Pittwater Life May 2023 Issue

The Local Voice Since 1991
MAY 2023
FREE
pittwaterlife
NORTH NARRA PRO SURFING
ELECTION WASH-UP: AMON, SCRUBY & REGAN HAVE THEIR SAY
MONA VALE AQUATIC RESERVE PUSH / CAROL LANGSFORD
THE WAY WE WERE / HOT PROPERTY / SEEN... HEARD... ABSURD...

Editorial
Unpacking the election result
Our coast is a focus this
month – we preview the
return of a World Surfing
League pro event at North
Narrabeen, plus the proposal
submitted to Council by a
passionate Mona Vale Group
aiming to have Bongin Bongin
Bay declared a no-take fishing
zone and aquatic reserve (p24).
We chat with local surfing
icon Damien Hardman about
what the Sydney Surf Pro
means for the local surf scene
(p20).
On the political front, there’s
much to unpack following
the NSW Election result. In
Pittwater, Rory Amon ‘held
the fort’ for the NSW Liberals,
narrowly winning the seat
despite a surge of votes for
Independent for Pittwater
candidate Jacqui Scruby who
fell agonisingly short (under
1000 votes).
A vote for a new Mayor
looms after Michael Regan won
Wakehurst (he will continue as
a Councillor); we’ll let you know
when the vote is scheduled and
who are putting up their hands.
We deliver an exclusive Q&A
with our new local member Mr
Amon; plus Mr Regan and Ms
Scruby offer their post-election
comments (p26).
Staying political, Pittwater
Ward Councillor Michael
Gencher says it’s time
Council improved its public
consultation process (p30) – he
certainly pulls no punches in
outlining why.
‘The Prize’ winners
Congratulations to the
following five readers who
entered April’s competition to
win a copy of Kim E Anderson’s
novel ‘The Prize’, about a
controversial period in the
history of the Archibald Prize:
Birte Larsen, Vincent Murtagh,
Vicki Ratcliff, Marilyn Gazzard
and Mary Rose Kupferman.
Your copies are in the mail!
– Nigel Wall
The Local Voice Since 1991
MAY 2023 3

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Email:
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Website:
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Publisher: Nigel Wall
Managing Editor: Lisa Offord
Graphic Design:
Craig Loughlin-Smith
Photography: Adobe / Staff
Contributors: Rob Pegley,
Steve Meacham, Rosamund
Burton, Gabrielle Bryant,
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Vol 32 No 10
Celebrating 32 years
46
The Local Voice Since 1991
MAY 2023
FREE
pittwaterlife
NORTH NARRA PRO SURFING
ELECTION WASH-UP: AMON, SCRUBY & REGAN HAVE THEIR SAY
MONA VALE AQUATIC RESERVE PUSH / CAROL LANGSFORD
THE WAY WE WERE / HOT PROPERTY / SEEN... HEARD... ABSURD...
PWL_MAY23_p001.indd 1 26/4/2023 3:44 pm
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thislife
INSIDE: The son of a Wesley Taylor Retirement Village
resident talks about the disappointment of his mother
having to find new accommodation after the closure of the
Village (p12); a tribute to ‘Pittwater’s champion’ Bob Grace
(p17); professional surfing returns to North Narrabeen from
May 17 (p20); a new Mona Vale residents group is appealing
to Council to declare the local offshore area a ‘no-take’
aquatic reserve (p24); and we profile MS fundraisers Carol
Langsford and her late husband Roy (p40).
COVER: Mona Vale Sunrise / Dave Hayes
XXXXX 2022
also this month
Editorial 3
Pittwater Local News & Features 8-39
Seen... Heard... Absurd... 32
Briefs & Community News 34-39
Life Story: Carol, Roy & Trish Langsford 40-42
Hot Property 44-45
Art 46-47
Health & Wellbeing; Hair & Beauty 48-55
Money & Law 56-59
Trades & Services/Classifieds 60-63
The Way We Were 64
Crossword 65
Food & Tasty Morsels 66-69
Gardening 70-72
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MAY 2023 The Local Voice Since 1991

Boost for local EV uptake
News
As the Northern Beaches charges ahead
with electric vehicle (EV) uptake, new
EV chargers are popping up across the
Peninsula, including most recently at
Ocean Street, Narrabeen and Lagoon Street
Carpark, Narrabeen.
Council says there are now more than 20
EV charging locations across the Northern
Beaches with many more in the pipeline,
making it one of the fastest growing areas
for EV uptake.
Northern Beaches Deputy Mayor Sue
Heins said: “The State Government is
aiming for 52 per cent of new vehicle
sales to be electric by 2030 and the
Federal Government is aiming for 89
per cent, so we really need to ensure
our community has the right infrastructure
to support EV uptake,” Cr
Heins said.
“Council is leading by example, continually
adding electric vehicles to our
fleet. We are heartened to see Northern
Beaches residents making the switch
to electric and we want to support
them by offering more places for them
to charge their vehicle using certified
green energy.”
Recent additions to the network
were installed by JOLT and include two
new chargers on Council land in Narrabeen
and a new charger in Brookvale. This
brings the number of JOLT chargers on the
Beaches to eight.
JOLT’s network is powered by 100%
Australian certified green energy and provides
EV drivers with free, fast charging.
EV owners pay nothing for the first 7kWh
every day.
JOLT CEO Doug McNamee said EV chargers
on the Beaches had become some of the
most utilised in Australia.
EXAMPLE: Sue Heins says Council is leading the way.
“We have been receiving positive
feedback from the local EV owners,” Mr
McNamee said.
“As the drivers are fitting EV charging
within their daily routine, whether that’s
getting grocery or a coffee, there’s been
high traffic and need for more chargers.
We’re excited to help drivers to travel even
more freely, without range anxiety.”
Late last year, Council also announced
its involvement in the new Intellihub EV
Streetside Charging Project that will
see at least 5 EV chargers installed on
street-side power poles.
According to the Federal Government,
the transport sector is responsible
for a whopping 19% of Australia’s
total carbon emissions.
Council is aiming for a 30 per cent
reduction in vehicle emissions by
2038, as outlined in its MOVE Northern
Beaches Transport Strategy.
Council currently has five fully
electric, five plug-in hybrid and 15
hybrid vehicles in its fleet.
To a view a map of publicly available
EV chargers visit electricvehiclecouncil.com.au
– Nigel Wall
*What do you think? Tell us at readers@pittwaterlife.com.au
8 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

Bungan looking for Friends
National Volunteer Week like a garden, you have to keep
the local native species. That’s
is on 15-21 May with the on it,” she says.
made a big difference,” Penny
theme ‘The Change Makers’
– which is perfect timing for
isolated Bungan Beach.
It’s residents are on the
lookout for more friends – the
flesh-and-blood kind of friends
who love the unique character
of Bungan.
Locals say Bungan’s beauty is
in its remoteness. You need to
be a dedicated surfer, walker or
beachcomber to get down Myola
Road or Beach Road to hit
the sand. Even more so to do
Anne adds: “We want to hand
it on. We don’t want all our
work to go to waste.”
The Friends of Bungan are a
community of local volunteers
that care for and maintain the
8.65-hectare Bungan Beach
Reserve (with Northern Beaches
Council support).
About 80 per cent of the
Reserve has been professionally
regenerated, aided by grant
funding.
The native bushland and
says.
The Friends get together
on the fourth Sunday of each
month to manage and maintain
the Reserve. Morning tea, learning
from bushcare experts and
spending time with each other
in nature are all vital parts of
the deal.
Getting the generations
together, sharing experiences
and gently passing on “the wisdom
of the elders” power Janet,
Penny and Anne.
the lung-busting hike back up. animals and the beach and SUCCESSION: Bushcarers Janet “For young people, getting
away from their devices
Kershaw, Penny Hunstead and
The Friends of Bungan know rock platform form the natural Anne Lanyon.
all about what makes Bungan environment of Bungan that
and just being in amongst
special but they are entering the Friends protect, preserve
Powerful owls, white-faced
the natural world helps them
transition mode.
and enhance.
herons, sooty oystercatchers,
revive their spirit and gives
A hand-made sign tells the Anne talks about Penny’s sea eagles, water dragons, them something to connect to,”
tale: ‘HELP!!!!’
great knowledge of plant species
swamp wallabies, possums, Anne says.
Janet Kershaw, Penny Hunstead
and Anne Lanyon, each in
their 70s, are passionate about
Bungan and ensuring its ongoing
and Janet’s expertise on
weed species – “I learn from
them. Sharing that knowledge
is fantastic”.
seals and turtles (laying eggs)
live in or have visited the
Reserve.
“The biodiversity of the
Penny talks about mental
health – “The mental health of
everybody who is associated
with being in gardens im-
care.
Passing on this knowledge small birds has improved proves”. – Greg McHugh
It’s time for “succession planning”,
Janet explains. “It’s just
bank is a key component of the
succession plan.
since we did a lot of clearing
of weeds and re-established
*More info and contacts at
friendsofbungan.org.au
News
The Local Voice Since 1991
MAY 2023 9

News
Pittwater shares $93m capital works
Tidal and rock/ocean pools in Pittwater will
receive a $1.1 million boost in funding
from Northern Beaches Council in the next
financial year, according to Council’s draft
budget released in late April.
And a similar amount will be invested to
improve wharves at Mackerel and Currawong
Beaches.
Meanwhile Avalon Beach will share a $2.1
million pool to improve its Village centre.
Top-shelf Council funding includes $14.5
million for resurfacing 6.6km of roads and
improving other road assets and $13.4 million
on community facilities.
Council’s draft delivery program and budget
for the next financial year includes $93 million
allocated to capital works across the Northern
Beaches.
The draft Delivery Program 2023-2027, Operational
Plan and Budget 2023/24 and revised
Long-Term Financial Plan 2023-2033 are now
on public exhibition on Council’s website.
Northern Beaches Council Interim CEO
Louise Kerr said Council was investing in vital
community infrastructure to deliver on the
Community’s vision for a safe, diverse, inclusive
and connected community.
UPGRADE:
Paradise
Beach pool.
“Over the coming financial year we will
continue to deliver high-quality services in a
financially responsible way… to build a more
resilient, inclusive and liveable community,”
Ms Kerr said.
“Our focus continues to be on delivering on
the priorities our community has confirmed
including major improvements and repairs,
particularly to our local roads that have suffered
from flooding and wet weather. As well
as improving our parks, footpaths, cycleways
and investing in vital community facilities.
“We really encourage the community to
take a look at what we are proposing and let
us know what you think. Every comment is
important in refining these vital documents
which will ultimately benefit the community.”
Pool improvement work will target Paradise
Beach, Bilgola and Mona Vale pools.
Other highlights include: $9.2 million on footpaths,
shared paths and cycleways; $8.4 million
on our stormwater network to reduce flooding
and pollution; $7.4 million improving reserves
and parks at Warriewood, Balgowlah, Dee Why,
Frenchs Forest, Manly, Narraweena and Seaforth;
$4.5 million for recreational trails and boardwalks
including Manly Dam. – Nigel Wall
Local gems
in tourism
spotlight
Narrabeen Lagoon, Palm
Beach and Currawong
on Pittwater will be on show
in late May when Northern
Beaches Council hosts
delegates from around NSW
at a special tourism conference.
The three-day event (May
29-31) will bring together
local government staff and
Councillors, key industry
stakeholders and local operators
to discuss insights
and the ever-changing
world facing future visitors.
From embracing the 24-
hour economy to running
major festivals and events,
there will be a range of
strategies and case studies
for councils to learn from.
The conference program
covers a diverse range of
topics including the 24-hour
economy, sustainable tourism,
sports tourism, eventsbased
tourism, technology
trends, how to access grant
funding, collaborating with
other councils, benefits of
volunteer groups, cultural
tourism and how to identify
new tourism markets.
Council will organise site
visits for delegates, showcasing
the region’s extraordinary
destination offering.
Highlights of site tours
include Narrabeen Lagoon;
Palm Beach; Currawong on
Pittwater; Shelly Beach and
Cabbage Tree Bay; Q Station
and North Head; and Collaroy
Beach. – NW
*More info lgnsw.org.au
10 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

Families ponder
future after
Wesley closure
News
Tom Jeffries’ 83-year-old
mother Colleen has enjoyed
the 10 months she
has spent at Narrabeen’s Wesley
Taylor Retirement Village.
“She’s been very happy with
the level of care and support
she has received,” her son explains.
“She had a severe stroke
several years ago and it is no
longer possible for her to live
on her own.
“She was in another residential
home in Hornsby where she
and my late father lived. But
that closed down in 2022.
“We decided to bring her to
the Northern Beaches because
my wife and I live in Dee Why.”
So it would be perfectly
understandable if Tom and
his mother were annoyed now
that Wesley Mission, which
runs the Narrabeen facility,
has announced it is closing all
three of its remaining Sydney
residential homes from the end
of May.
In fact, the Jeffries’ are sanguine
about it.
“Inevitably it was a surprise,”
Tom admits. “But I am more
than aware of the pressures the
residential aged care has been
under.”
Reverend Stu Cameron,
Wesley Mission’s CEO and
superintendent, announced in
April that its facilities in Narrabeen,
Sylvania and Carlingford
were no longer commercially
viable, meaning upheaval for
nearly 200 residents and their
families.
He blamed the difficulty of
meeting new national staffing
requirements – including 24-
hour on-premises nursing care
MOVING ON: Tom Jeffries with his mother, resident Colleen.
which the Albanese Federal
Government wants implemented
by July 1, following the
damning Royal Commission
into aged care which reported
in 2021.
“Wesley Mission supports
these once-in-a-generation reforms,
improving quality for all
care users,” Reverend Cameron
said in a statement. However
the financial burden was too
big for the Mission to cover.
“We’ve been very happy with
Wesley Taylor,” Tom admitted.
“But I am very sad that such a
noble, caring, Christian organisation
has found it too hard to
continue.”
No resident will be forced to
leave Wesley Taylor until suitable
alternative accommodation
has been found.
“Wesley Mission very generously
has appointed a specialist
agency called MyCarePath
to help each resident find new
suitable aged care accommodation,”
Tom explained.
“So rather than have each
12 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

esident and their families
having to make their own arrangements,
it is recommended
we go through them.
“There’s no hard and fast
deadline. No residents are
going to be forced out until an
alternative has been found.”
Mackellar MP Dr Sophie
Scamps said the closure
was distressing news for all
residents and their families,
as well as the staff who were
losing their jobs.
“I was deeply disappointed to
hear of Wesley Mission’s decision
to close its Narrabeen aged
care facility – Wesley Taylor
Aged Care – and to sell Wesley
Taylor Retirement Village.
“Wesley Mission failed to
notify both myself and the
Government in advance of this
announcement, despite meeting
with the Government only
weeks ago.”
Dr Scamps said the Wesley
Mission CEO had stated that
the decision to cease operations
was a business one.
“However, the facility did not
seek available financial support
from the Government or
advice from the Aged Care Department,
nor did they provide
an opportunity for another
aged care provider to take over
the facility,” she said.
“Wesley Mission has cited
various issues, including the
cost of capital works and difficulties
in retaining and attracting
staff. This is a disappointing
given this announcement
has come only months before
the Commonwealth-funded 15
per cent wage increase is to be
introduced – a move that will
attract more staff to the sector.
“After 10 years of neglect and
a lack of investment, our aged
care sector is in crisis. The aged
care workforce has also been
underpaid and undervalued for
too long.
“You can earn more pouring
beers than you can looking
after our older Australians.
“The 15 per cent pay rise the
Fair Work Commission has ordered
is a good start – however,
more needs to be done.
“It’s now incumbent on the
Albanese Government to urgently
address staff shortages
in the aged care sector while
also helping facilities to transition
rapidly to 24/7 care from
registered nurses.”
– Steve Meacham & Nigel Wall
News
The Local Voice Since 1991
MAY 2023 13

Tennis’ love [for] all
News
INCLUSION: Collaroy Tennis’ Ryan Maloney and Scott Fletcher;
accommodating wheelchair players.
Having celebrated its centenary last year, the Collaroy Tennis
Centre continues to provide service to all areas of the
Northern Beaches sporting community in its 101st year.
So much so, it was recently recognised as the Most Outstanding
Tennis Club in Australia at the Australian Tennis Club Awards.
In fact, as Scott Fletcher, joint Director of Tennis Evolve Academy
at the club explains, they’ve won or been nominated for
several awards in recent years.
“Evolve Tennis Academy was NSW Winner of the Coaching
Excellence Club,” reveals Scott, “and then a top-3 finalist in Australia.
And the club was winner
of both the Most Outstanding
Tennis Club in NSW and then
Australia as well.”
Scott and his business partner
Ryan Maloney both grew up
playing tennis on the Northern
Beaches from a young age and
put a submission together to be
facilitator managers of the club
when it was taking tenders.
Since then, the pair have
adopted and adhered to strong
values that have delivered enormous
success.
“Our number one goal is to
provide a fun but competitive
atmosphere where everyone can
reach their personal tennis milestones,”
says Scott. “And do so whilst enjoying arguably some of
Sydney’s best facilities.”
Diversity and inclusion has been a big part of their philosophy.
When winning the Australian Club of the Year award, the
club’s management and members were congratulated for engendering
strong community spirit on the Northern Beaches and
acting as champions of diversity and inclusion for the sport.
“We coach from Pee Wee Minis at only two years old, all the
way through to Seniors,” reveals Scott, “along with wheelchair
tennis players. One of the club’s ‘Wheelies’ – Annalise Fadeev
– has competed in both State and National titles and has won a
Bronze Medal at the Special Olympics.”
“Our programs also include lessons for players with intellectual
disability, Down Syndrome or Autism,” he continues.
The club has been named an ‘Inclusion Development Hub‘
by Tennis Australia – one of only three in NSW. They have also
been asked by Tennis NSW to participate in a Gender Equity
Pilot Program headed by former professional player now commentator
Casey Dellacqua.
The aim of the program is to improve access and opportunities
for all members to achieve gender equality
at our club, both as players and administrators.
The club has also been a trailblazer for the LGBT-
QIA+ community as it creates a safe and inclusive
place for everyone wanting to enjoy tennis.
“This year the club is holding several events and
programs specifically for LGBTQIA+ players,” says
Scott. “Notably we held an AO Pride event in conjunction with
Tennis Australia and the Australian Open, a Pride event in
conjunction with Sydney WorldPride 2023 and Northern Beaches
Council, and participation in the Rainbow Ready Clubs Program
run by Tennis NSW.”
It’s clear that Ryan and Scott have a massive passion for tennis
and coaching – it’s the only way they could cope with the
workload.
“We currently coach more than 2600 players weekly,” says
Scott, “ranging from juniors competing at National level, National
Veterans Champions and your grassroot Hotshots Champions.
No matter what your tennis aspirations might be, we have
a program for you.”
But if all you want is a hit-up with a friend, then one of
five courts can be hired whatever your skill level, including a
wheelchair-accessible hardcourt.
For some it’s great to just have a knockabout, but for many
it offers hope and a bright spot in the week to a whole range of
diverse members.
– Rob Pegley
14 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

News
The decision by the Sydney
North Planning Panel on
the proposed alterations and
additions to Newport Surf
Club is edging closer.
A public meeting (by videoconference)
is being held on
16 May providing a chance
to speak to the Panel directly
prior to the decision.
The Panel has indicated that
it will aim to publish its decision
on its website within 7
days after the public meeting.
A review is being conducted
by the Panel under
DECISION: Plans
for Newport SLSC.
New call on Newport Surf Club
the Environmental Planning
and Assessment Act 1979 of
the earlier determination in
October 2022 that refused the
development application for
the Surf Club alterations and
additions.
Northern Beaches Council’s
most recent assessment
report of February 2023
recommends that the Panel
approves the development
application (subject to conditions).
The Council received 117
submissions during the public
exhibition period for the
Panel review process, with the
majority being in support of
the alterations and additions.
Additional information
to address the grounds of
refusal in the October 2022
determination has also been
supplied to the Council.
In tandem with the ongoing
Panel review process an
appeal against the earlier
refusal has also been lodged
with the Land and Environment
Court.
6THINGS
THIS MONTH
Flu shot. In most parts of
Australia, flu season usually
occurs from June to September,
peaking in August. Medical
experts recommend getting a
yearly flu shot in April or May,
with recent evidence suggesting
optimal protection against the flu
occurs within the first 3-4 months
following vaccination. Talk to your
GP or pharmacist about what’s
best for you and your family.
Life drawing. All artists at any
level are welcome at fortnightly,
untutored, relaxed and friendly life
drawing sessions at Mona Vale
Creative Space, 1 Park St. BYO
art materials and refreshments,
easels are provided. Cost $25.
This month held on Wed 3, Wed,
17 and Mon 31 from 10am-
12pm. Contact artgallery@
northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au or
call 8495 7129.
Dementia expo. Find out about
services and support on the
Northern Beaches for people
living with dementia and their
carers at this free expo at Dee
Why RSL on Thurs 4. Runs
from 9.30am-12pm; more info
dementiaalliancenb.com.au
Learn radio skills. Local
community radio station Radio
Northern Beaches is running its
popular one-day workshop at
its Terrey Hills studio covering
interviewing, microphone
techniques, how to create and plan
a radio program, legal requirements,
editing and experiencing going live
to air on Sat 20 from 9am-4pm.
Everyone is welcome. Costs $140;
more info at rnb.org.au
EV talk. Is an Electric Vehicle
right for you? Is it time to make the
switch? Is there enough range
for your travels? Is charging
going to be difficult? You’ll find
the answers to these and many
other questions by joining this
free Webinar on Tues 23 from
6.30pm-8pm. Register your
interest on council’s website.
Peppa Pig. Don’t miss seeing
Peppa Pig and Busy Izzy when
they come to Dunbar Park Avalon
on Sat 3 June from 9am-1pm
by securing your tickets NOW
(they are limited and won’t be
available on the day).Cost $10
each plus booking fee; available at
northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au
16 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

