Pittwater Life July 2018 Issue
Not Rapt in Plastic - Pittwater Turns the Tide. Pick-Me-Up. Variety of the Spice of Life. Dodged a Bullet. Exclusive Pics of New NB Hospital
Not Rapt in Plastic - Pittwater Turns the Tide. Pick-Me-Up. Variety of the Spice of Life. Dodged a Bullet. Exclusive Pics of New NB Hospital
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
NOT RAPT<br />
IN PLASTIC<br />
PITTWATER TURNS<br />
TIDE ON WASTE<br />
FIRST LOOK<br />
EXCLUSIVE<br />
PICS OF NEW<br />
NB HOSPITAL<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
FREE<br />
pittwaterlife<br />
PICK-ME-UP<br />
ON-DEMAND CAR<br />
TRIAL SUCCESS<br />
VARIETY THE<br />
SPICE OF LIFE<br />
BERYL DRIVER’S<br />
20TH BUSH BASH<br />
DODGED<br />
A BULLET<br />
OUR REPRIEVE<br />
FROM DENSITY
Editorial<br />
How to turn back plastic tide<br />
There’s more focus now than<br />
ever on cutting down our<br />
reliance on single-use plastic –<br />
and in ‘Plastic Free <strong>July</strong>’ we are<br />
all encouraged to modify our<br />
(mostly bad) habits.<br />
With the major supermarkets<br />
withdrawing single-use plastic<br />
bags there isn’t a better time to<br />
turn awareness of plastic waste<br />
into action.<br />
Organisers of Plastic Free <strong>July</strong><br />
say their aim is to empower<br />
Australians to “choose to<br />
refuse” and collectively<br />
contribute by making small<br />
changes to their day-to-day<br />
actions.<br />
It is estimated each of us<br />
produces 565kg of household<br />
waste every year – and 20<br />
million tonnes goes to landfill<br />
in Australia alone. Although<br />
plastic waste stockpiles on<br />
land it often leads to problems<br />
“downstream”. In fact, it is<br />
estimated that if unchecked,<br />
there will be more plastic in the<br />
ocean than fish by 2050!<br />
Paying attention to the<br />
‘Big Four’ is the first step to<br />
helping save the planet: plastic<br />
shopping bags; plastic bottles;<br />
straws; and takeaway food<br />
containers and coffee cups.<br />
To help inspire you, turn to<br />
page 32 to learn how a group<br />
of eco-conscious locals live<br />
without plastic.<br />
* * *<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> <strong>Life</strong> has always<br />
been proud to support our<br />
creative community; this month<br />
we launch a new sponsorship of<br />
the <strong>Pittwater</strong> Artists Trail.<br />
Every month readers will get<br />
the chance to win an original<br />
artwork, or classes donated by<br />
PAT members. Turn to page 43!<br />
* * *<br />
Clarification: In last month’s<br />
story on Pasadena we<br />
referenced “Scotland Island’s<br />
Nicholas Cowdery”. Although a<br />
resident Mr Cowdery does not<br />
represent Scotland Island; he is<br />
the Vice President of the West<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> Association. – NW<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 3
FREE LOCAL<br />
MONTHLY<br />
INDEPENDENT<br />
DISTRIBUTION<br />
32,000<br />
Delivered to householders<br />
& businesses throughout<br />
the <strong>Pittwater</strong> area at the<br />
beginning of each month.<br />
AFFORDABLE<br />
RATES &<br />
LONG-LIFE<br />
EXPOSURE<br />
CALL<br />
US TO<br />
DISCUSS<br />
YOUR AD!<br />
Tel: 0438 123 096<br />
PO Box 170<br />
Mona Vale 1660<br />
Email:<br />
info@pittwaterlife.com.au<br />
Website:<br />
www.pittwaterlife.com.au<br />
Publisher: Nigel Wall<br />
Managing Editor: Lisa Offord<br />
Graphic Design: CLS Design<br />
Photography: iStock / Staff<br />
Contributors: Rosamund<br />
Burton, Gabrielle Bryant, Matt<br />
Cleary, Brian Hrnjak, Jennifer<br />
Harris, Nick Carroll, Janelle<br />
Bloom, Sue Carroll, Dr. John<br />
Kippen, Geoff Searl.<br />
Distribution:<br />
John Nieuwenhof & Gill Stokes<br />
pitlifewalkers@gmail.com<br />
Published by<br />
Word Count Media Pty Ltd.<br />
ACN 149 583 335<br />
ABN 95 149 583 335<br />
Printed by Rural Press<br />
Phone: 02 4570 4444<br />
Vol 27 No 12<br />
Celebrating 26 years<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
NOT RAPT<br />
IN PLASTIC<br />
PITTWATER TURNS<br />
TIDE ON WASTE<br />
FIRST LOOK<br />
EXCLUSIVE<br />
PICS OF NEW<br />
NB HOSPITAL<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
FREE<br />
pittwaterlife<br />
PICK-ME-UP<br />
ON-DEMAND CAR<br />
TRIAL SUCCESS<br />
VARIETY THE<br />
SPICE OF LIFE<br />
BERYL DRIVER’S<br />
20TH BUSH BASH<br />
DODGED<br />
A BULLET<br />
OUR REPRIEVE<br />
FROM DENSITY<br />
18<br />
32<br />
40<br />
WALKERS<br />
WANTED<br />
To deliver <strong>Pittwater</strong> <strong>Life</strong><br />
once a month.<br />
Permanent and casual runs<br />
are available now in:<br />
Palm Beach, Avalon,<br />
Newport, Mona Vale,<br />
Bayview & Church Point.<br />
EARN TOP MONEY PAID PROMPTLY!<br />
Email:<br />
pitlifewalkers@gmail.com<br />
thislife<br />
COVER: Learn what locals are doing to minimise plastic<br />
usage and waste (p32); hear why people are increasingly<br />
embracing Keoride, <strong>Pittwater</strong>’s new on-demand<br />
transport option (p10); we reveal the new Northern<br />
Beaches Hospital with a collection of exclusive photos<br />
(p18); local fundraising legend Beryl Driver recounts<br />
her 20 years’ involvement with the NSW Variety Bash<br />
(p28); and meet local photographer Pamela Pauline,<br />
whose art is helping deliver a sense of serenity at the<br />
new Arcadia <strong>Pittwater</strong> private hospital (p40).<br />
COVER IMAGE: Timothy Moon / Atelier 8<br />
also this month<br />
Editorial 3<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> Local News 6-27<br />
NB Hospital: Exclusive first look 18<br />
<strong>Life</strong> Stories: Beryl Driver 28-31<br />
Special Feature: <strong>Life</strong> Without Plastic 32-37<br />
Northern Beaches Living 38-39<br />
Art <strong>Life</strong> 40-43<br />
Surfing <strong>Life</strong> 44-45<br />
Health & Wellbeing; Hair & Beauty 46-51<br />
Money 52-53<br />
Law 54-55<br />
Showtime 59<br />
Food 64-66<br />
Gardening 68-70<br />
the goodlife<br />
