ideas and participation in the quick poll at http://bangthetable.com/treeandvegetationprotection will guide the development of Council's new Tree and Vegetation Protection policy. Have your say and forward this email to colleagues and friends so they can also have their say."

Please, as the Council asks, forward this to your friends, and all of you have your say. Beecroft and Cheltenham are beautiful partly because of all our lovely trees.

But do remember that the RTA and Transurban are planning to buldoze a new road through Chilworth Recreation Reserve from Allerton Road to the M2 Widening Project construction camp under the M2 viaducts simply because a stand of Blue Gums is now apparently blocking the original construction road between the motorway and the golf course. If true, this to me demonstrates what is wrong with the present policy. I will therefore be voting for Option 2.

Buyers Showing Renewed Interest

The number of house sales in the Beecroft and Cheltenham area crashed after the November interest rate hike. Confidence in the market was savaged by this unexpected rise and by the media hysteria about the banks' "over the top" interest rate hikes. Last weekend of all the agents in the area four properties were withdrawn prior to auction, and no properties were sold. The value of properties sold in the last four weeks is the lowest in two years.
Sensing the buyers' mood, Ray White Beecroft hadn't scheduled any auctions over this period, but unlike most agents last weekend, we opened properties for viewing, and to our surprise had nine people through one of them and good attendance at the others!
The RBA has recently suggested that interest rates won't be going up for a while, and it seems that buyers are regaining confidence.
We will be listing several new properties in the new year, and the sales team are increasingly confident that, so long as vendors are realistic, this could be the start of a great new year for the real estate market.

Epping M2 Bus Ramp "Essential Part of the M2"

I have been advised that the proposal to build the original M2 ("Castlereagh Expressway" as it was then) was examined by the Woodward Commission of Inquiry in 1989, hearing 829 submissions from 301 parties including 52 experts. The inquiry found that the M2 SHOULD NOT BE BUILT, ON ALL GROUNDS.
To resurrect the project it was modified to INCLUDE THE EPPING BUS RAMP. This excellent proposal would allow morning commuter buses from north west Sydney to get rapidly to Epping railway station and avoid the M2 car park from there to the city, and bus passengers could then commute comfortably and swiftly by train from Epping. This significant and sensible development resulted in the M2 project being re-considered, and approved as a road based but integrated transport solution.
On that basis the Epping bus ramp is an integral and essential part of the M2, without which the M2 would not have been permitted. How now can the RTA propose to remove it?

Epping M2 Bus Ramp

Recent editorials and letters in the Sydney Morning Herald and elsewhere are highlighting broad local community concern about the RTA intention to remove the Epping bus ramp. Commuter buses coming from the north west travel down the dedicated bus lane on the M2 to the Epping tunnel, then leave the M2 on the bus ramp there for a dedicated road into Epping railway station so they can continue their commute into the city by rail.
The RTA plans to demolish that bus ramp, and send all buses down to Macquarie or beyond.
It occurs to me that it's the people in north west Sydney who should be up in arms about this, because it denies them the ability to commute by train. Most of them probably ignored a proposal to widen 21 Km of motorway half way from their homes to the city.
Did anyone alert them to the significance of the bus ramp removal, which Transurban now say is "a critical part of the work to establish a third lane on the motorway"?

Newsletter from Greg Smith SC MP

Greg Smith, member for Epping, Shadow Attorney General, and Shadow Minister for Justice in the NSW parliament, put out his December 2010 newsletter today with the front page devoted to concerns about the M2 Widening Project. One article is on concerns about the construction camp proposed for Waterloo Park, but that is outside the area I cover with this blog.
Another article directly affects Beecroft and Cheltenham residents. "Though assured that community consultation will be carried out before any decision is made, local residents are on edge as Transurban and the RTA confirmed that the bridge may be reduced to one lane for 20 months while the M2 upgrade is in progress."
Mr Smith says that 1,200 vehicles use the bridge in morning peak hour!
He also says "There has been more speculation recently that Transurban is proposing to demolish the bridge entirely, which would divide Beecroft and affect shops and businesses in the Beecroft Shopping Village". Mr Smith and members of the Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust are apparently meeting with Roads Minister David Borger to resolve this problem.

BCCT Survey on M2 Kirkham Road Bridge

The Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust is conducting an On Line Poll on opinions regarding the Kirkham Road Bridge over the M2. It is essential that this poll adequately reflects the opinions of those who use the bridge! To be significant we need HUNDREDS, even THOUSANDS, of respondents.
I strongly urge all of you to go to the site and select "strongly disagree" to the option for full closure of the bridge for ten months!
Obviously if the road under is to be widened, then the work to extend the spans of the bridge has to be done. But the original EPA said this would be done without night working, using single lane traffic over the bridge during the work. So I suggest you hold them to that, by selecting "disagree" to night working because of the noise, "disagree" or "strongly disagree" to full weekend closure, and (reluctantly) "agree" to single lane flow with traffic lights.
Get your friends to do the same, and if you know people who are not 'internet fluent' then ask their permission to vote on their behalf, making clear in the space at the bottom of the survey that each repeat submission relates to another person.

Ray White Dog Rescue Service

Two labradors escaped from a property managed by Ray White Beecroft. So I collected them and took them home to play with my dog Binzi.

Petition against Kirkham Road Bridge closure

To gauge public interest in the RTA/Transurban idea of demolishing and rebuilding the Kirkham Road Bridge over the M2, Ray White Beecroft has for several days been quietly offering, in its office, a petition for people to sign to express their opposition to such an act. The results have been remarkable, even though so far the petition has only been advertised by word of mouth. It's not just Beecroft and Cheltenham residents who are offended at the idea. People from Castle Hill, Epping, and Hornsby have already come into our offices to sign!
People keep referring to last year's closure of the Copeland Road bridge over the railway, which of course was left closed for much longer than promised by the planners. But that was only a minor inconvenience with Chapman Rd bridge just a few metres away. People really do seem genuinely angry at the thought that this hugely disruptive proposal to divide Beecroft is even being considered!
I have had to keep reminding people that the idea of closing the bridge over the M2 is still only a proposal, and that the motorway construction people do not at this time have the legal right to demolish the bridge and that it would take a complete new EPA to obtain authority for them to do so.
But please if you feel strongly about this, come in and sign the petition, with your email or phone number, so we can alert you at once if the RTA or Transurban do start making moves to progress this atrocious proposal. Just in case!

The cars that ate buses

What a delightful headline that is - from the Sydney Morning Herald Opinion editorial today, which starts with "Sydney's road designers think that the city's north west has too much public transport, and they want to cut it back".
The editorial relates to the plan to demolish the Epping bus ramp, and explains that this is not just a local issue. "It throws into question the idea that privately owned transport infrastructure can benefit society in general."
The editorial explains very clearly how this ramp is a key part of the commuter traffic flow allowing buses to by-pass the M2 car park during busy periods. Remember, the HillsM2 website says 17,000 passengers a day use buses on the M2, so that's a lot of people to upset and force back into their cars.
The final paragraph of the editorial is pretty devastating: "In theory, public private partnerships ought to be able to be devised which align the interest of the operator with the public interest. By upgrading the M2 in ways which specifically downgrade all transport modes except private cars, the government, the Roads and Traffic Authority, and the motorway operators have shown how practice too often falls far short of the theory."
Peter Colacino is providing me with his (Transurban's) response to this and related matters, and I will post here his response when I receive it.

M2 Upgrade Bus arrangements at Epping

Following my earlier blog relating to the SMH article on buses and the M2, I received another email from Peter Colacino. I actually disagree with much of what he has said, and have therefore responded to him with my concerns, and will publish again after I have his reply. But for the moment, this is what he says.

"Peter,

I have noticed that your blog has been updated to include some information about the Beecroft Bus Ramp closure.

Unfortunately the story in the Sydney Morning Herald today did not provide the full picture. I have included some bullet points below, which I would appreciate you considering for inclusion on your blog.

· Removal of the existing Beecroft Road bus ramp is a critical part of the work under the M2 Upgrade project in order to establish a third lane on the motorway.
· Around 99.5 percent of bus passengers on the motorway will benefit from the establishment of the third lane which is only possible with the removal of the bus ramp.
· Bus patrons will benefit from a 5 minute travel time saving to a 40 minute trip (12 percent) from Seven Hills to Macquarie Park as a result of the M2 Upgrade.
· The current layout of the M2 near Beecroft Road is restricted by topography and proximity to Devlins Creek.
· The removal of the ramp allows for an additional eastbound and westbound lane for general traffic, minimises permanent impact on Devlins Creek and avoids any impact on adjacent properties, including Epping Heights Public School
· The Hills Motorway and the RTA have been working closely with Hillsbus and Busways in order to determine arrangements for affected routes. It is likely these services will be redirected via Christie Rd.
· For more details on the changes of these services, please check with Hillsbus and Busways.
If you have any fuirther questions please feel free to contact me. I would be more than happy to review material in advance of its inclusion on the blog if that is helpful.

