Pittwater Life July 2024 Issue

The Local Voice Since 1991 

J ULY 2024 

FREE 

pittwaterlife 

GOVT’S BUDGET SNUB 

CONCERN NARRABEEN LAND IS ‘FALLING INTO LAGOON’ 

AVALON’S RUSKIN ‘ROW’ OVER TREES / PUBLIC ALCOHOL BAN 

THE WAY WE WERE / ARTISTS TRAIL / SEEN... HEARD... ABSURD...

Editorial 

Our Council on notice 

Northern Beaches Council 

staff have been put on 

notice to better manage its 

spending or risk not having future 

annual budgets approved 

– leading to the possibility 

of Council being placed into 

administration. 

At Council’s June meeting, its 

2024-25 Budget passed by the 

barest of margins. 

Council CEO Scott Phillips 

told the meeting: “Council’s 

adoption of a delivery plan is 

a core obligation of Council. 

In the event Council does not 

meet its core obligations and 

there is no resolution to that, 

one pathway the (Local Government) 

Minister has is to put 

Council into administration. 

“In the event you do not 

adopt the budget… Council will 

not have the capacity to meet 

its obligations to creditors in 

the new financial year.” 

The closeness of the vote 

highlighted the fracture within 

the elected Council – with the 

six Liberal councillors voting 

against the budget. 

Liberal Councillor David 

Walton said it was concerning 

Councillors had received modelling 

indicating a Special Rate 

Variation of up to 25 per cent 

would be required in order to 

fund future budgets – almost a 

third increase in rates. 

But Your Northern Beaches 

Independent Team Councillor 

Sarah Gratton maintained the 

2024-25 budget held an annual 

increase of around five per cent, 

around $100 per annum for 

most households on average. 

Let’s wait and see. 

* * * 

As we went to print we were 

saddened to hear of the 

passing of local community 

icon Ted Blackwood, aged 93. 

The Ted Blackwood Narrabeen 

Youth and Community 

Centre in Warriewood opened 

almost 50 years ago; a tribute to 

Ted will be published in August. 

– Nigel Wall 


JULY 2024 3

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Publisher: Nigel Wall 

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Contributors: Rob Pegley, 

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* The complete Pittwater Life archive can be 

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Vol 34 No 12 

Celebrating 33 years 

6 


JULY 2024 

FREE 

pittwaterlife 

GOVT’S BUDGET SNUB 

CONCERN NARRABEEN LAND IS ‘FALLING INTO LAGOON’ 

AVALON’S RUSKIN ‘ROW’ OVER TREES / PUBLIC ALCOHOL BAN 

THE WAY WE WERE / ARTISTS TRAIL / SEEN... HEARD... ABSURD... 

pi twater2407p001.indd 1 26/6/2024 4:09 pm 

34 

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thislife 

INSIDE: Residents are concerned about the erosion of public 

land into Narrabeen Lagoon (p6); the stand-off remains 

between locals and Council over the felling of trees at 

Ruskin Rowe, Avalon Beach (p9); the NSW Government has 

launched an inquiry into e-bike use (p10); work on the Mona 

Vale Place Plan has been suspended (p14); meet our local 

baseball whizz kids (p15); boating taxes are set to soar (p18); 

and we interview Archibald Prize finallist, North Narrabeen 

artist Stephanie Galloway Brown (p42). 

COVER: Reach for the Sky / Sharon Green 

also this month 

Editorial 3 

Pittwater Local News & Features 6-41 

The Way We Were 308 

Seen... Heard... Absurd... 34 

Community News 36-41 

Life Story: Stephanie Galloway Brown 42-43 

Author Q&A + Art 44 

Art 45 

Hot Property 46 

Health & Wellbeing; Hair & Beauty 48-53 

Money 54-55 

Food & Tasty Morsels 60-62 

Crossword 63 

Gardening 64-66 

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JULY 2024 The Local Voice Since 1991

News 

‘Unchecked’ lagoon erosion fears 

Precious public land on the 

southern edge of Narrabeen 

Lagoon is eroding at a rate of 

almost one metre a year, according 

to residents. 

They are concerned Northern 

Beaches Council (NBC) has 

no remediation plan for the 

space and that it will disappear 

altogether, robbing community 

amenity while also threatening 

local homes. 

The public land, opposite 

Lakeside Holiday Park and 

adjacent to the Ocean Street 

bridge, forms a bank next 

to the narrow main channel 

through which huge volumes 

of water are funnelled when 

the lagoon is open. Locals say 

boat wake is also an issue. 

Barry Glasgow, who has lived 

next to the shrinking strip 

for 30-plus years, remembers 

when it was wide enough for 

a 20-metre cricket pitch with 

room for a bowler’s run-up. 

Now he says the land is two, 

maybe three metres wide at its 

broadest point. 

“I’d like to see it stabilised, 

don’t let it go any further,” he 

says. 

Mike Fitzgerald is leading the 

lobby to save the land but says 

he has been getting nowhere 

with Council. 

“I just hate watching that 

land just drop away. Week after 

week you’ll see another chunk 

has fallen in, all of a sudden 

the grass is bent, drooping 

down, hanging over the edge 

into the water, which means 

there’s another half a metre 

gone,’ says Mr Fitzgerald. 

“It’s just a lovely piece of 

land that’s soon going to end 

up totally gone and it’s just a 

damn shame… it’s wrong. 

“We’ve been here seven years 

and every year I see all these 

families and kids using that 

land, having family time and 

pleasure, especially on Australia 

Day, Easter and Christmas. 

“They’ve got their tents there 

and it’s just really nice. It’s a 

beautiful piece of taxpayer’s 

land disappearing – and noone’s 

doing anything about it.” 

He and other residents, 

including Glasgow and neighbour 

Jeff Hoffman, want to 

see the bank stabilised with a 

rock barrier, which has been 

actioned on the other side of 

the Ocean Street bridge. 

In a bid to make that happen, 

Mr Fitzgerald said he met with 

NBC Capital Works Project Manager 

Richard Parry last year, 

and recently corresponded with 

Jodie Crawford, Manager, Coast 

and Catchments for Council. 

Ms Crawford said bank 

remediation work had been undertaken 

in the Lagoon Street 

reserve (see pic below) which 

connects with the eroding 

stretch of bank. 

“There also appears to be 

evidence of seawalls along 

property and foreshore 

boundaries in historical aerial 

photography of the area,” she 

wrote in May. 

STABILISED: New seawall 

on the other side of the 

Ocean Street bridge. 

MATTER OF TIME: 

Concerned residents 

Mike Fitzgerald, Barry 

Glasgow and Jeff Hoffman 

(L-R) next to part 

of the eroding bank at 

Narrabeen Lagoon. 

“Construction of further 

hard structural bank protection 

works in this reserve are 

not planned at this time.” 

She wrote Council would 

investigate the feasibility of a 

sand nourishment and plant 

stabilisation program during 

the lagoon entrance clearance 

project planned for 2025. 

But Mr Fitzgerald says both 

the approach and potential 

timing are not good enough. 

“Sand nourishment is a band 

aid where this needs an operation,” 

he responded. 

“It’s a very sad plight and 

so disturbing to see such a 

beautiful piece of property 

disappearing when it could be 

stopped.” – Martin Kelly 

*What do you think? Tell us at 

readers@pittwaterlife.com.au 

PHOTOS: Martin Kelly 

6 JULY 2024 

The Local Voice Since 1991

News 

15,000 more Mackellar votes 

The Federal seat of 

Mackellar is set to grow 

by around 15,000 voters 

at the next Federal Election 

under New South Wales 

electorate boundary changes 

proposed by the Australian 

Electoral Commission (AEC). 

Under the AEC draft proposal, 

Mackellar – currently 

represented by Independent 

MP Dr Sophie Scamps – will 

take in new areas of Dee Why, 

North Curl Curl, Forestville 

and Killarney Heights. 

Dr Scamps said she welcomed 

the changes. 

“They reunite important 

communities of interest and, 

I believe, enhance the unique 

Northern Beaches culture of 

the electorate,” she said. 

Dr Scamps said a key consideration 

for the AEC during 

the redistribution process 

was to not dramatically 

change voting margins. 

“These changes are balanced 

with only a 0.8 per cent change 

in the margin,” she said. 

“We are particularly 

pleased to see that the suburbs 

of Dee Why and Forestville 

have been reunited and 

are no longer split between 

two electorates.” 

Dr Scamps said the changes 

were commonsense in several 

ways. 

“The suburbs of Dee Why 

and Forestville, previously split 

between 2 electorates, have 

been reunited into Mackellar 

which will eliminate the confusion 

for voters and strengthen 

these communities. 

“The changes enhance the 

unique Northern Beaches culture 

of the electorate and the 

already strong connections 

between these local communities. 

“Importantly, the changes 

keep Mackellar within the 

one local Council area which 

again helps to maintain the 

strong local culture.” 

She added the changes 

“make sense geographically” 

as the new boundaries, utilising 

a major road and a significant 

waterway/parkland, were 

CHANGES: What’s proposed for the 

Mackellar boundary shift. 

easily recognisable, major 

boundaries. 

“I am very pleased to 

welcome Dee Why, North 

Curl Curl, Forestville and 

Killarney Heights voters into 

the Mackellar electorate who 

closely share the values of 

Mackellar and the Northern 

Beaches, and I look forward 

to continuing to genuinely 

and independently represent 

these communities,” she said. 

However, Dr Scamps added 

it was important to note that 

the proposal was a draft and 

there were still opportunities 

for two more rounds of 

submissions. 

In other proposed changes 

affecting Sydney electorates, 

the AEC plans to abolish the 

Teal Independent-held seat of 

North Sydney, with much of 

its territory absorbed into the 

Warringah electorate. 

“I want to say how sad I 

am that the AEC has chosen 

to abolish the electorate of 

North Sydney, held by my 

crossbench colleague, Kylea 

Tink,” said Dr Scamps. 

“She is a powerful representative 

for her electorate 

and the embodiment of a 

true community independent 

providing a genuine voice in 

Canberra for the people of 

North Sydney.” – Nigel Wall 

*What do you think? Tell 

us at readers@pittwaterlife. 

com.au 



Great Ruskin tree row 

Community activists 

say they will continue 

their vigil to protect two 

mature Flooded Gums slated 

for felling in Ruskin Rowe at 

Avalon Beach. 


maintains the trees need to 

be cut down due to safety 

reasons. 

However, protesters including 

Pittwater Ward Greens 

Councillor Miranda Korzy say 

their independent arborists’ 

reports reveal the 70-year-old 

trees pose no safety issue. 

Council contractors cut 

down two trees on June 11 

before protesters intervened, 

giving the remaining two 

trees a “stay of execution”. 

The stand-off was entering 

its third week as Pittwater 

Life went to press. 

“What the community is 

saying with this blockade 

is: ‘This far and no further 

with destruction of our tree 

canopy. We are drawing a line 

in the soil.’,” said Cr Korzy. 

VIGIL: Community activists say they will not give up the fight to save two 

mature gum trees on Ruskin Rowe after two others were felled in June. 

“We will maintain watch 

over these two trees for as 

long as it takes.” 

She said the trees were on 

public land, in a Heritage Conservation 

Area, and there had 

been “precious little consultation” 

with residents about 

their removal. 

Two separate, qualified and 

experienced local arborists 

said the council arborists’ 

reports were flawed and the 

remaining two trees represented 

low risk, she added.\ 

“What these two trees 

need is pruning and regular 

inspections. Even the two cut 

down could have been saved 

with that approach, the arborists 

have told me.” 

Twenty-years resident Arabella 

Lockhart said living with 

large trees was an accepted 

part of living on Ruskin Rowe. 

“I’m furious at the excuse 

of the trees being dangerous,” 

she said. “They must fall only 

once or twice a year, not constantly. 

I have replaced one or 

two windscreens, but I choose 

to wear that risk and cost, 

because the trees have given 

me so much joy.” 

PHOTO: NB Advocate 

A Council spokesperson 

said: “We continue to take 

action to protect, retain and 

maintain these trees so long 

as they are healthy and pose 

no risk to public safety. 

“We need to balance our 

goal of preserving trees with 

the need to protect the community 

when experts advise 

they pose unacceptable risks. 

“Earlier this year a very 

large branch fell from a tree on 

Ruskin Rowe, prompting Council 

to investigate. Council’s 

qualified arborist found that 

most of the trees on Ruskin 

Rowe were healthy and only 

required a trim, but four posed 

a serious risk and removal was 

recommended. An independent 

arborist also concluded the 

trees needed to be removed.” 

“Council will proceed with 

the removal of the trees to ensure 

the risk to public safety 

is resolved.” – Nigel Wall 



com.au 

News 



News 

Govt triggers e-bike inquiry 

The NSW Government 

has acknowledged the 

increasing danger of 

e-bikes, ordering a Parliamentary 

inquiry into their use. 

It comes at the urging of 

the State Opposition to set 

up the inquiry and at the 

end of a six-week rider safety 

awareness blitz by Northern 

Beaches Council. 

Pittwater MP Rory Amon 

welcomed the Government’s 

move which will see bipartisan 

discussion on ways to 

improve safety for users and 

pedestrians. 

It follows months of campaigning 

by Mr Amon that coincided 

with a surge in e-bike 

sales and use across NSW – as 

well as increasing near-tragedy 

incidents reported by the 

Pittwater community. 

Lobbying for an inquiry in 

March, Mr Amon urged the 

Government to provide more 

support to police and suggested 

Council rangers should 

be empowered to issue bikerelated 

infringement notices. 

He said that statistics 

gathered from July 1 last year 

through February this year 

revealed that only seven penalties 

were issued for e-bikes 

or pedal bikes carrying too 

many passengers; only five 

for an e-bike or pedal bike 

disobeying the speed limit, 

and only 60 for negligent 

riding. 

No data had been recorded 

regarding e-bike riders using 

motor assistance to exceed 

the regulated 25km/h speed 

limit. 

“Given the feedback I 

received, these numbers are 

COUNCIL CAMPAIGN: The launch of ‘The Code’ in late May. 

concerningly low,” Mr Amon 

said. 

Regarding regulation, he 

said the Government needed 

to consider an insurance 

scheme for certain kinds of 

e-bikes and consider whether 

it was appropriate for kids as 

young as six to ride e-bikes or 

mini motorbikes. 

“Should there be a minimum 

age to purchase, own 

or ride an e-bike?” he asked 

Parliament. 

“Should riders receive 

some educational resources 

regarding rules? Should the 

Federal Government do more 

to prevent the importing of 

e-bikes whose speed limiters 

can be readily removed or 

tampered with? 

“Should there be penalties, 

or greater penalties, for 

manufacturers and distributors 

who are in breach of the 

rules? What should be the extent 

of education campaigns 

for parents and children, 

and through schools, to help 

communities grapple with the 

challenge?” 

Mr Amon said that while 

e-bikes had a tremendous 

capacity for good, there were 

many well-documented challenges. 

“I welcome this enquiry – it 

will provide the platform for 

experts across all relevant 

sectors to make their submissions 

and help us chart a path 

for the safe use of e-bikes, so 

they can be an overall positive,” 

said Mr Amon. 

Relevant stakeholders will 

be invited to make submissions 

to the Inquiry and give 

evidence at hearings. 

Meanwhile Northern Beaches 

Mayor Sue Heins said Council 

was “incredibly delighted” 

with the results of its e-bike 

safety campaign (‘The Code’). 

“We’re already seeing behavioural 

change by users of 

e-bikes and feedback from the 

community has been positive,” 

she said. 

Council reported more than 

267,000 reel and video plays 

on Instagram and YouTube 

including more than 30,000 

replays – the highest-played 

video content to date on 

Council’s Instagram channel. 

More than 100 corflute 

signs were placed at 62 locations 

across the Northern 

Beaches, with posters and 

corflutes provided to 20 local 

high schools as well as campaign 

displays at seven local 

bike shops. 

As reported by Pittwater 

Life in June, Council urged 

local schools to follow the 

lead of Stella Maris College at 

Manly, which has introduced 

strict e-bike user and storage 

rules for its students – including 

passing the Learner 

Driver exam, lodging e-bike 

serial numbers and proving 

that the e-bike throttle speed 

was locked. 

Pittwater Life asked local 

schools Pittwater High and 

Barrenjoey High whether 

they would adopt any similar 

safety measures. 

A spokeswoman for Pittwater 

High said the school had 

instructed students to walk, 

not ride, their bikes (both 

cycles and e-bikes) into the 

grounds and store them by 

one of the main gates. 

A spokeswoman for Barrenjoey 

High said they had 

referred our question to the 

NSW Education Department 

but had not received a reply. 

Mayor Heins said Phase 2 

of the Council’s safety and 

awareness campaign would 

commence later this year. 




com.au 



News 

Letters: Readers have their say 

Don’t whitewash 

Labor contribution 

Your article, ‘Good Things In 

Store’ (Pittwater Life – June) 

featured local Federal MP Dr 

Sophie Scamps expounding 

the benefits of the new 

Warriewood Community 

Battery, but the article makes 

no mention that this was 

a Federal Labor election 

commitment. 

The battery was promised to 

the people of Mackellar during 

the 2022 Federal election 

campaign by then Shadow 

Minister for Climate Change 

and Energy Chris Bowen, 

should Labor win that election. 

Labor’s candidate at the 

2022 election Paula Goodman 

formally represented Minister 

Bowen at the official opening 

of the battery in May. 

It is wonderful to read of Dr 

Scamps’ support for this great 

community facility which will 

help to hasten the transition to 

a net zero economy. 

But it would have been 

useful to acknowledge a key 

fact – the community battery 

was promised, delivered and 

funded by Labor. 

Pam Ward OAM, 

Secretary Mackellar ALP FEC 

In defence of 

Councillor Gencher 

In response to Tina Butler’s 

claim that Councillor Michael 

Gencher has betrayed his 

voters by joining the Liberals 

(Pittwater Life – Letters, June), 

it’s crucial to clear things up. 

Councillor Gencher’s recent 

move isn’t a betrayal – it’s a 

smart step to get things done 

for Pittwater. 

Anyone paying attention to 

Council business would know 

that Councillor Gencher’s 

switch is all about advancing 

Pittwater’s interests. His 

commitment to the platform he 

was elected on hasn’t wavered. 

He’s focused on achieving 

actual results, not just looking 

good on social media. 

The team Councillor 

Gencher has joined is all 

about being responsible, 

functional, and strategic. 

Unlike those more interested 

in social media popularity, this 

team is dedicated to making 

meaningful improvements for 

Pittwater. Councillor Gencher’s 

move ensured he can keep 

advocating for the community 

and work towards sustainable 

outcomes and fiscal health. 

