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The Beast's Monthly Mailbag

Words The Good People of the Eastern Beaches

Bronte NYE

I am absolutely disgusted by the behaviour of some people at Bronte Beach on New Year’s Eve. It's bad enough that we have to put up with the noise and disruption of the fireworks, but to come down to the beach the next morning and see it littered with rubbish is just unacceptable.

These selfish, thoughtless individuals have no regard for their community or the environment. They’ve left a mess for someone else to clean up, and that is just plain lazy and irresponsible.

It’s time for these people to grow up and start acting like responsible adults. How hard is it to simply dispose of your trash properly? It’s not rocket science, folks. But no, instead they just leave it all behind for someone else to deal with. It’s a disgrace and it needs to stop.

So, to all those who left rubbish at Bronte Beach on New Year’s Eve, I say this: clean up your act and show some respect for your community and the environment. It’s time to start taking responsibility for your actions.

Allan Bronte

PC and Eco-Friendly Dog-Walking in 2030

Grab your hand-woven jute doglead and attach it to your dog’s neck. Your dog’s name is something like Starburst, because they haven’t yet indicated to you which gender they identify as. Starburst will have attended puppy classes teaching him/her that when they need to urinate, they can either squat and/or cock a leg. All the dogs in the class received a prize, even though some technically failed.

But, back to the walk... When Starburst releases the contents of their bowels on the sidewalk, you will pick up their mess using two pieces of cardboard (from the recycling bin) and will place it in a brown paper bag. Double bagging is an option, but think how many trees died to make that paper bag. You will not be wearing plastic gloves. You will not be using a plastic bag.

You will then take the offending paper bag home with you, because by 2030 everyone will have realised that taking home your own dog’s excrement is the polite and civilised thing to do.

At home, you will place it in your wheelie bin, which by 2030 will just be a large cardboard box that you wheel out once a week by rolling it on two logs. Everyone will be in a constant state of self-satisfied bliss.

Coleen Bondi Beach

Bondi Junction Cycleway Ignorance

Evidence of ingrained anti-cyclist attitudes is so ubiquitous it is almost pointless in calling it out. But today (December 13, 2022) I had been to the bike shop on Oxford Street and was cycling down to the mall. A car with an elderly couple stopped behind me at the Newland Street lights. The old woman passenger wound down the window to tell me I had to be on the cycle path. I told her that I had as much right as them to be on Oxford Street. If I had wanted to be on Spring Street I would have been there.

One felt sure that this pair are the type of people who would have complained about the installation of the cycleway but now believe that it is the only place a cyclist is allowed to ride - all other roads are for motor vehicles alone. Being elderly, I guess they are beyond changing their attitudes, but one can only hope for change in the next generation.

Cycleways provide safe cycling routes but are not the only places a cyclist is permitted to ride. I await the usual tirade of abuse from other correspondents.

Simon Bartlett Coogee

Muenster’s Ecopornography

In the latest edition of The Beast, Liberal Party candidate Kylie von Muenster tells us that “we need to preserve our environment for future generations” (Page 43, The Beast, January 2023). Some might say, this is a form ecopornography - also known as greenwashing.

Greenwashing occurs when politicians pretend to be environmentalists while never acting on their words; when suggesting small acts, while doing nothing on the most significant issue - global warming.

Over the last decade, her Liberal Party became the master of greenwashing. It told us “global warming is absolute crap” (Abbott) and electric cars will destroy our weekend (Scomo).

Worse, Australia carries the dishonourable badge of being the only country in the world that has eliminated the carbon tax (Abbott). We were - until recently - the pariah of any environmental conference. Abbott and Scomo spoke in empty conference rooms as the world had stopped listening to Australia. Our voice counted for nothing.

Even worse, after a decade of Abbott-Turnbull-Bishop-Cor-

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Royal Sydney is RS

So, Royal Sydney Golf Club has won Land and Environment Court backing for its controversial course makeover. Bravo, chaps. But you have to wonder if Royal Sydney’s leaders have been living under a boulder these past few years, or are they just tone deaf? Don’t they realise the damage they have been doing to the sport they claim to love? Golf was already on the nose for its perceived elitism, and now…?

