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| Friday 11 April 2008 |
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Since I last wrote I have had one life moment that many fear and others celebrate. I turned 40 last week and despite some hesitation as it loomed - I have to tell you I feel... well... fine!! There has been the odd moment of a sideways glance at red sports cars, brochures on skydiving or even learning to salsa but somehow this was fleeting. I have decided to embrace the change and tell the world that 40 is ok - well that is what I am telling you.
In any case I digress - for those who remember Wayne Gretsky he was once deemed the greatest athlete on the planet. He was and remains the greatest ice hockey player of all time... when he was questioned on his success he said "easy... I go to where the puck is going not where it is". Now why is this relevant well I think it relates to the upcoming vote on the Seaforth Tafe site. Let me elaborate.
I am certainly happy that after 9 years of wrestling the community has a chance to vote on the future of this site. I think that Manly Council has got it right by referring this long running decision to the community. As the elected member my job will be easy... it will be to support the option that the community chooses - very simple.
However, I also think that the onus is on me to provide a view. A sense of what the opportunity may be away from the clatter of groups supporting the options proposed. In this process of review I have viewed the enrolment statistics for our primary schools and the story tells what many are telling me and that is our primary schools are under huge pressure. Since 2001 the population of Manly has increased by about 2.5% but, the children under 5 have increased by 10%.
Not surprisingly the enrolments in our local public schools have risen at similar rates over the past five years. At Curl Curl North enrolments have almost doubled into kindergarten. In Harbord they are up 30% and in Seaforth they are up 70%. At the same time with the exception of Bally Boys which is on a real surge, all of our local High Schools have very little spare capacity. In this I sense that an educational crisis will be upon us in less than 10 years.
So imagine if we sell the land at Seaforth and then come back again in 10 years and say... ummm we actually need a new High School. I am not sure that the Department of Education has done this analysis but, I would think that a Seaforth High (of any type of configuration) would be a logical thing to pursue if education is chosen at the community vote. Whether it be a Technical High School, an extension of Bally Boys, or a smaller co-ed High School it provides educational flexibility for our future.
Still the community has the vote... so my efforts will support that case. I will say though that if a re-development option is ultimately chosen then the least that the Department of Education could do is return all proceeds to our local schools. All our schools could rightly lay claim to the reported $8 million the sale may generate for the Department... It is hard not to think about Wayne Gretsky in this analysis though... where is the puck going in relation to High School education in our community?
Cheers
Mike Add to: Write Comment
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New Salvo Centre. This is wonderful news Mike. Manly has suffered diminished low cost housing over the past 20 years, and we have a lot of people doing it tough.(many n... |
| 22/07/10 17:27 Read more... |
| Comment from Bruce O'Toole |
| Opening of New Salvos Centre - A Celebration ... |
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Salvos again. Hello again Mike, Back on to the Salvos & the good work that they do. May I suggest that companies in our area as well as residents of companies l... |
| 22/07/10 16:01 Read more... |
| Comment from Albert Salles |
| Opening of New Salvos Centre - A Celebration ... |
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Salvo`s.............. This is a great story, good to have some positive news for once. Great work Mike. Debra Arena. |
| 22/07/10 15:43 Read more... |
| Comment from Debra Arena |
| Opening of New Salvos Centre - A Celebration ... |
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salvos soup kitchen I am volunteer at the soup kitchen - thanks for your efforts in getting some of the funding for the recently opened new facility. It will be a great ... |
| 22/07/10 15:41 Read more... |
| Comment from rod macleod |
| Opening of New Salvos Centre - A Celebration ... |
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thanks, Amanda Hi Amanda Thanks for your offer of help. Below is the email address for Captain Brett Mitchell from the Salvos who can let you know what they most ne... |
| 22/07/10 15:34 Read more... |
