BEAST The
September 2021
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Cracking the Double Ton Words James Hutton @thebeastmag Welcome to the September 2021 edition of The Beast, the monthly magazine for Sydney’s subdued beaches of the east. Despite COVID’s best efforts to put an end to this little publication, we’ve managed to make it to our 200th edition! There are a lot of people to thank, but I’d like to specifically mention our hard-working advertisers, wonderful staff, generous contributors (that includes everyone who sends in letters and photos), our distribution partners, and of course our awesome readers, without any of whom we simply would not exist. A very special mention must also go to my brother Dan, who worked his arse off to make this little local publication a reality
and made the whole journey so much more enjoyable. We made so many friends along the way and everyone misses you terribly. Bondi’s Fran Connelley is our cover artist this month. About to Plunge is for sale, so please flick us an email if you’d like to shell out $650 for the 40.5cm x 30.5cm original (I don’t take any commission, but the lucky buyer can shout me a beer once The Cloey opens up again). Congratulations to Randwick’s Abby Taylor, who performs as ‘Edith’, for making it through to the final five in Triple J’s Unearthed High competition. It’s only a matter of time before the Carey St frontwoman is a household name. Cheers, James
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The Beast The Beast Pty Ltd ABN 32 143 796 801 www.thebeast.com.au Editor james@thebeast.com.au Advertising Enquiries advertising@thebeast.com.au Rates and Specs thebeast.com.au/advertise Circulation 60,000 copies are delivered every month; 57,500 are placed in mailboxes and 2,500 in local shops. PEFC Certified The Beast uses paper from sustainably managed forests. Letters to the Editor Please send your feedback to letters@thebeast.com.au and include your name and the suburb you live in.
CONTENTS September 2021 Issue 200
6 Welcome Note
28 Police News
43 Guest Columnist
7
30 Unreliable Guide
44 Dana's Recipe
8 Pearls of Wisdom
32 Kieran's Satire
46 Local Photos
10 Monthly Mailbag
34 Money Matters
48 Beast Reviews
20 Local News
36 Marj's Musings
49 Brainteasers
26 Local Artist
40 Dave's Diary
50 Beardy from Hell
27 Tide Chart
42 Headnoise
50 Trivia Solutions
Contents
Summer is Coming, by Mitchell Bevan @capturedbywilson.
Totally missing the point.
Who is Really Controlling Your Freedom? Words Pearl Bullivant Photo Anne Teevackser This month, Pearl’s sentiments and concerns go out to the disparate and disorientated mob of people who attended the anti-COVID lockdown rally in July. As self-appointed COVID Ambassador (Mr PM, I’m still waiting on your call to make it official), Pearl is not here to wield a big stick or chastise those people who took time out of their hectic schedules of antivaccine propaganda promotion and conspiracy theory spreading to venture into the wilds of ‘the big smoke’ to reclaim their ‘freedom’ from sensible public health measures that benefit the entire state. Instead, in true Eastern Suburbs spirit, I’m here to inform the disenchanted and lead them on the path to true enlightenment.
Pearl would like to see their misplaced ardour directed to more worthy issues and causes. 3,500 angry people marching through the city centre wield an enormous karmic force and it is painful to watch people become tired and emotional to the point of hitting horses over mask wearing rules. Pearl feels it is her duty not to patronise or educate, but to provide these people with sensible reasons to protest, worthy issues to raise the “Wake Up Australia” flag to (at a more appropriate time of course). As a big picture person, Pearl feels that wearing masks and not being able to gallivant around the ‘burbs is really the least of our worries. So, wake up darlings, and get angry for our children’s futures, get angry over vested
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interests and tax dollar squandering, and get angry about... • The companies that enthusiastically (and immorally) took advantage of the turnover loophole in the Jobkeeper Scheme, pocketing $25 billion in corporate welfare while increasing profits and shareholder returns. Next time you complain about the ‘dole bludgers’, think of Mirvac, Solomon Lew, Harvey Norman, Lendlease and PwC, and rage at Scott Morrison, who dismissed complaints about the rorting as “politics of envy”. Imagine how many COVID quarantine centres could have been built with that amount of dosh. • The special privileges granted to the construction industry during the COVID shutdown. Despite the favouritism, the industry is still unhappy with the limits on worker numbers, using the usual scare tactics that firms will fold and jobs will be lost. This is an industry that has already benefited (and price gouged) from homeowner grants, a relaxation of lending rules (the Banking Royal Commission was a figment of my imagination) and low interest rates, while making life miserable for anyone living near another ugly, shoddily built development. Must keep Meriton’s $350 million residential tower in Parramatta on track and make Harry Triguboff wealthier! And let’s not forget global warming, the “most mollycoddled property market in the world”, homelessness and the treatment of refugees, the elderly and disabled. Protestors, let’s clarify who is controlling your freedom. It’s not the government; your life is increasingly controlled by corporations. Instead of protesting in the streets, may I suggest you protest by closing your wallet, cutting up your credit card and ditching Afterpay. And, most importantly, get vaccinated!
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with health issues are on their way to attend hospitals or government services, visit family, participate in professional training, etc. Seniors have actually been encouraged to make appointments and undertake activities at off peak times. However, for that to happen, public transport has to be available. Ute Geissler Waverley
The Beast's Monthly Mailbag Words The Locked Down People of the Eastern Suburbs Letter of the Month TRAMS AND A LOOMING TRANSPORT NIGHTMARE Thanks to COVID, the ruination of Yarra Bay at La Perouse by construction of a mega passenger cruise terminal has been delayed. Planning for this destructive proposal continues behind closed doors, and agitation will recommence when the cruise industry revives. Imagine the devastation of La Perouse and the traffic congestion. While Meriton has been talking up relocation of Long Bay Gaol in order for the huge site to be used for high rise accommodation, it is building 3,000 apartments at Pagewood, bringing probably at least 7,500 people and 6,000 more cars. Additionally, Meriton plans 1,900 apartments at Little Bay, with 18-storey towers, perhaps another 4,750 people and 3,800 cars. A bit ambitious, but Harry Triguboff has a successful record of achieving his objectives. He’ll probably get away with a small reduction in numbers. Our NSW planning minister says that Sydney needs more apartments and advocates that older residents should accept smaller homes in order to enable construction of higher density accommodation in existing suburbs. Then we have Andrew Constance, the NSW transport minister, putting a knife through Eastern Suburbs bus services so as to force patronage of the unpopular light rail. As it was Gladys Berejiklian, as transport minister, who initially inflicted the light rail project upon us, and Mr Constance, who finished the job, it is not surprising that they want the patronage figures to look good. Mr Constance, (A Message from the Minister, Letters, The Beast, July 2021) tells us, “Light rail services have seen a 696 per cent
increase in patronage post COVID.” Sounds impressive, but he failed to give us the actual numbers. Increasing ten passengers by 696% gives 69.6, but the tram capacity is about 450. My observations suggest that the system is so inconvenient that it is grossly underused. Those I have seen recently would be lucky to have 20 passengers. But this “trustworthy” Liberal minister for transport, having taken the Bronte to Central bus away from us, despite a promise to reinstate it if the coalition was to win the 2019 state election, failed to honour the promise, which remains unfulfilled. Maybe he never intended to honour that promise, perhaps he is punishing the residents of the Coogee electorate who opted for Labor’s Marjorie O’Neill. It also punishes the 18,937 who voted for the Liberal candidate. Adding all this together, I worry for the future lifestyle of those living along this part of Sydney. A government we cannot trust and a continuing worsening of our quality of life. What for? To benefit developers and to generate huge government revenue from stamp duty, GST and land tax. Greg Maidment Bronte Buses and Local Transport PUBLIC TRANSPORT IS NOT A BUSINESS BUT A PUBLIC UTILITY Andrew Constance is quoting “hard facts of Opal travel data” (A Message from the Minister, Letters, The Beast, July 2021), but is public transport not a service that governments are supposed to provide for from our taxes to benefit the travelling public? Therefore, it should be provided also at times in the day when, for example, the elderly, disadvantaged groups and people
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EXPRESS BUS CUT BACKS I know I sound like a broken record, as many others are suffering with the same issue as me, but please, I beg and plead the state government to please keep the express buses going! It is bad enough that the X73 buses have been reduced, but the added transfer to the stupid tram is just going to make our lives so much harder. The trams have been the most expensive disappointment since their inception. I already dislike my job, and then to have an extra 40 minutes added on to my commute each way will destroy my soul. Some may say, “Move closer to your job,” as a solution, but my GP and local chemist are in Coogee, and having Prince of Wales Hospital just up the hill is the reason why I reside here, especially as I suffer from a serious autoimmune disease. Coogee works for me, I just wish my commute didn’t soon have to involve the tram that, in my opinion, seems to be used purely for advertising. Yes, Hamilton the Musical is fantastic, but I don’t need a tram that has no one in it each morning to tell me that. The tram already affects my commute and I am not even on it! It cuts off my bus and just slithers right through like the dickhead that it is. Attention state government: please don’t make us all suffer just because you overspent on an obsolete light rail that no one wants to use. Lou Shoe Coogee ADRENALINE PUMPERS To the editor - Being abused by a cyclist is an all too common experience these days. It gives you the impression that these two wheelers are gods, not to be interfered with. Recently, while walking in Centennial Park, I crossed the Grand Parade at dusk. I had to wait some time to find a space between cars and bicycles to cross. One would think with a 30km/h speed limit it
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would be easy - it was not. In these COVID times it has become the new Pitt Street. Unfortunately, as I crossed the outer bike lane, I nearly got skittled by a bike. And, yes, I suffered the usual abuse from this adrenaline pumper. Did I do something wrong? No, this person was wearing all black lycra, so he was hard to see. It was obvious that he did not believe he should be subjected to the speed limit imposed on the cars he was undertaking. It is time cyclists came to terms with the effects of the adrenaline rush that can occur as they work on their fitness. It can give them the unrealistic belief that they can do no wrong on the road and a belief that all those around them are idiots. On the same subject, I note that the junction of Bon Accord Avenue, which includes Central Synagogue, at Old South Head Road has been narrowed. This is a difficult junction to negotiate. If not blocked by traffic congestion it is subjected to cars coming around the bend at high speed in both lanes now that the bus lane on the hill and all the parking has been removed from nearby Flood Street. The problem is, cars turning left out of Bon Accord Avenue now need to cross to both oncoming lanes, making it nearly impossible and potentially dangerous. Also, those entering cannot do so if there are cars trying to egress, causing more mayhem. Trucks and busses visiting the synagogue will find it impossible to exit. So, we have to wonder why this stupidity has occurred. Well, I am told the south side of the road is now a shared cycleway and, as such, the maximum opening of roads it crosses cannot be more than 7.3 metres. No, not for pedestrian safety, it’s for the adrenaline pumpers! Kindest Regards, Andrew Goldfinch Bondi Junction Development Proposals LOCALS LOCKED OUT IN DEVELOPMENT LOCKDOWN If you think Macpherson Street, Bronte, has been a development nightmare, it’s nothing compared to eight years of constant development in St Thomas Street between Macpherson and Gardyne Streets. 10 out 20 houses (I counted them) on St Thomas Street, starting from the corner of Albert Street,