Restaurants, food, gigs, travel and gardening.<br />
Also find our regular features on beauty, health, surfing,<br />
art, local history, our guide to trades and services, money,<br />
law and our essential maps.<br />
ATTENTION ADVERTISERS!<br />
Bookings & advertising material to set for<br />
our AUGUST issue MUST be supplied by<br />
MONDAY 9 JULY<br />
Finished art & editorial submissions deadline:<br />
MONDAY 16 JULY<br />
The AUGUST issue will be published<br />
on FRIDAY 27 JULY<br />
COPYRIGHT<br />
All contents are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced except with the<br />
written consent of the copyright owner. GST: All advertising rates are subject to GST.<br />
4 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Council warns of ‘highly<br />
volatile’ recycling market<br />
News<br />
Local councillors have<br />
been briefed about<br />
the escalating costs of<br />
recycling and its current<br />
and ongoing implications for<br />
Northern Beaches Council.<br />
In a memo seen by <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />
<strong>Life</strong>, Council’s Executive<br />
Manager Waste Management<br />
& Cleansing, Natascha<br />
Schultz, referenced reports<br />
some Councils in Queensland<br />
and NSW had chosen to<br />
landfill recyclables generated<br />
from domestic kerbside collections<br />
due to costs being a<br />
third or more cheaper.<br />
She explained the ‘China<br />
Sword Policy’ had impacted<br />
on the recycling industry<br />
worldwide.<br />
“For many years recycling<br />
agencies here and overseas<br />
contracted with Chinese companies<br />
to receive and process<br />
recyclable materials,” Ms<br />
Schultz wrote. “The demand<br />
for this market was such it<br />
resulted in a rapid expansion.<br />
Combined with competitive<br />
pricing mechanisms China<br />
became the preferred processor<br />
for Australasia, Europe<br />
and America.<br />
“As a direct result of<br />
China’s prohibition on the<br />
‘Break the mould’ on bad plastic habits<br />
Northern Beaches Council wants the<br />
community to break bad habits,<br />
re-think how we live without using unnecessary<br />
disposable plastic items and<br />
join the plastic-free revolution.<br />
Northern Beaches Mayor Michael Regan<br />
said Council urged residents to stop using<br />
the ‘big four’ single-use plastic items<br />
and swap them for more sustainable<br />
ones as part of Plastic Free <strong>July</strong>.<br />
“Disposable plastic water bottles,<br />
straws, takeaway coffee cups and plastic<br />
bags are used for only a few minutes<br />
but are made from material that does<br />
not break down,” Mayor Regan said.<br />
“Did you know that every piece of plastic<br />
ever made still exists? That fact is<br />
just shocking.<br />
“Unfortunately, plastic ends up in our<br />
waterways and oceans having a devastating<br />
effect on our marine ecology. It<br />
is getting so bad that scientists predict<br />
by 2050, there will be more tonnes of<br />
plastic than fish. It’s a no-brainer – everyone<br />
needs to get on board.<br />
“Our local ‘Swap This for That’ initiative<br />
helps you re-think simple everyday<br />
decisions by being more conscious while<br />
shopping, eating and drinking, on your<br />
way to work or while out and about. It’s<br />
a great initiative that complements the<br />
global Plastic Free <strong>July</strong> campaign.”<br />
* Special ‘Living Without Plastic’ feature<br />
– see page 32; also, for Council’s<br />
plastic-free initiatives visit northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au<br />
6 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
importation of recyclables<br />
and the progressive decline<br />
of the glass and plastics<br />
recycling market from 2016,<br />
significant costs have and<br />
continue to be incurred by<br />
Kimbriki Environmental<br />
Enterprises’ (KEE) recycling<br />
partners.”<br />
However, partner URM had<br />
confirmed that none of the<br />
recyclable material collected<br />
in the NBC area was being disposed<br />
of at landfill, she said.<br />
But URM had received a<br />
notice to increase pricing and<br />
had written to KEE and Council<br />
in relation to the increased<br />
processing costs and was<br />
seeking to vary the current<br />
pricing.<br />
“Both KEE and Council will<br />
need to cover the uplift in<br />
fees to ensure that recyclables<br />
collected under the three current<br />
contracts for Northern<br />
Beaches Council continue to<br />
be collected, transported and<br />
processed,” Ms Schultz said.<br />
She noted the NSW Government<br />
had announced a $47M<br />
support package, with $9.5M<br />
earmarked for infrastructure<br />
projects and the remainder to<br />
support local councils.<br />
“Negotiations are continuing<br />
with respect to both the<br />
shared value arising from<br />
container deposit legislation<br />
and the continued acceptance<br />
and processing of recyclables<br />
collected on behalf<br />
of NBC. It is noted that the<br />
declining recycling market<br />
is highly volatile and should<br />
be considered as a daily<br />
proposition.<br />
“Recognition of the higher<br />
processing costs incurred by<br />
our recycling partners is key<br />
to this continued acceptance<br />
as will be the proposed measures<br />
touted by government<br />
and business.” – Nigel Wall<br />
More B-Line<br />
response<br />
time demand<br />
The Newport Residents<br />
Association is calling<br />
on Transport NSW to<br />
allow locals 60 days to<br />
assess the Review of<br />
Environmental factors<br />
concerning the proposed<br />
extension of the B-Line<br />
to Newport when the<br />
long awaited, delayed<br />
document is finally<br />
released in the next few<br />
months.<br />
The NRA have labelled<br />
the current 14-day timeframe<br />
for public comment<br />
as “unreasonable”.<br />
Meanwhile a group of<br />
unaffiliated residents<br />
are planning to stage<br />
a march from Newport<br />
to Mona Vale protesting<br />