Shielded behind bunkers and big wire fences, Royal Sydney’s best brains have hatched “course improvement” plans that mean chopping down hundreds of mature native trees that will take decades to replace, if ever. They’ve won in court, but realistically, what do they expect other than public vitriol? Are they somehow ignorant of the growing push from citizens’ groups who are - understandably - itching to take land from golf courses for public recreation and parkland?

But that sort of pressure affects only those little battler golf courses which rely on municipal leases and public goodwill so that anyone can roll up and play. Not Royal Sydney though, it’s powerful and private and remains smugly above all that.

It may be hard to believe, but for all its silliness, golf has a half decent story to tell. It has preserved a measure of nature and given our cities some “green lungs” that would otherwise have been clogged by factories, freeways and warehouses. Now though, the game is under siege and it needs all the friends that it can get. But you, the burghers of mighty RS, have stuffed things up right royally. Ready your chainsaws.

I am a golf tragic, for the record.

Michael Eastern Suburbs Just One Tree

After learning of the decision to remove nearly 600 mature native trees from the Royal Sydney Golf Course, a decision that supposedly ‘ticked every box’, I was saddened to experience another issue - tree poisoning.

First it was just one tree, a magnificent banksia tree at Caffyn Park, Dover Heights. It looked so sick. Council confirmed my suspicion; the tree had been poisoned. Caffyn Park boasts one of the most beautiful views of the city and harbour, but the tree was in the way. What other reasons could there be to poison this tree?

And that was just the start of it, it seems. Another five trees on Hardy Street have been poisoned too, with drill marks at the base for the poison to be poured in, the trees seeping sap like they were crying. These are just some examples. There are many more.

I always thought trees complement and bring character to our city and harbour views. ‘It’s only one tree,’ some will say, others will say, ‘It’s only five trees.’ Oh, and the golf course says, ‘It’s only 595 trees.’ In an area with only 20 per cent tree canopy, this is all just perfectly fine.

Eliana Leopold Rose Bay

Signage on the Coastal Walk

How of earth did we - and when I say ‘we’, I mean Waverley Council - allow real estate sale boards to infiltrate our beautiful coastal walk? This might be a ‘win’ for William Manning and the owner of apartment 2, 11 Kenneth Street, but since when have we allowed the commercialisation of this beautiful land for the benefit of a small few, rather than - and at the expense of - the broader community? Let’s knock this on the head now, shall we?

Craig Waverley

Pearl Bullivant’s Column

What a timely and important article Pearl Bulivant has honoured The Beast magazine with. Her assessment goes to the heart of what it could mean for us all to be truly caring and aware Australians.

We need to speak out whenever and wherever we can in support of our traditional Indigenous elders, whose world-view links us body, mind and soul, with the beauty and intelligence of the earth. They speak about the sacredness of this land for themselves, their communities, the people they live and work with, and ultimately all Australians.

“Listen carefully, careful and this spirit e come in your feeling

And you will feel it...anyone that.

I feel it...my body same as you.

I telling you this because the land for us, never change.

Places for us, earth for us, star, moon, tree, animal, no-matter what sort of animal, bird or snake... all that animal same like us.

Our friend that”.

From Story About Feeling by Bill Neidjie, Australian Kakadu Elder, custodian of the land and last surviving speaker of the Gaagudji language, recorded 1982.

Annette Johnston North Bondi

Charing Cross

I refer to Waverley Council’s Charing Cross Streetscape Upgrade (Waverley Mayor’s Column, Page 35, The Beast, January 2023) that appears to ignore some of the existing strengths of the area. It proposes changes that by any rational measure are unnecessary and may well prove to be counterproductive.

The suggestion that footpaths need widening is absurd. Pedestrian volumes do not warrant widening. Wider footpaths mean narrower traffic (and parking) lanes, which in turn means potential damage to the public transport system. Buses need wider lanes than cars. So, after some 140 years of success, Council could cause the transport system to abandon use of Bronte Road through Charing Cross. How is that positive for commerce? How does it assist sustainable transport outcomes

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for local residents and visitors? If the road is not wide enough for buses, they will have to be routed somewhere else, and they will be well and truly ‘routed’. Diverting buses up and down Carrington Road is a brainless idea, as anyone who has tried turning right from Macpherson Street to Carrington Road will attest.