Regards

Peter"

NSW Tenancy Law Changes

Our property management department today sent out the following letter to the landlords on our database.

Dear Landlord,

As you are probably aware, the Residential Tenancy Act has been updated this year, and these new regulations will come into force on 31st January 2011. The main changes that are likely to affect you are detailed below:

- Notice periods
o If your tenant is on a fixed term tenancy, which is about to expire, the notice period is going to increase from 14 to 30 days (plus postage time) before the end of the lease.
o If your fixed term has expired, and your tenant is on a continuing tenancy, the notice period to have them vacate increases from 60 to 90 days (plus postage time).
o In both instances, the tenant can now vacate before the date on their termination notice, without giving the landlord any return notice.
o If the tenant gives notice, the amount of notice required will not change
o The notice period for breaches (such as non payment of rent) will not increase.
o If you terminate the tenancy due to non-payment of rent, and the tenant pays the arrears in full, you can no longer proceed with the termination process (unless we can prove the tenant is repeatedly late with rent)
- Water usage
o You will only be allowed to charge tenants for water usage if your property is deemed to be “water efficient”
§ All shower heads must have a maximum flow rate of 9 litres per minute (and have a 3 star water efficiency rating)
§ All cold water taps and single mixer taps for kitchen sinks and bathroom hand basins must have a maximum flow rate of 9 litres per minute (and have a 3 star water efficiency rating)
§ There must be no leaking taps at the commencement of the tenancy or when water efficiency measures are installed (whichever is later)
o You have until January 31st 2012 to bring your property up to standard
o If you pay Sydney Water directly, you must invoice the tenant within 3 months of issue of the bill
o You must give the tenant 21 days notice to pay
- Tribunal
o If you have given your tenant notice to vacate, without any errors in said notice, and they haven’t vacated, the tribunal must now proceed with an eviction order. The exception to this, is if the tenant can prove that the landlord only issued the termination notice as retaliation.
o If your tenant has been issued a termination notice for non-payment of rent, you no longer have to wait until after the termination notice has expired before applying to the tribunal for an eviction order
- Holding Fees
o We can no longer ask for a holding fee/deposit unless an application has been approved
o If you change your mind, you may not rent the property to someone else for the following 7 days
o If the tenant changes their mind, they now lose the full deposit, not a pro-rated amount
- Break Lease Fees
o Currently, we advise tenants that they are liable for rent until a new tenant moves in, and a pro-rated amount for the lease fee and tenancy fee
o Under the new legislation, the default clause (for fixed terms of more than 3 years) is now 6 weeks rent (if the tenancy is less than halfway through the fixed term) or 4 weeks rent (if the tenancy is more than halfway through the fixed term)
o This new clause is optional, and may be profitable for landlords whose properties relet quickly. If your property is hard to rent, it might be better to stick with our current special condition
o Tenants (or their legal personal representative) can break a lease without penalty if they are going into a nursing home, obtain public housing, or dies
- Selling
o If, prior to the commencement of a new tenancy, you decide that you will put the property on the market for sale during said tenancy, you must notify the ingoing tenant beforehand
o The tenant must allow access for sales inspections twice a week
o You must give the tenant at least 14 days written notice before the first sales inspection
o You must give the tenant 48 hours notice for subsequent inspections
- Other
o We can now issue termination notices directly to the tenant’s letter box, and this will save you the 4 days postage time
o It is no longer the tenant’s responsibility to maintain the smoke alarms during the tenancy
o If your property is let to more than one tenant, and one of the co-tenants wants to move out during a continuing tenancy, the co-tenant can now give 21 days notice to vacate
o The tenant no longer has to pay a portion ($15) of the tenancy preparation fee (total cost $33, your share $18)
o It is now illegal to include a carpet cleaning clause (unless there is a pet condition which includes a carpet cleaning clause)

The changes come into effect on the 31st January 2011. If you would like further information, please see Fair Trading’s email and link below. If you have any questions, please contact us and we would be happy to discuss this further with you. Thank you kindly.

M2 Widening Will Slow Buses

An article in the Sydney Morning Herald brings attention to the consequence of removing the bus ramp at Epping, which is part of the M2 widening project.
The ramp is used by 60 bus services a day, transporting 17,000 passengers a day down the bus lane of the M2 into Epping, from where trains can take them on to the City (via Macquarie Park), south to Strathfield and the south and west, and up north to Hornsby.
The ramp also enables those buses to turn around quickly at Epping and go back to fetch more passengers.
The M2 project proposes to demolish the ramp and require buses to stay on the motorway to Macquarie.
Those buses will then, presumably, have to fight the traffic on blocked roads to drop passengers anywhere near the train station entrances. Not only will this delay passengers, it will also greatly reduce the availability of buses for the high speed runs up and down the motorway.
The article quotes a local traffic engineer as saying "removing this ramp will cause major delays that could result in the cutting of services."
The HillsM2 website says "The Hills M2 is a key public transport corridor. The motorway includes dedicated bus lanes with 435 Hillsbus services using the motorway week days (eastbound and westbound), carrying over 17,000 passengers a day." The website doesn't comment on the number of those who will have to revert to using their cars on the M2 and other main roads when they can't get off the bus and onto trains at Epping!

M2 Project intentions for Chilworth Reserve

I have received a further update from Peter Colacino of Transurban. I had asked him about Transurban's intentions for gaining access to the construction camp underneath the M2 viaducts over Chilworth Reserve.
Early documentation from the RTA had proposed to build a new road through the reserve from the end of Allerton Road. Obviously that will involve lots of damage and disruption to the reserve, as well as heavy construction traffic on Murray Farm Road and Allerton Road. The BCCT had asked why the original M2 construction ramp couldn't be used. That ramp runs between the M2 and the golf club, on the northern side of the M2 from the west.
Peter advises that both options are still being considered. The only reason why the construction ramp can't be used is that there is a blue gum tree whose brances would obstruct large trucks.
This blog will continue to post such information from Transurban as it becomes available.

PS: (Updated 5 January with later information from Transurban) It is now clear that I had misinterpretted what Peter Colacino told me. The blue gum trees he referred to on the phone are those on the proposed "exit" lane from the camp, on the south side of the M2 leading to Orchard Road. This used to be just a walking track but RTA and Transurban survey vehicles have already broadened it into a full 4-wheel drive track. Mr Colacino was trying to explain that it is not yet wide enough, or maybe clearance is not high enough, to allow trucks through. See my later posts of early January 2011 which more accurately reflect the current Transurban plans.

Rents Going Mad

A tenant asked to break the lease the other day, and in that situation we are required to do all we can to rent the property quickly. So normally we just advertise the property at the existing rent, and sign the new tenant up to take over the lease until the earlier lease expires, and then raise the rent. That way the old tenant can't object if it takes a few weeks, or months, to find a new tenant. However our property management department read the market well and advertised the property for 10% more than the existing rent, and had five applications on the first day, leasing it immediately at that higher rent. So everyone was happy.

Changes to NSW Tenancy Laws

In our last newsletter, Ray White Beecroft alerted owners and tenants to the prospect of changes to the NSW Residential Tenancy Laws. We asked the Office of Fair Trading to keep us informed of progress, and they have just sent us an email saying that the new law will come into effect on 31 January 2011. To learn more, go to the Tenancy reforms page on the Fair Trading website. The full location is: http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/About_us/News_and_events/Tenancy_reforms.html

Their email advises that "More information about the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 will be available on the Fair Trading website once the new laws commence in late January 2011". It does seem to be more appropriate to release that information before the laws commence, but still.

Interest Rates 'on hold' well into next year

As well as not raising interest rates this week, the RBA said that neither the market nor commentators expected rates to rise again "for quite some time". Very significantly the RBA governor Glenn Stevens said this level of rates was "appropriate for the economic outlook."
Perhaps it's a shame that the RBA raised rates in November not December, because that earlier unexpected rate rise seems really to have damaged buyer confidence. The sale value of houses sold since that rise has been noticably down. Hopefully this latest announcement will get sales going again!

Building Inspection Reports

NSW Labour MP Matt Brown is today releasing the results of a Vendor Disclosure review, recommending that vendors selling by auction must supply pest and building inspection reports. He is restricting his proposal to auctions because people buying by private treaty have a cooling off period during which they can conduct their own inspection and withdraw from the sale if the results are bad, losing only the cost of the report and the .25% deposit.