have been demolished, extensively excavated and then developed. All have been under construction for a minimum of two years, with most pushing more than three years before completion (not including tradies constantly returning to complete the jobs of repairing lifts, gardens, interiors, etc). Apart from the nerve-wracking sound of heavy excavation equipment, jackhammers and the constant loud voices of the numerous workers on these sites, more upsetting are the arguments over gaining access to your driveway. Yes, I repeat, your own driveway! Residents without garages have had to deal with limited parking spots on the street, not to mention the constant loss of side mirrors and damage caused by the oversized vehicles navigating this already difficult stretch of road. And I’m not even talking about the developments on Gardyne Street that back onto the street. One good thing about the COVID construction restrictions means we’ll have a break for at least a couple of weeks! Clare Bronte 12 METRES AND NO MORE The proposal for the Coogee Bay Hotel site includes some welcome changes, such as relocating the Sports Bar and Gaming Room and improving the hotel accommodation. However, replacing the two and three-storey buildings and Boutique Hotel with a six-storey block of units is of enormous concern. This block extends from the southern side of the present drivethru, north to Coogee Bay Road and then east all the way to the hotel. This six-storey (23.3m) bulk will block views from public places and residences west of the site. It will loom above and along the main thoroughfare of Coogee village. At seven storeys facing east, it will visually dominate the two-storey heritage hotel from the foreshore. This is made worse by the proposed truncation and flattening of the roof of the hotel. R. Wade Coogee COOGEE BAY HOTEL REDEVELOPMENT The iconic view from Coogee Beach will shift from soft trees and heritage buildings to massive, hard edged, sawtooth concrete
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units along Coogee Bay Road. The residential unit block is set for a height of 23.3 metres, in a zone with a maximum height limit of 12 metres. If the new Coogee Bay Hotel proposal is approved, the 60 residential units, supermarket and eight restaurants will add to traffic, shopper and beach congestion beyond reasonable limits. It is an impost on the Coogee foreshore and environment so a few can make a financial gain. Regards, Mark England Coogee COVID-19 in The East WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER We’ve all seen them - the snarky social media posts and hysterical headlines, accompanied by photos of Bondi residents walking along the beach, jogging on the promenade or waiting for a coffee outside a cafe. But while a few people will do the wrong thing, these images are by and large those of our community legally and safely exercising and supporting local businesses. Let’s face it, we’ve had a cluster named in our honour, but our Bondi community is rallying around, supporting each other and doing the right thing during this crisis. Bondi is a densely populated suburb - 84 per cent of homes are apartments, with the majority of those being only one or two bedrooms. We’re largely locked down in small flats with limited access to gardens and private outdoor spaces. For families cramped together, juggling home school and new working from home routines, young people in packed share houses and many of our older residents locked down alone, getting outside for exercise has become a crucial daily ritual for maintaining mental health. In the beachside suburbs, our public outdoor spaces are just that - beachside! For the Bondi community, exercise means making the pilgrimage down to the ocean. With not a single case of COVID-19 in NSW transmitted in an outdoor setting, hitting the beach while acting in compliance with health orders has been a great alternative to people’s regular routines at indoor gyms or exercising in large classes or boot camps. There’s something special about the beach and the promenade. It belongs to everyone and it’s where a community has gravitated towards
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in times of trouble. A quick winter dip, a golden hour run, a chance to walk the dog at sunrise or a break from Zoom meetings to hit the surf is what’s keeping our heads above water. There is no excuse for disobeying health orders - being in this together means sticking to the rules but I’d urge those thinking of firing off a tweet attacking Bondi and its people to take a closer look. Look at how strong our community is. So many of our friends and neighbours working in small business, the creative arts and hospitality are really struggling financially due to this lockdown. The vast majority have been trying to stay safe and have focussed on how to support each other. This is the same community who came together to save the Bondi Pavilion and, just this year, to keep Bondi Beach free and public for all to use. Whether it’s the ‘Shop Local’ campaign headed by the Chamber of Commerce, food packages composed of local donations distributed by Brown Sugar Cafe, The Shop & Wine Bar embracing the COVIDsafe ‘contactless pour’ for customers still wanting to do Plastic Free July... we’re figuring it out. Where we haven’t been able to come together in person, we’re coming together online through Facebook forums and over Instagram. We’re using these platforms to reach out, organise and support the people feeling it the hardest. We’ve been lucky to escape the hardest lockdown restrictions, and many are feeling a degree of survivor’s guilt about it, but we can’t let this become a silly fight between different parts of Sydney. Bondi isn’t the enemy, we’re another area trying to make it through. Lizzie Butterworth Bondi "ARROGANT" EASTERN BEACHES SLAMMED BY POLICE MINISTER Four weeks into this latest version of our national nervous breakdown, I was cheered to find the August issue of The Beast in my mailbox today. If delivering this essential source of local information and entertainment isn’t on the list of government ‘approved occupations’, then it certainly should be. Inside though, it was disheartening to find so many double page spreads minus their usual ads. Too much to read! But James, I do feel your pain, and my heart goes
out to you and all the other local businesses struggling with the everchanging restrictions, the mindboggling uncertainty and the utterly deplorable government messaging. Combined, they’re way more of a threat than any virus. As for messaging, there’s no doubt what one key member of the government thinks of us. Commenting on one of those now clichéd and dishonestly distorted images of a pathway at Bronte, the NSW police minister, David Elliott, was “enraged”. He had absolutely no firsthand knowledge of the situation, but that didn’t matter to this senior minister, who decided those who live in the east were “selfish” and “arrogant”. Unable to resist a few more ignorant and spectacularly unoriginal barbs, he reckoned we “thought we came from another planet”. Well, greetings from Mars, Mr Elliott! I walked the entire coast from Bondi to Maroubra on that Sunday in July and didn’t encounter any alarming crowding. Yes, people were outside, smiling, happy and exercising - as we were allowed to be - and it was a joy to share the sunshine and crisp sea air with them. The chance of anyone coming to harm in the ocean or the fresh breeze of the Pacific was zilch. I’m more than thrilled that ‘the science’ that closed our beaches last year has changed (as has everything else about the virus) and I can swim every day of the year if I choose (I’m a retired old codger, and often do). However, it’s sobering to know that the minds of those who impose these lockdowns on us remain firmly closed, and so prejudiced and full of spite. In general, his attitude is typical of the authoritarian mindset of those who favour compulsion over persuasion and clear messaging. His government has made a complete and utter hash of almost everything associated with this Delta outbreak, and for that, Mr Elliott thinks it’s all our fault. Because we, the people, are just so deplorable… Russell Edwards Randwick OLD LIVES MATTER One of the learnings I have gained from the COVID-19 pandemic is how, here in Australia and in societies across the globe, the lives of the elderly are trivialised and devalued. Sure, there are out-cryings, enquiries and lots of publicity-
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grabbing teeth-gnashing when insufficient precautions are taken in old age facilities to protect the elderly. However, let’s for a moment reflect on a hypothetical alternative COVID-19 scenario. Let’s imagine that COVID-19 primarily affected and killed children under 10 years of age, a scenario where the aged could transmit the disease but rarely became ill from it. Oh boy, what a different world of compliance we would be living under right now. We would have vigilantism and whistle blowing on a grand scale. Lockdowns would mean lockdowns, in the strictest sense. If you dared to walk maskless past a mother pushing a pram with her precious cargo aboard, you’d be instantly - and very publicly - vilified and shamed. Young parents would become self-appointed compliance enforcement officers. Vaccinations would be mandatory regardless of some ridiculously low probability of side effects. However, this isn’t the case, so we protest, mingle and carry on strutting along the boardwalks because it’s our right, right?! Trust me, the remaining days of an eighty or ninety-year-old are as cherished and valued by them as anyone else, regardless of age. We live in a world with a perverted sense of value placed on life based on how young a life is. What rubbish! Old Lives Matter. Gavin Kleinhans Bondi Beach HOW THE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN BEATS YOU In the August issue of The Beast magazine, Duncan Horscroft writes, “Forget about the COVID-19 lockdown.” Well, that will be difficult, because the lockdown is all around us and it might continue for a very long time. Funnily, on July 24, 2021, the ABC reported that NSW had 163 new COVID cases, with a strong upward trajectory. Incidentally, the 163 new cases were exactly the same number as the 163 boys of the $50,000-a-pop elite St Joseph’s College who were (of course, accidentally) vaccinated with Pfizer (accidentally) - not AstraZeneca (accidentally, again). Our beloved ‘gold standard Gladys’ oversaw this - accidentally. Gladys also oversaw that frontline workers like airport bus drivers were not vaccinated. What followed was the inevitable. One of the bus
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drivers transported the virus into Sydney. Millions of people went into lockdown. The Liberal government vaccinated the elite but not those who really needed to be vaccinated. As a consequence of the Liberal’s ‘some people are more equal than others’ policy, all of us suffer. Worse, Gladys’ ‘gold standard’ off-sider, ‘Scotty from marketing’, failed to get enough Pfizer vaccines. By the end of July, Australia ranked at the very bottom of all OECD countries (ourworldindata.org) when it came to vaccination rates. As a pair, Gladys and Scomo are just unbeatable… in beating us into the ground. Thomas Klikauer Lockdown Coogee THE DELTA BLUES Delta virus should be eradicated, Lockdown will continue until it’s evaporated, If everyone co-operated, business would be operated, So do the right thing, then you can tolerate it, To the anti-vaxxers, heed the warning and be vaccinated! Graeme Bogan Bondi Junction Local Government Issues DISRESPECTFUL DOG OWNERS Dear Editor - I would like to express my frustration regarding disrespectful dog owners. I’m going to list just three of the wide variety of things I witnessed this week... Dog waste all over the place, having to swim at the North Bondi rockpools with dogs everywhere and my toddler being literally knocked down by an unleashed 14kg “puppy” who “just wanted to play” on the promenade. I’m really fed up with all of this. Is anyone (Council, perhaps?) going to enforce the rules, or do we just have pointless signs everywhere? Alexa North Bondi THINK OF THE CHILDREN Can somebody from any council tell me who designs our local playgrounds? As a grandmother of three toddlers, I am surprised at the lack of facilities for small children. As a resident of Clovelly, I am constantly emailing Council about the disgraceful condition of the beautiful Burnie Park playground, which is just plain dangerous. It also lacks any facilities whatsoever.
