The Bugle 15 July 2023

by

Cassandra Zaucer

Jamberoo Mountain Road is reopening to the public on 17 July, one year since its closure.

Jamberoo Mt Rd Opens Festival Celebration

Significant damage –caused by a number of landslides and flood water from storms in July last year – forced the closure of the key connecting infrastructure between the Kiama LGA and the Southern Highlands. Repairs didn’t begin until six months after its closure in January due to the extent of the damage at four different sites above and underneath the road, and the challenging geography of the sites.

big blow for Jamberoo businesses who, through their busiest time of the year, lost their tourist and commuter trade.

It was reported by The Bugle in August, just one month after the initial closure, that Kings Patisserie & Café, Nerilee Antiques and Jamberoo Newsagency were suffering with a significant decline in customers.

Jamberoo

many of the other businesses, and the flow through of traffic in Jamberoo has just made all that much difficult,” he says.

the people of Jamberoo for their patience and acknowledges the significant impact it has had on the local community and businesses.

Kiama Winter Festival opened to locals and visitors alike, with the popular ice rink returning to the shore.

Following on from last year’s successful Ignite Festival, Destination Kiama presented the six-day festival which included different skating night themes with Freaky Friday, Superhero Saturday, Retro Sunday and more.

The rink featured penguins to hold onto for shaky skaters and igloos nearby to eat something warm from the food trucks.

special Kiama Winter Brew beer from Stoic Brewing at Gerringong.

Surfpaints were on site to personalise surfboards, and Faces to Paint and Hair by Courtney for the kids to get their festival look on.

Mathilda’s Farmyard Nursery was also at the festival and very popular with the youngsters.

One Fitness hosted a variety of fitness related events.

Kiama Collective Beat also had a winter theme backdrop for festival photos.

Director Infrastructure and Liveability Michael Malone says while this may feel like it extended the length of the road closure, it was critical to invest time and effort in coming up with repairs that would last, noting the road has been closed in the past from August to December in 2020.

“It was important to spend time getting the investigations done and design right, otherwise we’ll be literally back at the drawing board if they fail,” Mr Malone says. He assures they have designed the damaged sections to withstand the sort of storms and flooding saw last year, rather than restoring them to what they were before.

The 12-month wait was a

Newsagency originally adjusted its trading hours to counter the loss of tradies that would come through in the mornings – which was estimated to account for 20 to 25 per cent of their customer base – before closing their doors earlier this year.

Nerilee Antiques reported it was down to three customers on the weekend compared to the usual 30 and admitted in May that they were considering shutting their doors after 50 years.

Owner of Jamberoo Pub, Jamie Warren, says the road’s closure has flowed onto a reduction in the employment of his staff and has ultimately made it harder for him to pay the bills.

“We’re coming off the back of a lot of difficulties, as are

“It has been a very long haul so we’re really looking forward to having the road reopen and getting a big boost back into our business.”

Jamie acknowledges that it has been a difficult job to get the road reopened and appreciates the efforts of Council, Member for Kiama Gareth Ward and the Government in making it happen, as well as Council staff and contractors who have been working on it. While the closure has hurt businesses, the lack of eastwest connectivity has also inconvenienced local residents, especially those who use the mountain for their daily work commute, school run or shopping trip.

Mayor Neil Reilly thanks

“I want to simply say thank you for persevering throughout the last year while we worked to reconstruct the significant amount of damage to the road,” Mayor Reilly says. He also thanked the NSW and Australian Governments, who provided disaster relief funding and their expertise on large-scale construction projects, and Council staff and contractors, who met numerous challenges along the way.

To further extend his gratitude, and to give locals a chance to chat with the engineers face-to-face about the lengthy repair process, Council hosted a community barbeque.

continued on p8

A concert was held by SENTRAL Youth Services in Hindmarsh Park showcasing local artists.

Acts on stage included Denim on Her, Frando, Sundown, Janis, Zirconium and Ben.

A great feature of this year’s festival was the Eat Like a Local food stall where all of Kiama’s favourite eateries were and Taste of the Dharawal tent from Gamaraa.

The Festival Bar featured steaming mulled wine and a

Once darkness fell, a series of illuminated projections were displayed from Luke Turk of Incirratta and Seven Marks Gallery, similar to light projections in Sydney’s Vivid festival.

Inciratta incidentally is the name of a suborder of octopuses (not octopi) which includes benthic octopuses as well as the rarer paper nautiluses.

by Mark Whalan

Member for Kiama Gareth Ward, Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips, Mayor Neil Reilly and Director Infrastructure Michael Malone inspecting the newly repaired road

WHAT’S ON

KIAMA FARMERS’ MARKET

Every Wednesday

Surf Beach or Kiama Uniting Church, 2-5pm

SENTRAL’S OPEN MIC

Every Thursday

SENTRAL Youth Cottages, 5-7pm

SEA ABSTRACTION EXHIBITION until 23 July

Fern Street Gallery, Gerringong, 10-4pm

G’GONG ROTARY MARKETS

Saturday 15 July

Town Hall, 8.30-1.30pm

KIAMA SEASIDE MARKETS

Sunday 16 July

Black Beach, 9-3pm

AGAINST THE TIDE EXHIBITION 17-23 July

Old Fire Station, Kiama, 10-3pm

LIFEHACKS WHITEPAPER PRESENTATION

Wednesday 19 July

Kiama Pavilion, 6-8pm

CHRISTMAS IN JULY TRIVIA NIGHT

Friday 21 July see right

LOCATION MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP

Saturday 22 July see right

HOOKnWOOD REVOLVE/RECYCLE EXHIBITION 24-30 July

Old Fire Station, Kiama, 10-3pm

FORMAL SEASON BEAUTY MASTERCLASS

Tuesday 25 July see right

STICKS AND STONES EXHIBITION 27 July-2 August

Old Fire Stationm Kiama, 10-3pm

TOURISM WORKSHOP

Thursday 27 July see right

ADFAS LECTURE

Rococo: a masterpiece, a mystery and Madame Pompadour

Thursday 27 July

Berry Uniting Church Hall, 7.30pm

CLOTHES SWAPPING PARTY

Friday 28 July

Kiama Pavilion, 6-8pm

G’GONG PICS & FLICKS - THE GIANTS

Friday 28 July

Gerringong Town Hall, 7.30pm

NAIDOC AWARDS CEREMONY

Saturday 29 July

Kiama Pavilion, 5-10pm

JAMBEROO VILLAGE MARKETS

Sunday 30 July Reid Park, 9-2pm

VIETNAM VETERANS VIGIL

Thursday 3 August

Wollongong Memorial Garden, 10am

KIAMA WOODCRAFT EXHIBITION AND SALE 3-9 August

Old Fire Station, Kiama, Thurs 1-4pm Fri-Wed 9-4pm

JEANS FOR GENES TRIVIA NIGHT

Friday 4 August

Gerroa Boat Fishermans Club, 7pm

Trivia Christmas

It’s set to be a jolly night at Kiama Pavilion with Kiama Rotary’s Christmas in July trivia night.

People are encouraged to come dressed in their best Christmas garb and to decorate their table with anything and everything that glows, flashes, sparkles or sings.

Prizes are on offer to the winning trivia table, best dressed individual and best dressed table.

All proceeds will be used to provide financial assistance to Kiama Rotary’s local, national and international projects.

If you cannot attend the night, you can still donate to Kiama Rotary by purchasing a virtual seat.

Bookings via trybooking.com.

Friday 21 July, Kiama Pavilion, 6-9pm, $25

Your say on local tourism

What’s On is compiled by The Bugle & KCC Events coming up: contact Steven@ thebuglenewspaper .com.au or 0491 686 975. Items are published at the Editor’s discretion.

Masterclass in formal beauty

With Formal season fast approaching, Kiama Pavilion will be hosting a look and learn masterclass by award winning Making Faces Makeup Studio.

The workshop will dig into the dos and don’ts, myths, industry secrets and professional artist techniques used behind the scenes for flawless beauty looks that appear as good in real life as they do on

camera.

They will learn it all from the best; owner of Making Faces Makeup Studio Meryll Faulkner, a four times winner of the Australian Bridal Awards for excellence in makeup and Nominee for the prestigious Australian Makeup Artist Award for fashion makeup. There will also be a Q&A session with Noelle Faulker, an ex-beauty and culture

editor at Harper’s BAZAAR and Grazia and feature writer for Vogue and Elle magazines.

The workshop will provide a great mother daughter experience ahead of the school formal rush.

Tickets are $22.50 via Eventbrite

Tuesday 25 July, Kiama Pavilion, 6-8pm

Location scouting

Screen Illawarra - a notfor-profit organisation whose aim is to upskill local emerging practitioners and provide spaces for networking - is holding a workshop to answer ‘what does a location manager do?’ and ‘what are the pathways?’.

The workshop is targeted at anyone serious about getting into location work, including information about the paperwork, the administration, and the need for a creative eye.

They are hoping to target school age students, as well as seasoned industry workers, and professionals.

Guest speakers at the workshop will be experienced Location Managers Karen Illesca, a Kiama local who works in Sydney as a Location Manager, and Lisa Scope from Screen NSW.

They will guide workshop attendees on a practice session through various Kiama locations and cover aspects of the role including accessibility in terms of inclusivity, mental health first aid, sustainability, and more.

Karen has experience as a Location Scout as well as On Set Locations and Location manager on both short form and long form

Licenced Roof Tiler

Destination Kiama is inviting those who are interested in local tourism issues to have a say on the 2023-24 Tourism and Events Action Plan.

With almost 400 responses by locals and business owners in the recent Local Tourism Survey, Business consulting agency Sparrowly Group is assisting Destination Kiama in the next step to further develop tourism priorities.

