The Schools Photo Survey - woollahra.nsw.gov.au parks, beaches and facilities that are well-kept, safe and inviting - 9 comments • Nielsen Park is a wonderful set up. Involving greenery

The Schools Photo Survey for

Woollahra 2025 Community Strategic Plan

October - November 2009Co-ordinated by

studio 66 / 61 marlborough street

surry hills nsw 2010 australia

p +61 2 9310 3952

e [email protected] www.p4ps.com.au

the peoplefor places

and spacesShape your future by reflecting on what makes your local area great and suggesting ways to improve it!

Woollahra 2025 is a collaborative consultation project designed to guide the development of a new vision for your community.

Woollahra 2025

Share your thoughts at...Bellevue Hill: Near 23a Bellevue Rd Mon 19 Oct 3pm-6pmPaddington: Royal Hospital Wed 21 Oct 3pm-5pm for Women ParkDouble Bay: 17-19 Knox Street Sat 24 Oct 10am-3pmRose Bay: Street Fair Stall Sun 25 Oct 9am-4pmEdgecliff: Shopping Centre Sat 31 Oct 10am-3pmDouble Bay: Kids Day Out @ Council Sun 1 Nov 10am-2pmDarling Point: Mitchell St Shops Thu 5 Nov 8am-12pmPaddington: Five Ways Sat 7 Nov 10am-3pmWatsons Bay: Robertson Park Wed 11 Nov 10am-2pmWoollahra: 124 Queen Street Fri 13 Nov 2pm-6pmRose Bay: Plumer Rd Shops Sat 14 Nov 10am-3pm

or have your say online:www.woollahra.nsw.gov.au/news

Woollahra 2025

studio 66 / 61 marlborough street

surry hills nsw 2010 australia

p +61 2 9310 3952

e [email protected]

the peoplefor places

and spaces

Photo Survey Findings

1

Contents

Introduction 3

The Participating Schools 4

The Photo Survey, Woollahra 2025 5

The Report 5

What are five things you LIKE about the Woollahra Council area? 7

What are five things you DON’T LIKE about the Woollahra Council area? 17

What are five things you would like to IMPROVE within the Woollahra Council area? 29

Appendix A 9


2


3

Introduction

The New South Wales State Government has mandated that every NSW Council prepare a new strategic planning document called, ‘The Community Strategic Plan’.

According to the State Government, ‘The Community Strategic Plan is the highest-level plan that a Council will prepare. The purpose of the plan is to identify the community’s main priorities and expectations for the future and to plan strategies for achieving these goals.

The State Government requires the new plan to be based on community stakeholder engagement, including reviewing the draft plan prior to endorsement by Council.1

Following a competitive tender, Woollahra Council appointed The People for Places and Spaces (PPS) to plan and undertake a collaborative community consultation process. The consultation was targeted at ratepayers, residents, school students, workers, visitors and business owners of Woollahra Municipality, and was designed to harvest their views for Council to consider when shaping the new Community Strategic Plan.

The community engagement process was structured to reach people of all ages. This report presents the outcome of a photo survey completed by primary and secondary school students in the Woollahra Council area.

PPS is also engaging a broad range of community stakeholders through:

• An Intercept Survey, which was to be administered across the five Council wards. • An Online Survey hosted on the Council website • Two Community Group Workshops, hosted by Council.

Separate reports are being prepared for the Intercept and the Online Surveys. The ‘Woollahra – Community Groups Report’ was submitted to Council, December 2009.

1ibid. page 7


4

The Participating Schools

Woollahra Council Local Government Area is home to seventeen schools: six public primary schools and eleven private schools, which offer primary and secondary education. There are no state high schools.

Seventeen schools were sent a letter from the Council on the 18 September 2009 and this was followed-up by PPS staff in the subsequent days to encourage participation in the photo survey. By the start of the Fourth Term, 19 October 2009, five schools had agreed to participate and are shown in Table 1 (Page 3) of this report.