His move months ago was all 

about making sure Pittwater’s 

interests are prioritised and 

effectively advanced. Instead 

of seeing it as a betrayal, 

recognise it as a clear sign of 

his commitment to delivering 

real results for our community. 

Shane Fergusen 

Newport 

Motor-only mode a 

big e-bike problem 

Congratulations for your 

recent articles on e-bike rules 

and safety. Northern Beaches 

Council’s ‘The Code’ initiative 

is an excellent move and 

delivers a comprehensive 

message. However, one 

massively important fact that 

appears to receive the lowest 

priority in both advertising 

and editorial is the message 

delivered at the end of your 

June article: “To be considered 

a bicycle it cannot be propelled 

exclusively by a motor.” 

Unfortunately, most of 

the bikes appearing in the 

advertising pictures can be 

simply converted to a “motoronly 

use” with the switch of 

a button. When being used 

in motor-only mode these 

bicycles are illegal; they fall 

within the category of a motor 

vehicle and under NSW Law are 

required to be registered and 

the driver needs a motorcycle 

licence. 

Last week, I spoke to two 

14-year-old girls who were 

cruising along without 

pedalling and without helmets 

and I asked them if they had 

any idea of the laws they were 

breaking. They had no idea. 

This is a daily sight. Our 

youth are not getting this 

important message and the 

Safety Video and Signs that 

have been placed around our 

schools do not allude to this. 

At this stage, slowing down 

appears to be the only message 

getting through. 

Gareth Jones 

Bilgola Plateau 

E-bike safety: 

has the horse 

already bolted? 

What a great initiative by 

Council to place the ‘The Code’ 

plaques at strategic places 

within the LGA. Great to see 

people are so concerned about 

safety around school kids 

riding these “weapons” called 

e-bikes. 

Numerous times kids are seen 

speeding on these bikes, no 

helmets, speeding on roads 

and footpaths, with two or 

three kids on the bike, also 

with no helmets. 

I have witnessed these 

idiotic kids hooning around 

the car park at McDonalds, 

Warriewood. How are the 

police going to police the 

situation? These kids are too 

young to carry ID. 

I would think the 

Government should ban these 

weapons before the horse 

bolts. 

Andrew Massie 

Dee Why 

Education programs 

won’t solve problem 

Being a daily walker on shared 

paths around Warriewood, I 

constantly encounter people, 

young and old, whizzing past 

me from in front and from 

behind. Most are travelling 

at speeds much higher than 

walking pace and most do not 

indicate their presence. 

These very large and 

substantial e-bikes are, in fact, 

motorbikes with an electric 

rather than petrol engine. They 

have no place on footpaths. 

Proposed ‘education’ 

programs will have minimal 

effect. These electric motor 

bikes must be registered and 

restricted to roads. Pedestrians 

are in increasing danger. Will it 

take a death or serious injury 

to change the law? I hope not. 

Many of the ‘shared’ 

pathways on the Northern 

Beaches are dangerously 

narrow, putting pedestrians 

at a disadvantage from both 

traditional pushbikes and 

these new, heavy motorised 



ikes which, incidentally, 

provide little or no exercise for 

the riders. 

E-bikes must be banned from 

pedestrian walkways – that 

means shared paths. 

Ian Roberts 

Warriewood 

No infrastructure a 

major e-bike issue 

Your article on ‘The Code’ 

(Pittwater Life – June) highlights 

the alarming risk of accidents 

which will be caused by the 

latest spike in fat-tyre e-bikes 

used by teenage students. 

Although it is undoubtedly 

important to promote safety 

and compliance with e-bike 

power and speed regulations, 

the safety campaign does not 

take into consideration the lack 

of safe infrastructure – which 

is the most important risk 

factor of cycling in general. 

The shared footpaths which 

constitute the majority of 

cycling infrastructure, are 

basically designed for foot 

traffic only. They run in front 

of homes and bus shelters 

and therefore it’s a recipe for 

disaster when cyclists riding 

at speeds of up to 25km/h mix 

with pedestrians, mums with 

prams, dog walkers, mobility 

scooters and smartphone 

zombies. 

Bikes of all kind are an 

unregistered, uninsured mode 

of transport which must be 

kept off footpaths. 

Eli Friedlander 

North Narrabeen 

Find a workable 

graffiti solution 

I live in Narrabeen and 

have written to Council on 

numerous occasions regarding 

the graffiti in this suburb. They 

have always come back to me 

saying they can only address 

the problem on public land and 

not private property. 

Above the shops on Pittwater 

Road, Narrabeen is the worst 

for graffiti; it is very unsightly 

and brings down the aesthetics 

of the area. One also wonders 

how the vandals reach the top 

of the shops and no-one ever 

sees them? 

I have suggested to Council 

that maybe they could 

contribute to the cost incurred 

by the shop owners to remove 

the graffiti, but no action is 

ever taken. 

Thanks for your article and 

hopefully they will come up 

with a solution sometime in the 

not-too-distant future. 

Patricia O’Brien 

Narrabeen 

Rein in fat cat 

Council salaries 

Outrageous residential rate 

rises predicted for the future – 

and six Council executives earn 

more than the Premier of NSW? 

Perhaps savings could be made 

from the top down before rate 

payers carry the burden. 

Denis Suttling 

Newport 

Council giving us 

poor productivity 

I think the wages paid at the 

Northern Beaches Council are 

ridiculous. Productivity is very 

poor and value for rates is 

appalling. 

I would suggest a large pay 

cut – and if they don’t agree 

then it’s time to find another 

job. 

Christopher Bardwell 

Warriewood 

Rate rise ‘not 

more than 3% 

above peg’ 


is unlikely to push for 

a residential rate variation 

of more than three per cent 

above the rate peg set by the 

Independent Pricing and 

Regulatory Tribunal (IPART), 

it has been revealed. 

Last month, senior Council 

employees appeared at the 

NSW Government’s inquiry 

into the ability of Councils 

to fund infrastructure and 

services. 

Mayor Sue Heins said staff 

gave evidence to highlight 

issues Council faced around 

long-term financial sustainability 

in the face of rising 

fixed costs and cost-shifting 

from the State and Federal 

Governments. 

“Over the three years to 

June 2023, inflation was more 

than double the increase in 

rates income over the same period,” 

she said. “Over the same 

period, we experienced six 

natural disasters at a cost of 

$14 million, COVID had a $41 

million impact, and the Emergency 

Services Levy increased 

this year by $3.1 million.” 

At the inquiry Council 

pledged its support for the 

rate peg, with flexibility to adjust 

to cover items unique to 

its LGA in consultation with 

the community. 

IPART had also suggested 

this, within a margin of 3 per 

cent above the rate pegging 

limit. 

“We hope to see recommendations 

from the Inquiry that 

address the issues that we 

have raised.” 

– NW 

News 



News 


has suspended work on the 

Mona Vale Place Plan. 

Council’s Director Planning 

and Place Louise Kerr confirmed 

the halt at a tumultuous 

June Council meeting which 

saw the 2024-25 Operational 

Budget passed only by Mayor 

Sue Heins’ casting vote. 

Also tabled at the meeting 

was a June 2023 report on the 

Mona Vale Community and 

Cultural Precinct which revealed 

two options for the longawaited 

Art Space at Council’s 

Mona Vale Civic Precinct – with 

costs of $13.5 million and $19.7 

million respectively based on 

construction in 2028-29. 

Council first promised the 

Mona Vale Art Space in February 

2019 – with indicative costings 

of just $3.5 million. 

Pittwater Ward Councillor 

Michael Gencher said he was 

staggered at the cost rise and 

also disappointed at the delay 

of the release of the report. 

“Given the report was 

UP IN THE AIR: The 

Mona Vale Place Plan. 

prepared over 12 months ago 

it’s fair to assume the price 

blowout is not representative of 

the current financial situation,” 

he said. 

“I will be questioning why 

staff sat on this report for so 

long.” 

The $13.5 million option 

proposes an “isolated” art 

space, separate to the Library 

and Memorial Hall, while the 

$19.7 million option proposes 

an “integrated” plan within the 

Civic block. 

However, Council’s executive 

summary casts serious doubt 

on whether the Art Space will 

Mona Plan suspended 

New Beaches LEP drafted 

After four years of studies 

and public consultation, 

Northern Beaches 

Council will advance its 

proposal for a new, consolidated 

Local Environmental 

Plan (LEP) to the NSW Government. 

If approved, the proposed 

LEP would dissolve the current 

four different LEPs and 

Development Control Plans 

which have been in operation 

since the Council was 

amalgamated in 2016. 

Mayor Sue Heins said the 

new LEP does not propose 

significant new development; 

rather, it proposes 

to implement Council’s 

Local Housing Strategy to 

provide more options for 

different types of housing 

to meet the demand for 

more affordable and diverse 

housing stock, such as dual 

occupancy. 

Once finalised, the LEP 

will provide consistent controls 

and land use zoning 

throughout the LGA; protection 

of land with identified 

ever be delivered. 

It noted the Civic Precinct 

building adjoining Village Park 

was now required for operational 

purposes to relocate existing 

Council staff from Vuko 

Place Warriewood and the Dee 

Why Civic precinct. 

Also, the long-term financial 

plan had not identified the 

project for funding and there 

was limited opportunity for 

a return on Council’s capital 

investment, staff said. 

It concluded that to fully 

realise the potential of either 

option to convert the site into 

a vibrant cultural and community 

hub, “an increase in 

service levels and additional 

net operational funding per annum 

would be required”. 

Ms Kerr said work on the 

Mona Vale Place Plan had been 

suspended due to the State 

Government draft reforms on 

low-rise and mid-rise housing. 

Council was “at the critical 

stage” of needing to procure 

traffic investigations based on 

likely increased housing capacity 

around the Village centre, 

she said. 

Responding to a Councillor 

question Ms Kerr said the 

Place Plan committee and all 

councillors had been informed 

of the Mona Vale Place Plan 

suspension. 

Councillors accepted staff’s 

recommendation to note the 

report on the Mona Vale Community 

and Cultural precinct 

and the operational needs of 

the Mona Vale Civic Centre site. 




high environmental values; 

greater clarity for the community 

on what can and 

cannot be done on properties; 

extended opportunities 

for dual occupancies in 

low rise residential areas; 

better controls to protect 

urban character (e.g. FSR, 

landscaping, development 

controls in centres); and 

sustainability controls for 

large-scaled urban developments. 

“The draft recognises 

the unique characteristics 

of our neighbourhoods 

and protects our precious 

environment while meeting 

our housing needs for the 

future,” said Mayor Heins. 

“It will harmonise existing 

planning rules across 

the area and deliver more 

consistency and surety in 

planning outcomes. 

“Once the NSW Government 

have confirmed the 

draft meets requirements 

we will go back to the community 

once more so they 

can have their say.” – LO 



Big team in Little League 

Little League baseball team Manly 

Maroons recently became the first 

Northern Beaches side to ever win a 

national championship – with four Pittwater 

youngsters among their ranks. 

The all-stars rep team made up of the 

best players aged 10 and 11 from clubs 

in the Manly Warringah area (Forest, 

Warringah, Pittwater, Curl Curl) won 

the Division 2 State Championship in 

May before taking out the National Title 

at Blacktown in June – going six games 

undefeated. 

They outscored opponents 67-6 across 

the 6 games and defeated Melbourne 

Twins 3-0 to take the title. 

It’s the first national championship for 

any Manly Warringah District Baseball 

Association (MWDBA) team. 

Among their ranks were Pittwater 

club players Riley White, Jeff Martin and 

Benny Beezley – Benny making the last 

‘out’ at first base to win the championship. 

Noah Smith who lives in Pittwater 

but plays for Warringah was also part of 

the winning side. 

As one of the team’s volunteers and 

dads, Mark Connelly explained that 

winning was something the team have 

become very used to. 

LOCAL BASEBALL STARS: (L-r) Benny Beezley, 

Noah Smith, Riley White and Jeff Martin. 

“The same core team are now undefeated 

across five tournaments, starting 

with the Rookies Cup last year,” he said. 

Again the team were undefeated (5-0), 

outscoring their opponents 57-2 across 

the four-day tournament. 

MWDBA President Brook Russell said: 

“We could not be prouder of these boys. 

They’ve worked hard for months to 

achieve this.” 

As Mark points out, people should not 

be swayed by the Division 2 nature of 

things, as that applies to age rather than 

ability. 

“The Div 1 / Div 2 thing is misleading 

– it’s based on age, not ability. They are 

very much the top team in their age level 

of 10s and 11s. 

“Next year they will progress to Division 

1, which comprises 11- and 12-yearolds.” 

And that’s where things become really 

interesting – with the winner of the Division 

1 National title heading to America 

to play for the Little League World Title. 

An expensive endeavour, but one the 

club is preparing for. 

“We had good sponsorship and ran a 

GoFund me page this year to fund travel 

for the Nationals and raised $3000 per 

child,” Mark said. “Now we’re lining up 

sponsors for next year and will do more 

fundraising.” 

Are they in with a chance of the Big 

League next year? 

“Very much,” said Mark. “Shane is a 

great coach, they’re very competitive and 

they want to win.” 

– Rob Pegley 

News 



News 

From Pittwater to Paris 

Sienna’s Olympics boarding pass 

Sienna Hearn of the Australian Stingers 

water polo team is the latest in a long 

line of Northern Beaches athletes to 

grace an Olympic pool – and she’s taking 

the whole family to watch. 

“I’m taking a bit of a crew with me to 

Paris,” laughs Sienna. “My parents, my 

brother, my boyfriend and his mum, my 

grandma…” 

It’s a healthy cheer squad, but then on 

recent form, they might get to see Sienna 

on the podium – possibly even with a gold 

medal round her neck. 

“We’re a realistic medal chance,” enthuses 

Sienna. 

Indeed they are. Currently ranked 

seventh in the world, the team have performed 

better than that in recent tournaments. 

When Sienna, who lives at Freshwater, 

made her debut for Australia in the 2022 

FINA World League Intercontinental Cup 

in Peru, The Stingers remained unbeaten, 

beating world number ones the USA in the 

process. They finished sixth in the 2024 

World Championships in Doha earlier this 

year, beating Britain 20-8 in the round of 

16, before losing to their nemesis the USA 

by a point in the quarter finals. 

“The USA are always strong,” admits Sienna. 

“But also Spain and the Netherlands 

will be tough.” 

Now 21, Manly-born Sienna grew up 

playing netball and touch footy, but was 

always a strong swimmer. 

And she needs to be. 

“Quarters last for eight minutes,” explains 

Sienna. “But with all the stoppages 

you’re out there for 15 minutes at a time 

EXCITED: Australian 

Women’s water polo 

representative 

Sienna Hearn. 

and you can’t touch the bottom, so you’re 

treading water or swimming the whole 

time.” 

Not surprisingly, there’s a lot of training 

involved. 

“You have to be strong in all areas… it’s 

whole-body movement, so there’s a lot of 

fitness and cardio work. We do four hours 

in the pool six days a week, swimming and 

doing work with weighted legs. Then we 

have three times a week in the gym, with 

one day off a week.” 

For those unfamiliar with water polo, 

Sienna plays Right Hand Driver – it’s a 

role that seeks out the forward players 

with creative passes. (We were tempted to 

make the dad joke “you know you’ll be a 

left-hand driver in Paris”, but was far too 

professional for that…) 

Now playing for the UTS Balmain Tigers, 

Sienna excelled as a junior with the Sydney 

Northern Beaches Breakers. In only her 

second game for the Australian National 

Team she was player of the match. 

Making the team for the Olympics was 

slightly bittersweet as many of her friends 

missed out. 

“They set aside a day to call us to let us 

know if we were in or out. I was at home 

with my mum and my boyfriend. I was 

a bit shocked and overwhelmed to be 

included as they chose 13 from a squad of 

21. We found out through the day who had 

missed out, which was tough.” 

Away from the sport she is training to 

be a school teacher, but that will go on the 

backburner as she heads to Europe for 

final preparations. 

“We arrive in Paris on 15 July for a camp 

with the French team, after competitions 

in Athens and the Netherlands,” explains 

Sienna. “Then we head to the Olympic Village, 

but we’ll miss the opening ceremony 

as our event takes place on 26 July, the 

next day.” 

And all going well she’ll be home to celebrate 

in true Beaches style. – Rob Pegley 



News 

Boat licence fees hike anger 

The State Government is 

set to hit the NSW boating 

public and industry with 

the highest taxes in the nation 

from 1 July, according to the 

Boating Industry Association 

(BIA). 

BIA says Transport for NSW 

had seemingly constructed 

the plan behind closed doors 

to significantly raise taxes on 

boating well beyond the CPI to 

raise millions of dollars in new 

revenue. 

BIA spokesperson Neil 

Patchett said: “Just a couple of 

years ago boating proved itself 

during a global pandemic as 

a standout option in recreation 

for people to experience 

the great outdoors and the 

social benefits of getting out 

on the water with families and 

friends. 

“Now, despite reaping the 

revenue rewards of increased 

participation through extra 

licences and registrations over 

the past few years, Transport 

wants to make what are already 

the highest boating fees in the 

ALARM: Mooring 

fees are among the 

boating price hikes. 

nation, even higher.” 

BIA said the massive disparity 

in boating licence fees in 

NSW compared to the neighbouring 

States of Queensland 

and Victoria was alarming. 

For example, a 10-year 

licence fee for a personal watercraft 

in NSW already eclipses 

$1000 – and the new proposal 

aims to increase that to almost 

$2000. 

This compares to $124 for a 

lifetime licence for a personal 

watercraft in Queensland, and 

$45 for an annual licence in 

Victoria. In addition, Queensland 

and Victoria had chosen 

to hold fees as they were and to 

not apply CPI. 

Meanwhile a licence in 

Queensland is $124 for either 

a boat or a PWC, and that is a 

one-off fee for life. In NSW a 

licence will range from $77 to 

$245 a year. 

Transport for NSW says it 

needs the extra revenue in 

part to pay for more patrol 

effectiveness; however, the BIA 

says figures show Queensland 

has more than one million 

marine licences compared with 

540,000 in NSW, and Queensland 

managed that with almost 

half the number of patrol craft 

and fewer maritime compliance 

personnel than NSW. 

“Boating is a way of life for 

many in NSW and the Government 

is set to make it even 

more expensive, which runs 

the risk of disenfranchising 

young people and families 

from participation in what is a 

healthy outdoor activity with 

proven social benefits,” Mr 

Patchett said. 

“We remain hopeful the 

Transport Minister will intervene 

and force Transport for 

NSW to reset the full schedule 

of fees impacting licences, registrations 

and moorings to be 

no more than CPI adjusted.” 