| Comment from Lisa from Mike's office |
| Opening of New Salvos Centre - A Celebration ... |
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what can we do to help Great news that there is somewhere in Manly providing help. What can we do to help? What things do they need? Food/clothes etc happy to try and rou... |
| 22/07/10 15:19 Read more... |
| Comment from amanda |
| Opening of New Salvos Centre - A Celebration ... |
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The Salvos. Hello Mike, Nice to hear from you. I did in fact pop in your office 2 week's ago but you had gone away. May I say that in the case of the Salvos, ... |
| 22/07/10 14:42 Read more... |
| Comment from albert Salles |
| Freshwater Development Proposal |
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Video link about the proposed developmen Here is a link to a video in which Peter Harley from The Friends of Freshwater Village takes concerned residents on a tour of the proposed controversi... |
| 21/07/10 14:53 Read more... |
| Comment from Danny from UpsideDown Producti |
| Memo to RTA: Don't Tell Us About the Traffic ... |
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Spit Bridge ....somehow the Spit Bridge has turned pedestrian across the spit instead of over it. Protest now - Call 131 700 ! |
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| Comment from Anton Horak |
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State finances Hi Mike You may remember me from Christchurch St Ives. I heard recently how proud the State Govt was to announce they will be in the black 2 years b... |
| 29/06/10 12:05 Read more... |
| Comment from Peter Munro |
| Seaforth Traffic Sign |
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RTA SIGN I agree entirely with what Mike had to tell parliament, but an important issue went unaddressed - the flaws in the RTA which led it to make this decis... |
| 25/06/10 10:01 Read more... |
| Comment from Paul |
| Seaforth Traffic Sign |
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RTA sign in Seaforth One day an accident will occur because a motorist was so busy reading all the signs that 'litter' our roads and highways. Spend the money on reducing ... |
| 25/06/10 07:55 Read more... |
| Comment from Annette Debenham |
| Seaforth Traffic Sign |
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Seaforth traffic If you mange to get the minister to Seaforth . Please could you show him the roundabout, the possibility for slip roads st the rounabout and the acce... |
| 24/06/10 16:09 Read more... |
| Comment from Sandy Hudspith |
| Seaforth Traffic Sign |
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Seaforth Traffic Sign. Hello Mike. What a waste, I will save the other words ! RTA = Real Total Absurdity ! Keep well, A. |
| 24/06/10 15:26 Read more... |
| Comment from A. Salles |
| Seaforth Traffic Sign |
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$4oo,ooo down the drain................. Again the RTA have come up with no solution to fixing the problem, all they are doing is creating another one. That $400,000 could be put to better us... |
| 24/06/10 15:11 Read more... |
| Comment from Debra Arena |
| Seaforth Traffic Sign |
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Seaforth Traffic Sign It's a pity energy has to be wasted trying to get the RTA/Government to see commonsense. I think this side of the spit bridge should now be allocated... |
| 24/06/10 14:52 Read more... |
| Comment from Denise Lee |
| Seaforth Traffic Sign |
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$400,000 Seaforth sign This appears to be another example of our State Governments ignorance and lack of foresight. Futhermore it continue to show how out of touch they wre ... |
| 24/06/10 14:27 Read more... |
| Comment from Kirsten |
| Seaforth Traffic Sign |
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Wasting money I still get the strong impression that they're only going to move the location of the sign, instead of using the money in a meaningful way to fix some... |
| 24/06/10 14:27 Read more... |
| Comment from Alicia |
| Memo to RTA: Don't Tell Us About the Traffic ... |
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Burnt Bridge Creek Roads planning has reached an appalling state, remove the variable message sign on the Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation, stop construction of the proposed... |
| 23/06/10 15:30 Read more... |
| Comment from Anton Horak |
| Memo to RTA: Don't Tell Us About the Traffic ... |
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Memo to RTA: Don't Tell Us About the Tr Same thing applies to the insult to peak hour motorists travelling towards the city over the past week along Ourimbah Rd. The vile scum that decided t... |
| 20/06/10 00:37 Read more... |
| Comment from Alex Jabs |