Tribute – Bob Grace
Pittwater’s
champion
Friends and colleagues have
paid tribute to former
Pittwater Councillor and
esteemed barrister Bob Grace
who died on March 23; he was
87.
Allan Porter said: “I was
a foundation Councillor and
Deputy Mayor of the new
Pittwater Council (1993).
“Bob joined us in the
formative years of the
Council and was a great help,
particularly at the demanding
time of the critical division
of assets between Warringah
Council and Pittwater.
“Bob’s heart and mind were
always with the people of the
beaches, an area where he was
part of the fabric of life that he
valued so much.
“Bob was a close colleague,
a good friend and we always
enjoyed times together after
our terms.”
Avalon Bulldogs Rugby
League Life Member Brian
Friend, who spoke at Mr Grace’s
funeral, said:
“Bob was ‘nature’s
gentleman’; in 1993, when
Pittwater Council had been
formed 12 months prior, Bob
threw his heart and soul into
the community and became
a Councillor. He attended
charities, fundraisers,
volunteer organisations.
“If you had a problem
involving Council procedure,
Bob was the go-to man who
would listen to you, find
out and report back to you
personally.
“Of course, Bob was heavily
involved in local issues,
including saving Mona Vale
Hospital, bringing back
Pittwater Council (as Chairman
of ‘Protect Pittwater’), saving
Barrenjoey Headland and more.
“In 1996 when my Under
6-7s team sponsor retired, Bob
stepped up and contributed
for more than a decade; he
attended games, ran water for
the players and presented the
Best & Fairest Awards.
“Bob was one of the best men
I ever knew.”
The Local Voice Since 1991
VALE: Bob Grace
Councillor Miranda Korzy
said: “Bob served as an
independent councillor in
Pittwater’s North Ward from
2008 to 2016; he was Deputy
Mayor in 2012 and 2013.
“Bob was a criminal
barrister, and he told me he
always worked for the defence.
A graduate of Catholic schools,
he said he was not ‘born to rule’
and would always stand up for
the underdog.
“He was actively involved
in Whale Beach Surf Life
Saving Club for 43 years, and
a member of Palm Beach Golf
Club for over 30 years.
“Bob was a cheerful,
charming, cheeky person
who could also be a bit of a
rogue. He was recognisable
everywhere in his bright red
MG with his beloved dog Bear
beside him. His old-world
manners and chivalry were
delightful, always greeting
his friends (and foes) with a
compliment. Walking with
women anywhere, he would
insist on taking the outside of
the footpath. He loved his cup
of coffee and newspaper at the
local cafe in the morning, Bear
at his feet, and a glass of red
wine in the evening.”
*Community Celebration at
Avalon Bowlo, 7.30pm Monday
15 May. All welcome; RSVP
reypip@gmail.com by May 8.
PHOTO: Michael Mannington.
MAY 2023 17
News

Darts hits Avalon bullseye
News
People tend to either love or hate the spectacle
of two large men throwing tiny arrows,
cheered on by a raucous crowd, often in
fancy dress. Regardless, at Avalon RSL in May,
darts continues its reconnaissance.
“It’s the third great wave of darts,” explains
Newport resident Mike Plested, President of the
Sydney Darts Club. “The pandemic has turbocharged
it.”
While Mike might have a vested interest in
such statements, he’s really not exaggerating:
Just shy of two million Brits watched the World
Darts Championship final on Sky UK earlier
this year – double its
pre-pandemic viewership.
Bizarrely, a further
2.36 million German
viewers watched
as well.
At the Alexandra
Palace venue, the live
crowd was in its thousands;
many dressed in
fancy dress, enjoying a
drink and singing along
to pub anthems – something
Mike hopes to
replicate at Avalon RSL
on May 11, when stars
Alan ‘Chuck’ Norris
takes on ‘The Bull’ Terry
Jenkins.
Both previously World
Championship finalists,
Alan and Terry are the
main card of an event
that includes local amateurs, all bidding to prompt the famous
cry of “one hundred and eigghhhttyyy!”. Terry in particular is
a great player who’d probably be a multi-time World Champion,
were it not for a certain Phil Taylor.
“We’re aiming to get a great atmosphere at Avalon with singing
and fancy dress,” says Mike. “This is darts as entertainment.
It’s a great night out, like seeing a band. And the challengers
will want to try to beat the pros – but very few do.
“Avalon is a great venue and they’re very pro-active,” continues
Mike. “We’re in a smallish room, and we expect it to sell
out.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Mike is an ex-pat Englishman who
grew up watching the likes of Eric Bristow and Jockey Wilson in
FANCY THAT: Spectators at the Alan Norris v
Terry Jenkins (pictured) darts exhibition at
Avalon RSL are urged to put on a fun front.
the early ’80s, which is when darts had its
first heyday and taste of lively audiences.
“There was a big link between darts and
football in England in the 1980s,” remembers
Mike. “Darts was traditionally played
on a Saturday afternoon and when the soccer
was called off due to bad weather, the
crowds would go to the darts for a beer
and a sing.”
Mike himself came to the Northern
Beaches in 1991 and largely ignored darts
until 2009.
“When the last recession hit, a mate and
I got the dart board out for cheap entertainment
and I suddenly realised how big
it was becoming again.”
Now it’s pretty much Mike’s life.
“I go all over the place running events,” he reveals. “We’ve
held events on the Barrier Reef, Uluru… recently we held a tournament
in Vanuatu.
I ask Mike what the appeal of darts is.
“It’s actually a really exciting sport which can change in an
instant, and when you’ve played a bit, you get to realise how
good the players are,” says Mike. “And they’re very down to
earth – there’s very little difference between the players and the
fans, they’re just normal people.”
– Rob Pegley
*Tickets available at Oztix.com.au until sold out; otherwise
also available on the door.
18 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

Swell times returning
News
Damien Hardman has no
need to set an alarm.
Force of habit wakes
the local legend every morning
around five, and so long
as the waves are decent, he’s
wet by first light, surfing as
impressively as a fit 57-yearold
body will allow.
“The head knows what it
wants to do, the body can’t
always do it,” says the twotime
world champion, revered
in his pomp as The Iceman.
“I’ve had a hip replacement
and I’ve got a bad back, but,
you know, I can get through it
if the waves are good.”
Between 17-24 May, however,
Hardman will deviate from
his dawn routine. That’s when
the World Surf League (WSL)
is coming to North Narrabeen
in the form of the GWM
Sydney Surf Pro, a Challenger
Series (CS) event featuring the
world’s best up-and-coming
male and female surfers as
well as the high-fliers who’ve
missed the midseason cut on
the Championship Tour (CT).
The top 10 finishers in the
six-event CS qualify for next
year’s main tour.
While Hardman could
squeeze in a surf each morning
before the start of competition,
his instinct is to make
way for the elite. “It’s their
time,” he says.
Hardman, who chats with
Pittwater Life in the upstairs
office of his spacious Rip
Curl Narrabeen store, will
be among the thousands of
locals expected to cram the
foreshore to see 128 of the
world’s best board-riders take
on one of Australia’s most famous
and consistent breaks.
The WSL caravan last pulled
into North Narrabeen two
years ago, when regular CT
stops in Victoria and Queensland
were off limits due to
COVID lockdowns. Recalling
the 2021 Rip Curl Narrabeen
Classic, Hardman’s enthusiasm
for what unfolded is
undimmed.
“At the time, there was
almost no sport running in
Australia, everyone had been
starved of activity, so people
would have gone to watch
lawn bowls,” he says. “It was
the perfect storm for surfing.
And it was great for the
local community, great for
the whole of the Northern
Beaches. It was the biggest
crowd I’ve seen at a surfing
event, certainly in Australia,
in the last 10 years.”
A competitor at that event,
the just-retired Olympic medallist
Owen Wright, echoes
Hardman’s recollections. “The
crowds were insane, man,”
Wright says. “I’m getting
goosebumps just thinking
about it.”
In the wake of that resounding
success, the WSL,
Destination NSW and the
Northern Beaches Council
inked a deal to bring the
Sydney Surf Pro to the Northern
Beaches until next year.
“And rightly so,” says Wright.
“North Narrabeen deserves an
event for being so steeped in
surfing culture.”
Indeed. The heady scenes of
2021 were but a recent chapter
in a rich history, much of
CAN’T WAIT: Former World
campion Damien Hardman.
which Hardman has lived.
The eldest of five kids, he
grew up 300 metres from
‘Northy’, the playground of
1970s stars such as Col Smith,
Mark Warren, Terry Fitzgerald
and Simon Anderson. Young
Damien began surfing at the
age of eight after plucking a
Wallace pop-out board from
the local tip.
It was in that same year,
1974, when North Narrabeen
stamped itself as a surfing
hotspot, hosting the first of
many Coke Surfabouts, the
brainchild of former Sydney
newsman Graham Cassidy,
who’d later become executive
director of the Association of
Surfing Professionals (ASP),
the forerunner to the WSL.
“The Coke that comes to
mind is 1977’s. I asked for
a day off school, begged my
parents to let me go,” recalls
Hardman. “I remember
watching the best guys in the
world warm up and free-surf
out there. I remember being
in awe of how good they all
were.” That event was won by
Anderson, whose family lived
in a house overlooking Collaroy
Beach.
Inspired by the displays
of surfing genius at his local
beach and fuelled by his own
prodigious talent and an
unquenchable thirst for surfing
and its lifestyle, Hardman
became a champion of the
waves, retiring at the turn of
the century in his mid-30s
having amassed 19 pro wins
and two ASP world championships
(1987/88 and 1991).
“I loved surfing – that was
my motivation,” Hardman
says. “That’s the most important
thing: you’ve got to love
what you do.”
As for how much surfing
has evolved during his lifetime,
Hardman says a more
interesting topic is the extent
to which it hasn’t changed.
“The thing that people appreciate
that never goes out
of fashion is good, powerful
rail surfing, doing big top
turns and big carves on big
waves,” he says. “Yes, surfing
has evolved. I think the
equipment has allowed them
to surf faster, and they surf
more in the air now. But if you
watch guys in good six-foot
waves and it’s breaking for
a couple of hundred metres,
essentially the best guys are
the guys who are traditional,
hardcore power surfers.”
20 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

to North Narrabeen
These days, Hardman most
enjoys watching the ageless
GOAT Kelly Slater (whom
Hardman surfed against for
more than a decade) and the
three-time world champion
Gabriel Medina – “the fiercest
competitor I’ve seen in any
generation”.
Visit Hardman’s shop and
you might be served by the
amiable Dylan Moffat, who’s
favoured to go deep at the
Sydney Surf Pro.
A highly regarded 23-yearold
who missed qualifying for
RISING STAR: Local talent Dylan Moffat will be in the line-up.
PHOTOS: WSL
this year’s CT by one place,
Moffat competed as an injury
replacement at the tour event
at Bells Beach in early April
and prevailed in a heat with
world-title contender Joao
Chianca. Having grown up
three blocks from Northy, he’s
chuffed about the venue for
this month’s action.
“It’s nice being able to sleep
in your own bed and going
down to a beach where you’re
comfortable with the different
breaks,” says Moffat, a
graduate of Matt Grainger’s
Manly Surf School. “It’s a
beach break at the end of the
day. It changes a lot and has a
bunch of different faces, but
it’s where I feel most comfortable
in the world.”
Moffatt says he’s hoping
for “classic North Narrabeen
[conditions], which would
be 4-6 foot, northwest wind,
east swell and just nice, long
[waves] running left”.
In his quest to qualify for
next year’s CT, Moffat says
he’s constantly buoyed by the
support of his community.
“Working at the surf shop
still [he started there aged 15]
where all these familiar faces
come in and ask how you’re
going… it’s a loving community
and you always feel supported
even when you’re on
the road and away for a while.
It’s the best environment to
come back to.”
Also competing on the
men’s side at North Narrabeen
will be Joel Vaughan (North
Shelly) and George Pittar
(North Manly). On the women’s
side, there’ll be a strong Australian
contingent, though no
Northern Beaches local.
There’s a symmetry to Moffat
working under Hardman,
“picking his brain” when he
gets the chance. It’s a case
of a surfing giant helping a
young man who would one
day be so.
– Daniel Williams
News
The Local Voice Since 1991
MAY 2023 21

News
Pittwater tastes Men’s Table
Pittwater RSL is hosting an ‘Entree
Event’ for Men’s Table on Tuesday
30 May – a chance for men to talk
honestly and openly to other men over a
dinner table.
The first Men’s Table began in 2011
with 12 gents who met up for dinner and
has gathered once a month ever since. In
little more than a decade, Men’s Table has
become a national registered not-for-profit
organisation which provides a safe place to
share and be heard in a confidential and
non-judgmental environment.
The first step in joining a Table is to attend
GENESIS: The first Men’s Table in Australia started 12 years ago and still meets today.
an Entree event, and Eric Balinghasay
is the host of May’s Entree at Pittwater RSL.
“As the name implies, the Entree gives
a man a taste of what the men’s table is
all about,” Eric explains. “Over dinner we
introduce and explain what Men’s Table is.
“If enough men express interest, then a
Table is formed that will then meet once a
month at the same time, in the same place,
with the same people,” Eric continues. “On
the Northern Beaches there are two Tables
in Manly that are around three years old,
another in Dee Why that was set up a couple
of months ago, and now we’re heading
tionally and the number is growing rapidly.
Which is both good and bad news, as Eric
explains: “It’s great for our organisation
that it’s growing so fast, but at the same
time it shows just how much men need to
connect and talk to each other – and talk
about things that are important rather
than just ‘footy and sh*t’.”
Eric says that men come from all
demographics, areas and sexual orientation,
with ages ranging from 22 to 88. Eric
himself joined via a Zoom Entree during
COVID lockdown and now works full-time
for the organisation. He says that men join
“It’s often just for an overall sense of
wellbeing. We’re a peer-to-peer set-up and
not experts, although we do have a psychiatrist
on our board.
“For me it provides a sense of regularity
and consistency in what can be an up-anddown
world. It’s great to know that whatever
I’m going through, there is a group of
men that I trust, who will listen to me and
give me advice without ridicule, judgment
or shame.”
Whatever your reason for attending,
the Men’s Table has no fees or obligations,
other than to just enjoy a meal with other
north on the Beaches.”
for different reasons and that it isn’t just men, with an open mind. – Rob Pegley
In all there are currently 117 Tables na-
about mental health.
*More info themenstable.org
22 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

Bayview garden support grows
A
fresh community garden
may soon be bursting
into life at Annam Road
Reserve, Bayview.
Driven by a Bayview residents
group headed by President
Wendy Cummins, a dream
that formed with a letterbox
drop in 2020 is getting closer to
being realised.
Wendy and her team have
been working on a proposal for
the community garden with the
support of Northern Beaches
Council and are now heading
into the next phase.
Council has placed the
proposal on public exhibition
(‘Your Say’) until May 29.
Wendy talks about creating
places to hang out and mingle,
bringing young families and retirees
together and the garden
design.
“If there was a community
garden of some sort that would
seem to me to be a huge advantage,”
she says.
“I just tried to make it flexible
and open. All the way
DREAM: Bayview resident Wendy Cummins.
through the design, you can
sit anywhere because it’s got
openings so you can come in
and out. I don’t want it to be a
closed-off space.
“I wanted it to be something
free.”
Fruit, vegetables, flowers and
native trees will ripen and grow
in the proposed 450-squaremetre
garden. Sustainability is
a focus and there will be compost
and worm farm areas.
Feng shui principles inform
the design. Plants and flowers
are to be a palette of colour
linked to elements of water
(blue and dark), earth (orange
and yellow), metal (silver and
white) and wood (medicinal
herbs).
The flexible design provides
multi-purpose scope for different
community groups and
interests. A gazebo with a BBQ,
table and seating could be the
garden centrepiece.
There are currently six community
gardens on Council
land, including at Newport.
There is another at Barrenjoey
High School at Avalon.
Annam Road Reserve adjoins
Bayview Golf Course. The
Reserve is over 4000 square
metres with trees around its
perimeter. Infrastructure is
just a few hand-made swings.
Increased physical activity,
community interaction, education
and a reduction in stress
are benefits of community
gardens; research in the social
housing context backs this up.
An open afternoon on-site is
planned for 20 May, with representatives
from Council and
the residents group available.
People can come and express
interest or concerns and obtain
information.
“I do think it will build momentum,”
says Wendy.
Wendy hopes this will also
bring people forward who
would love to be part of establishing
the community garden.
“I’ve literally taken it one step
at a time”. – Greg McHugh
*On-site afternoon May 20.
News
The Local Voice Since 1991
MAY 2023 23

No-take Mona Vale push
News
Bongin Bongin Bay at
Mona Vale is unique,
with seven types of
marine habitat in close
proximity. Being located
midway between two other
aquatic reserves – Barrenjoey
Headland and Narrabeen
Headland – it is, in effect, a
wildlife corridor.
Most of us know Bongin
Bongin Bay (Aboriginal for
“many shells”) as Mona Vale
Basin, which stretches from
the ocean pool to North
Mona Vale Headland. It is the
furthest north of three nearcontinuous
beaches which
stretch from Warriwewood
Headland in the south to
Bongin Bongin Bay and Mona
Vale Headland in the north.
Now like-minded
environmentally conscious
locals are trying to get the
bay declared a ‘no take’
aquatic reserve.
Greg Pride swims
every morning with ‘the
Dawnbusters’, a group of
ocean swimmers who have
been meeting near the Mona
Vale ocean pool for more
than three decades. Pride
joined in January 2010 which
he says “makes me a new
chum”.
On weekdays they meet at
6.30am and swim to Mona
Vale Headland, around 800
metres return. At weekends
they have a lay-in until
7.30am but do a longer
1200-metre swim which ends
south of the ocean pool.
“We normally stop at Mona
Vale Headland to admire the
sunrise and chat about what
we’ve seen on the way over,”
Pride explains.
And what they see can be
extraordinary. “Stingrays,
octopus, cuttlefish, dolphins,
blue gropers, Port Jackson
and wobbegong sharks, eels
and a kaleidoscope of smaller
fish… we’ll have spotted all
of those during March,” Pride
continues.
“During the whale migration
season, some of them come
close to us. But the holy grail
are the fairy penguins and
leatherback turtles, which are
much rarer.”
The rich variety of the
marine life off Mona Vale
Beach is what has led members
of the Dawnbusters to form
‘Friends of Bongin Bongin Bay’,
along with surfers, life savers,
environmentalists and beach
goers.
Spokesperson Pride says
their aim is to persuade
Northern Beaches Council
to support an application
to the NSW Department of
Primary Industries for a
‘no take’ aquatic reserve
banning recreational fishing.
So far more than 2500
signatures have been added
to a petition which will be
presented to the Council
supporting the aquatic
reserve plan. More are being
sought via their website.
Pride, a financial planner,
has drafted the submission
to Council but stresses it has
been a group effort.
Pride quotes the results
of the community survey
federal member for Mackellar
Dr Sophie Scamps released
in April, listing the principal
concerns of Mackellar
residents: ‘climate change’,
‘environmental protection’
and ‘integrity and tackling
corruption’.
“There hasn’t been a new
aquatic reserve created in
the Northern Beaches since
2002,” he points out. There
are five of them: North
Harbour, Cabbage Tree
Bay, Long Reef Headland,
Narrabeen Headland and
Barrenjoey Headland.
Recreational fishing is
24 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

