EASTERN SUBURBS
20 COUNCIL NEWS WOOLLAHRA
Woollahra Gallery January exhibitions
Woollahra Council’s new public art gallery, the Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf, reopens to the public on Jan 12 and will feature three new exhibitions until Jan 30: These Picasso Days (Working from Home), Kevin Diallo and Substratum.
Ed 37, January, 2022
WAVERLEY
Council welcomes new arrivals from Afghanistan
Waverley Council hosted a picnic day at Bondi Beach for Afghan families and individuals who have recently settled in Australia.
RANDWICK
Arts hub at Blenheim House
Plans are in place for Randwick’s oldest house, Blenheim House, to become a new creative and cultural facility that will provide local artists and performers with space to create and exhibit their work. It will become the first dedicated creative space for artists in Randwick City.
For details on exhibitions and events, visit woollahragallery.com.au The Gallery is open Wednesday to Friday, 10am-6pm and Saturday and Sunday, 10am-5pm at 548 New South Head Road, Double Bay. Admission is free.
Have your say on Rose Bay
It’s your last chance to share your feedback on Woollahra Council’s Draft Rose Bay Place Plan, developed to help enhance and improve Rose Bay and informed by extensive community consultation with local residents, businesses and organisations.
The Council partnered with Settlement Services International’s ‘Welcome’ project to host the visit, aimed at giving the new arrivals a taste of their new life in Australia. Emily Scott, General Manager, Waverley Council, said the Council was thrilled to welcome the group to Bondi and the lands of the Biddigal and Gadigal people. Ms Scott told the group: “I hope this first visit to Bondi Beach will be a wonderful experience for everyone today, and that we can highlight some of the great things about this country, including our Indigenous and beach culture. We look forward to welcoming everyone back in the future.
Have your say on the draft by taking a short survey or making a submission before Jan 14 at yoursay.woollahra.nsw.gov.au/rose-bayfuture.
Summer school holiday fun
Our series of school holidays events and workshops at Woollahra libraries at Double Bay, Paddington and Watsons Bay include sustainable family craft, Friday Flicks featuring popular kids' films, and a summer reading club adventure challenge. Visit woollahra.nsw.gov.au/library/whats_on for event details and to book.
Holiday period opening hours and services
“Waverley has been a Refugee Welcome Zone since 2002 and in 2019 we joined the Welcoming Cities network, a growing network of cities, shires, towns and municipalities committed to advancing communities where everyone can belong.” The visit by the new arrivals included: • a picnic hosted by the refugee and asylum seeker assistance organisation, House of Welcome; • surf safety talk by Council lifeguards; • historic walk with Bondi resident and Council officer, Lawrie Williams; • activities for the children with Uniting Iluka Early Learning.
Discover Waverley’s hidden treasures
Our customer service centre at Woollahra Council Chambers in Double Bay will reopen at 8am on Tuesday Jan 4, 2022.
Looking for an adventurous summer holidays family activity close to home? Sign up for Waverley Council’s ‘Find Your Wild Summerama Treasure Hunt.’
Visit woollahra.nsw.gov.au to submit a service request and for information on library opening hours, waste collection and development applications, or download the Woollahra Council App for fast, easy access to Council services anytime, anywhere.
Running through January, the hunt takes you on eleven missions to nature sites in the Eastern Suburbs. “You can choose to visit all locations in one hit, or visit each or a few at your leisure over the month,” says the Council.
COVID update
Due to COVID-19 health restrictions introduced by the NSW Government, face masks must be worn for the duration of your visit to all Woollahra Council venues, and check-in via QR code is required. Please visit health.nsw.gov.au for full details on current health measures.
To take part, you download the GooseChase app. Search for and select the 'Find Your Wild Summerama’ game, or search by game code L7JG74. The aim of the hunt is to promote awareness of the Waverley LGA’s nature reserves and coastal locations, described as “Waverley's hidden gems.” More information: phone Ale Torres on 9083 8045 or email secondnature@waverley. nsw.gov.au
A development application is being lodged for plans to convert the empty residence to a facility that will house four artist studios including an accessible studio, performance and exhibition spaces and a pocket park for the local community. Construction is due to commence in 2023. “It’s an exciting time to be an artist in Randwick City, particularly as plans progress to open up this under-utilised space to the community,” says Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker. “The house is behind a fence and hidden from view but it’s time now to maximise the potential of the building and create a place for everyone to enjoy. “Our vision is for Blenheim House to become a place where art is created and enjoyed. We’re hoping it will be used as a public space for community art exhibitions, performances, workshops and other cultural events.” The plans have been developed in response to Randwick Council’s recently-adopted Arts and Culture Strategy, which aims to increase the number of places that are available for people to participate in arts and culture. Once completed, the studios will be offered through an Expression of Interest application program that will be open to local artists and will be available on a short-term to longer-term affordable lease basis.
Marjorie O'Neill MP
MEMBER FOR COOGEE Happy New Year! I hope everyone feels rested from the break, and spent quality time with friends and family. I want to thank all the essential workers, from those working in hospitality, to hospitals, who spent the break looking out for the community. As many of us head back into work or school, here are some of the key issues I will be diving into in the coming months. In December the NSW Government cut 24 bus routes and at least 50 bus stops in the Eastern Suburbs. This came after a huge two-year community campaign opposing these cuts. My office has received an outpouring of responses from residents affected. Many have informed my office that they no longer have a viable commute to work, or of increased walking distances, as such that they no longer feel safe taking public transport at night. Parents of school-aged children have informed me that their kids now have no adequate public transport options to get to school. Many who heavily rely on our public transport, including the elderly, people with disabilities, and those who can’t drive, have suddenly been cut off from their regular destinations. The most vulnerable members of the community have been the most harmed from these cuts. We have referred the Government’s cuts and planned privatisation of our local buses to a NSW Upper House committee for inquiry. The community deserves to know the real justification for the cuts, and how much public feedback was ignored. A huge thank you to everyone who contacted my office to share their experience and the bus routes they want reinstated. I also encourage you to scan the QR code and sign this e-Petition for the fair funding of our public schools. The petition, supported by Parents & Citizens Associations across the Eastern Suburbs, aims to bring to the attention of Parliament the Government’s deliberate underfunding of our public schools.
Located at 17 Blenheim Street, Randwick, the two-storey sandstone house was built by the first Mayor of Randwick, Simeon Pearce, in 1848.
New boardwalk
Just in time for summer, the new boardwalk at Randwick Environment Park is complete and open for public use. The boardwalk, which was built in place of the dilapidated dirt track on the western edge of the park, completes the 1.2km loop around the park, making the walk fully accessible to all. “Whether you’re a parent pushing a stroller, you’re in a wheelchair or a mobility scooter, everyone should have access to this beautiful green space in the middle of Randwick,” says Mayor Dylan Parker. The boardwalk utilised environmentally friendly footings as part of the design upgrade, which will provide the least amount of soil disturbance and will be made from fibre-reinforced plastic, which contains 90% recycled material.
More than $600 million per year that should go to public schools has been stripped away. This reflects the current NSW Government’s unconscionable approach to education. We have seen public schools being denied essential infrastructural upgrades, declining results and teacher shortages, and a growing dependence on P&C Associations to fund the basic needs of the schools. The petitioners call on the Government to fully fund our public schools in line with the original Gonski agreement. Our children’s futures depend on it. If you have any issues relating to the NSW Government, or you are not sure where to go to for help, please contact my office on (02) 9398 1822 or by emailing coogee@ parliament.nsw.gov.au