TABLE 1: STUDENT GROUPS FROM PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS

School Student Groups Number of students

Primary Schools

Rose Bay Public School Year 4 30

McAuley Primary School Rose Bay Environmental Green Group 11

High Schools

Cranbrook Year 9 40

Kincoppal Rose Bay Year 8 art students 9

Ascham Year 12 6

Total 96 students

PPS gratefully acknowledges the schools that participated in the photo survey for their thoughtful and artistic ideas and opinions presented in their photography. Special acknowledgement to the teachers, teacher aides and volunteers who led this process:

Brian Harris and Lynn Young (Rose Bay Primary School),

Mrs Joyce, Mrs Brown, Mrs Coutts and Mrs Clunies-Ross (McAuley Primary School),

Fiona Crawford (Cranbrook),

Louise Della-Franca (Kincoppal Rose Bay),

Jeff Marabito (Ascham).

We wish to acknowledge that, in their busy Fourth Term, teachers engaged with enthusiasm in the ‘Have their Say’ Photo Survey and allow their students the opportunity to reflect on the issues that matter to them.

The more detailed instructions that PPS provided to each of the schools, following their agreement to participate, is in Appendix A of this report.

All schools were asked to complete the photo survey by the 13 November 2009


5

The Photo Survey, Woollahra 2025

The report contains photos of specific sites identified by the students to represent:

• Five things they most liked about Woollahra Council LGA • Five things they liked least, and • Five improvements they would like to see within the Woollahra LGA

Photos will be used to inform the Woollahra 2025 Draft Plan and identify ways we can all work towards making Woollahra even more child and young-person friendly.

Woollahra 2025 Draft Plan will be placed on public exhibition, which will include the valuable information received from participating schools. We are also hoping to mount an exhibition of the photos once the survey has been completed.

The Report

The report contains photos that represent each idea or opinion and the verbatim responses as expressed by the students. We have ensured that every photo chosen by the participating schools, corresponding to the idea or opinion is included in this report. These responses have been grouped into a series of themes, which are designed to enhance reader understanding of large amounts of qualitative data.

Each of these themes contains the full verbatim responses, which preserve the words used by the respondents.

All summary tables are derived from a theme analysis of participants’ written responses to each question.

Although there is a ranking in each table from places most often cited to places least often sited – this ranking is for ordering purposes only and is not meant to imply that one place is more ‘important’ than another. Readers should consider each place cited as significant.

Readers are reminded that qualitative data carries no statistical significance. No claim is made therefore, that the data in the report represent the views of any individuals or groups, other than those who participated.

It is also important to note that when a photo represents more than one idea, that photo will appear under the most relevant theme. For example, students from Rose Bay Primary School stated that they don’t like ‘Graffiti and rubbish in parks and lanes’. The accompanying photo of empty cigarette cartons, therefore appears under the theme of More frequent clean ups, instead of Graffiti. However, the written comment appears verbatim under both themes.

It is important to note that within a response, there may be more than one idea presented, and therefore more than one comment may be counted within the response. For example, within the comment relating to what students like about the Woollahra Council area, students from Kincoppal stated, ‘Nielsen Park is a wonderful set up. Involving greenery, safe swimming areas, and kiosk outlets. The atmosphere makes it all the more enjoyable’. Within this response, three comments were recorded as separate ideas: ‘greenery’, ‘safe swimming areas’, and ‘kiosk outlets’.


6

The Report School Abbreviations

The following abbreviations have been used throughout the report to attribute images and ideas to schools.

School Reference

Rose Bay Primary School RB

McAuley Primary School Rose Bay MA

Cranbrook CR

Kincoppal Rose Bay KC

Ascham AS


7

What are five things you LIKE about the Woollahra Council area?