Currently, buses serving Waverley, Randwick and points south transit Bronte Road at Charing Cross. There is no alternative viable route for Bronte in particular. Shifting buses from Bronte Road would affect transport for thousands of local school children, particularly St Catherine’s, Waverley College, Waverley Junior School, St Clare’s, St Margaret’s and Waverley Public. Council is committed to improving active travel and public transport patronage. Reducing easy bus movement through Charing Cross is contradictory and will instead reduce use through poor service levels.

One reason given by Council for proposing wider footpaths and a mid-block pedestrian crossing is traffic calming. Anyone who has driven along this section of Bronte Road knows that the traffic is already calm. Any narrowing of traffic lanes to facilitate wider footpaths here could impact on the wider bus system, so Charing Cross and surrounds could end up bus-less - the end of a long and proud history of well utilised public transport. Shops losing trade become derelict and the developers rush in. What an extraordinary failure of civic investment.

Doug Richards Tamarama

Buses, the Beach and Bondi Road

Thanks to Pam Ellis (Buses and Bondi Beach, Letters, The Beast, January 2023) for writing my letter that I started and never quite finished. Trying to catch a bus to either the city or Bondi Junction from any bus stop along Bondi Road has become impossible in peak periods and when there are events on at Bondi Beach. As Pam suggests, the buses in peak periods should be monitored and empty buses sent up Bondi Road to service the many people trying to catch a bus to the city or the Bondi Junction interchange and train station.

When I can actually get on a 333, I find that most people get off at the train station. Dare I raise the unpopular suggestion with locals again, to extend the train line to the beach? It won’t bring any more tourists to the beach as feared, as they are already catching the 333 to get to Bondi Beach. It would also take traffic off Bondi Road and leave the buses for locals to catch, rather than having to stand and wait as full buses continually pass them by. But, for a start, just send some empty buses every now and then up Bondi Road to collect the many people waiting for buses to take them to the city or Bondi Junction.

Peter James Bondi

Beach Wagons at Congwong are CongWrong

Dear Beast - I am writing to express my concern about the increasing use of beach wagons on our Eastern Suburbs beaches. As a frequent beachgoer, I have noticed that these wagons are causing significant damage to the sand and are also making it difficult for other beachgoers to enjoy the space.

The wheels of the wagons leave deep ruts in the sand, which not only destroys the natural beauty of the beach, but also makes it difficult for people to walk or engage in activities such as volleyball or frisbee. The ruts also create hazards for children and pets, who may trip and fall as they try to navigate around them.

In addition to the damage they cause to the beach itself, these wagons are also taking up valuable space and making it difficult for other beachgoers to find a place to spread out their towels and relax. This is particularly problematic on crowded days when there is already limited space available.

I understand that beach wagons can be convenient for transporting beach gear and supplies, but I believe that there are more environmentally friendly and less disruptive alternatives that can be used. For example, beachgoers could opt to use a backpack or a tote bag to carry their items, or a beach cart with larger, more beach-friendly wheels.

I urge the Waverley and Randwick Councils to consider these issues and to take steps to address the negative impacts of beach wagons on our beaches.

Sincerely,

Bruce Clovelly

Cinemas and Noise Levels for Kids

It’s a couple of days into the New Year and I’m sitting at my computer trying to work out options of keeping a 4- and a 6-year-old amused during the school holidays. One option that isn’t available to me is taking them to the cinema - they simply won't go because they complain that it hurts their ears.

The first and only movie that the 4-year-old has been to see is The Minion Movie at The Ritz, and although he enjoyed it, he won’t go back. I did enquire through The Ritz website as t0 who sets the volume level for these films, and I did get a swift and very polite reply that they were required to play it at the volume of the film distributor’s instructions.

I am quite sure that lots of parents are in the same situation, but why should they be, just because the distributor wants to showcase their product in what they feel is the best light without any regard for the obvious effect on people’s hearing? Most of the adults that I speak to find cinema volumes too loud; how must the kids feel?

Surely there must be some type of regulatory body that can address this issue? I would like to hear what other readers think.

Lawrence Whitty

Randwick ¢

Please send your feedback to letters@thebeast.com.au and include your name and suburb.

