Welcome to the March 2023 edition of The Beast, the monthly magazine for Sydney’s hard-working beaches of the east. Most of us have reluctantly returned to work as the post-COVID celebrations die down. Spare a thought for the poor buggers who have to commute into the city each day.
A big thanks to North Bondi illustrator Kate Holdsworth for this month’s summery cover piece. I love her little illustrations of the Art Deco buildings! You can see more of Kate’s work by following @kate_is_sketchy on Instagram.
Some important community announcements... A Special Commission of Inquiry is looking into unsolved deaths of LGBTIQ people (or people assumed to be LGBTIQ) between 1970 and 2010. Any recollections or pieces of information you might have could provide a vital link in understanding what may have happened. You can
contact the inquiry anonymously or confidentially via a form at www.specialcommission.nsw.gov. au/contact; by emailing contact@ specialcommission.nsw.gov.au; by writing to the Special Commission of Inquiry into LGBTIQ hate crimes, GPO Box 5341, Sydney, NSW 2001; or by calling 9228 4855 and leaving a voice message.
Charing Cross Photo has been running monthly photo competitions since last May, each with a different theme. The winning image then hangs in the shop window before it’s taken home, along with cash and other prizes. For more information and to enter, visit www.charingcrossphoto.com.au.
In recognition of International Women’s Day, ‘Women in Waverley’ (a special themed walking tour of Waverley Cemetery) will take place on Saturday, March 11 from 9am. The tour will visit 35plus allotments where women are interred; many are women of note and influence such as Dorothea Mackellar and Dame Constance D’Arcy. Tickets are $25 per person and can be booked through
Eventbrite. For more information, please email friendsofwaverleycemetery@gmail.com.
And for anyone interested in singing, the Woolltones Choir is inviting singers to have their first visit for free. The choir meets every Thursday at 12.45pm at Uniting Heart and Soul in Woollahra and everyone is welcome. For more information, email thewoolltones@gmail.com.
Cheers, James
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To meet Net Zero Community Emissions by 2035… new homes in Waverley will now be cooler, have better sustainability performance and enjoy better air quality.
Read about the new Waverley Development Control Plan here
Pearl is back this month with her second instalment of advice for 2023, designed to help readers achieve financial growth and self-fulfilment. From looking at the botoxed faces and gym-toned bodies on the streets of the Eastern Suburbs, readers may be blissfully unaware that the area is home to an ageing population ripe for exploitation. But it’s not just the usual internet scams I’m referring to; the most lucrative form of exploitation is our aged care system.
Not only is our aged care system financed by the government, its exploitation is actively sanctioned through lax regulation and reporting, making it the perfect vehicle for profiteering from our most vulnerable.
The basis of Pearl’s ‘How to Cash In on The Aged Care
Market’ is borrowed from the Australian Financial Review
‘We must trust in the market to get five-star quality aged care,’ and ‘trust’, the government certainly does. In fact, the Commonwealth does more than trust, they have deliberately overlooked rorting in their zeal for offloading aged care into the hands of the private and non-profit sector, happy in the knowledge that a market heavily subsidised by taxpayers, with little regulation, will attract self-styled entrepreneurs at the expense of the aged.
View the aged not as a burden but an ‘unparalleled business opportunity’ for budding entrepreneurs with a passion for greed. A three-year jail stint
for tax fraud is no barrier to becoming a home care entrepreneur, and if you follow the example of the cab driver who rorted a government-funded taxi scheme, only to reinvent himself as a multi-millionaire nursing home owner (before absconding overseas after the COVID deaths of 38 residents), you too can own a Maserati and a Toorak palace.
74 per cent of aged care providers are turning a profit, but be alert to fiscal challenges from interfering parties like The Greens and the Royal Commission into Aged Care looking to destroy your cash cow. Beg for Commonwealth funding increases, fight off regulation and transparency by warning that ‘red tape’ will scare off investors, and counter calls for staff wage increases with the word that inflicts terror in every Australian - ‘inflation’. Unfortunately, a recent cap on home care package management fees means that one can no longer charge out a $20/hour support worker at an inflated $60/hour, but look to complex corporate structures and cost-cutting to fund the lifestyle one has been accustomed to.
The care and dignity of ageing people is best served through a market-based approach, and the banks, Qantas and Telstra are wonderful examples of this philosophy in action. It’s such a pity that aged care can’t be shipped offshore, but overworking and underpaying one’s staff is a close substitute. Prioritising your profits above the needs of the annoying elderly is so easy. If only a certain Dover Heights conwoman had the foresight to take advantage of the taxpayer funded aged care sector.
Did you know that an area of native forest times the size of the Sydney CBD is chopped down every year by the NSW governmentowned logging company?
And that it runs at a loss, requiring $ of taxpayer subsidies in the last two years?
With koalas and greater gliders now officially listed as endangered, these majestic old trees are more precious than ever.
Scan the QR code or go to nature.org.au/forests to learn more and help protect NSW’s native forests from logging.
Authorised by J Mumford, Nature Conservation Council of NSW, Level 1, 79 Myrtle St Chippendale 2008
Image: Greater glider.
Photo © Pavel German
Words The Good People of the Eastern Beaches
Dear Beast - Cool Cabanas should be banned on Waverley beaches immediately! Our beaches are no place for shade! If tourists want shade to shadebake in they should go to the palm-fringed beaches of Manly or Cronulla and leave our beloved local beaches for sunbaking.
They say umbrellas don’t make enough shade to lay under, but I say anyone too tall to fit under a beach umbrella is tall enough to be at work rather than dole bludging on the beach shadebaking all day!
I ask you this: How many people die from foot and shin melanoma anyway? Say ‘no’ to beach shade, ban the un-Cool Cabanas!
Johnny MarauderBondi
BeachRoscoe River
Recently we have experienced unprecedented rainfall. It is a major issue, causing crumbling roads and well-established potholes in our local area. The Penkivil Pond is now a local icon (along with the rare and endangered rubber duckies that swim there).
On top of all that, we now have a long-established water course in lower Roscoe Street, Bondi, just back from the beach. Yes, the famous Roscoe River! This new waterway is causing destruction to Art Deco buildings struggling to remain in an overdeveloped area of Bondi Beach. It has flooded cars and wreaked havoc for some years now. It is a significant flow of water, bubbling up through clogged pipes, long neglected by an irresponsible Waverley Council, combined with unbelievably poor
planning and maintenance by Sydney Water. This neglect has resulted in constant and sometimes severe flooding. Sydney Water now refuses, after decades of water erosion to historic buildings (I have been at this location for over 20 years), to assist with permanent damage caused by the constant erosion.
On the afternoon of Sunday, January 29, 2023, there was yet another flooding event. Residents were advised that within 4-5 hours water would be restored. However, it was not until late afternoon the following day that people had their water supply restored. Leading up to that, there was water rushing past our building and into our grounds, and into next door’s backyard. The usual nasty substances also surfaced, creating serious health hazards (remember the Bondi Cigars?).
Why are we paying Council rates and Sydney Water bills? What service do we actually get? Why are the drains not being fixed? Roads, pathways, gutters and property are constantly damaged. Repairs are generally stopgap and don’t fix or even ease the problems. Residents of Roscoe River receive very little, and no one in power wants to help or be held responsible.
Being a neighbour of Bondi Public School in Wellington Street, I am all too aware of the volume of noise emitted by the school hall. During the Halloween Fete Day the disco music was so loud
it hurt. Movie noise coming from the hall, although only occasional, booms into our homes, shattering the peace and quiet.
I’m concerned for the hearing damage to young, sensitive ears, and I feel it is irresponsible that the health and safety department hasn’t stopped this unacceptable practice.
Shelley Moore BondiSir - This morning I learnt an important lesson about my neighbourhood. I had occasion to attend Waverley Court. I was a disgruntled, indulged woman who felt a parking fine was unfair and decided to contest it. I was nervous about appearing in court.
However, while there, I had the opportunity to observe. I noted how respectfully court attendees were treated by the staff - asked if they needed legal aid, an interpreter, etc. - and how efficiently the administrative aspects were handled. There was even a volunteer in attendance to help in any cases of domestic violence.
Most importantly, I noted how courteous, respectful and compassionate the magistrate was to the offenders brought before him. There was a young offender appearing before my turn came. He made an important contribution to that person’s well-being and probably to their future.