BIA represents hundreds 

of marine businesses and 

thousands of workers in NSW 

supporting the more than two 

million people who go boating 

each year in the State. 

BIA said it was waiting for a 

response from the State Government 

on its concerns which 

included a lack of appropriate 

consultation. – NW 

*View and sign the BIA’s 

petition calling for the full 

reset of fees at change.org 



$2,200 fines for alcohol 

Drinking alcohol will be 

banned around the clock 

at Village Park at Mona Vale 

and the boardwalk at Church 

Point following a new Council 

decision. 

The two Pittwater locations, 

along with Howard 

Ave Reserve at Dee Why and 

Wingara Reserve at Belrose, 

were declared 24-hour Alcohol 

Prohibited Areas (APAs) 

in June. 

Council warned non-compliance 

could lead to a fine of 

up to $2,200. 

An APA is a non-roadrelated 

public place such as a 

park, reserve or beach where 

drinking alcohol is prohibited. 

Council can declare 

an APA at all times, or only 

for specific days, times or 

events. 

Council explained the aim 

of APAs was to help improve 

public safety by reducing 

disruptive and anti-social behaviour 

and crime associated 

with alcohol consumption on 

the Northern Beaches. 

Council said police and 

rangers could confiscate and 

dispose of alcohol in these 

places – and anyone refusing 

to co-operate, can be charged 

with obstruction, carrying 

penalties up to $2,200. 

Northern Beaches Mayor 

Sue Heins said the changes 

would bring a consistent approach 

to community safety. 

“Previously, our APAs were 

inconsistent due to former 

Council areas having different 

approaches; however, the 

police have requested a uniformed 

approach to provide 

certainty for them and our 

rangers as to the restrictions 

and enforcement,” Mayor 

Heins said. 

“This is a practical way in 

which Council can assist the 

police to improve public safety 

and to reduce alcohol-related 

incidents, ensuring our parks, 

recreational areas, and public 

spaces remain safe and enjoyable 

for all residents.” 

All Council beaches 

(oceans and inner waterway 

beaches) are already 24-hour 

APAs. 

– NW 

News 



News 

Palmy residents want cash audit 

The Palm Beach and 

Whale Beach Association 

has delivered a 

terse response to Northern 

Beaches Council’s proposed 

Delivery Program for services 

over the next four years, 

demanding Council open its 

books on NSW Government 

grant funding which it says 

“seem to have disappeared”. 

In its submission to Council, 

the Association requested 

that Council reveal the 

revenue it obtains from the 

local Palm Beach and Whale 

Beach area – noting there was 

virtually nothing in Council’s 

budget for works within the 

2108 and 2107 postcode area. 

It comes as Council pores 

over feedback on its new 

proposed Plan of Management 

for Governor Phillip Park. 

Noting that rates totalling 

$359 million equated to 57 

per cent of Council’s income, 

the Association wanted to 

know how much was gathered 

from the top end suburbs. 

“How much is raised from 

parking, from other income, 

and parking within Governor 

Phillip Park for the Golf Club, 

the Dunes restaurant, North 

Palm Beach Surf Club, The 

Joey, Home and Away and 

other film making?” the Association 

said. 

On expenditure, the Association 

said: “There is almost 

no recognised expenditure for 

Palm Beach and Whale Beach 

in the Delivery program. 

“On examination we could 

find only the following expenditure 

in PB and WB: 225 

metres of road re-sheeting for 

Florida Road 225. 

“We question why Florida 

Rd? It is in reasonably good 

condition. We suggest there 

are many other roads that 

should take precedence.” 

The Association noted there 

was no allocation for curb 

and guttering, footpaths or 

other roads. 

“Over the years we have 

submitted many requests for 

upgrades to roads and footpaths 

in many areas in PB and 

WB, many of which are unsafe 

– in particular Surf Road at 

REVENUE-RAISER: 

Governor Phillip Park. 

the junction with Barrenjoey 

Road [and] Whale Beach Road 

where it continues on from 

Florida Road and Ocean Place 

Palm Beach.” 

It was disappointed there 

was no budget for major 

repairs for Whale Beach ocean 

pool, only a budget for planning, 

and also no budget for 

Palm Beach ocean pool. 

“There is very little return 

in the program for the rate 

payers of Palm Beach and 

Whale Beach. Our rates are 

considerable. 

“There is no budget for 

maintaining Governor Phillip 

Park. 

“There is no budget for 

the walkway from Whale 

Beach to Palm Beach along 

Whale Beach Road, or for the 

completion of the South Palm 

Beach landscaping program. 

Both of these projects were 

funded under capital grants 

from NSW Government. These 

grants seem to have disappeared. 

Where has the money 

gone? 

“Does the Council have 

a record of the individual 

capital grants that have been 

received and how they have 

been spent? 

“Are the accounts audited 

and if so, is it shown where 

these grants go, or do they go 

into general revenue? 

“We would like to know 

where the capital grant monies 

have gone. To where have 

they been allocated? 

“Where have the monies 

collected from Governor Phillip 

Park been allocated? They 

should have been used to 

upgrade the park.” 

On solutions to increase 

revenue, including a rates rise 

by as much as 14 per cent, it 

said: “This is unacceptable 

when many ratepayers are 

suffering severe financial 

stress due to the rising cost 

of living. 

“The Council must live 

within its budget and not 

just treat rate payers as cash 

cows.” 




com.au 



News 

Eyachts’ Boat Show sea trials 

Boat owners and enthusiasts are gearing up 

for new ranges and innovation at the Sydney 

Boat Show at Darling Harbour in August. 

Pittwater-based industry leader in dayboats 

Eyachts are set to make a splash at the Show 

with a display featuring premieres from two of 

the fastest-growing 

brands worldwide, 

Axopar and 

Pardo – offering a 

glimpse into the 

future of boating. 

Debuts include 

the Axopar 29 

Sun Top, with 

an innovative 

opening Sun Top 

roof providing 

sun protection 

without sacrificing 

the open-air 

experience and sunshine. The forward cabin 

offers ample storage, a head, and a sink, and 

can convert into a cosy sleeping area. The 

social bow area features a spacious U-shaped 

dining area and convertible sunbed, accommodating 

up to 7 guests. 

Also on debut is the Axopar 45 Range 

featuring the Sun Top and Cross Cabin. With 

smooth, clean surfaces and handsome hull 

lines, this bold new development brings a 

45-foot Axopar to the range, powered by triple 

ON DISPLAY: 

The sleek 

Axopar 45 

Sun Top. 

Mercury V8 300 Verado engines, offers classleading 

fuel economy and impressive speeds. 

For those seeking all-weather capability, the 

Axopar 45 XC Cross Cabin breaks barriers in 

design and functionality, redefining possibilities 

on the water. With versatile seating for up 

to 12 guests, an 

interior wetbar, 

and options like 

U-sofas and an 

integrated BBQ, 

it’s optimized 

for both entertainment 

and 

comfort. 

Pardo Premieres 

include 

the Pardo 50. 

An icon of Italian 

design and 

sophistication, 

the Pardo 50 offers luxury on a grand scale. 

Perfect for entertaining family and guests or 

relaxing in uncrowded comfort, the 50-footer 

feels much larger, delivering performance, 

elegance, and comfort synonymous with all 

Pardo yachts. 

*Eyachts will uniquely be offering sea trials 

during the show (August 1-4) for those interested 

in the Axopar range. Find the E-Yachts 

stand at the main entrance. More info and to 

register for a sea trial visit eyachts.com.au 

6THINGS 

THIS MONTH 

NAIDOC Week. Celebrations 

are held across Australia Sun 7 to 

Sun 14 to recognise the history, 

culture and achievements of 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait 

Islander peoples. There will 

be live music, bushtucker 

talks, dance, weaving and art 

workshops at Narrabeen’s 

Tramshed precinct on Sun 7 from 

11am-2pm and local libraries are 

hosting a variety of activities for 

kids during the school holidays 

including tree art projects, 

movies and bracelet weaving. 

Fishing Club. Avalon Beach 

RSL Fishing Club competitions 

recommence Fri 19 and every 

third Friday of the month at 5pm 

with competitors meeting on the 

Sunday for a 2.30pm weigh-in. 

Email avalonfishingclub@yahoo. 

com.au 

Art show. Invest in some original 

artwork at The Rotary Club of 

Upper Northern Beaches Art 

Show and sale at the Mona 

Vale Memorial Hall from Fri 19 

– Sun 21. Opening and auction 

on Fri 19 from 6pm-9pm. Info 

rotaryuppernorthernbeaches.org 

Motown party. There may still 

be a few tickets available for Palm 

Beach Golf Club’s Christmas in 

July dance party on Sat 27 with 

the show, featuring Dancing 

in the Shadows of Motown, 

commencing at 8pm. More info at 

palmbeachgolf.com.au 

Have a laugh! Avalon Palm 

Beach Business Chamber has 

organised a great comedy line-up 

to appear at Avalon Cinema on 

Sat 27 from 7-10pm as part of 

Council’s Creative Open Festival. 

Tickets $25 bar and cinema 

snacks available. See ad page 7. 

National Tree Day. Duffys 

Forest Residents Association 

(DFRA) invites you and the kids to 

Waratah Park, the former home 

of Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, to 

help plant 400 native seedlings 

donated by Harvest Seeds and 

Nugrang Warada Community 

Nursery on Sun 28 from 9am- 

1pm. Wear protective clothing 

and footwear and bring a drink 

bottle and gloves - tools provided. 

Meet at the gates at 13 Namba Rd, 

Duffys Forest. To register contact 

Jenny Harris on 0408512060 

or jenny1053@icloud.com. 



Budget blues for Pittwater 

News 

NSW Treasurer Daniel 

Mookhey’s 2024 State 

Budget has snubbed 

Pittwater, ignoring local 

infrastructure and upgrade 

requirements and instead 

injecting massive funding 

into Western Sydney. 

The Minns NSW 

Government’s second budget, 

delivered in June, again 

turned a blind eye to the 

partially completed Mona Vale 

Road precinct upgrade, with 

the 2-kilometre Western Stage 

of the road set to remain in 

one-way limbo indefinitely. 

And according to local MP 

Rory Amon, Government 

policy will now see Pittwater’s 

annual land tax liability 

increase from $95 million in 

2023 to around $156 million 

in 2024. 

In his budget response, 

Mr Amon slammed the 

Government for its failure 

to once again fund the $340 

million Mona Vale Road West 

upgrade – despite committing 

$62.9 billion to transport 

infrastructure in Western 

Sydney and beyond. 

He warned that safety 

issues would remain as 

long as the stretch of road 

remained single-lane each 

way, as well as traffic 

bottlenecks for motorists to 

and from the electorate. 

“It’s essential the Mona 

Vale Road West upgrade is 

completed,” Mr Amon said. 

“Delivery drivers, tradies, 

tourists and visitors are 

impacted by the lack of 

foresight to complete the Mona 

Vale Road dual carriageway. 

“Peak hours are a 

ONE-WAY LIMBO: The incomplete upgrade of Mona Vale Road – West. 

nightmare, but it’s also 

unsafe. Labor’s refusal to 

undertake a safety audit 

of the road and implement 

measures while we await 

an upgrade makes the 

government’s position all the 

worse. 

“And, when the next crash 

sadly occurs, the Government 

will be culpable for any loss 

of life, injury, and ensuing 

traffic chaos.” 

Mr Amon said the 

Government needed to 

develop the understanding 

and the foresight to deliver 

smooth-flowing, timeefficient 

and economic traffic 

flow along the full length of 

Mona Vale Road. 

“Despite more than 16,5000 

signatories to our upgrade 

Mona Vale Road petition, the 

Government doesn’t care and 

is failing to hear – or take any 

notice – of the calls from our 

community and beyond,” he 

said. 

“I will continue demanding 

the upgrade of Mona Vale 

Road West for the benefit of 

residents and all those who use 

this important regional link.” 

On land taxes, Mr 

Amon said that based on 

Government data, Pittwater 

land taxpayers would pay an 

average of $50,000 by 2028 – 

up from $30,000 in 2023. 

“This will increase rents 

and cost of living pressures 

on renters and landlords,” he 

warned. 

“As well as land taxes, 

Pittwater pays over $200 

million in payroll tax and 

stamp duty. At the same 

time as increasing our taxes, 

Labor has cut funding for 

Pittwater.” 

Mr Amon detailed his 

pre-budget submission to the 

Government, which he said 

prioritised the needs of the 

community. 

In addition to a request for 

full funding for the Mona 

Vale Road West upgrade, the 

submission included a call to 

“hurry up” Northern Beaches 

Council on its flood mitigation 

works on the Wakehurst 

Parkway, increased funding 

for domestic violence support 

services including the 

Women’s Resilience Centre, 

increased funding for youth 

mental health services at 

Northern Beaches Hospital, 

the restoration of more than 

$500,000 in local school 

resource funding, funding 

for a much-needed pre-school 

at Terrey Hills, renal dialysis 

units at Mona Vale Hospital 

and more funding for Surf 

Club upgrades at North Narrabeen 

and Newport. 

In a positive, he said the 

Government had allocated 

$48 million towards the 

Staying Home Leaving 

Violence program to assist 

women and children escape 

domestic violence. 

Opposition leader Mark 

Speakman echoed Mr Amon’s 

criticism, saying the State 

Budget delivered more 

deficits, higher taxes and less 

investment while ignoring the 

cost-of-living crisis. 

He said despite the 

Government’s taxes bringing 

in record revenues, NSW 

was facing more real cuts to 

overall health, education and 

infrastructure spending and 

a long line of deficits. 






News 

Trivia, but certainly not trivial 

Question 1: For two points, where 

on the Northern Beaches can you 

have a great Friday night testing 

your general knowledge? 

The answer is Bookoccino at Avalon 

which is holding gatherings on a semiregular 

basis; June’s event, attended by 

Pittwater Life, was brilliant fun, also 

funny, as well as heart-warming. It felt 

very typical of the Avalon community: a 

blend of high brow, cool, and a sense of 

togetherness. 

Be warned though: the questions are 

hard. 

If a pub quiz has questions of a certain 

standard, then this is very much a Trivia 

Quiz OF Bookoccino as much as AT 

Bookoccino. It’s not for the big-brained 

and not for the faint-hearted. 

Possibly the easiest question of the 

night was: Name the three tenors, both 

first names and surnames. (We got 

Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingos 

easily enough but couldn’t remember 

Jose Carreras.) 

It’s not: Who-is-the-current-State-of-Origin-coach-of-Queensland-type 

questions. 

After arriving we were put on a table 

with four people we’d never met – a South 

African lady and her English husband, 

and two of their female friends. They 

were happy to share the game with us 

and we were all great chums by the end 

of the evening – that is, around 9pm, 

after arriving at 5.30pm. 

In between were three rounds of questions, 

including a music round that included 

improvised karaoke. Which, after 

a few glasses of wine, was hilarious. 

Quizmaster Amanda did an amazing 

job of keeping things light and fun. 

Jules from Bookoccino buzzed about 

making sure everyone was happy. And 

in between question rounds there were 

funky tunes spun on the record decks by 

DJ Pete. 

Alcoholic and soft drinks were available 

to buy and you can bring your own 

food (lots of people ordered pizza from 

nearby Pocket Pizza for ‘half time’.) 

The crowd was generally 50+ and after 

a quiet 15 minutes or so waiting for 

things to start, I wondered if it might be 

a little stuffy. Two hours later the table 

next to us were all singing Bonnie Tyler’s 

‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ at the top of 

their lungs. 

Will you have fun? Absolutely! (Just 

make sure you read up a bit first..!) 


*More info and other events visit 

Bookoccino.com.au 

LIGHT AND FUN: 

Quizmaster Amanda. 



News 

Father and daughter in sync 

If you haven’t heard of 

Northern Beaches fatherand-daughter 

entertainment 

duo Ben and Zara, 

you’re in the minority – more 

than 50 million people have 

viewed their hilarious videos 

on social media. 

It all began during COVID 

lockdown in 2020, when the 

pair started filming shows to 

keep themselves amused. 

“We were using Tik Tok to 

film the videos,” explains 

Ben, “but we were just sharing 

them with the family for a 

bit of fun. 

“Then in September that 

year we were talking about 

whether to put one out to the 

public and see what happened. 

My wife (Lisa) and I 

talked about it and decided to 

release one – it very quickly 

got a couple of hundred thousand 

hits!” 

Which in social media 

terms is “loads”. And by 

the time they released their 

fourth video, they were getting 

a million views. 

“It wasn’t just the numbers, 

it was the response from people 

about how great it was,” 

says Ben. “There was a lot 

of praise about the dad-anddaughter 

aspect.” 

Their videos are brilliantly 

made comedy sketches that 

usually involve the pair lipsyncing 

to a song. While Zara, 

9, can be funny and goofy, 

she’s usually the “straight 

man” to Ben’s visual comedy. 

“Zara is amazing and… and 

then I’m the butt of the joke,” 

laughs Ben. “It’s the classic 

star-and-sidekick routine. 

“But then if you’re going to 

WHIRLWIND 

SUCCESS: 

Ben and Zara. 

be the butt of the joke to anyone, 

then it’s better it’s one of 

your kids!” he concedes. 

Ben was himself a ‘child 

star’, filming his first commercial 

at the age of nine 

and spending a couple of 

years in a soap 20 years ago. 

Since 2011 he has ironically 

been doing a lot of voiceover 

work before their lip-syncing 

variety-show format became 

the “day job”. 

Ben points out what they’re 

doing is very different to being 

influencers. 

“The main thing is that 

we’ll only continue to do it if 

it remains fun,” he explains. 

“Zara never wears make-up, 

it’s all performance-based, 

we’re not endorsing products. 

We’re very much a family having 

fun – it’s brought us all 

closer together. We’re having 

adventures as a family.” 

According to Ben, after he 

and Zara have worked out 

who does which bit, Zara 

spends five minutes in the 

morning and five minutes in 

the evening learning the lyrics 

over a 3- to 4-day period. 

When you watch a video you’ll 

see how impressive that is. 

Ben says that Zara was a 

natural from the start. 

“You can just tell the 

character of your kids from 

a young age and she was a 

performer,” says Ben. “We’ve 

done some TV work now and 

Zara loves being on a set and 

the atmosphere around it. 

Live TV can be daunting but 

she’s carefree. 

“She definitely has acting 

aspirations,” Ben continues. 

“She played the granddaughter 

in the Mother and Son remake. 

And we’ve had a lot of 

interest from overseas saying 

she’s definitely got the chops 

to become an actor.” 