In their Tourism Workshop, attendees will gain insight into the local industry, provide information on the current challenges people are facing and assist in setting priorities of Destination Kiama across the next year.

Thursday 27 July, Kiama Pavilion, 10-11.30am/5.30-7pm

content. She is an enthusiastic member of Screen Illawarra and is a founding partner of 2Kats Productions along with fellow member Phillippa Webb. Lisa has successfully scouted locations for some of Australia’s most beloved and respected dramas. Her portfolio includes acclaimed productions like “Love Child”, “Packed to the Rafters”, “Love My Way” and “Rescue Special Ops”.

Tickets are $10 via eventbrite.com.au

Saturday 22 July, Kiama Library, 10-2pm

There’s more on the app

For a comprehensive guide to What’s On in our region, check out The Bugle App to find out about live music and events. Download The Bugle App for free using this QR code

Shopping alternatives

As Kiama Village enters stage two of its redevelopment, Woolworths will be closing for a period of three weeks beginning 24 July to safely replace the roof.

During the closure until 15 August, a pop-up shop with essential products including milk, bread and fresh produce will be available in the Kiama BWS, which will remain open along with Kiama Health Destination Pharmacy.

Online delivery will remain available, however, there will be no option for in-store pick-up.

A free shuttle bus service will also operate three days a week to and from the Kiama Village Shopping Centre and Stockland Shellharbour.

Woolworths Kiama group

manager, Norm Wicker, hopes the alternative options will provide local customers with peace of mind during the store’s closure.

“We’d also like to extend our thanks to the Kiama community for their continued patience and understanding while we complete the renovation to the Kiama Village Shopping Centre,” Norm says.

Vehicle and pedestrian access into the Village has also changed.

The new rear car park close to Meares Pl has reopened with vehicular access via the existing roundabout. Pedestrian access is now provided from Terralong St via the new access road, and from Meares Pl via the existing stairs.

Stage two construction will include works on the new decked car park and new Direct to Boot service, and construction within Woolies which will allow for the expansion of the range and provide a fresh new look.

Kiama Village currently remains on track with their December finish.

Pop-up shop: BWS Kiama Village, 9-6pm 7 days a week, card only Shuttle bus service: Pick up from bus stop on Terralong Street opposite Kiama Village, 11am departure, 2pm arrival at Kiama, operating Monday, Wednesday and Friday until 14 August.

by Cassandra Zaucer

Rate rise hike

Council extends loan

Kiama Council has secured an extension for the final repayment of the $60 million loan it took out from the NSW Government to construct Blue Haven Bonaira.

The final $15 million payment was originally due in August but after passing a motion in Council chambers, it was agreed that TCorp (NSW Treasury Corporation) will defer the repayment until August 2025.

Council must now advise the Office of Local Government about the renegotiated payment.

Councillor Mark Croxford said the renegotiated deal would take a bit of heat off council in a fiscal sense and would provide an opportunity to help right the wrongs of the past.

“We thought this was going to be a very challenging

approach to the situation that we found ourselves in when this Council was sworn in back in January of last year,” Councillor Croxford said.

“It’s only been through the persistence and diligence of not only the mayor and the councillors, but also of the chief executive officer and her leadership team and the support staff that we’ve reached this point.”

Councillor Matt Brown spoke in favour of the renegotiated terms; “I’d like to really thank the hard work the CEO [Jane Stroud] and her team have put into this, giving us a bit more breathing room for this particular loan, and I think this has come at just the right time, so congratulations to all those involved, and I’m very pleased that TCorp has listened to the con-

cerns of ouncil and agreed to this extension.”

Councillors Mark Croxford, Warren Steel, Matt Brown, Jodi Keast, Stuart Larkins and Deputy Mayor Imogen Draisma voted in favour of the extension. Mayor Neil Reilly was unable to attend the meeting.

Councillors Karen Renkema-Lang and Kathy Rice voted against the motion after raising concerns around the definition of Blue Haven and whether it included both the Bonaira site and Terralong St locations.

Councillor Lang suggested that, should the vote to approve the new repayment terms fail, it should be deferred until council next meets in July, but it was approved anyway.

by Brendon Foye

Kiama Council has increased its rates by a net of 4.2 per cent for the 2023-24 financial year.

The increase is smaller than the allowable 5.1 per cent rate peg set by the NSW Government, but has been adjusted to 4.2 per cent due to the Additional Special Variation (ASV) Kiama Council was granted for 2022-23.

Rates are determined using the below formula: Land Value x Rate in $ = Amount + Base Amount =

Total Rate Bill

The rate peg is the maximum rate each council can set for the upcoming year, which applies to general income rather than an individual ratepayers’ rates.

The rate peg is determined for each council using an index that measures the average costs faced by NSW councils and a population factor based on population growth.

Kiama Council said in a statement that the rate rise was needed to fund

ongoing services, work and activities, which were outlined in its delivery program and operational plan.

Kiama Council also noted that other charges on rates remained the same, including a $25 stormwater levy for residential homes. Waste charges also remain unchanged while Council completes a review of its waste services.

by Brendon Foye

www.coastalfloat.com.au

Coastal Float was created out of a desire to improve physical and mental health.

Floatation Therapy is a way to achieve a deep state of relaxation, relieve tension and allows the body to heal through absorption of magnesium and time spent in a weightless environment

Coastal float was born out of years of research and personal experience.

Blue Haven upskills staff

There are many job opportunities in the Aged Care sector and now Blue Haven Community Care are making it even easier for staff to upskill and improve their skills.

Blue Haven is working in collaboration with the University of Wollongong College to upskill its staff with a custom-designed course that will meet the needs of its residents, clients and staff.

The College is delivering the CHC43015 Certificate IV in Ageing Support course at the workplace, so students are still able to continue to work while putting new skills into practice without delay.

The Aging Support course focuses on enabling workers to help vulnerable people in the community to be able to have a sense of indepen-

dence and social connection. Since the course is fully funded by the NSW Government, there are few impediments to taking advantage of this opportunity to upskill and learn new skills that help Support Workers perform their role.

Blue Haven Support Worker Taleah Holm says, “This was always something I wanted to do, but financially it was out of reach.

“It’s very convenient being able to do the course through my workplace.”

Taleah praises the support that she receives from UOW College and the quality of the trainers.

She says the new skills she is learning are already helping in her role as a Support Worker and she believes it will enable her to give clients the best possible outcomes.

“My job entails going to clients’ homes and helping them do everyday tasks such as showering, transport, shopping or just social appointments, and those little things can help them stay independent and maintain their movement,” she says.

“What I love about this job is witnessing my clients achieving outcomes and goals.”

Kiama resident Liz Thomas, who works at UOW College, said, “We are actively working with service providers to address the skill shortages of their staff and hope this will encourage new entrants into their workforce.”

For further information, please visit UOW for the course summary.

by Donna Portland

We all know that the changing landscape of our world brings with it exciting, yet challenging times, so in order to provide even more care and legal expertise for all our clients, we are proud to announce an expansion of our Board of Directors.

Alice Laurence, Jack Miller, Steve Warwick and Deb Russell lead our talented team of Lawyers and Licensed Conveyancers to provide expert legal advice, support and representation across the Illawarra and South Coast.

At Carter Ferguson Solicitors, we’re passionate about providing a more human, caring and contemporary approach to the Law.

Now even more care for our clients.

It is especially important to keep in touch with our bodies and to care for our mental health Our mission is to assist

Shop 8 65 Manning Street in Kiama, NSW Call 0466 054 696

Grants open

The Federal Government is looking for Expressions of Interest (EOI) for its Growing Regions Program to fund capital works projects delivering community and economic infrastructure projects across regional and rural Australia.

The program is open to local government entities and not-forprofit organisations and offers between $500,000 and $15 million to fund their projects. Projects will be selected based on their ability to deliver improvements to regional areas, such as revitalising and enhancing amenity and liveability, growing the local economy and delivering infrastructure which contributes to local and regional priorities.

The $600 million program will invest in critical regional infrastructure and community projects across regional and rural Australia through two $300 million funding rounds.

The EOI stage will ensure the projects meet requirements - including suitability, project readiness and alignment with the region’s goals. The grants will cover 50 per cent or more of eligible expenditure.

Regions eligible for the program are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to lodge an EOI for eligible projects.

Round One closes on 1 August.

COMFORT & SUPPORT

Rita Sullivan is a specialist. Her lingerie shop in Kiama provides a much-needed service to ladies who have undergone breast cancer surgery and need to adjust to the physical and emotional challenges that brings.

The compassionate and knowledgeable staff are dedicated to assisting women rediscover their femininity and confidence by embracing the changes to their body with love and acceptance.

How? The Knickerboxers store has an extensive range of post-surgery bras, pocketed mastectomy bras and breast forms to suit all clients. Their trusted suppliers prioritise comfort, quality, and style to ensure that clients can have access to the best possible options.

The products are designed to enhance clients’ natural shape and provide gentle support, and above all boost self-confidence.

“We are retired registered nurses, therefore, we have a unique insight into the challenges women face following all kinds of breast surgery,” Rita says. “We are known for our extensive range of sizes - from A cups to K cups!”

Rita and her team offer personalised fittings to

ensure that each garment fits perfectly. The skilled fitters have extensive experience working with women who have had breast cancer surgery and they take the time to understand the unique needs and preferences of every client. This all in an environment where clients feel safe, supported, and empowered.

“Comfort is our mantra,” Rita remarks. “We recommend regular bra fittings for all women.”