against the proposed<br />
extension of the B-Line.<br />
The <strong>July</strong> 21 protest will<br />
commence at 2pm at the<br />
Newport Beach Surf Club;<br />
more info 0479 123 260.<br />
News<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 7
News<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> place plan priority<br />
Elizabeth Brown knows her<br />
role as Place Co-ordinator<br />
for the <strong>Pittwater</strong> Ward villages<br />
of Mona Vale, Newport and<br />
Avalon will see her in the firing<br />
line of passionate residents looking<br />
to air multiple opinions – but<br />
insists it’s an essential part of<br />
her job to connect places, people<br />
and Northern Beaches Council.<br />
Since starting the newly created<br />
role in August last year,<br />
Elizabeth says she has met more<br />
than 200 residents across the<br />
three villages – including more<br />
than 100 in Avalon – which has<br />
helped her to start developing a<br />
data base and knowledge of the<br />
ward, the places within it and a<br />
strong sense of local issues.<br />
First village on Elizabeth’s<br />
busy agenda is Avalon Beach; so<br />
far she has developed an Avalon<br />
Town Centre snapshot document<br />
and will be working closely<br />
with Council’s Strategic Place<br />
Planning team on the engagement<br />
process for the new ‘My<br />
Place: Avalon’ project (formerly<br />
the Avalon Place Plan).<br />
At the same time she is continuing<br />
to build her contacts in<br />
Newport Village and Mona Vale<br />
Town Centre.<br />
Elizabeth lives at Collaroy –<br />
something she believes helps<br />
her stay neutral and avoid bias<br />
in her dealings with locals and<br />
assessment of the <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />
villages.<br />
She is also an important “eye<br />
on the ground” for Council,<br />
helping identify any ‘quick<br />
fixes’ required, such as broken<br />
footpaths, benches or identifying<br />
graffiti.<br />
The most common issue<br />
raised by residents so far?<br />
“Parking,” she said without<br />
STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT: Elizabeth Brown with Newport Beach<br />
Chamber’s Karen Bond, Avalon Palm Beach’s Sam Garner, Mona Vale’s<br />
Chris Kavanagh and Northern Beaches Council Mayor Michael Regan.<br />
hesitation.<br />
Mayor Michael Regan said<br />
Avalon was selected as the<br />
Council’s first ‘My Place’ village<br />
subject because it was “ready to<br />
go and a project the former <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />
Council would have liked<br />
to have done”.<br />
“We’re keen to engage local<br />
businesses and residents in a<br />
very personal way away from<br />
politics,” Mayor Regan said.<br />
“We’re equally as passionate<br />
as the residents to roll out these<br />
projects to create foundations<br />
for these villages, so the residents<br />
can take ownership.”<br />
Council’s Acting General<br />
Manager, Planning Place and<br />
Community Kylie Walshe<br />
explained the ‘My Place: Avalon’<br />
project had four broad phases:<br />
Project initiation and data gathering;<br />
Plan development; Plan<br />
finalisation; and Plan implementation.<br />
“A Place Plan aims to create<br />
places designed for people, attract<br />
the right uses to the right<br />
places, provide a focal point for<br />
employment and deliver highquality<br />
urban design outcomes,<br />
improve connectivity in and<br />
around the centre – especially<br />
for pedestrians – and recognise<br />
the importance of streets as<br />
community spaces and destinations,”<br />
Ms Walshe said.<br />
“We have already undertaken<br />
a range of data collection and<br />
research, including the review<br />
of existing studies and documents<br />
from a broad range of<br />
sources/ stakeholders including<br />
Avalon Preservation Association<br />
and Clareville and Bilgola<br />
Plateau Resident Association in<br />
order to gain a broad understanding<br />
of Avalon and relevant<br />
issues from a community<br />
perspective.”<br />
Ms Walshe said once collated,<br />
the results from the PlaceScore<br />
survey that closed on June 24<br />
would provide valuable data<br />
on what the community cared<br />
about and valued in village<br />
centres.<br />
“This information will allow<br />
us to understand what aspects<br />
make a village centre enjoyable<br />
and pleasant places to visit and<br />
spend time,” she said.<br />
“Knowing what is important<br />
and what the Avalon community<br />
cares about will guide<br />
Council in planning for the<br />
future of Avalon in a way that<br />
reflects the community’s values<br />
and meets its needs.<br />
“The heart of the process is<br />
to inspire and stimulate the<br />
community to work together to<br />
create a greater Avalon.”<br />
Ms Walshe said upcoming<br />
community engagement included<br />
stakeholder workshops on<br />
June 30 and <strong>July</strong> 4, followed by<br />
pop-up stalls running through<br />
to <strong>July</strong> 28 (specific dates and<br />
times to be confirmed – check<br />
Council’s website).<br />
“We’ve also undertaken PX<br />
Assessments of Avalon Village<br />
– PX Assessments give the community<br />
the opportunity to rate<br />
their own places in real time<br />
revealing what is contributing<br />
positively or negatively to their<br />
experience of Avalon Village,”<br />
she explained. “The assessments<br />
have been undertaken<br />
by face to face surveying with<br />
community members since late<br />
May and closed in the last week<br />
of June.”<br />
Also, an online forum is seeking<br />
community feedback on<br />
workshop questions, she said.<br />
“And we will be establishing<br />
the Avalon Community Reference<br />
Group to guide the ‘My<br />
Place: Avalon’ project, with calls<br />
for nomination commencing in<br />
late <strong>July</strong>.” – Nigel Wall<br />
8 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Transport pick-me-up<br />
News<br />