Response No. of comments

Percentage

Specific themes

Public parks, beaches and facilities that are well-kept, safe and inviting

9 30

Plants, trees and greenery 6 20

Great swimming, picnic areas and views of the harbour

3 10

History, culture and art within the local communities

3 10

Appropriately placed rubbish bins, public seating and filler for public trees

3 10

Natural beauty and preservation of flora 2 8

The quaint and quiet atmosphere of Woollahra 1 3

The ferry and seaplanes 1 3

Celia Busteed of the Woollahra Council 1 3

Local fruit market 1 3

Total 30 100


8

What are five things you LIKE about the Woollahra Council area? Public parks, beaches and facilities that are well-kept, safe and inviting - 9 comments • Nielsen Park is a wonderful set up. Involving greenery (1), safe swimming areas (1) and

kiosk outlets (1). The atmosphere makes all the more enjoyable. (KC) - 3 comments • The Rose Bay Beach is kept clean and inviting (MA) • Rose Bay Jetty (CR) • Lyne Park (CR) • Lyne Park Tennis Courts are well run and we like the café and carpark. (RB) • Nielsen Park - We love the protected area to swim and the open areas for picnics and

celebrations. (RB) • Nielsen Park (CR)

Nielsen Park is a wonderful set up (KC)

Rose Bay Jetty (CR)

Nielsen Park (CR)

Protected area to swim at Nielsen Park (RB)


9

What are five things you LIKE about the Woollahra Council area?...cont’d

Public parks, beaches and facilities that are well-kept, safe and inviting - 9 comments...cont’d

Lyne Park tennis courts are well run (RB)

Rose Bay Beach - clean and inviting (MC)

Plants, trees and greenery - 6 comments • The green and lush golf courses, especially Rose Bay golf course (CR) • Redleaf (CR) • The enormous tree by Redleaf. (AS) • Value of greenery in Woollahra. (AS) • The big trees and open grass areas - great place to play sport and kick the ball around. (RB) • Plants and greenery are beautiful. (MA)

Green Golf Course (CR)

Enormous Redleaf Tree (AS)


10

What are five things you LIKE about the Woollahra Council area?...cont’d Plants, trees and greenery - 6 comments...cont’d

Value of greenery (AS)

The big trees and open grass areas - great place to play sport and kick the ball around. (CR)

Big trees (RB)

Beautiful plants and greenery (MC)


11

What are five things you LIKE about the Woollahra Council area? ...cont’d

Great swimming, picnic areas and views of the harbour - 3 comments

• Redleaf Pool and Blackburn Gardens have great areas to swim and sit and watch the harbour (1). We like the library and the park has a great view (1) and an area to picnic with friends and family (1). (RB)

• I really like the view of the Harbour Bridge from parts of the foreshore. (KC) •

Redleaf Pool and Beach (CR)

Redleaf Pool and Blackburn Gardens (RB)

Views of Harbour Bridge KC)


12


History, culture and art within the local communities - 3 comments

• Cranbrook School with its heritage buildings and long history (CR) • I like the history that surrounds the area and how it reminds us of the people who sacrificed

their lives for their countries. (KC) • It’s nice to be able to see different cultures mixed into the local communities. (KC) • Integration of art within the community. (AS)

History surrounding the area (KC)

Cultures mixed into communities (KC)

Integration of art (AS)


13


Appropriately placed rubbish bins, public seating and filler for public trees - 3 comments

• Public seating is wonderful. (MA) • Public rubbish bins are located in convenient places. (MA)

• The filler at the base of the trees is wonderful to keep the soil in and has not turned into an ashtray. (MA)

Public Seating (MA)

Conveniently located rubbish bins (MA)

Filler at the base of trees (MA)


14


Natural beauty and preservation of flora - 2 comments

• Natural beauty and preservation of flora. (AS)

• This photo shows us the beautiful nature of Double Bay. I really liked the beautiful, bright colour that the flower brought to the atmosphere. I also really liked to see what a fresh state the plant life was in around this area. (KC)

Beauty in Double Bay (AS) Natural beauty and preservation of flora (KC)

