North Sydney Sun November 2022 edition

North Sydney area’s top small bars | Wellness feature | Where to eat in

Deputy Mayor gets ALP preselection for state poll as survey shows surge in local support

NSW Labor is experiencing a significant lift in local support, more than doubling its 2019 vote in North Shore, according to a new opinion poll conducted by Redbridge for Climate 200. The poll came as Labor announced it had preselected North Sydney’s deputy mayor Godfrey Santer as its candidate for North Shore in the March 2023 state election.

The poll, which is being used by activist group North Sydney’s Independent to guide its strategy for the election, showed Labor on 29% of the primary vote, just 4% behind the Liberals on 33%. An unnamed independent candidate scored 24%. The percentages were weighted for local age and gender data.

This compared to actual 2019 results of 47% for Liberal incumbent Felicity Wilson, 20% for independent Carolyn Corrigan and 13% for Labor candidate Michael Lester.

The poll is a tremendous boost for Santer, a former diplomat and small business owner.

The poll suggests that the vote for an independent candidate rises to 34% if they were similar to Kylea Tink, the independent federal MP for North Sydney who was first spotted by North Sydney’s Independent and encouraged to run.

Under this scenario, the Liberal vote rises to 35% and the Labor vote falls to 20%. What makes this result unusual is that 23% of those who said they would vote for a Kylea Tink-style independent said they did not recall Tink’s name while a further 31% were unsure. Another aspect that casts doubt on this result: around half of North Shore falls under a different federal independent, Zali Stegall.

The poll of 600 voters was released as North Sydney’s Independent indicated they were wrapping up a process

to select a candidate for the election.

In a note to supporters, coconvenor Denise Shrivell wrote: “Our expectation continues to be that Larissa Penn will run as an independent in the seat of Willoughby so we decided to first focus on the seat of Lane Coveand then based on strong community feedback we also took on the seat of North Shore. The search for candidates has taken longer than we envisaged, as we’re asking members of our community to take on significant, lifechanging roles. We’ve been honoured to have spoken with and met many amazing people through this process. We’re truly a fortunate community. I can tell you that we are close to finalising candidate selection - and then will go through the process of preparing all the collateral and assets required to launch their campaigns.”

Councillor Alanya Drummond is planning to step down from her position, the North Sydney Sun can exclusively reveal. Under the countback system used to fill vacancies at North Sydney Council, it appears likely that the number two candidate on her 2021 election ticket, local small business owner John Lepouris, will be chosen to replace her.

Drummond decided to make the move after her spouse took a career opportunity interstate in Perth.

“I am eligible to continue serving as councillor. In the past other councillors have continued to serve from interstate and even overseas, but I feel it is the right thing to stand down,” she told the Sun on 31 October.

Drummond said she is “currently dividing my time between east and west, travelling back and forth frequently, so will continue serving my community until the start of the new year, at which time I will vacate my seat.” She continues to be employed as a lecturer at the University of NSW

where she teaches in the school of Built Environment.

Under the countback system employed by North Sydney Council, votes above the line for Drummond’s Team Jilly should be distributed to Lepouris, the number two candidate on her ticket. This would see Lepouris gain around .75 of a quota, comfortably ahead of the nearest contenders, Real Independents’ number two candidate with an effective .39-.54 of a quota and Jessica Keen, with .39 of a quota.

Drummond told the Sun: “I remain committed to the North Sydney area and connected through a wide network of residents, small business owners, family and friends. But I do not feel that I can effectively contribute to the local dialogue from a distance.”

“It has been an honour to serve the community of North Sydney for the past five years, and I wish to thank the local community for their trust in reelecting me for a second term,” she added. “I regret not being able to complete the remaining year and a half left

of this council term and finish the important work that is in progress.”

Drummond said she was “particularly” passionate about waste reduction and proud to have championed food organics waste collection and textile recycling in the LGA.

“I’m really, really excited earlier in the year to have introduced the trial recycling program with RecycleSmart so that complex recycling can be collected from your doorstep. I know how difficult it is to get to a large recycling centre and being able to facilitate realistic and convenient ways to recycle bulky, complex recyclables like textiles is a massive achievement.”

“The other initiative that I’m extremely proud of is advocating for kerbside organic waste collection. Again, the ability for homeowners to have a convenient kerbside collection of food waste, which is our other major waste product that typically fills a huge portion of our landfill, that can instead be diverted to composting and organics waste recycling to avoid land-

fill is the other environmental initiative that I’m so proud of. We’ve been in the process of setting up a trial for multi-residential dwellings. And I

News and views for North Sydney’s residential and business communities

Continued Page 2

Godfrey Santer

Alanya Drummond & John Lepouris

NSW Labor’s candidate for North Shore, Godfrey Santer, is currently best known as the popular deputy mayor at North Sydney Council, winning respect across the aisle as evidenced by his unanimous election recently.

But less is known about his long career in the Australian diplomatic service and his subsequent key role in putting the nation on the global tourism map. Santer told the Sun that he was motivated to join the Labor party at university as a result of his opposition to the Vietnam war.

“My parents were good members of the Liberal Party and helped to get (Fraser era treasurer) Phil Lynch preselection. But mum was also a strong Catholic and a pacifist and so when the Vietnam War came along they were utterly disgusted with the Liberal Party policy at the time and immediately cancelled their membership.”

Santer graduated with an economics degree and joined the Foreign Affairs department. “I put in an application as a joke as much as anything and couldn’t believe it when I got in,” Santer recalled. “They said ‘Well, we’ve got a token economist but we’ll get back at him for all his anti Vietnam stuff at university by posting him to Vietnam. So my first posting was Saigon.”

He was then posted to Iran, leading up to the revolution there which deposed the Shah: “I witnessed a few pretty nasty things in Iran. I went, for example, to visit a business friend of mine, his business was overlooking the central area between the bazaar and the mosque, and while we were there talking there was a big demonstration going on in the square.”

“Immediately two trucks came in to side streets and blocked it off and shot a few people while we were crouching down and they were firing. Grabbed the bodies, threw them in the back of the trucks and then drove off.”

“So I wrote a thing back to Canberra saying, This place is a powder keg waiting to blow up, and particularly down in South Tehran and in Mashhad where I

went to, up in the North East, which is near Afghanistan. The place was really bubbling with revolutionary fervour,” he recalled. Santer’s memo was credited by the then minister as placing Australia on the cutting edge of intelligence about what was to transpire in that country.

His next posting to France may have seen like a respite but was no less tumultuous. “This was the time of the testing of Mururoa. Jacques Chirac was the president at the time, and also the problems in New Caledonia. So we were a bit on the nose, but at the same time as I was involved with the successful negotiation of Bilateral Nuclear Safeguards Treaty with the French.”

Following France, Santer joined the Australian Tourism Commission as its deputy head. He said it is a myth that Australia’s emergence as a global tourism destination resulted from the specific campaigns using comedian Paul Hogan, pointing out that the ATC ran a “horses for courses” policy using local advertising agencies and campaigns in different international markets. Santer was key in the strategies which attracted Japanese tourists to destinations such as the Gold Coast, and then reinventing the strategy to capitalise on the growth of an outbound China tourism sector.

Looking for a change of direction, Santer was inspired by the Adelaide heritage accommodation business of Rodney and Regina Twiss and established his own North Sydney business, Garden View Apartments, which eventually rose to become one of the biggest such firms in Sydney.

It was running a business which inspired him to enter public life: “I’d had a lot of dealing with council on the constituent side of the fence and not all of it was good. And I thought I could make a difference.”

Santer received the 3rd highest vote of any winning candidate in the last council election, only behind Zoe Baker and Jilly Gibson.

Grahame Lynch

Labor polling strongly for state election

Continued from page 1

There is also some anticipation that a candidate will emerge from the Real Independents camp, which controls the mayor position at North Sydney Council. There has been speculation that former mayor Genia McCaffery may run for the group, fuelled by a Facebook post hastily withdrawn minutes after posting on 24 October which suggested local residents were “going to see a whole lot more of North Sydney's favourite former head honcho and all time bestie... watch this space.”

Meanwhile, in the seat of Willoughby, NSW Labor said Willoughby local Sarah Griffin will run as its candidate.

Griffin has lived in the Willoughby electorate for over 20 years with her husband Wayne and raised her two children Sabrina and Brynn there.

She believes the communities across the electorate deserve greater representation and transparency, particularly in relation to major infrastructure projects which are directly impacting the community.

Griffin said she will fight to ensure that Royal North Shore Hospital continues to serve the changing and diverse needs of the electorate and will work “with a Minns Labor Government to deliver safe staffing levels in

our hospitals.”

In her early career, Griffin worked as a physiotherapist in the NSW public hospital system.

She is now a health economist having worked in senior roles in health delivery and technology both in Australia and overseas.

She founded Medtechnique Consulting and has more than 25 years of experience in the medical technology sector.

The NSW state election is scheduled for March 25 next year.

The Coalition government is in minority with 45 of 93 seats, ahead of Labor on 36. There are 12 independents although two of these are nominally aligned with the Liberal Party.

