11 minute read
Local News
by The Beast
Bondi Beach in the 1890s, with the original 1887 stink pipe in the background and brush fencing to try and manage the unstable sand dunes.
Council Calls for More Control Over Development
Rant Duncan Horscroft Photo Hello Bondi
The Eastern Suburbs is in the midst of a development blitz and old family homes which once stood proud are being replaced with architecturallydesigned monoliths.
Bondi Junction is now a mini-metropolis with high-rise buildings towering into the skyline - and there’s more to come.
But Waverley councillor Dominic Wy Kanak is concerned there could be more instances like Mascot Towers and Opal Tower due to the lack of control and supervision surrounding the building work.
Waverley and other councils no longer have control, due to the state planning law which has created a private certification system that excludes councils’ regulatory officers from the capacity to oversee standards.
And it’s not the big buildings that have come under the spotlight. The recent partial collapse of a home in Curlewis Street, Bondi highlighted the lack of supervision on the site as there was no effective support on the existing building prior to excavation.
There were also incidents on sites in nearby Lamrock Avenue and Gilgandra Road.
“I will be calling on Council in its forthcoming revision of the Local Environment Plan (LEP) to prohibit basement excavation in the sands of the Bondi Basin,” Cr Kanak said.
“There have been too many collapses of buildings adjacent to excavations.”
“There are no mandatory qualifications for certifiers or engineers (and) Council can only intervene at a site when safety issues are involved.”
“Prohibiting excavation in dangerous grounds is the only solution until certification is independent, preferably public, and there is a rigorous professional standards body which can hear complaints without the expense of legal action.”
He said the NSW Government Public Accountability Committee inquiry into the regulation of building standards, quality and disputes had amended its terms of reference including case studies on Mascot Towers and Opal Tower.
There was a recommendation that the state government establish a Professional Engineers Registration Scheme for the building industry which resulted from community, local council and expert submissions to the committee about unregulated building practices.
The committee also recommended the state government speed up its response to the recommendations about refining the building and construction practices.
“Problems resulting from the house collapse in Curlewis Street may well have been avoided if the parliamentary committee’s safeguarding recommendations were in place sooner,” Cr Kanak said.
The land on which the Curlewis Street house stands is part of the original sand belt which ran from Bondi through to Rose Bay before the suburb had literally emerged from the sandhills. Most of the original houses on the sand belt have stood the test of time mainly due to the strict building practices Waverley Council had in place at the time of construction.
“The Curlewis Street location is also on the border of the Bondi-Rose Bay Sandbody identified in the 2009 Waverley Aboriginal Heritage Study as having the potential to unearth significant artefacts and even remains, as Aboriginal burials have been found on nearby Royal Sydney Golf Course,” Cr Kanak said.
Handsome devils.
Bronte Icon Hits Screens Across Australia
Words Nicola Smith Photo Yael Stempler
Two local filmmakers have teamed up with three chefs from Bronte’s Three Blue Ducks to take foodies across Australia in a new documentary series, airing on Channel 10 this month.
Three Blue Ducks follows chefs Andy Allen, Mark LaBrooy and Darren Robertson as they travel across Australia discovering new produce and local specialties, transforming them into dishes fit for any Eastern Suburbs upmarket eatery.
Series producer and creator Liam Taylor grew up in Bronte and said that the show was a great insight into the minds of three of Australia’s most creative chefs.
“Their business has really thrived since they started ten years ago, but they’re by no means massive, and I think that’s by design,” Mr Taylor explained.
“They’re very strict with their values, and that’s why we did a lot of workshopping to try and produce something authentic that represents who they are and what they stand for.”
Each episode follows the three chefs to a new part of Australia where they try new foods and create a dish based around them. The dishes are then trialled as part of their specials menu with the most successful dishes set to join the Ducks’ menu long-term.
Andy Allen, also a judge on MasterChef Australia, as well as a former contest winner, said that the trip produced plenty of culinary inspiration for the chefs.
“Having three weeks to just immerse ourselves in food, chatting about food, thinking about food and hanging out, produced some really amazing dishes that we wouldn’t have been able to make otherwise,” he told The Beast.
Three Blue Ducks began as a local café on Macpherson Street, Bronte and now boasts over five locations including Rosebery and Byron Bay, as well as multiple cookbooks and product offerings. They operate under a shared belief in delicious sustainable foods shared in a local community.
Mr Taylor’s co-creator and executive producer is Ben Davies, who is also the brains behind Bondi Rescue.
Their latest venture also emphasises the importance of telling Aussie stories.
“It’s so important to tell local stories. Three Blue Ducks is very aspirational, but also accessible and really grounded in strong values that a lot of Australians share like sustainability, supporting local businesses and getting into the outdoors,” Mr Taylor said.
Mr Allen said that the show has also helped forge the next stage in the Three Blue Ducks story, reminding them of the importance of enjoying the food they make for others.
“We will all make a really strong effort to catch up and explore, because the food that we make when we’re together is really different from when just one of us goes away to research. You can really see a piece of each of us in every dish,” he told The Beast.
Mr Taylor believes that it is the Ducks’ genuine love for food and each other that makes the show a great one to watch.
“The bottom line is they make unbelievably tasty food and are just such a laugh to be around, and people really connect with that,” Mr Taylor said.
Three Blue Ducks is produced by Ronde Media and is currently screening on Channel 10 on Saturdays at 7pm.
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Controversial.
Four-Hour Parking Limits to Ease Beach Gridlock
Words Gary Larson Photo Monty Tait
Randwick Council has introduced four-hour parking time limits at beachside streets and car parks to ease traffic congestion and guard against COVIDunsafe beach crowds.