I realised we are so, at times, unappreciative and critical of our institutions and the personnel that run them. This is one of them!
Evie Apfelbaum Bondi JunctionPolitics aside, I was pleased to see in last month’s edition of The Beast the comment by Marjorie O’Neill on reviewing the Local Planning Panel (Local Planning and Development - The Case for Change Is Clear, The Beast, February 2023). The panel was established under State Government legislation and makes nearly all development and planning decisions in Coogee and across Randwick.
The panel of four people is paid thousands of dollars each per
We are proud to provide the community with outstanding care and customer service for all your eyecare needs.
meeting by Randwick ratepayers, but normally has only one resident to represent local interests. I was the community representative a few years ago until I resigned in disgust at trying to oppose development that I considered was not in the interests of Coogee.
I was repeatedly outvoted 3-1 by other panel members that did not live here and in many cases had professional connections elsewhere with the development industry. Issues like parking and congestion were not taken into account in these decisions. The Beast kindly printed my concerns in early 2020 but now we are at the pointy end of the electoral cycle where policy and legislation really matter. It would be great to hear whether the Liberal candidate thinks the people of Coogee should have a say on development in their own community.
Brenton Thomas CoogeeWith the re-opening of the Western Line above Springwood in the Blue Mountains, is it time to ask
who has paid for the repair of the line caused by a goods train (coal) ripping up eight kilometers of track and 5,000 sleepers needing replacement?
The cost and inconvenience to the community and holiday makers at this time of the year would be great. Presumably the damage was only discovered when the train was sidelined to allow for a passing train. What if it had continued further? What if there had been a following passenger train? Goods trains do not have guard’s vans anymore, so there is no one to warn that a wagon has derailed.
Surely there is a better way of running our rail system so that disasters like this can be avoided?
Simon Bartlett CoogeeDear all - As someone who has within the last year removed gluten and dairy from my diet due to thyroid issues (a common condition that has the highest rate of increase in the Western World
5:45–7:30pm, Wednesday 8 March 2023
Mayor of Waverley, Clr Paula Masselos, invites you to celebrate International Women’s Day with bubbles on the balcony and special guest speaker, leading businesswoman and Bondi Story Room Female Pioneer, Brenda Miley.
and that can occur at any age), I have found it remarkably surprising how often people are quick to react and comment on my diet.
The overwhelming theme is incredulity - I am some kind of hippy undertaking a fad food and it is their duty to inform me so. Some examples...
“How do you tell if someone is a vegan? It’s the first thing they tell you,” (followed by smug chortle to oneself). My response: “I didn’t tell you anything, you overheard me order something and say the word ‘gluten’.”
“I read some research that there is no difference in gluten/gluten free diet. Did anyone else notice anything after you switched? Bread has been around since the Egyptians...” i.e. it’s all in your head, provide me proof.
To clear up the misconceptions, the facts are as follows: If I mistakenly eat gluten or dairy (as I did recently at an awarded fish shop in Rose Bay that offered me tartare sauce but swapped mayo for yogurt), within 10-15 minutes my throat will be sore and swell up, the glands all over my body
Tuesday 21 March 2023
9–11am • 7–8pm
Saturday 25 March 2023
2–4pm
stcwaverley.syd.catholic.edu.au
become inflamed, my body is inflamed and my digestive system stalls. This lasts for four days until the item is clear of the body. Hopefully this clears things up.
KK Bondi BeachHi there - I always cut out and keep your tide charts, over the summer months particularly. Is it possible for you to change the yellow full moon to a darker colour, maybe orange? It is really hard to see on the white paper as it’s so pale. Best wishes and keep up the good work. I always enjoy
The Beast. Gara BaldwinMaroubra
Dear Beast, and whomever from the State Government that may be reading - My wife and I attended the Elton John concert at Allianz Stadium last night. She is eight months pregnant, and with a light rail station close to our house and the stadium we decided to use public transport.
Following the concert we walked back to the platform to be greeted with an amazing level of disorganisation as well as a failing light rail system. I understand the organisation of the event is not a State Government issue, nor the poor weather on the night, but it does not paint Sydney in a great light if these events are not held in an orderly fashion.
Nevertheless, what we were greeted with once near the light rail station was unacceptable. Ridiculous lines that went through the staircase and back to the grassed car park, a severe lack of information, and then a failing light rail system which in itself was always a big waste of money. The wet weather, which did not interrupt the concert, somehow brought a $3 billion system to its knees.
We have a government that has pushed for the decentralisation of commerce to satellite hubs such as Parramatta and Macquarie Park, then centralised public transport back to the CBD. The same government that pushed uburbanisation to the northwest
and southwest as a residential policy, but then concentrated public transport to centralised locations. This $3 billion system, which is a band aid until a new metro station is built by 2056 (NSW Long Term Transport Master Plan - updated 2018), has not only been a failure in terms of speed and convenience, but also platform capability. As a platform that is meant to service crowds of up to 50,000 - a width of no more than five metres - it is yet another failure in a poorly planned, poorly budgeted, failing system.
In the end, my heavily pregnant wife and I had to walk back to the stadium, through the Entertainment Quarter (another waste of space at the moment with no foresight at all), in search of a non-existent taxi or Uber as the heavy traffic in the area was not allowing any of those forms of transport through in any decent amount of time. We finally reached the bus stop in the bus lane outside the Centennial Parklands Sports Centre, the same bus stops which are meant to be removed in lieu of the aforementioned amazing $3 billion light rail system, to catch a bus which was running 25 minutes late on its route.
As a lifelong Sydney resident, I was frustrated and disappointed last night. Frustrated that my heavily pregnant wife had to trudge around in the rain for over an hour, frustrated that I could not help her in that situation, and disappointed in a government that is failing in any aspect that impacts its constituents and many employees (nurses, teachers, public transport...).
With no light at the end of the tunnel, we might just have to move out of Sydney.
Future Hobart Resident RandwickI’d be interested to hear the community’s view on an individual’s responsibility to maintain their own trees and other vegetation. It seems Council has no requirements regarding this. Therefore, presumably due to a lack of any possible Council enforcement action, some individuals care not to maintain their trees and vegeta-
tion but rather let them ‘grow wild’ (and grow and grow and grow). This then forces their neighbours to provide the upkeep from the other side of the fence.
Shouldn’t it be the owner’s responsibility to maintain their own trees and other vegetation, at the very least to ensure their property is kept within their own boundaries?
Knot A. T. Hugga North BondiIn a Qatar Stadium?
While reading Jonathan Liew’s World Cup diary notes it struck me that his experience was similar to how I, as a non-Indigenous person, feel while living in Australia. ‘This is nice’, I think to myself, and immediately chastise myself. In a way, we’re cursed. Every good feeling is lined with guilt. Every moment of enjoyment in a stadium is freighted with the knowledge of its cost. Every misfortune is framed by the fact that actually, we’re the lucky ones.
The “cost” he referred to was the deaths of thousands of migrant workers who constructed stadiums. Living on Gadigal land, the same feeling haunts me. I visit a Vaucluse Beach with a view of sparkling, blue water out to the city skyline and harbour bridge. Spectacular. Then I wonder, “What did this view look like pre-invasion? Who used to swim, hunt and play here? What was the cost in lives that enabled my current enjoyment?”
This is the unease of living in a colonised land. Despite all the reconciliation talk, it hasn’t happened - not at a national, spiritual level. Genuine reconciliation follows a genuine effort at justice and making amends. We can’t even consider a Voice to Parliament without controversy. And so we dwell in this spiritual desert of moral deficit. I’m not complaining - it’s First Nations people who bear the cost; in the mounting deaths in custody, children removed, land destroyed... the list goes on.
