Dear Editor,

Re: Redundant petrol station Stanwell Park and need for a police station Helensburgh

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to bring your attention to an important matter concerning the decommissioned police station in Helensburgh, and the redundant petrol station in Stanwell Park.

Allow me to introduce myself, I am an 83-year-old retiree living in the UPA retirement village in Stanwell Park.

I have been a resident of Stanwell Park for very many years where I raised my family.

You may be old enough to recall I was a member of Parliament in the Legislative Council from 1976 to 1995 during which time I rose through the ranks to become initially, Opposition Leader, then Government Leader with the election of the Greiner Government in 1988.  At that time, I became Minister for Police and Emergency Services and further on I held the Ministries of Justice. Local Government, Energy, Co-operatives, and Vice President of the Executive Council.

If I might first deal with the defunct police station in Helensburgh.

I have today written to the Police Minister The Hon. Yasmin Catley MP, the Police Commissioner Karen Webb APM and our local member Ms Stuart MP regarding the need for an operating police station in Helensburgh.

I have attached to this email a copy of that letter. I will keep you abreast of any further developments.

Secondly for some months I have been in wide communication with many people for the need to have retrospective legislation change in NSW to enable redundant petrol stations to be effectively decommissioned.

You will be well acquainted with the eyesore that the redundant petrol station in Stanwell Park has become over the last 20 years of constant vandalization.

At present my documentation file on this matter is about 60 mm thick.

May I give you a thumb nail sketch of this matter.

In NSW today there are about 1,000 redundant petrol stations like the one at  Stanwell Park.

Because of the development of electric vehicles that number will escalate to 4,000 in 12 years.

The cost to decommission a redundant petrol station by removing the underground tanks and above ground equipment is about $1.5M.

Hence in NSW in 12 years the total cost will be about $6 Billion.

Because of this emerging problem the NSW Government in 2019 cynically transferred responsibility for redundant petrol stations from the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) to local councils.

It is self-evident that neither local councils or the State Government can afford that cost.

The current legislation makes the last operator of the petrol station responsible and after that person or company fails to do so, after 2 years the owner of the land becomes responsible.

While a fossil fuel company owned the land when the station was built, that company has long gone within the two year period, hence no one foots the bill, hence the situation in Stanwell Park.

My campaign has been seeking to get the NSW Government to retrospectively legislate to make the fossil fuel companies foot the bill.

This is the situation in many countries overseas.

I have included a copy of my letter to the Premier The Hon. Chris Minns MP to give you a more extensive understanding of the situation.

In my quest I have received good support from WIN 4 TV and the local ABC.

I write to you in the hope you might also support my endeavours in both areas so that local citizens can become more aware and hopefully support my endeavours with representations to our local Councillor and State member.

I thank you in anticipation of your support.

Kind regards,

The Hon. Ted Pickering AM

The Flame asked Wollongong City Council for an update and received the following response:

Stanwell Park Petrol Station

“Wollongong City Council is aware of community concerns about the former service station site on Lawrence Hargrave Drive in Stanwell Park.

While the site’s aesthetics are outside Council’s remit, we take our role in managing risk to our community and environment very seriously.

At this time, our inspections have shown that its fencing prevents public access and we do not believe the site poses an imminent risk to public health and safety.

However, we continue to have ongoing correspondence with the owner of the land. We have requested information in relation to management of the site, including the storage tanks, from the owner. We have carried out our own more detailed inspection of the site, in partnership with the NSW Environment Protection Agency, and we are working with the owner to achieve a mutually agreeable outcome.

We will continue to follow up on this matter.”

What is Council doing more broadly:

On Monday 29 May 2023, Council endorsed the motion to write to the Minister for Environment and Heritage to request additional funding be made available to assist councils to manage compliance with Underground Petroleum Storage System Regulation 2019 and associated legislation. Our correspondence also requests that the Minister clarifies ongoing liability and decommissioning cost to Council and makes amendments to legislation to mandate decommissioning of tanks after two years of continued abandonment.

Council’s Meeting Minutes: Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of Council - Monday, 29 May 2023 (nsw.gov.au)

Lord Mayoral Minute: Agenda of Ordinary Meeting of Council - Monday, 29 May 2023 (nsw.gov.au)

Correction

On p6 (‘Old Thirroul inspires new song’, June 2023) it should be Thirroul Hotel not Rex Hotel. Rex then Thirroul then Beaches. Rex was part of a chain of hotels with a major one in Canberra. I still have the Thirroul Hotel signs at home from when the Gilberts took down.

– Greg Wilson, via text

Views on Ocean Windfarm

The proposal is absolute insanity if it can be seen from the shore line. From on top of Bald Hill in Stanwell Tops one can see 50km on a clear day which would mean the entire wind farm would be visible stretching down the coast. It’s currently one the most iconic views on the entire east coast. 

It's of great concern there is not already a massive movement to stop proposal in its tracks like they did in Kiama for exactly the same reasons eg: views, wildlife, tourism just to mention a few. Majority of people would support "green energy"; however, why ruin what makes the entire south coast so picturesque and special.

Surely the government wouldn't support the installation of industrial visual pollution to produce power that will ultimately be sold back to the consumer at full price. The whole thing is madness and needs to be called out for what it is before it too late. 

– Ian Webber, via email

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