Single themes • The quaint and quiet atmosphere of Woollahra. (AS) • The ferry and seaplanes are great if you want to travel around the city and other areas of

Sydney. (RB)

Quaint and quiet atmosphere (AS) Beautiful areas of Sydney (RB)


15

What are five things you LIKE about the Woollahra Council area? ...cont’d Other single themes...cont’d • Celia Busteed of the Woollahra Council is an asset to our local community and our

continued environmental efforts and focus. She has supported our Green Group and shown us how to make our school environment a greener place. (MA)

• Local fruit market. (RB)

Support from Council leaders like Celia Busteed

(MA)

Friendly faces at the local fruit market (RB)


16


17

What are five things you DON’T LIKE about the Woollahra Council area?


Percentage

Specific themes

Public places that are not safe, clean, efficient or assessable

6 22

More frequent cleanups 6 22

Graffiti 4 15

Unattractive artwork, charity bins and blocked views

3 11

Drinking culture among amidst the community 2 6

No Double Bay cinema 1 4

New South Head Road 1 4

Not enough areas to ride bikes 1 4

The replacements of remnants of historical Woollahra

1 4

Paying to park 1 4

Abandoned shopping trolleys 1 4

Total 27 100


18

What are five things you DON’T LIKE about the Woollahra Council area? ...cont’d

Public places that are not safe, efficient or accessible - 6 comments

• Watson’s Bay Pool is in need of a huge overhaul. It is dangerous (1) and needs to be accessible to all children (1). (RB) - 2 comments

• Toilets in the park areas need updating - cleanliness, energy (1), safety (1). (RB) - 2 comments

• Vaucluse High School which is abandoned (CR) • Double Bay is not safe for pedestrians (CR)

Vaucluse High School which is abandoned (CR)

Waterfront area in Lyne Park (RB)

Watsons Bay pool (RB)


19


Public places that are not safe, efficient or accessible - 6 comments...cont’d

• The bathrooms at Double Bay. (AS) • The waterfront area in Lyne Park needs a safety fence (1) and a cleanup. (RB)

Toilets in the park (RB)

Double Bay bathroom (AS)


20


More frequent cleanups - 6 comments

• The sewage pipe in Rose Bay and Double Bay waterfront needs to be cleaned up (CR)

Sewage pipe in Rose Bay (CR)

Sewage pipe in waterfront needs to be cleaned up (CR)

• The waterfront area in Lyne Park needs a safety fence and a cleanup (1). (RB) (picture in other theme)

• Toilets in the park areas need updating - cleanliness (1), energy, safety. (RB) (picture in other theme)


21


More frequent cleanups - 6 comments...cont’d

• Chewing gum on the ground needs to be removed and the tiles around Rose Bay shops, specifically outside Franklins and along the shops on New South Head Road need to be cleaned frequently. They are extremely dirty and do not present well for a popular local shopping area. (MA)

• There should be more regular beach clean ups. We need to take extra care of our beaches since they are such a big importance to Australia’s beauty. (KC)

Chewing gum needs to be removed (MC)

There should be more regular beach clean ups (KC)

Graffiti and rubbish (1) in parks and lanes. (RB)


22


More frequent cleanups - 6 comments...cont’d • The sand blown off the beach and onto Calendonian Road and its footpath needs to be

cleared off quickly so as not to be dirty or hard to walk on for residents and visitors. (MA)

The sand that gets blown onto Calendonian Rd should be cleared off quickly (MC)


23


Graffiti - 4 comments

• Graffiti at Vaucluse High School (CR) • Graffiti (1) and rubbish in parks and lanes. (RB) • Graffiti in the area and around the beach needs to be quickly removed. (MA) • Graffiti, particularly near McKell Park, ruins the atmosphere that the harbour views should

create. (KC)

Graffiti at Vaucluse High School (CR)

Graffiti in the area (MC)

Graffiti in the area and around the beach needs to be quickly removed (CR)

Graffiti around McKell Park (KC)


24


Unattractive artwork, charity bins, and blocked views - 3 comments

• Charity bins do not look attractive located right on the road’s edge, most often have old rubbish littering their bases and attract graffiti. Not a good look in the focal point of our local shopping area. (MA)

• Bellevue Road sculpture. (AS) • I don’t like this view because it takes the beauty away from the shot. It’s not very inviting.