Sarah Griffin

Godfrey Santer

Fears that councillor inaction will see Neutral Bay stagnate

Departing North Sydney councillor Alanya Drummond has challenged her fellow representatives to ensure that Neutral Bay doesn’t stagnate in the face of an impasse over planning.

Council has recently rejected proposed developments in Waters Rd and Rangers Rd on the grounds of excessive height, despite promised community gains in the form of open space and developer payments.

It has also decided to re-open Young Street to traffic, rejecting a state government grant of $2 million to build a permanent plaza.

“The challenge is ensuring that Neutral Bay does not stagnate. I very much see in the current council makeup a discourse where nothing is better than something. And where any development is considered negative,” Drummond told the Sun.

“Neutral Bay is very long overdue for care and attention. And I see a major challenge being moving past the hypothetical and abstract world of master planning, where it’s safe because no concrete decisions need to be made. I see the challenge being actually taking the next step and allowing Neutral Bay to be improved.”

“I don’t want to see North Sydney just flounder because all of our councillors are focused on fighting the state government.”

Drummond said she detected an attitude of endless time wasted in the sense that years of work that have

been put into considering the improvement of areas such as Neutral Bay and Cremorne “have more or less been thrown in the bin at an enormous cost and time wasted for our community, which I think is an extraordinary shame.”

There is a lack of vision, and an intention to say no to any visionary or creative thinking, she charged.

“Unfortunately, when we try and keep things the same, we actually go backwards over time. Our buildings and infrastructure get more run down, are more inaccessible.”

Viewing developers as a onedimensional enemy is an overly simplistic approach, she said.

“We should be engaging with all of the stakeholders that play a role in improving the amenity of our community and we should be engaging with them in a productive way.”

“As far as I can see, most high quality architects and developers no longer want to have anything to do with North Sydney because they waste all of their ideas and opportunity and everything is rejected.”

“And ultimately, we are going to end up in a community where only the lowest quality developers and designers are interested in connecting with us because there’s a general reputation that unfortunately is being built that we are not prepared in any way to collaborate. I think that’s really sad. I think were going to end up with maybe

John Lepouris set to join council

can’t wait to see that roll out across the North Sydney LGA for every home,” Drummond said.

Drummond also expressed pride in her contribution to the North Sydney Olympic Pool re-development, particularly a design brief geared towards the needs of the disabled and the elderly. “There was the option of a cheap bandaid solution, which had been

done in the past that was not the best choice for our community,” she said, adding that the choice of a more premium option enabled broader use by the community for an extended period of time into the future.

As for Lepouris, should the count back deem him the next-in-line, he will bring a small business voice to council. Lepouris is the owner of Against The Grind, the popular café on Young St in Neutral Bay.

shorter buildings that are horrendously ugly, which somehow is being spruiked as a bonus for our community.”

Drummond said that the council rate base does not provide sufficient revenue to build high quality, new public open space given the high cost of real estate in the area.

“It’s just the fundamental reality that for those public spaces to be built, most of it is via developer contributions or development collaboration. And I see a gross misrepresentation to our community of that economic reality. I think we will lose those key opportunities in Neutral Bay to have public open space built into these key

sites because they will just be shorter, denser buildings that fit within the height controls, but have no capacity to offer any public amenity.”

“That was the logic behind the Neutral Bay Young St Plaza, which I think would have been an extraordinarily successful public open space. I think it’s to the detriment of our community that politics played a role in that project being turned down and money being given back to the state government. It just shows that the current council makeup would rather say no than allow creative thinking to provide public open space to our residents and small business owners.”

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Council has voted to nix a proposed plaza at Young St and re-open to traffic

Next stage of St Leonards South transformation begins

No area north of the bridge has undergone a bigger transformation in the last three years than St Leonards South. A new phase of large-scale developments has begun with several projects immediately west of the train line breaking ground.

The largest development by area is The Newlands which is located between Pacific Highway to the north, River Road to the south and between 21-41 Canberra Avenue and 18-32 Holdsworth Avenue the project will cover 1.26 hectares.

Before construction could begin, developers needed to buy up several properties, the majority of which were single family dwellings. These will be demolished and replaced by five 8 to 12 story buildings with a total of 330 new apartments costing a total $440m. The development will also include underground parking, a pocket park on the western corner, a 2,500 square metre ‘green spine’, a pool, outdoor gym and rooftop gardens. Plans were approved back in March, marking the first development to get the green light in the St Leonards South Masterplan site.

Next door at 13-19 Canberra Avenue ‘Audrey’ will be a 12 storey, 84 apartment building. The dwelling will be a 1, 2 & 3 bed individual configurations with shared spaces featuring indoor pool & spa, a music room, cinema, personal training studio, private dining room and rooftop terrace showcasing views of the Sydney city skyline and an onsite café. Around the corner at 1-3 Holdsworth Avenue a 13 storey development called ‘Elation’ will add 98 new homes to the precinct.

These new construction projects join a long list of huge developments transforming the St Leonards skyline.

In 2019, St Leonards Square was opened along with two 28 and 26 story apartment buildings hosting a combined 500 dwellings.

At the same time just next door ‘The Landmark’ began construction with the 43 story building opening in late 2021. Across the road at 88 Christie St, 26 and 47 storey towers hosting 600 units plus retail and commercial spaces. The $1.3B project is nestled next to the train line which will have a new public park constructed over it to provide more green space for the increased population.

St Leonards Plaza, which is currently under construction, will include 4,750sqm of open green space with a central lawn and play areas, connecting Lithgow St with Canberra Ave.

On the west side of the track, is ‘The Embassy’ which is a 29 storey, 271 apartment complex which opened in 2019. It was the first of the new era of St Leonards South development.

Perhaps the best example of what to expect from The Newlands is just across the road at 2 Canberra Ave. Prologue St Leonards is a 6 storey apartment complex that hosts 30 dwellings and was completed in 2021. Architecturally it is similar to The Newlands and was essentially a precursor for the much larger project across the road.

St Leonards is an intriguing planning case study as the suburb spans 3 different LGAs; North Sydney, Lane Cove and Willoughby, meaning councils may look to approve larger developments to appease state population controls. Significantly, the incentive to site here comes from the reality that negative externalities may be experienced partially in someone else’s LGA.

Additionally the construction of the

Metro status report: what’s built, what’s still to come

Tunnelling commenced in October 2018 shortly after the Northwest Metro opened to the public, linking the Hills district to Chatswood via Epping and Macquarie.

The first stop out of Chatswood will be Crows Nest Station which is located on the corner of Oxley St and Pacific Highway. Construction of the station started in January 2021 and in the latest update from Sydney Metro it was revealed that the concourse level and plant levels are close to completion. Escalators that will connect the concourse and platform are also nearing completion, with the walls of the station in progress. Works have gone ahead without many hitches besides a formwork collapse in September.

Outside of the station, Oxley St upgrades continue as underground works to adjust utilities in surrounding streets and properties. Notably, the Hume St Plaza has now opened across the road from the site. The new green space that connects the station with

Willoughby Road was partly built to accommodate a higher number of people in the area and to make clearer connections to Crows Nest’s hub.

Moving down the line in North Sydney is Victoria Cross Station, located on Miller St, between Berry St and Pacific Highway. This site is further progressed than Crows Nest with station platform structure complete and the fit-out commenced.

In adjoining tunnels and on the platforms the installation of cables, trackside equipment is well underway as well as acoustic noise treatment. With the bulk of the underground works essentially done, focus has shifted to the above ground station structure. This involves formwork and concrete works to complete the perimeter walls and floors, waterproofing and the early stages of commencement of the station’s facade. Scaffolding has

been placed around the perimeter of the site creating a temporary platform used for above ground work.

Three months ago, final approvals were given to Lendlease to proceed with the construction of a 42 story building on top of the metro station. However, it is still early days for this project with construction set to be completed in 2025, a year after the Metro opens.

Several surrounding sites have also begun construction or are in the DA process.

A 51 story tower has been approved for 110-118 Walker St while next door DAs have been lodged for a 45,000sqm building at 153 Walker St. Construction at 88 Walker St is progressing as a 50 story tower emerges next to the new Channel 9 building.

Developers and companies alike are jostling to acquire prime positions

near the station.

Visitors to Blues Point could be forgiven for thinking a metro station was being constructed on the edge of the water at the iconic site.

Unfortunately for those looking for an easier ride home from the Blues Point Hotel, it was just a dive site for tunnel construction.

The site is now in the process of being returned as a waterfront park with half of the area already reopened, including beach access. Still in the pipeline is the upgrading of the lighting, pavements, benches and terrace walls in the park and surrounding streets. The remaining turf will also be laid with improved drainage as well as a new water fountain.

Meanwhile, excavation is underway for $12.4bn Sydney Metro West Project as the NSW government continues to push ahead with the rolling out of the network. The Chatswood to Sydenham section is expected to open in 2024.

Artists impression of the Victoria Cross development

Metro Station in nearby Crows Nest has increased demand for residency in the area with councils obliging with

the knowledge that transport infrastructure can keep up with population demands.

