Northern Beaches Council has voted to sell the former Pittwater Council warehouse in Warriewood to improve its financial position.
Before the amalgamation of Manly, Pittwater, and Warringah councils to form Northern Beaches Council, Pittwater Council purchased the warehouse at Unit 9, 5 Vuko Place, Warriewood to be used as an investment and for staff offices.
The unit has been leased to various stakeholders over time, most recently the Peninsula Bridge Club, who are using it as an in-between home until their permanent spot at Warriewood Valley Community Centre is ready later this year. Council also use part of Unit 9 for storage.
Within the same property, Northern Beaches Council also owns levels one to three, which accommodate Council administration staff. At this stage, Council is only selling off Unit 9 (the warehouse). This was ultimately approved at last Tuesday’s meeting by a majority of councillors, with Crs Sunny Singh, Vince De Luca, Miranda Korzy and Kristyn Glanville against.
While the Council sees this as improving its financial position by selling under-utilised assets, not all are pleased.
Prior to Council’s February meeting, Protect Pittwater Association, a group lobbying to reinstate Pittwater Council, protested the selling off, what they called, a Pittwater asset.
“Unit 9 could be refurbished for widespread community use,” Anna Maria Monticelli, Protect Pittwater Association’s Secretary told Manly Observer.
“There are many resident groups looking for space.”
However, when we spoke to the Peninsula Bridge Club, while grateful for a home for their Club until their permanent space becomes available, they noted the facility is in a light-industrial complex. The warehouse also has accessibility issues, with no lifts.
The suitability of the venue for community groups was debated at the Council meeting before the eventual vote to sell the property.
Where do the funds go?
Protect Pittwater raised concerns that the sell-off of Unit 9 reinforced a pattern of Pittwater-generated dollars being sent south with few dollars spent making its way back to the Pittwater community.
“The problem is the sale money goes into general revenue to prop up problems in other council wards, and we are left the poorer,” Ms Monticelli explained.
The funds from the sale will be placed into a dedicated financial reserve that will be used for community infrastructure, environmental acquisitions, and commercial development projects.
It’s all linked in with the rate rise that was agreed to last year (you can dive deep into that here). Council has a formal agreement with IPART to build this reserve to $10 million within the next five years to reduce pressure on rates, provide alternative funding sources for priority community outcomes and ensure money generated from property assets is reinvested into the community rather than absorbed into general revenue.
“Council saying they need to find $10 million is just an excuse to release land and assets to developers while at the same time destroying natural habitat,” Ms Monticelli claimed.
“Pittwater is an environmentally sensitive area. We can’t be used to prop up economic mismanagement by a bloated council.
“Why not slim down a fat bureaucracy that is expensive and inefficient?
“Bigger councils are not more efficient in the community.”
The proposed sale value of Unit 9 cannot be disclosed to ensure this doesn’t negatively impact the upcoming real estate sale campaign.
Council also did not disclose if they have a list, or what Council property is to be sold next. However, all final decisions to sell a Council property would be a decision for councillors.