That interest has included 

some big names: Buster 

Rhymes posted a video Ben 

and Zara made of his song, 

saying ‘this kid embodies 

Buster!’. Will Smith has 

shared their videos, as has 

Elton John. Dana White the 

UFC boss follows them, plus 

Courtney Cox, Chris Jenner. 

“We have followers from 

rugby league to Hollywood,” 

says Ben. “When we did 

Michael Jackson’s Earth song 

we got 27 million hits on 

Instagram, 20 million more 

on Tik Tok and 5 million on 

Facebook… it went crazy.” 

The pair have appeared 

on Channel 7’s Telethon, 

along with Studio 10 and Play 

School. A tour is planned with 

dates to be released soon. 

But Ben is aware of one 

thing that might one day 

scupper their success. 

“We’ll keep going as long as 

it remains fun for everyone 

and as long as Zara is enjoying 

it. But there might be a 

day when she doesn’t want to 

film videos with her dad,” he 

laughs. – Rob Pegley 



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 

The Way We Were 

25 Years Ago… 

Northern Sydney Area Health Service was 

planning a meeting to discuss the future of 

Mona Vale Hospital. “It will follow a meeting 

held late last month in Mona Vale when the 

community made it quite clear that it wants 

the hospital to remain open.” The editor at 

the time wrote that Health Minister Craig 

Knowles “… has refused to give a direct 

answer on the future of the hospital… The 

current State Government does not care 

for the Northern Beaches as manifested by 

the State Budget which gave the area not 

one cent for important and urgent works.” 

Pittwater MP John Brogden “… is quite 

convinced that the Government’s mediumterm 

plan is to close the hospital, along 

with the Manly Hospital and amalgamate 

services in a central location”. Referring to comments 

made by Director of the Executive Unit of the NSAHS Ms 

Loray Dudley, the Editor wrote: “This is one of the options 

under consideration… the driving force she says is the cost of 

technology and expertise.” There were plenty of developments 

in the pipeline. A building application for 14 one-bedroom 

apartments plus two commercial spaces at 5-7 Careel Head 

Road Avalon North was set to go back before Council after 

it was “opposed almost two years ago and ended up in the 

Land and Environment Court where it was approved”; same 

story for a group of 13 townhouses between Hock Avenue, 


Interest in “secondary 

dwellings, the successor 

to what used to be known 

as ‘granny flats’ has been 

growing steadily in Pittwater 

since the Council changed its 

policy to allow them in 2008… 

the policy change was made to 

overcome a lack of affordable 

housing in Pittwater”. 

The parents 

of Avalon 

Beach shark 

attack victim, 

15-yearold 

Andrew 

Lindop, were 

honored at the 

Club’s annual 

presentation 

night. 

Andrew’s dad 

Charles (who 

put himself 

between 

Andrew and 

the shark after 

the attack at North Avalon 

that March and helped him 

onshore) was given an Award 

of Courage, while Andrew’s 

mother Louise received the 

Life Saver of the Year Award 

for her dedication to training 

volunteer life savers. It was 

reported “Andrew is currently 

in good spirits 

recovering, 

waiting for 

nerves in his leg 

to mend. He has 

been back in 

the water too.” 

Residents were 

encouraged 

to register for 

the 17 th annual 

Pub to Pub fun 

run; and the 

Palm Beach 

RSL hosted 

the Miss Palm 

Beach Model 

Search. 

The Crescent and Barrenjoey Road; and 

concerns were being raised by “Newport 

Progress Association over the proposed 

Woolworths development which involves 

two floors of underground parking, a 

shopping level at the ground floor and two 

levels of (30) residential units” between 

Barrenjoey Road and Foamcrest Avenue. 

The Association considered the project 

to be “an overdevelopment of the site”. 

The editor noted: “It is however typical of 

what is happening in commercial areas 

like Newport and Avalon as developers 

seize on the Council’s policy of shop-top 

housing to cover its commitment to the 

State Government to provide mediumdensity 

housing.” In other news, Avalon 

Community Library “went electronic last 

month with a Webpoint Internet Kiosk… the booth is available 

to the public wanting the surf the Net, for students needing 

to research projects and for individuals wanting to set up 

their own email address or use it to check their mail when 

away from home”; there was a proposal to run an under-18s 

nightclub on Fridays from 6pm-midnight at the rear of the 

Avalon Cinema for up to 1200 teenagers; and nominations 

for the September Council elections were to open late July. 

“At this stage sitting Councillors are not saying if they plan to 

run or not but it is expected many of them will.” 


Pittwater was earmarked 

the lion’s share of public 

art installations across the 

Northern Beaches Coast 

Walk. Bryan Brown and 

Rachel Ward gave us the 

inside goss on their new 

movie Palm Beach. Labor 

triggered a parliamentary 

enquiry into the Northern 

Beaches Hospital, 

prompting Health Minister 

Brad Hazzard to defend the 

facility saying “… challenges 

will continue to some degree 

– as happens with all new 

hospitals”. Council proposed 

“… a trial arrangement 

that would allow people 

to take their dogs for a 

walk and a swim offleash 

along a section of Station 

Beach – bound to east by 

Palm Beach Golf Club and 

to the west by Pittwater 

Estuary – at specified times 

and days”. Avalon Beach 

SLSC was awarded Sport 

NSW Community Club of 

the Year and Minister for 

Local Government Shelley 

Hancock described NB 

Council as “… a shining 

star amongst the merged 

councils”. She told 

Parliament: … it is amazing 

to see what they have 

been doing in that space.” 

Our Life Story featured 

local maritime and sailing 

identity Yvette Wijnen. 



eing vacant for two years, the Avalon Surf Life Saving Club 

restaurant and café is set to reopen in Spring. The new tenant 

is the new owner of Lovat restaurant at Newport, Sunny Amarpreet 

Singh (of AKCN Group Pty Ltd), whose 10-year lease commences 

on 1 August. The new café will increase its footprint by 

taking in several metres of currently public-access land to the 

south of the café… Meanwhile there has been no compromise 

between Council and the owners of 2kf Espresso café on Bungan 

St, Mona Vale over the early setting up of outdoor furniture 

which contravenes the café’s operating agreement. The café 

has been threatened with closure if it attempts to assemble its 

outdoor seating before 7am (it had been doing so at 4.40am). 

But co-owner Kristy Rempt said the crackdown – prompted by 

a single noise complaint to Council from a new-to-area resident 

– would deprive them of 30 per cent of their business ongoing. 

The café is permitted to trade from the early hours, just not 

with outdoor seating. Councillor Michael Gencher says he will 

continue to lobby for a resolution. 

News 

ABSURD… 

Driving along Elanora Road at Elanora Heights in June, 

Pittwater Life was stopped by a road management crew as a 

team of Northern Beaches Council contractors repainted the 

double white/yellow lines on the roadway. Traditionally this 

work is undertaken by a vehicle dropping paint from its underbelly; 

however, this crew was rolling it on by hand. Which, 

as our photo shows, presented its challenges. Knowing what a 

stickler Council is for detail and “value for money”, we asked 

if it was happy with the results of the edgy, linked straight 

lines rather than traditional curves. They replied: “Council is 

not satisfied with the line markings in Elanora Road, Elanora. 

Council’s contractor was trialling a new technique and unfortunately, 

the result was not satisfactory. The contractor will 

return to the location in the coming weeks to correct the markings…” 

Five weeks on they and other sections are still there. 

(Anyone noticed the same in their suburb?) 

SEEN… 

‘Naughty’ sulphur-crested cockatoos continue to open red rubbish 

bins across the upper peninsula, spilling contents onto the 

road as they selectively pick for scraps. The cockatoos’ learned 

behaviour is being shared among cohort flocks in Avalon, 

Newport, even Mona Vale. After spying a group making a mess 

on Old Barrenjoey Road (pictured) we asked Council if they 

might consider setting up a working group to see if bins could 

be modified to keep the birds out while still allowing contractors 

to tip rubbish into their trucks. They replied: “The results 

of the Clever Cockie Project which researches how the birds 

develop new behaviours, is yet to be released for 2024. Since 

2018 they’ve been asking Sydney residents in their annual binopening 

survey to share evidence from within their communities 

to contribute to their research on cockatoo behaviour. In 

the first year, the study identified only 3 southern Sydney 

suburbs with bin-lifting cockatoos. Two years later, it was 44.” 

Council’s advice to residents is to not overfill your bin and put 

your bins out later at night, as the cockatoos are more likely to 

forage during the day. 

HEARD… 

The Careel Bay shopping strip has been sold for $11.1 million, 

according to a report on realcommercial.com.au. It said the 

1,771 sqm block at 1-3 Careel Rd, Avalon has been bought by 

a retail developer. “The double block comprises the fully tenanted 

Careel Shopping Village with adjoining residential home, 

offering a prime development opportunity,” it said… After 



PHOTOS: Nigel Wall

News 

Pittwater News 

Gala Dinner for 

Mona Vale PS 

Mona Vale Public School P&C 

Association invites Mona 

Vale Public School members 

past and present to celebrate 

its wonderful school community 

by attending its 2024 

Education Week Gala Dinner. 

Enjoy a three-course dinner, 

champagne on arrival, live 

music and a silent auction. All 

proceeds go to the P&C who 

work in collaboration with 

the school to build memories 

for students. Come raise a 

glass to this year’s theme 

‘Proud to Belong’ and toast to 

30 years of the OC class. The 

gala will be held at the Rock 

Lilly Auditorium – Pittwater 

RSL on Friday 16 August from 

7pm-11pm. Tickets ($110 per 

person) can be purchased 

at trybooking.com/CSRSG 

until 5pm Thursday 1 August. 

July Probus Club news in your suburb... 

The next meeting of the Avalon 

Beach Ladies Probus will be held 

on Tuesday July 2 at Club Palm Beach, 

commencing 10am. Members will 

hear from local author Cindy Davis, 

whose third novel ‘The Favourite of 

the Harem’ is set in the Topkapi Palace 

harem of 16th century Istanbul. 

Her talk – Strong Women, Eunuchs 

and the Sultans – will look at life in 

the harem, which was operated for 

five centuries by women and eunuchs 

and became a pollical power base of 

the Turkish Ottoman Empire. Visitors 

welcome. 

The next meeting of the Newport 

Probus Club will be on Thursday 

4 July, commencing 10am at the 

Newport Bowling Club. The speaker 

will be Graham Sims who will tell the 

story of Bea Miles, a Sydney identity 

known as “the bag lady”. Visitors 

welcome; more info Phil Butcher (0413 

046 370). 

The next meeting of the Combined 

Probus Club of Mona Vale will be on 

Tuesday, July 16 in the auditorium at 

Pittwater RSL Club (from 10am). Guest 

speaker in July is Dark Sky Defender 

Marnie Ogg who will talk about ‘Night 

Conservation’. With a 30-year history 

in tourism and several years with 

her own eco-based tourism business, 

Marnie returned from an astrotourism 

event in Europe and realised 

how truly special the Australian 

dark night sky is. Recently, her work 

consulting on dark sky place creation 

in Milparinka, Wentworth, Palm Beach 

and the Blue Mountains has seen dark 

sky place-making suitable for designation 

with the International Dark- 

Sky Association. Visitors welcome – 

enquiries call Barry (0435 010 367). 

Narrabeen Lakes Probus Club next 

meets on Wednesday, July 24 at Narrabeen 

Baptist Church. Neville Turbit’s 

presentation will cover the early lives 

of explorers Bass and Flinders. Doors 

open at 9.45am for 10am meeting. 

Visitors welcome; more info call/text 

(0424 464 047). 

King honours locals 

in Birthday Honours 

Congratulations to locals 

who received a nod from 

King Charles in June’s King’s 

Birthday Honours: Maureen 

Rutlidge of Elanora Heights 

received a Medal of the Order 

of Australia (OAM) for service 

to the community of the 

Northern Beaches, including 

Special Needs education, 

scripture teaching, and for 

community sport with Narrabeen 

Amateur Swimming 

Club; Michael Smith of Collaroy 

Plateau received a Member 

of the Order of Australia 

(AM) for significant service to 

geological and earth sciences 

with the Geological Society of 

Australia, the Australian Geoscience 

Council, and the Australian 

Institute of Geosciences; 

and Dr Laurence Upfold of 

Narrabeen received a Medal of 

the Order of Australia (OAM) 

for service to people who are 

deaf or hard of hearing as an 

audiologist, and with the National 

Acoustic Laboratories. 

Congrats! 

Kevin’s golfathon 

for kids with cancer 

Bayview Golf Club Life Member 

Kevin Smith will take to 

the fairways on Monday July 

15 to play 36 holes to raise 

funds for the Kids with Cancer 

Foundation. The 77-yearold 

has already raised more 

than $1000 and is hoping to 

raise more to help support 

families that have a child 

suffering from cancer. In 2021 

Kevin played 50 holes to raise 

funds. You can donate via 

bayviewgolfclub.com.au 

Palm Beach and Peninsula Probus 

Club’s next meeting is on Wednesday 

17 July commencing 9.30am at Club 

Palm Beach. Their speaker will be 

Diana Noyce with the topic ‘A Fateful 

Feast – The Final Repast on RMS 

Titanic’. Diana holds a Master of Gastronomy 

degree and her talk will give 

attendees an insight into the Edwardian 

world with its class distinctions, 

its etiquette and fashion obsessions 

and its love of fine food. Visitors welcome; 

enquiries call (0421 435 792). 

The next meeting of Pittwater 

Men’s Probus is on Tuesday July 9 

at Mona Vale Surf Club, commencing 

10am. July speaker is Constable 

Laura McKinnon, the Crime Prevention 

Officer from Northern Beaches 

Police Area Command based in Dee 

Why. She will give a presentation on 

Cyber Safety and Scams, outlining the 

many types of scams that operate and 

how people can avoid them. Visitors 

welcome; more info Terry Larke (0412 

220 820). 



Ingleside RFB 

call for volunteers 

Ingleside Rural Fire Brigade 

is recruiting. Do you live in 

the local area of Ingleside, 

Elanora Heights, Bayview, 

Warriewood, Mona Vale or 

North Narrabeen? Are you 

interested in learning new 

skills, meeting new people 

and helping the local and the 

wider community? Head to 

the new member information 

night on Tuesday July 2 from 

7pm at Ingleside Rural Fire 

Brigade, King Road Ingleside. 

More info Inglesiderfs.org.au 

Call goes out for 

more Computer Pals 

Computer Pals for Seniors 

Northern Beaches would love 

to hear from prospective volunteer 

trainers and students. 

The not-for-profit organisation 

helps seniors navigate 

and use modern technology. 

Common topics requested 

by seniors are: Sending and 

Continued on page 38 

$50,000 for Community Bridle Trail 

Pittwater MP Rory Amon joined 

with members of the Duffys 

Forest and Terrey Hills residents 

and Pittwater Ward Councillor Michael 

Gencher to celebrate $50,000 

of funding being secured for the 

beloved community bridle trail. 

Funded as part of the NSW 

Government’s Local Small Commitment 

Allocation Program, the 

funds will be provided to Northern 

Beaches Council for the restoration 

and maintenance of the trail. 

“The trail is enjoyed by walkers, 

families, pets, horses, and 

riders alike, so many people will 

benefit from this investment in 

the trail –I congratulate the Duffys 

Forest Residents’ Association who 

has spearheaded the campaign, 

the equestrian community, and 

Michael Gencher for his efforts in 

securing Council support,” said Mr 

Amon. 

He also acknowledged Jeffrey 

Quinn, the recent Labor Party candidate 

for Pittwater, for proposing 

the project for funding during the 

March 2023 State election. 

News 




News 

Continued from page 37 

receiving emails, discovering 

useful apps, safe banking 

online, learning how to take 

and store photos, avoiding 

Scams, and basically being 

able to operate their devices 

with confidence. Devices span 

Android/Apple tablets and 

phones, plus Apple/ Microsoft/Chromebook 

laptops. 

In-term sessions Monday to 

Friday at the Tramshed Arts & 

Community Centre, Narrabeen. 

More info 0478 920 651 

or email training.compalsnb@gmail.com 

Animal Welfare 

Branch relaunch 

The Animal Welfare League 

NSW (AWL NSW) is relaunching 

its Northern Beaches 

Branch. Dedicated to improving 

the lives of companion 

animals and promoting 

responsible pet ownership, 

the Branch is seeking volunteers 

to help it provide 

much-needed services on the 

Northern Beaches, including 

a Subsidised Desexing 

Program, Foster Care and 

Adoption Program. “Whether 

you can spare some time, offer 

a temporary home to a cat 

or dog in need, or contribute 

financially, your involvement 

could have a real impact on 

the lives of companion animals 

in our community,” said 

Branch President Persephone 

Nicholas. More info about 

volunteering, fostering, and 

donations (including goods 

and services) call or text 

0476 153 437 or email nbsecretary@awlnsw.com.au 

Astronomy evening 

at Waratah Park 

The Duffys Forest Residents 

Association will hold an Astronomy 

evening at Waratah 

Park on Saturday August 10 

(from 6.30pm). Local expert 

Jill Seubert will open the 

evening with a talk on ‘space 

navigation in the solar system’ 

before members of the 

Northern Sydney Astronomical 

Society will share their 

expertise and telescopes, 

allowing everyone to observe 

the night sky. Free event; 

bookings essential (spaces 

limited) to david.harris@ 

sydney.edu.au 

Warriewood 

Community 

Centre turns sod 

Work has officially begun on 

the construction of the Warriewood 

Community Centre, 

which is being built on the 

existing site of the recently 

demolished Nelson Heather 

Centre building. Mayor Sue 

Heins said there had been 

a growing need for a multipurpose 

centre to accommodate 

the expanding local 

community. Features of the 

new centre will include five 

multi-purpose halls suited to 

a wide range of recreational 

activities; two multi-purpose 

meeting rooms; an entry 

lobby with seating and kitchenette 

facilities; covered outdoor 

spaces which overlook 

landscaped gardens; modern 

and accessible amenities; 

multiple kitchen facilities; 

and 78 car parking spaces, 5 

of which have disability access. 

The building is expected 

to be completed in late 2025, 

weather permitting. More 

info Council website. 

‘Housing Jury’ day 

a success: Scamps 

Mackellar Independent MP 

Dr Sophie Scamps will report 

back on the findings of her 

‘Housing Jury’ initiative on 

August 6 following careful 

analysis of findings from 

the full-day “deliberative 

democracy” event held on 

June 15. “A jury of people 

from Mackellar with a range 

of backgrounds and living 

circumstances were prepared 

to come together and have 

the hard conversations the 

major parties shy away from 

on housing,” said Dr Scamps. 