On-demand transport<br />
driver Bill Andronicos<br />
says he loves his<br />
work – because the customers<br />
he transfers to B-Line bus<br />
hubs from suburbs north of<br />
Narrabeen love the service he<br />
provides.<br />
Semi-retiree Bill, 60, has been<br />
‘chauffeuring’ for provider<br />
Keoride ever since the NSW<br />
Government kicked off the<br />
innovative trial, designed to<br />
seamlessly connect people in<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> with the new B-Line<br />
service, with a three-month<br />
term on November 26 last year.<br />
Three months became six<br />
and now the program is pushing<br />
into another term – with its<br />
overwhelming success mounting<br />
pressure on the Government<br />
to introduce the service<br />
full-time.<br />
With fares from homes to B-<br />
Line bus stops (and return journeys)<br />
priced at just $3 ($1.50 for<br />
students and Seniors) every day<br />
from 6am to 10.15pm, Keoride’s<br />
fleet of new, small SUVs has<br />
been in hot demand.<br />
Bill says he has plenty of<br />
regular customers who book<br />
rides from outlying suburbs including<br />
Palm Beach, Clareville,<br />
Bilgola Plateau and Newport<br />
– but notes he also has “two or<br />
three first-timers” each day.<br />
“It’s mostly by word of<br />
mouth,” says Bill as he took<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> <strong>Life</strong> on a sample run<br />
north of the Bilgola Bends.<br />
“Once people try it they can’t<br />
believe how good it is. I had a<br />
guy today, took him from Palm<br />
Beach to Mona Vale. He works<br />
in the city, has a parking spot<br />
in Phillip Street but prefers to<br />
get the B-Line as it’s no headache,<br />
it’s quicker saving him 90<br />
minutes a day, plus he’s able to<br />
plug in his device and work for<br />
an hour.<br />
“It frees up their cars, so his<br />
wife and children can use them<br />
if they need to.<br />
“Then in the afternoon he<br />
can have a few drinks after<br />
work, get the B-Line back to<br />
Mona Vale and have a Keoride<br />
vehicle waiting to drop him<br />
back home!<br />
“I had another guy who said<br />
he was waiting for the B-Line<br />
and transport trial to kick into<br />
action before he sold his house<br />
at Castle Hill and moved to<br />
the beaches – he now lives in<br />
Bilgola and has a faster trip to<br />
his work in the city.”<br />
Bill estimates “99%” of customers<br />
are repeat users.<br />
“We also get a lot of university<br />
students,” he continued.<br />
“Like the mum who used to<br />
have to drive her daughter<br />
from Whale Beach to Mona Vale<br />
so she could catch the bus to<br />
Macquarie University – now it<br />
doesn’t matter what time her<br />
daughter has to go to uni, she<br />
can book a Keoride to Mona<br />
Vale, then a ride back home<br />
when she returns.”<br />
Operator Keolis Downer says<br />
Keoride encourages the use<br />
of public transport by providing<br />
connections from people’s<br />
homes or designated local pickup<br />
points to B-Line bus stops<br />
in Mona Vale, Narrabeen and<br />
Warriewood, using GoGet car<br />
share vehicles.<br />
Keolis Downer spokesperson<br />
Segolene Deeley said passenger<br />
numbers had increased steadily<br />
since launch, with many customers<br />
re-booking the service<br />
almost daily.<br />
“Keoride saw a 10% increase<br />
in customers between March<br />
and April,” Ms Deeley said.<br />
“Through May we had carried<br />
more than 8,000 passengers<br />
in total – with around 1300 of<br />
them added in the final two<br />
weeks of the month.”<br />
She said majority bookings<br />
came from the Mona Vale area.<br />
“In April, 22% of customers<br />
were travelling from Avalon<br />
to the Mona Vale B-Line, and<br />
14% from Bilgola Plateau to<br />
the Mona Vale B-Line,” Ms<br />
Deeley said.<br />
To improve the passenger<br />
10 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
experience and increase<br />
comfort, eight new Toyota<br />
Rav4 vehicles replaced smaller<br />
Corolla cars at the beginning<br />
of June; each has been decked<br />
out in special Keoride livery to<br />
make them more recognisable<br />
to customers.<br />
Northern Beaches local Bill<br />
Andronicos is one of 21 drivers<br />
on their books. He works<br />
three days a week, with shifts<br />
between five and eight hours.<br />
“I thought why not?” Bill<br />
said. “I like driving and I don’t<br />
mind having a chat. I know the<br />
area and it’s a pretty nice place<br />
to drive around!”<br />
Local MP Rob Stokes said<br />
the success of the Keoride trial<br />
to date showed that public<br />
transport could be delivered in<br />
a more personalised way.<br />
“Many areas of our community<br />
are inaccessible by<br />
traditional buses – so this new<br />
option enables residents to request<br />
public transport to their<br />
door at a time that best suits<br />
them,” Mr Stokes said.<br />
“This service isn’t designed<br />
to replace traditional buses –<br />
but rather to complement them<br />
and help make access to our<br />
local bus network easier for<br />
more people.<br />
“Running buses on loops to<br />
every area of community isn’t<br />
practical. This personalised service<br />
enables public transport to<br />
be provided exactly where and<br />
when it’s needed.” – Nigel Wall<br />
News<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 11
News<br />
Eateries in outdoor<br />
dining fee rise pain<br />
Local café and restaurant<br />
owners who lease Councilowned<br />
space for customer<br />
seating fear ongoing proposed<br />
fee increases for outdoor<br />
dining could threaten their<br />
viability.<br />
Their cause has been taken<br />
up by local residents groups<br />
and chambers of commerce<br />
who are fearful of the impact<br />
on small businesses and the<br />
atmosphere of our villages.<br />
Several café owners, who<br />
commented on condition they<br />
were not named, told <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />
