Fate of eruv in the hands of NSW court
A FINAL decision on the fate of the North Shore Eruv is expected within weeks.
A FINAL decision on the fate of the North Shore Eruv is expected within weeks.
The NSW Land and Environment Court began hearing an appeal by Northern Eruv Inc last week against the Ku-ring-gai Council’s rejection of the establishment of a spiritual boundary in St Ives.
Commissioner Sue Morris, accompanied by lawyers from both sides, conducted an inspection of the sites where 17 poles would be erected on private land, and one pole on public land would be extended in height.
The 20-kilometre symbolic spiritual boundary would allow Orthodox Jews to push prams and carry keys on Shabbat.
Among those who spoke in favour of the proposal was Northern Eruv Inc spokesperson David Guth, who has been fighting for years to get the project off the ground.
“Our applications are valid,” Guth told The AJN. “We’ve demonstrated in our applications that we conform to the local-planning
legislation, and council’s previous reports to the council have recommended approval for the development of the application.”
However, many local residents spoke out against the application.
“It is not in the interest of the vast majority of St Ives residents,” St Ives resident Neil Ingham said before the hearing.
“It creates a social consequence when the non-Jewish community is being asked to accept the Orthodox Jewish attitude that St Ives homes and streets are, for practical reasons, part of Jewish homes and property.”
Added John Robson, the lawyer representing Ku-ring-gai Council: “The overwhelming majority [of residents] have raised genuine concerns, and they are matters of public interest.”
Ku-ring-gai Council rejected the development proposal last August. Among its concerns were the visual impact of the eruv, public interest and impacts on trees and vegetation.
CHANTAL ABITBOL
A map of the proposed eruv.
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