“After careful deliberation 

and consultation with subject 

matter experts, they were able 

Continued on page 40 



New indoor sports facility 

The NSW 

Government 

has allocated $1 

million to allow 

planning to 

begin for a new 

multipurpose 

indoor sports 

facility at 

Northern Beaches 

Secondary 

College – Cromer 

Campus. 

Wakehurst 

Independent MP 

Michael Regan joined Premier Chris Minns to visit the 

campus for the announcement in June. 

The NBSC Cromer Campus student population has 

grown significantly in recent years, including students 

from the upper Northern Beaches, and while some minor 

works and refurbishments have been delivered, the school 

community has been vocal in their support for a new 

school hall. 

Mr Regan said this new facility would be used by the 

school during school days, with local sports clubs and 

other community groups able to use the facility after 

hours, on the weekends and during school holidays. 

“Across the Northern Beaches, the community has been 

crying out for more indoor multi-use sports courts, so 

everyone can play the sports they love,” he said. “Waiting lists 

are in the thousands, with kids in particular missing out.” 

News 



News 


Bike odyssey fundraiser update 

Readers may recall Avalon couple Richard 

and Judy Brierley-Jones’ ambitious 

six-month motorbike trek to Wales, with a 

plan to cover 35,000 kilometres across 25 

countries, raising money for charity (Pit Life 

Feb issue). The couple set off with another 

couple in February and have checked in with 

this update: “We crossed Australia to Perth 

and shipped the bikes to Bali. Rode through 

Indonesia, which was a crazy experience, 

intense traffic, poor roads, floods, temps in 

the 40s. Malaysia, Thailand with Songkran 

water festival and elephants. Laos with 

more poor roads and amazing scenery and 

into China for our 8200km journey across 

the country including Everest base camp 

Indigo a proud Young Achiever 

Terrey Hills-based tour group 

On Course Tours and Travels 

added a feather to its cap when 

its Managing Director Indigo 

Penn won the Travel, Tourism 

and Hospitality gong at the 

prestigious Channel Seven 

Young Achievers Awards in May. 

At just 24, Indigo (pictured 

far left) oversees the local 

business which specialises 

in bespoke tours for mature 

travellers, including single-day, 

extended coach tours, cruises, 

and overseas holidays. 

Accepting the award Indigo 

said: “I am honoured – thank 

you to the esteemed panel of 

judges for acknowledging my 

vision and dedication. This 

award is a testament to our 

amazing team.” 

On Course Tours and Travel 

have offered diverse travel 

experiences to mature-aged 

travellers for more than 30 

years. Their tours are built 

with the intention of bringing 

like-minded people together to 

experience authentic cultural 

encounters and enjoy the 

warmth and hospitality of 

regional Australia and beyond. 

In February 2025, On Course 

will be running a first of its 

kind: a mature-aged volunteer 

tourism trip to Cambodia to 

help teach English and support 

underprivileged Cambodian 

school kids.” 

*Info oncoursetours.com.au 

in Tibet. Ancient cities of Dali, Lijiang, 

Lhasa and Kashgar. High mountain passes 

over 5000m with snow and sub-zero temps 

making riding difficult. Now in Kyrgyzstan.” 

Follow them at 2upfromdownunder.com 

Continued from page 38 

to find consensus on four 

policy areas. Their proposals 

were detailed and nuanced 

and my team and I will be 

analysing them deeply.” Dr 

Scamps said the jury of 12 

ranged in age from 18 to 91 

and came from different 

backgrounds and life experiences 

of the housing market 

– from owners to renters to 

people in social housing or 

still living at home. “I am 

going to think deeply about 

what the jury has suggested 

to me and how I can advance 

these ideas in Canberra.” Dr 

Scamps said “deliberative 

democracy” had been used 

often in Europe as part of 

formal decision making, with 

citizens chosen randomly and 

then whittled down to best 

reflect the make-up of the 

community. More info sophiescamps.com.au 

A night with the 

blokes of Avalon 

What does it mean to be a 

bloke today? And what do we 

want it to look like tomorrow? 

The team from Tomorrow Man 

are heading to Avalon Beach 

Surf Life Saving Club to run 

a free workshop on Tuesday 

2 July. Tomorrow Man runs 

programs for boys, parents 

and teachers in schools. They 

believe outdated stereotypes 

are leaving some of our 

mates, dads, sons, uncles, 

teammates, workmates or 



others stranded without 

the tools to live a healthy life. 

This free community event 

aims to get beyond the banter 

and explore what it means to 

be a man today and what it 

will mean tomorrow. Come 

along, have some laughs, and 

engage in a no-holds barred 

conversation about the state 

of man, including a discussion 

on some stats affecting 

men. Starts 7pm (doors open 

6.30pm). Register at tomorrowman.com.au 

Bank of Grandparents 

Baby boomers are often 

blamed for today’s inflated 

house prices but they’re the 

unsung heroes of today’s 

cost-of-living crisis – helping 

their offspring carry the 

cost of childcare, clothes and 

essentials, according to new 

Compare the Market research. 

Almost three-quarters of Australian 

grandparents surveyed 

said they had been supporting 

their family financially, with 

31% gifting money and providing 

childcare free of charge. 

Some other top ways they care 

for their kids and grandkids 

is by: Purchasing clothes, toys 

and essentials (31%); cooking 

for them (20%); lending 

money (13%); contributing to 

household bills (9%); helping 

with property purchases (9%). 

The data also showed that 7% 

contributed towards the cost 

of school and daycare, and a 

further 7% had helped their 

kids or grandchildren buy 

a car. Compare the Market’s 

Economic Director David Koch 

said this was living proof that 

grandparents were the unsung 

heroes of our generation. 

“Baby Boomers have been getting 

a bad rap in the media for 

aiding inflation and spending 

up big,” Mr Koch said. “But in 

reality, 75% of grandparents 

are helping ease the cost-of-living 

crisis and are chipping in 

to help their kids and grandkids 

in some way.” More info 

comparethemarket.com.au 

Vet 

on call 

with Dr Brown 

Over 80 per cent of dogs 

develop dental disease by 

the age of three – one of the 

reasons we have Dog Dental 

Months. 

If your dog has either bad 

breath, discoloured teeth, loose 

teeth, a change in their appetite 

or behaviour – chances are your 

best friend may be experiencing 

the pain and discomfort of 

dental disease, so come and 

see us this July and August and 

receive the benefits of our dog 

dental months special. 

Dental disease begins when 

bacteria and food in your dog’s 

mouth accumulate on the teeth, 

forming plaque which sticks to 

the surface of the teeth. Saliva 

then causes the plaque to harden 

into tartar which becomes 

firmly attached to the teeth 

causing discolouration, bad 

breath and further infection. 

The unsightly tartar build-up 

on your dog’s teeth can often 

be an obvious indication of dental 

disease; however it’s what 

happens to the nearby gum 

tissue that’s also of concern. 

Bacteria creep in around the 

teeth causing inflammation 

and infection – referred to as 

gingivitis. This causes pain, bad 

breath and discomfort in the 

mouth, and can damage and 

erode the teeth. If gingivitis is 

left unchecked the infection 

subsequently travels underneath 

the gum line and destroys 

the attachment of the tooth 

to the bone and erodes the 

jaw – this is called periodontal 

disease and ultimately results in 

pain, bleeding and tooth loss. 

Whilst gingivitis can be treated 

and the tooth can be saved, 

periodontal disease can’t. 

The signs of dental disease 

can sometimes be difficult to 

see, but the good news is that 

we’re here to help. Dog Dental 

Months are in July and August 

at Sydney Animal Hospitals and 

our team are providing FREE 

dog dental checks with a veterinary 

nurse, to examine your 

dog’s mouth for signs of dental 

disease. We’re also offering 

some great deals on dog dental 

scale and polish procedures 

and Hills Dental Diet food. Book 

your dog in for a FREE dental 

check today! 

News 



Talent 

by the 

palette 

Life Stories 

The Pittwater creative community 

has new ‘royalty’ after a high honour 

bestowed on North Narrabeen artist 

Stephanie Galloway Brown. 

Story by Greg McHugh 

Stephanie Galloway Brown where we wanted to go with huge shields and truncheons. man Prizes were all won by 

reached new heights in our art,” Galloway Brown I’d just never seen anything women. 

the art world when she recalls. 

like that in my life. Bumping 

The big news that Galloway 

was chosen as an Archibald The portrait is more than 

into Kathrin and hearing Brown had been chosen as an 

Prize Finalist for 2024. The just a realistic depiction her story brought it all back Archibald Prize Finalist came 

Archibald Prize is awarded of Longhurst. It shows her again,” she explains. 

by email. 

each year for the best portrait strength, her work ethic and Galloway Brown knew how “I think out of the whole 

painted by an artist resident references her upbringing in she wanted to portray Longhurst 

thing, getting that email was 

in Australasia. “I’ve always East Berlin, with background 

and only needed one the most exciting part of it. 

dreamed of having a piece of graphics of the Checkpoint sitting with her. She is shown Just getting that initial ‘okay… 

work hanging in the Art Gallery 

Charlie border crossing sign – as she is every day, dressed you’ve been accepted, you’re 

of NSW,” Galloway Brown a stark contrast with Galloway as a professional artist. Oil going to be in this thing that 

says. “The Archibald seemed Brown’s own childhood on a mixed with beeswax paste you’ve always wanted to be in 

a little bit far-fetched at the New Zealand dairy farm. was used to give texture and for your whole life as an artist’. 

time but now it has become A bus trip holiday in Europe translucency to the paint and 

It’s pretty huge,” she says. 

a reality so that’s pretty in the late 1980s left Galloway the portrait. 

Galloway Brown soon found 

exciting. I really feel like I’ve Brown with her own experiences 

“It’s one thing to get a out that the Archibald Prize 

fulfilled a life goal.” 

of the protests, unrest strong likeness in a painting, exhibition is a massive event, 

She explained she made and upheaval in a divided it’s another thing to try to get requiring an artist statement 

a late decision to enter the Germany, when she arrived across a feeling of a person, for her portrait and interviews 

Archibald Prize and only had around the time the Berlin or of their character or part of 

with Archibald tour 

four weeks before deadline to Wall came down. 

their personality,” she says. guides. A lunch for the artists 

paint her portrait of Kathrin “It was frightening, because Longhurst is aptly described 

and sitters was “a little bit 

Longhurst, a fellow Northern I came from this quiet little 

by Galloway Brown as daunting… especially when 

Beaches artist and friend. “We country town where nothing “quite a powerful feminine there are artists there that 

used to carpool together and happens, to Berlin – watching figure”, in a year where the you have idolised”. 

talk about our ambitions of the police pile in with batons, Archibald, Wynne and Sul- 

Opening night came com- 



plete with a red carpet entry 

and a packed three floors of 

the Art Gallery for the Archie 

Party. “I was just constantly 

pinching myself the whole 

night!” she said. 

Galloway Brown moved to 

the steep heights of Alexander 

Street, Collaroy in 1991 

and fell in love with the 

Northern Beaches. 

“This is home, because I had 

travelled all around the world 

at this stage and I just had this 

definite, strong feeling when 

I got to here on the Northern 

Beaches, that this was home,” 

she remembers. 

“I think I just loved the sort 

of aloofness about it, it was 

leafy and quiet and it just had 

a little artistic quality about 

it. A real community.” 

A rainforest pocket in 

North Narrabeen, bookended 

by waterfalls, has now been 

home for more than 20 years. 

The love of art started in 

Galloway Brown’s schooldays 

and has sustained her 

throughout her career as a 

graphic designer and illustrator 

(remember the Yellow 

Pages!), when working for a 

portrait photographer and as 

an art teacher. She exhibits 

her works locally in the annual 

Pittwater Artists Trail 

and is also a talented mail 

sorter at Avalon Post Office 

(Pittwater Life March 2023 

edition). 

She sketches Church Point 

and Palm Beach scenes and 

carries them around as paintings 

in her head before they 

become colourful canvases 

evoking memories of special 

Pittwater places. “The paintings 

often go to people that 

have a connection to that 

place in some way,” Galloway 

Brown says. 

Even as an Archibald Prize 

Finalist, she remains focused 

on increasing her versatility 

and taking on new challenges. 

Galloway Brown admits to 

still learning her craft. “I’m 

learning to listen to the painting 

more – where the painting 

says ‘Stop!’. The painting 

kind of tells you, ‘You’re not 

to do any more… enough is 

enough!’.” 

*Stephanie will throw 

open her sketch books at 

her home studio during the 

Pittwater Artists Trail on 

27-28 July. More info 

pittwaterartiststrail.com 

CLOCKWISE FROM 

OPPOSITE: 

Stephanie in her 

studio; a drawing 

of an old local 

icon, the Palm 

Beach Boathouse; 

her Archibald 

Prize portrait of 

Kathrin Longhurst 

hanging in the 

Art Gallery of 

NSW; the early 

artist sketching 

at home, aged 21; 

pushing the tour 

bus (she’s second 

from left) while 

on her European 

holiday in the late 

1980s; a place of 

solace, painting 

in her North 

Narrabeen studio. 

Life Stories 



Books 

Author Q&A 

Sandie’s focus on finding voice 

Local author and Founder and Director of the 

Northern Beaches Readers Festival Sandie Docker 

has penned six works of Women’s Fiction about love, 

loss, family and small country towns that weave 

together the past and present. Her latest release The 

Lyrebird Lake Ladies Choir is a deeply moving story 

about belonging and the power of discovering your 

voice. Interview by Lisa Offord 

Q: What’s your connection to 

the Northern Beaches… 

I grew up in Coffs Harbour; I 

first fell in love with reading 

when my father introduced me 

to fantasy books as a teenager. 

But my love of Women’s Fiction 

began when I first read Jane 

Austen for the HSC. It wasn’t 

until I was taking a translation 

course at university that my 

Mandarin lecturer suggested 

I might have a knack for 

writing – a seed of an idea that 

sat quietly in the back of my 

mind while I lived overseas and 

travelled the world. I settled on 

the Northern Beaches with my 

husband and daughter 15 years 

ago, embedded myself into the 

community through school 

P&Cs and my local netball club 

and I feel lucky to have raised 

my daughter here. 

Q: What inspired you to write 

your new book? 

There were two initial sparks 

of inspiration for The Lyrebird 

Lake Ladies Choir. The first 

was when I read an article 

saying the fastest growing 

demographic of homeless 

people in Australia, are women 

in their 50s. This struck a 

real chord with me, and I 

wanted to explore, outside 

of circumstances people 

would maybe understand 

(like DV or addiction), how 

and why this is happening. 

This became Hannah’s story. 

The second spark was the 

mystery surrounding my own 

grandmother and a daughter 

she had who no-one knows 

what happened to. Lyrebird is 

NOT my grandmother’s story… 

that is still a mystery – but 

over the years I have imagined 

many wild scenarios of how 

and why she might have come 

to Australia from England 

and one of those imaginings 

became Maggie and Eleanor’s 

story. 

Q: How did it come together? 

That was the tricky part, 

figuring out how to weave 

those two sparks of 

inspiration together. There 

was a bit of trial-and-error 

involved, as is often the 

case with writing a novel, 

and I played with different 

combinations of who the 

women were to each other, 

and how their paths would 

or wouldn’t cross, and a 

few different plot paths too. 

Most of the writing of the 

first draft was done over 

nine months from 2023, 

and then we go into a few 

rounds of editing that take 

a few months also. All up, 

it’s about a year of writing, 

editing, rewriting, polishing. 

Q: What are your writing 

habits? 

I tend to do most of my 

writing in what I grandiosely 

call my ‘library’, which is 

actually just a study decked 

out with Ikea bookshelves, a 

sit-stand desk, and very comfy 

chair in the corner for reading. 

Though you can often find me 

writing in local cafes as well. 

I’m not very routine with my 

approach, so I’ll snatch time 

all over the place to get my 

writing done, but boy when a 

deadline is looming, you won’t 

see me leave said library. 

Q: Any interesting feedback 

from readers? 

Waiting on feedback is 

incredibly nerve-wracking… 

even after six books. It doesn’t 

get easier. But thankfully, 

early feedback has been very 

positive. 

I’ve had comments like ‘an 

utterly exquisite story… I 

didn’t want it to end’ from 

one of Australia’s top book 

podcasts, Talking Aussie 

Books. That takes the edge off 

the nerves a little. 

*The Lyrebird Lake Ladies 

Choir RRP $34.99 is out now. 

Sandie will be talking about 

her new release at Mona 

Vale Library on Wednesday 

July 24 from 6.30pm- 

7.30pm. Cost $5 includes 

refreshments, bookings 

essential. Enquiries 8495 

5028 or libraryprograms@ 

northernbeaches.nsw.gov. 

au. The Northern Beaches 

Readers’ Festival will be held 

at the Avalon Recreation 

Centre in September. More 

info at nbrf.com.au 



Art Life 

Get on the Trail of stunning art 

Open studio events assist local 

the opportunity to walk away with 

arts communities to connect 

some cool textured paper they 

with and engage the public to 

experience and buy art from the 

wealth of talented artists and craftspeople. 

Pittwater is renowned for 

its strong community of creatives, 

and on 27 and 28 July the members 

of the Pittwater Artists Trail 

will once again throw open studio 

doors and present pop-up galleries 

scattered across the peninsula. You 

can browse, admire, observe, ask 

questions, see the artist working 

and of course buy pieces of art 

directly from the artists. 

On the Saturday, popular 

have created. Romanda Newman 

will also be demonstrating making 

a small porcelain bowl decorated 

with native flowers. 

Just down the road at Silver Plus 

Studio (Ingleside), visitors can view 

the wide range of specialist equipment 

employed in the creation of 

beautiful objects. Silver Plus members 

will be working on pieces 

throughout the two days and 

welcome questions from visitors. 

At the North Narrabeen and 

Collaroy studios of Stephanie 

Galloway Brown (2024 Archibald 

abstract artist and teacher Jan 

‘beyond the Bends’ and nearby in Clareville, 

Prize finalist and Life Story subject 

Cristaudo (pictured in studio) will be doing 

Bilgola Plateau and Newport where visitors 

– p42) and Jennifer Rosnell, visitors can view 

a demonstration with charcoal at 11am at 

sketch books and discuss their passions, inspiration 

and techniques. Jennifer’s current 

can view paintings, macrame sculpture and 

Avalon Recreation Centre. Jan says her demonstration 

will provide some tips on how 

passion is the beautiful Australian coastline. 

printmaking first-hand. 

to loosen up and work from memory. Jan 

There will be five artists from the trail 

Stephanie also regularly depicts the coastal 

is exhibiting alongside Karen Hick and Jacqueline 

on display up at Eramboo Artist Environ- 

landscape, as well as creating playful oils of 

Payne, whose ethereal and gestural ment (Terrey Hills), and several hands-on everyday still life. – Susan Peacock 

works sit comfortably with Jan’s bold and 

colourful abstracts. 