Varna playground has been updated and, again, the equipment is unimaginative and totally unsuitable for toddlers. The circular swing thingy is nothing short of deadly and everything is too high, with huge, hazardous stone blocks. Clovelly Beach has nothing stimulating and hopefully the upgrade will be an improvement on the existing one. Fox Studios has a great facility, with a toddler area and a more challenging older kids space, but it is too far for a ‘walk to the park’. Come on councils, how about an imaginative team designing these important facilities? Get some parents’ suggestions on board. D Richards Clovelly FORESTRY FAIL I am extremely frustrated and disheartened by the way Waverley Council continues to manage our trees. One example is the Notts Avenue streetscape upgrade. During the several ‘consultations’, no mention was made of the species of trees to be planted. Ultimately, Waverley Council chose to plant banksias, which can grow to 5 meters tall and will one day grow to block the views of local residents in the adjacent apartments. In Rodney Reserve, the council admitted to planting the wrong species of acacia, which then grew to block views of the ocean. Years have gone by and the trees have still not been removed. How many years do residents have to wait until the council rectifies its error? Finally, all over Dover Heights the council continues to plant street trees that will grow to block residents’ views of the ocean and the harbour. Council has so many trees to choose from in each zone, but instead of asking residents which trees they prefer, or considering the impact certain species will have on the community, it mindlessly plants whatever trees it likes, residents be damned. Ratepaying residents are customers, and we are paying the council to do a job. It is time that our council put Waverley residents first. Dov Frazer Dover Heights A TALE OF TREE Friday, August 6, at 5.30am, minutes before Bondi woke up, one of the oldest, tallest, healthiest and most beautiful trees in Hall Street public space was cut down by the
16 The Beast September 2021 Issue 200
contractors of Orwell development site, 20 Hall Street (old post office). No doubt that Bondi locals would remember this nice big tree that was always full of birds. The video of this disaster will be posted on Bondi Local Loop Facebook group later today. Living right next to the site, we were woken up by the soft sound of the chainsaw (we won’t talk today about the fact that living in Hall Street/Jacques Avenue is pretty much like living in a permanent construction site, that’s another story). So, we woke up, saw what was happening, were horrified and thought that this actually looked suspicious. The time of the day, the (questionable) safety measures (none). It seemed unlikely that anybody had approved the removal of one of the most beautiful trees still standing in Hall Street. We called the police straight away so permits could be checked and potentially this disaster could be stopped before the full tree was taken down if no permit had been granted. Despite our calls, the police never came. We called back 15 minutes later (the tree was nearly completely down) and were told that the police already attended and checked the scene, and that if we wanted them to come back and see us they will, but that they could not give an exact time because it was not an emergency. We were there, nobody came. It was an emergency. Seriously, going and checking if a permit has been approved to cut down a huge tree on public land, if this is happening right now, is a public emergency. Anyway, this is the first part of the story. A couple of hours after the chainsaw massacre, we discovered the development application documentation approved by Council on the Waverley Council website. And, yes, Council had approved this huge tree to be cut down. Really? As a council town planner, one of the key objectives would be to make sure that the suburb remains a comfortable and beautiful place to live in, wouldn’t it? So, why would you accept this? Yes, there are always good reasons, backed by tree specialists paid by the developers - the tree was not really in perfect health, the tree was obstructing the development of another tree, the tree could have fallen on pedestrians, the tree was hiding a heritage item, the developer will pay Council
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Issue 200 September 2021 The Beast 17
to plant other trees elsewhere... But let’s cut the BS and face the facts: why, even with the best arguments in the world, would you approve cutting down one of the nicest trees in one of the nicest streets in Bondi Beach? This is not in the public interest, no doubt about this. When we saw with our own eyes that Council had approved this job, my partner and I felt responsible. It’s not just up to the developer, architect, landscaper (if there is one) and Council to decide. As locals and residents of Bondi Beach, our responsibility is to raise our voices before such things happen. We could have checked the Development Application online a year ago, we could have called the council, we could have submitted comments on the Development Application while there was still time to do so, we could have started a petition, we could have contacted an association in defence of trees which has legal support to help out, we could have tried, at least. But we stayed still, even when fences started to appear around the site, being too optimistic and thinking out loud, “There’s no way they are going to touch the trees, it’s impossible that Council would approve this.” Living in front of the site, we feel particularly responsible for not having done all this, and we want to say sorry to the Bondi community. This is a significant yet painful learning for us. We need to raise our voices and be more active with matters that concern the community when we disagree - not just for trees, but for any case that matters to us. Unfortunately, there is nothing that can now be done for this poor tree, but we thought raising this in The Beast might get other people living close to future building sites thinking and trying to avoid such pitfalls. Here is what you can do: • When you see a little sign on the street, or if you receive mail saying “Development Application under Council’s assessment at such and such address,” or if you receive a marketing booklet for the future building, go online to the ‘Development Application Tracking Tool’ of your local council. • There, you need to find the page associated with the Development Application that has been filed. You will need to type in the address of the site. It is not always easy to find the correct Development Application, but you’ll get there after a few
tries, and if you don’t, you can call Council for support. • The Development Application page should say whether it has been approved already or not. Then, check the ‘documents’ on the Development Application page. Some of the layouts should show if any tree is proposed to be removed. You can also do a ‘control+f’ on each document with the word ‘tree’. • If you have an architect, builder or developer friend, you can ask them for help to read all these. Yes, this is a pain to do, but this is our responsibility too. If some big trees are proposed to be removed and you disagree, raise your voice, earlier. This means contacting the council and asking if there is an official process to file a protest against the tree(s) removal, starting a petition, or calling an association in defence of trees that might help. Does anybody know such an association? If you do, or have any other advice for the community, please reach out so that we can do our bit and raise our voice efficiently in the future. Cheers, SN & PYR Bondi Beach
to Randwick Council in consultation last year. Let’s hope they organise it! Kind Regards, Taste of Coogee Administration Coogee
TASTE OF COOGEE Did you know that Taste of Coogee was offered by Randwick Council the opportunity to move to Coogee Bay Road, which would have allowed the local Coogee businesses to spill out and participate in a street festival, much like that of the widely popular Spot Festival? This offer was rejected by Ms Summers without consulting the local businesses on Coogee Bay Road. True Eastern Suburbs Local Randwick
CLOVELLY BOMBIE WOLFPAK To the Clovelly Bombie Wolfpak - A 3-foot novelty wave (at best) does not justify treating the wave, and those who would dare surf it, like a treasured North Shore icon. The dirty looks and whistling are embarrassing. While I’m here, all these trust fund kids running around with blue collar ‘80s era haircuts... talk about irony - you live in Bronte for f*ck’s sake! Wake up. 12 Years a Blow-in Bondi
CORRECTING THE RECORD Unfortunately, ‘True Eastern Suburbs Local’ has been misinformed. The only alternate site offered by Randwick City Council was Trennery Reserve, and this offer was subject to the site being suitable and event approval. This can be verified in the minutes from the April 2020 Randwick City Council Ordinary Council Meeting, which can be accessed through council's website. As the former president of Coogee Chamber of Commerce, I personally believe a street festival in Coogee Bay Road to support local business is a great idea, and this was suggested by local businesses
CROSS WORDS OK, Lisa of Bronte. Although I’ve never heard a living human use the archaism “obsoleteness”, I’ll concede it to the author of The Beast Crossword, but “oppulent” is a bridge too far. Susan Geason Bondi Junction
18 The Beast September 2021 Issue 200
Other Local Happenings RANDWICK RITZ REPLY In reply to Emma from Bondi (Well Done, Randwick Ritz, Letters, The Beast, August 2021), I too object to The Ritz forcing people into paying via a credit/debit card. I have written to The Ritz about this matter but I have not even received the courtesy of acknowledgement of my letter, let alone a reply. I no longer go to The Ritz - their action is one of cost saving rather than health concerns. It is so easy to make statements such as, “It has been proven that the COVID-19 virus can survive on cash for as long as five weeks...” Evidence for such a statement is difficult to find, and the logical extension of this argument is that you should not touch any good in any shop as there could be COVID-19 virus on it from the last person who touched it. Ross Randwick
WHAT INTERNET? Why is the NBN so unreliable? We have had three outages in the last week, with little internet over the weekend. We are told to go online to find out what is happening, errr? What is more, there is no information on how to fix it. Which politician told us the NBN was going to
be so very good that we should all have it? He must be getting a different service than us at Bronte. It is a disgrace that we cannot get reliable internet when we need it every day - particularly in a pandemic - but what happens? The copper wiring is overloaded and there is not enough service to go around. The people who run our country need to do a better job. Sincerely, Georgie Bronte DISTRIBUTION GROWTH Hi James - I was so thrilled to find The Beast in my letterbox. Not sure if it was from a friend or your delivery is now in my street, Clyde Street, North Bondi. I’ve been looking for the latest issue and now it’s finally in my letterbox. Regards, Rozanne North Bondi LITTER-ALLY DISAPPOINTING Watching young kids on sunny afternoons sliding on cardboard down the Queens Park slopes, often cheered on by their parents, evokes the delight of good old-fashioned,
homemade fun. Inevitably, the joy of the scene is rivalled by dismay at the discarded slabs of cardboard along the verge of the park. Could you - kids and parents - have some appreciation and consideration of the area that affords you this simple pleasure, and others’ enjoyment, and take your cardboard home? The epitome of your entitled selfishness is on display. In a sign of the times, the disposable face mask is fast becoming the scourge that is on par with the cigarette butt. Good citizens who are generally inclined to pick up after others are understandably hesitant to gather up and bin these. Living in the East is a blessing and a privilege, respect for it and its residents is warranted. Let’s try a little harder. Grace Bronte TANK YOU Hi Beasties - I just wanted to say tank you, or thank you rather, for your article on how to help the environment during lockdown (What to Do During Lockdowns, The Beast, August 2021), or rather thank Dr Marjorie O’Neill.
I have just adopted my first drain/kerb on Arden Street, Coogee. I will do my part to carefully remove waste from its grate when it is required. I will also be building bee baths and ‘taking three for the sea’. My backpack is stocked with gloves and bags for collecting waste. Thanks so much for a great initiative and an important reminder. Let’s hope this goes viral during the lockdown. Leigh Coogee - Proud Adoptee of Kerb8024 FOXES ON THE PROWL Hello - In addition to various other fox sightings in the area, my wife saw two foxes on our front lawn when she returned home late from work one evening a few weeks ago on Gilgandra Road, North Bondi. Be warned! Basil Brush North Bondi PEARLS OF WISDOM No Pearl Bullivant in the August edition of The Beast? I hope she’s back come September. Alan Bellevue Hill ¢
Spectacular beaches, beautiful sunrises, and some of the most stunning residences in Australia... 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
Issue 200 September 2021 The Beast 19
Such a waste of seven spaces.
Locals Revved up Over Surf Club's Car Park Privileges Words Duncan Horscroft Photo James Hutton There has been a fair bit of consternation among Bronte locals surrounding parking within the Bronte Cutting, especially during this long lockdown. Bronte Beach has been a welcome relief amid this COVID crisis, and for those of us lucky enough to live near the coast, it’s a place of refuge where we can forget about the woes and go for a swim or a walk and feel semi-normal. With the availability of parking severely diminished due to the ongoing extension of a new footpath and a zoned reserved area within the Cutting, getting to and from the beach has been somewhat challenging for many members of the community.
