Community land could become memorial to battle

Four parcels of land in Pozieres Avenue, Umina, could be dedicated as a memorial site to the Battle of Pozieres during World War One following a suggestion by Cr Hillary Morris.

The idea of dedicating the land, which is on a list of community reserves being considered for reclassification and sale by the former Gosford Council, came out of a community request and was put forward as a notice of motion by Cr Hillary Morris.

As a result of an amendment made to the notice of motion at the May 10 Gosford Council meeting, the request, along with the history of how the land was acquired by council, will form part of council's review of the land parcels' classifications.

The decision about the future of the land will remain subject to the outcomes of the new Central Coast Council's land sale strategy, if it continues with Gosford Council's plans, irrespective of the proposal that it be dedicated as a memorial.

Cr Morris said the blocks were currently classified as community land and that local residents would like to see them stay in council's custody.

The parcels of land on Pozieres Ave were part of a subdivision which was originally called Our Boys Estate, with all the streets having reference to the First World War.

Our Boy's Estate reflects the Australian experience in WWI but was conceivably a marketing gimmick, rather than a true attempt to memorialise Australian soldiers in WWI, Cr Morris said.

"That said, there are many in the Umina community who hold this reserve in special regard because of the association with the First World War and would like to see it stay with council," Cr Morris said.

She gave examples of residents fighting to keep the Pozieres Ave land in community hands.

For example, Mr Ron Read from Umina wrote to Gosford Council regarding the ongoing maintenance of this site and was assured by the then mayor, Chris Holstein on April 27, 1999, that: "The area of land is classified as community land so it will not be redeveloped for any other use than for some community facility, such as a park".

"Whilst I am more than aware that there is currently a process being conducted regarding council's land sale strategy, it would be a wonderful tribute to dedicate this land as a memorial park for the those Australians who died in France 100 years ago," Cr Morris said.

"It may be that the land came into council hands as a result of unpaid rates but it has become part of the urban landscape."

Cr Chris Burke and Cr Bob Ward both spoke to commended the motion.

Cr Burke said: "There should be more monuments about our city so we can remember our war heroes; the more monuments we can get the better."

Cr Gabby Bowles said she supported Cr Morris' sentiment but had concerns about how the motion was worded.

Cr Bowles suggested inserting the words "subject to the outcomes of the land sale strategy" in the motion, an amendment that was rejected by Cr Morris.

As a result, Cr Bowles put the amendment forward as an alternative motion, which was, after debate, carried by the council.

"I have concerns about lots being pulled out part way through the process," Cr Bowles said.

Cr Craig Doyle said he agreed with Cr Bowles: "I did have a real issue with starting off with the dedication of the parcels of land whilst in the middle of a process.

"A number of parcels of land have come back a number of times because we didn't go through this process," he said.

Cr Doyle also questioned whether the RSL had been consulted about the idea of a Pozieres memorial.

"Is this the right location for the peninsula, simply because a street has the name of a battle in a faraway land, doesn't mean it is the best location for a memorial."

"The first thing we need to do is to deal with the blocks of land and get them assessed appropriately.

"Let's do it properly, whilst well-meaning I think we need to be very careful and very specific," he said.

Cr Morris said she had letters from the local association representing Vietnam Veterans and the RSL supporting the concept of a memorial for the Battle of Pozieres on the Peninsula.

Cr Vicky Scott spoke against the motion: "I don't really see why dedicating this beautiful site necessarily takes it out of the process; we can do both.

"I think it is fairly small minded to say no, no, no, we want it to stay in the process.

"This is about cultural growth in our area.

"We have very few cultural sites because we are a new area so we should celebrate and remember the reasons why the community are putting this site up.

Cr Deanna Bocking asked CEO, Mr Paul Anderson, for clarification of whether earmarking the land as a potential memorial did, in fact, take it out of the land sale strategy process.

Mr Anderson said it probably did fly in the face of the land sale strategy: "The motion talks about council considering and then making the consultant aware of the request from the community for it to become a memorial site.

"The alternative motion says it is subject to the council land strategy being finalised.

"Once you dedicate it as a park, it is potentially going to be named after something around that battle... does that then preclude process?" he said.

"It probably flies in the face of it; it doesn't make much sense to dedicate the land and keep in in the process, but if you pull it out, away you go."

He said his preference was to allow the land sale process to happen then come back and consider the memorial proposal.

"It is really a decision that you need to make," he said to the councillors.

The alternative motion was carried as a result of Gosford mayor, Cr Lawrie McKinna using his casting vote.

Speaking in support of Cr Morris' motion, Mr Ron Reed provided Gosford Council with a history of the Battle of Pozieres.

"I am here to ask you to develop our park with a memorial to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the battle of Pozieres," Mr Reed said.

"No site on the Western Front has a greater association with Australian character and sacrifice than Pozieres," he said, reflecting that within the seven week battle the Australian army almost lost the same number of lives as in whole Gallipoli campaign.

2016 marks the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Pozieres where over 29,000 Australian soldiers were killed or wounded.

The battle lasted just seven weeks from July 23 to September 3, 1916 during which the Australian Army suffered more than 23,000 casualties and 6,856 young Australian men died.

Gosford Council agenda iNM.10, 10 May 2016

Reporter: Jackie Pearson