The Knickerboxers team

travel widely to support women who cannot visit the Kiama shop and often have fitting events in Bowral, Ulladulla, Narooma, and Shoalhaven.

Rita says, “Age, health, and the tyranny of distance can make it difficult for women to come to Kiama. Our next event is 25-26 July in Narooma. Bookings essential.”

Heather Tait from Rita’s team also visits Fiji on a regular basis offering this same service to ladies who need help.

“Knickerboxers collects second hand breast forms and bras in good condition and Heather takes them to Fiji for the women following surgery,” Rita reveals, “They get no assistance in Fiji.”

Anyone needing Rita’s expertise and advice is welcome to contact her directly on 4232 1196 or visit the Knickerboxers shop on Terralong Street.

by Donna Portland

Holidaymakers in Kiama won’t be able to camp at Kiama Showground/Chittick Oval or Chapman Oval this Summer.

Kiama Council announced it won’t provide overflow camping sites at the two ovals for the 2023-24 Christmas and New Year period, meaning those with campervans, caravans and tents will have to find somewhere else to stay.

The decision was made due to ongoing issues with the condition of turfed areas, increased risks of additional damage, and the increased number of sports events that will use the facilities.

Kiama Council apologised for the inconvenience, and suggested anyone affected should contact Kiama Coast Holiday Parks and Kiama Visitors Centre to find alternate accommodation.

Kiama Council is still reviewing whether it can provide overflow camping in the future. Kiama Show and carnival operators will still be able to camp on the grounds on a short term basis, as they have separate agreements with Kiama Council.

By Brendon Foye

FIREFIGHTERS NEED YOU

Kiama Fire and Rescue are strongly urging people with daytime availability to apply to become an on-call firefighter.

“Like in every industry, we’re short at the moment,” says Captain Rhys Dawson (pictured).

“We’re supposed to have a complement of 20 firefighters and at the moment, we’re down to 15.”

In order to protect the community, Captain Dawson says they have had to rely on people from other Fire and Rescue stations to cover Kiama.

With firefighting marked as one of the most important, rewarding and well-respected careers in the community, the position will suit anyone who wants to be involved in a community organisation and give back.

“We not only provide fire protection to the community but we respond to car accidents, HAZMAT incidents, rescues and bushfires outside of our area, while assisting the police, ambulance and SES,” Captain Dawson says. “We also educate the

community about fire hazards and fire safety. We do smoke alarm checks and go to schools and do education programs.

“It’s great to give back to the community.”

No experience is necessary with nationally recognised training provided and unlike the RFS, on-call firefighters will get paid for their callouts on a fortnightly basis.

Captain Dawson says daytime on-call firefighting will suit people who work from home with flexible hours so they are able to duck away for periods of time, people who work shift work and people with casual or part time work.

Suitable applicants must

Rotary change-over

The Rotary Club of Kiama celebrated its 70th Changeover lunch recently. Errol Chopping has taken the reins from last years’ President Carol Jagger.

Tonia Barnes, who is now the Rotary Governor of District 9675. Tonia is the first District Governor to be nominated from the Kiama Club.

be over the age of 18 years, have a driver’s licence and reside in the Kiama area. Recruits will undergo a series of medical and police checks and a physical attribute test (information on what is involved can be found on the Fire and Rescue website) before being sent off to training where they will encounter live burns, search and rescue drills, and learn how fire progresses.

Apply at fire.nsw.gov.au or call the Kiama Station on 4224 2046. Another round of interviews for suitable applicants will begin shortly.

by Cassandra Zaucer

The lunch was attended by 68 guests and was held at the Sebel Harbourside, where Errol announced his Board for 2023-24.

The event was attended by dignitaries such as Fiona Phillips MP, Member for Kiama Gareth Ward, Mayor Neil Reilly and other Rotary dignitaries were also there.

The ‘Paul Harris Award’, which acknowledges individuals who contribute or who have contributions made in their name of $1,000, were made to Murray Smith and Bob and Annette Young.

John Clarke received the ‘Robert East Award’ which recognises Council employees who have made significant contributions as volunteers in the community.

A special mention to Kiama’s own Rotary Member

“The District Governor role is all about leadership, more than directive,” Tonia says.

“The DG is responsible for 58 Rotary clubs stretching from Sydney Harbour all the way down the south coast, from St Marys and Sydney’s west and far west to Wollondilly and Canberra, so it’s a wide geographical and socio-economic spread.”

District Governor is a huge role and Tonia can’t do it on her own; she is assisted by ten Assistant Governors that each look after five clubs, split into regions. They all work together on the various projects.

Rotary is a volunteer organisation where the main aim is to serve communities, and they do this by identifying what is needed.

Currently there is a focus on supporting mental health – especially for children, and the international president Mr Gordon McInally has set the directive to clubs to focus on peace in the world – especially in conflict areas.

Demonstrating this, Rotary has made significant donations to Ukraine and Syria.

Kiama Rotary wants to move in the direction that best benefits the community, so they hold focus groups amongst various age groups from teens through to businesspeople and the aged. They encourage and welcome new members with fresh ideas.

The Bugle acknowledges all award recipients and sends good wishes to the new President in his year ahead, and to the new District Governor in her four-year term ahead.

by Donna Portland

Youth talent

New research has confirmed what many local families already know: social media is hurting our young people.

This week, Headspace –the National Youth Mental Health Foundation – released new data showing one in three young Australians have experienced problematic social media use.

According to Headspace, 44 per cent of young people say they are exposed to more negative content than positive content online, while 51 per cent have thought about logging off altogether but FOMO (the fear of missing out) keeps them online.

Headspace CEO, Jason Trethowan, said social media can be overwhelming for young people.

“The more time young people spend on social media, the less time they have for other important parts of life, like being active, getting into life, sleeping and eating well,” he said.

Mr Trethowan also pointed the finger at Big Tech to be part of the solution.

“…the responsibility to foster healthy social media habits can’t rest solely on the shoulders of young people or their families. It is important that social media companies and governments put in place the mechanisms needed to ensure users can have a safe and healthy experience.”

The release of the Headspace data follows the publication of an alarming new American study suggesting as many as half of teenagers are experiencing feelings of depression and helplessness.

The study – conducted by the University of Michigan –shows 48.9 per cent of teens agree with the statement “I do not enjoy life” while 44.2 per cent agree with the statement “my life is not useful”.

In comparison, in the year 2000 – before iPhones, Instagram and Tik Tok – less than a quarter of American teenagers agreed with those statements.

Youth local mental health is also back on the agenda locally, with the Illawarra Mercury publishing an important story last week on the valuable support work done in the wake of the tragic series of youth suicides in Kiama in 2020 and 2021.

The NSW Government has recently announced a new 40-year vision for the Wollongong Hospital, the Metro Wollongong Health Precinct Strategy, that will seek to plan the future of the region’s healthcare services as the population grows.

The Minister for Health, Ryan Park MP, who is also the Member for Keira said “this strategy will be invaluable in helping us to improve access to healthcare services

for our growing community, ensuring we have world-class services available to meet the needs of staff, patients and their families.”

Ahead of last year’s Federal Election, Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips promised Labor would fully fund and deliver a Headspace in Kiama. The Federal Government allocated funds in the October 2022, and hopes the Kiama Headspace will be open by the end of this year.

Speaking to The Bugle, Fiona Phillips said Kiama played a pivotal role in her advocacy for restoring bulk billing for psychiatric telehealth consultations for regional and rural Australia.

“The recent Federal Budget contained $586.9 million for improved mental health measures, to extend critical services, address urgent gaps and workforce shortages.

“We also recently launched the National Disaster Mental Health and Wellbeing Framework. This framework will guide how governments and recovery partners can consistently support the mental

health and wellbeing of communities before, during and after disaster events.”

Kiama Council has been on the front line supporting local young people through challenging times with their SENTRAL Youth Services for many years.

“Our youth service is onhand to support young people with their mental health including as a mandatory reporter,” a Council spokesperson said.

“Our staff have undertaken Suicide Prevention training this year and we are committed to staff training in Mental Health First Aid as well.”

SENTRAL continues to provide weekly drop-in afternoons every Thursday and Friday, as well as individual support by appointment.

They also host regular events and activities for young people aged 12-25 in the municipality to connect, create and ‘chill out’.

Council provides and facilitates a range of mental health resources via their website.

Kiama High School Student, Meisha McGroder is making big waves in the music scene after graduating from the prestigious Talent Development Program.

She was one of 12 people in NSW to graduate last month from the not-for-profit organisation that has been nurturing musical talent for over three decades and has joined the list of esteemed alumni including Angus and Julia Stone.

Across the three-month program, she has been honing her skills with some of Australia’s top music industry professionals and has since released a single on Spotify – ‘Found’ by Denim on Her, which has collected

over 1,000 listens. Manon Wilson, marketing and workshop coordinator at TDP, describes her sound as unique, setting her apart from other emerging artists.

“She is definitely one to watch out for in the coming years,” says Manon.

Meisha’s passion for music began at a young age and she has been performing since she was just five years old.

“She is a shining example of what can be achieved with passion, talent, and determination, and her journey serves as an inspiration to young musicians who aspire to follow in her footsteps.”

by Cassandra Zaucer

One of the things I love most about being your local MP is recognising important events and celebrating the contribution of people in our community.

You may qualify for a letter from the King if you are:

• Celebrating your 60th wedding anniversary

• Celebrating your 100th birthday

You may qualify for a letter from the Governor of NSW if you are:

• Celebrating your 50th wedding anniversary

• Celebrating your 95th birthday

If you have represented

the State of NSW in sport, you also qualify for an official State Representative Award signed by the Premier of NSW and me.

I also have a range of Kiama Electorate Community Service, volunteer, and achievement awards.