Newlands (artist impression)

St Leonards Plaza (artist impression)

With the Sydney Metro project now four years in, James Mullan looks into where this enormous project is up to and how surrounding areas have already changed.

Aboriginal Land Council wins appeal to take control of Waverton Bowling Club site

The New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council has won a Land and Environment Court dispute over the Waverton Bowling Club site under the control of North Sydney Council.

The win is believed to be the first successful native title claim in the lower north shore of Sydney.

The Land Council successfully appealed against an earlier state government ministerial decision that said, in part, “I am satisfied that when the Claims were made the land was not claimable Crown land. The relevant land [was] lawfully used and occupied by North Sydney Council, known as the former Waverton Bowling Club and needed for the essential public purpose of public recreation.”

The argument against this was that the club had ceased trading in 2019 and the site had not been used for the purposes of its specific licence for community and sporting club facilities subsequently.

Although North Sydney Council had conducted maintenance and upkeep such as lawn mowing, “Council’s use and occupation of the Claimed Land was either not evident in fact, in that there is no evidence of the Council undertaking any relevant use or occupation other than sporadic mowing of the Claimed Land and no other maintenance, and to the extent that there was evidence that the Council did anything that would comprise a use of the Claimed Land such use was,

on the evidence, a nominal use in fact.” Duggan J ruled that: “I am unable to be satisfied on the evidence that the Claimed Land was or was likely to be needed for the essential public purpose of open space for public recreation,” adding “there was no evidence from Council’s own recreational needs studies (or other planning documents) that identified a specific demand or need in the specific Waverton locality” and that the evidence “evinces the lack of any momentum of any particular land use proposal in the pool of available uses.”

The appeal was upheld and the site must be transferred to the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council within 6 months.

NS Council seeks legal advice on allowable uses for Bradfield Park North Sydney Quest hotel building for sale

Savills has listed for exclusive sale the 4.5-star Quest apartment hotel located in North Sydney.

The property comprises a recently completed apartment hotel contained in one stratum lot and set within a mixed-use hotel and residential apartment development. Quest leases the premises.

The hotel features 83 studios and 17 one-bedroom apartments over five levels, reception and lobby, conference room, gymnasium, sauna and steam rooms and three basement car parks.

North Sydney Council is seeking urgent legal advice on the original 1939 proclamation of Bradfield Park at Milsons Point in a move which may threaten state government plans to build a major bike ramp connecting the Harbour Bridge to Alfred St South.

The issue apparently stems from the “trust” placed in North Sydney Council to look after the park following the construction of the Bridge. Original 1930s legislation enabling the transfer of the park to council refer to: “an estate in fee simple upon trust for parks and recreation purposes.”

In a motion passed unanimously by North Sydney Council, Cr Ian Mutton moved that the council consider: “Given the proclamation of the Governor of NSW dated 19 March 1939 vesting in North Sydney Council the lands now known as Bradfield Park, whether the titles to that land need to be the subject of an application to amend to bring them in line with that Proclamation. Whether the land that comprises Bradfield Park or a part thereof can be compulsorily acquired by the NSW Government either pursuant to the provisions of the Land Acquisition (Just Terms) Act 1991 or any other Act of the NSW Parliament. Whether North Sydney Council can, without breaching the trust established by the Proclamation, agree to transfer any interest in or right to the land that comprises Bradfield Park or any part thereof to the NSW Government for the purpose of building a ramp be-

tween the Sydney Harbour Bridge and a road contiguous with Bradfield Park.”

The motion concluded that council resolves to request the Premier of NSW to direct Transport for NSW to refrain from taking any action seeking to acquire an interest in or right to Bradfield Park or any part of it for any purpose until the advice being sought has been received and considered.

The legal advice could have a direct impact on the state government’s right to erect the massive bike ramp planned to scale the eastern side of the bridge approaches across much of Bradfield Park North.

Councillor Mutton told the Sun that: “Transport for NSW is exceeding it powers when it demands North Sydney’s council hand over a large part of Bradfield Park so that it can build a velodrome styled exit from the Bridge for bike riders; and North Sydney Council will breach its trust if it acquiesces to the demands of Transport for NSW.”

Transport for NSW said it is progressing plans for the ramp following the selection of a preferred design earlier this year. “Decisions on final project scope and design elements are subject to engagement with project stakeholders, outcomes of the Have Your Say community engagement process, future design development, planning and heritage approvals,” Transport for NSW said.

Grahame Lynch

Also included is a café on ground floor - servicing not only hotel guests but those corporates working in surrounding office towers - with a total internal area of 220sqm and access to the outdoor area with Council approval for up to 140 patrons.

The premises is fully leased with the hotel secured by a lease with thirteen-year lease remaining and operating under the Quest Apartment Hotels brand, one of Australia’s largest serviced apartment operators. The lease has annual fixed base rent in-

creases with market reviews each five years plus turnover rent provisions.

The property at 223 Miller Street, North Sydney is listed for sale by Nick Lower, Max Cooper and Selin Ince of Savills Australia and New Zealand.

Expressions of interest close 8th of December at 11am (AEDT).

Staff reporter

West St cycle link likely to go ahead

North Sydney Council is currently considering community feedback on the final concept design for the West Street cycling, walking and streetscape upgrades. The proposed project will install a 100m segregated cycleway between Pacific Highway and Ridge Street, running along the Union Hotel side. Also included are six new trees and rain gardens to reduce run-off into stormwater drains. Plus a continuous footpath that will be built across the intersection of West Street and Church Lane.

In 2019, the council built a bidirectional cycleway that linked West St to Neutral Bay via Ridge St and a Warringah Freeway pedestrian overpass. The new link extends this route from Neutral Bay to Pacific Highway.

Carolyn New from Bike North, a non-profit community based bicycle user group, welcomed the plans but believes they need to go further: “We urge that Council pushes Transport for NSW hard to build a separate bike path along the Pacific Highway from Arthur Street (near Middlemiss St) and connecting directly into a West Street Cycleway.”

On 26 September, Council resolved to progress the concept designs of Stages 2 and 3 while implementing Stage 1. These stages would likely include plans to connect the West St cycleway down to North Sydney CBD and up to Cammeray.

At the conclusion of the feedback phase, a final design will be adopted and construction is likely to begin mid-2023.

The Sun Says…

Kylea Tink’s remarkable victory this year was stitched together through an improbable coalition of moderate liberals, conservatives and progressives. As a result, the North Sydney MP was always going to face some difficult decisions when it came to votes on divisive bills in areas such as industrial relations.

Tink’s response to the new IR laws sounded much like what one would expect from a Liberal MP. She expressed concerns about its reach into small business, its impact on the construction industry and whether Labor had a mandate for the changes.

But when it came to the final vote on the bill, she abstained, unlike other Sydney Teals who lodged a no vote.

This has prompted Liberal senator Andrew Bragg to question whether she is living up to her promise to represent the people of North Sydney. Does abstention genuinely reflect community will, he asks? And there are also mutterings from the left-wing part of the electorate that they feel disappointed she didn’t support the IR bill.

Senator Bragg is probably right. The prevailing sentiment of the North Sydney electorate is likely sceptical about what seems like an old-fashioned Labor IR over-reach.

Tink’s decision to abstain has highlighted the limitations of her own mandate in how she came to power. She promised to provide a voice for the electorate in Canberra, rather than a voice for a national party in North Sydney.

But abstention implies a timidity regarding the philosophical debate that has dominated Western political discourse for centuries and our own party structure since Federation: that of capital and organised labour. North Sydney may have fallen out of love with the Liberals on climate, gender and integrity issues. But that does not mean that the electorate wants to be unrepresented on economic and IR issues.

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Phone: 0415756208

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Who provided the capital for the winning Kylea Tink campaign?

The formidable army of donors who fortressed Kylea Tink with $1.8 million of donations for her May election campaign has finally been revealed under new disclosure documents.

Overall, Tink’s campaign raised an enormous $1,825,072 and spent $1,379,196 of that. A total of 946 people and groups donated to the campaign, 60% of whom made donations over $1000.

However, only donations of $14,500 or more require named disclosure. Tink received donations from ten individuals and groups above this threshold, accounting for around twothirds of her total donation pool.

As is already widely understood, Climate 200, the group convened by Simon Holmes a Court, was the major donor to the Tink campaign, contributing $808,412. This ended up representing some 45% of the total campaign take, a little higher than the 3540% that had previously been posited at its target contribution.

North Sydney’s Independent was the next highest donor, with $109,747. As previously reported in the Sun, this is the vehicle that identified Tink as a potential candidate, and is helmed by Kristen Lock and Denise Shrivell.

Of the two, Shrivell is best known through her MediaScope operation.

Another significant donor was Robert Keldoulis, a Bondi-based stock trader, who donated $99,000 to Tink’s campaign directly and an additional $1.2 million to Climate 200.

Also significant were individuals associated with the now disbanded North Sydney Conversations group, which actively supported Tink prior to the election.