Residents have mixed feelings about the FOGO changes.

Pet Poo, Pizza Boxes Now No-Go for FOGO

Words and Photo Anthony Maguire

Changes to Randwick City Council’s FOGO recycling scheme have been rubbished by numerous locals on the council’s Facebook page. They say a new set of restrictions on what gets thrown out under the FOGO program will lead to overflowing red and yellow-lid bins.

But the council says such an overload is not anticipated, with the changes involving just a five per cent reduction in the amount of material that can be disposed of in green bins.

The tighter FOGO regime has just been introduced by the Environment Protection Authority and the council is required by law to adhere to the regulations.

No longer are you allowed to use your green bin as a receptacle for things like greasy pizza boxes, compostable food packaging, used tissues and paper towels. And you won’t be able to dispose of your cat’s litter box contents or dog’s noxious offerings in the green bin either. Instead, these must go in the red bin. Newspapers now go in the yellow bin.

“I fear my red bin will explode when I can’t FOGO as much anymore,” Maroubra radiographer Lucy Baum posted on Facebook.

Meanwhile, others were more concerned about overflowing yellow bins.

“I live in a block of units that fills these bins within days of their emptying due to online deliveries, tenants moving in/ out, etc. The fact that we will now have two almost-empty green bins and full-to-the-brim yellow ones is ridiculous,” Maroubra musician Lynette Smith posted on Facebook about the yellow bin situation.

Some of the Facebook postings about the FOGO changes were positive, however. A thoughtful perspective came from Angela Nashaat, a community artist who lives in Randwick.

“I love that people are being educated to put correct waste into specific bins. I love the FOGO service. Most of society is so detached from the earth, they think the earth is somehow going to magically sort out every item they discard upon it. Personal responsibility,” she said.

FOGO, which stands for Food & Garden Organics, was launched by Randwick Council in March 2021 following the lead of neighbouring Woollahra Council. It has been lauded as a success, diverting more than 23,000 tonnes of food and garden waste from landfill. The FOGO waste is taken to a transfer station at Port Botany, and from there to a plant nursery at Terrey Hills for processing into compost.

However, not all the FOGO waste has been squeaky-clean and green.

“Research has found that excessive amounts of compostable packaging can affect the quality of FOGO compost and damage the environment,” said a spokesperson for Randwick City Council.

“In some cases, scientific studies have even found the toxic chemicals used in firefighting foam.”

The spokesperson said extra yellow bins are available to households or unit blocks on request. At this point, restoring weekly red bin services is not on the table. Red bin collections became fortnightly for freestanding homes when FOGO came in, but have remained weekly for apartments, which account for over half the LGA’s population.

You can see an updated A-Z list of what can and cannot go in FOGO on the Randwick City Council website by visiting randwick.nsw.gov.au/FOGO.

Bondi Man Maurice Cracks the Tonne

Words Anthony Maguire Photo Nicoleta Giura

Overdevelopment of the beach.

Invasion of the Beach Gazebos

Words and Photo Anthony Maguire

Our local area was invaded by a ‘tent army’ over the summer holidays. The golden sands from Bondi to Maroubra became a sea of gazebos and umbrellas as beachgoers sheltered from the sizzling summer rays.

The trend has been noticed at beaches all around the city and was highlighted in a recent Sydney Morning Herald article by Caitlin Fitzsimmons, headed ‘Why it’s getting harder to find your patch of sand on Sydney’s beaches.’

But locals and surf clubs that spoke to The Beast didn’t seem to mind the extra space being taken up by the shelters.

“It’s a big beach,” said Bondi resident Sarah Farley, speaking on the Bondi promenade. “These days people need more than hats and sunscreen if they’re spending the day at the beach.”

Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club President Brent Jackson also gave the thumbs up to the sun shelters.

“Melanoma kills more people than gazebos or umbrellas.”

The shelters are very thick on the ground at North Bondi alongside the kids pool. They are being used by a lot of families. There are also solo beachgoers and couples using compact ‘CoolCabanas’, a kind of cross between a gazebo and an umbrella.

North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club President Andrew Christopher said the club has no issues with the shelters, providing they do not get in the way of surf rescue and patrol activities.