Feel free to contact my office if you would like further information on any of these awards.

SERVICE NSW CELEBRATES 10 YEARS

This month marks 10 years since we officially opened the very first Service NSW centre anyway in NSW.

When the then Premier Barry O’Farrell announced that multiple government services would be moved under one roof, I remember lobbying him to ensure Kiama had the very first.

And that’s exactly what happened.

I think everyone would agree, the team at Service NSW in Kiama do an outstanding job and I’m so pleased that the feedback about their dedication and

commitment continues to be as positive and strong as ever.

LABOR AXES REGIONAL SENIORS TRAVEL CARD

Whilst Chris Minns and Labor promised not to axe the Regional Seniors Travel Card if they were elected, the Labor Government have broken yet another promise with the card stopped from 7th July.

Whilst any cards issues before this date can still be used, the government has broken its promise and won’t be issuing any more for the foreseeable future.

I’m opposing this cut and to have this matter debated in Parliament, I have started a petition and we need 10,000 signatures to kick off the debate.

If you oppose cutting the Regional Seniors Travel Card, feel free to pop into my office and sign our petition.

FREE RAT TESTS

I have free Rapid Antigen Tests available in my office.

Feel free to drop in and collect yours today.

KIAMA WINTER FESTIVAL

A huge shout out to the organisers of the Kiama Winter Festival.

The ice skating at Black Beach Reserve was a massive highlight. I got my stakes on and enjoyed every minute of it! (And I achieved my main objective of not falling over!).

WEEKLY E-NEWSLETTER

In addition to this column in the Kiama Bugle, I publish a weekly column which contains information on local issues and updates on my activities in our community and in Parliament.

If you would like to receive this weekly e-newsletter, please don’t hesitate to send me an email to kiama@parliament.nsw.gov. au so you can be added to the list.

Have a great week!

Jamberoo Mt Rd opening

continued from p1

Given this isn’t the first time the road has closed and its significance as an east-west corridor, Council is lobbying for the road to be classified a State road rather than left a Council responsibility as a regional road.

The reopening is the culmination of Council’s $4.8 million Road Repairs

Construction Program, to restore Jamberoo Mountain Road, as well as other local roads damaged by the storm.

A 40km/h speed zone will be in place through the repaired areas, while minor works are completed, with traffic controllers in place for the safety of workers and motorists.

CBA to stay

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) has vowed to keep its regional branches open, including its Kiama branch on Terralong Street, open until at least the end of 2026.

The ‘Big Four’ bank announced in February 2023 that it would keep its regional branches open for at least the rest of the year, and this new announcement extends the current commitment to three years.

CBA Retail Banking Services Group Executive Angus Sullivan said in a statement that the bank recognises that more customers choose to use digital and phone-based services rather than in-person.

“Through this time of change we want to support customers in regional areas

who prefer banking in branch and so we will maintain our existing face-to-face services in these communities.”

He added that CBA will work with regional communities over the next three years to refine its strategy to support regional customers better.

In 2022 Westpac, another of the ‘Big Four’ banks closed its Kiama bank along with 24 other branches across the country, meaning Westpac customers have to travel to Shellharbour for the nearest brick-and-mortar bank.

The closure of Westpac’s Kiama branch leaves just three banks in town - CBA, NAB and IMB, as well as the newly opened Bendigo Bank in Gerringong.

by Brendon Foye

Building woes

Bombo couple Mark and Yvonne and Yvonne’s elderly mum Bub who is 88 next month, were two-thirds of the way through their house build when their builder went bust four years ago.

He didn’t complete the work and disappeared. All three are on the aged pension, and had a finite budget and their house is still not completed.

“Mark has long-term health issues and is limited in his ability to work around the house. Our children stepped in to help out as much as possible, paying for and installing flooring, decking and recently fencing and doing landscaping. They can only do so much,” Yvonne revealed.

Carolyn Lee, owner of The Energy Experts, knows Yvonne from her cookbook club ‘Kiama Feast’, and is leading the charge to enlist the help of local tradies to help the couple finish their house.

She has already called on all relevant businesses in the Ray White Kiama Preferred Trades List to ask whether those tradies would consider donating their time and expertise to help the three. The Energy Experts are donating the supply and installation of some solar panels to help get their electricity costs down.

They are appealing to any suitably qualified and insured tradespeople who can help with replacing skirting boards and an architrave, finishing timber trim, painting, rendering on the garage, installing a ceiling in the back garage, staining the front deck and fence and fixing the leak in the ceiling downstairs in the dining room. It would also be great to get some raised garden beds built if possible. All materials will be provided.

Bub, Mark and Yvonne says, “We are very appreciative of Carolyn’s kindness and anyone else who can

help out.”

Carolyn says to all prospective helpers, “Know that your help would be much appreciated, and Yvonne is a superb cook so any tradesperson who helps out will be treated to delicious and plentiful food in thanks for their efforts.”

This unfortunate experience is not uncommon.

The University of NSW has produced a study since construction companies have been collapsing at a rate that has not been seen for almost a decade. ASIC data shows that 2,023 construction companies have gone into liquidation since mid-2021 - in fact this sector leads the trend.

The reasons for the collapse in the construction industry has been put down to “COVID shutdowns, extended periods of inclement weather and chronic supply chain issues to cashed-up infrastructure companies competing for construction

Local wedding honours

labour, first home builder stimulus packages being wound back and the end of a prolonged cheap credit-fuelled surge”. In fact, “the industry has been at the centre of a perfect storm.”

Prof. Swan, observes that bankruptcy, particularly of home builders, is very hard to predict, and says that “there is very little that individuals can do in response other than expensive legal action”. He recommends avoiding buying off the plan.

“There are large, reputable builders who have been around for many decades. This offers some protection but far from complete,” he

funds will be lost and finding another builder to complete the work is difficult because of increased material costs.”

He also noted that home warranty insurance (under the Home Building Compensation Fund) could only be claimed five weeks after an insolvency event, which is the case under the Master Builders’ Association standard contract.

“The cover is also based on the original cost of works, which is likely to rise because of the same events that led to the insolvency”.

A/Prof. Nicholls is conducting investigative research into consumer pro-

superannuation fund goes into liquidation, members’ investments are protected, and if a bank goes bankrupt, customers’ deposits are protected, but if a homebuilder collapses, he said new homebuyers’ deposits are not protected.

“Our research focus will be to understand how to reduce systematic risk in residential construction by learning from financial and professional service regulation,” said A/Prof. Nicholls. He explained the outcome of the research would be to propose a regulatory framework that will minimise risks for those looking to

D Y T R I P S A

The Great Synagogue, Sydney

Tuesday 29 August $115

Several venues and local businesses from the Kiama LGA have been recognised in the Illawarra & Southern Highlands Wedding Industry Awards.

The Awards are dedicated to recognising, supporting and rewarding wedding businesses in regional areas.

Greyleigh has won in the Wedding Venue – Farm and Country category for The Gables (pictured).

It was also highly commended in the Boutique Wedding Accommodation category.

General Manager of Greyleigh, Hamish McCallum, says they are extremely happy to be recognised in these industry awards and to have been voted for by their couples.

“We’re really excited to see the venue gaining such feedback and recognition so soon since we have been open to the public,” he says.

“Awards in these categories of boutique wedding accommodation and wedding venue farm and country do really represent the nature of the product we’re offering to the market.

“We’re excited to see the results of next year’s awards.”

Other local wedding venues have also been recognised in the awards; Sebel Kiama has won the Wedding Venue – 4-5 star Hotel category, The Pavilion Kiama has been highly commended for Function Centre Wedding Venue and Kiama Downs Surf Life Saving Club in the Surf Club venue category.

Several local businesses, including Making Faces Makeup Studio, have also seen success in the awards.

Owner of Making Faces Makeup Studio, Meryll Faulkner, notes how wonderful it is for the smaller

businesses to be recognised.

Other local award recipients included:

• Sharon is my Celebrant (Minnamurra): winner of Civil Marriage Celebrant

• Always Flowers Kiama: highly commended for Wedding Florist

• Culinarians Catering (Kiama): highly commended for Wedding Caterer

• Henry Clive Caravan Bar (Gerringong): winner of Caravans, Trucks, Carts & Bars

• Meet Mable Bar Service Gerringong: highly commended for Caravans, Trucks, Carts & Bars

• Bella Spa Gerringong: highly commended for Day Spa

• The Wedding and Event Creators (Gerringong): winner of Decorator & Stylist

Includes: Light morning tea en-route, guided tour of The Great Synagogue, lunch at The Juniors at Kingsford and return coach transport

Tina, the Tina Turner Musical

Wednesday 13 September - $175

Includes ticket to Tina the Tina Turner Musical showing at Sydney’s Theatre Royal and return coach transport

Whale Watching Cruise Jervis Bay

Friday 22 September $140

Includes: Light morning tea en-route, 2 5hr Whale Watch Cruise with Jervis Bay Wild Cruises to view migrating Humpback Whales and return coach transport Lunch stop during the day in Huskisson at own expense Pick up locations from Gerringong through to Wollongong

Echuca & The Mighty Murray River

Sunday 10 to Saturday 16 September 2023

$2725 per person twin share Add $515 for singles

Tour Highlights: Port of Echuca Tour, Great Aussie Beer Shed, Murray River Paddlesteamers day cruise, National Holden Motor Museum, The Spanner Man, Sharps Magic Movie House, The Big Strawberry and Chocolate Apple Factory

Price includes: 6 nights’ accommodation at Wagga Wagga (1), Echuca (4) and Albury (1), breakfasts, dinners, light morning teas, all lunches, entry to all attractions and coach pickup and drop off from your home in the Illawarra area.