<strong>Life</strong> they could face increases<br />
of as much as 20%.<br />
“They told us it’s because we<br />
haven’t had an increase in so<br />
long; we have to like it or lump<br />
it,” one said.<br />
Another pointed to their<br />
outdoor seating area, noting<br />
few customers willing to brave<br />
the winter cold – even though<br />
it was a sunny day.<br />
The Newport Residents<br />
Association has written to<br />
Council, noting its proposal to<br />
increase Outdoor Dining Fees<br />
for a second time in two years.<br />
“We ask how will this proposed<br />
increase assist small<br />
business plus help in the<br />
development of vibrant village<br />
centres?” President Gavin<br />
Butler said.<br />
“These businesses should<br />
be encouraged, not penalised<br />
– we believe this proposed<br />
increase should be scrapped.”<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> suburbs are hardest<br />
hit by Council’s proposed<br />
increases, <strong>Pittwater</strong> <strong>Life</strong> can<br />
reveal.<br />
Analysis of Council’s Draft<br />
Fees and Charges <strong>2018</strong>/19<br />
document reveals a rollercoaster<br />
of fee variations, based<br />
on charges per square metre<br />
per year, across the Northern<br />
Beaches Council region.<br />
Palm Beach is a case in<br />
point, with owners facing an<br />
increase of nearly 20% on their<br />
current $250 base rate to $295.<br />
North Narrabeen cafes face<br />
a hike of more than 15% from<br />
$240 to $280, while Newport<br />
is bracing for an almost 15%<br />
increase ($265 to $305). Avalon<br />
is staring at a 13% increase<br />
(from $290 to $330).<br />
Fees for Narrabeen are<br />
slated to rise 7% from $365 to<br />
$390, while Mona Vale faces a<br />
10% increase ($310 to $340).<br />
Whale Beach and Warriewood<br />
would face new introductory<br />
fees of $260.<br />
Many eatery owners outside<br />
the former <strong>Pittwater</strong> area have<br />
fared better – with the majority<br />
section of the Manly CBD<br />
(The Corso) not in line for any<br />
rise on its fee of $1275.<br />
Draft rises for North Balgowlah,<br />
Brookvale, Frenchs Forest,<br />
Narraweena are less than 2%<br />
($310 to $315) while Freshwater<br />
jumps just 4.5% (from $430<br />
to $450).<br />
Frenchs Forest Shopping<br />
Centre is in line for a 7% increase<br />
($360 to $390).<br />
Council’s Acting General<br />
Manager Environment and<br />
Infrastructure Todd Dickinson<br />
told <strong>Pittwater</strong> <strong>Life</strong> that<br />
Council used external valuers<br />
to provide third party pricing<br />
advice on outdoor dining to<br />
ensure fees fairly reflected the<br />
market.<br />
“Each location is benchmarked<br />
against other like<br />
areas and valuations take<br />
into account relevant factors<br />
including centre size, traffic<br />
and more,” he said.<br />
“Changes to outdoor dining<br />
licence fees in the <strong>2018</strong>/2019<br />
Budget have been proposed in<br />
line with external valuations<br />
received. Increases are not<br />
uniform across the area and<br />
the total proposed increase<br />
recommended by the third<br />
party valuer has not been applied.”<br />
Council is currently reviewing<br />
resident and small business<br />
feedback on the proposed<br />
fees.<br />
– Nigel Wall<br />
12 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Book Review<br />
Addicted?<br />
How Addiction<br />
affects every one<br />
of us and what we<br />
can do about it<br />
By Matt Noffs &<br />
Kieran Palmer<br />
Harper Collins<br />
$32.99<br />
As the grandson of Ted<br />
Noffs, founder of the<br />
Wayside Chapel, and<br />
the Ted Noffs Foundation,<br />
Matt grew up with<br />
a front-row seat to the<br />
impact of addiction.<br />
Over the past few<br />
decades, working at the Foundation alongside coauthor<br />
Kieran Palmer, Matt has honed his ability to understand<br />
the drivers of addiction and in this new book the pair<br />
offer a number of practical tools to help manage dependencies<br />
such as alcohol and drugs, through to smartphones and<br />
coffee.<br />
Addicted? is also a fascinating and accessible insight into<br />
the history of how addiction has been created in different<br />
cultures. It’s a great resource for every household given its<br />
down-to-earth style and advice, but buying it on the basis<br />
of the chapter on smartphones alone is a must. Beachside<br />
Bookshop has limited signed copies. – Libby Armstrong<br />
News<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 13
News<br />
Staff help needed for<br />
next federal election<br />
The Australian Electoral due to the sheer size of the some point within the next 12<br />
Commission (AEC) is asking country and the sparsity of the months and we’re calling on<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> residents to sign up<br />
to help deliver the next federal<br />
election in the Mackellar electorate.<br />
Mackellar covers an area of<br />
233km2 and contains 42 polling<br />
places that will be staffed<br />
by 519 paid temporary electoral<br />
workers on election day.<br />
In total, 80,000 people will be<br />
needed across Australia to help<br />
deliver the next federal election,<br />
and the AEC has identified<br />
Mona Vale as one of the key<br />
areas to bolster ahead of time.<br />
While the date for the next<br />
election is not yet known, the<br />
AEC is asking people to register<br />
their interest in working now.<br />
Holding elections in Australia<br />
is a particular challenge<br />
population in rural areas – not<br />
to mention having to assemble<br />
a crew for just one day’s work.<br />
Tom Rogers, AEC Commissioner,<br />
said federal elections<br />
rank as Australia’s largest<br />
peacetime events.<br />
“With more than 8,000 polling<br />
places spread throughout<br />
Australia, the AEC has to<br />
employ around 80,000 temporary<br />
staff from across the<br />
country to staff each polling<br />
