7. Mr Brian Gaetjens asked -

(a) Why, despite the unanimous request of St Andrew's Churchwardens to Standing Committee to review as a matter of urgency the St Andrew's Bondi Beach Provisional Parish situation in terms of clause 7 (2) of the Parishes Ordinance 1979, has South Sydney Regional Council (to whom Standing Committee referred the request) declined to review the parish?

(b) Why has Standing Committee and the Property Trust adopted a policy of allowing the continued occupancy of St Andrew's Bondi Beach rectory building by a separate non-parochial organisation, in apparent contravention of the trust covering the property, with no Ordinance allowing that occupancy and no signed licence agreement?

To which the President replied -

In the early 1990's a parish ministry initiative to persons with low income and victims of abuse was started in the Parish of Bondi under control of the rector and it was allowed to occupy the house attached to the branch church at St Andrew's Bondi Beach. The work has become well established and is accepted by the community.

In 1996 the Provisional Parish of Bondi Beach was created from the Parish of Bondi and the parish ministry initiative came under the control of the curate-in-charge of the Provisional Parish of Bondi Beach. It remained in the house. To clarify its legal status in order to obtain certain government funding and to seek a resolution to the dispute with the parish council, it later became an incorporated association separate from the parochial unit.

The answers to the specific question are -

(a) The South Sydney Regional Council did review the matter as requested on 20 May 1998 and declined to resolve that the Provisional Parish of Bondi Beach should revert to the ecclesiastical district from which it was taken or to assign it to an adjoining ecclesiastical district.

The Provisional Parish was created for three years and must be reviewed by 31 December 1999. The South Sydney Regional Council will review the provisional parish in 1999.

(b) The Property Trust has a long standing policy of not requiring church land to have a specific trust to lease where the land is occupied by an external organisation in circumstances similar to those in question.

For many months the Property Trust has attempted to have a licence agreement signed between the parties without success.