One was Liz Tay, a Greenwich resident with a background in science and technology journalism, who donated $45,854. Tay also uses the name Elizabeth McEvoy.

Another was Trine Barter, also known as Katrina Chandler, donated $30,200. Barter has mostly been resident in London in recent years where she helmed the prestigious Grove Charity Trust. She and her husband have moved back to Sydney and now live in Mosman.

$32,000 came from Roslyn and Geoff Morgan, founders of recruitment stalwart Morgan & Banks, who live in Lavender Bay.

$30,000 came from a company called Keep Them Honest, which is the vehicle of Darling Point residents Therese Nancy Cochrane and Frederick Raymond Willard.

They also are directors of Samuel Terry Asset Management, which has a diversified portfolio including stakes in Diamond Offshore Drilling, Horizon Oil and Karoon Energy.

Tamarama resident Nick Fairfax of the former publishing family donated $20,000. He is still associated with

his family foundation and manages Marinya Capital, which invests private equity in a range of industries.

$20,000 also came from Cremorne resident Claudia Stephens, who also played an active role as a volunteer on the ground campaign for Tink.

Andrew Kaldor donated $15,000. He is the chair of UNSW Kaldor Centre International Refugee Law, and has been described as an independent businessman and investor, and now philanthropist.

For the moment, we have no equivalent information for Liberal

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As for Tink, if she has her way, she may not be receiving such large sums should she run in 2025. Her policy is for: “Legislative reform to curtail the influence of money in politics: including caps on campaign spending, caps on individual donations and real-time donation reporting.”

Mayor’s heartfelt thanks for Rob Emerson

The often acrimonious proceedings at North Sydney Council took a respite this month when Mayor Zoe Baker gave a special thanks to Robert Emerson, who has acted in the position of general manager for six months while a permanent replacement was found.

“He has performed with great grace, with great tenacity, with great perspicacity. We are very, very lucky at North Sydney to have had a public servant such as Rob to serve our community, and he always places our community at the heart of all that he does.”

“I’m pleased on behalf of council staff who I know have appreciated his great warmth and support and his open door policy. It is. We have an exciting new door and chapter about to open with the arrival of our new general manager who will be at the next council meeting. But we cannot let this go without giving it a vote of exceptionally exceptional gratitude to your performance and the care that you have taken,” Baker said.

Emerson is the director of open space and environmental services.

candidate Trent Zimmerman and Labor candidate Catherine Renshaw, who apparently received no personal donations at the threshold level. This is likely because their donations went to their parties and thus will be separately released next year.

Kylea Tink’s

supporters

Robert Keldoulis: $99K Liz Tay: $46K Trine Barter: $30K

Geoff Morgan: $32K Nick Fairfax: $20K Andrew Kaldor: $15K

Milsons Point bike users as rare as the Yeti?

I must confess that I am sick of reading the rhetoric from our local BikeNSW advocate (October letters) about the long-time congestion issue affecting pedestrians, vehicular and cyclist safety in Milsons Point.

With cycle numbers dropping all round Sydney especially over the Harbour Bridge there are no numbers to support this continuing claim that there is. Looking for cyclists in Milsons Point is like searching for the Yeti. If they build this ramp congestion here in Milsons Point will be horrendous for everyone but the cyclists.

The “brilliant solution” by TfNSW and BikeNSW to a “decades-old problem” actually takes out 30 carparking spaces in Alfred Street South and woodchips almost all of the mature trees in the southern part of Bradfield Park North.

And TfNSW concedes that the business of La Capannina will be severely damaged by the resumption of land for the construction site. This is not so brilliant. This is a sacrilege!

The solution to the non-existent problem will have cyclists alight in a special plaza at the end of the new velodrome which will take speeding cyclists off the Bridge. Thousands of school kids, commuters and the elder-

Letters to the editor may be edited for length, context or legal reasons. Send to grahamelynch@northsydneysun.com.au and include a phone no if possible

ly will then have to negotiate their way through this extremely dangerous plaza laid bare by the destruction of the mature trees.

The bus stops will be moved to clear the way for the cyclists in another cynical move and deliveries to our wonderful shops and cafes will be nigh impossible.

And there will be no parking.

We have been counting the cyclists and the present number hovers around 450 and, in reality, we are only talking about those cyclists who find the steps a bit arduous. Most don’t need it nor will they use it. The steps will remain especially for the eastern cyclists who will refuse to back track.

My guess that this is a very small number, maybe a hundred. The socalled boom in bike sales has not resulted in increased usage. This trend looks like pets acquired during COVID which are now being surrendered in great numbers. Bikes are gathering dust in garages all over NSW.

For very valid reasons the community has overwhelming rejected the cycle ramp that lands in Bradfield

Park North and suggested a far better solution in Bradfield Park Central.

This design is far superior to the TfNSW proposal and meets Minister Stokes’ requirements in all aspects. The North solution meets very few of Stokes’ requirements.

The only people who want this ramp are the overpaid advocates of BikeNSW who need to deliver something to the membership to justify their exorbitant salaries and the 450 public employees of Active Transport. This group will do anything to pretend that there is overwhelming support for their destructive ramp.

Let’s not forget our local advocate who thinks our community should provide him a green bike path right to his front door; for $55,000,000.

The community has put forward a perfectly acceptable alternative which is better in every way.

There is no “Not In My Front Yard” here at all. This is a national heritage item a national treasure. It is ours to protect.

What really irks me is the arrogance of the people who promote this hare brained scheme.

Our Bike advocates suggest we let TfNSW get on with work. This is the same TfNSW that formed the view that the good folk of NSW were not capable of building trains or ferries and therefore scoured the world for them.

And what did we get? We got ferries that can’t travel to Manly when the surf is up or go down the Parramatta River with passengers on the top deck. Of course, the light rail sits idle because the trains are cracked and probably can’t be fixed. And I nearly forgot the disaster with the inter-city trains.

And to suggest that people will flock to Milsons Point to see the ramp is so preposterous it is beyond belief.

Where to find a copy of the Sun

Neutral Bay Community Centre

190-192 Military Road, Neutral Bay

Kirribilli Neighbourhood Centre 16-18 Fitzroy St

Nimba Bakery 4 Ennis Rd, Milsons Point

James Milson Village 4 Clark Rd, North Sydney

Kirribilli Hotel 35-37 Broughton St, Milsons Point

The Flying Bear 76 McDougall St, Kirribilli

Altitude Cafe Shop 3/48 Alfred St S, Milsons Point

Rustic Charm Cafe 2/102 Alfred St S, Milsons Point

Latitude Cafe 55 Lavender St, Milsons Point

Kirribilli Club 11 Harbourview Cres, Lavender Bay

Blues Point Hotel 116 Blues Point Rd, McMahons Point

Coal Loader Centre Waverton 2 Balls Head Dr, Waverton

Waverton Community Bookshelf 94A Bay Rd, Waverton

1st Sipzz Cafe 157 Walker St, North Sydney

North Sydney Council Chambers 200 Miller St

Stanton Library 234 Miller St, North Sydney

North Sydney Community Centre 220 Miller St

Crows Nest Community Centre 2 Ernest Pl, Crows Nest

North Sydney Indoor Sport Centre 36 Hume St, Crows Nest

Bean Drinking Shop 1/13 Ernest Pl, Crows Nest

Fresh Crows Nest Cafe 13 Ernest St, Crows Nest

Woolworths Crows Nest 10 Falcon St, Crows Nest

Galleria Cafe 66 Pacific Hwy, St Leonards

Norths Cammeray 12 Abbott St, Cammeray

Greenwich Post Office 91a Greenwich Rd, Greenwich

Greenwich Library 48 Greenwich Rd, Greenwich

Incinerator Cafe 2a Small St, Willoughby

Suggest a new site, email james@northsydneysun.com.au

Peter Noble, Milsons Point

Our guide to the district’s nine

thentic vibe matches the atmosphere of Waverton. It is also family friendly, the kids will love the pizza.

Located on Fitzroy Street next to Kirribilli Seafoods and BWS, Bamfords stylistically fits the area to a tee.

If you blur your eyes a little, it might look like Waverton Shopping Village is becoming an Italian style piazza. Now hear me out, it’s got a long way to be Leichhardt or Haberfield but with Bar Quattro joining Third Rail and Capo, great hospitality spots have filled in a plaza that not that long ago was only a walkway to an IGA.

Finally bringing a bar to the once sleepy suburb, Bar Quattro is a perfect fit for the area. It has a classy ambiance, with warm, mellow colours and lighting. In true Italian style, the bar has archways sitting behind the marble counter. It’s a lovely setting to enjoy classic Italian cuisine from arancini to thin base pizzas. What stands out is the array of food options matching perfectly with their drinks menu. This is what separates Quattro from a standard restaurant, you can graze or feast and it is all perfect for sharing.

Italians don’t mess around when it comes to quality bread and Quattro is no exception. They serve sweet, herby Bruschetta and crispy, thick sourdough. If you were looking to kick it up a notch the Tuna Ceviche morsels give a tangy and aromatic taste served on the same bread.