TERM 3-4 COURSES ARE ENROLLING NOW

Expand your horizons!

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Provide First Aid HLTAIDO11Ō^ and HLTAID009 Provide cardiopulmonary resuscitationŌ^

1 x 9am-4pm workshop + pre-completed theory or 9am-12noon CPR Refresher

24 Jul or 14 Aug $0-$175Ō Kiama

Classes held monthly. See website for future dates.

WHITE CARD

CPCWHS1001 Prepare to work safely in the construction industryŌ^ 1 x 9am-5pm workshop

21 Aug or 18 Sep $0-$150Ō Kiama

Classes held monthly. See website for future dates.

CAREERS IN AGED CARE

Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) CHC33021*^

Express your interest Fee Free* Kiama

BUSINESS & IT

Perfect for building confidence in your digital skills for work.

Digital Basics SkillsetŌ^

17 Aug 6 sessions 10am-1pm $0-350Ō Kiama & Online

Internet & Online CommunicationŌ^

19 Oct 6 sessions 10am-1pm $0-350Ō Kiama & Online

HAIR & BEAUTY SAVE THE DATE! OPEN WEEK 13-17 NOV

FULL QUALIFICATION

Certificate III in Beauty Services SHB30121*^

17 Jul 6 months 9.30am-4pm Fee Free* Shoal

SHORT COURSE

Ultimate Nails Workshop

24 Aug 2 months 9.30am-3.30pm $0-$1,250Ō Shoal

OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP

SAVE THE DATE! OPEN WEEK 13-17 NOV

Certificate III in Outdoor Leadership SIS30619*^

Express your interest for the next intake Fee Free*

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Lead Archery Sessions^

16 Oct 2 sessions 9am-3pm $420 Shoal

READING, WRITING & MATHS

Would you like help with with reading, writing or maths?

Our classes are small, friendly and safe. You can start anytime. Mondays 9.30am-12.30pm Fee Free* Kiama

Online Call us on 4232 1050 Fee Free* via Zoom

RISE PROGRAM

FUN EVENING CLASSES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY!

RISE cooking and art & craft classes are funded through participant’s NDIS plans and designed to support students living with disability to learn skills, have fun, socialise in a recreational setting and to participate in the local community. Call us on 4232 1050 for more information.

FREE COMPUTER COURSES FOR SENIORS

Educational, fun and FREE for people 60+! Gain confidence and stay connected in one of our Tech Savvy Seniors courses. Call us on 4232 1050 or visit our website for more information and future dates.

Introduction to Smartphone 31 Jul

Introduction to Video Calling 7 Aug

Introduction to Social Media Apps 4 Sep

Setting Up Social Media Accounts 11 Sep

Managing Photos on your Smartphone 18 Sep

Sharing Photos & Attachments Online & Phone 25 Sep

Staying Safe Online & On Your Phone 9 Oct

Advancing your Email Skills 16 Oct

Online Shopping Basics 23 Oct

Online Shopping & Banking Next Steps 30 Oct

*Funded through a partnership between the NSW Govt. and Telstra.

FREE DIGITAL HELP FOR SENIORS 50+

Do you need some one-on-one advice? Come along to one of our FREE Silver Fox weekly digital help sessions.

Mondays (excluding public holidays) 2-4pm Kiama & Shoal

LIFESTYLE COURSES

PODCASTING $35*

*Kiama Community Radio tutors have generously gifted their time and expertise for this course so you pay only a small admin fee to attend.

SCAN

FOR THE FULL SCHEDULE ON OUR WEBSITE

Nationally recognised FEE FREE* and subsidisedŌ qualifications or courses for leisure & interest. Whatever your season, whatever the reason, there’s something for you at your local Community College!

The pillars of local wisdom

At the end of this month, Kiama Council will host the Local Government Regional Government NAIDOC Awards for the Illawarra. The event moves each year between four Council areas – Kiama, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven and Wollongong.

Despite being considerably smaller than our neighbouring councils, we’re pulling together what will be a fantastic community event. This doesn’t surprise me, as we put on so many impressive local events here in Kiama –events which are much more about the people who participate and contribute than the institutions behind them.

I am a tragic for old movies and (despite my wife Wendy’s protests) I just love Lawrence of Arabia; a timeless classic. Following his war service in 1919, TE Lawrence, (Lawrence of

Arabia) took to writing ‘The Seven Pillars of Wisdom’, an autobiographical account of his time as a British advisor to Bedouin forces in forces in World War I. I am currently reading it. He states in this book that the Bedouins believe in ‘… persons, not institutions.’

I agree, and if I can relate that to our own situation, that’s why our events such as the NAIDOC Awards, and our community focused policies, programs and projects are so successful.

It’s also why we have a Community Strategic Plan (CSP). It comes from the people, not the institution. Our CSP contains five pillars, not the seven of Lawrence, but with the same idea…

Pillar 1: We belong and contribute

Pillar 2: We thrive in a sustainable environment

Pillar 3: We create a strong and diverse economy

Pillar 4: We are part of a connected and liveable community

Pillar 5: We expect accountable and transparent leadership; a Council that is financially sustainable.

The first pillar “We belong and contribute” is what I am focusing on this week. It promotes inclusivity, engagement, and active participation within the broader community.

Here’s what it means to me: inclusivity and diversity. Our aim should be to create an inclusive environment where all members of the community feel welcome, respected, and represented.

This involves efforts to embrace diversity, promote equity, and ensure that everyone has a voice in the decision-making processes. Council is doing its bit by developing and implementing policies and practices that explicitly support diversity, equity, and inclusion. For example, we’ve recently updated our policy on recruitment and hiring practices to ensure anti-discrimination measures, and the promotion of diverse perspectives.

I recognise the importance of actively involving community members in shaping policies, programs, and initiatives. We have sought members from the community to join two new committees . Engaging with

Seabird rescue

our community was how we created the CSP.

As well as looking forward to Kiama Council’s presentation of the NAIDOC Awards at The Pavilion from 5pm, 29 July 2023, which celebrates the achievements of local First Nations people, we promote inclusion in many other ways.

We try to make sure that council works towards fostering a sense of belonging and unity among community members, promoting social connections through our libraries, Leisure Centre, SENTRAL (“the Youthie”), Blue Haven, special events and even in urban design: building strong neighbourhoods, and facilitating activities that bring people together.

“We belong and contribute” highlights our commitment to creating an inclusive, engaged, and empowered community. TE Lawrence’s Seven Pillars of Wisdom is a challenging read, but like so many challenges, there’s a strong message, ‘Believe in people, not institutions!’

Taxis driving forward

All taxi services have been granted the go-ahead to operate rank and hail work in the Kiama LGA.

Following the closure of Kiama Cabs in May, the Illawarra Taxi Network started servicing the region, but could not legally operate rank and hail services due to state regulations. A rank and hail service is where a customer catches a taxi from a taxi rank or hails one from the street, as opposed to pre-booked travel.

Mayor Neil Reilly con-

firmed to The Bugle that these restrictions have been lifted for all taxi companies, including the Illawarra Taxi Network and 13Cabs, after writing to Point to Point Transport Commissioner Anthony Wing to find a solution that would ensure the Kiama LGA still has a working taxi service.

Gavin and Kay McClure, the owners of Kiama Cabs have also been in discussions with the Transport Commissioner, and fully support allowing Illawarra

Taxi Network to assume taxi services in their stead.

“We are very happy to announce that we received a call advising us that there are no regulation issues with all Illawarra Network and 13Cabs doing any rank and hail work in Kiama,” Gavin wrote on social media.

“We hope this helps all our lovely customers who patronised our local taxi service for so long.”

Gavin and Kay made the difficult decision to close

Kiama Cabs after 30 years in May after failing to find a buyer. Despite exiting the business, the McClures have remained dedicated to finding a replacement service for Kiama.

Gavin added: “We are also very happy to see Driving Miss Daisy is now offering a very high level of personalised transport in Kiama which is also a wonderful option for your transport needs, particularly our older residents.”

Australian Seabird and Turtle Rescue is calling on all fishers to report entangled seabirds, rather than cutting their lines and simply abandoning them, and wants the public to contact their hotline number so volunteers can respond to any emergencies.

Lisa Hood, the coordinator of the south coast branch of Australian Seabird and Turtle Rescue says that most people simply cut their fishing lines if a bird gets entangled.

“80 per cent of all call outs involve fishing lines entangling seabirds and often it’s condemning them to a slow and painful death.”

She says anyone in the Illawarra should instead ring their 24-hour hotline on 0431 282 238 if they see an endangered animal, and a volunteer will arrive promptly to help out.

These sorts of rescues receive lots of public support from different agencies, and she even had the bomb squad help out with a rescue in southern Sydney with two entangled

pelicans.

This was highlighted last week in a rescue of a silver gull in Kiama Harbour that played out live on social media.

Kiama local, Daniel, was walking his kelpie when he spotted a gull trapped in a fishing line floating in the harbour.

He reported it to the group, and very promptly a local rescuer named Byron turned up on his surfboard and performed a successful rescue by cutting and removing the entangling fishing lines.

The silver gull, a local native species, was rehabilitated in a humidi crib for two days recovering from shock and extreme cold and was released safely back into the ocean at Black Beach in Kiama last month.

Although, it is important to remember the result is not always a happy success like this one.

by Mark Whalan

Sails

Woolies history Writers haven

With the new parking arrangements now open at Kiama Village (owned by Woolworths), many Kiama locals would be unaware of the strong historical connection between Kiama and the grocery store giant.