‘NO TAKE’ CAMPAIGN: Bongin
Bongin Bay hosts a plethora of
aquatic life, from colourful fish of
all sizes to stingrays, octopus plus
Banjo and Port Jackson Sharks.
PHOTO: Tracy Bullen.
allowed at them all – apart
from Manly’s Cabbage Tree
Bay which is “no take”.
“That’s what we want here,”
Pride says. “A no-take reserve
like Cabbage Tree Bay.
“We are not anti-fishing.
We’re saying to preserve
fishing on the beaches you
need protection zones for
breeding and growth of all
kinds of marine life.
“In our submission we
have quoted examples
of sanctuaries in the
Philippines and Hawaii
where the surrounding
areas have abundant fish life
which locals can catch to eat
because the fish have been
allowed to grow to maturity.
“People plunder the rock
platforms near Mona Vale
Beach. One morning we
found around 30 shellfish
taken off the rock platforms
and just dumped near the
showers.
“We see people carrying
buckets full of shellfish. It’s
not illegal, but if you don’t
have some kind of legal
restrictions, the whole eco
system goes upside down.”
Pride admits the
Dawnbusters haven’t noticed
any depletion of aquatic life
recently. “But there’s any
number of locals who’ll tell
you about the huge crabs you
used to find 30 years ago on
the rock shelves. Others talk
about the substantially sized
fish they used to catch.
“At the moment the rock
fisherman aren’t making
substantial takes of fish.”
Pride accepts indigenous
Australians have been
fishing at Bongin Bongin
The Local Voice Since 1991
Bay for generations. “But
that generational harvesting
coupled with increasing
population pressures has
depleted the diversity of the
marine eco-system.”
The area from the southern
end of Bungan Beach, round
North Mona Vale Headland
and ending at the northern
end of Bongin Bongin Bay is
already designated “an intertidal
protected area”. That
means fishing is allowed
but not collecting marine
creatures from the rock
shelf.
It’s not just the marine
life the Friends of Bongin
Bongin Bay are seeking to
protect. “The more shellfish
and crustaceans, the more
birds are attracted. Several
members of the Dawnbusters
are keen bird watchers.
They have photographed
endangered birds such as
the sooty oyster catcher and
ospreys in the bay.”
Once more names are
on the petition and extra
scientific evidence has been
gained with the help of a
marine biologist from the
University of Technology
Sydney, the group will
present its submission to the
Council.
Pride expects that to be
around late Winter and
the start of Spring.
If the Council approves,
it will then go forward to
the Department of Primary
Industries for a ruling.
– Steve Meacham
*More info bonginbonginbay.
com.au; What do you
think? Tell us at readers@
pittwaterlife.com.au
MAY 2023 25
News

‘I’ll hold the State
Government to account’
News
New Pittwater MP Rory Amon outlines how
he’ll ensure our local area is not forsaken or
taken advantage of by the changing of the guard
at Macquarie Street. Interview by Nigel Wall
Q: What are the key issues
you will focus on during your
first 100 days representing
Pittwater?
I am humbled and honoured to
be elected. In my first 100 days
I will be advocating for the new
Labor Government to commit
to delivering on our community’s
key priorities. These
include the widening of Mona
Vale Road (West) for which the
former Liberal Government
had funded $340 million. Also
the full upgrade of Narrabeen
North Primary School and Narrabeen
Sports High for which
the Liberal Government had
funded around $60 million;
plus the extra $13 million
promised to Northern Beaches
Council for flood mitigation
works on Council land around
the Wakehurst Parkway (on top
of the $93.1 million allocated
towards Wakehurst Parkway
improvements by the former
Liberal Government). And $6.8
million for renal dialysis chairs
at Mona Vale Hospital.
I will also be making crystal
clear our community’s opposition
to high-rise and inappropriate
development.
Q: The result of the poll was
extremely close (22% swing
against the Liberals) with
Independent candidate Jacqui
Scruby pushing to within
1000 votes of being elected
– what message do you take
from that?
Our community voted for a
positive vision for Pittwater,
and I will work hard every
single day to ensure we have
the services and infrastructure
our local community needs
and deserves.
Pittwater was exceptionally
represented over many years
by Rob Stokes and significant
improvements in our area were
achieved – including restoring
Currawong Beach, completing
the Narrabeen Lagoon Trail,
bringing inpatient palliative
care to Mona Vale Hospital,
delivering the Mona Vale Public
School upgrade, widening
Mona Vale Road (East) and
introducing B-Line and Keoride
services.
With Rob’s retirement, I need
to earn the trust and respect of
our community as their State
MP. Our community expects
their representatives to listen,
represent those views, and
then work their guts out. That’s
exactly what I’ll do.
Q: You have decided not to
serve out your current term
(two more years) as Councillor
for Pittwater Ward on Northern
Beaches Council; why?
Being a State MP and Pittwater
Ward Councillor are two
distinct roles which require
significant time commitments
to our community. It would be
impossible to perform both
roles and do them justice, especially
with Parliament sitting
for over 20 weeks each year.
Those roles can occasionally
come into conflict and it is important
to avoid such conflicts
so that I can best represent all
of Pittwater in State Parliament.
Upon my resignation from
Council, my Liberal Party running
mate Karina Page will be
appointed to Council under the
Electoral Commission’s countback
process. As a former Local
COMMITTED: Rory Amon says he
will always “tell it like it is” when
acting as the Member for Pittwater.
Government Councillor and
long-term Mona Vale resident,
Karina is well placed to do an
exceptional job.
Q: Do you think your
two terms on Council has
given you good grounding
to represent the area at State
Government level?
Without doubt. I was honoured
to receive the endorsement of
the only elected Independent
Member for Pittwater, Alex
McTaggart. As Alex said, “we
need somebody who knows the
area, the community groups,
the people, that’s what you
need.” Serving on Council has
provided me with the grounding
and understanding of our
community, and the ability to
go forward and confidently
represent our interests.
Serving on Council provides
the experience and training to
identify, fight for and deliver
community outcomes. During
my time on Council, I was
proud to deliver in many areas,
including $2.5 million to fast
track the rebuild of the Mona
Vale Surf Club and $4.6 million
to save Littoral rainforest from
development and destruction
in Newport. The skills you
learn to navigate bureaucracy,
and to build community campaigns,
are invaluable.
Q: Rob Stokes served his final
three terms in Government
and was able to deliver significant
outcomes for the local
community. You are serving
your first term in opposition;
what will the challenges be?
The challenges will be holding
Labor to account, ensuring
that good policy trumps good
politics, and that merit-based
projects are delivered in Pittwater.
The people of Pittwater
are not fools.
There are many projects
which were identified and
funded by the former NSW Liberal
Government in Pittwater,
including widening Mona Vale
Road (West), flood mitigation
for the Wakehurst Parkway,
providing new renal dialysis
chairs to Mona Vale Hospital,
and upgrading Narrabeen
North Primary and Narrabeen
Sports High.
Given past experiences when
Governments change, we need
to fight tooth and nail to retain
the funding budgeted for these
projects.
Another vital challenge will
be opposing Labor’s plans for
overdevelopment in Pittwater.
Q: Will you work collaboratively
with the Federal Independent
Member for Mackellar Dr
Sophie Scamps to ensure the
upper Beaches is dealt a fair
hand by both NSW and Federal
Labor?
People are sick of petty, partisan
politics compromising
their communities. I have been
elected by the people of Pittwater
to represent their interests.
I will absolutely work with all
sides of politics to ensure we
receive the best outcomes.
26 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991
PHOTO: NB Advocate.

PRIORITIES: Progressing the widening of Mona Vale (West) which the
former State Government funded to the tune of $340 million (above);
and a full upgrade for Narrabeen North Primary School (below left).
Q: Labor made promises to the
electorate in the lead-up to the
election; will you be holding
the new Government to account
on these?
Yes. I will hold Labor to account
for their promises to
our area, which was basically
limited to committing to give
Council $13 million further
funding for flood mitigation of
the Wakehurst Parkway.
What is equally as important
is what Labor did not
say. They have been silent on
their position on retaining the
previously allocated funds
for the Wakehurst Parkway
improvements, widening Mona
Vale Road (West), upgrading
Narrabeen North Primary and
Narrabeen Sports High, and
delivering renal dialysis chairs
to Mona Vale Hospital.
Q: Potential overdevelopment
was a major part of your
campaign. Northern Beaches
Council did not finalise its
new Local Environmental Plan
before the change of State
Government. Are you concerned
the new Government
may impose new guidelines
on our Council and if so, what
will you do?
I am concerned about what
Labor could do. My greatest
fear is that Labor may seek to
approve spot rezonings outside
of Council’s planning processes
to facilitate high rise in
Pittwater. I will work with the
Council and residents to fight
such proposals at every stage.
Given Labor is in minority
Government, I will work
with all sides of Parliament to
ensure that proper process is
followed and that Pittwater is
not unfairly targeted.
Q: In four years’ time what improvements
would you hope
to have seen fulfilled across
Pittwater and its fringes?
I’d hope to see flood mitigation
and road safety works undertaken
along Wakehurst Parkway,
upgrades to Narrabeen
North Primary and Narrabeen
Sports High completed, bus
driver numbers increased to an
adequate level so that all services
are available, renal dialysis
services available at Mona
Vale Hospital, the Newport Surf
Club upgraded, and Mona Vale
Road (East) widening complete
and the Mona Vale Road (West)
widening well underway.
Q: What’s the best piece of
advice you have received?
Always put your community
first. Be plain-speaking, and
tell it how it is… this is what I’ll
always do.
Parkway, buses on
Regan action plan
Newly minted independent Wakehurst
MP Michael Regan says
the new State Labor Government is
on the verge of making a significant
announcement on progressing and
expanding flood mitigation works on
the troubled Wakehurst Parkway.
Mr Regan, who has been Northern
Beaches Mayor since the new Council’s
inception in 2017, defeated Liberal
candidate Toby Williams at the March
State Election, thanks to a 54% swing
in votes.
“In my new role as MP for Wakehurst,
I will be continuing to work with
the three other State MPs around me
(Manly, Pittwater and Davidson) along
with the new Government,” he said.
CHALLENGE: Michael
Regan wants bus services
reinstated so students
can return to inter-school
sport competitions.
“Specifically, NSW Labor announced prior to the election that
they would fund the gap of $13 million to Council to get on
with doing the flood mitigation works along the Parkway.
“I have already met with the new Roads Minister and expect
an announcement soon.”
Mr Regan said improving bus services was at the forefront of
his action plan, which would help not just Wakehurst constituents
but also Pittwater residents and commuters.
“We have learned the previous State Government wrote
contracts that actually ‘incentivised’ the private companies to
cancel services,” he said.
“It’s absolutely scandalous. The new Transport Minister Jo
Haylen and I have met on this and will work on numerous solutions,
noting this is not just a Northern Beaches problem.
“There is no easy solution, as the more you dig, the more you
find out about these contracts… it’s not good.”
Mr Regan said the priority was to get school buses on time,
as well as reinstated for school sport.
“It’s going to be a challenge. The contracts should be torn up
and started all over again. At the very least, varied to start fixing
the existing problems they created.
“And there are many issues that all four Beaches MPs – including
the Liberals’ Rory Amon, James Griffin and Matt Cross
– have to work together on. Too many to mention here.
“And I dare say one or two more before this goes to print. But
I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Mr Regan tendered his resignation as Mayor in late April but
will continue in his role as Councillor in Frenchs Forest Ward.
– Nigel Wall
PHOTO: NB Advocate.
News
The Local Voice Since 1991
MAY 2023 27

News
Scruby: ‘We have been heard’
Narrowly beaten Independent
Labor government, there is greater
candidate Jacqui Scruby says the
chance of Labor being held to account by
nail-biting State Election result is
proof that the Pittwater electorate will
never again be written off as a Liberal
stronghold.
After preferences, Ms Scruby fell
less than 1000 votes from securing an
office at Macquarie Street, with Liberal
candidate Rory Amon scraping over the
line with 51% of the vote.
a strong cross bench including Michael
Regan in the seat of Wakehurst.”
She added the Labor Government’s
de-amalgamation policy was relevant
to Pittwater and urged it would need
addressing in coming months.
“Our movement was powered by the
hundreds of volunteers who worked
tirelessly to bring our community’s voice
Ms Scruby attributed the impressive
to the forefront of this election – not to
Independent result to locals finding their
mention local donors.
voice over issues that mattered most to
“We doorknocked 11,000 houses to
them.
CLOSE RESULT: Independent for Pittwater candidate
Jacqui Scruby has thanked supporters. listen to what is important to the people
She also urged the electorate to unite
of Pittwater… we brought to state politics
behind the elected Liberal Member: “I She also offered her best wishes to
the shift we have seen around Australia
wish Rory every success – because his Hilary Green and Jeff Quinn: “I have
towards representatives who put their
success is our community’s success, deep respect for all my fellow candidates
community ahead of a political party.
and I trust he will work to represent the for standing for what they believe in and
“While we did not win the election,
interests of everyone in Pittwater.” contributing to this community.”
the remarkable achievement of our
Ms Scruby thanked all her supporters, Ms Scruby noted the electorate’s voice
community-led movement cannot be
staff and volunteer workers and said was covered in state and national media
denied.
it had been an honour to participate on improving gambling reform policy,
“We made one of the safest seats in
as a community-backed independent preventing the drilling for new oil and
the state one of NSW’s most marginal
candidate.
gas off the coastline and protecting
“I’d like to express my gratitude for
seats, hopefully meaning Pittwater will
native forests.
the incredible display of democracy we
not be taken for granted by any political
“As a result of competition in this
witnessed,” she said.
seat, we saw both major parties making
party, and I hope this will lead to better
“The energy and passion we saw from announcements on local and state-wide
local infrastructure and services for our
our community was truly inspiring, and issues, from the Wakehurst Parkway to community.”
it is thanks to them we were able to have PEP-11 and Lizard Rock,” she said.
Ms Scruby said she would be “taking a
such a successful campaign.
“This competition in democracy is step back” to spend time with her family
“I especially want to thank those
people and organisations who have
been building the movement for
community-based democracy over the
years, bringing everyday people into
the democratic process. They include
groups and their members such as
Voice of Mackellar, Mackellar Rising
and of course, Independent Pittwater
spearheaded by Rebecca Clarke.”
essential and it is heartening to see
our community taking an active role in
shaping the future of our electorate.
“There is more to be done and
what gets done must be done with
transparency so our community can be
fully informed.
“We have opportunities to fight
overdevelopment, both through local
planning controls and with a minority
before considering her next steps.
“I am driven by a desire to make
our beautiful area, state and country
an even better place than it already is.
I’ll be taking a career position that is
aligned with my values and will also play
a role in the community that supports
addressing some of the major issues that
came up during the campaign.”
– Nigel Wall
PHOTO: NB Advocate.
28 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

Opinion - Council
by Cr Michael Gencher
News
Time we received a straight
answer on ‘Your Say’ matters
Northern Beaches
Council is responsible
for making significant
decisions that have a farreaching
impact. Putting
community first is the reason
I decided to run for Council.
To be effective as
a Councillor I need to
understand the views
of the community. The
Council provides info to the
community about the policies
and decisions of Council, and
then community relays its
opinions to Council through
the Councillors.
To represent both the
community and the Council
effectively, I need to keep
in touch with the local
community. I attend and
participate in Council
briefings, committee
meetings, meetings for
our local associations and
organisations; and I respond
to direct communications.
Then there is the ‘Your Say’
portal on the Council website.
The ‘Your Say’ portal
allows for making online
submissions which
give “stakeholders” the
opportunity to raise their
issues or indicate their
support or opposition to
publicly notified proposals –
covering 18 listed categories
on the website, including
Development Assessments.
As these Submissions are
heavily considered by Council
in the decision-making
process, it is essential there
is trust and confidence in the
validity of the process.
However, I have long
been concerned about
the authenticity of online
submissions through the ‘Your
Say’ Platform – for example,
multiple submissions from
“stakeholders” who will not
be impacted by the proposal,
yet who have a say (eg, people
from other Local Government
Areas).
In September 2022, I
proposed a Notice of Motion
asking the CEO to provide
a briefing to Councillors
regarding Online Submissions;
I put up 13 specific questions.
(You can review the full Notice
of Motion – No 31/2022 – and
the response – 2022/618716 –
on Council’s website.)
I was not satisfied with the
response – it took me back to
my pre-Council days, where as
a member of the community
I often felt I could not get a
straight answer to a straight
question.
But wait: Surely as a
Councillor I can now get
straight and complete
answers?
Well, after four and a half
months, staff came back
with the briefing in the form
of a 331-word, four-page
PowerPoint presentation.
Incredibly, it did not
cover submissions about
Development Applications.
What? In my time as a
Councillor, most submissions
I’ve seen relate to DAs. When I
questioned why DAs were not
included, staff said “DAs are
not included in the Your Say
platform”. Except… according
to the ‘Your Say’ page, they
are very much included, and
listed as the 6th category
on the drop-down list… very
frustrating.
Further, staff’s briefing
simply outlined some policy
and strategy endorsements
from the Local Government
Act, the Office of Local
Government, and the
Northern Beaches Community
Engagement Strategy (2022).
Not one of my 13 questions
was answered. In February
I emailed the responsible
Executive Manager requesting
a detailed written response.
Again, I received more
nonspecific responses.
The questions I asked
were in the interest of the
community, to ensure that its
voice is heard.
A few of my learnings:
n Anyone, anywhere in the
world is considered a
“stakeholder”, and their
submissions have the same
weighting as you, who live
here.
n Council cannot confirm
the location from which a
submission comes from
– as with the wide usage
of VPN, recording of IP
addresses is no longer
reliable or possible.
n It doesn’t matter how many
submissions come from the
same IP address – they are
all accepted.
n Council does not question
or challenge the validity of
any submissions.
n Council does not have
a capability to exhibit
processed and redacted
submissions – giving the
community an opportunity
to read them prior to the
closure of public exhibition.
But most importantly, I
have learned not to accept the
status quo – this is a serious
issue, and it requires serious
consideration from Council
and the Office of Local
Government.
The majority of submissions
to Council are via ‘Your Say’;
as they are heavily considered
by Council in the decisionmaking
process, it is essential
there is trust and confidence
in the validity of the process
and the submissions.
I can only speak for myself
when I discuss a lack of
confidence in current system.
We need more diligence
and concern from Council
to ensure our community is
properly represented – and
that the platform is reliable,
accurate and authentic.
We simply cannot accept a
“nothing to see here” attitude
when it comes to responding
to issues affecting our
community.
*What do you think? Tell us
at readers@pittwaterlife.
com.au; also email Michael.
Gencher@northernbeaches.
nsw.gov.au
30 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

ABSURD…
News
SEEN…
As if the recent closure of Plateau Road, leading to Bilgola
Plateau, for road works wasn’t enough of an inconvenience to
residents, what about the blunder by a works crew that saw a
gas line rupture and burst into flame! The dramatic incident on
the morning of Thursday March 30 included fire engulfing a
road-surfacing machine and nearby prime mover. Three Fire &
Rescue NSW crews rushed to the scene and attacked the blaze
with lines of hose. Police attended, along with gas company
technicians who worked frantically over several hours to shut
off the gas supply. An investigation was launched into why the
location of the gas line was not identified.
HEARD…
The Avalon Streets as Shared Spaces project is a six-month trial
– despite the work being completed in March, Council is already
calling for feedback to help drive its decision on whether the
new infrastructure and road configuration remain. It’s up
on Council’s ‘Your Say’ webpage – but there is no facility for
individuals to lodge their own submissions. Rather, it’s a new
‘Take our Survey’ approach. The Survey requests respondents
to rank their answers from ‘Very Unsatisfied’ and ‘Very
Unsupportive’ through ‘Very Satisfied’ and ‘Very Supportive”,
with additional comment, on things like the 10km/h shared
zone, moved pedestrian crossings, new seating, widened
footpaths and removal of parking. Curiously Council have
omitted any questions regarding changed Bus Stops – with no
individual submissions, we will reach out to Council to see how
you can let them know how you feel about those. The survey is
open through October 1.
Council has admitted to a
“chronic” problem of vandalism
of its ‘no dogs’ signage at the
Avalon rock pool, following
complaints from locals about
regular defacing of the signs
and dog owners flaunting the
rules and walking their dogs
(on leads) around the pool.
Reader ‘Patricia’ wrote to
Council in January to highlight
a vandalised sign (see above
right) and request Rangers
attend more regularly to
deter dog owners from
breaking the law. Council’s
response was to install a new
sign – however in a botch-up
it didn’t include reference
to ‘No Dogs’ but instead
included ‘No Swimming’
(sigh). Another new sign
specifically referencing ‘No
Dogs’ was quickly erected – and
just as quickly defaced. With
possible off-leash dog trials
still on the agenda for North
Palm Beach and South Mona
Vale, it’s worth reminding the
vandals they are probably doing
the cause more harm than good…
Still on reader correspondence
with Council, reader ‘Jeanette’,
a Bushcare worker at Mona
Vale, contacted us with a gripe
about invasive weeds that have
infiltrated her patch adjacent to
the northern end of the pathway
between the dunes and Mona
Vale golf course. Jeanette and her
fellow workers tended the area
dutifully throughout drought
times, hauling garbage bins
of water to assist tubestock
growth and survival. “Then Council for no clear reason handed
the responsibility of the site to another department – ‘Parks and
Gardens’. The site has now returned to its former weed-infested
state, despite our efforts!” Jeanette says the workers are thankful
for Council’s assistance, but point out it’s counterproductive to
not stay on top of things – and it’s a deterrent to recruiting new
Bushcare members.
32 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