The antipasto plates look and taste incredible. Enjoy ribbons of prosciutto and salami, triangles of cheddar, all topped with bundles of olives. The salty notes pair very well with most drinks on offer, especially the full flavoured Quattro Negroni. This signature cocktail has a strong fruitiness with an undertone of gin and campari.

On the other end of the spectrum, The Uno Momento has a subtle flavour, splicing prosecco and mint finish or try the refreshing limoncello infused cocktail, Gialla. The classic cocktails are also excellent, with the Cosmo standing out and balancing the savoury flavours of the nibbles.

Bar Quatrro is owned by the same management as Capo Pizza next door. Patrons can order pizza next door and enjoy it at the bar. It’s a great option for people looking for a longer dining experience.

This really is the bar Waverton has been waiting for. Quattro’s classy, au-

Nestled in a Crows Nest alley way Knird is a classy hole in the wall bar with one of the best wine selections you’ll find.

Entering on Hume Lane towards the Albany St end, the intimacy of the space is created by drop lighting, a pink marble bar and smooth timber. The menu screams of attention to detail and has clearly been intricately assembled to offer a unique flavour experience. If owner Andrew Day is working the floor he will guide you through the seasonal foods, the stories behind the stacked wine list and of course crack a joke or two.

The bar offers nibbles by the item, perfect for those who are popping in for a quick drink or maybe just looking for a palate cleanser. All flavour sensations are covered from aromatic beef curry puffs come with a sweet dipping sauce to the perfect fusion dish anchovy nigiri, Italian fish Japanese style. Seriously tasty. Kicking things up a notch the oysters are seasonally sourced to ensure that ocean fresh taste. The only tough choice is what to pair with these sensational flavours? A unique offering is wine by the half bottle offering 375ml bottles, perfect for two (or maybe one, no judgement).

Two recommendations from this writer would be the Glass Tin Shed Riesling 2022, crisp, slightly sweet and very refreshing. For a red option the Morgon Domaine Louis Clade Designes ‘La Voute-Saint Vincent’ from France has raspberry, cherry and blackberry notes and a lovely long finish. With 70+ wines it’s a tough choice but there is a drink for every pallet.

If you can’t decide, the knowledgeable Andrew is more than happy to help you choose something spot on to your preferences. Knird is a fine wining at its best, whether it’s just a quick happy hour or not settling in for a big night, this gem goes above and beyond. Looking for a quality drink? Just spell it backwards.

There’s a pretty decent chance you’ve walked past Small Bar and not realised what you’ve missed.

Don’t be fooled by the shop front, Small Bar is bursting with energy, offering a classic bar experience with some exciting modern twists.

For such a cosy space there sure is a lot of seating choice and that’s even before you look at the menu. As you enter you can choose to sit street side or on the front patio to soak in the vibrant Crows Nest village or those looking for a cosier setting might prefer indoors.

Cocktail tables are intimately candlelit and surrounded by vintage trinkets such as the misshapen mirrors on the wall that will leave you in deep reflection.

Walk through further to the gem of the venue is the sheltered courtyard outback which during the day baths in sunlight and by night transforms into a serene garden party.

Small Bar’s menu has all your bar favourites covered from wings to jalapeno poppers and tacos. The sliders are seriously generous and would probably be considered a burger at many other joints. A unique yet simple snack is the lamb and ricotta meatballs, served with a tzatziki and tomato relish. Much like the venue, small but incredible.

For drinks the Caramel espresso martini is smooth but we will warn you it’ll leave you feeling energetic, euphoric and wanting more. Another refreshing choice is Australian Negroni, which features Vermouth from the Adelaide hills. Why not order that with a side of lightly fried calamari or soft shell crab… very Aussie!

Small Bar has simply nailed the bar experience, while the offerings are classic they put their own little spin on everything, which really takes the flavours to another level.

Whether you are looking to pop in for a drink on your way home, sitting in for a long catch up or at the start of a big night out, this place is a must visit. Plus it’s within hopping distance to countless Crows Nest night spots.

Kirribilli’s newest night-time destination has taken your classic English pub, made it modern and polished it up. Think chips but served with parmesan and chives or instead of beef wellington, you get beef brisket sliders. The bar has a very understated appearance created by the darker colour scheme, simple furnishings, brass and wood bar accompanied by vintage, British style art on the walls.

The atmosphere is warm as the small, easily filled space conducive for great conversation.

Bamfords has a small menu in the best possible way as they are great at what they do. Starting with a drink you simply must try the Bloody Jasmine which blends shiraz gin, campari, cointreau, lemon and bitters for a strong yet sweet sensation. More on the traditional British side is the signature Bombay Bramble, a G&T but with blackberry and raspberry gin. For something a little lighter try the signature Bamfords Lager on tap for a classic, full bodied beer. Don’t worry, they don’t serve the beer English style, meaning their pints are ice cold.

The Ploughman Plate has the perfect line up of snacks that accompany drinks including prosciutto, ham, salami, cheddar, brie, olives, dried fruit, nuts, cornichons and tomato relish served with crostini bread. Truly a spread that satisfies every one of your cravings.

1/20

Bar Quattro 3/100 Bay Rd, Waverton

Knird 2/31-33 Albany St, Crows Nest

Small Bar 85 Willoughby Rd, Crows Nest

Bamfords 85 Willoughby Rd, Crows Nest

Tachinomi

Burlington St, Crows Nest

You’d expect to find the best Asian dining and bar experiences north of the bridge up in Chatswood, but Crows Nest now has a Japanese bar that might be best of them all.

Tachinomi

appears to be straight out of the Tokyo metropolis, as it is

Our writer James Mullan hit the streets to check out the quirky and character-laden bars that provide an alternative to our mainstream pubs and clubs in this special North Sydney Sun feature.

most interesting small bars

almost smaller than a hole in the wall bar. Common place in Japan, it is a standing bar with limited seats, serving up crisp beers, dons, karaage chicken and takoyaki.

For anyone walking past the venue almost jumps out of its shop front and onto the street. The bustling energy of J-pop fused with lively conversation stands out almost as much as the walls lined with football jerseys, Japanese art and niche alcohol brand trinkets.

You might find yourself making a whole bunch of new friends as it is shoulder to shoulder at times. Next thing you know you are laughing with strangers as you share a bottle of sake. But if sake isn’t your style try one of classic Japanese brand tap beers from Asahi to the harder to find Orion and Suntory Premium. The choices are almost endless, with drinks you would struggle to find anywhere else.

A real specialty you must try is their selection of ‘Highball’, a bubbly combination of whisky and sparkling water. It is a real refresher with lemon as the house special or for more unique flavours try the Yuzu highball. Yuzu is an East Asian citrus fruit, with a similar taste to lime or lemon. Make sure to ask the bar staff for help because chances are the labels, although beautiful, will leave you confused. Then again you can’t really go wrong ordering almost anything at this joint and it might take you a few visits to figure out your favourites.

Tachinomi is unique addition to the Crows Nest village, offering a truly authentic Japanese experience in an area already bursting with great food and drinks.

barber shop meets a dive bar, pinball machine included.

It’s easy to feel comfortable right away and that's before you even get stuck into the beers! Honey Rider doubles as a bar and brewery, serving up frothies as fresh as it gets.

Brewing started in June 2011 with the bar next door opening its doors in 2017. The bar serves up The Easy Ale and B1 Pilsner freshly brewed metres from the tap.

For the Easy Ale, it really is all in the name as you sip away on a super refreshing, mildly sweet and fruity flavour. Definitely great for a summer day. The Pilsner will turn you from a bus rider to a honey rider in no time. Named after the beloved B-Line bus which runs past the bar. It has a clean, malty taste and is dangerously drinkable. Honey Rider is a perfect local watering hole for Neutral Bay as it is situated halfway between Minsky’s and The Oaks.

The Hideout Bar

41 Grosvenor Ln, Neutral Bay

drinks. Juliette’s Romeo star crosses a G&T with lemon lime bitters for an extremely refreshing experience. Kick your taste buds into gear with a FlameThrower, mixing whisky limoncello, lemon and cinnamon myrtle to create essentially a Fireball shot with a tang. Or to go all in on the tangy flavours a Walk the Plank features rum, triple sec, pineapple and sage. You are in great hands at The Hideout with the bartenders knowing more about their product than you know about yourself. If you can’t make up your mind on what to order, the talented staff will know exactly the right drink to diagnose.

Green Moustache

Rooftop,

Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name and just off Grosvenor Lane on Military Road this place exists!

If it isn’t already Honey Rider Bar and Brewery will be your new favourite local.

Entering off the busy Military Road you immediately feel transported back into a friendlier time.

The walls are covered with vintage bar paraphernalia, worn out Persian carpets and importantly a sit down bar packed with friendly locals huddling on mismatching, unpretentious furniture. It almost has the feel of a classic

You couldn’t pick a more appropriate name for this place.

One street behind Military Road, metres down from the Oaks and just around the corner from bustling Grosvenor Lane, this bar is the ultimate intimate, hole in the wall bar. You might want to keep this one secret as there is limited seating, creating an extremely cosy setting.