Woolworths was started in Sydney, 5 December 1924 by Percy Christmas, who was born in Kiama and was the son of a local bank manager, Robert Christmas, and his wife Mary Caroline King. Robert was the manager of the NSW bank, and he lived upstairs in the Kiama heritage building that was most recently the Westpac bank building in Manning Street.

The Kings are a very well known family around Kiama even today, and included such respectable members such as Alexander King. J.P. (farmer, storekeeper and magistrate) and Moses King, George’s aunt Ada King, who married Sir George Fuller who went on to become Premier of NSW and therefore Percy Christmas’ uncle.

So it didn’t hurt that Percy’s uncle by marriage was the current NSW Premier, also from Kiama, when he started the store.

The new Woolworths store was innovative; it was the first

variety store in the world to use cash registers that print receipts for customers.

Older residents will remember that the colours of Woolworths were for many decades red and white before the rebranding in green as Fresh.

Percy introduced the red and white colour scheme after opening Woolworths’ second branch in Pitt Street, introducing new uniforms to shop assistants who knew him as ‘Father Christmas.’

You can read more about the Kiama and Woolworth’s connection in their official history book called ‘The Woolworths Way - A Great Australian Success Story 1924-1999’.

Percy died in France on April 12 in 1947 at the age of 63.

We’ll have to see whether Kiama will be acknowledged when Woolworths celebrates its 100th anniversary on 5 December 2024.

The South Coast Writers Festival returns in August for its highly anticipated second year, promising three jammed-packed days celebrating Australian writing talent bringing their stories to life.

The line-up features an impressive program of acclaimed Australian and South Coast authors across genres including Crime, Poetry, Politics, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction and young adult novels.

The line-up was announced at the launch at Wollongong Art Gallery, where screenings of music created an immersive experience which set the perfect tone for this year’s festival.

The festival prides itself on celebrating local authors, with over 50 per cent of the program featuring homegrown talent, including Prime Minister Literary Award Winning Young-Adult writer, Helena Fox, leading science writers Tim and Emma Flannery, as well as Kate Scott who will appear in conversation with Susan McCreery to discuss their novels, both set

in NSW coastal towns.

Joining the festival this year are several highly acclaimed authors who have garnered recognition for their outstanding contributions to literature, including John Birmingham, renowned for his memoir He Died with a Felafel in His Hand and his diverse novels spanning history, science fiction, military thrillers, and time-hop adventures.

The state of Australian publishing, and the $18,000 average yearly earning made by Australian authors, will also be put under the microscope in a conversation between Kate Holden, publisher Radhiah Chowdury, and Australian Society of Author’s board member Sarah Ayoub.

The Festival closes on Sunday 20 August with the announcement of the South Coast Writers Centre 2023 Poetry award at Wollongong Art Gallery.

Tickets and the full 2023 program can be found at southcoastwriterscentre.org

STAN CRAPP FUNERALS

Stan Crapp Funerals, supporting the community for over 50 years

New family law support service

Families impacted by domestic violence and involved in family law proceedings in the regions will have improved access to support services as part of a major project expansion.

Legal Aid NSW has said that the Family Advocacy and Support Services (FASS) has expanded into 14 additional family law court circuit and registry locations across NSW, following an $85 million nationwide funding boost from the Commonwealth Government.

The FASS is an integrated service that provides legal and non-legal wraparound supports to those impacted by family violence including duty lawyer services, as well as help with accommodation, safety planning, mental health, finance and drug and alcohol abuse.

Clients can access free legal help and help with their non-legal problems from dedicated social support workers for men and women.

Legal Aid NSW has partnered with local Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Services (WDVCASs) and Relationships Australia to provide this on the ground social support.

FASS will also include a dedicated mental health support worker for the first time

since launching in 2017.

The service has been successfully operating in the Sydney, Parramatta, Wollongong and Newcastle Family Court Registries, with services expanding state-wide in 2023.

Anna Baltins, the Associate Director, Domestic Violence Unit, Legal Aid NSW, says that wraparound services focused on early intervention for both victims and perpetrators were essential to improve overall outcomes for families.

“This service fills a critical gap in frontline service provision to people experiencing family violence and with family law issues. The service takes a holistic, wraparound approach and looks at both the legal and non-legal needs of clients to achieve long lasting positive outcomes for families,” she said.

“By providing clients with a one-stop shop for support, we aim to contribute to the prevention of the cycle of violence by offering support to engage in perpetrator programs while also ensuring victims have adequate social and psychological support and are able to plan for their safety.”

Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, David Pringle acknowledged

NAIDOC Our celebrations!

the profound benefit that the expansion of the service will have for the many families that engage with the Courts, particularly in remote and regional locations.

“The service provided by FASS is integral in facilitating the safe resolution of family law disputes involving families and children that are, or have been, impacted by family violence.

“The Courts particularly welcome the expansion of the targeted support provided by FASS to several of the Courts’ regional registries and circuit locations, where historically limited access to support services has presented a challenge for families in need,” he said.

The expansion of the FASS has been recommended by several inquiries as filling a critical gap in frontline service provision, most recently in the 2021 second interim report of the Joint Select Committee Inquiry into the Family Law System.

The service arose out of the Third Action Plan under the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-22, the Federal Government committed $18.5 million over three years (2016-19). The service has expanded into locations across NSW.

by Donna Portland

Kiama Council has closed out its celebrations of NAIDOC week with Dharawal dancers at the Kiama Community Garden.

The Gumaraa Dance Group troupe featured a range of educational dances such as how to fish and to freeze when seeing a snake while collecting berries.

Sam was a storyteller and singer and played the didgeridoo with Tyrell, Tallara, Malalai and Alize as the dancers.

After the dance, children from Kiama Family Care OOSH (out of School Hours Care) and Blue Haven residents from the Seaside Group paired up to paint river rocks and to try local edible plants from the Garden.

Afterwards the residents and children were given a

lesson in Wayapa Work by Jaz Corr which is a form of moving narrative mediation based on Indigenous practices.

Federal Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips also participated in NAIDOC events across the Kiama LGA and Shoalhaven, saying: “We have such a rich and vibrant Indigenous heritage here on the South Coast, and I absolutely love celebrating NAIDOC week.

“NAIDOC Week is an important time to recognise the strength, resilience, and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to our communities.”

The Local Government NAIDOC regional awards will be held on Saturday 29 July at the Kiama Pavilion.

NAIDOC Week started

early July. The theme was ‘For our Elders’ so shared experiences between Indigenous and non-Indigenous elders by Kiama Council was very in theme.

NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines’ and Islanders’ Day Observance Committee and has been celebrated since 1975. The committee has been calling for a new national public holiday as part of NAIDOC week which is yet to be realised. Here are some useful local phrases in Dharawal: Ngambi or warami for hello Ngadawingji for see you later Didjarigura for thank you or enough.

Calls for more volunteers

Community clubs and associations are all experiencing the same difficulty in finding volunteers to fulfill critical roles and their answers are all the same; if no one steps up, their group will cease to exist.

“It’s an ongoing challenge to maintain the appropriate numbers to keep the Gerroa Community Association effectively running,” says President Roy Schmidt (pictured), who isn’t alone with three other associations all on the hunt for more members.

The GCA, Gerringong Music Club and Illawarra Folk Club have critical roles that aren’t being filled, even the Gerringong Christmas Parade is in jeopardy of not going ahead this year with no new organisers.

While semi-retired locals are more prone to joining community groups, young people with full-time jobs are also encouraged to put their hand up as the work only involves a couple of hours a week.

“You as an individual will feel positive and good because you’re helping other members of the community,” says Roy. “Then as a result, you become a part of the community.

“You get to know other people on the committee

and outside at social events, which is a huge benefit. Most of my best friends are people I have met through the committee.”

The GCA has been searching for a new hall manager, after they moved to fill the position of secretary, and a general committee member.

“You can’t run the Association efficiently with four to six active committee members. You need at least seven or eight to spread the work around and help carry the load,” Roy says, who will be down to six members shortly.

For Gerringong Music Club, they are referring to themselves as ‘lucky’ for finding a new, young musical director after months of searching, however, they still need a publicity officer and, in the near future, a new treasurer.

She hopes the new musical director will pull in more younger people, as the majority of their members are over 80 years old.

“The Club can’t function without people,” says former musical director Bobbie Miller, noting it isn’t uncommon for lots of organisations to have trouble finding people.

“We would have had to close if we hadn’t managed to fill positions on the committee.”

Bobbie believes COVID has made people reluctant to get out and be involved in the community, especially the older age group.

On social media, the Illawarra Folk Club admitted it has been harder to find willing people to fill their office bearing jobs over the past few years.

“Sadly, we are now at a

time where we will not have an honorary treasurer,” the post read.

The long held tradition of the Gerringong Christmas Parade is, at this stage, not going ahead due to no one stepping up and taking the reins.

The Parade has been organised by a group of four local women for the past four years, after the baton was passed on by Gerringong Rotary who ran the event for many years.

Organiser Julia O’Keefe says they are still on the hunt and hope someone comes forward soon as the Parade involves preparation in the upcoming months.

Gerroa Community Association – contact President Roy Schmidt for more information on 0418 449 678

Gerringong Music Club – contact former Musical Director Bobbie Miller for more information on 0413 967 385.

Illawarra Folk Club – contact Secretary Graeme Morrison for more information on 0412 358 333

Gerringong Christmas Parade – email gerringongchristmasparade@ gmail.com for more information

by Cassandra Zaucer

This month marks 10 years since Kiama had the privilege to open the first Service NSW Centre in the State.

The Service Centre on Shoalhaven Street was opened by then NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell and Member for Kiama Gareth Ward, now an Independent.