So, it comes as no surprise that many residents are asking why Bronte Surf Club has seven - yes, seven - spots reserved for 12 months of the year when the surf club is dormant during the winter months, especially when there is a moratorium on parking fees. It’s a given that the surf club plays an integral part in the local community and provides vital lifesaving training for its volunteer patrol members to help keep beachgoers safe. However, the seven spots reserved for Bronte Surf Club are very rarely used, even during the busy summer months. These scarce car parks should be made available to locals who
20 The Beast September 2021 Issue 200
have paid for a beach parking permit, rather than sit there empty. “Parking in the Bronte Cutting car park for Bronte SLSC was reported to and approved by the Waverley Traffic Committee (WTC) and Waverley Council,” Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos told The Beast. “The surf club applied to Council for designated parking. Bondi SLSC and North Bondi SLSC also have designated parking at their beaches.” “These designated spaces are used by SLSC members who are rostered on for patrol on the relevant day. In winter and other times, the surf lifesaving clubs utilise this parking for members undertaking training which is very important.” With the Bronte Surf Club in full lockdown there has been no activity in the club for training purposes, and it even looks like the patrol season will be in jeopardy, posing the question, who will actually be using this restricted area? According to the Waverley Council parking policy on the Bronte Surf Club website, there is an offer in place granting active volunteer patrol members who do not qualify for a Resident Beach Parking Permit the opportunity to purchase a Beach Parking Permit for their vehicle in recognition of the valuable work they do in helping to keep the public safe. “The purchase of this permit allows Active Patrolling Members to park free of charge in Bronte Beach car park (The Cutting) without time restrictions whilst on patrol,” according to the policy. So, the question must be asked, why have reserved spots in the first place if those outside the area have the opportunity to park for ‘free’ and can park anywhere in the Cutting (if they can find a spot, of course)?
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Everyone will have an opinion on this.
Coogee Bay Hotel Lodges Development Application Words Mike Ougie Photo Ort O'Cad C!NC, the company that owns The Coogee Bay Hotel, has submitted a Development Application to Randwick Council for a $112 million development of the prime beachfront site. The proposal includes a six-storey apartment building with 60 residential units, a Coles supermarket, three levels of underground car parking with 227 spaces, as well as eight cafés and restaurants in an ‘Eat Street’ laneway. A spokesperson for the developer described the proposal as “an opportunity to reinvigorate and open the site, upgrade its accommodation offering, create a wider range of entertainment and dining options, public meeting spaces and a more family friendly environment.” Local residents, however, have expressed concern at the scale of the proposed development, particularly its height. The highest point of the proposed building would be over
23.33 metres - nearly double the 12-metre height limit under the planning control for the Coogee foreshore, which includes this site. However, the existing buildings contravene that building standard by approximately 4.5 metres, and the DA proposes an additional 4.5 metres above this level. The bulk of the proposed 60 residential units also seeks to exceed the floor space ratio planning control by 19 per cent. Traffic issues have also been raised, particularly the impact on Coogee Bay Road, Vicar Street and Arden Street. This is at odds with Randwick Council initiatives to make Coogee more pedestrian-friendly, such as the removal of overhead wires and recent widening of the footpaths. The traffic generated by 60 residential units, eight restaurants and a supermarket, in addition to hotel patrons (227 parking spaces), will impact adversely on residents in Vicar
22 The Beast September 2021 Issue 200
Street, which is a narrow culde-sac. Additionally, the movement of Coles delivery trucks will impact traffic flow on the already busy Arden Street. A number of residents in existing homes west of the site on Vicar, Brook and Kidman Streets are worried they will lose their views or have them impacted as a result of the noncompliance. Excavation and construction would also generate noise and disrupt residents and local businesses for a number of years. The Beast spoke with a number of stakeholders, including local politicians, residents, business owners and the developer. A general theme among many of the stakeholders contacted was that a development of its size would eat away at the whole Coogee ‘village feel’. One Coogee business owner and long-term local, who asked to remain anonymous, was supportive of efforts to invigorate
the strip but was also concerned about the height of the proposed building. “I’m all for development, and I understand that it’s got to happen, but it’s just too big.” “If they get these heights through it will create a precedent and Coogee will end up like Bondi. It’s already a deadset shitfight down here in summer. Coogee’s appeal is in its village atmosphere, and this could destroy it.” Randwick City Greens councillor, Philipa Veitch, echoed those concerns. “I can’t see how this can be a positive for the residents of Coogee,” she said. “This proposal is just way over the top. It’s a high impact development that will permanently alter the character and village feel of the precinct and have a real impact on the amenity of local residents and visitors alike.”
“We want to preserve the unique heritage and character of Coogee, but it won’t stay that way if developers are allowed to ride roughshod over basic planning controls. If the increased height is approved, it will set the scene for even more overdevelopment in Coogee.” A spokesperson for the developer, C!NC, explained in an interview with industry website pubtic.com.au that the DA was “quite balanced” and part of the owner’s long-term vision for the property. “When we bought the hotel back in 1991 there was already an existing DA approved for the site,” they explained. “We are listening to the community - we are part of that community - and we believe the timing is right for re-establishing and reinvigorating that vision.” When asked by The Beast about the concerns raised by lo-
cal stakeholders, the spokesperson said they understood both sides of the story and had faith in the democratic process. “At the end of the day, whatever DA goes in, it will always be controversial, but there will be a lot of people who will realise the benefit of our plan and be very favourable and see that this is a chance to ensure The Coogee Bay Hotel and surrounding site remains a viable and contributing asset for the community and locality into the future.” Randwick Council officers will assess the DA and prepare a report for consideration by the Sydney Eastern City Planning Panel. Because of the development’s high cost, the proposal is classified as ‘regionally significant’, so the panel is the consent authority. Stakeholders have until August 26 to make a submission to Randwick Council.
Issue 200 September 2021 The Beast 23
A beautiful building indeed.
War Memorial Hospital Development Proposal Sparks Concerns Words and Photo Nicola Smith A new development proposal for Waverley’s War Memorial Hospital site by aged care provider Uniting has provoked the ire of the local community. The main issues surrounding the proposal, which has received objections from several local precincts in Waverley, include a disregard for the heritage of the site, a lack of care toward ecological issues and overdevelopment that provides no substantial benefits for aged care patients. Greg Vaughan, a member of the Bronte Beach Council Precinct, told The Beast that the historic Edina house, where the hospital is located, should be a treasured part of Waverley’s heritage. “Edina is the crown jewel in terms of heritage in Waverley; the house and grounds are on the Local Government Heritage Register,” Mr Vaughan explained. “Really, it’s Waverley’s Vaucluse House.” Waverley Council said it is committed to the conservation of heritage items in Waverley and strives to ensure any potential development is in line with its planning controls. “Waverley Council acknowledges the potential of the War Memorial Hospital for State Heritage Listing and is of the opinion that the site meets the threshold for State Heritage significance,” a Council spokesperson told The Beast. Edina was gifted to the Uniting Church by the Vickery family in 1919 to be a hospital. Under the proposed plans, the house, once part of the local skyline, will be surrounded by taller buildings and no longer be visible to the public. 24 The Beast September 2021 Issue 200
“Ideally, Edina should be part of the area and people should be able to see it, but under this proposal it will be totally obstructed by the buildings on Birrell Street and become a secret, and then it will quickly become an irrelevant secret,” Mr Vaughan said. The development proposal centres around a large new residential aged care building on the house grounds, which will necessitate the removal of several mature Moreton Bay figs and Magnolia grandiflora trees, all declared by Waverley Council to be of exceptional significance. “The removal of any trees on site relates primarily to the proposed layout of buildings specified in the site-specific DCP and is not directly caused through the proposed controls in the Planning Proposal,” the Council spokesperson explained. There are also concerns that the current proposal would disrupt a major ecological corridor between Waverley Oval and Queens Park. However, preserving the heritage grounds of the house could not only benefit the site, but also the well-being of the aged care patients at Edina. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association found that aged care residents, particularly those with dementia, experienced significantly lower levels of agitation when they can spend social and recreational time within a garden or green space. While the proposed development will offer some increase in aged care beds, there will also be an increase in independent living units that are open to anyone aged over 55. The current proposal includes one aged care building and seven buildings that house independent living units, ranging from four to seven storeys high, along Birrell Street and Bronte Road. While the development will ensure that the War Memorial Hospital site can continue to effectively provide aged care, some stakeholders have suggested that reducing the number of independent living units could allow for the aged care building to be constructed away from the central gardens, retaining their heritage significance. In trying to balance the delivery of good aged care in an aging population with ecological and heritage concerns, Mr Vaughan told The Beast that Waverley Council needs strong community support to be able to effectively oppose the pitfalls of the current proposal. “We need to awaken the community and support these objections, so our council has a stronger platform to oppose this plan,” Mr Vaughan said. If you have something to say about local development, please email letters@thebeast.com.au.
We’re looking for the best: • Overall garden • Sustainable garden – including school and community gardens • Small garden • Garden verge • Large garden
Win a $500 gardening voucher for Best Overall garden. $100 vouchers for category winners. Lodge your free entry before 15 October 2021. For more information or to enter visit: woollahra.nsw.gov.au/ gardenawards
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made of water, full of energy and really therapeutic to paint! Where can people see your work? By visiting my website, www.franconnelley.com.au, or Instagram, @franconnelleyart. Who are your artistic inspirations? David Hockney, Edward Hopper, Arthur Streeton and Clarice Beckett. But most of all it would be my art teacher, Paul Miller, who taught me to stay out of my head and paint with my heart. When did you discover you had a gift for your craft? I’ve always been excited by a blank canvas or blank piece of paper. At school I was good at art but didn’t pursue it as a career. I really missed it, so I returned to art classes and now I’m obsessed.
Be like water.
Local Artist: Fran Connelley from North Bondi Interview James Hutton Photo Sophie Connelley This month’s Beast cover artist, Fran Connelley, works in disability and aged care, but painting is her passion. Being able to see the water and paint has kept her sane during lockdown... How long have you lived here? I’ve lived in the Eastern Suburbs on and off throughout my life. I spent my first five years in North Bondi and went to school at Kincoppal-Rose Bay. When I was married, we lived in a bedsitter on Henrietta Street, Bronte, with a distant view of the Beach. We moved away, but my favourite beaches are still Bronte and Bondi and I’ve kept coming back to swim and paint. Best thing about the Eastern Suburbs? The beaches, the ocean pools and the sense of community.