place. As such, it is crucial we<br />
ensure the necessary preparations<br />
are underway well<br />
ahead of the election period<br />
so that every Australian has<br />
the opportunity to have their<br />
say,” he said.<br />
“There will be an election at<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> residents to register<br />
their interest for election work<br />
now so they can help their local<br />
community in the Mackellar<br />
electorate as part of this unique<br />
event.<br />
“There are 519 positions in<br />
Mackellar across 42 polling<br />
places that we need to fill to ensure<br />
the election runs smoothly.<br />
Election work is a thoroughly<br />
rewarding experience and a<br />
great opportunity to contribute<br />
to the local area.”<br />
All temporary election roles<br />
are paid and full training<br />
is provided. Those wishing<br />
to register their interest in<br />
working at the next election,<br />
or wanting more information,<br />
should visit aec.gov.au.<br />
6THINGS<br />
THIS MONTH<br />
Young writers competition.<br />
Students up to and including<br />
Year 12 are encouraged to write<br />
an original story using this year’s<br />
theme words ‘tiny door’ for a<br />
chance to be published as an<br />
author in a Library eBook. Entries<br />
close Wed 8 August. Details on<br />
the Council website, at your local<br />
library, or call 9942 2449.<br />
Work with wool. Kids can warm<br />
up their fingers these winter school<br />
holidays at Mona Vale Library<br />
learning how to use wool and<br />
found objects to make colourful<br />
decorations. On Wed 11 from<br />
10.30-11.30am. For ages 6-12.<br />
Cost $7, bookings only; 9970 1600.<br />
Weaving workshop. Join<br />
Karleen Green at a workshop<br />
to create your own small coiled<br />
basket using lomandra grass<br />
and learn about natural dying<br />
techniques that you can try at<br />
home. Karleen will also share<br />
stories about Aboriginal weaving<br />
traditions and how baskets, Dilly<br />
bags and other woven objects<br />
have been used throughout history<br />
at the Coastal Environment Centre<br />
on Sat 21 from 2pm-5pm. Cost<br />
is $25 or $20 for Permaculture<br />
Northern Beaches Members.<br />
Bookings essential; contact<br />
taradubs@gmail.com.<br />
Have a ball. Secure tickets<br />
to the annual Christmas in <strong>July</strong><br />
Charity Ball and make a positive<br />
difference in the fight against<br />
cancer. Organised by the Fight<br />
On The Beaches community<br />
fundraising group, the ball will be<br />
held at Miramare Gardens, Terrey<br />
Hills on Fri <strong>July</strong> 27. More info<br />
fightonthebeaches.com.<br />
Avalon Car Boot Sale. Get<br />
down to Dunbar Park on Sat 21<br />
from 8am-2pm and find a treasure<br />
or two. The sale is embracing<br />
Plastic Free <strong>July</strong> so bring your<br />
reusable water bottle and coffee<br />
cup and help do your bit to end<br />
plastic pollution. Music, roving<br />
performers, food and a surprise<br />
celebrity appearance, too!<br />
Dig this. Keep your eye out for<br />
local events celebrating Australia’s<br />
biggest tree planting and nature<br />
care event – Schools Tree Day on<br />
<strong>July</strong> 27 and National Tree Day on<br />
<strong>July</strong> 29. Find a site or register at<br />
treeday.planetark.org.<br />
14 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
News<br />
Medium Density Code deferral<br />
Northern Beaches<br />
Council has been<br />
granted a lastminute<br />
deferral on parts<br />
of the NSW Government’s<br />
Low Rise Medium Density<br />
Housing Code following<br />
representation by Mayor<br />
Michael Regan and <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />
MP Rob Stokes.<br />
The Code, which will<br />
come into effect on <strong>July</strong> 6<br />
and was made under State<br />
Environmental Planning<br />
Policy (Exempt and<br />
Complying Development),<br />
permits attached and<br />
detached dual occupancies,<br />
multi-dwelling housing,<br />
and manor houses, and<br />
the subdivision of such<br />
developments, as complying<br />
development where those<br />
uses are currently permitted<br />
under Council’s Local<br />
Environmental Plans (LEPs).<br />
Mayor Regan said the danger<br />
for residents was that had the<br />
Code been triggered across the<br />
northern beaches as scheduled<br />
with the rest of NSW, it could<br />
have resulted in higher density<br />
development than currently<br />
permissible under Council’s<br />
controls – particularly in low<br />
density R2 zones such as<br />
across <strong>Pittwater</strong>.<br />
“The medium density<br />
housing code has the<br />
potential to create ad-hoc,<br />
unplanned development<br />
that would have impacted<br />
on our ability as Council to<br />
maintain the local character<br />
THE ‘MISSING MIDDLE’: Northern Beaches Council will investigate low-rise medium density options.<br />
of our neighbourhoods<br />
and put further pressure<br />
on infrastructure and<br />
transport,” Mayor Regan said.<br />
“And it can be a disaster for<br />
residents. One day you wake<br />
up to find a notice in your<br />
letterbox for a development<br />
next door. You have no say,<br />
no recourse and neither does<br />
your Council.<br />
“This opportunity now<br />
gives us the chance to plan<br />
properly for medium density<br />
in a way that is in keeping<br />
with our local area and<br />
supports residents.”<br />
The Government’s 12<br />
months deferral is subject<br />
to NB Council submitting<br />
a Planning Proposal aimed<br />
to “rectify local planning<br />
controls to meet the strategic<br />
intent of each Council area”.<br />
Local MP Rob Stokes said<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong>’s environment and<br />
distance from the CBD meant<br />
that unit blocks were generally<br />
an inappropriate form of<br />
housing for the region.<br />
“Instead, we need to look<br />
at terraces and townhouses<br />
to allow for more homes,<br />
