Council and the owners of the land at 18-20 Bayfield Road have extended the option on the sale of the land until 29 August 2005.

S94 funds are to be used for this project. It should be noted that our S94 fund has more than sufficient in it to allow an internal borrowing and will be paid back from the 2004 to 2010 S94 funds collected.

The Quarry Debt of $26,000,000 is a totally different debt to be paid by council from different funds. The Mayor and General Manager has mentioned this many times in Council and in the papers. We are governed by laws, rules and regulations to its use. If people were to research the actual facts and not dream up fiction, they would see that we are on track with good management.

I don't believe so, this small amount is a very small % compared to the spending on other sports in this shire and the % of the people that are involved in those sports.

2% of the shire want an equestrian centre
fields  ? ( 0 at present)  
land value??? say $3.5 million development  costs  say $3 million
upkeep cost???  say $150 thousand per annum

Don't forget, this facility will also provide an area and dog activities. The % of shire participation is unknown, but will definately add to the 2% of uses.

This will add better value to the use of the facility.

I don't believe so, just one example of the spending on one of the many sports played in this Shire that Council supports is cricket.

% participation in sports or recreational activities  77% (statewide)

3% of the 75% play cricket if you add the other 25% of non sport active into the equation, it is around 2% of the shire playing  cricket

Cricket fields  41...  Approx 2 hectares av   (Around 80+ hectares)  land value???  100 million?...  Half = $50 million? (as used only ½ a year for cricket)

Value of development costs     enormous

Upkeep cost???  Turfed (11 pictches) $25 to $30,000 ea pitch   (av $27,000 per field)  $297,000 approx . 
mowing (41fields) approx $10,000 (½ of years fee) ea total $410,000
Total is around $700,000 per annum

NSW % participation in sports or recreational activities  77% not 98%

Four of the main sports played

Soccer (outdoor) 6.1% 

Basketball 3.5%    

Netball  3.4%     

Cricket 2.8% 

Although there is a noted shortfall in some areas  they do have a good number of facilities to use.     

These four sports are far from the 98% majority, in fact, they are major sports played by the minority, and yes they are still important , so is Equestrian Facilities, based on % and costs the Rural Sports Facility will still be poorly done by.

Equestrian 2% minimum (based on surveys approx 3000+)

Outdoor Sports Facility Senior Soccer fields 27

Mini/Jr Soccer fields  31

Rugby League/Union  10

AFL  3

Hockey 2

Baseball diamonds (jr + sr)  26

Softball diamonds 8

Cricket fields  41
Athletics  4
Tennis courts 78
Netball courts  40    Approx 3% of the population play.  ( Brickpit approx 4.5 million spent on 4 courts and that does not include the land value)
Archery range  1
Skate park  2
Total  273

Equestrian 0

Water clock, I also feel that it was a waste of money, however, after a survey was done, the greater majority want it to stay, even if it does not work

Bio-remediation? In a southern state, if what I was told is correct, a Premier opened a bio-remediation plant. Could ours have actually worked??, was council given enough time to give it a thorough attempt, who forced it to be shut down??

Quarry?? this is an issue on its own and there is not enough room here to debate it. Just two points I will make 1. It was a forced acquisition 2. What we were forced to pay was set by the Valuer General.

Rural Sports Facility?? if it's another folly, then on percentages alone, every sport is in the same category, however, when facts verses fiction, the facts win and no sport supported by Hornsby Council, including this proposal, is in the "folly" basket.

Power cables, very high voltage, but I guess if your family is not involved in equestrian activities, why care about others.

Size restrictions, small area

Parking is an issue

Expansion? again a cost issue, and power lines restrict locations of buildings etc.. Safety issues in relation to radiation from very high voltage power lines.

Close resident to the facility "We are not objecting to the Facility, we just want our concerns addressed" Traffic, noise, hours of operation.