Where do you like to have a drink? Anywhere that serves a nice cold glass of bubbly. How would you describe your art? Expressive, light drenched and watery. I’m obsessed with painting water. I love swimming, and when I paint, I feel as if I am actually ‘in the painting’. I want people to feel that same ‘immersion’ when they see my work; to feel they can just take a breath and relax in that moment. What are you working on at the moment? I was working towards another solo show, but that’s been replaced by a lockdown series of artworks. My last two exhibitions sold out, which was really exciting. Just recently I’ve started painting skies in the same way I’ve approached the sea. Clouds are like oceans - both
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Did you study art? Since school I haven’t done any formal art study but I’ve become a total art gallery nerd. For the last six years I’ve been attending a community art centre in Roseville on Saturday afternoons and it’s heaven. They had to close temporarily during lockdown but they’ll be back open for term four hopefully in September. Any words of wisdom for young aspiring artists? The process is more important than the outcome. If you’re not making mistakes you’re not growing, so be kind to yourself and just keep at it. Selling your work is no measure of your value or the value of your work. What music are you into at the moment? Mozart, Chopin and Spotify’s Rainy Day Jazz playlist. Do you have a favourite quote? “An art which isn’t based on feeling isn’t an art at all... feeling is the principle, the beginning and the end.” - Paul Cezanne Any other words of wisdom for readers of The Beast? I love the Nelson Mandela quote, “It only seems impossible until it’s done.”
September 2021 Tide Chart Numbers Bureau of Meteorology Tidal Centre Photo Mitchell Bevan Instagram @capturedbywilson Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
1 0335 0910 1554 2257
1.08 0.72 1.45 0.62
2 0450 1.11 1015 0.69 1654 1.51 2350 0.54
3 0545 1.17 1113 0.64 1745 1.59
4 0032 0629 1200 1829
0.45 1.24 0.57 1.68
•
8 0257 0901 1454 2112
0.21 1.55 0.32 1.81
9 0333 0944 1543 2156
0.21 1.61 0.31 1.74
10 0413 1028 1634 2243
11 0453 1115 1730 2334
0.32 1.66 0.38 1.48
17 0533 1.26 1105 0.56 1738 1.72
18 0024 0624 1202 1830
0.32 1.34 0.49 1.76
19 0108 0707 1253 1915
0.28 1.42 0.42 1.77
24 0352 1010 1620 2223
25 0421 0.48 1045 1.56 1702 0.51 2301 1.31
26 0451 1121 1748 2344
0.55 1.53 0.56 1.22
Moons
• New Moon • First Quarter • Full Moon • Last Quarter 6 0145 0744 1326 1949
0.30 1.40 0.41 1.82
7 0221 0822 1409 2030
13 0032 0626 1302 1947
1.34 0.51 1.63 0.49
14 0143 1.22 0727 0.59 1410 1.61 2111 0.49
•
15 0307 0840 1525 2229
1.16 0.64 1.62 0.45
16 0430 0957 1637 2332
1.19 0.62 1.66 0.38
20 0146 0747 1338 1957
0.26 1.48 0.38 1.75
21 0221 0825 1420 2035
0.27 1.53 0.37 1.69
•
22 0253 0901 1500 2112
0.30 1.56 0.38 1.61
23 0323 0936 1541 2147
0.35 1.57 0.42 1.51
28 0034 0611 1253 1948
1.14 0.69 1.45 0.65
29 0140 1.08 0711 0.75 1354 1.41 2104 0.64
30 0301 0826 1506 2214
1.08 0.77 1.42 0.60
27 0527 0.62 1202 1.49 1843 0.61
A Summery Winter.
0.24 1.47 0.36 1.84
•
0.25 1.65 0.34 1.63
0.41 1.57 0.46 1.41
Saturday
Sunday 5 0110 0707 1244 1909
0.37 1.32 0.49 1.76
12 0537 0.41 1205 1.65 1833 0.44
Bhogal was bailed on strict conditions, one of which is to not go within three kilometres of UNSW’s Kensington campus.
Nice work, Leo.
Alleged Crimes of the East Words Gary Larson Dog sniffed out Maroubra cash and drugs haul - police Labrador cross Leo was the hero of an Australian Federal Police raid on a Maroubra home. Leo, aged six, has been trained to sniff out cash as well as drugs. His nose led him to $100,000 hidden cash along with 1.3 kilos of cocaine, the AFP said. Brett Smith, 48, was arrested and charged with trafficking marketable quantities of controlled drugs and possessing money intended to be used as an instrument of crime. UNSW rape accused granted bail A court has heard that an overseas male student at the University of NSW raped a young woman in her dorm on the uni campus after she passed out from drinking. In the dock in the NSW Supreme Court was Arshdeep Singh Bhogal, a 21-year-old computer engineering student from India. He is said to have taken advantage of the woman while she was “insensible” and is charged with sexual intercourse without consent. The accused is claiming the woman was conscious and the sex was consensual. He and his alleged victim had been drinking together that night.
Maroubra shooting, Bondi stabbing: welcome to lockdown! Lockdown may be passing quietly for most Eastern Suburbs residents, but there were exceptions. At around 9.15pm on Sunday, July 4, a gunshot reverberated through the hallway of a unit block on Marine Parade, Maroubra. A male resident there had been shot in the leg. His gun-toting visitors fled. Officers from Eastern Beaches Police Area Command and NSW Ambulance paramedics treated the 37-year-old man, before he was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital in a stable condition. Detective Inspector Rod Pistola, crime manager at Eastern Beaches Police Area Command, said “the victim and the shooter were known to each other”, and described the incident as a “targeted attack”. On July 8, police arrested two people during a vehicle stop on the Central Coast Highway, Kariong. A 27-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman were taken to Gosford Police Station, where they were charged with a number of offences including discharging a firearm with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm and possession of an unauthorised firearm. A block of flats in Bondi was also the scene of lockdown violence. Police and two ambulances raced to a unit on Bondi Road at about 10.20am on July 13 following reports a man had been stabbed. Officers from Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command found a 52-year-old man with a number of stab wounds to his torso and head. After being treated at the scene he was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital. Police say he suffered a punctured lung, fractured skull and bleeding on the brain. On July 26, detectives attended a unit on Elphinstone
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Road, South Coogee, and arrested a 35-year-old woman. She was taken to Waverley Police Station, where she was charged with wounding with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Parked car becomes airborne in Rainbow Street smash A motorist smashed into a parked car with such force that the other vehicle was flipped onto its roof. The crash happened in Rainbow Street, Randwick just after 3.15am on July 14. Officers from Eastern Beaches Police Area Command arrived quickly at the scene. The driver of the out-of-control SUV, a 31-year-old woman, suffered serious injuries and was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital in an ambulance. Driver was high as kite as he lived out scene from Fast and Furious - police Police gave chase to a Hillsdale driver after he was pinged racing down Bunnerong Road, Pagewood at 109km/h. During the brief pursuit, he clocked up even higher speeds of 120km/hplus. Some vestige of good sense then appeared to prevail as he brought the black VW Golf to a halt. Speaking to the man, officers from Botany Bay Highway Patrol could immediately see, and smell, that this was not someone who should be behind the wheel of a car - an observation confirmed by a breath test that found he was more than three times over the legal alcohol limit. He also tested positive to cocaine and cannabis. After being taken to Mascot Police Station, the 29-year-old was charged with numerous offences and had his registration plates confiscated. His driver’s licence has been suspended pending a court hearing. A male passenger who had been beside the man as he lived out his alleged Fast and Furious fantasy was charged with disobeying stay at home directions and not wearing a face mask.
Waverley Council Update Mayor’s Message Kindness during COVID I would like to thank the people of Waverley for their ongoing kindness and resilience during this challenging time of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the wake of the emergence of the highly contagious delta strain of the virus in Sydney it has been gratifying to see the people of Waverley closely following the Public Health Orders and health advice. Staying connected during periods of increased isolation is vital and Waverley Council is helping support residents and families. Please, continue to check in with your loved ones over the phone; ask your neighbour if they need help with groceries or errands; call your local community organisation and see whether they need donations of goods or services. You can connect with fellow Waverley residents through our Connected Waverley Facebook page and share opportunities to help one another. We are also committed to supporting local businesses through our Keep It Local campaign, in partnership with
the Bondi & Districts Chamber of Commerce and urge all residents to help by buying local. Individuals should contact Services Australia about financial support; businesses should contact Service NSW. Alternatively, please call Waverley Customer Service on 9083 8000 if you are unsure where to turn. There are still active cases of COVID-19 in Waverley and no-one is immune to catching or spreading the disease. Having said that, our case numbers have reduced from over 80 and this extraordinary achievement is because we have all come together as a community to beat this scourge. I can only give a heartfelt thanks to you all for doing the right thing. Please, if you have any symptoms or concerns, get tested immediately and remain in isolation until you receive a negative result. Make your appointment to get vaccinated or talk to your GP about your options. Keep up to date about venues of concern, maintain social distancing when you are doing essential shopping and exercise, follow rules for facemasks, maintain good hand hygiene and help our contact tracers by checking into venues using the QR codes provided.
NSW Local Government elections Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the NSW Local Government elections will now be held on Saturday 4 December 2021. We will continue to share updates from the NSW Electoral Commission about planning for the election and ask residents to check that their details on the electoral roll are correct. Voting is compulsory in NSW and changes have been made to the eligibility for pre-poll and posting voting to make it easier for people to vote during the pandemic. Local government provides such a rewarding opportunity to create stronger and more connected communities and I am honoured to have served the Waverley community during my time as Mayor. To view candidate registrations and for more information, visit elections.nsw.gov.au Paula Masselos, Mayor of Waverley
Ph: 9083 8000 | waverley.nsw.gov.au | Stay in touch: waverley.nsw.gov.au/subscribe Updates for Coronavirus COVID-19: waverley.nsw.gov.au/coronavirus
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The Unreliable Guide To... Home Words Nat Shepherd Photo Paul Brickman Being forced to stay at home for months on end due to the COVID lockdown has really made The Unreliable Guide think about what we mean by the word ‘home’. A simple definition suggests that home is ‘the place where one lives permanently’, which is all well and good, but there’s definitely more to it than that. A more refined definition suggests home is ‘a place where something flourishes’. I think this more profound meaning is where this latest, mega lockdown is really challenging a great number of us. Until now, our home was just somewhere where we washed and slept. We went out to work, to eat and drink, to socialise, to go on holiday... We ‘flourished’ outside. Home didn’t have to achieve much other than keep us warm and dry. But now that we can’t go out, home has become our whole world. It’s where we spend all day and all night, every day and every night. Right now, The Unreliable Guide is forced to admit that ‘home’ and ‘ flourishing’ are
not synonymous. If you feel the same about your four walls, never fear, The Unreliable Guide is here to offer you some tips and tricks on how to flourish at home. Meditate I know I’ve written about this before, but I don’t think we’ve ever been in such need of mental strength and serenity. When you find yourself getting into a state listening to the endlessly dire statistics on the news, switch off all your devices. If your home is noisy with other people, put in some earplugs. Sit somewhere out of the way (behind a locked toilet door can work!) and take ten minutes to relax. Close your eyes, focus on your breathing, and be in the moment. Don’t mourn for the past, don’t fret about the future. Just inhabit the moment right now. Science suggests a count of four on the inbreath and six on the outbreath can be very calming. I have actually given it a go and I reckon it’s a genuine game changer.