The review recommends that

• the vendor must supply all reports done in the 90 days before the property was put on the market. This will prevent the vendor cherry picking through reports until an inspector doesn't notice something significant.
• the buyer would have a legal right to sue the inspector (as now) if problems are found after purchase that should have been in the report.
• the inspector must have $5M professional indemnity insurance.

A public forum on the topic was told that $40M of wasted reports were generated in NSW by unsuccessful bidders at auctions. Many other buyers bid at auction without having a report, not willing to gamble the inspection fee against the uncertainty of whether they will win the auction.

Mary Macken, president of the NSW Law Society, opposes the proposals. "It puts a clumsy foot through delicate contractual architecture," she said.

One might think the Law Society would relish the proposal. Vendors will select inspectors with a sympathetic reputation, and there will be endless legal battles as a result, when buyers do find things wrong, with the courts having to decide whether the inspector was negligent, and if so how much compensation must be paid. At present a buyer having doubts about a property can arrange for a thorough inspection to be done, and buy or decline to bid with confidence.

Perhaps a more important step would be to punish estate agents who give demonstrably false low estimates of the price a property will sell for. Unscrupulous agents do this to persuade people to invest in a building inspection, after which such would-be buyers feel compelled to go on bidding way above the promised price, both to protect their investment and in the mistaken belief the bidding will end soon. Maybe the losing buyer should be able to sue the estate agent to recover the cost of the inspection, if he can convince the court that he was 'conned' into having the inspection performed when the sale price of the property was way above what he was told.

The report will be considered by Cabinet and could be in place before the March election.

"Wide Anger over M2 Widening"

That's the headline of an article in the latest Monthly Chronicle. The article relates to Transurban's plan to build construction camps in Waterloo Park Marsfield, and to the uncertainty about Transurban's intentions for the Kirkham Road Bridge.
The article also quotes Greg Smith SC as saying in Marsfield it's not just the park that is under threat. Irreplaceable horse agistment paddocks are believed to be under threat by the construction camp, but no community consulation has taken place to clarify intentions.
Regarding the Kirkham Road Bridge, clearly Transurban need very quickly to make it absolutely clear that they do not intend to close the bridge! Until that issue is put to bed, it will feed the growing resentment about other issues related to the M2 project.

Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust

As a member of the BCCT, I received my renewal letter today from Michael Stove, President of the Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust who writes as follows:

"Please help us to help you present your thoughts & ideas before the various government and other respective authorities. Renew your memberships and look to your friends and neighbours to join up. We require those small individual amounts to assist us continue with our efforts on your behalf."

It's $10 per year for individual membership, $20 for family membership. Membership forms can be obtained on the BCCT website, http://www.2119.org.au/.

With so many major issues affecting our Beecroft and Cheltenham environment at the moment, I believe the BCCT needs to have very many more members than they now do in order to provide a more powerful lobby speaking on our behalf. Unfortunately the Trust's IT manager has been unwell, and the website has not been updated to reflect recent events, but I am assured this will be changing very soon.

If you want to see the importance of lobbying, see how the cycling community has captured the debate about the M2. If you Google "M2 Widening Project", BikeNorth comes up at top of page one, ahead of Government sites as well as any other community sites! As a result of their well organised, co-ordinated activity and sustained pressure, the M2 project is spending huge amounts on cycle ways, whereas no other state in Australia, or major developed country, allows cyclists on motorways.

If Beecroft and Cheltenham residents have concerns about the M2 project, or the 5-storey zoning of the Beecroft Shopping Centre, or any other issues, we should be providing a similarly co-ordinated voice representing our concerns. Join the BCCT, attend the AGM in March 2011, and let's get our trust galvanised.

M2 Widening Focus Shift

In Transurban's email about the M2 Widening Project they include this:

"It should be noted that the EA makes reference to works on ‘Kirkham Street Bridge’ which is the official name for Murray Farm Road overbridge.

"It should also be noted that the description of works included in the EA relating to Kirkham Street Bridge was based on the motorway carriageway being widened on the southern side of the M2.

"Following community consultation and feedback during public display of the Environmental assessment, a decision was taken to move the majority of these works to the northern side of the M2 in order to reduce the overall impacts of the work. These changes were explained in the Submissions and Preferred Project Report which was made public on 23 August 2010.

"These modifications were subsequently approved as part of the overall determination for the M2 Upgrade. Details about this change in design can be viewed on the web at: http://www.hillsm2upgrade.com.au/files/m2upgradesubmissionsandpreferredprojectreport.pdf (Section 4.1, pages 233 to 241)."

and later in the email:

"At present we have approval to undertake the work on Murray Farm Road overbridge in two stages, with one lane of traffic (operating on an alternate basis with traffic control in place) maintained during the work.

"The project team, however, is looking at a number of other options as a result of the carriageway works on the M2, underneath Kirkham Street Bridge, being moved from the south to the northern side of the M2. The aim of the review is to determine whether the overall impact of the works on the M2 and Kirkham Road Bridge can be further reduced in any way."

One of the problems for the general public reviewing these monster projects is that the relevant information you seek is, as here, typically on page 233 of an even larger document. No real solution to that of course, but it does make it hard for average residents to find information they seek. In this blog I will try to assist by extracting things that are specifically relevant to the Beecroft and Cheltenham community.

First Home Buyers and Seniors

The NSW Treasurer reviews the cap on First Home Owner grants annually. Reflecting house price increases across the state Eric Roozendaal has now set the cap at $835,000, up from $750,000, bringing Beecroft or Cheltenham more into the sights of first home buyers who would receive a $7000 grant.
First home buyers also get stamp duty savings of $17,990.
People over 65 buying a newly constructed home worth up to $600,000 are exempt from stamp duty. Aaron Gadiel, CEO of Urban Taskforce, suggests that this limit also should have been raised to reflect available new construction. "The abrupt cut-off at $600,000 is distorting housing supply," he says.

Transurban Responds on Kirkham Bridge Issue

I have received an excellent email from a senior manager in Transurban, and then had a long phone call with him, clarifying several issues, and offering to keep me informed of any changes. I am now authorised to publish on this blog anything I receive from Transurban. In return I have offered to post on this blog anything he wishes the local community to know.

Firstly, on the bridge - Transurban are currently authorised to impose single-lane working over the bridge while they are working on widening the spans of the bridge. They have not got approval for any full closure. However now that the project is approved and funded, detailed planning is under way, and that includes considering options that might shorten the period of disruption to locals. One option is to demolish and replace the bridge. But adopting such a disruptive option would require community consultation and a lengthy approval process. So there is no chance of the bridge being fully closed in January!

I am assured that pedestrian access through Chilworth Reserve will be maintained at all times except when specific hazardous work is taking place above. The construction park being assembled under the bridge will not close the footpath over the river.

Normal working hours will be day work except in existing approved places such as the widening of the Epping tunnel, and during work which has to be done at night such as applying asphalt to the finished road surface.

The promised (and mandated) advertising of contact numbers into the Transurban planners will appear in local newspapers this week or next week.

I am seeking clarification on some other issues, and if you need to know anything, or wish to publish your views on any aspect of the M2 widening project, feel free to contact me. Mobile 0417 215 774, or email peter.hewitt@raywhite.com.

Flood Prone Land in the Shire

The NSW Government has introduced a Flood Prone Land policy aiming to improve protection of life and property from threat of flood. Under this policy Hornsby Council has produced the Hornsby Overland Flow Study and Ray White Beecroft has been forwarding relevant letters from the Shire to landlords of affected properties. Draft Flood Planning Maps are available on the Shire website, http://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/.
Any contract for sale of a house listed on these maps as being Flood Prone will have that fact entered on the 149 certificate produced by the Shire.

Kirkham Bridge - the RTA Answer

I have obtained a very excellent and comprehensive response from the RTA describing their intentions. Unfortunately their response says:

This email, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential and intended for use by the addressee only.

So at this stage I can’t tell you what it says! All I will say is that the option of demolishing the bridge is being considered. If this concerns you, email the RTA yourself to enquire, at: enquiries@hillsm2upgrade.com.au

A key part of the email, which I am sure the RTA won't mind me telling everyone, is:

Once all potential options for lengthening the bridge have been reviewed and more information is available about the likely impacts associated with each option (including the required traffic management measures) this information will be shared with the community to obtain their feedback and comment prior to finalisation of the works program.

In my email I had asked for the timescale for that consultation period, but their response did not provide that information. I suggest we should now all be writing to advise the RTA, the NSW Government, and anyone else, of our concerns so these can be reflected in their review.

Project Approval for M2 Widening

This document is available on the HillsM2upgrade.com.au website. It makes no mention of any plans to disrupt road or pedestrian traffic across the Kirkham Road Bridge. One would like to think that is because there is no such plan.