News
Pittwater News
Local Probus News
The Combined Probus Club
of Mona Vale will meet next
on Tuesday 16 May, in the
auditorium at the Pittwater
RSL Club (from 10am). Guest
speaker is the unusually tall
and handsome David Hunt (he
apparently enjoys writing his
own biographical notes). David
has changed the way Australian
history is communicated
with his award-winning and
bestselling Girt series, Rum,
Rebels and Ratbags podcast
with ABC Radio; Aussie Inventions
That Changed The World
with the History Channel; and
his speech at TEDx Sydney
2017. His presentation, the
Unauthorised History of Australia,
will include tall tales
and true from his bestselling
and award-winning Australian
history Girt books – Girt, True
Girt, and Girt Nation. Learn
Table Tennis members drive
Terrey Hills Table Tennis
Club – a member of the
Sydney Northern Districts
Table Tennis Association
(SNDTTA) and Table Tennis
Australia (TTA) – is looking for
new members.
The Club caters for all ages
and levels of skill, but particularly
school-aged kids and
those 50+. Whether you want
to play at a high and competitive
level or just for fun – they
offer the environment and
opportunity for both.
The Club plays Monday
nights (8-10pm) at the Terrey
Hills Community Centre; they
are forming teams for the
Spring season.
Cost is $8 (member), $10
(non-member); annual membership
$20 gains you free
assessment by an accredited
Level 1 coach plus access to table
tennis ‘robots’ and product
discounts. More info call Paul
on 0400 300 191.
how Australia became
Australia, which Australian
prime minister talked to the
dead, and why camels are bad
news. Visitors welcome – call
1300 630 488 to find out more.
Palm Beach and Peninsula
Probus’ speaker this month
will be Ian Hemphill, an
expert on culinary herbs
and spices and author of The
Spice and Herb Bible 3rd Edition.
His talk will cover their
origins, flavours and storage
as well anecdotes of his
many travels in search of new
spices. Visitors welcome; venue
Club Palm Beach 9.30am
Wednesday 17 May. Enquiries
to Carmel (0414 978 465). The
speaker at the next Newport
Probus Club meeting will be
Jim Haynes OAM who is an
author, broadcaster, historian,
entertainer and songwriter.
Writer of the song ‘Don’t call
34 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

Wagga Wagga Wagga’, he’s
sure to provide an entertaining
presentation. Meeting at
Newport Bowling Club on
Thursday 4 May, commencing
at 10am. Visitors welcome,
more info David Newton-Ross
(0418 298 572). Meanwhile
Pittwater Mens Probus Club
President Wes Harder will
present his controversial case
for nuclear power generation
in Australia at the group’s
next meeting at Mona Vale
Surf Club on Tuesday 9 May.
Visitors welcome; commences
10am. More info Terry Larke
(0412 220 820).
Taste of Manly
Taste of Manly is back on the
Manly beachfront and The
Corso on the weekend of 27-
28 May.
Organisers invite food
lovers to indulge their senses
in two days of drinks, food,
music and dancing.
Backdropped by Manly’s
iconic beachfront and centred
around the pulsing heart of
Manly’s Corso, Taste of Manly
will spotlight local restaurants,
scrumptious Australian
fine wines, the Northern
Beaches’ plethora of local
breweries, and a line-up of
talented live musicians.
Starts 11.30am and ends
5.30pm each day.
Family Day Care
takes top award
Northern Beaches Family
Day Care has again been
recognised as ‘Exceeding the
National Quality Standard’
under the National Quality
Framework. Council’s Interim
CEO Louise Kerr said the National
Quality Standard (NQS)
sets the national benchmark
for the quality of children’s
education and care services
across Australia. “Our Family
Day Care service now ranks
among the top 7% in New
South Wales for the standard
of services they provide to
children and families,” Ms
Kerr said. “This is a significant
achievement and stands
testament to the passion,
professionalism and commitment
of our managers,
educators and other childcare
staff who continue to provide
highly personalised, flexible,
quality care for children aged
6 weeks to 12 years.” For more
info or enrolments visit Council
website.
Singing up Country
First Nations musicians,
their culture and community
spirit will be showcased at the
annual Singing up Country
event, part of the Gaimaraigal
Festival. Led by Yaegl musician
and local resident Michael
Birk this year’s program
features a range of musical
styles, including legendary
jazz singer Johnny Nicol and
folk band The Stiff Gins, R&B
from Radical Son, folk rock
from GiiMusic, alternative
reggae from Corey Kirk, eight-
Continued on page 36
Click and Collect Toy library
F
amilies across the Northern Beaches will soon be able to
borrow a range of fun and educational toys for their children
from their local library.
Council has partnered with not-for-profit organisation
EarlyEd Cubby House Toy Library service to give all residents
access to a ‘click and collect’ toy service at Mona Vale and
Manly Library from 10.30–11am every Thursday.
Northern Beaches Mayor Michael Regan said with the rising
cost of living, this was a great solution for families to access
a range of toys which could be shared amongst families
while reducing our waste footprint.
“This great initiative allows kids access to a range of highquality
toys to suit a range of ages and needs,” he said. “Children
learn through play and these toys are an important way
to support their development while reducing the amount of
plastic toy waste ending up in landfill, as parents can borrow
instead of buying toys for their growing kids.”
The ‘click and collect’ service allows parents or carers who
join Cubby House Toy Library to browse the online catalogue
which has over 2000 toys and games to choose from. Toys
are categorised according to the skills they will develop,
making selection of the right toy simple.
Parents will be able to borrow up to six toys at a time for a
month.
*More info and browse the toy database at earlyed.com.au
News
The Local Voice Since 1991
MAY 2023 35

Pittwater News
Continued from page 35
piece reggae from Green Hand
Band and alternative upbeat
from Microwave Jenny. The
event is hosted by the Frenchs
Forest Parish Social Justice
Group and will be held at St
Anthony in the Fields Church,
Terrey Hills on 4 June; bookings
essential via trybooking.
News
Dig deep for
Em & her family
Kate and Melanie are each
rowing 100 kilometres nonstop
to support Avalon local
Em’s decade-long battle with
cancer. Supported by Anytime
Fitness Avalon and Blake
Property Avalon, their row
starts at 6am on Saturday 6
May.
Em is battling metastatic
breast cancer which has
spread to various parts of her
body, leading to a terminal
diagnosis. As a result, Em
is no longer able to care for
her two young children Mya,
7, and Ryan, 4. Her husband
Dave has taken on the role of
her full-time caregiver.
You can read Em’s story
at gofund.me/bdbc42a9 or
instagram.com/thejourneyof.
healingem; more info Melanie
(0416 239 222).
Green light for
Youth Voice 2028
Northern Beaches Council has
adopted a new action plan codesigned
with young people
to improve youth wellbeing,
Continued on page 38
36 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

News
Pittwater News
Continued from page 36
build social cohesion and
increase youth participation
in community life. The Youth
Voice Action Plan 2028 – Shaping
the Beaches’ Future sets a
roadmap for young people on
the Beaches, addressing social,
cultural and economic
issues across four focus areas.
These range from social
issues like ‘connection’ and
‘equity’, to the more pressing
challenges of affordable
housing and employment. As
a first step Council will be
developing a monitoring an
evaluation plan that ensures
young people are continually
involved in the implementation
and delivery of the Plan.
The plan was drafted following
an extensive consultation
with more than 1,000 young
people contributing over
1,100 comments. More info on
Council website (‘Your Say’).
Help Computer Pals
Could you spare 2-3 hours a
week to help Seniors master
their laptops or phones? Join
not-for-profit charity Computer
Pals for Seniors Northern
Beaches Inc. Their mission is to
help their ‘students’ confidently
use technology, offering
lessons in Windows, Mac,
Chromebook and Android/
Apple Phones and Tablets. If
you feel you could share your
knowledge of emailing, surfing
the web, social media and general
use of any of these devices
they would love to hear from
you. Operating hours in-term
are Monday to Friday 9am-5pm.
Based at The Tramshed, Narrabeen.
New students welcome;
more info Anne (9984 0604) or
visit compalsnb.org.au).
Support Rotary
Rotary Upper Northern Beaches
are looking for volunteers to
help them continue to deliver
services across the peninsula –
anything from cooking a BBQ,
to managing a fundraising project,
to helping with marketing
and social media. Rotary has
been very active in the community
over recent months, with
community projects including
the Tree of Joy at Warriewood
Square and Carols In The Park,
Mona Vale; the Australia Day
Breakfast at Newport Beach;
their annual Art Show at Mona
Seniors PGA golf for Cromer GC
Some of the Australia’s best professional golfers
of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s will tee it up in
the NSW PGA Seniors Championship at Cromer
Golf Club on 19-21 November.
Locals will gain free entry to see the likes
of Ian Baker-Finch, Peter Senior, Peter Lonard,
Peter Fowler and Peter O’Malley, Andre Stolz
and Richard Green compete for top prizemoney,
with the event sponsored by Col Crawford
Motors BMW.
The NSW PGA Seniors Championship is recognised
as one of Australia’s most prestigious
championships on the PGA Legends Tour.
Cromer GC is delighted to keep the long association
with the Crawford family by partnering
with Col Crawford BMW. Col was a passionate
Cromer member for more than 48 years, with
his annual Charity Day at Cromer raising more
than $3 million for Cerebral Palsy Alliance;
while daughter Carol has been a member of the
club for 24 years.
38 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

Uplifting Driftwood
Glen Street Theatre is presenting Driftwood
The Musical from 24-28 May – it’s
the moving and enthralling story of a
family surviving the ravages of war, telling
the inspirational account of the renowned
Austrian-Australian sculptor Karl Duldig
and his artist-inventor wife, Slawa Horowitz-
Duldig.
The audience follows their lives in pre-war
Vienna, the family’s narrow escape from
Nazi Austria, Slawa’s ingenious invention
of the foldable umbrella, and the incredible
chain of events that took place after miraculously
escaping the Holocaust and rebuilding
their careers as artists in Melbourne.
*More info & tickets glenstreet.com.au
Vale in February (which raised
funds for worthy charities); the
‘Bobbo’ (Bobbin Head) Cycle
Classic; and their annual Charity
Golf Day at Monash Country
Club in April. More info call 02
8005 0711 or visit rotaryuppernorthernbeaches.org
Head to The Shack
The Shack Live Music Club is
held on the first Saturday of
each month at the Ted
Blackwood Hall, Jackson
Road Warriewood. Each
show features three live
music acts in a cabaret
atmosphere with BYO
nibbles and drink for an
affordable and enjoyable
night of live entertainment.
Next concert 6 May
features Jaga Band, Shane
Flew and Blue Mallee. Entry
$30 cash (no wi-fi) at door or
online shackfolk.com
Voice to Brahms
Manly Warringah Choir is
presenting Brahms’ magnificent
German Requiem, with
choir, soloists and orchestra
conducted by Carlos Alvarado,
on Sunday May 7.
The concert, at St Paul’s College
in Darley Rd, Manly, starts
2pm; tickets $45.
More info manlywarringahchoir.org.au
New life for
Manly Town Hall
Council will move forward
with studies to explore the
feasibility of turning Manly
Town Hall into a multi-use
performance and exhibition
space and consider
financial, social, cultural
and environmental
outcomes for the community.
The studies will
also consider different
operating models with
economic outcomes.
The results of the studies
will be reported to
Council later in 2023.
Vet
on call
with Dr Brown
As they age into their older
years, it can be common
for cats to develop arthritis – an
inflammatory joint disease,
which commonly affects their
hips, elbows and spine. Arthritis
results from wear and tear and
can be exacerbated by joint
instability, injuries, infection,
immune disorders, and genetic
abnormalities.
Arthritis is a painful condition
because it involves the deterioration
of the protective cartilage
layer. Cats with arthritis may
exhibit reluctance to jump up
or down from furniture, or
they may walk with a stiff gait
and also have reduced activity
levels. They can also display
changes in behaviour, such as
reacting to be patted over sensitive
areas – such as their hips,
or they may develop a matted
or unkept coat as a result of
grooming themselves less if
they are uncomfortable.
If you’re concerned your cat
may be showing signs of arthritis,
it is important to book them
a health check. A full physical
examination will be performed,
and the vet will discuss if any
further diagnostic tests are
required, such as x-rays.
We want your cat to stay
happy and healthy, and there
are several aspects to managing
arthritis in cats. All cats have
an ideal weight dependent on
their breed, size and lifestyle,
and weight management is an
important part of helping your
pet cope with arthritis.
Our vets will provide advice
on weight management,
together with discussing what
treatment options are available
to help keep your cat comfortable.
Treatment options for
arthritis in cats includes antiinflammatory
and pain relief
medications, disease modifying
medications, dietary supplements
and prescription diets.
Cats are the focus during May
and June at Sydney Animal Hospitals,
with the opportunity for
your cat to have a free dental
check by a vet nurse, discounted
dental treatments and Hills
dental food at a reduced price.
More info call Avalon (9918
0833) or Newport (9997 4609).
News
The Local Voice Since 1991
MAY 2023 39

Charity
crusaders
Life Stories
Having lost their daughter to Multiple
Sclerosis, Carol Langsford and her husband
Roy devoted more than 23 years to raising
funds to fight the disease; now, following
Roy’s sudden death, Carol has pledged to
continue this important work.
I
am sitting with Carol Langsford in
her apartment in Collaroy, which
also serves as the office of the Trish
Multiple Sclerosis Research Foundation.
Carol and her husband Roy started
the foundation in 2000, holding board
meetings at their dining room table,
and to date it has raised more than
$6.5 million for research to find a cure
or preventative strategy for Multiple
Sclerosis (MS).
They founded the charity two years
before their daughter Trish died from
this debilitating disease. At the age of 23
she was one of Australia’s most talented
young female cricketers. She spent the
last four and a half years of her life in
a nursing home paralysed, unable to
talk and being fed through a tube and
administered morphine every four
hours. But not once during her sevenyear
descent into immobility did this
elite athlete complain.
Carol spent every morning with Trish
at the nursing home, before she went to
coach the Tildesley Shield tennis team
at Roseville College. It was one of Trish’s
part-time jobs, before she was struck
down by MS.
“I had said to the head of sport ‘I’ll
help out if you want me to until Trish
gets better’, thinking she would. I did
that for about seven years, and gave up
just before we lost her. I’d get a little grin
or something when I told Trish I was off
to do her job, and I’d tell her all about
the girls. She couldn’t communicate,
but she understood.” Roy started work
at 5.30am every day so he could leave
early and take over from Carol, and then
he retired to spend more time with his
beloved daughter.
Roy and Carol met at Kooroora Tennis
Club on Sydney’s North Shore. She was
14, and he was 17, a farmer’s son fresh
from Singleton, who had just joined the
Commonwealth Bank where he remained
for 41 years. They were picked for the
same tennis team and kept playing
together.
“We wanted to go out, but Mum and
Dad wouldn’t let us go out alone together
Story by Rosamund Burton
until I turned 16.” They married when
Carol was 19, and in the words of
their youngest daughter Sharon, “lived
happily ever after”. A year later Carol
was competing in the Australian Open,
and in 1967, when Carol was 21, Roy
and she travelled to Europe. She played
doubles at Wimbledon and they both
competed in the French Open. She played
in the Australian Open again in 1970, the
year after her son Paul was born. She is
reticent to talk about her tennis career,
but was playing against the likes of
Margaret Court and Evonne Goolagong.
She has gone on to serve the sport for
many decades, serving on Tennis NSW’s
Board of Directors as well as many of
its committees for strategic planning,
women’s selection and tournament
sanctioning, and she has been a
passionate advocate for junior player
development. In 2014 she was honoured
for her tireless contribution to the sport
at the Newcombe Medal Australian
Tennis Awards and presented with the
President’s Spirit of Tennis Award.
40 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

Roy and she were at the United Cup
tournament at the Sydney Olympic Park
Tennis Centre with Sharon and their
son-in-law and two granddaughters in
early January this year. Roy lurched
forward in his seat, and Sharon heard
him say that he couldn’t breath. Within
seconds the paramedics were there to
assist. They stretched Roy out and Carol
has his head in her lap, but he couldn’t
be revived.
“I realise now we probably lost him
instantly, but I didn’t know at the time,”
she says, tears welling up in her eyes.
There is a large framed photograph of
him on a low table near where we’re
sitting, and on the floor are the flowers
from his coffin, the arrangement now
brown and brittle.
“I can’t bring myself to get rid of them
yet,” she says. I marvel at her ability
to continue working tirelessly for the
foundation despite the waves of grief at
suddenly losing her soulmate of more
than 60 years.
“He would want me to keep going,” she
says, explaining she is so fortunate to
have incredible support: Paul has taken
over Roy’s role as treasurer and Sharon
has joined the foundation’s board.
Trish Langsford represented
Ravenswood School in softball, hockey
and javelin. She was also an A1 tennis
player and won the Tildesley Shield
Tournament playing both singles and
doubles, but her great love was cricket.
She played for the school and also
represented NSW from when she was
14. Aged 20, she made her debut in the
NSW Open Team at the 1991 Australian
Championships and was named Player
of the Series. Having completed a degree
in Human Movement she was appointed
the NSW Women’s Cricket part-time
development officer in 1993. In 1994,
she captained the Australian Under 23
Team against New Zealand in the Dive-
Lamason Challenge Cup. The team won
the one-day series and due to rain the
Test finished in a draw.
It was that same year that she got
double vision. She began seeing two balls
coming at her on the field on a Saturday.
“I had to go and pick her up because
she was worried about driving,” Carol
recalls. Trish’s first MS attack lasted six
months. She was unable to play sport
and had to give up her job. She had a
four-week remission and went back
to cricket and played a match, which
included a day’s fielding in 100-degree
heat.
“After that she went numb from the
waist down and never got better again.”
Carol shows me heart-breaking footage
from a 2011 ABC 7.30 Report of Trish
struggling to walk and then sitting
paralysed in a chair.
“She suffered so much. No-one should
have to go through that,” says Carol.
Thirty years ago when Trish was
diagnosed with MS there were no
medications. Carol and Roy imported
a drug from the US, which cost them
$13,000 for six months, but it didn’t
help her. Now for relapsing-remitting
MS there are a range of medications
which help control the disease, Carol
tells me. “But researchers haven’t nailed
progressive MS, which is what Trish had.”
So recently the foundation has
narrowed its goal to finding a cure or
preventive strategy for progressive MS.
Continued on page 42
Life Stories
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Proud Trish named Captain of the
Australian Youth Cricket Team; Roy and Carol in Malaysia; “He would
want me to keep going,” says Carol; Trish shows her batting form; the
Langsfords were inseparable; on their wedding day, Carol aged 19;
Receiving their OAMs in 2009; Trish as bridesmaid before she fell ill.
The Local Voice Since 1991
MAY 2023 41

Life Stories
Continued from page 41
“The progress that is being
made with research into this
is absolutely brilliant. We’ve
been honoured to fund some
world-first ground-breaking
discoveries.” A $200,000
donation to immunologist
Professor Graeme Stewart at
the Westmead Institute for
Medical Research supported
an international consortium
of 250 researchers in 15
countries. Blood samples
from 27,000 people with
MS confirmed the 57 genes
associated with the disease,
providing a roadmap for
scientists around the world
to follow.
Brendan Nelson, former
Liberal federal opposition
leader and a medical doctor
by profession, has been the
patron of the foundation
since the early days, and
before he became Australia’s
High Commissioner to India
in 2020 Barry O’Farrell,
former premier of NSW,
was joint patron. There is
also a scientific research
committee, which decides
which scientific projects
should receive funding.
Much of the research is into
stem cell therapy, and the
foundation has just called
for expressions of interest
for a five-year fellowship
commencing January 2024.
Carol’s passion for this
cause is palpable; so too is
her gratitude for everyone
who has played a part in
supporting the foundation.
Carol’s niece’s husband
Mark Croker has just
completed a 5,500km cycle
ride from Fremantle to the
Sydney Opera House. He set
out with the goal of raising $1
for every kilometre he rode
(the tally at the time of going
to print was $6,871). The
foundation’s biggest fundraiser
is its annual ball. The
Golden Butterfly Ball is being
held at the Hilton Sydney
on Saturday 9 September.
Channel 7 presenter Johanna
Griggs is the MC and soprano
Toni Powell is performing.
There is also an auction and
people unable to attend the
ball can bid remotely in the
online auction.
Every single dollar donated
to the Trish Foundation
goes to MS research. Since
its inception, Carol and Roy
devoted themselves to the
charity, never took a salary
and personally covered all
the administration expenses.
In 2009 they were both
awarded OAMs for their work,
but Carol is quick to point
out that so many people have
contributed.
“We’re a team and we
can’t do it without the team,
without our honorary board,
our wonderful volunteers,
our honorary scientific
research committee, all of
our generous supporters and
our sponsors.”
What the Trish Multiple
Sclerosis Research
Foundation has achieved
in 23 years is phenomenal
and Carol Langsford is an
inspiration. She is passionate
about making a difference,
and driven by this greater
purpose has dedicated her
life to find a way to prevent
others suffering as her
daughter Trish did.
*More info and to book
tickets for the Golden
Butterfly Ball on Saturday
9 September visit
trishmsresearch.org.au
42 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