“We’re not keen on them being in front of our patrol tent, otherwise we see them as a good initiative in skin cancer prevention.”

Coogee SLSC agrees - in fact it uses tents and shade structures for a lot of its own activities. Club Captain Emily Miers said the shelters had an additional benefit on top of UV protection.

“They increase accessibility to the beach among people who might not be able to enjoy it otherwise - the elderly, children and disabled.” Life has certainly dealt a winning hand to Bondi man Maurice Steinfeld. The great grandfather, who still enjoys playing bridge three times a week at Easts Leagues Club, recently celebrated his 100th birthday in style.

Born in south-eastern Poland, Maurice was one of eight brothers and sisters from an orthodox Jewish family. On the eve of the German invasion of Poland, Maurice travelled to Australia by himself at the age of 16, settling in Sydney where his older sisters had already found a refuge.

He was trained as a tailor and patternmaker before acquiring a clothing manufacturing business, Cappe Fashions, which made ladies suits and coats. In 1948 he met his wife-to-be, Lizzi, and the following year they married at the Great Synagogue, across from Hyde Park in Sydney’s CBD. The couple had three children together, and today there are also three grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Lizzi passed away in 2014.

So what is Maurice’s secret to a long life, The Beast asked the local centenarian? “Stay active, eat healthy and keep calm.”

Maurice hits a century.

Brave Bobby with Mum and Dad.

Bobby’s Brave Battle With Leukemia

Words Anthony Maguire Photo Vanessa Galleghan

Just before local toddler Bobby turned two, his parents, Vanessa Galleghan and Colin Halford, became worried by his tiredness and lack of appetite. Concern turned to fear as they contemplated the bruises on Bobby’s legs, which did not tally with any falls or other injuries. They took him to Sydney Children’s Hospital at Randwick, where he was quickly given a blood test. Then the diagnosis was delivered, a parent’s worst nightmare.

Bobby had leukemia. And he wouldn’t be leaving hospital any time soon. In fact, recounts Vanessa, “his white cell count was so off-the-dial that the doctors were surprised he was still standing.” Thus began little Bobby’s battle with the Big C.

The type of leukemia Bobby was suffering from, and continues to be plagued by today, at the age of three, is T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. It is a type of blood cancer which is very aggressive, but has a high survival rate of over 75 per cent. It is a painful journey though. Bobby initially had to endure chemotherapy through a series of lumbar punctures. Then a few weeks into his treatment, complications set in.

“He started suffering mild seizures,” said Vanessa. “After X-rays and CTs the doctors told us he had a blood clot on the brain.” This was a side-effect of the chemotherapy. Bobby now urgently needed blood-thinning medication. The doctors prescribed a drug called Clexane. It was to be injected into his thigh twice-daily, and administered by Mum and Dad if Bobby was having one of his increasingly rare stays at home.

When Bobby is in the Children’s Hospital, one of his parents is never far from his bedside, while the other stays at home in Little Bay to look after the four other children in their blended family. Eventually this time commitment took its toll on Colin’s work and he lost his job. Now the family is surviving through crowdfunding donations.

“It’s been a rollercoaster ride,” said Colin. “We’re very grateful for all the support we’ve received and the medical staff at the Children’s Hospital have been fantastic.”

Then the big bearded man’s voice cracked and his eyes welled up, “We just want to bring Bobby home and for him to lead a normal life.”

A few weeks before this story was written, Bobby fractured his leg in two places. He’d just received the go-ahead to return to home in a wheelchair. Then a blood infection set in. He wouldn’t be coming home after all. But, as you can see in the hospital picture above, he remained in good spirits.

In the photo, Bobby is wearing his green fedora hat. In fact, he is always wearing his green fedora hat. “He even wears it into surgery,” said Vanessa. When asked about the origins of Bobby’s fedora, Vanessa reveals that the almost totemic significance of the hat to Bobby inspired her to start designing and making a range of quality headgear as an enterprise to help the family finances. She’s designed fedoras, beanies and peaked caps for all ages, plus matching bags. They are branded ‘Bobby Ray’ (Ray is Bobby’s second name). Readers of The Beast who’d like to purchase a hat and help the family get through this incredibly challenging time can do so by visiting bobbyray.com.au.