The document requires extensive arrangements for public consultation, and no such arrangements seem yet to be in place. In this week's Northern District Times, the RTA advertises learner driver training, Hornsby Shire advertises a free chipping service, and City of Ryde sends us a reminder that we should be wearing a white ribbon today in support of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

As Sherlock Holmes would have noted, "the dog didn't bark"! If none of these advertisements by the key authorities involved notifies us that our community is about to be torn in two, then presumably we can give a sigh of relief and go back to our preparations for Christmas.

RWB Web Site Clocks 10,000 Visits

Some time today or tomorrow our company website, Raywhitebeecroft.com.au, will clock up its 10,000th visit. Of these:

• 4,200 were 'absolutely unique visitors'.
• 2,600 were 'loyal visitors' who have visited the site more than 50 times.

Of the visitors from abroad:

• 57 in UK,
• 43 in USA,
• 36 in New Zealand, and same in India,
• 15 or more from China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Brazil, and Canada.

Beware of Snakes in the Garden

The Australian Veterinary Association is warning that the wet spring and rising temperatures has made for a good snake breeding season. Pet owners in particular are warned to look out for the symptoms of snake bites on their animals. Signs to watch for are seizures, vomiting, bleeding, weakness in the limbs, and inability to move.

Renting to Save Your Home

An article in the Daily Telegraph suggests people with mortgage problems should rent out a spare room or even the entire house, rather than selling up.
Experts fear that the latest round of interest rate increases could cause thousands ot offload their homes. But RateCity CEO Damian Smith urged owners to consider alternatives to repossession or selling cheaply. He suggests that moving in with friends and renting together, while you rent out your property, could be a better solution than selling in a depressed market.
Given that there is felt to be little prospect of significant capital gains in the short term, it makes sense to take advantage of the tax breaks enjoyed by investors.

Kirkham Road Bridge To Go

I can find nothing on the RTA or Transurban websites to confirm this, but apparently there have been meetings with Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust and others where they have stated they are "considering the option" of demolishing the road bridge over the M2 between Murray Farm Road and Beecroft Road.
At the latest meeting apparently even the police said they knew nothing about the proposal. However I am told that other options like lane closures and providing a footbridge are not favoured by the RTA or Transurban, because of course they cost money.
However RTA has always said "Community consultation will be carried out before any decision is made", so concerned residents need to be ready to respond when invited.
One positive step would be for all concerned relatives to join the BCCT to increase the influence that body would have, and also to ensure that the BCCT expresses the wishes of a significant proportion of the local population.

Transurban get Finance for M2 Widening Project

Transurban has obtained $740 Million of loans to finance the M2 Widening Project now expected to begin next month. Commonwealth Bank, NAB, and four foreign banks provided the loans,which will also fund refinancing of $465M of existing debt and $275M of new debt.

Kirkham Bridge Roadworks Plans

All the vibes I am hearing indicate that, yes, Transurban does intend to demolish the bridge, because of course that is cheaper than modifying the existing bridge! They just bring in a new prefabricated bridge and put it in place overnight. But demolition of the old bridge, and activation of the new, could take weeks or months during which Beecroft residents would be put to enormous inconvenience.

The Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust is active on this issue, Greg Smith has arranged for Trust officers to meet with roads Minister David Borger to try to find out the truth, and to make community concerns clear. This blog will report back as soon as we hear the result. Meanwhile any concerned locals should join the BCCT in order to strengthen their voice in these issues!

NDT on Kirkham Road Bridge Part 2

This week the Northern District Times carried the letter from Michael Stove of the Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust on the issue of Transurban's intentions for the road bridge over the M2 between Murray Farm Road and Beecroft Road.

The article includes statements which could imply BCCT and I have over-reacted. But the statements are so ambiguous it shows there is a very real danger that we are right to be very concerned.

One statement is, "Transurban advises the start of major work is expected to commence in late 2010 and take two years to complete. It will be at least six months before a replacement bridge is constructed." Careful reading shows this to be pretty meaningless. It could mean "no action on the bridge is intended for six months", or it could mean that the old bridge will be demolished in January and could take a year or more to be replaced. We need to know which is closest to the truth in order that we can decide what protest action, if any, is appropriate.

The Transurban spokesman then said "no final decision had been made about whether the bridge would be reduced to one lane during upgrades." Does that mean the very worst proposal is to close one lane for some of the two years? If so, I don't have any big concern about that. Their Upgrade Environmental Assessment planning document said they had to "lengthen the bridge spans", which clearly might involve some disruption to traffic on the bridge. But I have been unable to find any hint in the UAE that this would involve significant disruption over a significant time.

NDT on Kirkham Road Bridge

Just over a week ago the Northern District Times carried an article saying Transurban and the RTA confirm that one option being considered is to reduce the Kirkham road bridge over the motorway to one lane for 20 months. Now we are hearing rumours that they are proposing to demolish the bridge entirely. And they say the new bridge will not be open "for at least six months", which could easily mean a year or more.
It just seems incredible that the NSW Government could have allowed the RTA to sign a contract without such enormously consequential issues being resolved.
As the Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust said, "Bridge demolition will divide Beecroft." Shops and businesses in Beecroft Shopping Village will be seriously affected, and lost business may never return even when the road bridge is reopened. What about all the school kids and commuters who use the bridge every morning and evening? Yet all the RTA says is, "the impact of the proposed bridge closure on local traffic is still being assessed."
Guys, listen up, it's not just impact on traffic that needs to be assessed!
And if after community consultation the RTA is forced to adopt a more expensive solution, can we be assured that Transurban will carry that extra cost? Or is there a clause in the contract that allows Transurban to pass such increases onto the taxpayer?

Rental Situation in NSW

All this year vacancy rates have been very low. But since the latest interest rate rise, we have seen a number of landlords planning to move back into their properties because of their difficult financial situation, and the prospect of continuing interest rate rises next year.
Landlords need to remember the tax breaks available for the rented property. Above all aim never to pay off the mortgage of the investment property, go for the maximum tax rebate. Given the present high purchase price of housing, people are being forced to rent, and vacancy rates are at an all time low. As a result, rents, and hence rental income, are rising rapidly, and this trend must continue until the extreme housing shortage is addressed.

Investment Seminar Success

Over 60 people attended Ray White Beecroft's Investment Seminar last night.
Speakers were from Ray White's Development Marketing group, and from the Ray White finance subsidiary LoanMarket. They explained how an investor can use rental income and tax breaks and deductions to finance an investment property, and how to use that income stream to pay off your own mortgage. Obviously a key lesson was, don't pay off the mortgage on your investment property - your loan should be 'interest only' to get the biggest tax break, whereas you should try to pay off your home mortgage and any other non-tax-deductable debts as quickly as possible.
As LoanMarket's speaker said, the government cannot afford to provide enough state funded housing, so instead they provide tax benefits to encourage the provision of rental housing by private investors. If you take advantage of these benefits, you are not just making money but also providing a family with a home. As the speaker said, just make sure you have Landlord Protection Policy (tax deductable of course) to cover the costs of a bad tenant.
On this basis, rising interest rates are good, because interest payments are tax deductable while property prices are influenced by inflation. But as the speaker said, above all you need good advice.

M2 Upgrade Working Hours

Given the uncertainty about Transurban's position on Kirkham Road Bridge, one whether we should be concerned by the statement that "The standard work hours for the sites would be between 7.00 am to 6.00 pm, Monday to Friday, and 8.00 am to 1.00 pm on Saturdays. For construction activities proposed to be undertaken along the M2 Motorway or accessed via the M2 Motorway, work may be undertaken outside of the standard hours to reduce the overall construction period, providing that the impact on the M2 Motorway capacity does not result in increased traffic on alternate routes. Proposed works such as the Norfolk Tunnel widening would generally extend outside standard hours."

Reading that paragraph with a jaundiced eye one sees that it is carte blanche for them to work 24 hours a day seven days a week, so long as the work "is along the M2 Motorway" and "reduces the overall construction period", and of course that covers the entire project.

Kirkham Bridge - What's the true story?

I was advised by the BCCT that Transurban intends to demolish the Kirkham road bridge.
However this is in direct contravention of the M2 Upgrade Environmental Assessment issued by the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority which specifically states:
Kirkham Street/Kirkham Street Bridge "During construction there would be one of two footpaths closed for the lengthening works at the each end. Temporary road crossing may be used to facilitate access."
That is hardly consistent with their newly reported intention to demolish the bridge and spend "at least six months" rebuilding it!