Hot Property
Hot Property
Rates pause leaves us in ‘eye of storm’
The RBA’s April decision
to pause interest
rate increases was a
significant development for the
current property market.
Independent property
valuation and advisory group
Herron Todd White’s month in
review (April) noted while there
was disagreement among
analysts as to whether the RBA
would hold or increase rates
moving forward, the consensus
was that we’re close to the
peak of the rate rise cycle.
Herron Todd White CEO Gary
Brinkworth said the next three
months would prove critical
in establishing the long-term
direction of the market.
“I am convinced we’re about
to experience a significant
transition in the residential
property space in response
to the rate pause for myriad
reasons relating to supply and
demand,” says Brinkworth.
A DECADE IN THE SELLING: Marara Estate on Careel Bay.
Supply – expressed as the
number of listings – has been
tight across major population
centres.
“Since early 2022, sellers
have faced economic
uncertainty… a substantial
number of would-be vendors
shelved their plans, deciding to
wait out the turmoil.
“Property listings now sit
around 20 per cent lower
compared to this time last year
– that’s narrowed the available
pool for buyers substantially.”
The other side of the
equation was demand.
While some purchasers were
buoyed into action by softer
property prices in late 2022,
most saw their borrowing
power eroded by rising rates.
“March 2023’s rate hike saw
borrowers having to deal with
a 50 per cent increase in their
repayments compared to April
2022.
“Throw in the mandatory
three per cent serviceability
buffer factored into loan
applications and the outcome
is less available funds for
borrowers.
“The net result of the supply/
demand imbalance has been
market inactivity throughout
most jurisdictions over the past
12 months.
“This has also been reflected
in ABS analysis which shows
new loan commitments have
been falling since January 2022
and are down around 30 per
cent.
“All this leads me to think this
interest rate pause puts us in
the eye of the storm in terms of
Hamptons-style ‘chill’
13 Therry St
Avalon Beach
5 Beds / 3 Bath / 2 Car
Entertain and chill in coastal Hamptons style! Premium finishes
abound in this dual-level, 5-bedroom residence built by the
Award-winning master builder, Binet Homes.
Its seamless open-plan design embraces easy entertaining
and offers effortless flow indoors to outdoors. High-end appointments
are throughout, with blackbutt floorboards, high
ceilings, plantation shutters and time-saving technology.
The kitchen offers a stone-topped island, a butlers’ pantry
and Bosch appliances including a double oven. Bifolds lead to an
expansive entertaining deck and outdoor kitchen.
Framed by a tropical garden, the solar heated pool with its
fountain feature invites a cooling dip.
All double bedrooms are spacious with built-in robes; plus
there’s ducted air con, video security – and much more.
For sale: $3.5 million.
*Contact the selling agent @ Laing+Simmons Young Property:
Amy Young (0422 225 227).
Deep waterfront + boathouse
244 Hudson Parade
Clareville
5 Beds / 3 Bath / 2 Car
Commanding an exceptional and private position in Refuge
Cove, this impressive home sits on a 1,031sqm parcel of gently
sloping land with deep water frontage, boathouse, private
sandy beach and striking views across Pittwater.
Architecturally designed over three levels, the flexible floorplan
is ideal for a family, weekend retreat or a couple working
from home.
The main central living area boasts stylish timber floors and
high ceilings, while expansive use of glass captures the stunning
views. The master bedroom has an ensuite, walk-in-robe
and private terrace.
The boating facilities include fully equipped boatshed (with
inclinator access), private jetty, pontoon, boat winch and large
berthing pen.
*Contact the listing agents @ Ray White Prestige Palm Beach:
Laura Meares (0424 918 829) and Noel Nicholson (0411 884
290).
44 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

market activity.
“I suspect we’ll see a
material uplift in listings and
transactions.”
While increased listings will
place downward pressure on
property prices, other factors
could help keep any softening
to a minimum.
“For example, our valuers
have noted an uptick in tenants
leaving the rental market and
buying affordable housing and
units.”
The Herron Todd White
report noted the bottom end
of the housing market on the
Northern Beaches was currently
sitting around $1.5 million.
Leading property analytics
firm CoreLogic’s research
director Tim Lawless predicted
the RBA’s April rate pause
would boost confidence and
keep prices rising.
Around The Traps
The historic Marara Estate
on Careel Bay, first offered
to buyers in May 2010 has
been sold for a reported $40
million… The beachfront home
at Collaroy we featured last
month was sold to a buyer
from North West Sydney
for “very close to the $5.5
million guide” said agent
Noel Nicholson of Ray White
Prestige who told us the new
owner plans to rejuvenate the
property for use as a family
weekender… And a “well-loved”
dual family home set over two
levels opposite Narrabeen Lake
at 100 Wakehurst Parkway
Elanora Heights fetched $2.3
million. – Lisa Offord
‘Ode’ attracts Beaches interest
STUNNING: Ode, Double Bay is a 15-apartment complex
offering modern design and high-end appointments.
Northern Beaches locals are among the first
buyers into the exclusive new high-end
Ode, Double Bay residential offering.
Hot Property hears separate parties snapped
up a penthouse and sub-penthouse in the
six-storey, 15-apartment complex, having been
attracted to the city-fringe location and the
quality of the development.
The buyers will divide their time between
their home with their extended family on
the beaches, while
also enjoying the
convenience of
living in the heart of
cosmopolitan Double
Bay.
Globally renowned
diversified property
group Top Spring
Australia (TSA)
describes its Ode,
Double Bay project
as “a love letter
to Sydney’s most
aspirational harbourside
hamlet, expressed in iconic, world-class
architecture, artisan interiors, and timeless
style”.
Top Spring Australia Development Director
Jeff Curnow said the rare residential offering
would occupy a prominent corner site at 19-27
Cross Street, directly linked to a proposed
public plaza with street-level dining, cafés and
bars.
“Designed by celebrated architect Luigi
Rosselli, Ode comprises 15 three- and fourbedroom,
light-filled apartments of 219sqm
to 311sqm internal space, likely appealing to
owner-occupiers and downsizers who love
Double Bay’s village atmosphere, boutique
shopping, and proximity to the CBD,” he said.
“The building features an innovative curved
façade, ground floor plaza and private arched
lobby with an exclusive full-time concierge.”
Views across the harbour through floor-toceiling
windows on levels 4 and 5 set the scene
for glorious living. Lightness and weight are
beautifully juxtaposed throughout the interiors
of each apartment, with the neutral palette
warmed by small moments of brass, rich
woods, and stone.
“Rosselli’s signature statement fireplaces in
living areas are a symphony of fluid lines and
function,” Mr Curnow said.
“The organic motif is repeated in the
stunning stone kitchen
islands that seemingly
levitate in space
despite their texture
and weight and feature
warm brass detailing
underneath.”
The generous
kitchens offer two
joinery colours and
three stone options,
with even more
elevated selections
for penthouses. The
ultimate finish to the
neutral, organic interior palette are touches
of brass, travertine, Venetian plaster, fluting,
bronze and concrete ceilings in penthouses.
“Our display gallery is open by appointment
and is the perfect way to experience Ode’s
opulence,” Mr Curnow said.
“There are limited opportunities remaining
at Ode, including 3-bedroom apartments from
$9.65 million and 4-bedroom residences from
$11.99 million.
“Just moments from the ferry, bus and
Edgecliff station, Ode, Double Bay offers the
ultimate gift of time and convenience that
accompanies an unbeatable luxury village
lifestyle with easy access to the CBD and
beyond.”
Ode, Double Bay is scheduled to be
completed Q1, 2025.
– Lisa Offord
*More info and private appointments call
0414 246 625 or visit odedoublebay.com.au
Hot Property
The Local Voice Since 1991
MAY 2023 45

Art Life
Art Life
Colours of the ‘spectrum’
EMOTIVE: Maria del Carmen’s exhibition
‘Bipolar’ isn’t just an interpretation
of mental health, but moreover
about conflict in all areas of life.
Northern Beaches artist Maria del
Carmen holds her second exhibition,
entitled ‘Bipolar’, at Mona Vale Creative
Space Gallery in May. She says it
celebrates the conflict between positive
and negative in our lives.
“This is a very introspective work,
mostly about how I deal with negative
emotions and use them in a positive
way,” said Maria. “I think a lot of
people relate to this.”
And even if this doesn’t immediately
sound like something that would resonate
with your life, you can’t help but be
touched by the emotion and beauty of
Maria’s work.
The artworks on display in Mona Vale
will be a mix of abstract paintings and
silhouettes, in what Maria describes as
“a dynamic dance where black and white
contrast in the composition with colour”.
And as Maria points out, Bipolar isn’t
just an interpretation of mental health,
but moreover about conflict in all areas
of life and the tension between light and
shade, Yin and Yang.
“It’s about how our mind simply navigates
between good and bad feelings,
coexisting in conflict,” she explains, “but
also the conflict in nature, in the ocean,
it’s just part of life. Different layers; one
layer that is negative and full of doubt,
but another that can often turn into
something positive.”
Originally from Chile, it was Maria’s
love of surfing and the ocean that saw her
settle on the Northern Beaches just over
seven years ago, and nature plays a big
part in her work. Her first exhibition held
at Brookvale’s La Creme Creative Space
was entitled ‘Healing Nature’.
“I always feel like the ocean influences
me,” said Maria “It’s my space.
Whenever I meditate, I try to feel as if
I am in the ocean. And when I’m not
working, I’m always at the beach or in
the ocean.
“It’s the safe space that keeps me
grounded.”
An intimate exhibition drawn from
personal experience, Maria’s art is
emotive and in terms of mental health
she does want to acknowledge and
celebrate the bravery of people who
silently battle with this duality.
“Every painting intends to express a
story’s individuality,” she explains, “bringing
richness to the artwork.”
Around 15 large pieces will be available
for sale as part of the exhibition, as well
as a mix of other smaller pieces in different
mediums. And perhaps even a story
that touches everyone. – Rob Pegley
*The exhibition takes place from Mon
15 May to Fri 29 May, between 9am and
5pm daily, at Mona Vale Creative Space
Gallery, 1 Park St, Mona Vale.
Ceramic ICON exhibition
An iconic exhibition exploring stories of Country from
late Aboriginal artist Kunmanara Carroll is exhibiting at
Manly Art Gallery & Museum until 4 June.
Ngaylu Nyanganyi Ngura Winki (I Can See All Those Places)
is part of the JamFactory ICON series, an annual solo exhibition
celebrating the achievements of South Australia’s most
influential artists working in craft-based media.
I Can See All Those Places celebrates this South Australian
Luritja/Pintupi/Pitjantjatjara artist, who worked at Ernabella
Arts at Pukatja in the APY Lands.
Masterful ceramics and paintings merge Carroll’s deep
knowledge of Country, with his intricate yet minimalist style.
The major subjects the artist returns to are mystical and
organic, drawn from nature, country and story.
MAG&M is one of just 12 galleries in Australia to host the
exhibition, having previously been shown at the National
Gallery of Australia.
*More info magam.com.au
46 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

Blak Douglas asks:
‘What’s in a name?’
Archibald Prize winner Blak Douglas has returned to Manly
Art Gallery & Museum to present the confronting truth about
Gayamay (Manly Cove).
In ‘Inverted Commoners’, the Dhungatti artist examines the
themes of place and displacement and questions what a place
really should be named, especially at Gayamay – the point of
first contact between First Nations and the British.
The self-taught
artist won the
Archibald Prize in
2022 for his portrait
of artist and friend
Karla Dickens, becoming
the second
Aboriginal artist to
win the prize in 101
years.
In his solo exhibition
at MAG&M,
Douglas has used
painting, film and
sculpture to explore
the common ground
between the displaced
“commoners” transported to Australia and the Aboriginal
communities who were displaced by their arrival.
Provocative landscapes overlaid with big, black inverted commas
call into question what a place really should be named.
“In this exhibition I’ve chosen to present a suite of canvases
highlighting the superficiality of the rapid erasure and disrespect
to the original occupants,” Douglas said.
“My studies of various snapshots of the cove and water ‘country’
are not named per se, but are only quoted by quotation
marks/inverted commas.
“The inverted commas are suspended upon the landscape as a
reminder: ‘but what is this place really named?’
“The commas are painted in the blackest pigment currently
available, a specialised acrylic paint purposely sourced for this
body of work. It infers a spiritual questioning of how much do
we really understand about ourselves living on this Country?”
As part of the exhibition, the MAG&M Art Wall facing Gayamay
has been transformed by the artist into a 24/7 public art piece.
A special workshop on ‘Anatomy of a Cloud’ will be held on
Sunday 30 June, for budding artists to explore the exhibition
with the artist and create their own unique cloud painting. A
meet the artist event will also be held on Saturday 8 July.
*‘Inverted Commoners’ is on exhibition until 30 July at Manly
Art Gallery & Museum; for all the event details visit magam.
com.au
The Local Voice Since 1991
MAY 2023
47
Art Life

Health & Wellbeing
Relief as funding cuts
Health & Wellbeing
Three major local
charities will continue
to receive Council
funding at existing levels over
the next three years after a
previous decision to gradually
cut their financial assistance
and review future allocations
was reversed.
Community Northern
Beaches, Avalon Youth
Hub and Northern Beaches
Women’s Shelter were each
facing a total reduction of
their funding over the next
three years after councillors
voted in March to support
a resolution to phase out
existing arrangements
totalling $250,000 and
redistribute the funds to an
expanded grants program
which would be open to all
charities.
The motion was reversed at
Council’s meeting in April – to
the relief of representatives
of the major charities who
thanked the community for
the outpouring of support
and advocacy.
Lead agency for the Avalon
Youth Hub is The Burdekin
Association; CEO Justene
Gordon said while she
welcomed the funding, she
was surprised Councillors
had completely reversed the
decision.
“Council has invested a lot
of time into reviewing their
grants program and the need
for a more transparent and
equitable way to manage that
program,” she said.
“While there is merit in
their need to do that, there
also needs to be a deeper
understanding about the
needs and the gaps in the
community.
“Grant funding should be
targeted, and I think there
are a number of services that
QUESTION: Who is responsible for
Pittwater, asks Burdekin Association
CEO Justene Gordon.
should have an opportunity
to apply for funding where
there are needs and gaps.”
The Avalon Youth Hub was
established five years ago to
provide access to free local
PHOTO: NB Advocate.
youth and family support
services in our region.
Council funding provides
the infrastructure for eight or
nine organisations including
Lifeline, Mission Australia, and
Headspace to work out of.
Each of the services that
provide the support do their
own fundraising.
Ms Gordon said her analysis
of the service provision
for younger people in the
Narrabeen and Pittwater
wards revealed “a significant
under-resourcing of services”.
“There continues to be
a significant inequality of
service delivery for younger
people, so my question
to Council and to State
and Federal members and
the community, is: Who is
responsible for Pittwater and
Narrabeen? And how are we
going to address those gaps
in that need?
48 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

overturned C
“Sustaining The Avalon
Youth Hub has to be all our
responsibility,” she continued.
After the vote reversal,
Northern Beaches Council
Interim CEO Louise Kerr said
the continued funding of the
three organisations would
help those most vulnerable in
the community.
“We are committed to
supporting the social services
sector and our continued
funding will help them reach
young people in need, people
at risk of homelessness,
and members of the
community financial hardship
or domestic and family
violence,” Ms Kerr said.
“All three of these
organisations do an incredible
job supporting people in very
challenging circumstances.
“We want to thank these
organisations for their
tireless efforts in supporting
those most vulnerable in our
community and for briefing
Council on the vital services
they provide.”
Each year Council
currently provides more
than $370,000 in funding
to local social services
organisations – $252,500 in
direct financial assistance
alongside an annual $120,000
in community grants. Most
of this financial support
is directed to Community
Northern Beaches, Northern
Beaches Women Shelter and
The Burdekin Association (for
Avalon Youth Hub).
Council also requested a
report be prepared within
the next six months, setting
out the criteria for the grants
program aligning priorities
for funding with Council’s
Better Together Social
Sustainability Strategy.
– Lisa Offord
A ‘peach’ of a result
from squat challenge
lients from Be Mobile Physiotherapy Elanora Heights
recently raised an impressive $16,545 for breast cancer
research and treatment.
Participating in the National Breast Cancer Foundation’s
‘57 Squat Challenge’, the team performed 57 squats every
day for a month because daily, 57 Australians are diagnosed
with breast cancer.
The challenge team Be Mobile Over 55 Not Over The Hill
members participated at home with some also joining in
from overseas and completed 1767 squats each, placing
them at the top end of the national leaderboard.
“We thank every single person who donated and
participated in the challenge – your support means so
much,” spokesperson Jeanette Trafford said.
“We raised valuable funds for breast cancer research that
will benefit future generations.
“We had a lot of fun and now have very ‘peachy’ bottoms!”
Exercise can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer and
improve survival amongst women diagnosed with the disease.
Despite this knowledge, the majority of Australian women
do not participate in sufficient exercise. Further, how
the eight or nine hours of daily sitting time accumulated
by Australian women affects their breast cancer risk is
unknown.
One of the research projects conducted by The National
Breast Cancer Foundation hopes to provide more specific
advice to women about how much and what type of exercise
they should be doing to prevent breast cancer or to improve
their survival after diagnosis and give guidance on how
much sitting can be safely done each day.
– LO
Health & Wellbeing
The Local Voice Since 1991
MAY 2023 49

Health & Wellbeing
with Dr John Kippen
Health & Wellbeing
A summary of Breast Implant
Illness and issues to consider
Approximately 20,000
women get breast
implants per year in Australia,
for both reconstructive
and cosmetic indications.
Breast implant illness (BII) is a
wide collection of symptoms in
a person with breast implants.
Synonyms of issues include
silicone implant disease and
autoimmune/ inflammatory
syndrome induced by adjuvants
(ASIA).
BII symptoms vary in type
and severity however there
are often multiple symptoms
involving multiple systems –
musculoskeletal, systemic, and
cognitive.
Symptom onset is variable
and can range from months to
many years.
Symptom resolution is also
variable from rapid and dra-
matic, to slowly progressive, to
little change to no change, and
actual progression.
The exact incidence of BII is
not precisely known, however
It seems to be increasing but
this may be due to increased
awareness.
In 2020, the American Governing
Body, the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), advised
implant manufacturers to have
warning labels on the implants
suggesting patients may
develop systemic symptoms,
joint and muscle pain, chronic
fatigue, and autoimmune conditions.
It is clear more research is
needed to improve recognition,
understanding and treatment.
Diagnosis is by excluding
other conditions and a resolution
of symptoms.
There is no single diagnostic
test and tests are usually guided
by the symptom profile.
At presentation to a Plastic
Surgeon, most patients have
had several tests and seen
several doctors.
The exact cause is not known
and is considered either an
autoimmune/inflammatory response
or low-grade bacteria on
the implant surface (biofilm).
BII can occur with silicone or
saline fill, textured or smooth,
and round or shaped.
The implant envelope in all
types contain silicone.
There does seem to be an
overlap with auto-immune and
connective tissue disorders such
as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis,
and scleroderma.
Treatment involves removing
the implant (explant), removing
the capsule (capsulectomy
– either partial, subtotal, or
complete), and removal of the
implant and capsule as a single
unit (en bloc capsulectomy).
This condition is separate
from Breast Implant Associated
Anaplastic Large Cell
Lymphoma, BIA-ALCL, a cancer
in the tissue and fluid around
implants.
There is no association with
cancer.
Prevention is difficult to
advise on as the cause is not
known.
Not having implants is an
obvious suggestion, especially if
replacing implants.
It may be worth trying a
different implant in a different
pocket, but recurrence cannot
be predicted or prevented.
An increased risk may occur
with a personal or family history
of autoimmune conditions,
allergies, irritable bowel
syndrome, migraines, chronic
fatigue, and fibromyalgia.
Implant rupture is not known
to increase or decrease the risk.
Surgery is usually under general
anaesthetic with hospital
stays of one to three days.
Individual protocols vary
with surgeons and conditions.
Time in hospital, dressings,
drains, post-surgical bra or
binders, suture selection (dissolving
or removed) should be
discussed.
An important consideration
is a combined lift procedure.
Lift techniques often involved
additional and visible scars.
A full discussion of risks and
complications should be comprehensive.
Our columnist
Dr John Kippen is a qualified,
fully certified consultant
specialist in Cosmetic, Plastic
and Reconstructive surgery.
Australian trained, he
also has additional
Australian and International
Fellowships. He welcomes
enquiries; email
doctor@johnkippen.com.au
50 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

Why some songs are ‘ear-resistible’
Have you ever had a song
you couldn’t get out of your
head? You may not even like
the tune, or remember where
it came from, but there’s just
something about it that has it
stuck on replay.
Chances are you’ve picked up
an “earworm” – a catchy piece
of music involuntarily wriggling
around inside our heads.
Some research suggests up
to 98 per cent of Australians
have experienced an earworm –
or involuntary musical imagery
(INMI) as it’s known.
Music researchers have been
searching for the secrets behind
these catchy tunes in their
tempos and pitches. But new
research suggests a different
explanation.
The key, says Professor
Emery Schubert, author of
the systematic review study
from the Empirical Musicology
Laboratory in the School of the
Arts & Media at UNSW Sydney,
is repetition.
“It appears there’s an essential
characteristic necessary for
a song to roll out the earworms
– the music itself must have
some repetition in it,” Prof.
Schubert says.
He adds most reported earworms
are the chorus of songs.
“Most research on earworms
to date analyses what’s in the
hook – the short riff or passage
to catch the ear of the listener,”
Prof. Schubert says. “But what
hasn’t been considered is that
the hook is invariably repeated
in the music, most commonly
in the chorus.
“The implication is that it
largely doesn’t matter what the
music is, as long as repetition
is part of the music structure.”
But repetition is only one
part of the equation. There are
several preconditions for an
earworm to occur, including
recency and familiarity with
the music. But to activate an
earworm, we must also be in
what’s called a “low-attentional
state”, according to the study.
“It’s sometimes referred to
as mind wandering, which is
a state of relaxation. If you’re
really concentrating on a task,
then you won’t get an earworm,”
Prof. Schubert says.
“Inside your relaxed mind,
you don’t have to follow the
exact structure of the music.
Your mind is free to wander,
and the easiest place to go is
the repeated fragment and to
simply repeat it.”
While earworms can be an
unwelcome distraction at times,
many people find them enjoyable.
The cases where earworms
are dreaded is when the music
itself is not liked, Prof. Schubert
says.
While an earworm is not a
medical condition, for those
hoping to expel an unwelcome
tune, there are many theories
for how to get rid of them.
“You may be able to wrap up
an earworm by either finishing
off the music, consciously
thinking of another piece of
music, or by removing yourself
from the triggers, such as
words or memories that relate
to the music or lyrics,” Prof.
Schubert says. – UNSW Media
Health & Wellbeing
The Local Voice Since 1991
MAY 2023 51