Get well soon, Bobby.

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This teenage TikTok whiz will help you go viral.

The Youngest Internet Entrepreneur in the East

Words Anthony Maguire Photo Gabe Tracton

Gabe Tracton is just 17 but he is already a successful internet entrepreneur. While studying for his HSC last year at Emanuel School in Randwick, he started Sydney’s first specialist TikTok marketing agency, Web Scale Digital. He got so much work he had to hire ten content creators.

But his studies didn’t suffer. Gabe has such a strong work ethic and time management skills that he received a 95.85 Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR). Now he is about to start studying commerce at the University of NSW.

Gabe’s journey to entrepreneurship began in 2020 when he went to a ‘meet and greet’ function held by young TikTok influencer Fonzie Gomez at Westfield Bondi Junction. He managed to shoulder past hundreds of other fans to meet the influencer.

“I told him I could help him with TikTok content and asked for his number,” said Gabe. “He was hesitant at first but I saw this as an amazing opportunity, so I persevered.”

Fonzie recognised his enthusiasm and handed over his phone number. Soon after that, Gabe began working with Fonzie on TikTok videos.

“Initially I worked for free, then as he gained more followers he started paying me.”

Early last year the Eastern Suburbs restaurant group Chargrill Charlies heard about his TikTok skills and got in touch with him.

“Chargrill Charlies reached out to me because they knew I was working with Fonzie.”

He went on to work his TikTok magic for the company and has helped it notch up more than four million views. He is now beginning to work with Guzman y Gomez and is happy to assist other businesses in the creation of TikTok content.

You can learn more by visiting webscaledigital.com.

The Real Santa Claus

Words Anthony Maguire Photo James Hutton

Children’s charity Forever Johnno supplied a whopping 1,765 Christmas presents for sick kids and their families after its massive ‘wrapathon’ in the Coogee Bay Hotel’s Seaview Room on December 18.

Forever Johnno was founded by the father of nine-year-old John Anders Ward, who lost his battle with liver disease in 2008. Mal Ward resolved to help other children spending long spells in hospital and Forever Johnno was born. Since then, the organisation has raised more than $350,000.

Funds and in-kind donations go towards medical and recreational facilities at the Sydney Children’s Hospitals in Westmead and Randwick. And there’s a special drive at Christmas as Forever Johnno plays Santa to young hospital patients and their families.

Sponsors who helped supply the latest record haul of gifts include Laugh and Learn Randwick, Coogee Bay Hotel, Merlin Events, Santa by the Surf and Leeton Community Christmas Lunch. Chambers Russell Lawyers also contributed significantly to the cause, and around 70 volunteers helped with the present-wrapping on the day.

For more information, please visit foreverjohnno.com or the Forever Johnno Facebook page.

The gift that keeps on giving.

Ben from Frank’s Deli is concerned about the impact of the works.

Traders Hope for Minimum Disruption as Charing Cross Upgrade Looms

Words and Photo Anthony Maguire

‘Get the job done quickly!’ That’s the message from Charing Cross traders worried about the impact of an impending streetscape upgrade on their businesses.

The facelift of the shopping strip is due to commence in winter after extensive consultations between Waverley Council, businesses and residents. It is going out to tender very soon.

Almost everyone agrees that the project is necessary and will breathe new life into the precinct in Bronte Road, Waverley. But there are concerns about how long it will take, and whether Council will stick to its plan to avoid complete disruption by carrying out the work in four successive stages on different sides of the road.

“Overall, I welcome the project,” said Ben Kelly, owner of Frank’s Deli at the southern end of Bronte Road.

“We need an upgrade to make this a premium high street and attract new shops. However, I’m not confident the council will be able to get the builders to stick to schedule. Businesses may not be able to survive if the project takes too long or diverts from the plan to work on one area at a time.”

Vincenzo Gallifuoco, owner of Café Sorelle on the other side of the road, has similar concerns.

“I’ve been told my shopfront won’t have visibility for three months, but I assume it will be six months,” he told The Beast.

“I think the plans look fantastic, but it would be great if I could just blink and it would happen.”