PEOPLE EMPOWERMENT

The recent uncertainty around the RTA's intentions for the Kirkham Road bridge between Murray Farm Road and Beecroft Road is a classical example of the topic of a People Empowerment address to be given on Monday 22 November at 7pm at the Asquith Leagues Club opposite Waitara Railway Station (north side).
Mr Hatton believes that community submissions have been ignored. Submissions have been used only to confirm that a form of community consultation has been undertaken. Community consultation meetings and submissions have become a waste of time to address community concerns from highly adverse community impacts from these projects. Community Groups lack the resources to undertake required legal action to expose the misuse of process to create the projects.
To discover a path to deal with the REPRESENTATION CRISIS arising from these main N-W Sydney issues you are invited to attend.

KIRKHAM BRIDGE TO BE DEMOLISHED?

Transurban advises "The start of major work is expected to commence in late 2010 and is expected to take approximately two years to complete. It will be at least 6 months before a replacement bridge is constructed."

As part of the M2 Upgrade, Transurban appears to have just announced that they might demolish the bridge joining Murray Farm Road to Beecroft Road! In the project plan, they specifically stated that they were not responsible for repairing the damaged surface of that bridge, because the bridge belonged to Hornsby Shire. The implication from them not saying more is that, at that stage, they planned no work on the bridge. Obviously residents of Beecroft are now waiting to find out what actually is intended.

Short Term Lease Available in Cheltenham

Ray White Beecroft is looking for a tenant for a house in Cobran Road Cheltenham, a delightful 6 bedroom house, but it's only available until the end of February.
This is the sort of place that would suit someone who has sold one home and does not have immediate access to another home.
Contact Nicole Simmonds on 9479 8444.

CBA Strategy

An interesting article in today's SMH says that the Commonwealth Bank intends to use Wizard and Aussie Home Loans as their equivalent of Jetstar. The Commonwealth Bank acquired both those cheap lenders when they collapsed under the Global Financial Crisis. On that basis Commonwealth can "do a Qantas" and pull the costs and attractiveness of the big four banks up as high as they like, and make their profit out of their cheaper branches. Big business at its best.

Interest Rate battle "gets personal"

The SMH reports that the Treasurer Wayne Swan has phoned bank bosses directly to vent his anger over rate rises. Joe Hockey responds that the government can huff and puff all it wants but the bottom line is that the banks are treating the Australian government with the same contempt that they show the Australian people.

The Council of Small Business Organisations proposed single bank account numbers so customers can more easily shift accounts from one bank to another, in the same way the telecos were forced to allow people to retain their phone numbers when they switched suppliers.

However until banks are prohibited from charging unjustifiable mortgage exit fees, it remains impossible for a customer profitably to move a mortgage to another bank just to benefit from a slightly lower interest rate. It seems to me it's those UMEFs that need to be banned.

In July 2010 the ASIC released a consultation paper on new laws regulating mortgage early exit fees which are unconscionable or unfair. Under the National Credit Code, early exit fees which are unconscionable can be annulled or reduced by a court. Under the Australian Consumer Law, an unfair term requiring an early exit fee to be paid can be declared void. ASIC also has a number of new enforcement powers under the new consumer law provisions in the Australian Securities and Investment Commission Act 2001 (ASIC Act). But it all boils down to the fact that to take your mortgage to another bank the exit fee must be less than the benefit from the reduced interest rate. That needs exit fees far less than those "unconscionable or unfair" fees covered by present regulations. Rather, the banks should only be allowed to charge exit fees that match the actual provable cost of transfering your mortgage.

Unpopular Guttering Faces Inspection

In the Sydney Morning Herald today there is an article about substandard guttering, a topic I blogged about in July.

The article quotes a spokesperson for the Office of Fair Trading as saying high-fronted guttering was "not a big issue". However amongst the properties that Ray White Beecroft manages I have personally seen several where incorrectly installed high-fronted guttering is causing significant structural damage to the house. In one case we had to advise the owner to have a complete set of guttering replaced. I can't believe this a bizarre Beecroft-only problem, and I am sure the owners to whom I have reported these problems would consider it a very big issue!
This photo shows a typical problem installation at one of our rental properties. The high front of the guttering looks really nice.


But this type of gutter is meant to be installed with a space at the rear for overflowing water to run down the front of the house.



As you can see from underneath, there is no gap, so overflow water floods into the structure of the house.







And here you see the early symptoms of the result.



The NSW government has finally set up an 'independent review into allegations of widespread structural damage being caused to homes'.
Greens MP John Kaye says Fair Trading Minster Virginia Judge stacked the advisory committee with people with strong industry and Labour connections. One of the review members is from the NSW Housing Industry Association, which represents manufacturers of high-fronted gutters. Hopefully he will point out the correct way to install these elegant gutters and ensure the review recommends serious action against builders who don't do it correctly.

RWB Beats all for Sales in October

In October Ray White Beecroft sold properties in Beecroft and Cheltenham worth a total of well over $4M, more than twice that of any other agency.

Sam White's Response to the Interest Rate Rise

We received the following text from Ray White head office:

2nd November 2010

Today's decision underlines why a resource rent tax is necessary. It is grossly unfair that the rest of the community is paying higher interest rates because the mining sector is strong.

I was surprised by today's announcement. Many businesses and consumers are doing it tough. Live transaction data from October is showing activity in both the property and finance markets have cooled significantly, proving that the recent jawboning by the RBA is having its effect.

Penalising Australian families for mining booms whilst leaving the mining industry unaffected is plainly wrong. The two political parties claim to represent Australian families. If that is true, it's time they started acting and stop procrastinating and causing unnecessary negative impact on the interest rate an Australian pays for their mortgage.

Regards
Sam White
Executive Chairman

Our dog Binzi came into the Ray White Beecroft office to watch the cup!

Seven Sales in Seven Weeks

Where the other local agencies are having a bad time, Ray White Beecroft has done incredibly well. In October we sold five properties in the Beecroft Cheltenham area, at Norwood Ave, Cardinal Ave, Hannah St, Beecroft Rd and Grace Ave, more than any other agency.
Now of course we need more listings to keep our sales team going!
Same with rentals, after letting 13 properties in the last two months we, and our many would-be renters, are desperate for more rental properties.

Next Meeting of BOB

The next meeting of Businesses of Beecroft will be in Cafe Long Shot 08:30 am Tuesday 2 Nov.

Beecroft has run out of Rental properties!

The desperate shortage of rental stock in the Beecroft and Cheltenham area has reached what is probably an all time low. In early October only an already-low eight rental properties were listed in the papers, four of those eight being with Ray White Beecroft. We leased the last one of those four last Friday, so now have nothing left and lots of enquiries from would be renters.

Beecroft/Cheltenham Prices Rose Last Year

Last weekend Australian Property Monitors reported median price rises for Sydney suburbs over the year to 30 September. Beecroft rose 4.9%, Cheltenham rose 8.2%. Not spectacular, but well above the average for Sydney suburbs. For all of the 73 Upper North Shore suburbs, only Marsfield (13.6%) did better than Cheltenham, and only eight did better than Beecroft.

When evaluating Median Price Rises, it is important to know what building and renovating took place in the suburb during the period. For instance maybe Marsfield had a complete new development of very expensive houses come on the market and sell during the year. This would increase the median price of properties sold, but would not affect the sale expectation for any existing house there.

But with Beecroft and Cheltenham there is no very obvious factor influencing the good result other than that it is an increasingly popular area to live.

Sydney Vendors need to get wise on Prices

"Vendors need to get wise on Prices," said Jonathan Chancellor, Property Editor of the Sydney Morning Herald. "Prices are not necessarily going up, and probably will not for some time." Later in his article he says "Vendors typically now have to trim 6.3% from their asking prices to sell their homes."

Apparently average time to sell has increased to 76 days.

Auctions certainly result in quicker sales, not because the property sells at auction (it often sells before or is passed in and sells soon after) but because the aution process educates the vendor about market interest and attracts a lot of prospective buyers who like to go to auctions, also to ascertain market values.

Of the seven properties Ray White Beecroft sold in the last seven weeks, four were sold around auctions, with time to sell of 16, 37, 35, and 30 days, an average of 29.5 days!

Price Growth Stalls

The quarterly housing price report of Australian Property Monitors shows property price growth slowed markedly across all capital cities. Sydney and Melbourne were the only two cities to record any rise in median house price during the September quarter - Sydney's rise was 0.7%, Melbourne 1.2%.
Anthony Ishac writes in The SMH property magazine that the outlook is for prices to remain flat or fall slightly for the rest of the year.
It was in this context that Ray White Beecroft recorded seven house sales in seven weeks, significantly better than any other local agency.

Domestic Solar Installations Cost Blowout

There are some good posts on this issue in propertynews.beecroft, I won't repeat them here.

