COFA dreamt about us last night…

In the old British 70s sitcom, Open All Hours, the late comic genius, Ronnie Barker, uttered a line that has stuck with me through the years. He played Arkwright, a stammering, miserly, manipulative, middle-aged grocer, who would rather risk amputation than put his hand in his own till for anyone.

Across the road from Arkwright’s store lived the buxom Nurse Gladys Emmanuel. When not trying to fleece his neighbourhood customers, Arkwright was forever trying to secure Nurse Emmanuel’s affections with the same gluttonous avarice. Irresistible in her plump, starched nurse’s uniform, much of the skinflint's time was spent trying to gain a glimpse of her ample bosom, begging her to ma-ma-marry, or at least sleep with him.

Calling up to her window one day, he stutters, “I dreamt about you last night Nurse Emmanuel, but it’s not the same as d-d-doing it, is it?”

Dilapidation reports: our guinea pig’s exposé.

Many of you have questions about Dilapidation Reports for homes affected by the campus redevelopment project. Questions such as ‘why are they doing to this us?’, ‘who are these people?’, and ‘why are they such schmucks?’.

We can’t answer those questions, but we can tell you a little about what to expect from the dilapidation inspections themselves.

One of our number has kindly written in with this first hand account.

A Complaint is a Gift

I was just idly flicking through a book called “A Complaint is a Gift”, by Janelle Barlow and Claus Moller, and was surprised to find how most of it just seemed to be common sense.

The basic idea is that a complaint or criticism is an opportunity to improve. When we’re being honest to ourselves – we have to admit that it’s true. Getting feedback is essential in our lives – otherwise many of us would do something stupid ... like entering Australian Idol.

Resident alert: Our questions to UNSW

Below are the questions we've asked UNSW to answer before the Construction Liaison Committee Meeting tomorrow (6pm at COFA on Thursday 11 February in EG02 Lecture Room).

We urge those who can to attend this meeting.

The questions and responses are here. The responses were not received until 6pm Friday 12 February – 24 hours after the meeting. They would not answer them during the meeting.

Thought for the day

Schmucks!

COFA's latest truck route plan: bad news for everyone

Dear fellow residents,

The new Construction Traffic Management Plan has now been released by UNSW/COFA and was posted on the COFA website on 8 February 2010.

Take a look and check all the details as a quick review reveals that it affects nearly ALL residents in the area. Major points are as follows:

Ugggh! Here's COFA's complete truck route plan

COFA has prepared a new, comprehensive, yet sadly, unimproved Construction Traffic Management Plan for the entire development process.

Truck Off COFA has not had time to read and digest, but will surely be making appropriate disgruntled noises in due course.

In the meantime, here's the link:

http://redevelop.cofa.unsw.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Demolition-Excavation-and-Construction-TMP-CoFA-rpt3.pdf

A friendly message to COFA students from your neighbours

Editor note: This is being disseminated via our extensive knowledge transfer network, i.e. something similar will be posted on the noticeboard at the corner shop.

You may have noticed banners hanging from neighbouring homes and wondered, what does "Truck Off COFA" mean? Please be assured that these banners are not directed at you but at COFA management.

Let us explain a little of the history to you…

Moderately encouraging neighbourhood update

Now, don’t get too excited people, but we come bearing a modicum, a sliver, yes, a veritable scintilla of moderately good news.

The Sydney City Council has told UNSW COFA it must resubmit a comprehensive construction traffic plan for each and every stage of the 27-month development process – demolition, excavation and construction.

Up until now, COFA sought a piecemeal approach, putting forward its truck route plans bit by bit and leaving us all in the dark as to exactly what merry truckers’ delights were in store.

Choices, choices, choices.

For better or worse, society has hierarchies. Same goes for roads.

According to the road experts, a hierarchical road network is essential to maximise road safety, residential amenity, legality and wear and tear. Each class of road in the network serves a distinct set of functions – and is designed accordingly.

Fighting militant truck manoeuvres with a chicken joke

Q: Why did the duck cross the road?

T-shirts: too cool for (art) skool

Our little community is a ragamuffin group, with a diverse range of skills, experience and background. Some are from Mars, some from Venus, and some are from much much further away. Each makes their contribution in whatever way they can.

But they all like a snazzy t-shirt! Who doesn't! Whether they're down at the local RSL, at the footy, off to a fashion parade or just pottering around at home putting a banner up on the veranda or firing off a letter to Clover Moore – being hip, stylish and a little bit edgy is de rigeur around these parts.

Inspirational quote of the day

"A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history."

Mahatma Gandhi.

A brief history of COFA’s redevelopment project

In 2002, COFA lodged the ad-hoc DA 1431 with Council for the construction of an Art Museum & Gallery on the Selwyn Street residential frontage of its campus. No small project, this would be the third largest gallery in Sydney.

The Community objects and requests a Masterplan for the whole COFA Campus site that would reorient the campus and Gallery towards its non-residential frontages on Oxford Street and Greens Road.

In June 2004, UNSW withdraws DA 1431 and agrees to work with Sydney City Council and the community on a comprehensive Masterplan.

Karaoke for COFA

Here in our (currently) calm and peaceful little precinct, we like to gather around the piano or karaoke machine and sing songs. We're an artistic lot, and uniting in song lifts our spirits, helps us shed the anguish of our daily toil and draws us closer together. The songs are sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, sometimes sad.

In that way the rich knowledge and life experience inherent in each of us is passed on to each other, and to our children.

Letters to Clover Moore

Letters to Clover Moore - Sydney City Mayor and NSW MP

If you'd like your letter published (anonymously of course!), then email it to us. Click here, then click on Email on the left hand side.

22 January 2010

Dear Clover Moore,
As a resident of one of Paddington's tiniest heritage precincts, I'm writing to seek your help over fears we are about to come under siege from a conga line of thousands of heavy construction vehicles as the College of Fine Arts begins a major redevelopment of its campus - a project forecast to last some 27 months.

Background
As I write, COFA is submitting a proposal to the City of Sydney to turn one-way backlane residential streets into a two-way truck route. This is despite making firm and specific commitments in its development application to create a large vehicle access as an initial activity before demolition began through its central campus via the nearby Greens Road - a larger route that fronts the campus and devoid of dwellings.

Citizen COFA. Not!

In the classic film Citizen Kane, flashbacks illuminating the source of the magnate's cruel and domineering life led to a boyhood sled named Rosebud. So, too, the woes of residents Vs COFA trucks can be traced back to a seemingly insignificant item – a paper store.

I kid you not. A paper store.

They’re really not that into us

Aren’t you sick of people saying one thing and doing the exact opposite? We hate it in our politicians, our spouses, our banks, and we hate it in our public institutions. With that in mind, I'm going to start naming names by pointing out one specific institution that doesn't say what it means and mean what it says.

That would be COFA.

Does COFA think we’re too stupid to see what's really going on?

Truckulent COFA

COFA loves to bug us with their trucks.

They’re supposed to load and unload within the curtilage of their grounds. Them’s the rules. But they often don't.

Proposed plan 200 times worse!

The College of Fine Art (COFA), in Sydney, Australia breaks previous promises to the community and proposes to use residential streets for truck movements during demolition.
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