Angry Hills Residents Vow To Keep Up The Fight for Fred Caterson Reserve
By Martin Cartwright
OPEN LETTER TO THE HILLS SHIRE COUNCIL
4 June 2025
Dear Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Councillors I refer to the current significant community engagement campaign by Council via social media, websites and other channels for residents to support a petition to secure 20,000 signatures to table
Hills community infrastructure needs in State Parliament. This is thorough an extensive campaign.
I agree with the critical need for infrastructure upgrades for our LGA, but I won’t sign your petition. This may be a futile and unaffecting protest, but I make this stand as I can’t reconcile the hypocrisy of Council’s request. Let me explain.
In October 23, your Hills Community brought a petition of – 16,000 signatures to a Council meeting regarding the Fred Caterson Master Plan and Pony Club site redevelopment. Your community made a humble request for Council to provide a briefing on the plans for the site, after Council delivered grossly insufficient community consultation during a time of significant Community hardship – Covid lockdowns; resulting in only 36 submissions. The motion was voted down with opposing Councillors arguing the petition was ‘online and it was signed by people who live outside the Council boundary. For me this only demonstrated the value of the natural space to the people of Sydney, and not only this Community. I also can’t help but observe the vast difference in the Community engagement campaigns deployed by Council for your current petition request compared to the Fred Caterson Master Plan – but I digress.
In February 24, Councillors voted to update the ‘Code of Meeting Practice’ with outdated practices, including to not accept online petitions by requiring the ‘original signatures of petitioners’. Councillors voted to support these changes despite 97 Community submissions opposing the changes and 2 submissions supporting. Community sentiment was resounding, but you ignored the feedback of your ‘Have your Say process and passed the changes by a vote of 11 Councillors in favour.
And now it is, that you ask me to do the very thing you do not accept yourselves.
You’d like me to sign an online petition. You do not accept this.
Your petition can be signed by anyone in NSW, not only Hills residents. You argued against this.
You want State decision makers to listen to Hills voices. It’s proven, You don’t listen Hills voices. If you want my support, you need to earn back my trust by reopening genuine consultation with your
Community on the Fred Caterson Master Plan and pony club site redevelopment. Otherwise, send your Council staff to my front door so they can collect my ‘original signature’ on your petition.
Kobie Note: Some Councillors are new to the chamber. Nevertheless, you all represent those who made the decisions and remain accountable for them. It is within your remit to review and change them.
Kobie Keenan
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