(KC)

Charity bins on road’s edge are not a good look

(MA)

Blocked views which look uninviting (KC)

Bellevue Road sculpture (AS)


25


Drinking culture amidst the community - 2 comments

• Drinking culture alongside children. (AS) • There presence of alcoholism amidst community. (AS)

Drinking culture alongside children (AS)

Presence of alcoholism (AS)


26


Single themes • That there is no Double Bay Cinema (CR) • New South Head Road especially around the Edgecliff Centre (CR) • Not enough areas to ride bikes (eg Christison Park to Watson’s Bay). (RB) • The replacements of remnants of historical Woollahra. (AS)

• People should not have to pay for parking in their local areas. It’s practically ripping off the community. (KC)

New South Head Road especially around the Edgecliff Centre (CR)

Not enough areas to ride bikes (RB)

The replacements of remnants of historical Woollahra (AS)

Paying to park (KC)


27


Single themes...cont’d

• Abandoned shopping trolleys: A better system for returning shopping trolleys. (KC)

Abandoned shopping trolleys (KC)


28


29

What are five things you would like to IMPROVE within the Woollahra Council area?


Percentage

Specific themes

Improve dangerous school crossings, garden beds in disarray and unsafe surfaces

5 20

Improved sport and leisure facilities - local sport competitions, indoor courts, bike track, playground, skate ramp and local pool

4 16

Disposal and drainage system improvements 4 16

Park improvements and public place maintenance 4 16

More dog-friendly facilities 2 8

Public toilet improvements 2 8

More food outlets especially with health options 1 4

Reopen Double Bay cinema 1 4

Endless construction 1 4

Improvement in the public transport system 1 4

Total 25 100


30

What are five things you would like to IMPROVE within the Woollahra Council area?

Improve dangerous roads, school crossings, garden beds in disarray and unsafe surfaces - 5 comments

• Clean up and improve the roads, especially at New South Head Road. Providing an additional lane could help (CR)

• This garden bed in the corner of Dover Road and Ian Street not only contain prickly plants (1), but it is in disarray and, as a result, attracts rubbish (1). This is a visible and high traffic area for our local shopping area and we request it be redesigned to look more appealing. (MA) - 2 comments

• On the corner of Carlisle Street and Hamilton Street is a poorly placed and extremely dangerous school crossing. What makes it even more dangerous is the fact that it is also a T-intersection. Moving it a little further down Carlisle Street might be a better and safer place for it. (MA)

(CR) (MC)


31

What are five things you would like to IMPROVE within the Woollahra Council area?...cont’d

Improve dangerous roads, school crossings, garden beds in disarray and unsafe surfaces - 5 comments…cont’d

• This type of surface on Dover Road and Ian Street in front of the fish shop has the potential to be a tripping and stumbling hazard. (MA)

Prickly garden bed in disarray on side walk (MC)

Hazardous surface (MC)


32


Improved sport and leisure facilities - local sport competitions, indoor courts, bike track, playground, skate ramp and local pool - 4 comments • We would like to see more local sport competitions being open for the youth in the area,

such as a PCYC operated centre (1), of which there are many in other councils. In this more areas suitable for sport such as indoor courts may have to be developed (1). (KC) - 2 comments

More local sport competitions (KC)

• We would like a bike track and a playground for older children with a skateboard ramp. (RB) • We need a council local pool that provides a sunsafe area. It could also provide areas to

train or just swim laps. (RB)

A bike track, playground for older kids and skate ramp (RB)

A local council pool (RB)