particularly for older people<br />
looking to downsize and<br />
younger families who can’t<br />
afford a detached home on a<br />
big block,” he said.<br />
“This is an opportunity for<br />
Council to have a close look<br />
at the most appropriate areas<br />
in our community where<br />
our future housing diversity<br />
needs can be met.”<br />
Mayor Regan added he<br />
was pleased NSW Minister<br />
Anthony Roberts was<br />
listening to concerns about<br />
development, infrastructure,<br />
affordable housing and<br />
transport across the northern<br />
beaches.<br />
“We look forward to<br />
working with the Minister<br />
and our State MPs to ensure<br />
we get planning right on the<br />
northern beaches, now and<br />
for future residents,” he said.<br />
“Our ability to have greater<br />
influence like this at the state<br />
level is a positive outcome of<br />
our new size and capacity as<br />
a larger council.” – Nigel Wall<br />
16 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Healthy progress<br />
News<br />
It’s flooded with natural light and<br />
filled with state-of-the-art equipment;<br />
and although its beds and soft furnishings<br />
have yet to be installed, there is<br />
a distinct sense of comfort and purpose<br />
that purveys throughout the new Northern<br />
Beaches Hospital.<br />
Our exclusive tour in late June revealed<br />
attention to detail inspired by worldclass<br />
hospital design and best practice.<br />
Every material used in construction,<br />
the colours and surfaces in the ninestorey<br />
building have been meticulously<br />
researched.<br />
Considered touches such as muted<br />
beach tones and ocean-themed murals<br />
on walls, rounded edges on built-in<br />
furniture and ceiling lights positioned so<br />
they won’t shine on patients’ faces, won’t<br />
be lost when the 488-bed hospital fills<br />
with people in just a few months’ time.<br />
And it’s apparent the layout of wards,<br />
workstations, operating theatres and<br />
equipment are the result of consultation<br />
with medical, nursing, allied health and<br />
support staff to ensure an environment<br />
conducive to optimal service delivery<br />
and patient care.<br />
Take, for example, the 24/7 Emergency<br />
Department (ED). Comprising 50 treatment<br />
spaces, the large, ground floor area<br />
is divided into several zones including<br />
assessment, adult, paediatrics, resuscitation,<br />
short stay and mental health assessment<br />
(which has a dedicated lift to the<br />
mental health unit on Level 3).<br />
Imaging equipment is easily accessed<br />
on the ground floor level and within the<br />
ED and an electronic monitoring system<br />
will link to Medical Records.<br />
Adjacent to the ED is a bulk-bill GP<br />
Medical Centre, sited to help minimise<br />
the number of non-emergency patients<br />
who present to the ED. When a patient<br />
presents to the emergency area they will<br />
be able to self-select which service they<br />
wish to enter – a patient can easily be<br />
transferred between the two depending<br />
on the type of care they need.<br />
The hospital will be opening its doors<br />
to both public and private patients on<br />
October 30.<br />
You can check out the hospital yourself<br />
when tours start in September; send an<br />
email to enquiries@northernbeacheshospital.com.au<br />
for more information.<br />
* And if you are interested in<br />
volunteering opportunities at the<br />
hospital, register your interest<br />
before <strong>July</strong> 11 at volunteering@<br />
northernbeacheshospital.com.au.<br />
18 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Our tour of the<br />
new NB Hospital<br />
News<br />
PHOTOS: Nigel Wall<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE:<br />
The striking profile of the<br />
ED located on the Frenchs<br />
Forest Rd side of the<br />
hospital; the hospital foyer<br />
features modern wooden<br />
styling for a pleasing<br />
aesthetic and also good<br />
acoustics; modern lighting<br />
and natural light are major<br />
features of the huge<br />
interior; an aerial view to<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong>; a pastel palette<br />
used in the corridors; the<br />
hospital’s meeting rooms<br />
are named after places<br />
across the Northern Beaches;<br />
the stunning vertical<br />
garden feature by the main<br />
entrance; a state-of-the-art<br />
hybrid theatre provides<br />
diagnostic high-definition<br />
imaging while also allowing<br />
clinicians to perform<br />
myriad surgical procedures.<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 19
News<br />
SEEN…<br />
Well, that ‘escalated’ quickly! Seems the NSW Government<br />
has lifted its self-imposed six-month embargo on advertising<br />
on the sides of the new B-Line bus fleet in a move that will<br />
boost the state’s coffers and, State Transit tells us, help pay<br />
for maintenance and repair. What a shame. We don’t mind the<br />
wavy blue motif depicting surf to city on the double-decker<br />
buses. It generates a sense of identity. The new norm? Twostorey<br />
advertising ‘sleeves’. Boo! Imagine the stink the good<br />
folk of Newport will kick up about the prospect of these giant<br />
billboards cruising up and down the village centre, should the<br />
B-Line be extended beyond Mona Vale, as is expected.<br />
HEARD…<br />
The restaurant at<br />
iconic Barrenjoey<br />
House has traded<br />
hands, with<br />
flavour-of-the<br />
decade hospitality<br />
operators The<br />
Boathouse Group<br />
taking over from<br />
well-known<br />
couple Brendan<br />
and Jenny Barry.<br />
Boathouse owner<br />
Andrew Goldsmith told <strong>Pittwater</strong> <strong>Life</strong> Barrenjoey House would<br />
be “re-energized” over <strong>July</strong> and August with maintenance,<br />
repair and interior updates, before re-opening in September<br />
with a core lunch and dinner trade. Locals needn’t worry about<br />
BH losing its identity – Goldsmith promised the Group would<br />