Health & Wellbeing
with Bec Johnson, M.Pharm
Health & Wellbeing
New antibiotic access trial to
treat urinary tract infections
Urinary tract infections
(UTIs) are common bacterial
infections affecting
various parts of the urinary
tract. The urinary tract can
include the urethra, bladder,
ureter, kidneys, or prostate,
and these infections are most
commonly caused by Escherichia
coli.
UTIs are 50 per cent more
likely to occur in female
patients compared with male
patients due to the close proximity
of the urethral opening to
the bladder.
While the terms ‘UTI’ and
‘cystitis’ are often used interchangeably,
cystitis specifically
refers to an infection of the
bladder. Cystitis can be highly
uncomfortable, presenting as
a stinging or burning sensation
while passing urine, a
strong urge to urine often, and
occasionally pain or tenderness
in the lower abdomen
or pelvic area. If the bacteria
ascend from the bladder up to
the kidneys, this is serious and
requires urgent treatment by a
doctor. Therefore, it is important
to manage a suspected
UTI effectively and early.
Prescription antibiotics are
often necessary to eradicate
the bacteria causing a UTI,
and most patients will achieve
symptom resolution within 48
hours of starting the course.
From April 2023, as part
of a community pharmacy
state-wide trial, appropriately
trained pharmacists are now
able to provide antibiotic
treatment for uncomplicated
urinary tract infections in female
patients aged 18-65. This
trial has been commenced to
improve patient access to treatment
and to relieve the pressure
on our healthcare system
as a whole, and particularly
our general practitioners.
Not all pharmacies or
pharmacists will be involved
in the trial. As participating
pharmacists can only provide
antibiotic treatment for female
patients who fit the criteria
for an uncomplicated UTI, it is
important to note that not all
patients will be able to receive
antibiotic treatment directly
from a pharmacist.
Aside from antibiotics, pain
relief can be achieved during
an acute infection through
the use of urinary alkalisers,
such as Ural. This makes the
urine less acidic, and reduces
the stinging or burning pain
associated with passing urine.
Simple pain relievers, such as
paracetamol or ibuprofen, can
also be considered if further
pain relief is required and they
are appropriate.
For many, reducing the risk
of developing a UTI can include
small, routine-based changes
which can be easily implemented
into everyday life:
n Drink enough water each day
to satisfy your thirst, and to
keep the urine light in colour,
unless your doctor has
advised you to reduce your
fluid intake.
n Urinate frequently when you
feel the urge, rather than
holding on. When you go,
ensure you have completely
emptied your bladder.
n For females, it is important
to wipe from front to back
to prevent introducing E. coli
from the anal passage to the
urethra.
n Empty the bladder soon after
intercourse.
Cranberries, and cranberry
juice, have been used
to prevent UTIs. Cranberries
contain a substance which
prevents E. coli from sticking
to the urethral walls, and thus
may help in reducing the risk
of developing a UTI or reduce
the duration of the infection.
However, studies have found
the benefits to be mixed. Since
juice is high in sugar, cranberry
supplements are generally
preferred.
Have a chat with your local
pharmacist or GP for more
information on UTI management.
Pittwater Pharmacy &
Compounding Chemist
at Mona Vale has operated
as a family-run business
since 1977. Open seven days;
drop in & meet the highly
qualified and experienced
team of Len, Sam and Amy
Papandrea, Andrew Snow
and Bec Johnson. Find them
at 1771 Pittwater Rd;
call 9999 3398.
52 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

Health & Wellbeing
The Local Voice Since 1991
MAY 2023 53

Health & Wellbeing
Milat eyes a new future
Health & Wellbeing
RETIRING: Robyn Milat and
husband Tony started their
Avalon practice in 1984. Tony
passed away five years ago.
Diabetes support in short supply
It’s hard to believe but there is
only one government-funded
diabetes dietitian on the entire
Northern Beaches. To treat a
potentially debilitating and lifethreatening
disease which relies
heavily on managing what
we eat for our survival. For a
population of over 250,000 –
of whom an estimated 8,690
have the disease, according to
the National Diabetes Services
Scheme (NDSS).
Diabetes comes in several
different forms. Type 1 and
Type 2 are actually quite different.
Type 1 is a sudden onset
autoimmune disease where
the immune system attacks
healthy cells, in this case of
the pancreas, which can no
longer produce insulin. Type
2 is when the pancreas is not
making insulin as effectively
as it ought. With careful food
intake and weight management,
however, it is possible
to halt the progress of Type 2
and even put it into remission.
Which is why those who have
it are so keen to get their diets
right, preferably with the help
of a diabetes dietitian.
Sarah O’Connor, a government-funded
diabetes dietitian,
is regularly at Brookvale
Community Health Centre on
Mondays and on Tuesdays
Avalon optometrist Robyn Milat
is looking forward to something
she’s rarely experienced
in over half a century – a work-free
weekend.
The affable eyecare health professional
is retiring this month, having
enjoyed practising optometry in
Bowling Green Lane since 1981. (She
and husband Tony opened Milat
Optometry in 1984.)
“I’ve worked Saturday mornings
for 50 years – since I was 13 years
old – so I can see myself saying ‘yes’
to Dragonboat regattas with my Bei
Loon team on Saturdays… I’m looking
forward to a change,” she said.
Regarding change, Robyn has
seen a few.
“In the early ’80s a pair of contact
lenses would last a year or two,
they were cleaned by boiling in their
case, most were melted to the bottom
of a saucepan; patient records
were written in books, and I used a
chequebook to pay suppliers.
“Now contact lenses are often daily
disposable, we bought our first
computer in 1989 and now each
consulting room is networked with
computers with patients records
and referral letters and accounts
and inventory and suppliers are
now mostly paid on internet EFT.”
Advances in equipment over the
years have dramatically improved
the diagnosis and management of
many eye conditions.
and Fridays at its Mona Vale
counterpart. She sees patients
individually face-to-face and
also runs group sessions for
the newly diagnosed.
There are no outpatient
diabetes clinics at Northern
Beaches Hospital, only a diabetes
educator for inpatients.
As an older woman diagnosed
with Type 2 six years
ago, I get to see Sarah for one
hour every three months. She
is the only light at the end of
my diabetes tunnel, and I and
others need a lot more.
Overall, the Northern
Beaches has a lower rate of
diabetes than the national
Robyn and Tony doubled the size
of their consulting and sales rooms
in the late ’90s, creating a family
business in all sense of the word.
“My husband Tony and I enjoyed
building the business, Karla and
Jane our daughters have both also
worked in the practice… it’s been
a privilege to be part of our special
Avalon community.”
Nothing signified the importance
of community more than the support
Robyn received when Tony
passed away five years ago.
“I’ve had guidance and encouragement
from many of you… I want to
thank you,” Robyn told Pittwater Life.
“I would also like to thank optometrist
Chris for his help over the
past few years and I appreciate all
my patients’ support.”
Optometrist, Li, and her husband
Paul have purchased Milat Optometry
and will continue to serve the
community as family-run business
Eyecare Plus Avalon Beach.
We’ll still be seeing plenty of
Robyn as she continues her valuable
work with the Zonta Club of Northern
Beaches where, for close to 40
years, she “has paid it forward”
helping internationally with United
Nations programs and locally with
women seeking support following
domestic violence, supplying breast
cushions for women following
breast cancer, student study grant
projects and more. – Lisa Offord
average but it does have a
higher rate of Type 1. This
is the more serious sudden
onset life-threatening variety
that requires immediate treatment
once it is detected. A
regular three-monthly checkup
by your GP could ensure
this happens. It is not known
what causes Type 1.
Anyone with any type of
diabetes can join the National
Diabetes Services Scheme
(NDSS), funded by the Federal
Government, which opens the
door to a whole range of services.
– Pamela Mawbey
*Call the NDSS Helpline on
1800 637 700.
54 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

Hair & Beauty
with Sue Carroll
Try Mesotherapy and attain
a glowing, hydrated skin
Even though mesotherapy
is not new, it continues to
grow in popularity primarily
due to the medical-grade
serums infused into the skin
and their results. This treatment
can increase collagen synthesis,
reducing fine wrinkles and lines,
acne scarring, pigmentation,
surgical scars, dark circles,
cellulite, fat and hair loss. How
you care for the skin after
the procedure is essential to
maximise results.
Mesotherapy is a cosmetic
treatment that can rejuvenate
and firm the skin, stimulate
hair growth, reduce cellulite
and decrease small pockets of
fat, but this depends upon the
serums being injected.
The treatment was first
developed in the early ’50s by
French doctor Michael Pistor to
relieve pain, but is now used
extensively for various cosmetic
treatments for men and women.
Mesotherapy rejuvenates
the skin from the inside out to
improve the overall complexion
and health of the skin. It
involves using fine microneedles
to inject the medicalgrade
serum into the middle
layer of the skin, the mesoderm.
Mesotherapy involves
delivering active ingredients
such as peptides, amino acids,
antioxidants, hyaluronic acid,
Botox (or similar), PRP, and other
skin boosters.
Before the mesotherapy
treatment begins, a numbing
topical is applied for 30
minutes. Using micro-fine
needles with a depth of 0.8mm,
right up to 2.5mm, will assist
the cocktail infusion. There
may be some redness and
slight bruising for a few days
post-procedure. Depending on
what is being treated (hair loss,
cellulite, dark circles under the
eyes, pigmentation, fine lines,
scarring) will determine the
frequency of the treatments.
The severity of the concern
to be treated will determine
how many treatments required.
The Local Voice Since 1991
Three treatments may be
sufficient, but it could be
as many as six spaced 2-3
weeks. Regular treatment is
recommended to maintain the
results as we continue to age,
and this process does not stop.
Treatments are always
tailored to each client’s specific
concerns and may be combined
with other skin treatments to
attain the desired result. To
achieve the optimum result, a
good home care programme is
essential.
The Glass Facial is a
treatment gaining in popularity,
using mesotherapy, Botox and
hyaluronic acid. This treatment
leaves the skin plump, glowing,
hydrated and more refined,
making the skin red carpet
worthy. The Glass Facial is a
collagen booster and promotes
healthy cell turnover.
Due to the microscopic
punctures in the skin, which
assist with product absorption
and collagen synthesis
activation, there is controlled
wounded tissue. This means
correct aftercare is critical
to ensure the skin heals in a
healthy way. We need to reduce
the risk of complications and
or potential scarring. Postmesotherapy,
redness, swelling,
inflammation, bruising and
some flaking can occur.
Feeding and nourishing
the skin with ingredients like
epidermal growth factors,
hyaluronic acid, and d-alpha
tocopherol (vitamin E) are
necessary. A skin rehab home
care regime will provide
the perfect post-procedure
cocktail. The first step is a
gentle cleanser used morning
and night to lift impurities and
protect against dehydration.
This is followed by using a
gentle toning lotion and gauze
to assist with the sloughing
action of dry skin. The next
step is to apply a growth factor
serum. This is a lightweight gel,
which will increase fibroblast
activity, promoting healing and
tissue regeneration.
Therapy E will protect against
free radical damage and provide
hydration to the tissue. After
any cosmetic skin treatment
TEWL (trans epidermal water
loss) is a possibility; hyaluronic
acid will reduce this and provide
hydration. Remember that
the more hydrated the skin is
before and after treatment, the
better the healing process and
the better and more sustained
the results will be.
Mesotherapy is like taking
a supplement for your skin.
Depending on the concern
being treated, will determine
the cocktail being injected,
resulting in glowing, hydrated
and healthy skin.
Sue Carroll is at the forefront
of the beauty, wellness
and para-medical profession
with 35 years’ experience on
Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
She leads a dedicated team
of professionals who are
passionate about results for
men and women.
info@skininspiration.com.au
www.skininspiration.com.au
MAY 2023 55
Hair & Beauty

Business Life: Money
with Brian Hrnjak
Business Life
Not at Arm’s Length Income:
Are things going to get NALI?
This month we take a
look at the non-arm’s
length income (NALI)
provisions affecting selfmanaged
superannuation
funds (SMSFs) and how easy
it can be to slip up on these
rules while operating your
fund.
I think most people
who have an SMSF would
understand their accountant
or financial planner harping
on about transactions
involving the acquisition,
operation or disposal of
property or other assets –
especially that those involving
a related party are done
at ‘arm’s length’ or on a
‘commercial basis’. This is
why we ask you to organise
valuers or agents to price up
transactions and put things
in writing so that there can
be no question about the
commerciality of a matter if
the ATO do wish to review
your fund.
For many in business this
is one of the key reasons
why we bother to have our
own super fund: the ability
to acquire an asset, protect
the goodwill attached to
our location, pay rent to
our fund and hopefully
realise the asset at a profit
all within a tax concessional
environment. Of course, not
all assets are property and
the rules relating to arm’s
length transactions apply
equally whether you are
dealing with a factory, shares
listed on the ASX, or any
other asset.
What is not clearly
understood is the
requirement that expenses
involving an asset in your
fund must also be treated
at arm’s length. For those
technically minded there are
guidelines contained in the
ATO’s Practical Compliance
Guideline (PCG) 2020/5 and
Law Companion Ruling (LCR)
2021/2. The consequences
of not operating on an arm’s
length basis can be severe
– fines, penalties and the
potential loss of taxation
concessions are all possible
consequences.
Recently more and more
is being written about the
treatment of fund expenses,
coincidentally at the same
time as the ATO has signalled
an increased in compliance
activity. The issue relating to
fund expenses is that nonarm’s
length expenses (NALE)
can trigger NALI provisions
but the mechanism can be
complicated. The issue of
fund expenses turns on who is
providing services to the fund,
on what basis and how often
– there are dangers of being
a related party who provides
services to your own fund.
The ATO explains in its
technical guides that it will
examine during an audit the
role in which a related party
provides services to a fund,
either in their role as a trustee
or in some other role, for
example, as a service provider.
If you provide only limited
services of a minor, infrequent
and irregular nature then
that is likely to be the end of
the matter. If, however, you
are professionally skilled in
an area and you also provide
services to your fund then you
need to be especially careful.
The following example is
taken directly from the ATO
Law Companion Ruling:
n Trang is the trustee of her
SMSF of which she is the
sole member. She is also a
plumber by trade and runs
her own business as a sole
trader in which she also
employs an apprentice,
Novee.
n Trang’s SMSF has two
56 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

investment properties which
are leased for a commercial
rate of rent.
n After finishing work for the
day, Trang stops by one
of the SMSF’s investment
properties to connect a
stand-alone water filter
provided (and to be taken
away at lease end) by the
tenant. She uses some
of her tools of trade to
complete the installation.
n Trang performs this activity
as trustee of her SMSF and
does not charge the SMSF
for this work. Trang’s use
of the tools of her trade
in respect of this property
is minor, infrequent or
irregular in nature and
will not, of itself, indicate
that she is undertaking
these services in any
other capacity other than
as trustee for her SMSF.
Accordingly, the nonarm’s
length expenditure
provisions will not apply.
n In respect of the second
SMSF rental property, Trang
undertakes a complete
renovation of the bathroom
and kitchen. She schedules
time in her work calendar
to undertake the work and
uses the tools of her trade
to undertake all plumbing
work on the renovations.
She also engages Novee in
all works.
n Trang does not charge
the SMSF for the work
undertaken in respect of
the second SMSF rental
property.
n In this instance, Trang’s use
of the tools of her trade will
not be considered minor,
infrequent or irregular
in nature. Considering
all her activities, she
will be considered to be
undertaking these services
in her individual capacity,
rather than as trustee for
her SMSF.
n The scheme involves the
SMSF obtaining the services
from Trang and deriving
the rental income. Trang
not charging the SMSF
for the services provided
constitutes a non-arm’s
length dealing between
the SMSF and Trang,
which resulted in the SMSF
incurring expenditure
in gaining or producing
rental income that was less
than would otherwise be
The Local Voice Since 1991
expected if those parties
were dealing with each
other at arm’s length in
relation to the scheme.
n As such, there is sufficient
nexus between the nonarm’s
length expenditure
and the rental income
derived from the second
SMSF rental property. The
rental income will therefore
be NALI. The non-arm’s
length expenditure will
also result in any capital
gain that might arise from
the subsequent disposal
of the second SMSF rental
property being NALI.
In Tran’s case the work
undertaken on the second
property is classified as
NALE and in this example
the entirety of the income,
including the capital gains
from a sale would be classified
NALI and subject to the top
marginal rate of tax and
possibly penalties and interest.
Tran could have let the
work to an unrelated party,
alternatively she could
have sought a number of
independent quotes and
undertaken the work based
on the amount of the lowest
quote which should have been
retained on file in the event of
an audit.
The implications of NALI
provisions are relevant across
a number of trades and
professions – accountants,
auditors, lawyers, architects,
investment advisers, real
estate agents, property
managers, all property related
trades. Transitional provisions
have been in place for some
time, but these rules are
complex and as I mentioned
earlier, we are seeing an
uptick in ATO compliance
activity.
Brian Hrnjak B Bus CPA (FPS) is
a Director of GHR Accounting
Group Pty Ltd, Certified
Practising Accountants. Offices
at: Suite 12, Ground Floor,
20 Bungan Street Mona Vale
NSW 2103 and Shop 8, 9 – 15
Central Ave Manly NSW 2095,
Telephone: 02 9979-4300,
Webs: www.ghr.com.au and
www.altre.com.au Email:
brian@ghr.com.au
These comments are of a
general nature only and are
not intended as a substitute
for professional advice.
MAY 2023 57
Business Life

Business Life: Money - collectables
Is the value of vinyl in a spin?
Business Life
When vinyl was in freefall
I hung onto mine and
collected family castoffs.
My shed was a refuge for
unwanted, unloved records.
Until… vinyl started a stunning
comeback! I updated my
turntable and bought new
releases and re-issued classics.
Vinyl’s star continues to rise.
It’s now an alternative investment
class. Goodbye cryptocurrency,
I’m making $$$ with
my 150+ vinyl records!
Well… maybe.
I consulted leading economist
Chris Richardson (who says he’s
a fan of Spandau Ballet and The
Reels)… I trawled Discogs, the
online database and marketplace
for millions of releases…
here’s what I found out:
1. If a record was a massive
seller, it’s likely not worth much.
Huge supply and less demand.
Hotel California, Eagles (1976)
IN THE BLACK: What money can be made from selling old records?
– $0.45
Rumours, Fleetwood Mac (1977)
– $1.49
2. If obscure or by a Sydney
punk band, it might be worth
more.
Hamburger Concerto, Focus
(1974) – $1.61
Radios Appear, Radio Birdman
(1977) – $15.08
3. Your first records mean a lot
to you, just not to others.
Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The
Piano Player, Elton John (1973)
– $0.34
Machine Head, Deep Purple
(1972) – $1.43.
4. Quirky, off-beat records
stockpiled from family, may
not be worth much but Judith
Durham surprises.
A Swingin’ Safari, Bert Kaempfert
and His Orchestra (1962)
– $0.35
For Christmas With Love, Judith
Durham (1968) – $5.00
5. Recent purchases are bricklike
vinyl, but still not worth
much.
A.M, Wilco (1995) – $3.02
Blackbird, Fat Freddy’s Drop
(2013) – $3.21
6. There will be one gem.
By a band that cut their teeth on
Bowie covers at Avalon RSL and,
as Flowers, headlined the 1978
St Augustine’s College Formal
at the RMYC, Newport.
In Concert, Icehouse (2015) –
$53.01.
I’m shell-shocked. My records
are valuable to me, but not in
the real world.
It comes down to economics
and Chris bluntly tells me how
it is.
“I suspect you’ll never make
your fortune from that Rumours
album,” he said. “You’re part
of a wider popular wave… the
things you most love, the things
you most value, sadly...” he
laughs.
Economists are not known for
empathy.
Australia’s birth rate peaked
in the early 1960s, explains
Chris.
“There were kids everywhere!
“Roll on to today in Australia
and those kids are in their early
60s; chances are their work
commitments are winding
back… chances are their wealth
has gone up across that period
and that is an enormous collision
of motive and opportunity.”
Motive and opportunity
– those 1960s kids are now
“burning through their passion”:
music, surfing, travel – whatever.
They’re “the demographic
wave” that can outlay $80-plus
on a new record.
“I suspect you’re very much
not alone,” he says.
Well, at least that makes me
feel a bit better!
– Greg McHugh
*What’s your most-treasured
vinyl record? Tell us why at
readers@pittwaterlife.com.au
58 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