Service NSW replaced the previous Roads & Maritime Services centres, bringing services from NSW Government agencies like Fair Trading NSW and Births, Deaths and Marriages together with vehicle and licence registration under one roof. Some of these services required residents to travel to Sydney just to submit paperwork.

Since then, the Kiama Service NSW branch has completed more than 316,000 customer transactions and achieved a 97 per cent customer satisfaction rate.

The most common services over the past five years were driver’s licence renewals, transferring and renewing

vehicle registration, new licence applications and tests, and processing Working with Children Checks.

NSW Minister for the Illawarra and South Coast, Ryan Park, says, “Having proudly grown up in the Illawarra region and now raising my family here, I am thrilled to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of Service NSW which started right here in Kiama.

“Instead of travelling to different agencies in multiple locations, customers can complete connected transactions like changing their name and updating their licence in one convenient location.

“Service NSW has evolved over time and continues to innovate for our customers today and into the future.”

Mr Ward has celebrated the milestone, revealing that he requested former Premier Barry O’Farrell to have the first Service NSW established in the Kiama LGA.

Planting on the moon

A bold plan to grow seedlings on the Moon by 2026 has been funded by the Australian Government, in what could reveal a greater understanding of horticulture in extreme environments.

New Jazz Alley

Terralong Street’s Jazz Alley will receive a new mural after the original artwork was painted over with beige paint, causing community outrage on social media.

The mural, which was showcased on the external wall of the Vinnies store, was painted by local artist Mikey Freedom in 2017 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Kiama Jazz & Blues festival (pictured).

In June, while the Vinnies store was undergoing refurbishment, the wall was covered in a layer of beige paint unannounced.

Regional Manager of St Vincent de Paul Society, Miranda Egner, says urgent and unplanned waterproofing repairs

that were required on the internal and external walls of the building resulted in the mural’s cover up.

“Unfortunately during this process the existing mural was covered, this was not a part of the original scope for the refurbishment,” Miranda says.

In acknowledgment of local art, she says a new mural will be painted.

“Once the refurbishments have been completed, we will repaint the wall with a new mural.

“We’re yet to commission an artist however we will engage with the original artist during the selection process.”

by Cassandra Zaucer

The Australian Lunar Experiment Promoting Horticulture (ALEPH) project led by local start-up Lunaria One – with RMIT, QUT and ANU as the major Australian university partners along with industry bodies – has just received $3.6 million as part of the Australian Space Agency’s Moon to Mars Initiative.

Investigating whether seedlings can grow on the lunar surface is of fundamental biological interest and important to know for possible future space exploration, but it could also teach us more about growing plants in a changing climate here on Earth.

Lunaria One co-founder and engineering lead for the project, RMIT’s Dr Graham Dorrington, said the seeds and plants will be transported in a specially designed and hermetically sealed chamber – equipped with sensors, water and a camera – aboard a lunar lander scheduled for a mission in 2026.

“Our major challenge is designing the chamber to maintain suitable conditions to permit germination on

the lunar surface, where the external surface temperature fluctuates from highs of 80°C to lows of –180 °C,” said Dr Dorrington.

The chamber also needs to be lightweight – no more than 1.5 kg – and able to operate on minimal power while transmitting data via the lander back to Earth, using data rates of less than 40 kb/s.

“These are considerable challenges, but we have the necessary staff and facilities here at RMIT to succeed,” he said.

RMIT will also contribute expertise in plant biology from the School of Science, led by Associate Professor Tien Huynh.

“We know some plants grow differently in altered gravity conditions, but don’t yet fully understand how and why,” she said.

“In addition, the harsh lunar environment has a thin atmosphere, rapidly changing temperatures, and relatively poor soil properties, meaning that whatever we grow on the surface will need to be hardy.”

One of the plants being considered for the mission is Rapeseed (Brassica napus), a yellow-flowered plant grown for a range of food production and industrial uses.

“Preliminary results suggest this could be a good candidate as far as extreme

temperature tolerance and germination speed for surviving a mission to the Moon or Mars,” Huynh said.

After landing on the lunar surface, the plants’ growth and general health will be monitored and data and images will be beamed back to Earth.

RMIT Deputy Vice-Chancellor STEM College and Vice-President, Professor Ian Burnett, said the cross disciplinary research could provide valuable insights into how to support horticulture in extreme climates on Earth.

“We view the development of this lunar payload as an excellent opportunity to tackle extreme engineering and biological challenges that will likely lead to terrestrial ben-

efits as well as answers for space exploration,” he said.

Lunaria One Director, Lauren Fell, said the central value guiding this project was that space exploration is for everyone.

“We don’t want a future where only autonomous and remote-controlled machines inhabit realms beyond earth, but where humans can live and thrive,” she said.

“The key to this is to get humans involved and to give them a say in how we get there. The ALEPH project aims to open up the science and engineering behind growing life on the Moon so that anyone can be involved.”

by Donna Portland

Antonia Barnett-McIntosh •

Andrew Beck

• Ruth Buchanan •

The Estate of L. Budd

• Sione Faletau •

Samuel Holloway et al.

• Sonya Lacey

• Sarah Hudson

• Nova Paul •

Sriwhana Spong

• Shannon Te Ao

Sarah Hudson, re: place, 2022, soil, clay & rock hand gathered from Whakaohorahi during Autumn 2022

Clothes Swapping Party Clothes Swapping Party

Ladies, love to keep your wardrobe updated but worry about the sustainability of fashion? Then swap instead of shop!

To participate, during the drop off periods, bring up to 10 unworn or lightly worn items of women’s clothing, jewellery, accessories or footwear –the type you would give to a friend. In exchange, receive your tokens and find yourself some pre-loved items on the swap night!

WHEN: Clothes drop off and registration: 12-7pm Thurs 27 July & 9am-4pm Friday 28 July

Clothes swapping: 6-8pm Friday 28 July

WHERE: The Pavilion,

ENTRY: 2 Bong Bong Street, Kiama

$5 donation with all proceeds going to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Kiama (R3) and CWA Evening Branch for local community projects.

Bowled over

Gerringong Bowling Club’s mixed gender team has taken second place in the NSW State Finals, beating out more established and successful clubs around the state.

The State finals were played over three days until 2 July, with the first two days held at Dundas Sports Club, and the finals played at Northmead Bowlo.

99 teams from around NSW competed in their respective zones, with the winners of those 16 zones facing each other for the State title.

The Gerringong Team dominated their section with a 10-0 win over South Cronulla, 8-2 win over Old Bar, and 10-0 over Mudgee.

Earning their spot as the top ranked team in their section, Gerringong beat Singleton RSL in the quarter finals,

followed by another win over Old Bar in the semis to make it into the grand final.

Gerringong were finally stopped in the grand final, just falling short to Ballina in a close game with a score of 72-64.

Gerringong Bowling Club’s Publicity Officer Martyn Smith said, “A great result for such a small town team against some well-established and successful clubs.”

The local team took out the inaugural open gender bowls competition for Illawarra’s division No. 7 in May, admitting the Club into the State Finals event.

Despite being named the Gerringong Men’s Bowling Club, the open gender team consists roughly of 50 per cent men and women. There’s no required gender quota to actually field a team in the tournament.

Hockey success

Three young hockey players from Kiama have been selected to represent NSW on the national stage.

Oliver Hawker was chosen for the NSW Blues team to play in the Hockey Australia Under 18 Championships in Hobart from 1-9 July at the Tasmanian Hockey Centre. NSW will have two teams competing at the championships, NSW Blues and NSW State.

Meanwhile, Jasmine Wright and Maya Huetter will play for the NSW Primary School Sports Association Team later this month in the under 13s squad. Jasmine’s father, James, will also coach the under 18s NSW State team.

Marc Hawker, co-president of the Kiama Hockey Club,

and Oliver’s father said the club hadn’t seen this level of success since he and co-president James Wright began rebuilding the club eight years ago.

The club has also received assistance from the Kiama Bowling Club with paying to send the young players to Tasmania. In addition to being one of KHC’s main sponsors, Kiama Bowling Club recently donated $600 to help pay for the players’ travel expenses.

“We’re very grateful for their support,” Marc Hawker told The Bugle.

“They’ve been a good sponsor for us, and to have any extra bit of assistance is very much appreciated. On behalf of the club, we’re very thankful for their contribution.”

For information on swapping rules and restrictions please visit w www kiama nsw gov au/Events/Clothes-swapping-party

Supported by

Nardia’s indoor rowing triumph

Avid indoor rower Nardia Guillaumier already has a long list of medals and records under her belt in the sport, but it isn’t stopping her from trying to beat her personal bests.

She currently holds the Australian record for the one minute row and the four minute row in the 40-49 age group and recently brought home a silver and bronze on the world stage.

In the 2,000 metre at the World Indoor Rowing Championships she rowed a time of 7 minutes and 20 seconds, just 5 seconds behind the European champion, beating her personal best.

In the 500 metre, she placed third behind the current number one US rower and a Swedish rower but again rowed a new personal best of 1 minute and 33 seconds.

“When you race, you’re

racing yourself for your best time,” the Kiama local says.

“Although I am quite fast, there will always be somebody faster but I’m going to try and make sure I perform at my best. That’s what competing on a big stage is all about.”

This is after she brought home an outstanding five gold medals last November at the Pan Pacific Masters Games held in Queensland. She now has her eyes set on the Australian Masters in October, where she will try and row another personal best in the 2,000 metres.

“All of my training at the moment is based around beating that time,” says Nardia, who is the owner of NEG Photography.

“You have to have a lot of strength and a lot of endurance for indoor rowing. It’s all legs and core.