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Sing We’re not allowed to sing in public right now, but there is no law (as yet) to say you can’t let rip in the privacy of your own home. Put on your favourite tunes, open your mouth and join in. It does lift the mood. If you really get into it, YouTube channel Sing King will give you the backing track and the lyrics to tons of songs from all kinds of genres. They even have an app, so sing yourself free! Dance This is currently another banned group activity, but if you have a space in your place where you can jump around to your favourite kind of music, then there is nothing better to put you in a good mood. You really can dance like no one is watching because, unless you post your jazzy moves on TikTok, no one is watching you. Shake your tail feather, baby! Finally, The Unreliable Guide sends you all a huge virtual hug. We can get through this people, we can. Be kind to yourself.
The latest from Randwick City Council about living in this great city
Randwick News As I write, we have been in lockdown for more than a month, and it has been tough. I speak with many parents struggling to balance work with home schooling, business owners who have had to drastically change the way they operate, single people who feel isolated and others who feel lost, wondering when there will be an end to lockdowns. I’ve also had the pleasure of working alongside volunteers at the Addi Road Community Centre, packing food hampers that are delivered to around 200 families in Randwick City each week. I hear of kids writing chalk messages of hope and positive affirmations on the footpath outside their houses. I hear thanks from people who exercise in parks because we’ve left lights on in the evenings.
What’s On WEDNESDAY 25 AUGUST BABIES AND BOP RHYME TIME
10.30am Livestreamed Randwick Library Facebook
FRIDAY 27 AUGUST CRAFTERNOON FRIDAY
3pm Via Zoom, for Library members Free, bookings essential
MONDAY 6 SEPTEMBER ENGLISH CONVERSATION CLASS
11am Via Zoom, for Library members Free, bookings essential
I’m so grateful that there are many, many more tales of positivity circulating throughout our community during this really difficult time. I’m also pleased that, as a Council, we’ve been able to offer financial respite to residents and business owners via a package of rebates and fee waivers. Head to our website to find out more about this.
TUESDAY 7 SEPTEMBER WRITING FOR PLEASURE: SIMPLE STEPS FOR WRITING A MEMOIR
As we’ve heard from both state and federal levels of government, the only way out of this cycle of lockdowns and restrictions is through vaccination. COVID-19 vaccines are free for everyone in Australia regardless of Medicare or visa status. NSW Health vaccination clinics, participating GPs and pharmacies are open for COVID-19 vaccination bookings. If you are aged 18 years or older I encourage you to book an appointment now.
THURSDAY 23 SEPTEMBER TALKING TECH: YOUR DIGITAL LIFE
Councillor Danny Said Mayor of Randwick 1300 722 542 randwick.nsw.gov.au
2pm Via Zoom, for Library members Free, bookings essential
3.30pm Via Zoom, for Library members Free, bookings essential
Back before the Woolies Metro.
Woolworths Metro Destroys Bronte’s Bid for Village of the Year Satire Kieran Blake, kieranblakewriter.org Photo Bluey Graham Bronte locals are furious that the arrival of the new Woolworths Metro store in Macpherson Street has ruined the character of their beloved village and destroyed their chances of being crowned Village of the Year. Proud residents claim that the establishment of the franchise has turned their home into a soulless, generic, crowded, expensive coastal suburb of Sydney which will never again vie for the prestigious title. “Bronte was the only surviving village in all of metropolitan Sydney,” claimed a spokesperson for the committee formed to save the village.
“Now it has been destroyed, along with our chances of winning Village of the Year.” Bronte was a strong contender for the title for many reasons. It boasts an uncrowded beach, wide, quiet streets, ample parking and understated eateries and shops. It sits a long way from the state capital and features only one church and one school, plus a strong sense of community. “Everyone knew everyone else by name in Bronte,” explained the spokesperson, who cited further attributes which had earned Bronte favouritism before the corporate behemoth moved in.
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“Home renovation plans were always devised with great consideration for the reactions of neighbours and other residents, and the constant state of renovation in which the village found itself ensured that all properties therein emulated Bronte House.” Prior to the arrival of Woolworths Metro, daybreak would see the inhabitants of the quaint rural settlement grazing and milking their cattle on their vast properties or at the town common by the beach, before sauntering home to consume the milk or prepare it for sale at the weekly village markets. Blissful summer mornings invited children to splash innocently in the pristine waters of Bronte Gully. Weekends saw residents volunteering at working bees to clean the beach and pool, and to maintain local sports grounds and public facilities. Community members were also known to give up their free time to beautify the cemetery, where every Bronte resident is proud to have at least three generations of ancestors buried. The arrival of Woolies, and its destruction of the hopes and dreams of an entire populace, has prompted many Eastern Suburbs residents to pause and ponder what constitutes a village. Is it any locality containing multiple cafes, a bakery and a shop selling designer-label kid’s clothes? Is it a locality with an upwardly mobile and everchanging population? Is it a locality with inadequate internet speeds and thriving eponymous sporting teams? Or, is it anything that can be saved by a bumper sticker? Enraged Bronte locals have all vowed to boycott the Woolworths Metro store in a show of solidarity, and will continue to shop at Woolies and Coles in Bondi Junction.
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Issue 200 September 2021 The Beast 33
banks raised capital at the bottom of the market last year and are now buying back shares! This is typical of poorly run companies, and I have no doubt the banks will be forced to raise capital again in the future. A very small number of companies buy back large amounts of shares during downturns. These are often some of the best investments available. At the top of the market, thoroughbreds can be overpriced. In the late 1960s we had a bubble in thoroughbred stocks. Be careful overloading in a portfolio of expensive overpriced companies. Have you got a portfolio full of turkeys, or are you invested in the very few reasonably priced thoroughbreds?
Timing's everything.
Skinny Dipping at High Tide Words Rob Shears Photo Richard Wrinkles “You only know who has been swimming naked when the tide goes out.” - Warren Buffett With markets hitting all-time highs this month, it is an obvious time to ask the question, “Is this the top?” No one knows when markets will top. What is knowable, however, is whether you are in turkey stocks or thoroughbred companies. Turkey stocks follow the chart of a Thanksgiving turkey - they grow consistently until their head gets chopped off - and include loss-making businesses, overleveraged companies, testosterone-driven acquisitive managers, fads, frauds and failures. There are far more turkey stocks than great companies. Turkey stocks thrive in times of easy credit and loose markets, and we currently have the easiest credit and the loosest markets I have ever seen.
When the party ends, it can be disastrous. A few years ago, a client came to me with a portfolio that had crashed from $15 million down to $500,000 because they owned a bunch of turkey stocks at the top. Thoroughbred companies, however, are companies that have withstood the test of time. They have few to no competitors, consistent outstanding returns on capital, little to no leverage, conservative and patient managers. Many of them thrive in difficult times. Some of these companies have survived two world wars, depressions, pandemics and countless competitors, yet they are still around and thriving. They are also very rare. A few companies actually do better in a downturn. Companies that have excess cash can buy back stock during hard times. Most stock buybacks are wasteful, however. The Aussie
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How to prepare for the inevitable changing of the tides 1. Avoid leverage, both directly and indirectly (inside the businesses). 2. Buy high quality (little competition and high return on capital), resilient companies. 3. Beware of the seasons. 4. Valuation matters. Be careful out there. Many have already forgotten the devastation of the dot-com bubble in the late 1990s, the 2007 asset bubble and the ensuing Global Financial Crisis, and the 2011 mining bubble. History rhymes, don’t get caught in your birthday suit when the tide turns. Rob Shears is an Authorised Representative of Valor Financial Group (AFSL 405452). This advice is general and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should consider whether the advice is suitable for you and your personal circumstances.
IT I S FAR B E T TE R TO I NVE ST I N A WO N D E R F U L CO M PAN Y AT A FAI R P R I CE , THAN A FAI R CO M PAN Y AT A WO N D E R F U L P R I CE WARREN BUFFETT
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Valor Private Wealth Pty Limited is a Corporate Authorised Representative (Corporate Authorised Representative No. 409498) of Valor Financial Group Pty Limited, AFSL No. 405452, ABN 81150590453.
Queues at the NSW Health Vaccination Centre at Sydney Olympic Park.
How We Got Here Words Dr Marjorie O'Neill, Member for Coogee Photo Anne Teabody Over the past weeks and months, I have heard from a great many people living in our locality who are experiencing anxiety, frustration and disappointment that we have found ourselves in this lockdown situation. Every member of our community has been impacted by the COVID-19 virus since early 2020. A few have been impacted very severely and my heart goes out to them, especially those in our community who have lost someone to the virus and those separated from loved ones due to border closures. I am very conscious of those who have endured long-term pressure, for over a year now, working in frontline roles including our medical and support staff, and also our teachers, cleaners, council workers and distribution staff, who we depend upon to keep our society operating. My thoughts and appreciation are with you. Although we have all been dealing with COVID for well over a year, developments in recent weeks have been a big shock for all of us. We thought we had dealt with it in 2020, and we thought we had been, yet again, the Lucky Country. Just how ‘unlucky’ we will end up being remains to be seen. As some small businesses close, people lose their jobs,
parents struggle with on-line learning, teachers deal with unsafe working environments and HSC students experience unacceptable levels of stress, the future for all of us is unclear. Of course, we need to follow the NSW Health Department mandates: get vaccinated, wear masks, stay at home, keep social distancing and so on. But how did we get here? As many struggle with losing work and wages, paying mortgages, rent and bills, and even with food insecurity, the question is, ‘How did we arrive at this point?’ Were we not doing well in the fight against COVID? Were we not best in the world? “Gold standard?” There is a palpable anger in our community, particularly among those facing the closure of their businesses, default in their mortgages and no money to buy food. The fact is that government support payments do not compensate for the loss of wages and income experienced as a result of this COVID shutdown. Many members of our community are experiencing severe economic and emotional stress. No matter how you look at it, we are experiencing a failure of government at both federal and state levels. Call it bad luck, incompetence or failure to undertake proper risk management, the
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fact is that the federal government made the wrong decisions about investing in COVID-19 vaccines and left Australia trailing the world. They refused to build the quarantine facilities that were needed, content rather to rely on inappropriate hotels. Their communication with the community has been appalling. At the NSW state level, there have been a number of seriously poor decisions that have contributed to our current predicament. Did you know that personal protective equipment for workers responsible for moving travellers from airports to their quarantine hotels was not mandated by the NSW Liberal government? Ever wondered why ‘the limo driver’ wasn’t charged? That is why! And why did it take so long to initiate strong and decisive steps to stop the spread? When you have so actively criticised other state premiers for lockdowns, it leaves you cornered! Sadly, poor government has landed us in lockdown with one of the lowest vaccination rates in the developed world. As many people experience emotional and economic hardship, they are finding it difficult to access promised government assistance as understaffing results in long queues and unanswered phone calls. In what can be described as a classic example of Orwellian doublespeak, we are constantly reminded that this predicament is all our own fault; that it is up to us to stop the spread and to get vaccinated. AstraZeneca is safe - it always was! Forget the botched vaccine orders and communications and move on. We must. The sooner we can get out of this awful situation the better. We all need to do what we can to reduce the spread and get vaccinated. Stay at home, get your vaccine as soon as you can, be grateful for all the wonderful things we have in our lives. Reach out to friends and loved ones and try and enjoy the quiet. If you or someone you know needs assistance, please contact my office.