The upgrade project is an extensive one. Footpaths will be widened by 800 millimetres and electricity poles will go down, replaced by underground wiring. Mature trees will be planted and the area will be turned into a 40km/h zone, with a new pedestrian crossing. There will also be 32 so-called ‘smart poles’ providing WiFi and electric vehicle charging.

Waverley Council has been working on the project for a good few years and the project would have already been under way if not for COVID and La Niña. The plans have the backing of the Bondi Junction and District Chamber of Commerce plus the local precinct committee.

Mayor Paula Masselos, a business owner herself, held a number of on-site meetings with traders, residents and other stakeholders late last year to discuss the impact of the works. The Mayor committed Council to assisting business owners during the upgrade by promoting Charing Cross as “open for business” during construction.

“The Charing Cross streetscape is in urgent need of a comprehensive and aesthetic upgrade given it is old, tired and unappealing,” Mayor Masselos told The Beast.

“We look forward to an upgraded and more inviting Charing Cross streetscape. Our residents and businesses love the area and we want to make it more attractive, safer and more pedestrian-friendly. I also expect that this upgrade will further support the wonderful diversity of businesses and services that make up the Charing Cross strip by encouraging more people to shop locally at Charing Cross.”

Bondi United Inc. out to make history

REGISTRATION IS OPEN AND FREE

bondiunited.org.au

If you’re a Female turning 13 or over in 2023, this opportunity is for you! Bondi United want to field the first ever female rugby league team(s) from the Eastern Suburbs, so if you dream of playing NRLW with Sydney Roosters and want to make history within the Eastern Suburbs, your opportunity is here with Bondi United. Sydney Roosters Pathways Staff will assist in developing players and offer one on one feedback. If you would like to be a part of history, please register via the website above, call Kellie Lane on 0404087119 or email kellie@bondiunited.org.au. The Official Bondi United Page bondi_united

The Next Generation

Mother and son team helping you to reach your fitness and health goals at Studio 44 Personal Training in Clovelly. Contact Adison for beginners running groups, strength training and muscle building. Adison 0459 903 522 adison@masterpersonaltrainer.com.au Contact Lisa for injury-rehabilitation, programs for older adults, pre and post pregnancy, children and strength and conditioning. Lisa 0448 297 867 lisa@masterpersonaltrainer.com.au

JEREMY IRELAND

Grad. Dip. Psychology Dip. Counselling B.A. Comm.

Bondi Counselling Services

SUITE 501, 35 SPRING STREET BONDI JUNCTION NSW 2022

Help and support with:

• Stress and Burnout • Depression and anxiety • Problem Solving • Loss and Grief • Relationships • Addictions • Mentoring Phone 0400 420 042 bondicounsellingservices.com

Not ideal.

Why Are We Waiting?

Words Anthony Maguire Photo Tom Waits

Hospital waiting times in the East have soared, and Coogee MP Dr Marjorie O’Neill says the NSW Government is to blame for starving health budgets while funneling more funds into infrastructure projects such as toll roads.

“Our nurses are quitting hospital employment at an exponential rate,” Dr O’Neill told The Beast. “We need to increase their pay before the situation becomes more critical than it already is.”

Latest Bureau of Health Information figures show a substantial spike in waiting times, along with walkouts by patients who haven’t been treated.

“At Prince of Wales, more than 1,000 patients - over seven per cent of the total patient intake - left without treatment between July and September 2022,” Dr O’Neill says.

“That compares to a figure of 644 during the same quarter in 2021. There is the same problem at Sydney Children’s Hospital, where more than six per cent of patients were untreated in the July to September quarter.”

She points an accusing finger at the State Government for under-funding health services, leading to acute staff shortages.

“This hasn’t happened overnight; it’s been going on for more than a decade. Meanwhile the Liberal Government has been showering funds on privately-owned toll roads and dubious projects like the light rail. There has to be a major injection of resources into our health system.”

The Labor MP’s views on the dire state of public health services are shared by the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA), which last year staged a series of hospital strikes over low pay and a lack of minimum and enforceable nurse-to-patient ratios.

NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary Michael Whaites told The Beast, “The unacceptable waiting times at Prince of Wales and Sydney Children’s Hospitals are part of a statewide problem caused by staffing shortfalls. Our emergency departments are at crisis point and we cannot expect the health workforce to continue shouldering the burden.”