But this isn’t cosy in the British style pub way, quite the opposite. The striking aqua blue tiled bar, hanging indoor plants and chic seating give it a modern vibe.

What you might not realise from looking at the menu is Hideout’s drinks are made from essentially all Australian and New Zealand products. Instead of Smirnoff or Hendricks, your sprites have jumped over the Spit from Manly Spirits. South Australia is known for it’s wine but have you tried Adelaide Hills 78 Whisky? It gives Tennessee a run for its money.

Hideout specialises in cocktails with all the classics on offer. Yet it is their original creations that will have you rethinking what is possible in

Established in 2010, Treehouse is located across the road from the North Sydney Post office, perched overlooking the Pacific Highway intersection. But don’t let that fool you into thinking your refreshments will be served with a side of car fumes, as the venue is truly an urban oasis.

Plenty of indoor greenery, mixed with the wood finishes and the rustic yet not tacky fittings, really creates a calm atmosphere. You would almost forget you are in the heart of bustling North Sydney CBD. Opening at lunchtime patrons can choose to sit outside on the deck or at night sink into the mood with warm ambient lighting that provides a great setting that will melt away any tension.

Now that you’ve taken a breath and settled it’s time for a drink. Leave the tequila shots to the Teenwood crews and enjoy the classier Dark Horse which mixes tequila, lime, agave and charcoal salt, all together…. At last.

If it’s a hot day the Liza will go down like a treat featuring white rum, a healthy touch of fruits and lemon all poured over crushed ice. The beer and wine selection is vast and a leaning up market. On tap you can find a array of Aussie craft beers, seltzer or even alcoholic ginger beer. It’s not just the refreshing range of drinks that keeps Treehouse busy, but the incredible seasonal food menu.

The Treehouse lives up to its name as the ideal escape in the heart of the city, serving up some of the finer things in life. Of course, you can kick onto the Greenwood after if you are wanting to get a little more rowdy!

Green Moustache is a little slice of paradise, nestled between the skyscrapers and tree canopy of North Sydney. As soon as the lift doors open you immediately forget you are perched above one of the busiest intersections on the North Shore, as the sun and plant filled space transports you to a calmer place.

The smooth wooden facades on the walls and furniture give the joint a natural charm, providing the perfect setting to kick back and enjoy. The best seats in the house can be found in the sun room which sits right on the corner, overlooking the North Sydney Post Office intersection.

It’s open air with glass walls which is simply divine on a sunny day especially on the weekend where the Bottomless Brunch is almost impossible to say no to. Nibble away on Mediterranean style olives, hummus, bruschetta, squid and compote all accompanied with rose, prosecco or pale ales. This lineup is perfect for grazing, balancing out savoury flavours with sweeter, lighter drinks.

No problems if you can’t make it on the weekend because the Green Moustache doesn't just offer your standard bar grub. We are warning you now that the twice cooked Pork Belly will blow your mind. Served with snake beans, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and candle nut salad, the crackling on the pork is so crisp, just cutting through it will register on the Richter scale.

If you think choosing food will be hard, the drinks on offer will have you thinking about settling in for a long session. Outside the classics, there are some seriously intriguing refreshments. The Aussie Oyster Martini will scratch that oyster and gin craving in one, while The Green Moustache signature cocktail mixes fresher notes of apple, cucumber and sprite.

The Luna Park mocktail featuring cranberry, passion fruit lime and fairy floss is a delightful option and a winner for the influencers out there. There is seriously a drink for every taste, the only problem is selecting something from the 32 page menu.

As the only rooftop bar in the area, Green Moustache is a unique experience thanks to its canopy setting and incredible flavour offerings.

Honey Rider Bar and Brewery 230 Military Rd, Neutral Bay

The Treehouse 60 Miller St, North Sydney

Level 10/100 Miller St

Ensemble’s different type of Boxing Day

Now here's a Boxing Day you’ll properly look forward to and thanks to the Ensemble Theatre, it’ll be here on December 5th! Of course, we are talking about the latest work commissioned by the theatre company called Boxing Day which will run from December 5th to 15th. Every year The Ensemble brings in productions from all different playwrights from David Williamson to the likes of Harold Pinter, but also commissions original works to debut at their harbour side hub.

The Sun caught up with the Ensemble Theatre’s creative director and director of Boxing Day; Mark Kilmurry, to find out how the production is coming along and what to expect. He explained the impetus for the idea “I had this idea of something big, set in a hot Christmas in Australia. Have to deal with Christmas and the heat. I quite like the idea of Boxing Day being the day after Christmas - so what is boxing day? Where does it come from, and why do we do it? So someone wrote a comedy for all of us.” With that set Australian actor and playwright Sam O’Sullivan was commissioned to create the script.

The Ensemble was keen to continue to give Australian talent an opportunity, especially when it came to telling a quintessentially Australian story. Kilmurry explains: “I like promoting Australian stories. When we do Australian plays, they’re the top two or three of our box office for the year so there’s a huge appetite out there for the stories about ourselves.”

An unbearably hot Sydney summer day plays background for a quintessential Aussie BBQ. The issue is, everyone invited has really had to drag their feet to be there.

In other words, a typical family obligation. The setting is perfect for tension and sure enough, the characters can’t put their old grudges aside.

“I think it’s a terrific comedy about how with Boxing Day, there’s lots of issues, families to speak truths or hide truths, there’s a lot of stuff that isn’t said, there's a lot of stuff that is said; and it’s all up against this backdrop of the heat, and the bush, and the fires and everything else that goes with being in Australia at this time of year. So I think they’ll have a great time. It’s a terrific story well told.”

Kilmurry is particularly aware of the strangeness of a hot Christmas. He is originally from the UK and summarised his experience: “When I came to Australia, it was a bit of a shock that it was so warm and hot, but I’ve got used to it now. I love the idea of Summer and Christmas, because you can go out and do stuff.”

Boxing Day is not in rehearsal stage before its world premiere on December 5th, with tickets available at the Ensemble Theatre box office or online.

Sunset Series brings out North Sydney’s Dancing Queens

Waverton Park was brought to life with live music, food trucks and picnics last month.

Run by North Sydney Council, the Summer Series was a chance to celebrate the community and welcome Spring with over 2000 people attending over the two days.

Council manager communications and events Sandra Moore said that the goal was to ‘bring the community together’ and offered a great place for ‘fun, celebration and community connection.”

“It’s about connection really. People meet up, meet other people in a relaxed space, they talk to their neighbours and they have a good time,” she told the Sun.

Moore said that the event went ‘exceedingly well’ and that ‘people loved it.’ “There were so many people dancing tonight, it was great. When they dance, you know they’re having a good time and they went home happy. I’ve had so much positive feedback tonight. We haven’t made any plans for next year yet, but we are certainly looking to get bands like ABBALANCHE that people really connect to and dance to.”

The free concerts started at 4pm,

and ran until 7:30pm with performances by DJ Nicki G, Spicy Margaritas, DJ Reelax and the Australian Abba Tribute Show, ABBALANCHE. ABBALANCHE proved a crowd favourite, with people of all ages enjoying the supergroup’s hit songs in an impromptu mosh pit.

Local resident Sebastian thought the show ‘was wonderful’, after being invited on stage and crowned

North Sydney’s ‘Dancing Queen’.

“I was very surprised. Never thought it was something that I’d add to my resume, but I definitely can now.” If ABBALANCHE comes back to the Sunset Series, Sebastian said that ‘we’d be there for sure.’

This extravaganza will be returning next year.

Hannah Wilcox

WHAT TO DO IN NORTH SYDNEY

roof raising tribute night.

Saturday 10th Dec, 8:00PM

The Beatles Rebooted, Christmas Concert Venue: Hayden Orpheum It’s Christmas party time with The Beatles Rebooted and string section. Nine amazing musicians on stage recreate note for note some of the best music ever recorded. You won’t believe your ears.

Saturday 10th Dec, 8:00PM

Sunday 20th Nov, 1:30PM

Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Awards

Venue: Independent Theatre

Established in 2011, the JSRB Bel Canto Award is recognised as one of Australia’s most prestigious singing competitions. The award carries with it a first prize of $30,000 and will feature six singers performing your favourite arias.

Saturday 26 Nov, 8:00PM

Dancing in the Shadows of Motown, 10 piece powerhouse groove band live on stage

Venue: Hayden Orpheum

Don’t miss this 11 Piece Powerhouse band featuring internationally acclaimed artists who faithfully recreate the dynamic live performances of: The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye,

Saturday 3th Dec, 8:00PM

ABBA and Bee Gees, a night to remember live on stage

Venue: Hayden Orpheum “Abba Re-Bjorn and The Ultimate Bee Gees have joined forces together for a one-off “disco night” in a showcase Christmas spectacular! Collating 5 decades of super hits from ABBA & the BEE GEES in one 2 hour high octane show.

