A bitter dispute over a park bench in a ritzy suburb has forced a local council to spend thousands of dollars to remove it following concerns it was a ‘safety’ risk.
Ku-ring-gai Council spent $6,000 to remove the bench that was built on a nature strip on Mariana Close at St Ives, in Sydney’s upper north shore.
Local Andy Bloom campaigned for it to be installed in 2021 so parents could sit and watch their children play; however, the bench caused a rift in the community.
The seat was set up on a nature strip near two roads, raising safety concerns among residents.
Others claimed the seat was built without council approval and that it facilitated ‘anti-social behaviour’.
Some conducted asbestos tests around the area while deputy mayor Christine Kay bizarrely stated she could not ‘morally’ support the presence of the bench.
Council voted to remove it in December with the hefty removal costs angering Ms Bloom who labelled it a waste of ‘significant resources and ratepayer money’.
A council has spent $6000 removing a park bench (pictured) in St Ives, in Sydney’s north shore due to safety concerns
‘The bench was only ever intended to be a place for residents to sit and for parents to watch their children,’ she told The Daily Telegraph.
Complaints were made to politicians and even to federal MP Paul Fletcher while police were called to the site following reports of traffic incidents.
The council assessed the concerns of the community for a six month period between March and September.
The survey found a majority were in favour of keeping the bench with six voting ‘Yes’ to keep it while two voted ‘No’.
Council also conducted several traffic and safety assessments while a private consultant was hired to carry out a risk assessment.
The council passed a majority vote to remove the bench following a fiery two-hour meeting in December.
Five members of council, including Mayor Sam Ngai, voted for its removal.
Ms Kay said during the meeting the safety of residents should be prioritised.
‘Morally, I feel the bench should be removed,’ she said.
‘I have an uneasiness with the safety issues which have been brought to the attention of councillors.
Deputy Mayor Christine Kay (pictured) said the threat to community safety couldn’t be ignored
Mayor Sam Ngai (pictured) was among five councillors who voted in favour of removing the bench
‘I can’t unsee what has been brought to my attention…all councillors have been made aware of these issues.’
Councillor Martin Smith argued the bench didn’t pose a threat to residents.
‘There’s no risk,’ he said.
‘What message are we sending out to the community… that’s ok if you scream loud enough… no matter what’s right or wrong…we’ll overturn that decision and make sure we get rid of it.’
Resident Betty Hall argued the location was never a good spot for the bench to be placed.
‘It should never have gotten to this point because it’s come at a huge cost and shouldn’t have been allowed to be installed in the first place,’ she said.
‘It’s not safe and it was never safe.’
Ms Bloom spent $3,000 to build the original rainbow bench on the nature strip.
Ku-ring-gai Council’s operations director George Bounassif said Ms Bloom would be fully reimbursed.
The council will consider alternative places for the bench to be relocated during a meeting in March.
Daily Mail Australia contacted Ku-ring-gai Council for comment.