Business Life: Law
with Jennifer Harris
Inconvenience of ‘Nuisance’
an interesting
word, frequently
‘Nuisance’
in use in various
ways. It has been used in
English since the 15th century,
meaning then harm or injury
rather than annoyance. It is
originally based on the Latin
word ‘nocere’ meaning ‘to
harm’.
Today it is defined by the
Oxford Dictionary as: “A person
or thing causing inconvenience
or annoyance”.
Under civil law in NSW there
are two types of nuisance, private
and public. For a problem
to amount to nuisance it must
be substantial and unreasonable.
Nuisance can be used to
deal with environmental issues
including interference with
your enjoyment of property
caused by noise dust, sewerage
or waste, light or oppressive
smells.
To make a claim it is
necessary to demonstrate
the interference was in fact
a nuisance according to law,
eg:
n That the claimant owns the
land or are a tenant on it;
n That the person against
whom is brought has caused
interference to the claimant’s
use and enjoyment of the
land;
n That the interference was
unreasonable and substantial.
Whether an interference
was unreasonable and
substantial will depend upon
the facts of each case. It is
unlikely it would be considered
unreasonable and
substantial if:
n The interference is something
which an ordinary
person could tolerate and
reasonably expect;
n The defendant is causing
interference while using his
or her land for an ordinary
purpose.
A court in deciding if nuisance
arises will consider:
n The type of interference;
n How long the interference
lasts and the time and times
at which the interference takes
place.
What the land is usually used
The Local Voice Since 1991
for is relevant in deciding if the
interference is a nuisance. Loud
industrial noise in an industrial
area is less likely to be considered
a nuisance than if it were
in a residential area.
If nuisance is established
the claimant must prove that
the defendant was at fault
and needs to establish:
n The defendant ought to have
known or did, in fact, know
about the nuisance;
n The damage caused was
reasonably foreseeable;
n The defendant did not take
reasonable steps to prevent
the nuisance.
If a claimant is successful an
injunction to cease the behaviour
and compensation for the
harm or loss may be awarded.
These general principles
are supported by legislation
in Section 153 (1) of the
Strata Schemes Management
Act (2015) which provides:
“An owner, mortgagee or
covenant charge in possession,
tenant or occupier of a lot in a
strata scheme must not:
(a) Use or enjoy the lot,
or permit the lot to be used
or enjoyed, in a manner or
for a purpose that causes a
nuisance or hazard to the occupier
of any other lot; or
(b) Use or enjoy the common
property in a manner or
for a purpose that interferes
unreasonably with the use or
enjoyment of the common
property by the occupier of
any other lot; or
(c) Use or enjoy the common
property in a manner or
for a purpose that interferes
unreasonably with the use or
enjoyment of any other lot by
the occupier of the lot or by any
other person entitled to the use
and enjoyment of the lot”.
The issue of nuisance in
strata schemes is controversial
with many claims being
litigated. Some examples:
Noise coming from a lot upstairs
or nearby was the issue
in a 1973 case where the court
held a person’s conduct was
in nuisance and granted an
injunction restraining a person
from engaging in conduct
comprised of singing, shouting,
whistling and using unseemly
words in his own lot, in
the street and in a public park
when his conduct affected the
amenity and reasonable enjoyment
of tenants of a house on
the opposite side of the street.
Smoking has become an
issue in recent years and in May
2019 the Civil and Administrative
Tribunal (NCAT) held that
smoke drift from one lot into
another was a hazard and that
it was ‘an interference with the
lot owner’s use and enjoyment’.
Comment supplied by
Jennifer Harris, of Jennifer
Harris & Associates,
Solicitors, 4/57 Avalon
Parade, Avalon Beach.
T: 9973 2011. F: 9918 3290.
E: jennifer@jenniferharris.com.au
W: www.jenniferharris.com.au
MAY 2023 59
Business Life

Trades & Services
Trades & Services
AIR CONDITIONING
Alliance Climate Control
Call 02 9186 4179
Air Conditioning & Electrical Professionals.
Specialists in Air Conditioning Installation,
Service, Repair & Replacement.
BATTERIES
Battery Business
Call 9970 6999
Batteries for all applications. Won’t be beaten
on price or service. Free testing, 7 days.
BUILDING
Acecase Pty Ltd
Call Dan 0419 160 883
Professional building and carpentry services,
renovations, decks, pergolas. Fully licensed
& insured. Local business operating for 25
years. Lic No. 362901C
CARPENTRY
Able Carpentry & Joinery
Call Cameron 0418 160 883
Doors & locks, timber gates & handrails,
decking repairs and timber replacement.
Also privacy screens. 25 years’ experience.
Lic: 7031C.
CLEANING
Amazing Clean
Call Andrew 0412 475 2871
Specialists in blinds, curtains and awnings.
Clean, repair, supply new.
Aussie Clean Team
Call John 0478 799 680
For a good clean inside and outside,
windows, gutters and small repairs.
CONCRETING
Adrians Concrete
Call Adrian 0404 172 435
Driveways, paths, slabs… all your concreting
needs; Northern Beaches-based.
ELECTRICAL
Alliance Service Group
Call Adrian 9063 4658
All services & repairs, 24hr. Lighting
installation, switchboard upgrade. Seniors
discount 5%.
Eamon Dowling Electrical
Call Eamon 0410 457 373
For all electrical needs including phone, TV
and data. Pittwater-based. Reliable; quality
service guaranteed.
Warrick Leggo
Call Warrick 0403 981 941
Specialising in domestic work; small jobs
welcome. Seniors’ discount; Narrabeenbased.
FLOOR COVERINGS
Blue Tongue Carpets
Call Stephan or Roslyn 9979 7292
Northern Beaches Flooring Centre has
been family owned & run for over 20 years.
Carpets, Tiles, Timber, Laminates, Hybrids
& Vinyls. Open 6 days.
GARDENS
!Abloom Ace Gardening
Call 0415 817 880
Full range of gardening services including
landscaping, maintenance and rubbish
removal.
Conscious Gardener Avalon
Call Matt 0411 750 791
Professional local team offering quality
garden maintenance, horticultural advice;
also garden makeovers.
Living Gardens Landscape
Call Richy 0475 148417
Lawn & garden maintenance, garden
regeneration, stone work, residential &
commercial.
Melaleuca Landscapes
Call Sandy 0416 276 066
Professional design and construction
for every garden situation. Sustainable
vegetable gardens and waterfront
specialist.
60 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

Precision Tree Services
Call Adam 0410 736 105
Adam Bridger; professional tree care by
qualified arborists and tree surgeons.
GUTTERS & ROOFING
Cloud9 R&G
Call Tommy 0447 999 929
Prompt and reliable service; gutter cleaning
and installation, leak detection, roof
installation and painting. Also roof repairs
specialist.
Fellofix Roofing
Call Joe 0434 444 252
All aspects of roof repairs & restoration. Fully
insured; Honesty & quality the priority. Free
quote.
Ken Wilson Roofing
Call 0419 466 783
Leaking roofs, tile repairs, tiles replaced,
metal roof repairs, gutter cleaning, valley irons
replaced.
HANDYMEN
Local Handyman
Call Jono 0413 313299
Small and medium-sized building jobs, also
welding & metalwork; licensed.
HOT WATER
Hot Water Maintenance NB
Call 9982 1265
Local emergency specialists, 7 days. Sales,
service, installation. Warranty agents, fully
accredited.
Trades & Services
The Local Voice Since 1991
MAY 2023 61

Trades & Services
Trades & Services
KITCHENS
Collaroy Kitchen Centre
Call 9972 9300
Danish design excellence. Local beaches
specialists in kitchens, bathrooms and
joinery. Visit the showroom in Collaroy.
Seabreeze Kitchens
Call 9938 5477
Specialists in all kitchen needs; design, fitting,
consultation. Excellent trades.
MASSAGE & FITNESS
Avalon Physiotherapy
Call 9918 3373
Provide specialist treatment for neck & back
pain, sports injuries, orthopaedic problems.
PAINTING
Cloud9 Painting
Call 0447 999 929
Your one-stop shop for home or office
painting; interiors, exteriors and also roof
painting. Call for a quote.
Tom Wood Master Painters
Call 0406 824 189
Residential specialists in new work & repaints
/ interior & exterior. Premium paints; 17 years’
experience.
PEST CONTROL
Predator Pest Control
Call 0417 276 962
predatorpestcontrol.com.au
Environmental services at their best.
Comprehensive control. Eliminate all manner
of pests.
PLUMBING
Total Pipe Relining
Call Josh 0423 600 455
Repair pipe problems without replacement.
Drain systems fully relined; 50 years’
guaranty. Latest technology, best price.
R AINWATER TANKS
Aquarius Watermaster
Call 1300 794 850
Rainwater tanks & pumps to capture and use
the rain. Sales, service & installation. View
large display area at Terrey Hills.
RUBBISH REMOVAL
Jack’s Rubbish Removals
Call Jack 0403 385 312
Up to 45% cheaper than skips. Latest health
regulations. Old-fashioned honesty &
reliability. Free quotes.
Local Rubbish Removal
Call 0407 555 556
All residential and commercial waste;
62 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

deceased estate; Seniors discount. Sameday
service. Free quotes.
One 2 Dump
Call Josh 0450 712 779
Seven-days-a-week pick-up service includes
general household rubbish, construction,
commercial plus vegetation. Also car
removals.
SLIDING DOOR REPAIRS
Beautiful Sliding Door Repairs
Call 0407 546 738
Fix anything that slides in your home; door
specialists – wooden / aluminium. Free
quote. Same-day repair; 5-year warranty.
UPHOLSTERY
Luxafoam North
Call 0414 468 434
Local specialists in all aspects of outdoor
& indoor seating. Custom service, expert
advice.
DISCLAIMER: The editorial and advertising
content in Pittwater Life has been provided
by a number of sources. Any opinions
expressed are not necessarily those of the
Editor or Publisher of Pittwater Life and no
responsibility is taken for the accuracy of
the information contained within. Readers
should make their own enquiries directly
to any organisations or businesses prior to
making any plans or taking any action.
Trades & Services
The Local Voice Since 1991
MAY 2023 63

The Way We Were
Every month we pore over three decades of Pittwater Life, providing a snapshot
of the area’s recent history – and confirming that quite often the more things change,
the more they stay the same! Compiled by Lisa Offord
25 Years Ago…
The Way We Were
Concerns were raised that Council’s
proposed new Environment Levy “…
is nothing more than a rate increase in
disguise… like all taxes once it is in place it
will surely increase every year and never
go away. It means that rates in Pittwater
will rise at a levied rate of 6.71% (a rate
increase of 1.7% plus the 5.01% E Levy).
Avalon Beach was the venue of the second
IRB surf carnival in the lead up to the
National Championships. “The Avalon Club
is keen to do well… particularly as the Club
founded the use of the RubberDucky for surf
lifesaving in 1969.” In other stories, The
Avalon Beach RSL Club brought out its “giant
replica cheque” donating $10,000 to the
Avalon Beach Surf Life Saving Club to buy
new rescue equipment: “With its recent donation of $5,000
for the Avalon Skate Bowl project and support for other
community sporting and charitable groups, the RSL Club
has in the current financial year, donated around $50,000
to the community.” Still in Avalon… Four public telephone
boxes were removed from outside the post office “as part
of the latest rejuvenation in the village shopping centre. A
new footpath will be laid from Wickham Lane along Avalon
15 Years Ago…
Parade and around in front of the shops in
Bellevue Ave… the telephones will be back
in about a month when new Heritage style
telephone boxes will be installed.” The costs
in damage to goods, shops and homes in
Pittwater from the “Easter Weekend floods
is estimated to run well into six figures. In
commercial centres, particularly Avalon
but also some areas of Newport and
Narrabeen, water flowed through like a
river… Pittwater Council General Manager
Angus Gordon said Council had no plans
for major drainage works in its flood
areas. The Good Friday Floods were what is
known as a 2% event, that is once every 12
to 15 years.” Meanwhile, the “New Look”
Warringah Mall was unveiled; the Royal
Motor Yacht Club’s third Blue Water Classic was shaping
up as the biggest yet; Anzac Day ceremonies in Palm Beach
and Avalon were well attended “as were the lunches and the
afternoon games of two-up” and Council was examining
Park and Ride proposals to “encourage more of us to catch
a bus instead of driving a car into town.” Although a report
“raised the problem of the frequency and quality of bus
services should more people want to use them”.
5 Years Ago…
Pittwater Council invited applications from local
We encouraged readers to register on
not-for-profit organisations for funding under the NB Council’s Have Your Say webpage
Community Services Grants Program, with grants following an influx of enquiries to our
ranging from $500 to $5000; Pittwater’s minimum office “by locals who have expressed
and average rates, paid by 78% of landowners, were surprise at Council plans and activations
to rise by $32 a year (including the Environmental
in their area they say they know nothing
Infrastructure Levy of 5%). Meanwhile Council “has
about – often until after the deadline for
plans for a 10% reduction per capita in greenhouse
community feedback”. Mayor Michael
gas emissions to achieve a plan to be a carbon neutral
Regan unveiled Council’s 20-year
community. To achieve this it proposes to introduce
energy efficient design criteria into is annual civic
transport strategy noting more than
design awards and decrease fuel consumption in council half of Northern Beaches households
vehicles. It will also look at ways of reducing public had more than two motor vehicles and
lighting consumption.
three out of five residents used a car to
Education programs are to get to work. “Traffic will only get worse
be planned to encourage the unless we improve public and active transport operations
use of public transport and and links, so the community has a reason to get out of their cars,”
the Park and Ride system he said. We introduced the Mona Vale Hospital’s Urgent Care team;
and promote reduced private Pittwater Ward Councillor Alex McTaggart said NB Council needed “to
motor vehicle use.” Planning
think carefully before making any decision to expand its provision of
was well underway for
childcare services across the new council region”; actor Bryan Brown
the second Avalon Beach
“leaked the plotline” of his film ‘Palm Beach’ which started filming; we
Village Festival which
wrote about Avalon bookstore Bookoccino’s next chapter introducing
was to feature music
from “world cutting-edge
new owners Sally Tabner and Ray Bonner “who are looking forward to
musical artists” at various meeting more people and getting more involved with the community”;
locations, capped off and a story on Pittwater Day Surgery explained how the team were
with a recital and sunset preparing for an increase in patient numbers following its $6 million
ceremony by the Royal renovation. Also “Good Sport” Mike Pawley spoke about his incredible
Australian Navy Band. contribution to the youth of Cambodia.
64 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

Pittwater Puzzler
Compiled by David Stickley
a person or thing against a lighter
background (10)
29 Suburb that’s home to
Jamieson Park (9)
30 A light open-fronted booth
or cubicle from which food,
newspapers, tickets, etc. are
sold (5)
31 You hopefully! (6)
32 Words of agreement (4,4)
DOWN
1 Wrapped up (7)
2 Ladies and gentlemen, for
example (7)
3 Device that may be used to catch
coastal crays (7,3)
4 Something which annoys or
hurts, especially if there is some
legal remedy (8)
6 On the same level (4)
7 Very skimpy beachwear (1-6)
8 Surfing great, Damien _______ (7)
11 Take a dip in the ocean (4)
14 Food from Australian
indigenous plants and trees (4,6)
16 Type of beer (1,1,1)
18 Make a request (3)
19 Buckley’s (2,6)
20 People who have achieved fame
or notoriety in a particular field (7)
21 Not restricted to one class
or field (7)
23 Taboo (3,4)
24 The presiding officer of the
lower house of a parliament, as in
the House of Representatives (7)
25 Wind-up toy? (4)
28 De’Assis may be described as
this type of establishment (4)
Pittwater Puzzler
ACROSS
1 Seaside destination on the
Central Coast that’s just a ferry
ride from Palm Beach (8)
5 Measurement or extent from
end to end (6)
9 Go upward with gradual or
continuous progress (5)
10 An examining officer (9)
12 Common ingredient in
pesto (5,5)
13 A thin coating or covering
layer (4)
15 A region like Pittwater (8)
17 Beach north of North Mona
Vale headland (6)
20 Body of water that’s a major
feature of 29-across (6)
22 Phrase of refusal (2,6)
26 An organised group of
workers (4)
27 The dark shadow or outline of
[Solution page 72]
The Local Voice Since 1991
MAY 2023 65

Food Life
with Janelle Bloom
Food Life
Recipes: janellebloom.com.au; FB: facebook.com/culinaryinbloom Insta: instagram.com/janellegbloom/
Flour power: bond with some
baking this Mother’s Day
Without doubt my love for cooking came from all the time
I spent in the kitchen with my nan, mum and sisters.
Every special occasion was marked with someone baking
something special that we all loved. I have put together some of
the recipes my sisters and I used to love baking with mum and
for mum. Happy Mother’s Day to all the beautiful mums and
nans. I hope you all get a sleep-in – and something special baked
for you!
Vanilla shortbread
hearts for mum
Makes round 40
light golden and firm to
touch. Cool on the trays.
5. Meanwhile, dust the
benchtop with the icing
sugar. Knead the white
icing until smooth. Divide
the icing in half. Using food
colouring, tint one portion
pink, place onto a sheet of
baking paper and kneading
until the colour is evenly
distributed.
6. Roll the pink icing between 2
sheets of baking paper until
2mm thick. Using the same
cutters, you used to cut the
biscuits, cut heart shapes
from the icing. Repeat with
the white icing. One at a
time, lightly brush the back
of icing heart with a little
water, place it onto the same
size biscuit, and gently press
to secure. Repeat. Set aside
until icing is firm to touch.
7. Pipe little white dots over
the pink cookies using the
designer white icing. Set
aside for 10 minutes to set.
Box up and give to mum and
grandma.
Homemade
marshmallows
Makes 24
½ cup cold tap water
2 tbs (28g) gelatine powder
(see tip)
2 cups caster sugar
1 cup warm water
1 tsp vanilla essence (see tip)
½ - 1 tsp pink gel food
colouring
icing sugar, for dusting
200g dark or milk chocolate,
melted
1 cup roasted chopped walnuts,
pistachio, finely chopped (see
tip)
1. Line the base and side of
a 20x30cm slab pan with
baking paper.
2. Pour the cold tap water into a
small bowl. Add the gelatine
and stir with a fork until well
combined. It will thicken and
become cloudy.
3. Place the sugar in a medium
saucepan. Add the warm
water and bring to a simmer,
stirring over medium heat
until the sugar dissolves.
Bring to a gentle boil. Add
the gelatine mixture, stir
gently with a balloon whisk
over medium heat until
dissolved. Pour the mixture
into the bowl of a bench
mixer. Set aside for 30-40
2. Turn onto a floured
benchtop. Cut the dough
in half. Shape each piece of
dough into a disc and flatten
slightly with the palm of
250g butter, at room
your hand. Wrap in baking
temperature
paper and place in the fridge Janelle’s Tip: If you’re baking
2 tsp vanilla extract
for 1 hour to chill.
with young kids and they don’t
¾ cup brown sugar
3. Line 2 large baking trays want to use ready-rolled icing,
2 tbs caster sugar
with baking paper. Roll there is a large range of cake
2 cups (300g) plain flour
1 piece of dough out on decorating items in the baking
½ cup custard powder
a floured benchtop until aisle they can decorate the
1 tbs full cream milk
about 4mm thick. Use a plain biscuits with.
To decorate
icing sugar, for dusting
heart-shaped cutter (you
600g ready to roll white icing
can use any size, we used
Pink gel food colouring
6cm and 2cm for the small
Dr Oetker Queens Designer ones), dipped in flour, to cut
white Icing
hearts from dough. Press
the unused dough together
and re roll until it’s all used.
1. Beat the butter, vanilla,
Repeat to use the second
brown sugar and caster
piece of dough. Place the
sugar together with a hand biscuits on prepared trays,
mixer or bench mixer until allowing a little space for
pale and creamy. Sift the spreading. Place the trays
flour and custard powder in the fridge for 30 minutes
together onto a sheet of until dough is cold. Preheat
baking paper. Add half the the oven to 160ºC fan
flour, stir until combined. forced.
Add the remaining flour then 4. Bake, swapping the trays
the milk and stir until a soft halfway through cooking,
dough forms.
for 15-20 minutes or until
66 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