Friday 9th December, 8:00PM

The Elton Joel Show

Venue: Hayden Orpheum Enjoy a complimentary glass of bubbly and get ready for the best of Elton John and Billy Joel in this

Prada Clutch’s All Drag Xmas Revue Venue: Norths Cammeray Deck the halls, Darlings! Prada Clutch’s: All-Drag Xmas Revue is coming to town with a dash of naughty & a pinch of nice! Flanked by gorgeous men, Australia’s sixfoot something songstress Prada Clutch & her ‘girls’ pay tribute to the history of Aussie drag – in concert.

(PICTURED)

Saturday 17th Dec, 7:00PM

DPR - Regime World Tou Venue: Big Top Luna Park

Dream Perfect Regime is an independent, multi-genre music and video label that was formed in late 2015. DPR creates, directs, and edits all types of visual work as well as curate artists stemming from a wide array of musical backgrounds and influences, producing a dynamic collaboration of both visual and audio output.

Martha and The Vandellas, The Four Tops, Fontella Bass, The Jackson Five, Smokey Robinson and many more MOTOWN Legends.

Learning Self-Compassion with Dr Kristin Neff

By Living To Thrive’s Chuck Anderson

The practice of self-compassion is often overlooked, misunderstood or dismissed as self-pity within today’s culture. After reading the book, SelfCompassion by Dr Kristin Neff, my view and understanding of what selfcompassion is, and how to truly practice it, made a world of a difference in how I treat myself when the self-doubts begin. For this article, I hada fascinating and informative discussion with none other than Dr Neff herself on the topic of self-compassion.

Dr Kristin Neff is currently an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas. She is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research, conducting the first empirical studies on self-compassion nearly twenty years ago. She has been recognised as one of the most influential researchers in psychology worldwide. She is the author of the bestselling book Self-Compassion and her newest book Fierce Self-Compassion: How Women Can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power, and Thrive.

Sun: How would you define selfcompassion?

Neff: An easy way to think about it is simply just being a good supportive and kind friend to yourself. The way you would be towards someone else who was struggling such as a friend or loved one.

Because I am an academic, I have a more theoretical definition, a scale to measure the components, which is more than simply expressing kindness towards ourselves. Kindness is key, but being kind as opposed to being judgmental. Mindfulness is also key.

In other words, we must be able to face our pain and distress mindfully to give ourselves compassion. When we ignore those feelings or pretend they are not there or get lost in them, we do not give ourselves the space for a perspective that offers self-compassion.

Additionally, there needs to be a feeling of connectedness to others, i.e., we are all human beings that face thoughts of self-doubt and selfdefeating emotions. Telling ourselves that we are not the only ones struggling reminds us that we are not alone. This is not self-pity or self-absorption, it is simply recognising that we are just as human, fallible and no different than the person next to us.

In other words, self-compassion consists of approaching ourselves with kindness, mindfulness and connectedness with others. Unfortunately, most people give compassion to others, but not themselves.

Sun: What is the difference between self-esteem, selfconfidence and self-compassion and which is best for building a more self-accepting and kind mindset?

Neff: Self-esteem is one of these words you can define in a lot of different ways but is most often described as a positive evaluation of self-worth. It's a judgment that I'm a good person, I'm a bad person or I'm good at something or I'm somewhere in between.

Typically, self-esteem is based on criteria. It's either based on feeling special or above average. We don't have high self-esteem with someone doing something better than us, and our culture says it’s not OK to be average. This equates to our self-worth being defined by our interpretation of how much we’re “winning” and “losing” compared to those around us.

We typically base our self-esteem on a few different domains. How much people like us, so we like ourselves and other people like us. It is also not how much they like us, but how much we think they like us which is often unknown.

The problem is how we get that sense of self-worth because it's contingent. It’s contingent on comparisons with others or success like a fairweather friend. It’s only there for us when we succeed. It's not there for us when we need it most, which is when we are feeling shame or inadequacy. I am not saying that self-esteem is not useful, but it is better to have a positive sense of self-worth than to feel you're worthless or shameful because of how you perceive yourself against others.

Self-compassion isn’t a judgment, or an evaluation of our self-worth compared to others. It is the type of worth that is unconditional, and it stems from being a flawed human being doing the best we can. So, we have it both when we succeed and when we fail, and therefore our sense of worth is much more stable.

Which one is better? I mean, you might say self-compassion is more robust. Again, there’s nothing wrong with self-esteem or self-confidence. But what happens when you don't judge yourself well or you fail?

From my perspective, self-esteem and self-confidence are about the comparison to others. That presents a significant risk to our well-being as there's always someone faster, smarter or looks better according to what society says that someone is or is not.

Sun: What are the first steps someone should take to become more self-compassionate?

Neff: I think the first thing is to be a little introspective and just ask yourself how you treat yourself. Some may not be that hard on themselves and others may struggle even with the idea of sup-

porting themselves. Most people are kind of in the middle, so to speak.

Think about how you treat your friends/loved ones when they are struggling or in distress. That first step is just to inquire about how you treat yourself.

You could do this by asking, “If I said to a good friend what I say to myself, what would be the impact on them?” Would they be appreciative or feel hurt? If it’s hurtful to them, it will also be hurtful to you, and you may want to reconsider your level of selfcompassion.

Sun: What is something that someone could stop doing? Neff: Try to let go of the need to prove or improve yourself all the time. You may want to improve your behaviours if it's going to make you happier, but your worth as a person is not dependent on looking a certain way or achieving certain goals.

You can learn more about selfcompassion by going to www.selfcompassioni.org where you will find evidence-based resources and free guided meditation recordings and you can sign-up for Kristin Neff's newsletter. Self-compassion is an incredibly powerful tool, and we could all use more of it. Be kind to yourself because you deserve it!

The science of lasting change

By Living To Thrive’s Chuck Anderson

I spoke with psychologist Dr Rick Hanson, a Senior Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and New York Times best-selling author of several books selling over a million copies in English alone. He’s lectured at NASA, Google, Oxford, and Harvard, and taught in meditation centres worldwide and much more.

Sun: What is neuropsychology exactly?

Hanson: In general terms, neuropsychology is the science and practice of integrating mental activity and underlying neural activity. A narrower meaning of neuropsychology is a branch of clinical psychology that focuses on damage to the brain such as injuries to the brain and rehabilitation of things like concussions or strokes.

Sun: What is neuroplasticity and why is it so significant?

Hanson: Neuroplasticity is how the nervous system whose headquarters is the brain can be changed by the information flowing through it. The function of the nervous system is to process information by representing it, storing it, and communicating and acting upon it. That’s why we have a nervous system. Our ancient multicellular ancestors, arising roughly 650 million years ago in the primordial seas, did not have a nervous system, but as they grew increasingly complex their sensory systems and motor systems needed to communicate with each other which is where the nervous system comes in.

So, in simpler terms, neuroplasticity means that any animal with a nervous system ranging from a tiny 1millimetre-long worm called Caenorhabditis elegans, or C. elegans, with 302 neurons with the smallest nervous system all the way up through frogs, lizards, fish, rats, squirrels, the monkeys, the early hominids and us.

Neuroplasticity enables us to learn so we do not just drum on autopilot moving through life.

Going as far back as Aristotle, it has been understood that the brain somehow was involved in learning neuroplasticity, so it is not a recent invention.

Conversely, over the last 20-30 years, a tremendous explosion of scientific understanding of neuroplasticity has had many practical implications.

That new understanding shows how we can use this fundamental property of the brain for the better

and what we can do to help the brain heal from trauma, or simply the dayto-day stresses that we all face at times.

Sun: In relation to neuroplasticity, can you talk us through your “Taking in the Good” practice? Hanson: To deal with life, we need various capabilities and qualities, traits of various kinds such as emotional intelligence, confidence, grit, gratitude, compassion and self-worth. How do we get them? We get them by learning them.

However, we have a brain that's very good at learning from bad experiences, but relatively poor at learning from good experiences. That’s what we call a negativity bias, which kept our ancestors alive under harsh conditions by tracking threats and avoiding them. It’s important to claim the power to help ourselves.

Grow and heal and learn from the experiences we’re handling of whatever we want to develop inside ourselves. It’s a way of looking at things that are essentially a growth 2.0 model. Most forms of psychotherapy, mindfulness training, coaching, human resources development, character education, etc. are in a growth 1.0 model in which the person is treated like an empty vessel where information and experiences are recorded with the hopes that some will stick.

However, and I have experienced this myself, many of the experiences of the growth 1.0 model fail to stick long-term leaving no beneficial trace behind in the nervous system which is

why I’ve become interested in the growth 2.0 model.

In the growth 2.0 model, we treat people as active agents of their gradual healing in such a way that we teach people how to turn the experiences they're having into lasting, beneficial changes in the neural structure or function of their nervous system.

What I’ve developed is a framework that pulls together various evidence-based methods. There's already evidence for these methods scattered throughout the territory of research on the brain. Methods that people can engage in to create long-term change in their nervous system through what they’re experiencing.

There is a famous saying, “neurons that fire together wire together”. The longer neurons fire together, the more likely they are to wire together creating lasting change in your nervous system. Positive experiences in everyday life, not the $1,000,000 moments that are highly limited, are key. For example, when your partner gives you a compliment, your kid says “I love you” or your pup crawls onto your lap for a snuggle. Stay with those experiences for 5-10 seconds. The longer you sustain that experience, the more you’re going to change your brain from those neurons firing and wiring.