33


Disposal and drainage system improvements - 4 comments

• Improve the sewage outlets at Rose Bay and Double Bay, by putting a one kilometre pipe into the harbour (CR)

• I would like to see the disposal systems improved. (KC) • Unsanitary and deterioration of the drainage system. (AS)

Improved disposal system (KC)

Unsanitary deteriorated drainage system (AS)

• This busy intersection on the corner of New South Head Road and Dover Road might

benefit from a public rubbish bin. This would help reduce the amount of rubbish that is on the ground, in our drains and gutters. (MA)

Rubbish bins in more locations (MC)


34


Park improvements and public place maintenance - 4 comments

• Knock down Vaucluse High and put something there for the public, such as a skate park (CR)

• You should improve the fences in parks and local areas because they are a danger to the people and in particular the children. (KC)

• Maintain the grass, seats, and paths in all public places. (RB)

Knock down Vaucluse High and put something there for the public (CR)

Dangerous fences (KC)

Maintain the grass, seats and paths in all public places (RB)


35


Park improvements and public place maintenance - 4 comments…cont’d

• BBQ facilities in the parks - Nielsen, Strickland House or Lyne Park. (RB)

BBQ facilities in the parks (RB)


36


More dog-friendly facilities - 2 comments

• I would like to see more parks with facilities to walk our cute dogs off their leashes and let them run freely. (KC)

• More areas for dogs to play and swim. (RB)

More areas for dogs to play and swim (KC)

More parks with off leash areas (RB)

Public toilet improvements - 2 comments

• Double Bay bathrooms. (AS) • The Redleaf bathrooms. (AS)

Double Bay bathrooms (AS)

Redleaf changeroom (AS)


37


Single themes

• More food outlets, especially with health options (CR) • Reopen Double Bay Cinemas (CR) • Endless construction. (AS) • Improvement in the public transport system. (AS)

Endless construction (AS)

Improvements in public transport system (AS)


38


39

Appendix A

Photo Survey Instructions • Schools nominate a group of students to take part in the Photo Survey

Instruct ions and photo development

2. Students are informed about the Woollahra 2025 Plan and how the photos they will be taking will identify ways we can all work together towards making our very special area even more child and young-person friendly.

3. Students are given instructions to photograph (with digital cameras) five things they like, five things they don’t like, and five improvements they would like to see within the Woollahra Council area.

4. A separate (word) document identifies the image, student name and the reason why that image is something they like, don’t like or want to improve.

Br ing ing the photos back to be sor ted and ranked 5. All photos are categorised into the three groups: like most, like least, and,

improvements to be made.

6. In each group, a list of top five or most photographed themes are selected. A simple tally system may be used.

7. Once the top five themes have been decided, the group chooses one photo that best represents that theme.

For example, the group size is ten and eight to ten children took a photo of the Library as something they like best. The Library is then a theme from that category and the group votes on the best photo from the eight taken that best represents that theme.

Report ing back to The People for P laces and Spaces (PPS) by November 13th

8. Groups then give PPS the top five themes (one photo chosen from each in electronic form) from each of the three categories (fifteen photos in total) with the explanations from the group why it represents something they like, don’t like, or want to improve about Woollahra. The explanations may be recorded and given to PPS as a Word document.

9. PPS will further sort the data and photos from all of the schools that participate

10. Schools will be advised of a time and location for a photo exhibition, which will include a selection of photos among the participating schools — details to be confirmed by PPS.

We would also like all of the names of the students who have participated so that everyone’s contribution may be recognised. If you have any questions please contact, Beth Branch The People for Places and Spaces Studio 66, 61 Marlborough Street Surry Hills NSW 2010 Australia

Phone +61 2 9310 3952 Fax + 61 2 9310 4705 Mobile +61 404 232360 [email protected]

Documents

The Schools Photo Survey - woollahra.nsw.gov.au parks, beaches and facilities that are well-kept, safe and inviting - 9 comments • Nielsen Park is a wonderful set up. Involving greenery