St Brigid’s

Preschool & Long Day Care

PROUDLY NOT-FORPROFIT

OPENING FEBRUARY 2023

7am – 6pm WEEKDAYS • CHILDREN 6 weeks – 6 years

• welcoming & inclusive • inspiring learning environment • caring and nurturing educators • innovative teaching practice & curriculum

Proudly Operated by EXCEEDING SERVICES PROVIDER

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ENROL NOW FOR 2023!

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The alleged phone thief.

Crime News

Words Gary Larson

Taxi Driver Robbed

Know who this bloke is? Police would like to talk to him about an incident in Randwick in the early hours of the morning. Two men got into a taxi on Cuthhill Street and asked to be taken to Kings Cross. “When the cabbie asked for prepayment for the fare, one of the men stole the driver’s mobile and fled on foot,” Eastern Beaches Police said in a Facebook posting.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Maroubra Police on 9349 9299 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Nose Surgeon Sniffed Out by Cops After Coke Deal

Prominent ear, nose and throat surgeon William Mooney was nabbed by police after buying a bag of cocaine on Blair Street, Bondi Beach.

The medico, a rhinoplasty specialist, was already in a bit of hot water - last April he was banned from practising for a year for a number of serious professional breaches, including using a bogus medical certificate to avoid mandatory drug testing for his cocaine use. Before his registration was suspended, he had a clinic in Bondi Junction.

Mooney, 56, appeared in Waverley Court where he pleaded guilty to possessing a prohibited drug. He was represented by a senior counsel who claimed the cocaine was not for his personal use. In fact, the lawyer said, it was purchased for Mooney’s partner, who was celebrating her birthday.

Magistrate Jacqueline Milledge let the disgraced doctor off lightly, imposing a 12 month bond without conviction.

Million Dollar Reward for Hakoah Club Bombers

A $1 million reward has been posted by NSW Police in a bid to catch the terrorists who bombed the Hakoah Club in Bondi and the Israeli consulate in East Sydney four decades ago.

Previously, the reward stood at $100,000. It’s hoped the big increase will flush out the people responsible for the bombings on the afternoon of December 23, 1982. At around 2pm that day, a bomb went off near the fire exit of the Israeli consulate in Westfield Towers on William Street, injuring a number of people. Later in the afternoon, a second bomb exploded in the basement car park of the Hakoah Club in Hall Street, Bondi Beach. No one was injured in that second blast. A coroner’s enquiry has found the two bombings were the work of a now-defunct international terrorist group called May 15.

Festive Season Thievery

A number of shoplifters with Santa sack-sized hauls of stolen goods were arrested by police in the lead-up to Christmas.

A 27-year-old man was arrested at a store at Eastgardens for stealing $1,200 worth of baby formula. Also at Eastgardens, a 41-year-old woman was nabbed for the theft of beauty products worth $1,100. Meanwhile in Bondi Junction, a 20-year-old woman was arrested for stealing perfume and clothes with a total price tag of $850. The arrests were part of a three day crackdown called Operation Light Fingers.

Accused Child Toucher Faces More Jail Time

A man charged with touching a young child lost his bail application after a court heard there was a strong case against him.

Darren Tector, 57, is charged with common assault plus intentionally touching a child under the age of ten. In Waverley Court, his lawyer applied for bail so Tector could return to his Kingsford home and job on the gaming floor of a nearby club. But the court heard that Tector had previously served a prison sentence for child sex-related offences. The police prosecutor said he would face a long prison sentence if found guilty of the latest charges. The case against him was a strong one, the prosecutor told the court.

Magistrate Ross Hudson refused the bail application, saying the allegations were “very serious.”

Beach Perve Took Pics of Topless Women - Police

Police arrested a Parramatta man for taking pictures of topless and bikini-clad women at Bronte and Bondi.

Ravi Pal, 42, was spotted by lifeguards at Bronte covertly taking pictures with his phone. Police were called and scrolled through the phone to find multiple still shots and videos taken that day at Bronte and a fortnight earlier at Bondi. There were close-ups of naked breasts and near-naked bottoms. The computer analyst was charged with intentionally recording intimate images without consent.