What do we do? At this point it’s tempting to give in to the fatalism that plagues climate action - ‘It’s so bad I won’t even try’ - but consider for a moment the great privilege we (non-Indigenous
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people) have to decide whether to fight racism. For others it’s not a choice. Don’t underestimate the power of taking even one positive step. You influence a network of people. They influence another. This ripple effect is how society changes. So this month I invite you to take one simple step. Here are some ideas:
• Read a book by a First Nations author. Anita Heiss’ Black Book Challenge lists 100 titles;
• Watch a First Nations movie or TV show. You can view many for free via SBS On Demand and ABC iview;
• Sign and share the petition to Raise the Age (raisetheage.org.au) so kids as young as ten aren’t locked up;
• Ask your employer what they are doing to counter racism and acknowledge First Nations people. Back to life in this colonised land. In 2019, I was on Yawuru land, Broome, during NAIDOC week. After a march, a group of primary students sang a locally written song celebrating the 2019 NAIDOC theme: Voice, Treaty, Truth. As a crowd of us watched,
black and white kids began to loudly and joyfully sing together. Tears formed in my eyes. For a brief moment I saw something I’d not seen in a long time: an Australia I could feel proud of. It gave me a dream, of a loving, respectful, happy future. Can you see it too? Let’s keep fighting until it comes true.
Sharon CursonBellevue Hill
Apples and Oranges
Dear The Beast - I’m responding to Liz of Coogee (Extra Colours are Offensive, Letters, The Beast, January 2023). The LGBTQIA+ colours in a public space like the Coogee Beach steps are ‘offensive’ to her, but she says her disapproval isn’t about being ‘anti-gay’. Give me a break.
Yes, the LGBTQIA+ flag does not represent everyone in the community, but that is the point. The Aboriginal flag also does not represent the majority - should it be scrubbed from our public spaces? Flags can make powerful statements of resilience and inclusivity for minorities that
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have historically been vilified and made invisible by the majority. It wasn’t so far from Coogee (or so long ago either) where several gay men were thrown to their deaths from the cliffs at Marks Park in the 1980s.
I agree with Liz on one point - a ‘huge crucifix’ on Coogee Beach would be inappropriate - but her comparison with the LGBTQIA+ colours is foolish. That’s because Christianity is a religion, and being gay or transgender is not. If people like Liz fail to grasp this difference in the year 2023, then they surely also belong to a minority, and one not worth paying attention to. Happy Mardi Gras!
Scott CoogeeRed Flags
Dear Liz and fellow Beast readers - In response to Liz’s concern for additional LGBTQIA+ colours being painted on the Coogee steps in January’s edition of The Beast (Extra Colours are Offensive, Letters, The Beast, January 2023), I just want to assure the community that heterosexual people who op-
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pose representations of diversity because they can’t recognise all of society is structured to enforce and represent their interests do indeed have a flag. It’s red.
Brooke BondiRelieved Randwick ratepayers may have noticed that our hyper-aware Council has solved the problem of racism at Coogee Beach - by erecting a sign above the “iconic rainbow” that states it’s simply “not welcome” here.
Phew! For quite a while I’ve been worried that it was. Then, at the prompting of someone well-connected (or probably just super-persistent), five new colours to symbolise five new victims groups have been added to our rainbow. I checked the Council’s website to find out more. The brown, I was told, is for “people of colour”, while black represents “people lost to HIV-AIDS.” Problematically, “blue, pink and white” represents the trans community. Only three colours? Surely there should be more! But hang on... Who in the official hierarchy of victims that Council has declared worthy of “iconic” representation would want to be pale, stale and… (you know the rest) - WHITE?
Even worse, as soon as people start walking on the “iconic rainbow”, they will turn grubby grey. Or worse, beige.
Russell Edwards RandwickIt worries me that there seems to be more and more large groups of dogs getting walked by dog walkers at Queens Park, many of them being big dogs. Isn’t the ratio supposed to be one walker to four dogs? I have seen way more dogs than this in many walking packs. Are rangers patrolling the park more frequently to ensure the safety of others and their dogs?
It just isn’t safe if large groups of big dogs keep running around acting as a pack. It only takes a second for something to go wrong. I have personally witnessed these two large standard poodles picking on smaller dogs, nipping and bowling them over repeatedly,
and their dog walkers are always too far away to manage them. This makes me nervous with going to the park with my young son and our miniature dachshund.
I will, however, commend a specific group I see several times a week managed by Sophia Gillis, who isn’t a dog walker but a dog trainer who walks dogs she trains with her team, and they keep their pack close and well managed. I am always impressed by how well they listen to her and follow her lead.
Benjamin Oberon Queens ParkCorflutes Crazies
It’s state election time in 2023, and with all the OH&S rules enforced on us by the State Government you’d think a politician in a major party would stop the practice of putting up corflutes on power poles. Unfortunately, Marjorie O’Neill hasn’t made it clear to her volunteers that this is actually illegal and has been since the ‛90s.
Firstly, does plastering your mug all over town really convince anyone to vote for you? What about the environmental impact of plastic corflutes? What about the ban of single use plastics? You can’t reuse all those cable ties. Why haven’t the potential members for Coogee gotten together and organised a corflute amensty? This did happen before Bruce Notley-Smith got the boot.
In the federal election, Sharma and Spender obeyed this simple ‘no power pole’ rule. Spender did put some up on poles but, to her credit, quickly apologised for the mistake and removed them. It’s been a week as I’m writing this and Marjorie O’Neill is just ignoring her/her staff’s/her volunteers’ mistake.
The United Australia Party didn’t follow the rules, but you’d expect such idiocy from someone who thinks Clive Palmer would make a good politican. The Greens also ignored the rules, but with their messiah complex the ends always justify the means.
For someone who wants to set the rules, it’s not a good look when she can’t follow the basics. They also seemed to be put up incredibly early - had nominations closed?
It’s all a pity, because I think Marjorie O’Neill has done a reasonable job.
Anthony BoschBondi
Dear Letters - Waverley Council is to be congratulated on its Streetscape Upgrades. Doug Richards (Charing Cross, Letters, The Beast, February 2023) need not worry about buses being squeezed out of Bronte Road through Charing Cross - that would be a dopey upgrade. If anything survives the Charing Cross Streetscape Upgrade it will be the buses. But Waverley Council can do it better - take a look at ‘Kathmandu Corner’ in Bondi Junction. Why, oh why, would anybody plant shrubbery as a barrier to a ‘traffic lighted’ pedestrian scramble crossing? The greenery looked good for about a week before being mown to dust by the throngs of law abiding pedestrians doing no more than crossing the road at the lights. The ‘desire path’ prevailed, as it always will. What remains is an open trench with sharp edges and a dusty drop. Falls are only a carefree step away. Back to the drawing board.
And, maybe have a second look at the corner travelling north on York Road to go left into Oxford Street. Sit a while and you’ll see near misses, the ever-present chance of a side-scrape and a few front wheels of waiting bicycles almost clipped by turning cars. As much as cycling access has been improved, something is not quite right with the new alignment and the lane markings.
Mark PaulUnlike many, our esteemed premier might think that wearing a Nazi uniform is just a “fancy dress” and it was no more than a “terrible mistake”.
Wearing a Nazi uniform to one’s very own 21st birthday party might be turned into a youthful indiscretion, but when it comes to petty theft, for example, a different measure is applied.
For the premier’s own state, the following applies and “children aged between 10 and 14 are
subject to the criminal law” (nsw. gov.au). In other words, when an eleven-year-old girl steals a lolly from a local shop, she can be “criminally liable”, but when a 21-year-old wears a Nazi uniform it is just a terrible mistake.
The question arises: at what age does a person understand the consequences of his/her action?
In the 1930s, Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget answered this question. The answer is good news for the 11-year-old girl (limited understanding) but not so good news for a State Premier. At 21, even a future premier knew what he was doing.
Thomas KlikauerSweet Coogee
Response to Letter on Cyclists
I couldn’t agree more with Simon Bartlett’s letter regarding the intolerance of Sydney motorists towards cyclists (Bondi Junction Cycleway Ignorance, Letters, The Beast, February 2023).
I have spent over 16 years cycling for pleasure and transport around Dublin city and mountains without so much as a sniff of an
incident. It took no more than 16 days from my arrival in the Eastern Suburbs for my naivety to be knocked out of me by the front bumper of a nifty hatchback.
I was loath to believe that the Sydney locals would demonstrate such contempt towards cyclists. Close passes are a daily occurrence on my commutes, while the liberal use of horns and verbal abuse is all too common. It’s a crying shame that in a country with such good weather (usually) and incredible public facilities, cyclists sit at the bottom of the transport food chain with no chance of upward movement.
While the health and wellness benefits of cycling are clear, the economic and environmental benefits should be put to the fore in order to demonstrate where our future lies. A society that puts the safety and wellness of cyclists above motorists is the only type of community we should strive for. Finally, here’s hoping that the “tirade of abuse” from other correspondence never materialised.