There are eight other studios open 

demonstrations visitors can get involved 

with. Ally Bryan will be demonstrating the 

art of Gelli Printing, and visitors will have 

*Pittwater Artists Trail 2024 Open Studios 

27-28 July (10am-4pm); download a Trail 

Map at pittwaterartiststrail.com 

Enviro Prize finalists 

Council has announced 

the finalists for the 2024 

Environment Art & Design 

Prize, selected according to a 

brief focused on showcasing 

innovative and thoughtprovoking 

works that respond 

to the theme of environment, 

with an aim to inspiring action 

towards a sustainable future. 

Northern Beaches Mayor Sue 

Heins said the Australia-wide 

response was impressive. 

“The EADP continues to 

increase its prominence 

and respect in the arts. This 

year we received almost 700 

entries,” she said. 

“It is also pleasing to see an 

increase interest in the Prize 

from our younger generation. 

“The level of entries 

confirms that the climate, 

environmental concerns, and 

the natural world are the key 

concerns of many artists and 

designers. The judges have a 

challenging time narrowing 

down to just two winners in 

the Art and Design categories, 

and shared winners in the 


Young Artists & Designers 

category.” 

Prize money in 2024, 

across the four categories, 

has increased with the Visual 

Arts and Design winners 

each receiving an impressive 

$20,000, making the design 

category one of Australia’s 

richest design awards. The 

Young Artists and Designers 

winners will receive a total of 

$3,000, and the three People’s 

Choice winners will receive 

$1,000 per venue. 

Public can vote in the 

People’s Choice Award until 

21 August, with winners 

announced on 23 August. 

Prize winners will be 

announced on Thursday 1 

August at 6.30pm at Manly Art 

Gallery & Museum. 

View the finalists’ works 

at Manly Art Gallery and 

Museum, Curl Curl Creative 

Space and Mona Vale Creative 

Space Gallery from 2-25 

August. 

*View finalists on Council’s 

website. 

JULY 2024 45 

Art Life

Hot Property 

Potential, potential, potential 

Savvy buyers won’t find it difficult to unlock the potential of these three properties new to the 

market in Avalon Beach, Newport and Elanora Heights… By Lisa Offord 

Here’s an opportunity to acquire an absolute 

oceanfront property on one of Avalon Beach’s most 

prestigious streets at 97 Marine Parade. Perched on a 

near-level 910sqm block, this expansive family home 

boasts an unrivaled coastal position with uninterrupted 

ocean vistas from its northeast aspect. Boasting classic 

architecture with boundless potential to renovate 

or modernise, both the ground and first floor living 

spaces seamlessly flow onto expansive indoor/outdoor 

ocean-facing terraces, creating a private setting for 

entertaining. Five generously sized bedrooms with 

built-in wardrobes and four bathrooms comfortably 

accommodate guests or a large family. For sale, EOI. 

Contact Jonathan Fletcher at Cunninghams. 

Hot Property 

This single-level north-facing family beach house 

in a private resort style garden sits in a quiet spot 

at 61 Bardo Road, Newport, just an easy walk to 

the surf and Pittwater. Ready to be enjoyed while 

offering scope to extend up in the future (STCA), 

the home offers open-plan indoor/outdoor living 

with a defined lounge/dining featuring a combustion 

fireplace. There are three bedrooms with built-ins 

and a master wing with walk-in robe and ensuite. 

The property boasts an oversized double garage and 

sits on 732sqm (approx) secure grounds. For sale 

with a guide of $2.6m. Contact Cherie Sevenoaks 

at LJ Hooker Newport. 

Seize this rare opportunity to build a dream coastal 

home high above the escapment at 119 Woorarra 

Avenue, Elanora Heights, looking over Narrabeen 

Lake and surrounds with long-range ocean views 

extending to Long Reef. Sweeping over a grand 70m 

elevation, 1,542 sqm of lush green landscape is on 

offer with an approved DA for a stunning dual level 

four-bedroom residence. Contemplate the build 

in the property’s exisiting two-bedroom cottage 

and quaint art studio. A lower-level workshop 

provides storage while the recently completed 

carport can accommodate two cars with driveway 

space for an extra vehicle. Contact Amy Young at 

Laing+Simmons Avalon Beach. 



Health & Wellbeing 

The great healing po 


Art is being used as therapy 

to help people of all 

ages across Pittwater. 

The Be Centre and Inner View 

Art Therapy are two of the 

groups doing beautiful work. 

“Art speaks where words are 

unable to explain.” There are 

many quotes on the power of 

art to express feelings. Perhaps 

call it expressionism. At 

the Be Centre in Warriewood, 

children are using art to reduce 

their anxiety and overcome 

social challenges. 

On a tour, Be Centre’s CEO 

Tania Tailor and Jane Leckie, 

one of their Creative Art Therapists, 

explained how art allows 

children to express emotions 

and feelings they may otherwise 

keep to themselves. 

“We offer creative therapies 

for children between three and 

12,” begins Tania, “art therapy, 

drama therapy and play 

therapy – play therapy is where 

we started. 

“Children don’t always have 

the words to express what you 

would in a talking psychology 

session. When they play, their 

subconscious comes into play, 

and they start telling you exactly 

what’s going on in their 

world.” 

Be Centre has been running 

since 2008 and currently caters 

for around 80 children. There 

are 30 more children on a waitlist, 

but such is the increase in 

anxiety levels for children at the 

moment that sometimes that 

wait list needs to be closed. 

“We see children with DV, 

families splitting up, peer-topeer 

pressure,” explains Tania. 

“Some are even struggling with 

the residual nature of COVID 

lockdown. For us it was abnormal 

to go into lockdown; for 

children that were born during 

that period that’s their normal. 

When it finished, we all went 

back to normal and they came 

into this world that they didn’t 

understand.” 

Jane adds: “It might be 

the children have suffered a 

traumatic incident in their life, 

a parent figure has passed 

away, or they have autism 

or ADHD. Maybe they’re just 

struggling with low mood or 

depression, selective mutism, a 

lack of social skills, or are low 

in confidence – we really see a 

whole range.” 

An initial Play Therapy 

program runs 12 weeks and 

around six months is average 

for a child to come to the 

centre. Parent counselling is 

free, because as Tania says: “If 

you can help the whole family 

they’re better equipped to 

deal with what’s happening at 

home.” 

“It’s a safe and supportive 

environment, where they get 

to process and become more 

regulated,” says Jane. “And 

early intervention gives them 

tools to deal with life and not 

carry it further, not cause them 

problems as an adult.” 

One-to-one and group sessions, 

as well as parent and 

BEAUTIFUL WORK: The Be Centre’s Tania Tailor (left), temporary teacher 

Sam Doran and Jane Leckie (right) with resources at the centre. 

child sessions, are available 

and 30 per cent of Be Centre’s 

services are via scholarship for 

children who might not otherwise 

be able to afford to come. 

“We don’t get any government 

funding, it all comes 

through grants, foundations 

and private funders,” says 

Tania. “Our fundraising team 

has to work hard to make 

those scholarships available. 

And there must be hundreds, 

if not thousands, of children 

out there who may not even 

know this exists. It’s a really 

good way for children to find 

themselves and to thrive.” 

The end point of the art 

therapy is the Good Planet 

Studio Art Exhibition at Gallery 

109 on Wednesday 24 July. 

Children’s artworks from Be 

Centre will then be displayed 

as part of Creative Open at Gallery 

109 from Thursday, Friday, 

Saturday, and Sunday (11-4pm). 

Over at Avalon Golf Club, art 

therapist Philippa Montier from 

Inner View Art Therapy is helping 

adults to express themselves 

for similar reasons. 



wer of art 

“I used to be in the corporate 

world and then studied art at 

around 40,” explains Philippa. 

“I then did a Masters degree in 

Art Therapy. 

“When I was studying art I 

began to look at my own experience 

and things I’ve been 

through, including post-natal 

depression. As I looked at 

recovering through the lens of 

art, it gave me a new perspective. 

“Art is a way that people can 

express themselves and externalise 

their experience without 

using words. By putting their 

thoughts and feelings into art 

it’s really helpful and supportive.” 

Philippa has worked with art 

therapy in hospitals as well as 

working with individuals from 

all walks of life. 

She now offers sessions at 

Avalon Creative Space once a 

week, as well as a session once 

a month at Bassett Street in 

Mona Vale. 

“We have small groups at 

Avalon of between two and 

10 people,” says Philippa. “It’s 

then more of a contained experience 

and better to connect 

with each other. 

“It’s different to an art class,” 

says Philippa. “It’s more a process 

of exploring the materials 

and space to make art for it’s 

own sake. Anything from paint 

to collage, to drawing to fabric 

to clay. It’s up to people what 

they want to do on the day. 

“Everyone has creativity in 

them – where you’re making 

something that didn’t exist before. 

It’s really just being open 

to it and having the world open 

up as a result.” 

The two-hour class costs 

$40 and includes refreshments. 






with Dr John Kippen 


What to know about removal 

of skin lesions and moles 

Diagnosing “bad” moles, 

or those that may be 

suspicious for skin cancer, 

typically involves a thorough 

examination. Here are some 

features that might indicate a 

mole needs further evaluation: 

Asymmetry: Healthy moles are 

usually symmetrical. Asymmetrical 

moles may be a cause 

for concern. 

Irregular Borders: Borders 

of normal moles are typically 

smooth and well-defined. Moles 

with irregular, scalloped, or 

poorly defined borders may be 

concerning. 

Colour Variation: Normal moles 

are usually one colour, such as 

brown, tan, or black. Moles that 

have multiple colours or that 

have changed in colour over 

time may need evaluation. 

Diameter: While size alone isn’t 

always indicative of a problem, 

moles larger than about 6mm 

may warrant closer examination. 

Elevation or raised moles. 

Evolution change or rate of 

change: Any changes in the 

size, shape, colour, or elevation 

of a mole, or any new symptoms 

such as bleeding, itching, 

or pain, should be evaluated by 

a dermatologist. 

Family History: Individuals 

with a family history of melanoma 

or other skin cancers may 

have a higher risk of developing 

abnormal moles. 

As part of an examination a 

biopsy may be needed. 

During a biopsy, a small 

sample of tissue is removed 

from the mole and examined 

under a microscope to determine 

if it’s cancerous or not. 

Early detection and treatment 

of abnormal moles are crucial 

for preventing skin cancer. 

Regular self-examination and 

professional skin checks are 

recommended for anyone 

concerned about their moles 

or skin health. Do not rely on 

someone else to find all your 

skin spots – you know your 

skin better than anyone else. 

Any changes, any bleeding, 

any flakes that reform should 

be pointed out at the time of 

your assessment. 

The extent of scarring after 

mole removal surgery can 

vary based on several factors, 

including: 

Size and Depth: Larger or 

deeper moles may require more 

extensive surgery, potentially 

resulting in larger scars. 

Join Palmy ‘Bloody Long Walk’ 

The Bloody Long Walk is a 35km challenge 

from Palm Beach to Manly raising vital 

funds to help find cures for mitochondrial 

disease (mito). 

Registrations are open for this year’s 

event on August 4 with participants 16 years 

and over encouraged to do it “their way” by 

walking, jogging or running the course, participating 

as an individual or part of a team. 

Mito is a debilitating and potentially fatal 

genetic disorder that impairs the body’s 

ability to convert food into the energy needed 

to power muscles and major organs; 1 in 

200 people are at risk of developing mito. 

One Australian child born each week 

suffers a severe or life-threatening form of 

mito. 

*More info bloodylongwalk.com.au 

Location: Moles in areas with 

thicker skin, like the back, may 

produce different scars than 

moles in areas with thinner 

skin, like the face. 

Surgical Technique: Different 

surgical techniques, such as 

excision, shave excision, or 

laser removal, can result in different 

types and sizes of scars. 

Some techniques may be more 

minimally invasive and produce 

smaller scars. 

Individual Healing Response: 

Each person’s body heals differently, 

and some individuals 

may be more prone to forming 

raised, thick, or discoloured 

scars (keloids or hypertrophic 

scars) than others. 

Postoperative Care: Proper 

wound care following surgery, 

including keeping the area 

clean, avoiding sun exposure, 

and following any specific 

instructions from your doctor, 

can help minimise scarring. 

While some scarring is 

inevitable with any surgical 

procedure, surgeons are 

trained to minimise scarring 

as much as possible. They may 

use techniques like meticulous 

wound closure, suturing 

techniques, and postoperative 

care instructions to optimise 

healing and minimise scarring. 

In many cases, the scar will 

fade over time and become less 

noticeable. 

It’s essential to discuss any 

concerns about scarring with 

your surgeon before undergoing 

mole removal surgery. 

They can provide information 

specific to your situation and 

discuss potential scar management 

options if needed. 

Our columnist 

Dr John Kippen is a qualified, 

fully certified consultant 

specialist in Plastic and 

Reconstructive surgery. 

Australian trained, he 

also has additional 

Australian and International 

Fellowships. He welcomes 

enquiries; email 

doctor@johnkippen.com.au 



MPs welcome hospital health check 

PERFORMANCE: Latest statistics for Northern 

Beaches Hospital have been released. 

Mackellar federal MP Dr Sophie 

Scamps and Wakehurst state MP 

Michael Regan have welcomed the 

announcement that Northern Beaches 

Hospital and its ownership structure will be 

reviewed by the NSW Auditor-General. 

“The Northern Beaches Hospital is 

staffed by skilled and committed doctors, 

nurses and allied health professionals, and 

this audit will assess whether these professionals 

are being supported structurally by 

(owner) Healthscope to be able to deliver 

the quality of care the Northern Beaches 

community deserves,” the pair said. 

They said the audit would provide 

a real opportunity to test whether the 

unique public/private arrangement was 

delivering for the 350,000 people who 

relied on Northern Beaches Hospital, as 

well as assessing whether it was delivering 

value for money for taxpayers. 

They noted that latest official statistics 

from the Bureau of Health Information (BHI) 

confirmed that wait times in Emergency 

were getting longer. 

“Only 49.2 per cent of patients left emergency 

within four hours during the January 

to March quarter, compared to the state 

average of 56 per cent (all hospitals),” said 

Dr Scamps. 

“This is a significant deterioration compared 

to a year ago. 

“Constituents contact my office with 

stories of unacceptably long waits in 

emergency. Doctors and nurses report 

chronic understaffing,” she said. 

“I am also concerned about the reports 

in the media about Healthscope’s $1.6bn 

debt burden and the financial pressures 

of the private health system more generally. 

“I hope the Auditor-General can 

reassure the public that the service at 

Northern Beaches Hospital is not being 

impacted by cost pressures.” 

Mr Regan said: “An independent 

performance audit will be a very useful 

reference – providing more transparency 

and clarity for our community. 

“Where the hospital is found to be 

performing well, we can build public confidence. 

Where there are issues, we can 

understand and work to address them. 

“The Northern Beaches community has 

every right to expect the same quality 

of services as other comparable public 

hospitals. 

“After all, that is what was promised 

with the opening of the Northern Beaches 

Hospital in 2018, when the two previous 

truly local public hospitals in Mona Vale 

and Manly were closed.” 

– LO 

*What do you think? Tell us at readers@ 

pittwaterlife.com.au 

NB Hospital stats 

How Northern Beaches Hospital 

performed, compared with Peer Group 

(like) hospitals across NSW (Jan 1 – March 

31, 2024): 

• Patients leaving ED within 4 hours: 

49.2% (-2.2% average) 

• Patients starting ED treatment on time: 

71.4% (+9.7% average) 

• Patients transferred from Paramedics 

to ED staff within 30 minutes: 87.5% 

(+12.1% average) 

• Median wait time for urgent elective surgeries: 

11 days (4 days fewer average) 

Source: Bureau of Health Information (BHI). 





Hospital staff living boost 


The former residential Kedesh 

Rehabilitation Service at Mona Vale 

Hospital will be made available as 

interim accommodation for new staff, it 

has been revealed. 

Pittwater MP Rory Amon has welcomed 

the breakthrough in local accommodation 

for essential workers but says far more 

needs to be done. 

Mr Amon said the development follows 

a submission he made to the draft Northern 

Sydney Local Health District (NSLHD) 

Clinical Services Plan for 2024-2029. 

“In my submission, I called for the 

former residential Kedesh alcohol and 

drug rehabilitation complex at Mona Vale 

Hospital to be repurposed for essential 

worker accommodation,” he explained. 

The former Kedesh facility accommodated 

up to 10 individuals, and it was 

expected that essential worker accommodation 

could be provided for up to that 

number. 

Mr Amon said: “It’s essential we do 

all we can for our essential workers, or 

we just won’t have them, and essential 

services could fail.” 

He said that in response to his submission, 

the Chief Executive of the NSLHD, 

Adjunct Professor Anthony M Schembri 

AM said: “I strongly agree with your point 

regarding essential worker accommodation, 

and while a whole of government 

response is required, the former residential 

Kedesh Rehabilitation Service at Mona 

Vale Hospital will be made available as 

interim accommodation for new staff, per 

your suggestion.’ 

“I welcome the positive response to 

my submission and look forward to the 

repurposed facility becoming available as 

soon as possible,” Mr Amon said. 

WELCOME NEWS: 

Vital accommodation 

for essential workers 

at Mona Vale. 

“However, more needs to be done, 

especially through a replacement of the 

former alcohol and drug rehabilitation 

service, which ceased operating in December 

2022. 

“My submission to the NSLHD also 

highlighted the need for Youth Mental 

Health Services and to expand the Renal 

Dialysis Services. 

“Sadly, June’s State budget provides no 

new funding for Youth Mental Health or 

drug and alcohol rehabilitation services 

for our community,” said Mr Amon. 

– Lisa Offord 



Hair & Beauty 

with Sue Carroll 

New to clinic: is it a Laser, or 

Light Therapy? No, it’s ‘Tixel’ 

Skin rejuvenation is assisted 

by so many different treatment 

modalities such as 

Fractional Laser, CO2 laser, IPL, 

Q-Switch Yag, Radio Frequency 

Needling and Skin Needling, to 

name a few. And then there is 

Tixel®. 

Tixel is not a laser, but an 

ablative (removing the top 

layer of skin) and non-ablative 

fractional skin treatment that 

will rejuvenate skin by stimulating 

new collagen to improve 

skin quality and will also target 

and treat acne and scarring. 