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Dr Marjorie O'Neill MP
Member for Coogee If you have any issues at all that you require assistance with, please do not hesitate to contact my office on 9398 1822, email coogee@parliament.nsw.gov.au, or come in at 15/53-55 Frenchmans Road, Randwick.
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No bloody way.
Our Beach is Not For Sale Words Dr Marjorie O'Neill, Member for Coogee Photo Greer de Chunt In Australia, we prefer to think of our seaside beach culture as one of openness and inclusivity. We like to imagine that we have a proud tradition of equality on our sand and on our beaches. Regardless of wealth or residency, everyone has enjoyed equal and free access to our beaches. We expect nothing less. This was not always the case. Our history is littered with human rights abuses conducted in and around our beaches. Two hundred years ago, our Indigenous peoples fought for their sites along our coastline. Further segregation then occurred as beaches and coastal waterholes were assigned for the sole use of various classifications of men. Even in recent times, there have been horrific instances of homophobia on our beaches and coastline. While we commit today to an open and egalitarian culture on our beaches, there are clearly tensions and injustices. There are occasional instances showing that at times individuals deemed to be outsiders have not been welcomed. For the
most part, however, it is evident that our beaches epitomise our open, embracing and egalitarian culture. We know that we are fortunate to be living in such a beautiful part of the world and that we must share and care for others. No one does, or should, own the beaches. The fact is that every day on our Eastern Beaches we see a great mix of people of all ages and backgrounds. Wealth, education and business success matter little when you are walking the promenade, laying on the sand or having a swim. All these images of life on our beaches are premised upon a factor which we have taken for granted; our beaches are public areas - they are publicly accessible and free! It is almost inconceivable that there are individuals and corporations seeking to privatise our beaches. With enormous audacity, they assert to be promoting greater fun and even greater access. Imagine a better beach experience you can pay for... really? Like going to the beach and not having to worry about sand
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or getting wet? Well, maybe you could go somewhere else? The proposal to construct the Amalfi Beach Club at Bondi Beach would see the privatisation of a part of Bondi Beach. The proposal is an assault on our core values and would change forever the character of our most famous stretch of sand and water. It must not be allowed to happen. Clearly the community is vehemently opposed to the proposal, with over 30,000 people signing a petition in opposition. The privatisation of our Bondi Beach would set a dreadful precedent for the future fate of all our public beaches. We have already seen an increasing encroachment on our public parks and lands; the privatisation of our beaches would see a whole new low and it should never be allowed. We need to ensure that our beaches remain accessible and free for all. This is the least we can do for the future generations of Australians and visitors who have as much right to enjoy them as we do.
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Issue 200 September 2021 The Beast 39
There is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Planning Ahead: A Four-Phase Path to Freedom Words Dave Sharma, MP for Wentworth These past several weeks have not been easy. Many have lost work. Businesses have been forced to close. Many are struggling with social isolation, mental health challenges or managing learning from home. Parents have had to juggle their own work while schooling their children from home. Regular activities and special occasions have been cancelled. And many have not seen family and friends overseas for many months, causing considerable anguish. High vaccination rates hold the key to a return to normal and an end to lockdowns. Our COVID-19 vaccination program is ramping up, with an average of 200,000 vaccinations being delivered on a daily basis during the week. At the time of going to print, over 40 per cent of eligible Australians have received their first dose, and over 20 per cent of eligible Australians are fully vaccinated. As supplies of vaccine increase, and as more GPs and pharmacists join the distribution network, this rate of vaccination will accelerate further.
Following economic and health modelling of the delta variant, the federal government and state governments have agreed to a set of benchmarks to guide our progress from here, in a four-phase plan. The first target is for 70 per cent of eligible Australians to be fully vaccinated. Once this target is met, we will have a high degree of health protections, lockdowns will become rare, and we can move from the current phase of suppression (Phase A) to one of containment (Phase B). The next target is for 80 per cent of eligible Australians to be fully vaccinated. When this happens, we can move to Phase C, in which there are no lockdowns, no domestic travel restrictions for vaccinated Australians, and restrictions on international travel begins to be lifted. In the final phase, Phase D, Australia is back to normal and our borders are entirely re-opened. Our future vaccine supplies are secure. We continue to manufacture the AstraZeneca vaccine locally. We are receiv-
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ing 1 million Pfizer doses per week and this number will continue to grow, and we have secured 85 million Pfizer booster doses for 2022 and 2023. We will begin to receive 10 million Moderna vaccines from September and have ordered 50 million Novavax vaccines. I have been working closely with parliamentary colleagues at the state and federal levels to ensure that individuals, families and businesses have support measures in place during these difficult times. If you are a worker who has had their hours reduced in the wake of the lockdown in Sydney, you can access the COVID-19 Disaster Payment of up to $750 per week. Those already receiving income support can access an additional $200 per week if they have lost work. There are also several support packages which have been put into place for sole traders and small and medium sized businesses. More information is available on the MyGov Portal and the Services New South Wales website, or get in touch with my office if you would like to discuss your own situation. Too often sidelined in the discussion about COVID-19 is the mental health impact, which can arise from prolonged isolation, anxiety or financial stress. It is entirely understandable if you are struggling to cope, so please seek help. The government has allocated additional money to mental health services for support during this time. You can see some of the resources available on the page opposite. The most valuable thing you can do during these times is to ensure you and your loved ones get vaccinated, look out for the more vulnerable and isolated within your communities and look after your own health. Together, we will get through this.
It's all in your head.
Under Pressure Words Jeremy Ireland Who doesn’t love the Olympics? Two solid weeks of blood, sweat and tears showcasing the human spirit in all its competitive glory. The build up, the dedication, the drama... I can’t say I didn’t warn my family well in advance that I’d be turning into a couch potato for the fortnight. Luckily the coinciding lockdown gave me the perfect excuse to do just that. To their horror, I sat on the remote and stuck to my word. For many competitors it’s the pinnacle of their sporting career. After four years of waiting, they need to peak at precisely the right moment. It’s their time to shine and show what they’ve got to offer on the world stage. Who can forget the ‘flying mullet’ Rohan Browning, who punched well above his weight with a blistering 10.01 in the 100 metre sprint, Jess Cox peaking at her third Olympics to finally get gold in the canoe, Logan Martin smashing the freestyle BMX on debut and, of course, the queen of the Australian Olympic team, Emma McKeon, with seven medals. If McKeon were a country, by the end of the meet she would have been in the top ten on the medal tally, ahead of countries like France and Germany!
For the majority of competitors however, there was plenty of strain and anguish lurking beneath the surface. This undercurrent was demonstrated early in the piece when American gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from the team event. Coming into Tokyo, she was considered the greatest gymnast of all time, with 31 Olympic and World Championship medals under her leotard. With Tokyo possibly being her final Olympics, she was expected to clean up. Sadly, during her first run in the team event she ‘cracked’ and withdrew from competition in what was later put down to mental health concerns. Enter stage left, the sports psychologist. A sports psychologist uses psychology to help an athlete improve their performance and overall mental wellbeing. By focusing on motivation and emotion, sports psychologists examine why some athletes ‘choke’ under pressure, and why others can have the best brought out in them through competition. Up until these Olympics, Biles, through intense training and coaching, was able to stay at the top. However, she did say the pressure was getting to her and she’d felt in the past that she was doing the sport for the benefit of everyone else and to make them happy. This can be a common issue with top athletes. The weight and stress of trying to remain number one can ultimately be too much. Not everyone can win, but there are plenty of athletes who have a very high and strict expectation of themselves and may have problems dealing with setbacks and errors that are natural in sport. Who can forget the famous, “You cannot be serious,” line flung by John McEnroe at Wimbledon in 1981? One of the best dummy
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spits of all time that’s now part of our lexicon. The young McEnroe clearly losing his shit under pressure when his overly high expectations weren’t met. It’s worth noting that athletes who report depressed mood tend to turn anger inwardly and counter-productively, whereas those free from depressive symptoms can harness the anger and use it in a productive way to enhance performance. Again, professional help can manage these expectations, helping athletes stay composed under pressure when they make mistakes or get frustrated. Setbacks and performance anxiety aside, there is another role our sports psychologist plays that may not be so obvious. Apart from working on motivation and emotion, they investigate how participating in sport can improve health and overall wellbeing, helping regular people learn how to enjoy sport and learn to stick to a regular exercise program, thus promoting healthy self-esteem in its participants. But can anyone seek the help of a sports psychologist? Consider this: the very same strategies that sports psychologists teach athletes - relaxation techniques, mental rehearsals and cognitive restructuring, for example - are also useful in the workplace and other settings including examinations and performing arts. So, next time you’re under the pump and feel the weight of the world on your shoulders, consider how Simone Biles felt as she ran towards the vault in Tokyo. If that doesn’t quite give you the concept of pressure, then YouTube ‘Rick Disneck horse crash’. Have you got a question? Please contact Jeremy at bondicounsellingservices.com.
Your mouth is only half your face.