“The change will promote higher turnover within our coastal car parks and local streets and increase the opportunity to find parking. It will also prevent people from parking all day long, yet still allow enough time for a good trip to the beach,” Council explained.
Introduction of the four-hour zones follows severe weekend traffic congestion and parking issues, with no parking available from as early as 8am.
As well as easing the traffic and parking nightmares, the move is aimed at reducing the risk of COVID transmission on beaches, promoting turnover so beachgoers can remain the recommended towel’s length apart.
The move has not gone down well with many residents, especially those on Marine Parade, Maroubra, who have lashed out at the council on Facebook. They make the case that residents who do not have parking on their properties will have to go out and move their cars during the day.
What if they want to leave their cars on the street when they’re at work, and what about the cooler months when parking isn’t an issue?
The consensus, among Facebook users at least, seems to be that it is a hastily-conceived idea carried out with very little in the way of community consultation.
“This could have been done much better,” said Marine Parade resident Mark Mamrot.
“Resident permit passes are needed. Residents will be pushing out into back streets and moving their cars every four hours, adding to local congestion.”
With the new four-hour limit also being imposed on the two beachside car parks at Maroubra, it’s not just residents who are affected.
“The limit on the two main Maroubra car parks presents a problem for lifesavers and the two surf clubs!!!” posted George Cassimatis on Facebook.
Support for the reduced parking came from Marine Parade resident Simon Kennedy.
“Four-hour parking is a good idea. At peak times, Maroubra Beach and surrounding suburbs are jammed with cars,” he told The Beast.
Mr Kennedy said the new limit would also deter businesses on Marine Parade from hogging parking spots for trade promotions “There’s a real estate agent on Marine Parade who has had a billboard on top of a trailer 24/7,” he said.
In Clovelly, meanwhile, residents seem overwhelmingly opposed to the four-hour limit.
“Many Clovelly residents are very unhappy!” exclaimed Nicole Sturpak.
Ms Sturpak’s comments were echoed by Lorraine Mead.
“We put our objections in to this and never got a reply back, most residents at Clovelly object to this,” she said.
Not surprisingly, the new parking limit has not been well-received by the people it is aimed at either - non-locals. Surfer Jared Oriel (pictured) of Surry Hills summed it up in two words: “Fun police!”
Paddington's charming Five Ways.
The Year of Paddington
Words Nicola Smith Photo James Horan
To acknowledge the once-ina-lifetime overlap between year and postcode, 2021 has officially been labelled the Year of Paddington, with an upcoming event on Thursday, March 25 set to celebrate the thriving cultural and retail centre of Sydney’s east (this doesn’t mean that 2022 will be the Year of Bondi Junction).
A 2021 Night Out will be hosted by Woollahra and City of Sydney Councils, as well as the Paddington Business Partnership. The event will run from 4-8pm throughout the leafy suburb famous for its terraced laneways, artsy venues and chic independent businesses, which will remain open after hours to give locals and visitors the full Paddington experience.
Woollahra Mayor Susan Wynne told The Beast that Paddington is an important cultural hub for the Eastern Suburbs.
“There really is nowhere else like Paddington,” Mayor Wynne explained, “from being an internationally recognised fashion destination, through to its renowned pubs, restaurants and cafes, coupled with its beautifully preserved heritage streetscapes and village feel - it truly is unique.”
Paddington was a key retail destination in the late 20th century but experienced a decline in the early 2000s, which has been partly attributed to the new Westfield Bondi Junction. But the suburb has experienced somewhat of a renaissance, with rows of ‘For Lease’ signs replaced with independent labels, boutique bars and cafes in recent years. Woollahra Council hopes that Paddington businesses will continue to thrive.
Christine Guerriero of Blinq Art on Oxford Street said that they moved the business to Paddington because the area was a vibrant place for artists.
“This space really suits our business; its bright, the neighbourhood is really nice, there are lots of boutiques and it’s much more of a cultural zone here,” Ms Guerriero told The Beast.
Lee Morgan, the NSW Manager of Jardan, a designer furniture store on Oxford Street, echoed Ms Guerriero’s sentiments.
“We are so happy Jardan found it’s home in Paddington. Oxford Street was always known for its unique shopping experience, drawing people to connect with brands and enjoy boutiques and curated showrooms rather than getting lost in malls,” Ms Morgan said.
Since most Paddington brands are smaller, local offerings, Ms Guerriero believes they need extra support from locals.
“It’s important to support small businesses in this time, and the thing about Paddington is that it’s a whole experience coming here - it’s a very European type of shopping experience, which is a great change when you can’t travel,” she said.
Emma Howard, who also works at Blinq Art, added that Paddington businesses aren’t as hard to access from the Eastern Beaches as people might think.
“A lot of people are scared off because they think they can’t park around here but I always find it easy to get a spot near the shops,” Ms Howard said.
A 2021 Night Out will bring much-needed exposure and support at an important time when many businesses are still grappling with the fallout from 2020 COVID restrictions.
Mayor Wynne told The Beast that, most of all, the event will be a celebration of one of Sydney’s most vibrant and historic locales.
“It’s a special and vibrant area that’s worth celebrating, and that is what A 2021 Night Out is all about. I’m looking forward to joining visitors for a great event showcasing the best our local businesses have to offer,” she said.
A 2021 Night Out will be held throughout Paddington on Thursday, March 25 from 4-8pm. For more information, visit visitpaddington.com/ nightout.