Tixel uses thermo-mechanical 

(heat) energy to evaporate 

tiny channels in the skin. This 

technology uses a titanium tip 

which is heated to 400 degrees 

celsius. The small and large 

tips contain tiny pyramids that 

pass over the skin, delivering 

short bursts of heat energy 

directly to the skin. This heat 

energy will firm the skin and 

refine the texture. 

Tixel can be used on all skin 

types, including those with a 

darker skin tone and hyperpigmentation. 

The energy settings 

can be reduced depending 

on your Fitzpatrick skin type, 

meaning the darker the skin 

the lower the setting, which 

in turn will mean a few more 

treatments. 

From addressing fine lines 

and wrinkles to improving skin 

texture and tone, to treating 

active acne and scarring, the 

Tixel offers extremely versatile 

solutions to a myriad of aesthetic 

concerns. When treating 

acne, the Tixel can treat both 

active clusters of acne and 

acne scarring. When treating 

active acne, the heat assists 

with slowing the sebaceous 

oil flow and reducing infection. 

The temperature and the 

treatment for this particular 

procedure (treating the active 

acne) can be a little “spicey” 

but can be a positive alternative 

to medications in some 

cases. Depending on the severity 

of the acne, 3-4 treatments 

may be required, spaced about 


two weeks apart. 

When treating acne scarring, 

again, depending on the 

severity of the scar tissue, a 

few treatments about four 

weeks apart will be required 

and must be combined with a 

clinical home care program for 

optimum results. 

The Tixel treatment can 

also provide a rejuvenation 

technique by infusing active 

serums into the skin. Thousands 

of tiny microchannels 

are created and stay open for 

roughly six hours. During this 

time a take-home cocktail of 

customised serums is massaged 

into the skin every hour. 

This procedure is one of my 

all-time favourite treatments in 

the Clinic, without downtime. 

The skin may be superficially 

dry for a day or two post-treatment 

and then the skin glows 

and is well on its way to a more 

refined appearance. Everything 

from rosacea to hyperpigmentation 

can be treated easily. 

The rosacea has a rednessreducing 

cocktail massaged 

into the area and within a few 

days has begun to reduce in 

intensity. 

Hyperpigmentation has 

tranexamic acid massaged in 

to reduce the discolouration of 

the skin. The infusion treatment 

has no downtime and no 

pain, just a radiant complexion. 

The Tixel treatment can treat 

any area of the body, face, 

neck, chest, back of hands and 

eye area. When the ablative 

settings are used, expect slight 

crusting for 4-5 days, along 

with dryness and a light pink 

colour kissing the skin. There 

is no peeling or blistering. 

The eye area, both upper 

and lower areas, achieves a 

truly amazing result. Tixel 

is often used with surgical 

blepharoplasty to refine the 

texture of the skin in this area. 

As the Tixel is not a laser, the 

skin can be treated close to the 

lash line and the brow area. 

With any Tixel treatment, 

some people will see a result 

after one treatment, while others 

will require 3-5 sessions. 

The best results will be seen 

4-5 weeks post-treatment. 

Tixel can be customised 

for the individual. When you 

are seeking a smoother, more 

revitalised complexion, Tixel 

is definitely a treatment worth 

considering with less downtime 

than most lasers and 

clients with dry eye have reported 

experiencing improvement 

with this condition after a 

Tixel Treatment. 

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 


Health Hair & Wellbeing Beauty

Business Life: Money 

with Brian Hrnjak 

Business Life 

You can’t take it with you... 

and definitely not tax-free 

This month we look at 

aspects of what happens 

to your super when you 

die… People are often surprised 

to learn that superannuation 

balances do not necessarily 

form a part of their estate on 

death. If you spend any time 

at all thinking about this stuff, 

a superfund is really just a 

trust with a different tax jacket 

on. Trusts and superfunds are 

governed by their trustees. 

When you die, the assets that 

are held directly in your name 

pass into an estate governed 

by an executor, another form of 

trust and trustee arrangement. 

Depending on what you own 

and how you own it, assets 

held by you at death will pass 

to your estate under the control 

of your executor. Assets that 

you hold jointly with another 

person will bypass your estate 

and move to the surviving joint 

owner and your super balance 

will fall under the control of 

your super trustee who may be 

acting on behalf of a public offer 

fund or possibly be a member 

of your own family in the 

case of a self-managed fund. 

These topics in my grandparents’ 

generation were 

not so vital as there was no 

super – super for most people 

started after 1992, most things 

my grandparents owned were 

held jointly and frankly, new 

migrants to Australia didn’t 

have that many assets to worry 

about. Move forward a couple 

of generations through the 

many Sydney property booms 

and into a time when super may 

now be your second biggest 

asset, some thought might be 

warranted about who gets what 

when the time comes. 

Compounding this complexity 

are legislative definitions 

about who is a dependent and 

who can receive your superannuation 

death benefit (see table). 

I’m not here to write a legal 

self-help book in the short 

space I have available, but the 

superannuation law spells out 

who you can leave your super 

to, the tax law determines how 

it will be treated. The catch all 

for when there is no-one in these 

categories is your legal personal 

representative – your executor in 

other words – the person responsible 

for your estate. 

You’ll notice that parents, for 

example, are not in any category 

and it’s here that we start to 

experience some of the tensions 

in the system. What happens 

if your parents are dependent 

on you? Or if an adult child is 

dependent on the parent? Why is 

it even important? 

People tend to understand the 

fundamental tax benefits of the 

superannuation system: money 

going into super is taxed at 

15% (and another 15% for those 

earning over $250,000 adjusted 

taxable income), which is low 

compared to the highest marginal 

rate of tax. Funds in super 

are taxed 15% on their earnings, 

unless the fund is in pension 

phase. Funds leaving super as a 

pension, or lump sums are tax 

free for those over 60 years of 

age. 

Death benefits, however, are 

only tax-free if they are paid 

to those who are dependents 



Superannuation Law 

Spouse or de-facto Spouse 

Child of the deceased (any age) 

Tax Law 

Spouse or de-facto spouse 

(of any sex) 

Former spouse or de-facto 

spouse (of any sex) 

Person in an interdependency Child of the deceased under 18 

relationship with the deceased 

Person in an interdependency 

relationship with the deceased 

Any other person dependant 

on the deceased 

under tax law. In cases where 

death benefits are paid to adult 

children, for example, we need 

to look at the components of 

someone’s superannuation 

balance and determine what is 

taxed and what is tax-free. 

Tax-free balances in super 

are usually the result of nonconcessional 

contributions, 

those contributions that were 

made where a tax deduction 

was not claimed. Taxable 

amounts in a super fund usually 

arise from the earnings on 

member balances and concessional 

contributions – tax 

deductible contributions from 

employer contributions, salary 

sacrifice amounts etc and likely 

to be the dominant balance in 

those funds where a member 

has been contributing over 

their working lifetime. 

It’s in this area of taxable balances 

that we find Australia’s 

last remaining death duty, the 

others having been abolished 

by the Fraser government more 

than 40 years ago. If a deceased 

person leaves an adult 

child their taxable superannuation 

balance, the child will pay 

15% plus the Medicare levy on 

that distribution. 

Someone with a modest 

balance in super may not 

consider this an issue but most 

people these days have some 

level of life cover as part of 

their fund. If there is $100,000 

member balance and an insurance 

death benefit of $500,000 

there could be a (negative) tax 

difference of at least $102,000 

if the death benefit is left to an 

adult child compared to, say, 

leaving it to a spouse. Depending 

on the tax treatment of the 

insurance premiums inside the 

fund and the deceased’s age at 

death, the tax component on 

the life insurance payout could 

be as high as 32%. 

These taxation factors along 

with modern day longevity are 

creating situations where peo- 


ple who find themselves caring 

for ageing parents, or perhaps 

the other way around – parents 

caring for kids, are seeking to 

rely on the interdependency 

provisions contained in the tax 

laws to avoid what could be 

an eye watering tax bill for the 

beneficiary when the superannuation 

member in the relationship 

passes away. 

Advice in this area is critical 

and the circumstances, if you 

are intending to rely on them, 

need to be thoroughly documented. 

it’s not ideal to wait 

until someone has passed away 

or lost capacity to do this. 

The tax office defines interdependency 

as: 

An interdependency relationship 

exists between two people 

if all the following conditions 

are met: 

• they have a close personal 

relationship; 

• they live together; 

• one or both provides the 

other with financial support; 

and 

• one or both provides the 

other with domestic support 

and personal care. 

There are nuances attached 

to each dot point. Each case 

will be judged on its merits and 

based on the private rulings we 

have drafted to the ATO, the 

bar can be quite high. 

Brian Hrnjak B Bus CPA (FPS) is 

a Director of GHR Accounting 

Group Pty Ltd, Certified Practising 

Accountants. Office: Suite 12, 

Ground Floor, 20 Bungan Street 

Mona Vale NSW. 

Phone: 02 9979-4300. 

Web: ghr.com.au and altre.com.au 

Email: brian@ghr.com.au 

These comments are general 

advice only and are not intended as 

a substitute for professional advice. 

This article is not an offer or 

recommendation of any securities 

or other financial products offered 

by any company or person. 


Business Life

Trades & Services 


AIR CONDITIONING 

Alliance Climate Control 

Call 02 9186 4179 

Air Conditioning & Electrical Professionals. 

Specialists in Air Conditioning Installation, 

Service, Repair & Replacement. 

AIRPORT TRANSFERS 

TeslaAirportTransfers 

Call Ben 0405 544 311 

New Tesla Model Y fleet; Airport transfer 

Mona Vale ($129), Avalon ($139), Palmy 

($149). Guaranteed on-time pick-up. 

BATTERIES 

Battery Business 

Call 9970 6999 

Batteries for all applications. Won’t be beaten 

on price or service. Free testing, 7 days. 

CARPENTRY 

Able Carpentry & Joinery 

Call Cameron 0418 608 398 

Avalon-based. Doors & locks, timber gates 

& handrails, decking repairs and timber 

replacement. Also privacy screens. 25 years’ 

experience. Lic: 7031C. 

CAR SALE & REMOVAL 

Cash for Cars 

Call Wal 0425 304 475 

Damaged, unregistered car on your 

property? Will beat any offer from dealer; 

also free tow-away service. 

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. Also 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 Castro 9979 7292 

Owner/operator of Northern Beaches 

Flooring Centre. Owner/operator, Mona 

Vale. 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. 

Campos Tree Services 

Call Paulo 0403 941 883 

Over 20 years servicing Pittwater. All 

tree work including stump grinding. Fully 

qualified team. 

Conscious Gardener Avalon 

Call Matt 0411 750 791 

Professional local team offering quality 

garden maintenance, horticultural advice; 

also garden makeovers. 

Down To Earth Irrigation 

Call Kane 0405 153 703 

Get lawns and garden ready for a hot 

dry Summer! Installations, service and 

repairs. 

Luxury Property 

Maintenance 

Call Luke: 0415 112 480 

All maintenance inc hedge trimming, lawn 

mowing, pressure cleaning, mulching + 

planting. 

Melaleuca Landscapes 

Call Sandy 0416 276 066 

Professional design and construction 

for every garden situation. Sustainable 

vegetable gardens and waterfront 

specialist. 

HANDYMEN 

Local Handyman 

Call Jono 0413 313299 

Small and medium-sized building jobs, also 

welding & metalwork; licensed. 

JEWELLER 

Gold ‘n’ Things 

Call 9999 4991 

Specialists in remodelling. On-premises 

(Mona Vale) workshop for cleaning, 

repairing (including laser welding), polishing. 

Family owned for nearly 40 years. 

HOT WATER 

Hot Water Maintenance NB 

Call 9982 1265 

Local emergency specialists, 7 days. 

Sales, service, installation. Warranty 

agents, fully accredited. 

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 

Alan’s Painting 

Call Alan 0478 714 478 

No.1 Painter in the Northern Beaches; 

high-quality work. Prompt, reliable. Free 

quotes. 


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. 

Ken Wilson Roofing 

Call 0419 466 783 

Leaking roofs, tile repairs, tiles replaced, 

metal roof repairs, gutter cleaning, valley 

irons replaced. 





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. 

PLASTERING 

Craig Florimo Plastering 

Call Craig 0420 866 009 

All aspects specialising in ceilings, 

cornice, walls, repairs, renovations, 

insurance work. Vermiculite ceiling 

solutions. craigflorimo@hotmail.com 

PLUMBING 

Platinum Plumbers & Pipe 

Relining 

Call Rhys 0421 637 410 

Northern Beaches Plumbers, all general 

plumbing and specialists in blocked drains. 

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. 

Total Pipe Relining 

Call Josh 0423 600 455 

Repair pipe problems without 

replacement. Drain systems fully relined; 

35 years’ guarantee. Latest technology, 

best price. 

REMOVALISTS / PACKING 

NB Removals 

Call Greg 0417 253 634 

Owner/operator, Avalon-based. For 

local / country / interstate requirements. 

Reputation (30+) years built on 

excellence in furniture removing. Trucks 

regularly upgraded. 

Pack & Unpack U 

Call Lynne 0414 988 919 

Professional local ladies will pack and 

unpack your clothes/belongings; also 

declutter and organise your home. 

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. 

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. 



WINDOW CLEANING 

Local Window Cleaning 

Call Simon 0406 389 841 

Free quote; Mona Vale-based window 

cleaning micro-details specialist. 

Reasonable price, no subcontractor, the 

owner does it himself. Fully insured. 

YACHT SERVICES 

Hanlon Yacht Services 

Call Jeff 0415 327 687 

Professional yacht captain available 

for Australian and worldwide yacht 

deliveries and all yachting services. No 

job too small. 




Food Life 

with Janelle Bloom 

Food Life 

Recipes: janellebloom.com.au; Insta: instagram.com/janellegbloom/ 

Comfort food for the soul: 

Delicious ‘Winter Warmers’ 

Comfort food is one of the only things 

I like about Winter (ok, there are a few 

more). But delicious food, simmering 

away and giving off great aromas, is the 

ultimate way to combat the dark, cold wintery 

days and nights. Most of us have a few Winter 

Slow cooked pot 

roast lamb 

Serves 6 

faves on rotation that we go to this time 

of year, whether it be a soul-warming bowl 

of soup with crunchy toast and lashings of 

butter, a slow-cooked pot roast , or some 

rich creamy pasta, to name a few. Here is a 

collection of my favourite Winter warmers. 

Homemade lasagne 

Serves 6-8 

2 tbs olive oil 

1 large brown onion, finely 

chopped 

3 garlic cloves, crushed 

600g pork and veal mince 

4 rashers bacon, rind 

removed, finely chopped 

1 cup chicken or beef stock 

500g tomato pasta sauce 

50g butter 

2 tbs plain flour 

2 cups milk 

Pinch of ground nutmeg 

1 cup grated mozzarella 

1 cup grated parmesan 

375g fresh lasagne sheets 

occasionally, for 30 minutes 

or until sauce thickens. 

2. Preheat oven to 200°C. 

Grease an 8-cup rectangular 

baking dish. 

3. Sauce. Melt the butter in 

a saucepan over mediumhigh 

heat until foaming. 

Add flour. Cook, stirring, 

for 1-2 minutes or until 

mixture bubbles. Remove 

from heat. Gradually add 

the milk, whisking with a 

balloon whisk until smooth. 

Return to medium-high 

heat, stirring constantly, 

bring the sauce to the 

boil. Remove from heat. 

Stir in the nutmeg half 

the mozzarella and ¼ cup 

of the parmesan. Season. 

4. Spread one-third of the 

meat mixture over the base 

of the baking dish. Top with 

one-third of the lasagne, 

trimming to fit if necessary. 

Spread with one-quarter 

of the bechamel sauce. 

Repeat twice with remaining 

mince mixture, lasagne 

sheets and bechamel sauce, 

finishing with the remaining 

bechamel sauce. Place onto 

a baking tray. 

5. Cover with baking paper 

and foil. Bake 30 minutes. 

Remove the baking paper 

and foil, sprinkle over the 

remaining mozzarella and 

parmesan. Bake a further 

20 minutes or until golden 

and cooked through. Stand 

for 10 minutes to cool 

slightly before serving. 

in the oven for 3½ hours. 

4. Meanwhile, with 1 hour 1. Heat olive oil in a deep, 

to go on the lamb timer, large frying pan over 

par-cook the potatoes in a medium heat. Add onion 

saucepan of boiling salted and garlic. Cook, stirring 

2kg lamb shoulder 

water until just tender. Drain often 8 minutes or until 

3 garlic cloves, peeled, sliced 

well. Pour enough oil into soft. Increase heat to 

1 tbs olive oil, plus extra for 

a large nonstick frying pan medium-high, add the 

frying potatoes 

to cover the base. Add the mince and bacon, cook 

1 red onion, cut into wedges 

potatoes, cook 15 minutes, 

for 6 minutes, stirring to 

3 stalks rosemary, cut into 

turning occasionally until 

break up the mince, or until 

pieces, plus extra to serve 

edges are crispy and golden. 

mince changes colour. Pour 

1 cup dry white wine (optional) 

Drain oil from the pan, keep 

in the stock, bring to the 

1 cup chicken stock 

potatoes warm. 

boil, boil gently until almost 

1kg chat potatoes, halved 

5. After 3½ hours, remove the 

all the liquid evaporates. 

Stir in the pasta sauce. 

1. Using a small sharp knife, foil and baking paper from 

Reduce the heat to mediumlow 

and simmer, stirring 

cut 8 deep slits into top the lamb. Add the potatoes 

of lamb. Press garlic into to the lamb. Increase the 

slits. Rub lamb with oil and oven to 220C° fan forced. 

season well all over. 

Roast lamb and potatoes 

2. Preheat the oven to 130C° a further 20-30 minutes 

fan forced. Scatter the onion until the top is golden. 

and rosemary over the base Allow to stand 10 minutes 

of a deep, large roasting before serving with steamed 

dish. Place the lamb into the greens. 

pan. Pour in the wine and Janelle’s Tip: It’s important to 

stock, being careful not to ensure the pan is deep enough 

wet the fat on the top of the to hold the lamb and it’s 

lamb. 

completely covered with foil. 

3. Place a piece of baking paper Cast iron bakers with a tightfitting 

over the lamb, then tightly 

lid create a wonderful 

with 2-3 layers of foil. Roast environment to ‘slow roast’. 