Wider M2 will drive deeper into motorist's wallets

Alexandra Smith of the SMH responds to the news that the RTA has signed a contract for the M2 widening project by emphasising the increase in road tolls that will result. Total tolls to go from Windsor to the city will be more than $20 a day, to which must be added cost of petrol, parking, and running cost of your car. If only a railway option was available, I suspect most commuters would take it! The M2 contract extends the duration of the tolls from 2042 to 2046, long after the north-west rail link should be operational. Kristina promised in February that the rail will be operational in 2024. The extra tolls should encourage people to use the new train.

The Roads Minister David Borger says the project would cut about 15 minutes off a trip from Blacktown to Lane Cove, but the M2 eastbound currently runs freely most of the day, so the extra lane won't make any difference to those journeys. The road is only at a standstill during the morning rush, and it is not obvious how turning a two lane car park into a three lane carpark will result in specifically a fifteen minute shorter trip.

At least everyone is now finally agreed on the north-west rail link!

M2 Widening to Start!

It's just been announced that work is to start this year on the widening of the M2 motorway in Sydney's north-west and the motorway's tolls are going up to pay for it.
The Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) and the M2's operator Hills Motorway signed the project contacts today.
The $550 million upgrade will see four new on and off ramps constructed and the road widened so it is three lanes for its entire length.
The Roads Minister David Borger says the toll will go up to about $6 each way.

Trampoline sold in two hours!

We put this advert about a trampoline in our digital window displays, and less than two hours later someone walking in the Module saw it, and came in to ask for it.
This demonstrates that people certainly do watch the Ray White Beecroft windows!
And of course we saved the owner the cost of having the trampoline removed.

RWB sells Seven Properties in Seven Weeks

Ray White Beecroft has just sold seven properties, in Cheltenham Rd, Old Beecroft Rd, Copeland Rd E, Norwood Ave, Cardinal Ave, Beecroft Rd, and Grace Ave, in the space of seven weeks.

In the same period our Property Management department leased twelve properties!

Mould Busting - all part of our service

Ray White Beecroft's property management department does more than just collect rent. We try to provide a full service for our owners.

One problem that arises from time to time is damp in houses, resulting in mould. We had such a problem in a house early this year, after the February rain storms. We sent in various contractors and out of a number of recommendations we decided fitting two whirlygigs in the roof space, total $440 including GST by Peter Kingsley Plumbing, was likely to be the most cost effective solution.

The heavy rain last week was a good test, and to our delight, and that of our tenant and landlord, there is today no trace of damp or mould anywhere in the house.

The nice thing about having such a large rent roll is that we get to tackle this sort of problem often enough to be able to sort out the claims of competing contractors with different proprietary systems or techniques. In another house, we contemplated fitting whirlygigs but concluded this problem was totally different. The damp seemed to be emanating from below, an unventilated teenager's shower downstairs close to the laundry with a clothes drier with no extraction fan. That was over a year ago, and the remedial actions we took there seem to have been totally successful, without whirlygigs.

Also today I have been addressing swimming pool, storm drain, and fence problems, and chasing up gardeners. All in a day's work and all at no cost to our landlords!

Beecroft Primary School Multicultural Fair

Beecroft Primary School Multicultural Fair is taking place on Saturday 30 October, betweeen 11am - 4pm, on the junction of Beecroft & Copeland Roads, Beecroft.

A huge range of stalls, activities and entertainment for the whole family.

Attractions include:
International food Fair
Chocolate Fountain
Lucky Dips
Plants
Gift Baskets
$1000’s in prizes to be won!

Your vision for the future of Hornsby Shire

Do you have a vision for the future of Hornsby Shire?
Have your say to Council, before 28 October next, and go in the draw to win free movie tickets.

Hornsby Shire Council wants your views on transport, employment opportunities, safety and everyday experiences of living in Hornsby Shire.

Click on https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Our_Community to complete the survey. Your responses will help inform the Hornsby Shire Community Plan 2010-2020 and provide service priorities for the future.

Hornsby Housing Strategy for Beecroft

Hornsby Shire exhibited their Development Control Plan last month, covering the 5 storey rezoning of the Beecroft Shopping Village.

The Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust advised Councillors of the Trust’s concerns, as follows:

1. An array of site design options from the Residential Flat Design Code, [NSW Planning] underlying SEPP65, have not been embraced
2. The DCP will have some prescriptive controls, but is still essentially merit-based
3. Minimum lot sizes do not appear to have been defined in LEP or DCP materials, and that appears a notable oversight
4. Building envelopes are not well defined, despite recent resident concerns at Chapman Avenue East (north side)
5. It seems any control will be only height and number of storeys; if so, height will be a development standard, subject to SEPP 1 objection, opening up the possibility of higher intensity development
6. Linkages in the town centre seem opaque, & reflect little pedestrian/ traffic planning, needed for survival of a vibrant village centre
7. Heritage AS zoning in adjoining and subject residential areas have not been respected
8. Indicative parking options are not well defined; multilevel at Wongala Crescent car-park should be addressed
9. The published DCP format is reader-unfriendly for residents who are not versed in town planning.

Investment Seminar

The Ray White Northern Districts group is hosting another Investment Information Night, on 9 November at The Epping Club, 45-47 Rawson Street Epping, 7.00 pm for a 7:15 start. The aim of the information night is to show you how to identify, purchase, finance and rent the best investment opportunities nationally, from your local office.

Do you know all you need to know about: Stamp Duty exemptions? Maximising borrowing power? The three entities that should be helping you pay off your investment loans?

If not, you should come along. All you MUST do is register beforehand, as soon as possible, because seats are limited and will be given to the early applicants. Please phone Peter Raco of Ray White Beecroft on 0434 222 820, or call our office on 9479 8444 to register.

Honest ethical transparent behaviour

Our website, raywhitebeecroft.com.au, includes Lydia Merrill's commitment "I insist on honest ethical transparent behaviour by all my staff", and we try to select contractors consistent with that business principle.

Recently one of our cleaning contractors walked in with a thick bundle of cash wrapped in an elastic band! He had found it while cleaning an empty house that Ray White Beecroft was preparing for rent. We contacted the owner and his response was that his mother had been in the habit of leaving money around in secret spots. Needless to say, we will give that cleaner lots more work!

Australian Homes are Too Large

Mathew Quinn, MD of home builder Stockland, says governments and consumers were demanding houses that are too big, cost too much, and take too long to build. This is locking middle and lower income families out of the market.
New Australian houses are averaging 83 sqm per person, compared to 78 in USA, 33 in Japan, and 32 in Britain. No wonder then that our houses are so much more expensive than those in other countries!
Mr Quinn expressed concern about the difficulty of getting planning permission to build on lots of under 450 sqm. Of 17 sites his company was developing in Queensland, only three had approval for lot sizes under 300 sqm. He feels this is a deliberate policy to prevent those on lower incomes from being able to buy houses.

Reverse Cycle or Gas Heating?

With summer on us, we are being asked about fitting central heating systems to several of our houses. One of them already has a gas heating system, and someone suggested removing the gas heater and replacing it with a reverse cycle system, claiming running costs would be less.

However Murray Keller of Combined Heating and Cooling said, absolutely not! He recommended fitting an electic cooling system to the present gas heater, which would be a more expensive solution in the short term but much more effective and cheaper to run.

I asked him to explain and what he said made a lot of sense. Reverse cycle systems are heat pumps. When it's hot inside your house, they suck heat from your house and blow it outside. When it's cold inside your house, they suck heat from outside, and blow it into your house.

When it's hot there is lots of heat to pump, so the system is very effective. When the temperature outside is, say, 15 degrees C, the pump can work efficiently either way.

But when the outside temperature falls below, say, 10 degrees there just is not enough energy available for the heat pump to suck heat out from the atmosphere to blow into your house. In the ultimate the system goes into Defrost Mode and shuts down.

Running costs of the reverse cycle system in cooling mode are admittedly lower when it's warm, but the cost rises rapidly as the outside air temperature falls, at the same time as the system becomes increasingly ineffective.

Food for thought. After reflection, I will be advising the owner to go for the added cooling unit!

Sold at Auction, Norwood Avenue

More happy customers. Well done Carmel Stewart.

M2 Upgrade Project Report

Ray White Beecroft alerted local residents to the 5-storey rezoning plan for the Beecroft Shopping Village. Despite overwhelming local opposition (see my blog of 21 July), Hornsby Shire kept the Village in their rezoning plan which will be gazetted soon.

A 2 year $550 Million dollar project is about to start to widen the M2 as it passes through Beecroft and Cheltenham. The M2 Upgrade Submissions and Preferred Project Report is available at http://www.hillsm2upgrade.com.au/. It's a 277 page document. If you don't want to read it all, here are some excerpts of special interest to Beecroft residents:

Pages 82: "Hornsby Shire Council noted that access to some bush walking tracks would be restricted in areas where the walking tracks pass below the M2 Motorway bridge structure, including under Terrys Creek and Devlins Creek. Provision of alternative paths would not be possible as work sites under these bridges would cover the entire area."