For more recipes go to janellebloom.com.au
minutes to cool.
4. Using the whisk attachment,
beat sugar mixture for 8-10
minutes or until very thick.
Add the vanilla and pink gel,
beat for 1 minute or until well
combined. Spread into the
pan. Smooth the surface. Set
aside, at room temperature,
for 4 hours until set and no
longer sticky on top.
5. Use a wet knife to cut the
marshmallow into 24 squares.
Place onto a tray lined with
baking paper. Lightly dust
with icing sugar, turning to
coat all sides.
6. Spread or drizzle each
marshmallow with melted
chocolate, sprinkle with nuts.
Allow to set.
Janelle’s Tips: Measuring
is always key when baking;
make sure the gelatine is
level tablespoons and you are
using 20ml spoons (not metal
15ml)…You can use strawberry
or rosewater to flavour the
marshmallow… An option: try
replacing the nuts with little pink
hearts or sprinkles that mum
likes.
Blueberry scones
Makes 8
2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
2 tbs brown sugar
125g punnet fresh blueberries
½ cup thickened cream
¾ - 1 cup full cream milk
butter, jam and cream, to serve
1. Preheat the oven 200°C fan
forced. Lightly grease large
flat oven tray.
2. Combine flour and sugar
in large bowl. Stir in the
blueberries. Add the cream
and ¾ cup of the milk. Use a
flat bladed knife to stir to a
soft sticky dough adding more
milk if necessary. Turn onto a
lightly floured surface. Knead
very gently until the dough
comes together and the base
is kind of smooth. Don’t over
knead or the scones will be
tough and won’t rise.
3. Turn smooth side up and place
onto the tray. Press dough out
to 20cm round. Flatten the
top with your fingertips. Score
the top into 8 equal portions,
using a straight edge knife,
don’t cut all the way through.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until
golden and well risen.
4. Check the scones are cooked
by cutting down the centre;
if the scones are still a little
wet, you can cut into 8 scones
using the score lines, separate
them a little on the tray and
return to the oven for a few
minutes. Always serve scones
hot from the oven. Delicious
with butter, jam and cream.
Cinnamon
sugar tea cake
Serves 6
60g butter, room temperature
½ cup caster sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
1 cup self-raising flour
1/3 cup full cream milk
Topping
1 tbs caster sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp butter, melted
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C
fan forced. Grease the base
and side of a 20cm (top
measurement) sandwich cake
pan. Line the base with baking
paper.
2. Using electric hand mixer,
cream the butter and sugar
until light and creamy. Add
the egg and vanilla, beat
until well combined.
3. Sift the flour over the butter
mixture then stir gently until
combined. Stir in the milk,
until smooth.
4. Spread the mixture into
the cake pan, smooth the
surface. Bake for 15-20
minutes until a skewer
inserted into the centre
comes out clean. Stand
the cake in the pan for
10 minutes then carefully
turn onto a wire rack. Turn
upright.
5. For the topping, combine
the sugar and cinnamon.
Brush the top of the hot
cake with the melted butter
and sprinkle with cinnamon
sugar. Serve warm with
butter.
Strawberry yoghurt
thyme cake
Serves 8
125g butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
¼ cup honey
1 lemon, rind finely grated
2 eggs, separated
¼ cup full cream milk
2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
1 cup Greek Style Yoghurt
½ cup almond meal
1 tbs fresh thyme leaves,
optional
Strawberries, hulled, thickly
slices
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan
forced. Grease the base and
sides of a 7cm-deep, 11cm x
21cm (base measurement)
loaf pan. Line with baking
paper, allowing a 2cm
overhang at both long ends
(this helps lift the cake out).
2. Using electric hand mixer,
cream the butter, sugar,
honey and lemon rind until
pale and creamy. Add the
egg yolks together and beat
until well combined. Add the
milk, beat well.
3. Add half the flour, stir gently
to combine then stir in half
the yoghurt. Repeat with the
remaining flour and yoghurt.
Finally fold in the almond
meal and thyme if using.
4. Wash and dry the beaters.
Beat the egg whites in a
clean bowl to soft peaks. Stir
one-third of the egg whites
into the cake batter. Gently
fold in the remaining egg
whites.
5. Spread the mixture into the
pan, press the strawberries
into the top. Bake for 50-60
minutes (see tip) or until
a skewer inserted into the
centre comes out clean. Cool
in the pan for 15 minutes.
Lift onto a wire rack and set
aside to cool.
Food Life
The Local Voice Since 1991
Janelle’s Tip: Check the cake
after 40 minutes, place a sheet
of foil on the top if it’s starting
to get to dark on top.
MAY 2023 67

Food Life
Food Life
Pick of the Month:
Broccolini
Sometimes called baby broccoli, it’s a cross between broccoli
and Chinese kale. Broccolini® has a long asparagus-like
stem with a head of tiny buds like broccoli. Broccolini is
entirely edible, just trim any dry ends off the base of the
stem. It can be stir-fired, char-grilled, microwaved, steamed,
boiled, or roasted.
Buying
Look for bright green florets
with no signs of yellow
discoloration. The stems
should be shiny and firm.
Storage
Keep in a sealed plastic bag
in the fridge and use within
5 days.
Nutrition
Broccolini® baby broccoli is a
good source of folate, vitamin
C to build resistance and fight
infection, beta-carotene for
healthy skin and potassium to
counteract the harmful effects
of too much salt.
Roasted broccolini
with parmesan
Serves 4 (as a side)
2 bunches Broccolini
olive oil cooking spray
1 tbs Moroccan spice blend
freshly grated parmesan, to
serve
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C
fan forced. Place the
Broccolini in a single layer
in a lightly greased roasting
pan. Spray with oil. Sprinkle
over the spice blend. Toss
gently to coat.
2. Roast for 10-12 minutes or
until the flowers are golden
and crisp and the stems
tender. Remove from the
oven, sprinkle with plenty
of fresh parmesan while
hot. Season and serve.
Air fryer tip: If you have an
air fryer, you can air-fry the
broccolini. It will take about
8-10 minutes on 200°C; turn
over after 6 minutes.
In Season
May
Apples – look out for
new varieties Kanzi, Modi
and Envy, they are sweet,
crunchy and delicious; also
Bananas, Custard apples,
Lemons, Oranges (Navel),
Pears, Pomegranates,
Quince and Rhubarb;
plus Avocados, Bok Choy,
Broccolini and Broccoli,
Brussels sprouts, Cabbage,
Cauliflower, Eggplant,
Fennel, Kale, Ginger, Spinach
and Sweet potato.
68 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

Tasty Morsels
with Beverley Hudec
Some Tiny Morsels to savour in May
Share the love at
revamped Kiosk
After the recent six-week, back-ofhouse
renovation which focussed
on the kitchen, Clareville Kiosk has
reopened. The autumn menu features
salmon ceviche, tiger prawn bisque
and pan-fried barramundi with baby
caper beurre blanc. Open for dinner
Wednesday through Saturday and
lunch on weekends.
Palm Beach hole in
the wall is just ace
Palm Beach Golf Club’s downstairs
hole-in-the-wall cafe has three types
of toasties, bacon and egg rolls, fish
and chips and coffee. Hole in One
also features more of an Asian twist
with pork belly baguettes, Vietnamese
chicken and Thai beef salads on the
menu too. Open daily from 7am.
La Banette is
literally now the
place nextdoor
Iconic Avalon French bakery
La Banette has moved. But
it hasn’t gone far – just next
door where it has much
more space, as well as a cool
contemporary fit-out with
a line of sight right into the
bakery at the rear. Pop in for
baguettes, sourdough loaves
and rustic quiches. Sweet
treats include coffee eclairs
and individual lemon tarts.
De'Assis mark II open
at North Narrabeen
First Collaroy, now North Narrabeen.
Brazilian Flavio Assis has recently
opened his second cafe. De’Assis mark
2.0 on Lake Park Rd channels a beachy
feel and showcases a casual, on-trend
style of menu. Expect to see a selection
of Australian-Brazilian fusion food once
the new autumn menu is launched.
Tasty Dining Morsels Guide
Three of a kind: Aussie faves
The mainstay of any selfrespecting
pub and club menu
is a good old, deep-fried
schnitty. The mighty 300g
chicken schnitzel at Pittwater
RSL comes with chips, house
salad and gravy. Just a few
simple tweaks turns the
humble schnitty into another
all-time pub classic, the
parmigiana. Bring on the Napoli
sauce, ham and mozzarella.
The Local Voice Since 1991
Fancy an award-winning pie?
Then North Avalon’s the
place to go, where you’ll find
Oliver’s Pies. The Mexican
beef, Mexican vegetarian and
green Thai chicken pies have
all picked up awards. Staples
include steak and mushroom
and Massaman beef. Specials
like lamb Rogan Josh and the
new cheeseburger pie change
weekly.
Fish and chips is another
deep-fried double act with an
appreciative local fan club.
Pittwater Place’s Beluga takes
fish and chips to the next
level. Takeaway fish and chips
is battered barramundi with
fluffy chips and tartare sauce
(pictured) for $13.50. Grilled
salmon, barramundi, snapper
and yellowfin tuna are more
artery-friendly options.
MAY 2023 69

Garden Life
with Gabrielle Bryant
Ideas for colourful growing
gifts that your Mum will love
Garden Life
Mother’s Day is just around the
corner. It is a day to celebrate all
mothers, of all generations. Give
your Mum a special treat. If she loves her
garden or would love to have more time
to look after her garden, or even if she
lives with no garden at all, take her out
today.
Why not a ‘nursery crawl’ through all
the exceptional nurseries that we have on
the Northern Beaches, ending at any one
of them that has a café for lunch. Book
now or you may not be able to get a seat!
Traditional chrysanthemums (above
right) are filling the garden centres,
together with pots of cyclamen of every
size and colour (left); also moth orchids,
African violets, flowering begonias, pots
of flowering daffodils (middle), ferns –
many are already gift-wrapped or potted
into special planters for you to take to
your mum.
Or you could choose a bag of spring
bulbs, a hanging basket of geraniums, a
bonsai tree, a pot of succulents, a scarlet
anthurium – the amazing choice of plants
to choose from is stunning.
A living gift is always a very special
treat. Go nursery shopping with Mum on
Mother’s Day!
70 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

Beautiful blaze
of Fireglow
It is always good to find an easy, fastgrowing
plant to brighten an empty space in
the garden.
Crosandra Fireglow is one of the most
versatile plants.
Enjoy it while it is young as a cheerful
indoor or patio pot plant that has deep
green, glossy leaves and bright orange
flowers. Once it needs repotting, pop it into
the garden where it will grow into a small
shrub that flowers throughout the warmer
months.
It loves the sun or semi-shade, but don’t let
it dry out.
Plant it as a companion to pentas; the
orange flowers are sensational mixed
together with pinks and violets.
There are other colour crosandras if you
can find them – yellow, white and salmon.
Blue Tongue bush & berries
It is very satisfying when you
can plant a dual-purpose
bush in the garden. The
purple flowers of the purple
tibouchina glow on every
street, but rarely seen is its
Aussie cousin the lilac-coloured
Bush Tucker Blue Tongue bush,
sometimes known as Native
Lassiandra or by its Aboriginal
name Dhumulu (by the Yolngu
people).
The Blue Tongue bush,
melastoma affine, grows wild
in Western Australia and down
the East coast, from the Far
North of Queensland down to
northern New South Wales.
The lilac flowers, contrasting
against the furry green foliage,
appear from the tips of the
branches throughout the
summer months into autumn
and are followed by small blue/
black berries that can be picked
and eaten directly from to the
bush.
It gets its name because the
dark purple berries that split
open have a sweet juicy centre
that stains your tongue blue.
It likes semi-shade and
The Local Voice Since 1991
Make superb compost
Home-made compost makes the
best fertiliser and mulch for your
garden. It recycles organic waste, feeds
your garden, keeps down the weeds
and retains the moisture in the soil.
If you don’t have a compost bin, start
one now. Compost tumblers are great,
but you will need more than one. Once
filled it will take several months before
the compost is ready for use.
The simplest bins are the upturned
black bins, they are cheap and easily
filled, or you can make one yourself.
A compost turner with a corkscrew
end will turn the compost with little
effort. Choose a bin that will suit
your space – there are dozens on the
market to choose from.
Good compost is made of equal
parts of both green and brown waste.
Green waste is made from kitchen
veggie and fruit scraps, tea leaves
and coffee grounds, manures, garden
vegetation, lawn clippings, fallen
leaves or any organic waste. (Never
add any meat, egg, fish, animal poo or
dairy scraps to your bin. These things
attract rats and mice.)
This should all be mixed with brown
waste that includes any dry material
shelter from the hot afternoon
sun and wind, and regular
water.
Allow space for it to grow
to its potential. It can reach a
height of 1.5-2m and spreads to
a metre wide.
It is hardy and easy to grow;
trim it regularly to keep it
compact and dense. Although
the flowers have no pollen, the
hover flies and bees love it.
that will break down: shredded paper
from the paper shredder, straw,
cardboard, hay, twigs, dry leaves or
old newspapers torn up.
Add the green and brown waste in
layers, together with a small amount of
blood and bone. Turn the compost once
a fortnight to aerate the mix and speed
up the process, and water with GoGo
Juice to help the compost break down.
Within a few months your bin will
magically produce compost that has
turned into soil that you can add to
your garden as a mulch.
If the mix seems too dry, add more
green waste, or if it is too wet and
heavy, add more brown waste.
Tip: Keep a bin in the kitchen to save
veggie scraps and invest in a paper
shredder.
MAY 2023 71
Garden Life

Garden Life
Garden Life
May
Jobs this Month
Time to plant Springflowering
bulbs now
that the weather has
cooled down. If you are
planting them into pots, use
bulb fibre potting mix for the
best results. Over-plant with
some cheerful pansies, viola
or alyssum seedlings while you
are waiting for the bulbs to
appear. This does not inhibit
the growth of the bulbs. Bulbs
have been on the stands for
several weeks. Check that the
bulbs that you buy are still
firm and that they have not
begun to grow.
Citrus care
Autumn is a good time to plant
citrus trees; make sure that you
give your new tree plenty of
space and sunlight. Citrus need
excellent drainage and good
airflow to prevent collar rot, a
disease that ringbarks the base
of the trunk. Always keep grass
and other plants away from the
trunk. A fortnightly spray of Eco
neem and Eco oil (mixed) will
help protect new shoots against
leaf miner and citrus bugs.
Orchid spikes
Move cymbidium orchids into
good light. They are beginning
to make flower spikes and
need bright light or Winter
sun to develop the buds. You
have waited for a year for the
spikes to develop – don’t let
snails destroy them overnight!
Protect your flower spikes with
Multiguard snail bait.
Less watering
As the weather cools down,
pot plants need less water.
Cold wet roots will rot. Protect
outdoor potted plants in the
wet weather days by removing
the saucers and making sure
that drainage is good. Lift pots
onto pot feet to make sure
that drainage holes are not
blocked so that the soil doesn’t
get water-logged. Never water
indoor plants until the saucer
is dry.
Sweet sensation
Sweet Peas are shooting up
now. Make sure that they have
something strong to climb up.
A bamboo tripod wrapped with
chicken wire, or wound with
string, works well. A lattice on
the fence or an archway makes
a good base.
Bare essentials
A garden without any
deciduous trees gives Summer
shade but without Winter
sun it lacks the excitement of
the changing seasons. When
planting new
trees on the
northern side
of the garden
consider the Winter
sun. Evergreen trees can make
a garden very cold in winter; a
tree that loses its leaves will let
in the sunshine. Next month
the garden centres will be full
of bare trees and shrubs. Make
a note of the trees around now
that give Autumn colour, so
that when you are confronted
with a display of bare branches
you will know which tree to buy.
Veggie crops
Before you plant Winter crops
of peas, broccolini, spinach,
silver beet, onions, cauliflower,
cabbage, carrots, lettuce, kale
and other Winter veggies,
turn the soil and add plenty
of compost and a complete
fertiliser. Good preparation now
will be well repaid at harvest
time! Water in new seedlings
with Seasol.
Grow garlic
On the bulb stands that not
only have flowering bulbs,
you can also find garlic bulbs
to plant now. Garlic is easy
to grow. Break the garlic into
cloves and plant them pointedside
up with the tip just below
the surface into the veggie
garden, into pots using a good
quality potting mix, or as
companion plants with roses
and other flowering plants.
Garlic protects plants against
aphids and other insects. It
grows best in the full sun with
regular water. It will be ready to
dig up in the summer when the
foliage begins to die down.
Help the bees
Vegetables need the bees to
fertilise the flowers. Leave some
space in the vegetable garden
for flower seedlings. Primula,
pansies, marigolds, sweet
William, stock, nasturtiums
and snap dragons will attract
the bees. If there are not many
bees around, spray the plants
with Bee Keeper, and they will
soon appear.
Crossword solution from page 65
Mystery location: HORSE SHOE COVE
72 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991

Times Past
No mild start for Sam Meek
LOOKING PAIL: Dairy farmer Joe Homer and one
of his ‘girls’ – although he doesn’t look much
like the ‘Demented and roaring bull’ described
by Sam Meek. Also a painting of Joe’s dairy in
Bassett Street (West) Mona Vale. In the distance
on the far right, the ruins of Brock’s Folly (later La
Corniche) show. It burnt down in January 1912.
man wanted to work on a
dairy’. When Sam Meek saw this
‘Young
opportunity he couldn’t get to Joe
Homer’s dairy at Mona Vale fast enough –
he needed work and money!
The advertisement appeared in The
Sydney Morning Herald in late 1939, at a
time when the Great Depression was coming
down off a 32% unemployment rate
peak in 1932.
Sam lived at Marrickville and asked
his grandmother for the ‘two bob’ (two
shillings – 20 cents) for the one-way fare,
reassuring her that he would walk home
if he was unable to secure the job.
He arrived at 12 Bassett Street to be
“greeted” by Joe Homer – “a rough and
ready man” whose main concern was “How
many cows can you milk in an hour?”
Sam had no idea, so first thing in the
morning Joe would pit him against his
daughter Gladys who was his best milker.
Sam spent the night bedded down on a
load of hay in the barn.
In the morning Sam got the shock of
his life at 3am when Joe appeared in the
doorway.
When I interviewed Sam some 20
years ago, he claimed that “Joe looked
like a demented man and sounded like a
roaring bull. He had a rolled-up Sydney
Morning Herald and claimed he would
burn the barn down if we were not out in
10 minutes”.
Sam was first out the door but to no
avail. Gladys knew the names of all the
cows and they walked straight into the
bales for milking.
Sam had to round up the rest of the
cows and coax them into the bales but by
that time Gladys had all but finished her
share.
Joe wasn’t thrilled with the outcome
but agreed to give him a start at 4 pounds
(8 dollars) a week, ‘keep’ and one day off a
fortnight “and if I’m not happy you’ll go”.
“After I did my share of milking, I
delivered it in the horse and cart. Then
I washed and cleaned the milk cans,
cleaned out the bales and then had to
cut down two acres of pine trees and dig
them out by the roots”.
After a while, Sam had had enough so
he grabbed his gear and trotted off north
to Jones’ dairy at North Avalon.
Things were looking up there, with the
promise of a “house to sleep in, nice staff,
good food and a better wagon”.
Next issue we’ll follow Sam’s trek north
and discover what other activities this
scallywag tackled.
*Thanks to Joe’s granddaughter Rhonda
and John Illingsworth for the photos.
TIMES PAST is supplied by local historian
and President of the Avalon Beach
Historical Society GEOFF SEARL. Visit
the Society’s showroom in Bowling
Green Lane, Avalon Beach.
Times Past
The Local Voice Since 1991
MAY 2023 73

Travel Life
Travel Life
Sail to Secret Shores of Japan
Choosing a PONANT ‘Expedition’ cruise
jungle, encircled by a magnificent coral
means choosing a state of mind: a
reef; or to Okinawa where a visit to a
blend of luxury, exploration and great
comfort, adventure and refinement... even
in the heart of the most remote regions.
“PONANT Expedition Cruises not only
give you the chance to travel on board
a luxury ship, but also to enjoy topquality
services and go on a voyage of
discovery to far-flung corners of the earth,
accompanied by experts on the regions
visited,” said Travel View’s Gail Kardash.
Japan is a land that attracts and
fascinates the world. PONANT delivers a
unique opportunity to discover the Land
of the Rising Sun in a different light with
nine crafted exclusive expedition journeys.
“PONANT zodiacs are the only ones
allowed to access a selection of Japan’s
most remote sites,” said Gail. “These
Expeditions have rich and varied
programs that include UNESCO World
Heritage sites, national parks and nature
sanctuaries, idyllic beaches, encounters
with local communities and discovering
with the greatest respect for the places
and cultures.
“It is a new order in terms of
exploration, experience and Japanese
tourism,” said Gail, adding: “Some
ports of call, like the Ryukyu Islands for
example, where small fishing villages
have been spared the country’s hypermodernisation,
are like time capsules,
right off the beaten track.”
On the Orient’s frontier, travellers will
traditional village and local distillery ends
with an Eisa folk dance show.
The same care has been taken to ensure
exclusivity on the legendary Kitamae
Route. This time explorers will be retracing
the posts on this maritime trading
route, which created both fortunes and
shipwrecks. To new ports of call at Wajima,
Shimonoseki, the Uradome Coast and
Miyazu add another fascinating digression
at Tottori. This ancient, fortified city is
home to Japan’s largest sand dunes all
featured in lithography, before heading for
the Straits of Kanmon and Kurushima, so
emblematic of the Kitamae route.
Luxury Expeditions with PONANT are
an inclusive experience. “Enjoy exploring
on a modern small ship with luxuriously
appointed balcony staterooms whilst your
team of Expedition Leaders showcase
Japan with included excursions. You will
thoroughly enjoy gourmet cuisine and
an open bar as you mingle with new likeminded
ancestral and unknown cultures.”
embark from Ha Long to Naha. Their
Explorers.”
– Nigel Wall
Gail said that thanks to its small ships,
PONANT can create the conditions for
guests to approach protected ecosystems
wanderings will take them to the wild
unspoiled island of Iriomote, 90 per cent
of which is covered in dense semi-tropical
*More info contact Travel View on 9918
4444 or visit them instore at Shop 1, 36
Old Barrenjoey Road, Avalon Beach.
74 MAY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991