Diarmuid Cahill CoogeeNick Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios, the tennis player we love to hate,
We find him curious, but still a likeable mate, Maybe he does the evilness to draw attention, He loves to be more noticed to spur his adrenaline, so to mention, Nick, do me a favour, just be yourself and we’ll love you more, You will still be the same person, but being bad we can’t ignore, Please, please, change your ways for the love of sport,
Smashing your racquet on court, you’ll find yourself on report, The moral of this story is to change your image for the better of tennis, Be like Ash Barty - a good role model, not a menace.
Graeme Bogan Bondi Junction ¢Please send your feedback to letters@thebeast.com.au and include your name and suburb. We try and publish as many as possible, but nothing too crazy please.
It's no wonder that the Eastern Suburbs is one of Sydney's most desirable locations to live. It's about feeling at home, wherever you go. So, whether you're moving in, or moving on, call Mary Howell. She will make sure you feel right at home, wherever you are.
MARY HOWELL 0414 400 345
maryhowell@theagency.com.au
Local schoolgirl Margaret Jordan is a keen competitive swimmer who has received medals in state and national championships plus a sporting excellence award from Randwick City Council. She is a proud member of Coogee Nippers and can ride a surfboard.
But the determined 10-yearold faces a challenge that might deter some other people from swimming and surfing. Margaret is legally blind. She lost most of her vision after a severe illness in her early childhood. All she can see is blurry shapes. However, that hasn’t stopped her becoming an avid water baby, both in the ocean and in the pool.
Margaret is super-confident in the water, “I like how the water feels, it makes me happy,” she told The Beast
Margaret learned to swim in the pool, then started venturing
into the sea with the help of Souths Juniors ocean coaches Chad Schneider and Narelle Leitch. They have helped ‘shepherd’ her in events like the Coogee Ocean Challenge, with Margaret using the coach’s voice as a guide.
Now she loves the ocean so much she has set her sights on becoming a marine biologist.
“I’m interested in sharks,” she says. “They’re really cool animals and I’m worried that they’re endangered.”
Margaret’s mother Anna says her daughter is super-confident in the water.
“She has absolutely no fear. When she started swimming in the ocean I was freaking out, but now I understand it is helping her in numerous other areas of her life,” Anna explained.
“She is so motivated and prepared to overcome the toughest challenges.”
If you feel like a bit of company as you jog along Bondi Beach and plunge into the surf for a refreshing post-run swim, it’s worth considering becoming an entrant in the People’s Biathlon, a free event held by North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club twice a week.
Participants jog 800 metres on the sand, before swimming another 500 metres, then repeat the exercise again. Each biathlete is timed, and the biathlons are handicapped so everyone has the chance to be a winner. Participants are emailed immediately after the race so they know their times and where they have come in the event.
The biathlon is open to anyone aged 15-75 and is organised by North Bondi SLSC Building Manager Glenn ‘Nish’ Annear. Anyone interested in participating is invited to rock up to the north end of the beach at 5.45pm on Fridays or 3.45pm on Sundays. You’ll need to be a competent and confident swimmer, plus sign a waiver. You may find yourself rubbing shoulders with up to 90 other people, as the event has rapidly been gaining popularity this year.
Lockhart-Krause Architects are proud sponsors of the biathlon. For more information, email office@northbondisurfclub.com.
Anyone interested in helping to protect our oceans can check out the Volvo Ocean Lovers Festival, taking place in and around Bondi Pavilion from March 15-19.
The festival will feature creative solutions to managing ocean plastic waste and conserving marine ecosystems, as well as providing a platform for ocean-themed creativity. A program highlight will be a ‘trashion show’ showcasing clothes made from ocean rubbish by artist Marina DeBris. Local schoolkids will also get creative with ocean waste in an art exhibition. Market stalls and informal workshops where attendees can speak with university marine experts will be held throughout the event, and attendees will be serenaded by ocean-loving musicians including Kyle Lionhart and Toni Childs, who has been giving underwater concerts to whales and dolphins in her Reef 360 project.
The festival program will begin with a forum discussing ocean plastic waste on
Wednesday, March 15. Sea science workshops and a film and photography exhibition called See the Sea will be held on March 18-19, as well as a big group beach clean-up to highlight the nature and extent of the rubbish washed up on Bondi’s golden sands.
The festival’s founder, Bondi local Anita Kolni, says the event “brings to life the wonder and significance of our ocean, the impact we can have and hope for the ocean’s future.”
Complimentary sunrise yoga and meditation sessions, hosted by local studio BodyMindLife, will be held on the beach on the Saturday, followed by a group swim at Bondi Icebergs. A sandcastle building competition with prizes will also be held on the Saturday, with loads of market stalls featuring ocean friendly ideas and products.
Volvo Ocean Lovers Festival is presented by Volvo Car Australia with major partners WeAre8 and Waverley Council, and charity partner IMC Pacific Foundation. For more information, visit www.oceanloversfestival.com.
As bombs rained down on Ukraine, Coogee man Nick Booth decided he had to help people in the war-ravaged country.
He started a fund called Aid to Ukraine, and before long he’d raised $25,000, mostly from Eastern Suburbs residents.
The 42-year-old public relations consultant had contacts in Ukraine - an Aussie, a Canadian and a Kiwi - who were already helping war victims. They helped him draw up a shopping list of relief items. He ordered the goods from suppliers in the UK, France and Germany, then travelled to Europe to pack them into a van which he drove to the Poland-Ukraine border.
“It was mainly medical supplies and winter clothing,” Mr Booth told The Beast
At the border, the goods were given to his contacts, who took them to the war-torn city of Mykolaiv.
Now back in Sydney, Nick is working on another Ukraine funding drive, this time targeting businesses. To get involved, email him at nicholas_booth@ rocketmail.com.
1 Mar
Mar
Waverley Council is excited to be an official Festival and Venue Partner of Sydney WorldPride, 17 February to 5 March.
Check out the full program including cabaret, comedy, exhibitions, craft classes and free activities throughout Waverley during Sydney WorldPride!
Bondi doctor John Balafas menaced a woman with an axe before slamming the weapon down on a table, a court heard. Then he picked up a glass and smashed it, with shards of glass showering over his victim’s legs.
The 47-year-old GP, who ran a local medical centre before falling foul of the law, was banned from contact with the woman after the attack, with police taking out an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO). But that did not stop him, Downing Centre Court was told. He was subsequently arrested and prosecuted for punching her in the arm. After repeated breaches of the AVO, including one where he used a drone to spy on the woman at her Dover Heights address, he swapped his white medical coat for prison greens last October. But now he has gained his freedom after a bail application at Downing Centre Court. During the bail hearing, the violent nature of his behaviour was laid bare, with details of the axe episode and other incidents.
The magistrate agreed to the bail application under strict conditions. Balafas must report to Bondi Police station daily plus abstain from alcohol and illicit drugs. And the magistrate warned there’d be more jail time if he tried contacting his victim again.
Despite walking free after the bail hearing, Balafas won’t be practising medicine again any time soon. He has lost his registration over a number of serious
professional breaches. A tribunal hearing by the Health Care Complaints Commission in December 2022 found he inappropriately conducted internal pelvic and breast examinations on female patients without their consent.
A man who was caught peering into a Coogee woman’s window claimed he was looking for a lost cat, a court heard.
Victor De Sa Mendes Junior, 34, gave the lame excuse after being confronted by a witness who saw him perched on a window ledge with his face pressed against the glass. He then wandered away, but he was followed to his car by a friend of the victim, who took down the registration number.
In Waverley Court, Junior, a cellar manager at a well-known Eastern Suburbs pub, pleaded guilty to peeping and stalking offences. As well as the incident where he claimed to be looking for a cat, there was another episode at a separate address where he cut a peephole in a pizza box which he used to shield his face as he looked in a window. He was sentenced to a 12 month community correction order and fined $350.
Police were called to an up-market street in Maroubra after a next door neighbour of singer Guy Sebastian allegedly threatened to kill him.
A confrontation took place in the street between Sebastian and 66-year-old Phillip Hanslow. As well as allegedly threatening Sebastian, Hanslow is said to have kicked and damaged a border fence. Police charged Hanslow with stalking and property damage. He has also been served with an AVO. Police say the confrontation was the culmination of years of tension between the two men over an extensive rebuild of the property owned by Sebastian and his partner Jules.