Page 85: "As per recent correspondence (dated 13 November 2009) between the RTA and Hornsby Shire Council, the Kirkham Street overbridge road approaches were constructed by Hills M2 and handed over to Hornsby Shire Council in 1997 in accordance with the requirements of the original Project Deed. Maintenance and repair of the road surface is currently the responsibility of Hornsby Shire Council. Repairs to Kirkham Road bridge are not part of the project."

Page 153 "The comments about the walkway to Beecroft station appear to relate to the path under the M2 Motorway linking Allerton Road to Chilworth Recreation Reserve. Wherever possible the M2 Upgrade project would maintain existing pedestrian access arrangements during construction. However, the path under the motorway viaduct over Devlins Creek near Chilworth Reserve may need to temporarily close during construction for safety reasons. Due to topography, limited space and physical work requirements it may not be possible to maintain safe pedestrian access through this area during construction."

Page 196 "Community consultation and submissions received in response to the public exhibition of the environmental assessment have highlighted concerns over the need for vegetation clearing near the Murray Farm Road overbridge, along the southern side of the M2 Motorway. In response to these concerns, and issues raised in relation to noise wall locations during construction, the design of the M2 Upgrade project at this location was reviewed and amended. The amended design generally shifts upgrade works to the north of the M2 Motorway, and removes the need for vegetation clearing to the south."

Page 233 "The design of the M2 Motorway Upgrade project around the Kirkham Street/Murray Farm Road overbridge has been reviewed, and an alternative design developed to shift carriageway widening works from the south to the north of the M2 Motorway. Compared with the original design presented in the environmental assessment, the alternative design would result in a significant reduction in vegetation clearing, a reduction in the length of noise walls affected during construction works, and would remove the need for works to be undertaken within Devlins Creek and surrounding riparian areas."

Page 239: "Construction areas for the amended design can, in most cases, be accessed directly from the M2 Motorway. The key exception is widening of Kirkham Street/Murray Farm Road overbridge, which would require access off Murray Farm Road/Kirkham Street. Final access routes would be established based on detailed design and construction methodologies, and while some limited access to local roads may be required, heavy vehicle movements along local roads would be significantly less than envisaged for the original design. As a consequence, the potential for traffic noise impacts associated with construction vehicles using local roads would be significantly reduced."

The plan to use Allerton Road for construction access into Chilworth Reserve has been dropped, they will instead use the northern access as proposed by Michael Stove in the submission by the Beecroft / Cheltenham Civic Trust.

Great cocktail party, great art show!

On Friday 24 Sep, Ray White Beecroft sponsored a cocktail party and art show on behalf of the Lions Club of Beecroft / Cheltenham. There was a tremendous turnout from the local populace. Here Douglas Macarthur is seen serving champagne to Greg Smith, our local MP.

This is just one corner of the art show, in two rooms of the Module, organised and curated by Sharon Aldrick, Ray White Beecroft's talented marketing manager. Sharon is a professional photographer and featured some of her works.

NDT write-up of new property

Ray White Beecroft's new listing "Glanis Gerraween" had a front cover photograph and a full page editorial in the Northern District Times. Not surprisingly, as the house hasa great history and a great character. Built in 1936 in Art Deco style, the double brick house is on about 850 sqm of land.

The house is scheduled for auction on Saturday 9 October, if not sold prior.

Sold on the Day of the Auction

Another happy Ray White Beecroft customer! The brand new house didn't reach reserve during the actual auction, but after some negotiation with the highest bidder after the auction an agreement was reached that delighted the vendor. Peter Raco had a personal interest in the property, because for a long time we had managed the

little old cottage that was on the land before this beautiful new house was built.

Business is Blooming!

Spring auction clearance rates in Sydney are 65%, down from last year but higher than the average for the last four months.
On 9 September our website, raywhitebeecroft.com.au, clocked up its highest number of daily visitors since we started the website in June last year.
From information received recently we can confirm that Douglas Macarthur is the top selling individual real estate salesperson based in Beecroft/Cheltenham for the period 1 Jan to 31 August.

Back from Holiday

Lydia Merrill has been on holiday for the last three weeks in France, including a week driving a 45ft boat up the Canal du Midi.
As a welcome home present, Douglas presented her with the current list of properties available for sale, showing that Ray White Beecroft now has more listings than Raine & Horne.

Successful Property Investment Seminar

In an earlier blog I mentioned that Ray White Beecroft had organised a free Property Investment Seminar for our clients.
That seminar took place last night, and the Investment division of Ray White Corporate gave a very informative presentation to a group of Ray White Beecroft clients, with thoughts on how to use property investment to build personal wealth. The key to their recommendations was that if you can't afford to buy the house of your dreams to live in, you should rent whatever you can afford, and buy a property to rent out. And don't go for a cheap investment property with low rent, you should buy well and get a good rent from the investment, with all the associated tax breaks.
We will hold a repeat of the seminar in three months or so. It's free, but is restricted to people who are on our database. If you want to learn more, contact Douglas Macarthur on 0408 817 239.

France selling Property to reduce debt

Interesting consequence of the GFC is that the French government is selling Australian property to reduce their $2.1 TRILLION national debt. In November they sold a house in Bellevue Hill for $23 MILLION, after buying it 50 years ago for $26 THOUSAND.
Now they have put a property another Bellevue Hill house for an estimated $6M, fifteen years after buying it for $3.75M.

BCCT Silent on M2 Widening

The August 2010 bulletin of the Beecroft and Cheltenham Civic Trust provides an interesting history of the origins of Chilworth Recreation Reserve. The bulletin explains how in 1997, in response to massive public protests largely instigated and coordinated by the Civic Trust, the route of the M2 had been modified "to avoid destroying the park".

Perhaps more importantly, the carriageway over the park was deliberately split into two separate three-lane carriageways, to allow sunlight down into the space under the road. Here you can see how well that worked. My dog Binzi is standing under the city-bound carriageway, where the sun doesn't reach and the soil is of course barren. But in between the two concrete strips the greenery flourishes so this remains a very pleasant walk.

It is therefore rather surprising that the BCCT's August newsletter on the topic doesn't explain that Transurban propose to fill in this gap, and to extend the west-bound carriageway's width, to turn the overpass into a monster ten lane highway - a bicycle lane, three car lanes, and a bus lane, each way!

Compared to the outrage in 1997, described so comprehensively by the Beecroft Cheltenham History Group in this bulletin, one has to assume the present apathy of locals is more due to lack of information than anything else. Why isn't the BCCT out there telling people of what is about to come, instead of just publishing the decade-old history of the park?

Their website says "The BCCT has been very active in informing the 2119 residents about the forthcoming M2 upgrade. We have informed people via our newsletter and also we targetted a letter to all residents living adjacent to the M2" yet this latest bulletin contains only a history lesson. All their latest bulletin says on the future is "The 2010 proposed widening of the M2 means further impacts on the adjacent bushland and nearby households." I would have said, to use the BCCT History Group's own words, the proposed M2 widening project will destroy the Reserve.

PS added Jan 2011: I am now pleased to see that the BCCT has started its own blog and is addressing M2 and other issues there.

Property Investment Information Evening

Ray White Beecroft is pleased to invite you to a free Property Investment Information Evening on Tuesday 7 September, with guest speakers provided by Ray White Corporate.
Talks will be on topics like:
Stamp duty exemption for investors
Industry statisics and market trends
How to profit from changing trends in locations and property types
Maximizing borrowing power
Purchasing property through superannuation
The property clock and Area Hot Spots
How to use tax to assist wealth creation and financial security
Showcase of new projects and investment opportunities.
Contact our office for details and to book a seat. You are welcome to bring friends, but you must register in advance.

Gala Auction Day 4 September

Douglas Macarthur of Ray White Beecroft is organising a Gala Auction Day to be held at the Beecroft Bowling Club, morning of 4 September. Registration for bidding will be open from 9am, bidding will start at 09:30, and the event should be over by 10:30.
Those who list for the event with Ray White Beecroft before 7 August will receive discounted advertising and free promotion.
Contact Douglas (0408 87 239), or the office (9479 8444) for details.

