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!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
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.
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.
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!
In the same period our Property Management department leased twelve properties!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, October 18, 2010
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!
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!
Friday, October 15, 2010
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.
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.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
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!
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!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
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.
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.
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