An alert has gone out following reports of dogs being poisoned at Marks Park, Tamarama.
A posting from Maddy’s Dog School on the Dogs of Bondi Facebook page said, “A friend’s dog visited the park, ate something and suddenly passed away several hours later. He was a young and healthy dog.”
A separate post said the animal was an 18-month-old golden retriever. According to later Dogs of Bondi postings, two other dogs had died after visiting the clifftop park.
Waverley Council urged dog owners “to remain vigilant and be alert for any signs of illness in their dogs. Dog-baiting is not a common problem in Waverley but is devastating when it does occur. If you have any further info for us, please get in touch with us via 9083 8000, lodge a request on our website, or via the Snap Send Solve app.”
A senior construction industry lawyer was jailed after sending a string of offensive text messages to a woman.
Randwick resident Nelson Arias, aged 40, had earlier been charged with assaulting the woman and was served with an AVO. But he then bombarded her with a series of offensive texts, Waverley Court was told. He said he would “make your life miserable,” called her a “deceitful little bitch” and told her to “go f*ck yourself.”
Police arrested him for breaching the order and he ended up behind bars. In his latest court appearance, he was allowed bail on the condition he attends a four week drug and alcohol rehabilitation program.
The Special Commission of Inquiry is looking into unsolved deaths, that may have been hate crimes, of LGBTIQ people (or people assumed to be LGBTIQ) in that 40-year period.
Any recollections or pieces of information you might have, however major or minor, could provide a vital link in understanding what may have happened to someone's son or daughter.
This may be the last chance for the truth about some of these historical deaths to be exposed.
You can contact the Inquiry anonymously or confidentially in the following ways:
• via a form on our website at www.specialcommission.nsw.gov.au/contact
• by emailing contact@specialcommission.nsw.gov.au
• by writing to the Special Commission of Inquiry into LGBTIQ hate crimes, GPO Box 5341, Sydney NSW 2001
• by calling +61 2 9228 4855 and leaving a voice message
Location Bronte
Subject Dad Jokes Location Coogee
Photographer Brody Vancers
Subject Man's Best Friend Location Maroubra
Photographer Theresia Hall @theresia.g.hall
Subject Morning Shine Location South Maroubra Photographer Theresia Hall @theresia.g.hall
Subject Setting Sail Location Bennelong Point
Ash Waters @emgee_photography_
Subject The Early Bird Location South Maroubra
Theresia Hall @theresia.g.hall
Subject Stingarees Location Malabar Photographer Sam Daniels @dam_sanielss
Subject Ghost Train Location The Ghetto Photographer Ash Waters @emgee_photography_
Subject Siblings Location Centennial Park Photographer Hugo Minnett
Subject Morning Conversation Location Bronte Photographer Theresia Hall @theresia.g.hall
North Bondi illustrator Kate Holdsworth is our local artist this month. Kate runs a strategic creative and copywriting service, as well as creating beautiful illustrations like this edition’s cool cover piece. Kate shares her local favourites with The Beast...
How long have you lived here? I’ve lived in the East for ten years - seven of those in North Bondi - and I never tire of the incredible views.
Why do you live here? That early morning swim before work is just magic. It’s one of the few places where you get to have your cake and eat it too - the city and nature all in one day.
What's your favourite beach? North Bondi on a clear day is delicious, followed by a snorkel at Clovelly or Gordon’s Bay.
What's your favourite eatery? I’m a sucker for a freshly baked croissant from Bobby’s Corner Cafe.
Where do you like to have a drink? Aside from our regular, the Bondi Bowlo, it’s great checking out new places and supporting businesses as they pop up. Dirty Bergs (down a level from fancy Icebergs) is a top spot to catch the sun and whale watch in winter.
Best thing about the Eastern Suburbs? There’s a sub culture here shunning the rat race, with people trying to build careers on their own terms. It’s hard work and these people inspire me.
Worst thing about the Eastern Suburbs? “The best things in life are free,” seems to have eluded a few locals.
How would you describe your art? Joyful escapism. It’s the reason I illustrate, and I think that shows through in the colours and subject matter. I’m not a fan of sitting in front of a computer all day, so landscapes, nature and whimsical places help me escape.
Where can people see your work? My Instagram account (@kate_is_sketchy) is the best place.
Who are your artistic inspirations? My family has really inspired me over the years. My grandmother was a wonderful artist and my parents, sister and cousins are talented people who’ve all got the bug. Despite the family ties, I don’t think artistic talent is something
you’re necessarily born with. If you play around enough, and surround yourself with like-minded people, you can learn the ropes.
What are you working on at the moment? I’m attempting the switch from illustrations to real art on real canvas - wish me luck!
When did you discover you had a gift for your craft? I grew up in a pretty isolated location but I had encouraging parents who provided lots of art supplies to keep me busy, which led to a life-long passion for all things visual. I’m hoping to become gifted any day now.
Any other local artists to look out for? Dinalie Dabarera (@ffdin) does the most exquisite pencil work and has a new book coming out; I love how Jess Harwood (@jessharwoodart) uses her art to fight the good fight; and Antonia Pesenti (@_antoniadraws) captures Sydney beautifully.
Any words of wisdom for young aspiring artists? Try new things and create as much as you can. If you aim for quantity over quality you’ll find your niche faster.
What do you do for work? I run a strategic creative and copywriting service, The Wordery (TheWordery.co), helping purpose-led brands kick arse.
What's your favourite thing about work? I love the creative process - making something from nothing can be really hard but it’s incredibly rewarding when your work helps others get ahead.
Do you have a favourite quote? “Life is too important to be taken seriously.” - Oscar Wilde.
Waverley Council is excited to be an official Festival and Venue Partner of Sydney WorldPride, 17 February to 5 March. We look forward to welcoming tens of thousands of festival visitors from around the world who will also dine, shop and stay in the Bondi region Sydney WorldPride includes 19 official major events including the Bondi Beach Party presented by Optus on 4 March and 320 Pride Amplified including Reuben Kaye, Paul Capsis, Bondi’s Comedy Extravaganza at Fambo Queer Arts for Kids and Families at Bondi Pavilion. There will also be Pride-inspired events at Waverley Library including an archival exhibition of Samuel Luke and drag makeup, trivia and paint and sip with R uby Royale Council will be making staff available across the festival period and our local businesses are getting into the spirit as well See the What’s On section of our website for all events in Waverley during Sydney WorldPride.
Waverley Council is proud to be a major partner of the Volvo Ocean Lovers Festival, 15-19 March at
Bondi Pavilion and surrounds. Be a part of this global movement by helping clean the beach, enjoy musical performances, science demonstrations and artworks. There will be market stalls at the Pavilion, free yoga and sandcastlemaking on the beach, as well as surfing, swimming and free diving. We are also delighted to welcome visitors to the inaugural Ocean Plastic Action Forum on Wednesday 15 March at Bondi Pavilion from 9am to 3pm. Join industry professionals, innovators, scientists, and government, business and community leaders for an opportunity to learn, engage and be inspired to ‘turn the tide’ on plastic in our oceans. Together we'll make a collective impact, move beyond talking and instigate real change. Places are limited, so to book, visit oceanloversfestival.com.
Know someone who works selflessly for the community?
Someone who stands out because of their community work, generosity and commitment to others? Nominate them for Waverley Council’s Local Hero Awards. The Waverley Local Hero Awards, held every two years, recognise people’s contributions to community services and wellbeing, arts and culture, sports and recreation, the environment and volunteering. This is your chance to nominate someone you know and have their contribution to our community acknowledged. We'd
Ph: 9083 8000 | waverley.nsw.gov.au
Stay in touch: waverley.nsw.gov.au/subscribe
love to hear about our young volunteers, too This year
Waverley’s Local Hero Awards will include our Best of the Best Award. This Award, bestowed every four years, recognises outstanding community leaders who have given exceptional lifelong service to the community. Nominations close 13 March See our websit e for more.
Did you know that Waverley Council operates a customer service centre at Bondi Pavilion? The Bondi Pavilion Welcome Centre is open 10am to 4pm, seven days a week for all your Waverley Council customer service needs. Pay rates and apply for parking permits without the fuss of having to leave the beach. The Bondi Pavilion Welcome Centre is just one of the ways we’re making it easier for residents to access the Council services they need. Drop in and say hi to the friendly team when you next visit the Pavilion.