What if Bondi Had Just Been Locked Down First? Words Dave Rogers, St Luke's Clovelly Photo Scot Connolly With eight LGAs in Western Sydney now in strict lockdown, you might’ve wondered the same. Of course, that hypothetical is now an alternate reality we’ll never experience. We just have to live this reality, the one with all the weariness and worries of, well, life, not just lockdown. I feel like the pandemic had the potential to unite us. A virus that doesn’t discriminate by race or gender, a shared experience of suffering and malaise the world over, a common enemy and a common hope of life ‘on the other side’. There’s been some bright moments, but lately it feels like COVID is dividing us more than uniting us. Jimmy Rees’ Meanwhile in Australia videos have been welcome comic relief in our household and yet the whole premise is how (smugly) parochial and divided we are “Shut the border!” Other times it’s felt like regional NSW would happily cut ties with ‘those
Sydney people’. It was great that we shifted from a race-based name to ‘the Delta variant’ (with apologies to the Greek alphabet), except this outbreak is now officially known as ‘the Bondi cluster’. It’s awkward feeling like we in the Eastern Suburbs are the (unintended) source of so much woe for the rest of Sydney. Not that it’s all activewear and margaritas here in the east. Friends in the Bondi Junction apartment block were under police guard for two weeks. I know of several new businesses scuppered. The one-in-four who live alone are isolated. Families in apartments have cabin fever. The NBN is having a bad week in my street although, statistically speaking, we can be thankful that more of us in this area can work from home. The tech billionaires might be escaping planet earth but the pandemic has grounded the lot of us, some worse than others of course. And we’ll only find a
way through this if we can act together rather than go tribal. Of course, what’s behind our parochial premiers and our own tribalism is so often our anxiety talking. When we’re anxious our normal desire for control and to justify ourselves is heightened. We become self-protective (while 38,000 Aussies remain locked out overseas). We want someone to blame and easily condemn others (there were 5,000 tip-offs to police after the recent lockdown protest). We entertain a little self-righteousness about what it’s costing us to do ‘the right thing’, or that we’re one of the vaccinated. This is where the very heart of Christianity offers us a resource for this moment. It enables us to admit that very often we are the problem, precisely because it assures us that God loved us and accepts us even at our worst. The ‘gospel’ tells us that God is ready to accept us, not because of our great virtue comparative to others, but because the Son of God entered into our mess and sacrificed himself for our freedom and forgiveness. As we get hold of that reality it helps us to be more humble and less judgy, more open and less tribal, more self-sacrificial and less self-protective. It offers us a way to find hope in this anxious time and not to shut the borders of our hearts to those outside our tribe, which is just the thing we need to get through this together. P.S. It’s still okay to smile as we keep our distance on the footpath. And if you’re wearing a mask, smile with your eyes. Dave Rogers is the Lead Minister of St Luke’s, Clovelly. You can watch online or explore more at clovelly.org.au.
Issue 200 September 2021 The Beast 43
Deliciosa!
Spanish Tortilla Words and Photo Dana Sims Instagram @stone_and_twine These strange times, when we are all getting back to basics, provide a good opportunity to create a recipe that utilises everyday ingredients we have in our kitchens. This tasty Spanish tortilla mainly uses eggs, potatoes and onions - it doesn’t get much simpler than that! Tortillas are Spain’s classic ‘potato omelette’, to which I’ve added some herbs that pair well. Slicing the potato and onion on a mandolin (or very finely with a knife) is crucial, creating delicate layers in the tortilla.
With only three main ingredients and some seasoning, this is an achievable recipe. It can be eaten as brunch, lunch or dinner, and is substantial enough on it’s own. It also tastes great with chorizo and salad. Ingredients 350gm potatoes 1 large onion 5 large free range eggs 2 tbs olive oil 10gm dill, finely chopped 10gm chives, finely chopped Sea salt Freshly ground black pepper
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Method 1. Peel the potatoes and finely slice using a mandolin or sharp knife. 2. Peel the onion and finely slice. 3. Heat a small to medium non-stick frypan and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. 4. Turn the heat down to low and add the onions and potato. Cook for 20 minutes, occasionally stirring gently so the potatoes don’t break up. 5. Crack the eggs in a bowl, whisk together, then add in the dill and chives and season with salt and pepper. 6. When the potato and onion are cooked through, remove from the heat and transfer to the bowl with the eggs. Carefully stir through. 7. Transfer the mixture back to the frypan and even out the potatoes and onion so it sits flat on top. 8. Cook for 20-25 minutes. Gently use a spatula to go around the edge of the pan and check the tortilla is nicely browned underneath. 9. Carefully flip the pan over a large plate and tip out the tortilla, then slide it back into the frypan to cook on the other side for a further 5 minutes. The egg should be cooked through and both sides well browned. 10. Transfer the tortilla onto your plate using a large spatula and cut into wedges to serve either on its own or with a protein or salad of your choice. Dana Sims is a Sydneybased food and prop stylist who has grown up in the Eastern Suburbs and loves to create delicious food for entertaining and family. She is inspired by the fresh produce we have access to here in Sydney. For ideas, recipes and styling inspiration, check out her Instagram, @stone_and_twine.
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Subject A New Day Location Tamarama Photographer Roland Pisani
Subject Birds of a Feather Location Bronte Photographer Alan Henderson
Subject Purple Moon Location Coogee Photographer Jessica Mahoney @jessmyhoney
Subject Tight Lines Location Coogee Photographer Theresia Hall @theresia.g.hall
Subject Winter Dips Location Bondi Photographer Liv Dawson
The Beast Magazine wants your local photos!
Subject Under Escort Location Centennial Park Photographer Louise Hollands
Subject Activewear Location Bronte Photographer Saule Marija
Subject Mushroom Cloud Location North Bondi Photographer Bryce Connor
Subject Early Burley Location Bronte Photographer Lee Carter @carterlea
Subject Early Morning Run Location Queens Park Photographer Patricia Ku Bernardo Fleming
Please send them to photos@thebeast.com.au
THE JUNGLE GIANTS Love Signs Label Amplifire Music Reviewer @aldothewriter Rating The Jungle Giants have had quite a journey. I swear they didn’t sound like this at the start, did they? Maybe they did. They’re proper electro-pop now anyway. Glass Animals is the band that immediately comes to mind, and that’s no bad thing. Although, while I’m a big Glass Animals fan, The Jungle Giants are one of those bands I always like when I’m hearing, but never think to put on. Love Signs won’t change that. It’s good fun and a great listen, but it’s goldfish pop, best saved for a party and dance floor you have no intention of remembering.
CHET FAKER Hotel Surrender Label Detail Records Reviewer @aldothewriter Rating
NINE DAYS Genre Drama, Sci-Fi, Fantasy Reviewer Linda Heller-Salvador Edson Oda’s (Malaria) uniquely original and award-winning feature film debut titled Nine Days is an ambitiously creative and thoughtprovoking experience that poses some age-old questions about our existence and the meaning of life. Will (Winston Duke) is a cog in the wheel of life and a way-station gatekeeper for unborn souls. His task is to observe previously successful candidates and when one dies he must find a suitable replacement. Much like a job interview, the five new applicants are asked a series of difficult questions and, through a process of elimination, Will chooses the one he deems suitable for the responsibility of life. Over the nine-day process, Will finds he has been deeply affected by one of them and realises he must make peace with his past and move forward. Look a little deeper than the initial storyline as there is much to glean from Nine Days. It may just inspire you to have a new perspective and appreciation for family, friends and the small things in your life that you may be taking for granted. 48 The Beast September 2021 Issue 200
The artist formerly known as Chet Faker is now once again… Chet Faker. He gives a vague explanation at the beginning of Hotel Surrender as to what that was all about. I didn’t understand it at all, but regardless, it’s good to have Chet back. Nothing against his real-life persona, I just didn’t connect with his music - what a mind-f$#k that must be for someone to read about themselves. If you’ve missed Chet’s ‘No Diggity’ vibe, you’ll be very pleased; the low-key funk is back, baby! Put it on and forget the last decade even happened.
YOLA Stand For Myself Label Easy Eye Sound Reviewer @aldothewriter Rating Well, this was a nice surprise. I popped it on, purely because I saw Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys) had produced it, and ended up staying for drinks and canapes. Soaring vocals, with a soulful seventies groove, combine with a very Auerbach vibe, and deliver an album to suit every mood. There’s a twinge of country, but don’t hold that against her, it works. In nearly every song I found myself envisioning somebody with big hair, stamping and clicking in a dodgy bar somewhere. This is a ‘life may get you down, but at least we can sing and dance’ record.
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ACROSS 1. Coronacast co-host (6,4) 6. Cashed up talk show host (5) 8. Muslim clergy, leader (4) 9. Length of fabric worn around the waist (6) 10. Home to the Vatican (5) 11. Lever controlling a ship’s rudder (4) 12. Transferring funds electronically (1,1,1) 14. Strong Israelite leader (6) 16. A tree of the beech family (3) 17. A variety of colour (4) 18. Triple gold backstroker, ... McKeown (6) 20. US actress, ... Close (5) 21. Musical term meaning high (4) 23. A female deer (3)
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24. Gymnast, ... Comăneci (5) 25. “... phone home” (1,1) DOWN 1. Japanese tennis player (5,5) 2. Contagious viral illness (7) 3. Most decorated US gymnast, ... Biles (6) 4. Descend from transport (6) 5. She won 7 medals at the 2020 Olympics (4,6) 7. Dry grass (3) 13. Throw or hurl forcefully (5) 15. Central Tablelands town (6) 16. Only serious swimmer in the weasel family (5) 19. Ivy League uni (4) 21. Officer of the Order of Australia (1,1) 22. Identification (1,1)
Trivial Trivia Words Lisa Anderson Photo Theresia Hall Instagram @theresia.g.hall 1. What was first celebrated in Washington state on June 19, 1910? 2. What was Leningrad renamed 30 years ago? 3. Which actress died in September 1982 in a car accident in Monte Carlo?
4. What was Dawn Fraser accused of stealing at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics? 5. What is the name of the current Australian Survivor host? 6. In what event did Logan Martin win a gold medal at the 2020 Olympics?
7. A Negroni is made up of gin, vermouth and what? 8. Who is the New South Wales Chief Health Officer? 9. What chocolate covered caramels have movie trivia on their wrappers? 10. What shape is wombat poo?
Coogee Sunset. Issue 200 September 2021 The Beast 49
Scorpio Oct 24-Nov 22 Learn to swear in multiple languages, so you can offend people from a diverse range of backgrounds indiscriminately.
Aries Mar 21-Apr 20 Only get vaccinated if it benefits you personally; protecting vulnerable people is not as important as your trip to Hawaii.
Sagittarius Nov 23-Dec 21 Become an expert at something, simply by watching heaps of YouTube videos and talking about it all the time.
Taurus Apr 21-May 21 The money you’re saving by not going overseas definitely does not justify your outrageous spending habits.
Visions Beardy from Hell
Capricorn Dec 22-Jan 20 Why wash the dishes while you cook, when you can use as many of them as possible just to f*ck everyone over.
Gemini May 22-Jun 21 Dutch ovening your partner in bed will significantly lower your chances of receiving any special favours.
Virgo Aug 23-Sep 23 Arguing with your partner will only make you sad, but it will make them angry, so it’s still worthwhile.
Aquarius Jan 21-Feb 19 Take every argument to the gutter; it’s the only way you’ll have any chance of winning with your terrible opinions.
Cancer Jun 22-Jul 22 You’re not in the best physical condition, but that shouldn’t stop you from having the best sex of your life.
Libra Sep 24-Oct 23 Don’t forget to check in on your loved ones during these difficult times, especially if you’re about to run out of money.
Pisces Feb 20-Mar 20 Don’t feel guilty about the joy you experienced when Byron Bay got locked down; we all felt exactly the same way.
Leo Jul 23-Aug 22 Don’t cut your fingernails too short; you’re going to need them for some strange self-grooming in the near future.
Star Signs
Trivial Trivia Solutions
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Member of the NAAA 50 The Beast September 2021 Issue 200
1. Father’s Day 2. St Petersburg 3. Grace Kelly 4. An Olympic flag 5. Jonathan LaPaglia 6. BMX freestyle 7. Campari 8. Dr Kerry Chant 9. Fantales 10. Cubic 1
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