When you do this, you are now using an evidence-based method that has to do with extending the duration of your experiences or feeling it in your body. The more that an experience moves your body out of thinking and more into sensing and feeling the more of the neural trace is likely to be

present.

Sun: Where can someone find out more about the insights you’ve provided?

Hanson: They can go to my website www.RickHanson.net. They will find free resources on the content we covered today, well-structured online courses and I have a newsletter with 240,000 subscribers. The newsletter is called “Just One Thing”. It goes out each week to help people focus on one simple thing they can do to enhance their well-being. There is also the podcast I co-host with my son Forest called “Being Well” along with a slew of other resources on my website.

Dr Hanson explains, neuroplasticity allows us to create lasting and invaluable change. I encourage all of us to take advantage of these simple methods of working towards becoming a better version of ourselves. Check out his website to find out more.

Making the most of a Jacaranda excursion to Kirribilli

A trip to McDougall Street has become almost a November ritual for many Sydneysiders. But there’s more to Kirribilli with a full day out to be had up in the village. James Mullan and Hannah Wilcox report.

BTB 2 Ennis Rd

Just as you walk off the harbour bridge aromas of bacon, lamb, ground coffee meet you all thanks to BTB. Daniel Backhouse has been the head chef at BTB for 3 years now and sat down with the Sun to talk about what they have to offer.

He is a North Shore local and was attracted to get on board with BTB after discovering their use of native Australian ingredients, blenders and profiles in dishes. “We have a wallaby dish on, which is super similar to a lamb dish - flavour profile, just reinterpreted it with wallaby.” the dish is served with black barkey, rosella pickled onions asparagus, snow peas, pistachios, peppermint gum yoghurt and a lemon mint dressing.

BTB also incorporates some sweeter Australian flavours. “We try to use native fruits, so for our bircher at the moment, we’ve got poached native fruits and bits and pieces.” The bircher includes wattle seeds, buckwheat, blueberries, native compote and macadamia coconut crumble.

As for what the customers think, Daniel added “We’ve got a really good customer base that are pretty open and willing to try new things, they trust us and they seem to enjoy itthey keep coming back which is good.”

BTB has been operating for 5 years now and was an instant hit with locals and visitors alike. The popularity of BTB allowed the owners to open up a new cafe called ‘Lowkey’ in the heart of North Sydney recently.

Nimba Bakehouse 4 Ennis Rd

After only four years under the management of locals Clarita and Paul, Nimba Bakehouse has become a staple of the Kirribilli cafe scene. This is for good reason; all goods baked in house, the coffee is excellent and it has the only sandwich bar in the area.

The owners live just around the corner in Milsons Point. “I think this is one of the most beautiful areas I’ve lived in Sydney. Very peaceful, very safe for the community kids, very enjoyable - when you walk into this area you feel like it’s a town. It’s not like the other side of the Harbour Bridge, in the city, you see stranger’s faces all the time and sometimes people don’t want to even interact with you to say hello. But in this area it’s easy to see smiles on everybody's face,” co-owner Clarita told us. As locals they know what Jacaranda season is all about. They will be bringing back their fa-

mous Jacaranda shaped gingerbread to celebrate the season. Keeping in the purple spirit Clarita recommends the blueberry tart. “The traditional one is normally just black and white, and mocha cream and I think jam in the middle. But we do flavour, which is the blueberry - and the colour is a little bit purple like the jacaranda. Yeah, so the inside is blueberry jam, mocha cream and the outside flavour is blueberry icing and highlighted by their lemongrass chicken which is prepared over two days. Plus all your bakery treats including pies, sweets and sandwiches.

Oski Café Shop 11, Bligh St

“We have a small menu but what we do, we do really well. Using quality coffee beans, milk and all the ingredients for our food.” Owner of Oski Cafe Erik Vanhead sums up his Kirribilli cafe and he is spot on.

Opened in 2015, Oski is a hole in the wall cafe with a Scandinavian twist. This came after Erik and Roddy Fallis had spent years travelling as chefs with the Navy.

Now back on solid ground the friendly owners have quickly become popular amongst locals. The menu has cafe classics like bacon and eggs rolls and burgers. Erik recommends smashed avo and Pytti I Panna, a Scandinavian version of bubble and squeak. It combines sausage, bacon, potato, leak, pickles, beetroot and fried eggs.

What makes it special is the beetroot is grown by Eric's mother in South East NSW then pickled and served. All ingredients are made in house. The smashed avo is served with pomegranate mint, red onions, feta, toasted seeds and parsley.

The Botanist 17 Willoughby St

Jacaranda season makes botanists out of all of us. Locals and visitors stop to admire the stunning purple colours and delicate flowers.

Luckily, for those looking to take a break, The Botanist is just around the corner from the popular McDougall St, Milson Park aka Jacaranda Row. The bar/restaurant opened 10 years ago and is the oldest establishment of Applejack Hospitality.

Bar manager Joshua Kodowski says there are special offerings coming to celebrate the season “We’re looking at doing a Jacaranda inspired cocktail” and for food a new menu coming in soon with more of summer tastes.

“Going for lighter, fresher flavours that may include things like shrimp pastas and pumpkin dishes,” Josh told the Sun.

Until then Josh recommends the Australian wagyu bresaola with pickled guindilla or Ricotta gnudi with oyster mushrooms, chives & pecorino which are hand rolled and cut just before service.

The Botanist is in prime location for Jacaranda revellers and the Botanist is keen to see old and new faces popping in during one of their busiest periods.

“We have really good regulars as well as people who have ventured out. Kirribilli has those great views. It’s a great place to live as well as visit. So we’re in the perfect spot.”

Top from clockwise: BTB, Nimba, Botanist and Oski

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Growing political support for Bears NRL bid

By James Mullan

From Sydney’s North Shore to the Fremantle, support is rising everywhere in the push to reinstate the Bears as the 18th team in the NRL competition.

Last year the club announced it was formally gunning for the 18th licence, including a rebrand that dropped ‘North Sydney’ from its NRL name and home games in several regional NSW venues as well as North Sydney Oval. By June this year, it was revealed the club had been in conversation with the Western Australian government about a potential combined bid.

Now the WA state government has appointed MP Peter Tinley to assist with the bid process and act as a third party between any parties involved, which would likely be the Bears and a WA entity. In conversation with the Sun, Tinley revealed that since his appointment he has been overwhelmed with support for the Bears bid.

His appointment is good news for the Bears as they explore bid possibilities yet does not guarantee anything. There is still a possibility WA or the Bears could choose to go solo on any bid. Tinley also told the Sun the state government is seriously behind the bid, already holding conversations with Perth stadiums about leases. The MP told Channel 7: “WA has strong foundations to support an NRL franchise with participation in the sport behind only NSW and Queensland, and encouragingly, nearly a quarter of all registered players are female.”

Meanwhile, back on the Sydney North Shore, local MPs have added their support to bringing the Bears

back to the NRL. Bradfield MP Paul Fletcher recently gave a speech to the House of Representatives in Canberra where he said: ‘Today I join with the many other voices who are calling for the North Sydney Bears to be readmitted to the National Rugby League.”

He said that he had met with Bears CEO Gareth Holmes and Chairman Daniel Dickson to discuss their plans for a return to professional rugby league. Fletcher added “If the Bears return to the NRL, it will have flow on benefits for community sport on the North Shore and will over time foster a new generation of rugby league representatives from the North Shore.”

Fletcher (pictured) added “The Bears are ready to take on an additional territory beyond their North Sydney and North Shore heartland.” There is very little chance the Bears would return based out of North Sydney as the NRL does not want any more competition in the Sydney basin. Fletcher’s electorate of Bradfield is North’s heartland, spanning from Chatswood to North Turramurra, Asquith and Hornsby with a majority of the North Sydney Bears’ junior representatives coming from this area.

There is a shared benefit for both the Bears and WA to merge bids, eliminating each other as competition for the 18th licence. Ipswich, Adelaide and Wellington appear to be the front runners as it stands, meaning this potential joint venture between Perth and Norths could give both parties the edge. A key priority for the NRL is expanding the competition's TV value. Western Australia’s time zone difference would open up another broad-

casting opportunity as well as the state's new supporter and commercial markets.

In another development, the North Sydney Bears and Sydney Roosters announced that they would be ending their feeder club arrangement after next season. Norths have spent the past four seasons serving as the Sydney Roosters reserve grade team. The move was initiated by the Roosters who want to field their own squad in the NSW Cup, a division below the NRL.

In a media statement the Bears said that “We have been notified that the Roosters will be fielding their own team in the 2023 Knock On Effect NSW Cup competition. We maintain our strong relationship with our partner club and the Roosters have confirmed they will continue to honour their contract with the Bears, in regard to NRL player movement between the two clubs.” Although this move isn’t related to the NRL bid it will give the Bears more independence and test the club’s management.