We are seeking community members and organisers to join our Multicultural Advisory Committee. See our website for details.
Paula Masselos Mayor of Waverley
As the comedian Eddie Izzard once said, guns have a limited range of applications. You can’t bake a cake with one or put up a shelf. They make awful coffee. Guns are designed to kill, and more guns means more gun-related deaths and injuries. Last year, an estimated 45,290 Americans died because of guns, largely because they have a ratio of 120.5 firearms per 100 residents. If that sounds like a lot, it is. It far exceeds any other country in the world. Let’s have a look at why the good old US of A seems to have lost the plot.
In Australia, we have 14.5 firearms per 100 residents. And all of our gun-toting residents are required to have a licence. if you want to get a gun in NSW you have to be a “fit and proper person” of at least 18, successfully complete a firearms training and safety course, and provide evidence to justify your “genuine reason” for possessing or using a firearm. Note that unlike in America,
“the protection of yourself or another person” is not considered a genuine reason to have a lethal weapon stashed in the glove box. Compare our laws to Texas, where the ‘pro-life’ Governor, Greg Abbott, recently thought it was a good idea to sign off on a “permit-less carry bill” that allows the state’s residents to carry handguns without a licence or training. That means any Texan can stroll into their local Walmart, buy a gun and pop it into their cart alongside the ice cream and the mini trampoline. Anyone - even if they are blind, just got out of jail for murder, or are so boxed on amphetamines they think that the fridge wants to kill them. The recent spate of mass shootings in the US shouldn’t be a surprise. It’s amazing anyone is still alive over there.
When I first heard the term ‘bump stock’ I thought the newsreader said ‘bumstock’ and spent a happy ten minutes giggling about the Bumstock
Festival, which I imagined as a kind of gay Woodstock where everyone dances around wearing leather chaps. But bump stock is not funny at all. It’s a mechanism on a gun that allows ‘bump firing’, which means a semi-automatic weaponalready a deadly bit of kit - is given a capability similar to a fully automatic machine gun. Depending on the gun used, having a bump stock means the loony holding the weapon can fire between 400 and 800 rounds per minute. That is a f*ckload of bullets, each one of which is capable of ending a life. You used to be able to buy one of these hellish devices for just $100 in the US, until 2017 when a guy staying in a Las Vagas hotel overlooking a country music festival opened his window and let it rip. I’m not a big fan of country music myself, but in a few devastating seconds this guy had killed 60 people and wounded five hundred more. After that, even Trump recognised bump stocks were a bit dicey and legislated against them. Now, however, despite the slew of mass shootings already this year, that legislation may be overturned in the name of Americans’ constitutional right to bear arms. Comedian Jim Jeffries points out that when the second amendment was ratified in 1791, people only had muskets, capable of about two rounds a minute. That gives everyone a lot more time to calm down.
Finally, The Unreliable Guide is proud to live in a country that responded to the 1996 Port Arthur mass shooting by bringing in stringent gun controls. As a consequence, we’ve had zero mass shootings since then. The US had 611 mass shootings last year alone - almost two a day. Even Rambo couldn’t keep up with that.
The latest from Randwick City Council about living in this great city
March in Randwick City is synonymous with one thing - The Spot Festival. This community-favourite event is one that always draws a crowd. It’s a cheerful way to say goodbye to summer and focus our attention on local businesses. There will be performances, amazing stalls and many of the local restaurants will be extending their alfresco dining area. Come along, enjoy the atmosphere, and support your local businesses. Hope to see you there Sunday 26 March.
Wednesday 8 March is International Women’s Day (IWD). The United Nations theme this year is Cracking the Code: Innovation for a gender equal future.
Here in Randwick City, we’ll be flying International Women’s Day street banners and celebrating the amazingly artistic women of our City with the Women’s Art Prize.
The winning and short-listed artworks will be on display in an exhibition at the Randwick Community Centre, and the top 50 artworks will be displayed at the Lionel Bowen Library from Tuesday 14 March.
In other exciting news, I’m pleased to announce we have just completed work on two new outdoor gyms.
One is in Barwon Park, Matraville and the other in Snape Park, Maroubra.
Both gyms provide a range of equipment types suitable for people of all fitness levels to help build strength and improve cardio fitness.
Our outdoor gyms have proven very popular with local residents providing a free option for exercising in your local area. Check them out!
FRIDAY 3 MARCH
PATTI THE PIG SHOW
3.30pm-4.30pm
Lionel Bowen Library
SUNDAY 5 MARCH
CLEAN-UP AUSTRALIA DAY
cleanupaustraliaday.org.au
All suburbs
OPENS FRIDAY 17 MARCH
TALKING SPORT
Museum opening hours
The La Perouse Museum
SATURDAY 18 MARCH
WORLD FUSION DANCE WORKSHOP
10am-11am
Lionel Bowen Library
THURSDAY 23 MARCH
CHESS CLUB FOR ADULTS
1pm-3pm
Lionel Bowen Library
FRIDAY 24 MARCH
THE KNIT-IN GROUP
12.30pm-2.30pm
Margaret Martin Library
FRIDAY 31 MARCH
CELEBRATING HARMONY
5pm-7pm
Kensington Park Community Centre
1300 722 542 randwick.nsw.gov.au
Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker Councillor Dylan Parker Mayor of RandwickAn Aussie Dunny will be installed in every backyard from Dover Heights to Watsons Bay in order to save a popular local park. The hasty renovations to luxurious homes are designed to prevent the construction of a nuclear missile silo on Eastern Reserve.
“A pumping station will destroy our beautiful reserve,” stated a community spokesperson.
“We will thus retro-fit every residence in Dover Heights, Watsons Bay, Rose Bay and Vaucluse with an Aussie Dunny, and future-fit these with sustainable composting toilets to ensure that waste is treated at the source, rendering the pumping station unnecessary.”
Sydney Water plans to install the pumping station at the clifftop reserve to ensure sewage is treated at the Bondi wastewater treatment plant, and no longer dumped into the ocean. News of the proposal provoked irate responses, such as this Facebook post:
“Another politically-correct initiative from our woke, virtue-signalling government insistent on cancelling everything, even our waste - just to protect snow-flake foreigners and hipsters from Bronte to Bondi.”
While another chimed in, “So, there’s a bit of dirty water off Bondi, people are so precious - imagine what real Aussie men like Angry Anderson would say to that!”
Others opposed the harm to visual amenity of the structure and the accompanying wall.
“It might be only one metre high, but that still destroys our water views and makes it impossible to fling our dog poo directly into the ocean.”
Further objections concerned the potential for odours from the pumping station. Supporters of the pumping station, meanwhile, reminded its opponents that composting toilets can themselves produce a unique aroma, to which the spokesperson replied, “Residents of the Dover to Watsons corridor do not suffer the same affliction as common folk.”
Composting dunnies were decided upon after numerous alternative suggestions from concerned residents.
Some suggested building the wall over the pipe itself, before it was realised that this would see the waste returned to sender. Others proposed building the wall from North Bondi headland to the headland at the southern end of Bronte Beach in order to keep the sewage out of the beaches. This would also allow those from Dover Heights to access the coastal walk without mingling with said foreigners and hipsters.
As for the current bathrooms in the palatial homes, “We’ve crowdfunded $350,000 to hire S.Cam to renovate our indoor bathrooms,” the spokesperson said. “He’s got a week!”
Compost toilets will then be tapped for methane energy to power homes, and the soil produced will be spread on Eastern Reserve to keep it green and lush all year.
“In this spirit, we ask all male members to pee directly onto bindis during the warmer months.”
Residents also demanded further upgrades to Eastern Reserve, including the installation of a flush toilet.
As I reflect upon the past four years, since my election in 2019 as your representative for the Eastern Suburbs in the Seat of Coogee in the NSW Parliament, I feel an enormous sense of pride in what we have achieved as a community. I am also sincerely humbled by the amazing, generous and resilient community I have been so privileged to work with and represent.
Despite a global pandemic and all its disruptions, as a community we have achieved a great deal over the past four challenging years. With all the pressures and pace of life, it is easy not to stop for a moment and take stock of what we have been able to do.