“I do strength training

six days a week at Oxygen Fitness in Kiama and row under coach Alan Swan at Swan Athletics in Jamberoo four times a week which will increase in intensity closer to the competition.”

She has been rowing for two-and-a-half years after she realised just how fast she was at indoor rowing.

As well as keeping her cardio fitness at a high level,

Special Olympics

Kiama Downs local, Kellie Hanson, has just returned from the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin where 7,000 athletes with an intellectual disability from 190 countries gather together to compete in 26 sports.

It is the largest humanitarian event to take place in the world.

Kellie was selected as an Assistant to the Australian Women’s Basketball Team which won the Bronze Medal.

she says indoor rowing keeps her head clear and the feeling that she has achieved something keeps her going.

“It’s a workout that you decide how hard you want to push and you decide on how fast you want to row.”

After the October event, Nardia plans to take on the World stage again next year.

As the Chairperson for Special Olympics in the Illawarra, she said “I am absolutely passionate about Special Olympics and the sporting opportunities it provides for athletes with an intellectual disability.

“The World Games is the pinnacle for these athletes.”

Kellie has spent the last six months preparing the athletes for the challenge of travelling to Berlin, with some athletes never having travelled overseas before, and some who have never been separated from their family, although Kellie says the preparation quickly faded at Brisbane Airport and were replaced by excitement and anticipation that was palpable.

Preliminary games saw

the Women’s Basketball team win three of five games. In their third-round game against Azerbaijan, they needed to win by five points to take them to the gold medal match, but in one of the roughest games that Kellie has ever witnessed in 45 years of basketball, our women were battered and bruised with the Azerbaijan team recording 27 fouls, five technical fouls and having two of their players ejected from the game.

The Australian Team won by 4 and were relegated to the bronze medal match. They got away to a great start, but Kazakhstan came back resulting in a draw at full time. They were neck and neck in extra time, until, with nine seconds on the clock, one of our girls was fouled, resulting in two free throws, both of which she sank, to steal the win!

“I can’t really put into words what the whole experience was like. Travelling with any team is a challenge, but when all the athletes have an intellectual disability, the challenges are absolutely increased. But the joy and excitement totally outweigh any obstacles we faced.”

Juniors take on State

Three Kiama Netball teams have taken on the best players from around the state in the Netball NSW Junior State Titles at Liverpool.

After four years of cancelled events due to COVID and flooding, it was their first experience competing across three days of representative netball.

Across the three-day event, the 12s, 13s and 14s teams played between 15 and 18 games.

Having lost just one game to the winning association,

the 13s team (pictured below) finished as runners-up in Division 3.

The 12s team finished 7th behind six teams that tied for first, while the 14s team finished a credible 11th.

“Well done to all three teams for an outstanding effort; Kiama is really proud of you,” President of the Kiama Netball Association Rhonda Beedles says.

“Many thanks to their coaches and supporters for a great effort.”

Federal Member for Gilmore PHILLIPS MP FIONA

Eyes over the years - part iv

Kids vision:

Children learn more through vision than all other senses combined, and 1 in 5 primary aged children have an eye or vision condition. I believe this could be increasing. In a recent school screening I found 30% of approximately 100 kids failed the screening, double the rate 4 years ago at the same school with the same tests.

How can I tell if my child has good vision?

Sometimes it can be difficult to tell how well your child sees, especially when they are very young. Until about age 11, children often assume that how they see is normal. A visit to the optometrist will check that their eyes are healthy and vision is developing as expected.

At what age should children have their first eye examination?

We recommend that all children have a full eye examination with an optometrist before starting school and regularly (every two to three years) as they progress through primary and secondary school. We routinely see infants, often when there is suspected eye turn.

Jean Anderson

EyeQ Optometrists

124 Terralong St, Kiama 4232

Convenient online bookings eyeq.com.au

Authorised by Fiona Phillips MP, Nowra.

I’m here to help with issues like Medicare, Centrelink, aged care and pensions, the NDIS, Veterans’ Affairs and community grants. I can also arrange flags, and special birthday and anniversary messages. Please let me know how I can help you.

James and his team from One Fitness enjoying the festivities at the Winter festival

Uncle Richard Campbell & Councillor Stuart Larkin at his fire station exhibition

Loren collyer playing at the ever popular Kiama markets

Art exhibition at GLAM - with Kay Andonopoulos - Werombi Studios

KHS Art student Isabelle and Donna Portland at the exhibition

Geoff Webb curator at the Heritage museum at Gerringong showing us around

Ex Gerringong School Principal Joy Fullagar volunteering at the heritage museum in the weekend holding a copy of her book passport for kids ever popular children’s book.

2

SUDOKU

REVITALISING RELATIONSHIPS

NOT A CROSSWORD

ant parts of having great relationships around you.

Never forget these 6 simple things:

• Be kind. It costs you less energy to be kind than it does to be angry – so stick with being kind.

CarynWalsh

The Bugle is our community newspaper. It is for you, for us, for all. We’ve been asked to include a column about relationships and families and life in beautiful Kiama, so we have enlisted the help of Caryn Walsh, who is a distinguished life and executive coach, counsellor and psychotherapist. She has worked with countless families, couples and individuals over the last 20 years and is well known for her ability to help others deal with life’s challenges. Caryn is also a leadership and team development specialist and works in Australia, Africa and Fiji. Caryn will address different topics in each feature, and you are very welcome to pose questions for her to answer.

Here are some of Caryn’s thoughts:

REVITALISING RELATIONSHIPS

Let’s face it. Some relationships are hard work, and often you may feel as if you are putting in much effort, and the other person is doing very little. That could be true of course, or it could be your perception, and often they differ.

Whether it is with your partner, child, sibling, friend or parent, there are some really simple things we can do each day to keep our relationships strong and able to steer the challenges we are faced with in life.

Relationships thrive when people show loving care for each other and work at their relationships. So, let’s not forget some simple import-

• Give – a lot. Our relationships are not a profit and loss ledger, but research tells us (and we support that mostly) the more you give in any relationship, the more you get in return.

• Communicate – the life blood of your relationship. Without it, the relationship system slows down and unless addressed may not always survive.

• Compromise. Don’t get stuck in a rigid way of thinking - be more agile in arrangements and with ideas that the other person brings to you. Explore options together to work out what fits best.

• Create time for intimacy. One couple asked me to help them rebuild their 11-year-old marriage, but when we worked it out, there were only two hours a week where they could build their relationship. Two hours isn’t going to cut it. So, make your relationship (whatever it is) a priority.

• Show respect and listen. Treat each other well and always be respectful and sensitive to the needs of each other.

When you look at these six factors, how well do you go on each and where do you think you can pay more focus? How well do you ‘do relationships?’ and where can you improve?

Human relationships are not about you - or me - they are about us.

Pose your questions to Caryn to answer in each Bugle edition: hello@thebuglenewspaper. com.au

All information is confidential and whilst we may publish your question, all names will be changed to protect your privacy.

Everywhere in Northwestern France, visitors are immersed in examples of stunning natural beauty and rich history. Against this high bar, breathtaking Mont-Saint-Michel stands out as the jewel in the crown. We visited recently on a busy Ascension long weekend in May.

One of Europe’s most visited attractions, drawing up to three million visitors each year, Mont-SaintMichel is a rocky granite island outcrop rising out of a beautiful bay just east of the Couesnon River, which opens onto the English Channel.

Construction of its buildings began a thousand years ago. At the island’s

base, thick medieval fortress walls and towers surround and support the magnificent gothic abbey at its peak, which in turn towers over the village buildings and grounds clustered around it.

Mont-Saint-Michel has played a key role in various wars and battles, as a fortress resisting sieges. It was in centuries past the biggest western world pilgrimage site, attracting more pilgrims than Santiago de Compostela.

Mont-Saint-Michel was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979.

Bellinda Dunn, Kiama

Burnetts Carrot Cake @the Quarry Cafe

INGREDIENTS

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup raw sugar (or white)

1 cup light oil (olive, vegetable or coconut, or a combo of those)

1 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

1/3 cup sour cream (or Greek yoghurt if you re out of sour cream)

2 cups plain flour (we use gluten free plain flour)

2 tspn cinnamon

1 tspn allspice

1 tspn nutmeg

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Every Sunday1pmjoe mungovan james Vann cameron little James Burton penny hartgerink

9th 16th 23RD 30th

1 tspn baking powder

1 tspn bicarb soda

3 packed cups of grated carrot

1 cup coconut (shredded is our favourite but desiccated is fine too)

1 ½ cups chopped nuts (walnut or pecan, we use walnut)

This carrot cake recipe has been a firm favourite of the Burnett family for years and is often the birthday cake of choice among the Burnett Trees and Burnetts On Barney team It’s evolved to become more spicey and coconutty, with a thicker but less sweet icing than the original recipe and we now make it only with gluten free flour so that no-one has to miss out Because its hero ingredients are carrot coconut and nuts it can almost be considered as salad

METHOD

Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celsius and line a 20cm tin with baking paper

Mix sugars, oils and vanilla together

Add in eggs and sour cream and mix well

Sift flour spices baking powder and bicarb together and add to wet mix Stir in gently

Add carrot, coconut and nuts

Tip in tin and cook for about 1 5 hours until a skewer comes out clean

Carrot Cake Icing

120 grams cream cheese

25 grams butter

1 cup icing sugar (originally was twice this but we find it too sweet)

30ml of orange or lemon juice (not in original recipes but we like it a bit tart)

Slowly beat icing ingredients, adding one at a time, until it’s thick and light enough to spread onto the completely cooled cake

Decorate with chopped walnuts and or edible flowers like borage or violas Best shared with family or friends