Hornsby Housing Strategy for Beecroft

If you want to read Council's findings on the submissions sent by residents of Beecroft and Cheltenham, go to Part 4 of
https://businesspapers.hornsby.councilsonline.com.au/Open/2010/PL_07072010_AGN.PDF

It includes:
"A total of 3,341 submissions were received during the exhibition period, including individually written letters or emails, form letters and petitions. Submissions raised objections to the Strategy (or aspects of the Strategy), provided constructive feedback on how it could be improved, indicated support for the Strategy and suggested other precincts for inclusion. The attached Housing Strategy Volume 3a - Report on Submissions 2010 provides a summary of submissions. The report does not attempt to capture all of the information put forward in submissions. The report focuses on providing an overview of submissions, along with a snapshot of the reasoning, key local issues identified and suggestions made. A copy of all submissions (including late submissions received up until 14 May 2010) has previously been provided to Councillors. The major reasons for objection to the amended Strategy continue to be traffic generation, impacts on character/streetscape and uncertainty surrounding the provision of infrastructure."

And it concludes, for Beecroft, "no change", ie to be rezoned for 5 storey mixed development.

An analysis of submissions received is at:
http://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/uploads/documents/Housing_Strategy_Attachment_2.1.pdf
for an overall summary, in which it says only 2% of submissions were in favour of the proposal, which should be a message to the people driving this push to swamp Sydney with multi-storey housing.

Individual precinct analyses, including for Beecroft, are at
http://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/uploads/documents/Housing_Strategy_Attachment_2.2.pdf
and record that, for Beecroft, 443 form letters and 168 individual letters were received.

Of the individual letters relating to Beecroft, 13% (ie 20 letters) were in favour, 4% suggested alterations and 83% (140 letters) were against. Of the 443 form letters received only 3 (less than 1%) supported the proposal but say heritage should be preserved. Of the rest, the report records key issues were parking, traffic, character and infrastructure. So of the 611 submissions, 95% were against the proposal, but apparently that wasn't enough to influence the council.

The final paper
http://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/uploads/documents/Housing_Strategy_Attachment_2.3.pdf
includes submissions from Greg Smith and others and descriptions of the publicity methods used.

Ray White Beecroft Emails

In an earlier blog I warned that Ray White Beecroft had lost our email system during the power failure on 7 July. We reverted to a backup email system while the relevant databases were restored on our server, and have only just put everything back to normal operation.

In the process we may have lost some incoming emails dated after 6 July, or not responded promptly to some emails, for which we apologise and ask you please to contact us if you think this has happened to you.

Fortunately our Disaster Recovery system, with frequent automatic back-ups onto hard disks, and frequent cycling of physical hard disks to ensure a recent copy of all our information is always stored off site, is working fine. No actual information (property details, transactions, letters, etc) was lost.

Hot Idea for House Buyers - Bento for IPad.

I found the following on the Bento website, purporting to be from a young first-home buyer:

"It's easy to get overwhelmed when you're buying your first home. There are dozens of factors to consider: Neighborhood, price, square footage, year built, lot size, repair issues, landscaping—the list goes on and on. That's why first-time homebuyer Jessica Fonseca turned to Bento for iPhone to organize it all. “With Bento for iPhone, I can have all the information in one place. When my husband or Realtor talks to me about a house we've looked at, all the information is right there on my iPhone. It makes the whole process a lot easier to deal with and it was extremely simple to set up."

One interesting point made about IPads (I just bought mine!) is that it is easy to hand an IPad around at a meeting, whereas laptops are cumbersome, usually run out power during the meeting and need to be plugged into the wall, and can only be seen by those sitting directly in front of it. I am setting my IPad up so I can store all our rental and sale properties on it for use during home opens, appraisals, and other real estate activities.

Foreign Buyers Spooked

So says Sydney Morning Herald's Business Day, suggesting that overseas fund managers are concerned about the sustainability of a surge in prices over the past year. A survey in The Economist assesses Australian property as being the most over-valued of the twenty countries it tracks in Europe, Asia, and North America.
Mr Johnson, banking analyst for CLSA, is quoted as saying the catalyst for a meaningful correction in Australian house prices woud be rising interest rates, rather than unemployment. Interesting times!

Landlords' Expo

Nearly 150 people attended Ray White Northern District's Landlords' Expo on Monday night, to hear speeches from a range of property management specialists.

Nick Vrabac, CTTT Deputy Chairman Determinations, gave an excellent presentation on the workings of the Tenancy Tribunal - 50,000 hearings a year! Unasked, he explained one thing has always puzzled me. Why are we not allowed to send eviction notices by registered mail? The answer is that the law allows us to assume a normal letter will arrive within four days. To prove they didn't receive it the tenant must explain what happened to the letter while it was in the possession of the post office! With a registered letter, the tenant must actively receive and sign for the letter, and let's face, which tenant in arrears and anticipating an eviction notice would sign for a registered letter from the estate agent? And if they don't sign for it, it's not been received!

Auction Cancelled - Property Sold Prior

Ray White Beecroft advise that the auction due Saturday 17th July at 34 Austral Avenue is cancelled, the property sold Friday afternoon.

Landlord Expo 19 July

Ray White Beecroft, as part of the Ray White Northern Suburbs group, is pleased to offer landlords the chance to attend a Landlord Expo, in Stamford Macquarie Park, on 19 July at 6:45 pm. Several guest speakers will provide talks on issues of vital importance to landlords, such as your rights and obligations, improving your asset value, and optimising finance.

If you want to attend, contact us at 9479 8444.

House Auction Clearance Rates Latest

According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, auction clearance rates this weekend were 49%, the poorest result for 18 months. Another statistic of note was the increase in "sales prior", indicating that vendors recognise the market stalling and are keen to sign up to a sale. So this must be a good time for canny buyers to get in with offers!
But Australian Property Monitors gives more detail than did the SMH summary, showing that while the auction clearance rates over the weekend were down considerably in Melbourne and Brisbane, those in Sydney and Adelaide showed modest gains.
That fits in with viewing statistics on the Ray White Beecroft web site raywhitebeecroft.com.au which registered more hits last week than for a long time, so there is still lots of interest out there in the upper and middle markets of Sydney property.

Gutter problems

High-fronted gutters look nice but damage your house! Housing NSW admits it no longer uses these gutters on new projects because overflowing water runs back into the house causing all sorts of damage.

Penthouse bargain

A luxury penthouse just sold for $7.5m, had sold in 2008 for $10m. Agents blame the slowdown in high end sales on the economy and a glut of luxury penthouses.

Should Fences Be Dog Proof?

How about this for a newly fitted fence, with a gap so large the owner has had to fit chickenwire to stop her dog (or small children!) from escaping.

The question is, are there standards for how a fence should be fitted? The quotation from the supplier gives details of length, height, materials, even penalties the company will impose if the owner "impedes start of work". It even includes 7 year warranty on workmanship. But nothing about whether it would, or should, be dog-proof.
Ray White Beecroft manages one of the properties involved, whose owner consented to have the fence installed. We tried to discuss this with the fence company involved, but they refused to discuss it. Their contract was with the owner of the house on the other side.

Power and Emails Out

Due to a fire in a local power substation, Beecroft had a widespread power loss overnight, restored mid morning.
As a result Ray White Beecroft lost emails for a while. Bear with us while we restore everything.

Chilwell Reserve Access for M2 Widening

The M2 Widening Project intends to build a construction site underneath the flyovers in Chilwell Recreation Reserve. They are proposing to get access to it by building an access path down from the end of Allerton Road, with a forecast of something over ten trucks a day through the two year construction period!
I often use Chilwell Reserve to walk my dog, and I hate the thought of this. I also hate the idea of all those heavy trucks lumbering down Murray Farm Road and into Allerton.
I was therefore pleased to see the Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust submission on the proposed M2 widening, in which they advocate that the project should use the existing access way on the north side of the carriageway, built for the original M2 build, instead of Allerton Road. This photo shows the end of this access path, between the M2 and the golf course, which would allow trucks to access the construction site direct from Pennant Hills Road.


I would love to know the Project's intentions for permitting continued use of Chilwell Reserve through the construction period. I presume a protected passageway will be maintained to permit public passage under the viaducts. But so far I haven't found any specifics on this. If any of my readers can clarify this, please email me or call in at Ray White Beecroft.

House Price Forecast

The General Manager of APM, Anthony Ishac, reported a fall in auction value last weekend to $120M from $213M the previous weekend - although this is still well up on last year when auctions raised just $98M. Mr Ishac expects prices to continue to rise, but in single digits, "not as manic as we have seen in the last 12 months".

Renovation Fast-track

NSW State Government is proposing to introduce fast-track approval for people wanting to convert attics and basements into extra rooms. Instead of going through the normal council DA process, a 10-day approval process will be put in place.

Great Auction

The lovely house at 15 Wandeen Avenue was auctioned today, with 150 people present and 15 registered bidders.

Four people bid, one making a first bid of $1.2M before the auctioneer Ben Mitchell had finished speaking! The other three then fought it out through another 75 bids to the final price which was well above reserve. Douglas Macarthur and Ben worked the crowd for over half an hour before the final bid.