As I reflect upon our achievements, I think first about the millions of small acts of kindness and support offered and received by members of our community. A friendly smile and “are you okay?” from a passer-by, some groceries, clothing or a plate of food, as well as the self-sacrifice and support given by our teachers, public transport staff and healthcare workers. The list goes on and on, but there are also community-wide initiatives that I think we should all be very proud of.
In 2019, our community rallied together to fight the removal of cardiac paediatric services from our Sydney Children’s Hospital and was successful in forcing the NSW Liberal-Nationals Government to reverse a disgraceful $10 million cost-cutting decision. It was no small feat to force a government intent on cutting vital health and hospital services in our area to reverse its plan, but we were able to achieve this through smart and strong community activism. I was proud to stand alongside healthcare workers and community members as part of this campaign.
In early 2020, the realities of COVID-19 started to hit our community. The challenges of understanding the ever-changing health orders, as well as supporting the most vulnerable in our community, caused us to start our COVID community newsletter as a
means of getting out local heath information relevant to our community. Not only did this become a vital source of important and accessible information for people in the East, it also became a hub that brought our community together to support each other, including assisting those experiencing food insecurity. I note many community members found that our newsletter was the best ‘single source of truth’ on critical COVID matters during the pandemic.
We supported our local businesses over this period by running numerous briefing sessions to ensure they all had access to grants and support and to navigate the complex bureaucracies that had been placed in front of them. Most recently, we have also been running additional business briefings and forums on World Pride and other major events so that our local businesses can make the most of the 1.2 million visitors who are coming to Sydney.
We were shocked when the NSW Government announced it would be privatising our beloved public buses and slashing our services, removing 30 bus routes and over 60 bus stops from our area. Thanks to our huge community grassroots campaign to save the buses, we were able to at least save the 373, a crucial route relied upon by many people, including the elderly, our young people and essential workers as their major means of transport.
By banding together as a community we were able to secure a NSW Parliament Upper House inquiry, which found that the privatisation of our public transport has led to an inferior service. The privatisation of our buses has been devastating for our community, particularly for people with mobility limitations, our older citizens and people with disabilities. This month, a new round of service cuts were announced by the Liberals and I am even more committed to ensuring that we address the mess that has been made of our public transport system.
There are of course a great many other achievements of which we should be proud including assisting our heavily burdened and under-resourced domestic violence services, giving our youth a voice through our annual student leadership breakfast, and our many environmentally focused activities including increasing beehives and bee-friendly gardens in our area.
I have also been very proud to support the ongoing campaigns for a more equitable society in the East and beyond by advocating for more affordable housing, particularly for our essential workers and people on lower incomes. Additionally, our ongoing campaign for improved education services and facilities in the East, including our longstanding commitment to upgrades to Randwick Girls and Boys High Schools and a new public high school, will continue into the next term of government.
My sincere thanks for your contribution to the lives and environment of our community in the East over the past four years and for allowing me to assist and support you. I look forward to continuing to serve you, our community, into the future.
This election, NSW has an important choice that will decide the future of our state. And our local community has the opportunity to back the leadership and experience of Dominic Perrottet’s government - to keep NSW moving forward.
As your Liberal candidate, I have spent the past months out and about, meeting with as many locals as possible. I love our local community, and I have the drive and commitment to be your effective voice in our State Parliament.
Our healthy and thriving Coogee lifestyle, with beautiful beaches and superb food, entertainment, health and educational offerings, is the envy of many. However, we cannot take what we have for granted, and it is not without the opportunity for improvement.
There are challenges ahead, particularly addressing cost of living and ensuring that we have a long-term economic plan to benefit families, businesses and retirees. New South Wales needs an experienced team to see us through these challenges, and to make the most of the opportunities ahead.
We have one of the highest population densities in New South Wales. For many locals, traffic congestion and parking is the number one issue. The Perrottet Government invested in public transport, including the light rail, to reduce the reliance on cars. However, this progress is at risk if Labor win the election, with their leader Chris Minns vowing to target the Eastern Suburbs for new developments and high rise buildings.
Labor has said for us to enjoy the infrastructure, facilities and amenities of our local community, that we need to “pull our weight.” Labor’s increased housing targets for the Eastern Suburbs will detrimentally impact the quality of life for all residents.
There is a strong sense of momentum in the community right now. I have been out every day talking with locals, and people are telling me they feel NSW is heading in the right direction.
The investment the Perrottet Government has made in our health, transport and sporting infrastructure, and in programs to support with cost of living pressures, have been greatly appreciated by the community. Programs such as the Active Kids program and Premier’s Back to School vouchers, $2,000 towards IVF treatment, toll rebates and senior’s energy rebates through Service NSW, have really made a difference to people’s household budgets as federal interest rates rapidly increase.
We are focused on our long-term plan and supporting people through the challenges ahead. Reform such as giving first home buyers the choice to ditch stamp duty, and the shared equity initiative for our key workers, single parents, and older singles, is enabling more people to achieve home ownership.
The Perrottet Government, has a strong track record of innovative reform and decision-making to keep NSW moving forward. I will bring new energy to the government, and if elected, I will use my experiences in health, education, small business and city planning to make meaningful and positive contributions to my cherished Coogee community, and to the NSW Parliament.
Know a local hero? Nominate them now!
Know someone who stands out because of their community work, generosity and commitment to others?
Nominations open 13 February – 13 March 2023
Kylie will use her local passion and professional experience to give Coogee a strong voice in our Parliament. She is someone who can get things done to deliver the services, schools, health care and cost of living support local residents and families deserve, and will fight to protect our community’s unique character for future generations.
Kylie and her husband love raising their three girls locally and want to ensure their children and other local families can enjoy the opportunities and character of our community. That’s why Kylie is standing as Coogee’s Liberal candidate.
With a doctorate in speech pathology, Kylie has worked in regional and city hospitals, and specialised in helping children with a hearing loss develop listening and communication skills. This experience inspired Kylie’s commitment to ensuring everybody has access to quality, affordable healthcare when they need it.
Kylie’s passion for our area has always inspired her to give back to her community, especially through local organisations, including as an active patroller and Board Member at the Bronte Surf Life Saving Club.
As a Coogee local and working mum, Kylie understands the opportunities and challenges for local families, especially the rising cost of living, the importance of good services and amenities, and the need to preserve our environment for future generations.
Known as the pigs of the waterway, Murray cod are an aggressive and highly territorial Australian native freshwater fish. They can grow up to around 1.5 metres in length and have even been known to attack humans. These characteristics have put Murray cod high up on my fishing bucket list, and recently I got the chance to go and try to connect with one.
It was four years ago, as a young fish cleaner at the Sydney Fish Markets, that I caught wind of a faraway honey hole. While scaling box upon box of snapper and filleting millions of flathead, I learned of a certain system deep in the bush that held good numbers. After a failed strike mission a few years back - the drought made the rivers virtually unfishable - I had been longing to return and finally catch a cod.
This January I got the chance to return, and made a snap decision to head inland from my North Coast surf trip and have a proper crack at the green beasts. Despite making things a bit lonely and potentially more dangerous at times, flying solo gave me complete flexibility, and
I promised myself that I wasn’t going home until I caught a cod.
Armed with a bag full of very expensive surface lures, a snake bite kit, some muesli bars and a litre of water - along with a rod, of course - I made the seven kilometre hike into the gorge. To get there for first light meant waking in the swag at 4am to drive through rooplagued dirt roads toward the trailhead, before embarking on the walk with a head torch in total darkness. I knew there was no reception down in the gorge, so I told my girlfriend Charlotte to call emergency if she didn’t hear from me come afternoon. She wasn’t so stoked!
The walk in was spooky to say the least, with little idea of which way to go and the constant sound of goats and wallabies in the distant scrub. After an hour of nervous walking, the sight of moonlit water finally emerged through the trees and I was ready to start casting.
It was only on my tenth cast throwing a large surface lure designed to imitate a small bird (mega pompadour) that I laid eyes on my very first Murray cod in the flesh. My heart was
in my mouth as a fish of around 90 centimetres tailed the lure all the way to my feet, before turning and returning to the deep at the last second. My adrenalin was flowing hard and my desire to catch one was stronger than ever.