Hearty beef stew 

Serves 6 

2 tbs plain flour 

1 tsp smoked paprika 

1.5kg piece beef chuck 

casserole steak, trimmed, cut 

into 5cm pieces 


1 large brown onion, finely 

chopped 

2 garlic cloves, finely 

chopped 

200g bacon, rind removed, 

chopped 

2 tbs tomato paste 

1 cup red wine 

2/3 cup beef stock 

2 carrots, cut into 3cm pieces 

2 medium Sebago potatoes, 

peeled, cut into 3cm pieces 

6 small pickling onions, 

peeled (see tip) 

2 tbs chopped parsley, to 

serve 

Mashed potato & green 

beans, to serve 

1. Combine the flour and 

paprika in a large snap lock 

bag. Season with salt and 

pepper. Add the chuck, 

toss to coat. 

2. Heat 1 tablespoons oil 

in a large, heavy-based 

casserole dish over 

medium-high heat. Add 1/3 

of the steak, cook, stirring 

often for 5 minutes or until 

browned. Transfer to a 

bowl. Repeat twice with oil 

and remaining steak. 

3. Reduce heat to medium. 

Add remaining oil with 

the onion, garlic, and 

bacon, Cook, stirring until 

onion has softened. Add 

the tomato paste, cook, 

stirring for 1 minute. 

4. Return beef and juices 

to pan. Add the carrots, 

potato, and onions. Pour 

in the wine and bring to the 

boil. Add the stock. Bring 

to a simmer. Reduce heat 

to low. Cover and simmer 


for 1½ hours or until steak 

and vegetables are tender. 

Taste and season. Scatter 

over the parsley, serve 

mashed potato and beans. 

Janelle’s Tip: You can replace 

the pickling onions with 

small brown onions cut into 

wedges. 

Loaded meatball 

mushroom soup 

Serves 4-5 

Meatballs 


250g mushrooms, finely 

chopped (see tip) 

1 carrot, grated 

1 zucchini, grated 

1 brown onion, grated 

400g beef mince 

1 egg, lightly beaten 

1¼ cups fresh breadcrumbs 

Creamy mushroom soup 

60g butter 

4 green onions, finely 

chopped 

600g cup mushrooms, 

quartered (see tip) 

1/3 cup plain flour 

4 cups chicken stock 

½ cup thickened cream 

Chopped parsley and toasted 

crusty sourdough, to serve 

1. For the meatballs, heat half 

the oil in a large non-stick 

frying pan over high heat. 

Add the mushrooms. Cook, 

stirring until all moisture 

has evaporated. Add carrot, 

zucchini and onion, cook 

for 1 minute. Set aside 

to cool in the pan for 15 

minutes. Transfer to a 

bowl, draining any excess 

moisture. 

2. Add the mince, egg 

and breadcrumbs to 

the mushroom mixture. 

Season. Mix well. Using 

a heaped tablespoon 

of mixture, shape into 

balls. Place onto a tray, 

refrigerate for 30 minutes 

For more recipes go to janellebloom.com.au 

if you have time. 

3. For the creamy mushroom 

soup, melt the butter in 

a large saucepan over 

medium-high heat. Add 

onions, cook, stirring 

3 minutes until soft. 

Add mushrooms. Cook, 

stirring occasionally, 

for 10 minutes or until 

mushrooms are tender. 

Sprinkle the flour over the 

mushrooms. 

4. Cook, stirring constantly, 

for 2 minutes. Remove 

the pan from the heat. 

Gradually add the stock, 

stirring constantly. Return 

saucepan to medium 

heat. Bring to the simmer, 

stirring occasionally. 

Reduce heat to mediumlow. 

5. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 

minutes or until thickened 

slightly (soup can be 

blended at this stage if you 

like a smoother soup). 

6. While the soup is cooking, 

preheat oven 180°C fan 

forced. Heat the remaining 

oil in the frying pan 

over medium heat. Cook 

meatballs in two batches, 

for 3 minutes, shaking 

pan often or until golden. 

Remove to a roasting pan. 

Place into the oven for 10 

minutes to cook through. 

7. Stir in the cream and 

meatballs through the 

soup. Heat without boiling, 

until warmed through. 

Season. Sprinkle with 

parsley and serve. 

Janelle’s Tips: If you 

have a food processor, 

place mushrooms into the 

processor and pulse until 

very finely chopped… also, 

try using a combination of 

cup, button and Swiss brown 

mushrooms. 

Triple chocolate self 

saucing pudding 

Serves 4-6 

100g dark chocolate, chopped 

60g butter, chopped 

2/3 cup full cream milk 

1 cup self raising flour 

¼ cup brown sugar 

¼ cup cocoa powder 

100g Toblerone, chopped 

Ice cream or cream, to serve 

Topping 

3/4 cup brown sugar 

2 tablespoons cocoa powder 

1½ cups boiling water 

1. Preheat oven 180°C fan 

forced. Place chocolate, 

butter and milk in a 

heatproof microwave-safe 

bowl. Heat uncovered on 

High 1-2 minutes, stirring 

with a metal spoon until 

melted and smooth. 

2. Combine flour, brown sugar 

and cocoa powder in bowl. 

Stir in chocolate mixture 

until just combined. Fold 

through the Toblerone. 

Spoon mixture into a 

greased 6-cup capacity 

ovenproof dish. Place onto a 

baking tray. 

3. Topping. Combine brown 

sugar and cocoa and 

sprinkle over pudding 

mixture. Pour the boiling 

water over the back of 

a metal spoon over the 

topping. Place into the oven. 

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or 

until the top of the pudding 

springs back when touched 

in the centre. 

4. Stand no longer than 5 

minutes (any longer the 

sauce becomes thicker). 

Serve. 

Janelle’s Tip: The size of 

the dish is important, as it 

determines the thickness of the 

pudding and sauce. You can 

use a 6-cup, 20 x 20cm square 

cake pan. 


Food Life

Tasty Morsels 

with Beverley Hudec 

Some Tiny Morsels to savour in July 

Tasty Morsels 

Wharf Bar revamp 

offers reasons to 

head to Manly 

New owners and a new way forward… 

and more reasons to head south and 

linger longer in Manly. When Artemus 

Group acquired iconic gateway Manly 

Wharf and its harbourfront pub with 

to-die-for views in April, one of the 

first changes has been to the menu. 

The Queensland group quickly 

brought onboard former Rockpool 

Bar and Grill culinary director Corey 

Costelloe to consult on local suppliers 

and produce and curate the pub’s 

new Mediterranean-style food. 

The focus reflects the pub’s surfside 

charm as well as showcasing quality 

and simplicity. In comes a selection 

of smaller grazing plates, side dishes, 

pub classics and weeknight specials, 

burgers and bowls and pizzas (made 

with 36-hour fermented dough). 

Standout dishes include whole 

butterflied whiting, a prawn salad 

with green papaya and a nahm jim 

dressing, and Mr Costelloe’s pick – 

grilled Clarence River baby octopus 

with lemon, chilli and oregano. 

Wharf Bar is open daily from 11am 

until late. 

Hang 10 and its 

unique gin twist 

Fancy a G and T made with 

leftover bread? After two and a 

half years, Marine Raynard and 

Deon Rowe have opened Hang 

10 Distillery, their Warriewood 

distillery which specialises in 

sustainable craft spirits and beer. 

Pop in and try that signature 

Bakers Dozen gin, made from 

leftover bread and 13 organic 

botanicals. The cellar door opens 

Fridays and Saturdays. 

Three of a kind: Tasty Toastie time 

There’s nothing more satisfying 

on a cold Winter’s day than a 

tasty toastie. Sammy’s in Careel 

Bay pumps out the coffee and 

keeps hunger pains at bay with 

its selection of fancy-filled 

jaffles. Go for the slow-cooked 

bolognaise, mozzarella and 

basil, the bacon and egg with 

aioli or that all-time classic ham, 

mozzarella and tomato relish. 

The Hungry Ghost is a 

definitive member of Avalon’s 

laneway coffee club. It’s also 

the spot to order one of the 

knock-out jaffles this hole-in-thewall 

knocks out daily. Choices 

include bolognaise with feta 

and jalapeño, a classic Reuben 

and, for non-meat-eaters, there’s 

the umami punch of truffle 

mushroom and jarlsberg (left). 

Sunday Roast a 

Dunes highlight 

Head up to Palm Beach for 

lunch or a dinner date at 

Bistro Dunes. Over Winter, the 

restaurant is offering a $59 a 

head set menu, which includes 

tomato focaccia, olives and a 

choice of entree and main. The 

a la carte menu is also available 

for lunch and dinner. And, 

available now, the $45-a-head 

Sunday roast with a glass of 

wine or beer is back. 

Follow the well-trod toastie trail 

down to Newport Bowling 

Club, where you’ll find that 

the good folk at Good Folk 

Espresso have a couple of 

mighty toasties on the menu. 

The cheesy chipotle chicken with 

spinach and cherry tomatoes is 

a customer favourite. It’s perfect 

for a Winter breakfast or brunch, 

with or without a cup of coffee. 



Pittwater Puzzler 

Compiled by David Stickley 

painting and drawing, resulting 

in visual representation (3) 

29 Walkway that can be used to 

reach The Coastal Environment 

Centre (7,4) 

30 The ability to withstand 

great pressure or force (8) 

31 A vessel attending a larger 

one to supply stores, convey 

passengers or orders, etc. (6) 

ACROSS 

1 Conforming to a standard (6) 

4 Stress laid on a word or words 

to indicate special meaning or 

importance (8) 

9 The former home of Skippy 

the Bush Kangaroo (7,4) 

11 Division of geological 

time (3) 

12 Location of the Avalon Car 

Boot Sale (6,4) 

13 One may be spotted out to 

sea from the Northern Beaches 

(4) 

15 The sport or practice 

of sailing: something done 

regularly on Pittwater (8) 

17 Architect of the Sydney 

Opera House who used to live 

on the Northern Beaches, ____ 

Utzon (4) 

20 Midday (4) 

21 A hairdresser (8) 

24 An association of persons 

united by a common interest, 

usually meeting periodically for 

a shared activity (4) 

25 Northern Beaches fatherand-daughter 

entertainment 

duo who are big on social media 

(3,3,4) 

28 Creative activity, especially 

DOWN 

1 At the present time (8) 

2 Repeat of a TV show (5) 

3 An entertainment that is 

offered to the public (10) 

5 Lacking in amount or quality 

(6) 

6 A long walk; an increase in 

wages, fares, prices, etc. (4) 

7 Artist who was chosen as an 

Archibald Prize Finalist for 2024, 

_________ Galloway Brown (9) 

8 Very large prawns (6) 

10 Keeping your fingers crossed 

(6) 

14 Belief in the trustworthiness 

or reliability of a person or thing 

(10) 

16 A director of an orchestra or 

choir (9) 

18 A picture or pattern 

produced by an arrangement of 

small variously coloured pieces 

of glass or stone etc. (6) 

19 A snorkel, for example; rest 

(8) 

22 Expanses of sea (6) 

23 A light-bodied red wine (6) 

26 A judicial decision, as a 

determination of an industrial 

court or commission or tribunal 

(5) 

27 Slant given to a media story 

so as to achieve the desired 

outcome in terms of public 

awareness and acceptance (4) 

[Solution page 66] 

Pittwater Puzzler 



Garden Life 

Planting gorgeous grass trees 

will make a growing statement 

An absolute stunning and 

iconic genus of plants 

are the Xanthorrhoeas. 

Commonly know as grass 

trees, there are approximately 

30 known species endemic to 

Australia. Most species form a 

thick trunk with a tuft of long, 

thin leaves spilling out from the 

top. Long flower spikes with 

small creamy white flowers 

are produced from Autumn to 

Summer. 

Grass trees are notoriously 

slow-growing – on average 

approximately 1cm per year 

– which means established 

nursery stock is the way to 


go (below) when acquiring 

a grass tree. The two most 

important things to consider 

when planting a grass tree are 

position and drainage. Grass 

trees prefer full sun but will 

handle dappled shade. Good 

drainage is key. Test your 

drainage by digging a hole 

where you want to plant. Fill 

the hole with water; if the water 

drains out within a few minutes, 

then it’s probably okay. If 

the water is slow to drain or 

remains, then you may need to 

consider an alternative location, 

or a raised garden bed. 

Common species that are 

available in nurseries are 

Xanthorrhoea Jonhnsonii and 

Xanthorrhoea glauca. Both 

species produce a stunning 

thick trunk and reliable flower 

splikes. Xanthorrhoea glauca is 

the faster growing of the two, 

with leaves that have a slightly 

bluish tinge. Whichever species 

you choose it is bound to make 

a great feature plant in your 

garden. 

64 JUNE 2024 


Compiled by the team at Cicada Glen Nursery, Ingleside. 

What’s flowering 

The weather may seem a tad 

dull this time of the year, but 

this is the season some plants 

will show off! We have lots 

of bushland in the Pittwater 

area and it is popping with 

colour which can warm the 

spirits. As well as warming 

the spirits, why not get out 

for a walk, warm up the body 

and see what you can find! 

Take pictures or drawings and 

connect with our local flora 

– you never know what you 

might find. Some favourite 

local natives to keep an 

eye out for are Persoonias, 

Hardenbergia (Violacea – 

pictured), Philotheca, Correa, 

Banksia, Grevilleas and Epacris. 

Pterostylis and other terrestrial 

orchids are favourites of ours 

to look out for; most species 

will die back for the warmer 

months of the year, making 

this the best and only time to 

see some of the orchids. 

Shady Gardens 

Creating a shade-loving garden 

with Australian native plants or 

exotics can be both beautiful 

and sustainable. Here are some 

plants that thrive in shady 

conditions: 

Native Violet – A low-growing 

groundcover with small violet 

flowers (pictured top of page), 

perfect for shady spots. 

Dianella – Many varieties of 

Dianella, such as Dianella 

caerulea (Flax Lily), can grow 

in shaded areas and produce 

attractive bright blue flowers 

and berries. 

Clivea – An ever-popular and 

hardy plant that loves shady 

areas and still produces 


colourful orange flowers even 

in full shade. 

Native Rhododendron – A 

small to medium native shrub 

that will flower in a shady 

position. 

Native Ginger (Alpinea) – Also 

known as Native Turmeric, 

it has attractive foliage and 

prefers shade with moist soil. 

When selecting plants, 

consider your specific shade 

conditions (light shade, deep 

shade, morning/evening sun) 

and local climate to ensure the 

best choices for your garden. 

Native plants are generally 

well-suited to local conditions 

and require less maintenance 

once established. 

Gymea Lilies 

Gymea Lilies thrive in warm 

temperate climates like we 

have here on the Northern 

Beaches. They are native to 

coastal areas of NSW and 

Queensland. When flowering, 

the impressive flower spike 

can reach up to 4m high and 

is topped with a display of red 

trumpet like flowers (pictured 

top right) that stand out above 

the surrounding vegetation. 

Planting them in uneven 

numbers like 3s or 5s will give 

the best effect in the garden. 

They prefer full sun to partial 

shade, however as a rough 

guide ensure they get at least 

6-8 hours of direct sunlight 

daily for optimal growth and 

flowering. 

Gymea Lilies are relatively 

drought-tolerant once 

established and have the 

amazing ability to pull 

themselves deeper into the 

ground during droughts, which 

not only helps them conserve 

water but protects their growth 

tip during bushfires. They will 

benefit from regular watering 

during dry periods, especially 

in the first few months after 

planting. Avoid waterlogged 

conditions, as they can lead to 

root rot. 

JUNE 2024 65 

Garden Life



Your July to-do list... 

Potted plants 

If you are out of space in the 

garden, potted plants are 

a great idea – and Winter 

is a great time to get them 

established. Most plants will 

thrive in pots for an extended 

period; for most plants it is 

not a forever home but for 

some, if treated well, can last 

years in the same pot. Also, 

potted plants are a great 

option for the smaller gardens, 

townhouses and apartments. 

You can reposition the pots 

as the seasons change. If the 

plant outgrows the pot and 

don’t want to discard it, you 

can pot-up the plant into a 

larger size, root prune the 

plant and place into the same 

pot with fresh soil, or plant it 

into your garden. 

Potted plants will require a 

bit more love than plants in 

the ground – plants will need 

regular watering as the pots 

will dry out quicker. 

And keep the fertiliser 

up to keep them looking 

healthy. Our favourite native 

plants for pots are Banksias, 

Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paw), 

Xerochrysum (Paper Daises), 

Dendrobium orchids, Ferns 

and Xanthorrhoea (Grass 

Trees). Favourite exotics for 

pots include Olives, Citrus, 

Rhapis Palms, Bromeliads, 

Philodendron and Maple Trees. 

Weeds of the month 

At times it can be a real pain 

trying to get on top of weeds, 

even just in our own backyard. 

Don’t let them get the better 

of you! The cooler months 

are a great time to do some 

weeding. 

As well as the aesthetic 

impact, they can also harbour 

pests, have a negative impact 

on the local ecosystems and 

compete for resources and 

nutrients with our desired 

plants. Weeds can also spread 

rapidly and can take over 

the garden if not controlled, 

making the maintenance more 

challenging. Highlighting two 

common weeds in our area 

that can be a real nuisance to 

remove are Onion Weed and 

Ground Asparagus. 

Onion Weed (pictured 

above) can be a real challenge 

due to its ability to re grow 

from bulbs and seeds. Manual 

removal is the most common 

method – with gloves on dig 

down around the base of 

the plant and try to remove 

the entire bulb and as much 

roots as possible; remove 

the bulb gently as fragments 

can drop off and re-grow. As 

a last resort you can use a 

selective herbicide designed 

to target Onion Weed and 

follow instructions. Always 

try to remove flowers if ever 

you see them as that stops 

the plant from going to seed 

and carefully dispose of any 

bulbs. 

Asparagus aethiopicus or 

Ground Asparagus grows very 

densely above the ground 

and forms thick mats of 

tubers and roots underground 

making larger plants very 

difficult to remove. Smaller 

plants and seedlings can 

be easily removed by hand; 

ensure the crown is removed 

and disposed. Another 

technique commonly used 

in bush regeneration is 

‘crowning’; it involves digging 

out the entire crown that 

sits just below the surface 

of the soil. Roots and tubers 

can be left in the soil. This 

helps prevent excessive soil 

disturbance in sensitive areas, 

particularly coastal dune 

environments. 

Remove stems and foliage 

to get access to the crown. 

Use a sharp knife or trowel 

to cut all of the roots around 

the crown just below the 

surface. Lever the crown out 

of the ground and dispose of 

it. Any small segment of the 

crown that is left behind can 

regrow. 

If all else fails, chemical 

controls can be effective. 

Cut the stems then gouge 

out a section of the crown 

with a knife. Apply the 

herbicide to the gouged crown 

immediately. 

Crossword solution from page 63 

Mystery location: NEWPORT BEACH 

66 JUNE 2024

Pittwater Life July 2024 Issue

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