A few casts later, I heard a screaming goat in the distance and looked up to try and spot it in the hills. That very second, a fiesty cod shot out from under its ledge and whacked my lure off the surface, startling me with its characteristic ‛boof’ sound. After a quick self-timed photo, I released it and felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders knowing I had accomplished what I came for. As the sun got higher I ditched my surface lure for a sub surface spinnerbait and caught a better cod that stopped my lure as if it had hit a brick wall. The rest of the morning saw three more cod before I realised that I was running out of water and the 35 degree heat would surely end me if I didn’t hightail it back to the trusty Paj.
The following morning I decided to make the journey again, but with the plan to go up river rather than down. After making the leg-burning journey down to the gorge, I began casting again. The following four hours was some of the best fishing I have experienced. After catching three fish in three casts I didn’t think it could get any better, but the cod were hungry and they just kept coming. Multiple cod followed my hooked fish at times, and I even got to sight cast a few, which was another accomplishment in itself. After hours of relentless action amounting to over 20 fish, I decided to leave the ravenous cod and head back.
What an experience! I couldn’t have asked for a more satisfying first time chasing these incredible fish.
ACROSS
1. The Apostle of Ireland (5,7)
7. Meringue based dessert (7)
8. Printed statement of money owed (4)
9. Operating system that runs from a disk drive (3)
10. Copy or simulate (7)
11. Abbreviated Southwest Pacific island (1,1)
13. Japanese noodle (4)
15. Gentle (4)
17. Member of a group in court (5)
18. Mexican culinary dish (6)
19. The action of travelling over snow (6)
20. Powerful person (5)
21. Opposite of stop (2)
22. Amy Winehouse song (5)
1. Who is the retiring NSW Health Minister?
2. What is the red pigment in blood cells called?
3. ‘Venerdi’ is Italian for which day of the week?
4. According to the proverb, what comes before a fall?
5. Which Olympian was Sydney Mardi Gras Chief of Parade in 2009?
6. Which 1969 film was the first X-rated film to win an Academy Award?
7. Is a marabou a type of deer, stork or rodent?
1. Member of pop group Bardot (6,4)
2. Statement of goods or services provided (7)
3. Part of body between the neck and abdomen (6)
4. Wolfgang Mozart’s middle name (7)
5. Curved bones articulated to the spine (4)
6. The longest part of the large intestine (5)
12. Surname of baseball player who had ALS (6)
14. City in England’s Norfolk County (7)
16. Senior deckhand (5)
17. Movie villain with Dissociative Identity Disorder, The ... (5)
20. Mode of operating (1,1)
8. By what name is the iridescent coating inside an oyster shell more commonly known?
9. What sport has hot balls, kill shots and boasts?
10. Which star is the brightest in the night sky?
Label Easy Eye Sound
Reviewer @aldothewriter
Rating
Dan Auerbach has had his finger in so many pies of late, production wise, you could argue The Arcs is just one of about twenty side projects. This one he actually fronts though, so his groovy fingerprints are not merely all over it, they are being slid softly down your face by a bunch of hippies wearing loose fitting sheer clothing who clearly took some good mushies. Thankfully, you won’t need to partake in hallucinogenic fungi to enjoy Electronic Chronic, you just need a good appreciation of groovy, guitar driven music, heavily influenced by the ‛70s.
Honey
Label Grand Jury Music
Reviewer @aldothewriter
Rating
There is something unsettling about Honey. Not to say I didn’t like it - I did - but I feel like if I typed ‘well educated sad girl’, ‘alternative pop’, and ‘Triple J Hottest 100’ into an AI music generator it would punch out something very similar. These are all things I am fond of, so it’s no surprise I like it, but is it also foretelling the end of days? Will the robots first kill human creativity, then our ability to think independently, and finally, us? I think they will, and I think it is fair to say this album is trying to kill you.
Chasing the City (EP)
Label Independent
Reviewer @aldothewriter
Rating
Local crew and Beast favourites LAHGO have dropped their first EP and it does not disappoint. Funk and charisma ooze from every note and I challenge you to listen without wondering how you’d look in skintight leather pants (pleather, of course). The only murder I condone is Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s ‘Murder on the Dance Floor’, which I think LAHGO should consider covering. They’ve found that unique little pocket of rock and roll that wouldn’t be out of place playing at both the grimiest of dive bars and a five-star high tea in the Blue Mountains.
Aptly named local group, The Immigrants, formed in late 2018, after Irishman and lead vocalist, Darren Browne, put an ad out to find some likeminded bandmates, and ended up playing an open mic night the very day he, Syrian born Nazo, and Brazilian Lucas, had their first ever jam. Fast forward a year, when they had added Nepalese bass player Zen to the line-up, and the United Nations of the band was complete.
The Beast caught up with Darren, fresh off releasing their latest single ‘Screwdriver’, a darkly themed and soaring piece that tells the story of a traumatic childhood event for Darren, when one of his best friends was killed by an older teenager in Dublin.
“It’s a heavy story that I’ve been carrying for a long time,” Darren said.
“I hope I can move on now that the song is done. It feels like closure in a way for me, Ben didn’t deserve that, that’s for sure.”
Moving on, with a nod to the past, is a common theme with the band.
“Though we were born in different parts of the world, we are officially a Sydney, Australian born band. We were formed here and did our first gig here, but we definitely take our cultural backgrounds and combine them into one voice.”
“It’s rare a band clicks the way we did, we just felt like best friends from day one. We all share the same influences, like AC/DC, Foo Fighters and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. We are the type of band that goes by feel. When it comes to music, if it feels good, it is good.”
‘Screwdriver’ is definitely a song about feel. It wanders in with a Metallica like intro then builds into some soaring shredding that’d make Slash himself shiver with glee. It is an ode to prog rock in many ways, with big hooks that’ll please not only true fans of the genre, but casual ones too, who just like a good tune. Not that pleasing the
masses drives the band at all.
“I reckon if popularity or money was not a problem, the artists you hear today would sound very different,” Darren said.
For now, they are happy just creating music and contributing to the local scene.
“Sydney has amazing potential. There are some truly talented artists around, and I think with the right support for all genres and types of music you may see another AC/DC or the like popping up. Just recently we played 34 Bar in Bondi. It was refreshing to see such great support from the audience and venue. There was a great sense of community there and it was one of our best gigs to date. We feed off the audience and that night it was a feast!”
The Immigrants will be playing The Vanguard on June 3 and you can follow them on Instagram @theimmigrantsmusic. ‘Screwdriver’ is available to stream now, and keep an ear out for their new single ‘Control’ in March.
We are delighted to welcome Tony to our practice. He is a specialist in sports and performance eyewear for over 30 years and can provide expert advice on cycling, skiing, diving and swimming options to optimise your vision needs. Brands include Rudy Project, Serengeti, Bolle and Maui Jim.
Visions Beardy from Hell
Taurus Apr 21-May 21
When you overhear some toff moaning about the high interest rate on their holiday home, don’t resist the urge to king hit them.
Gemini May 22-Jun 21
Your otherwise unremarkable life will be reinvigorated by an out-ofcontrol WhatsApp chat. This will be your main focus from now on.
Cancer Jun 22-Jul 22
Whether you’re a saver or a borrower, these interest rate rises are a karmic reminder that money doesn’t come for free.
Leo Jul 23-Aug 22
Take advantage of the kids being back at school to enjoy a bit of ‘afternoon delight’ with your significant other.
Virgo Aug 23-Sep 23
There’s no need to be suspicious when people are nice to you. Not everyone has ulterior motivesonly your ‘friends’.
Libra Sep 24-Oct 23
Do some research before you vote in the upcoming state election, rather than wasting your vote like your parents did their entire lives.
Scorpio Oct 24-Nov 22
Any measures you take to help the environment are a complete waste of time when the population keeps increasing every day.
Sagittarius Nov 23-Dec 21
Your pillow has absorbed too many suspicious substances over the years to be considered safe for human use.
Capricorn Dec 22-Jan 20
Refuse to compete in anything you can’t be sure of winning. Losing is bad for your self-esteem, and you’ve been doing it a lot lately.
Aquarius Jan 21-Feb 19
It’s time to ditch your day job and go out on your own. Your lack of morals and ethics pretty much guarantee financial success.
The 'SHAPE' study
Are you interested in a new 10-week online training program for people in the early stages of dementia and e-learning for family or friends?
For more information, please contact:
Phone: 02 9399 1116
Email: shape@neura.edu.au
or visit www.neura.edu.au/projects/shape