afford the building great respect, adding it was his “personal<br />
favourite Palm Beach destination”. We hear the new menu will<br />
feature simple, fresh, contemporary classics, delivered by “a<br />
fresh mindset, fresh team and fresh ingredients”. All well and<br />
good – but will they keep the ‘French 75’ champagne cocktail on<br />
the menu is what we want to know…<br />
ABSURD…<br />
Speaking of alcohol and Palm Beach, seems the locals are<br />
among Sydney’s worst offenders for drink driving – according to<br />
Bureau of Crime and Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) figures.<br />
Apparently 3% of licence-holders were booked for DUI in the<br />
period 2013-18 – with eight individuals nabbed in the 12 months<br />
to April this year. Avalon and Newport didn’t fare well either,<br />
with 2.4% and 2.3% of licence-holders respectively busted in<br />
the five-year period. Bayview were our best behaved, with 1.4%<br />
blowing positive. Let’s all think twice, hey?<br />
20 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
<strong>Pittwater</strong> News<br />
News<br />
<strong>July</strong> Probus talks<br />
Past President of the Manly<br />
Warringah <strong>Pittwater</strong> Historical<br />
Society and former<br />
Wallabies tourist Jim Boyce<br />
is the guest speaker at the<br />
next meeting of <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />
Probus at Mona Vale Golf Club<br />
on Tuesday <strong>July</strong> 10. In 1963,<br />
Jim was selected to play with<br />
the Wallabies touring side to<br />
South Africa. On this tour, he<br />
and the other players were<br />
shocked by their exposure to<br />
the injustices of the apartheid<br />
regime. Throughout the tour,<br />
Jim and the other players were<br />
exposed to the arrogance of<br />
white Springboks supporters,<br />
officials, politicians and police<br />
– as well as the everyday oppression<br />
of the South African<br />
black and non-white majority.<br />
Jim’s talk will address the history<br />
of commercial buildings<br />
on the northern beaches. Also,<br />
club member Roman Zwolenski<br />
will talk about being in the<br />
military ballot to go to Vietnam.<br />
Roman will share his expectation<br />
of being sent which,<br />
however, did not eventuate.<br />
Years later, Roman visited Vietnam<br />
and he will reflect on the<br />
aftermath of the war. Meeting<br />
starts 10am; more info 0437<br />
274 074. Meanwhile visitors<br />
are also welcome to join Palm<br />
Beach Probus members to hear<br />
naval architect, John Jeremy,<br />
speak about Cockatoo Island<br />
and its history. Their meeting<br />
is on Wednesday 20th <strong>July</strong> at<br />
Club Palm Beach, commencing<br />
at 9.45am. More info 9973<br />
1247.<br />
Dee Why RSL shows<br />
Resilience strength<br />
Last April Dee Why RSL<br />
Club hosted their ‘Resilience<br />
Month’, raising a total<br />
of $196,420 for the Sydney<br />
Northern Beaches Veteran<br />
Centre to help further assist<br />
ex-service men and women<br />
and their families post their<br />
time in the military. The funds<br />
were raised by donating $1<br />
from each main meal sold at<br />
the Club throughout April; all<br />
proceeds from the $6 Anzac<br />
Breakfast, the Peace Garden<br />
Sausage Sizzle, donations at<br />
two-up and donation boxes located<br />
in the club on Anzac Day<br />
and through the major event<br />
– The Resilience Luncheon on<br />
April 13 – which was hosted by<br />
TV veteran Ray Martin.<br />
Testing the water<br />
at Bayview Baths<br />
Northern Beaches Council<br />
intends to push ahead with<br />
further water testing at<br />
Bayview Baths as a prelude<br />
to possible refurbishment.<br />
Council adopted a recommendation<br />
to participate in<br />
another round of water testing<br />
with Sydney Water and the<br />
Office of Environment and<br />
Heritage at the site in <strong>2018</strong>/19.<br />
Should this testing prove successful,<br />
Council has resolved<br />
to work collaboratively with<br />
the community and funding<br />
agencies to secure grant funding<br />
for future refurbishment.<br />
NB Mayor Michael Regan said<br />
testing in October and November<br />
2016 indicated that water<br />
quality was generally suitable<br />
for swimming in dry weather.<br />
“It’s good news, as these results<br />
mean the Baths are still<br />
in contention as a swimming<br />
location, and so refurbishment<br />
may be considered,” he said,<br />
although adding the Baths required<br />
a significant upgrade to<br />
improve the facility. Bayview<br />
Baths received a ‘good’ rating<br />
in the 2016/17 Beachwatch<br />
report, largely due to it being<br />
a dry year, following a ‘poor’<br />
rating in the two prior years.<br />
Council follows the Beachwatch<br />
recommendation for<br />
estuarine swimming areas affected<br />
by stormwater outflows,<br />
which says swimming should<br />
be avoided for up to three days<br />
following rainfall.<br />
Expert gives tips on<br />
wild food foraging<br />
Wild food expert Diego Bonetto<br />
will be the guest speaker at<br />
the next meeting of Permaculture<br />
Northern Beaches on<br />
Thursday <strong>July</strong> 26. Learn about<br />
the most common species<br />
22 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
growing in your garden, along<br />
the green belts and in parks<br />
and reserves – every plant has<br />
a story! Find out how these<br />
‘wild foods’ have been used<br />
for food, craft and natural<br />
remedies. Discover ways to<br />
safely harvest from the urban<br />
‘wild’ and enrich your diet<br />
with vitamins and minerals.<br />
Organisers say there will also<br />
be a swap table for any items<br />
from your garden, or items to<br />
reuse for others. Organic teas<br />
and coffees available; bring a<br />
plate of food to share. Meeting<br />
is from 7.15pm at the Nelson<br />
Heather Centre, Jacksons<br />
Road, North Narrabeen. (A sea<br />
foraging workshop will be arranged<br />
for later this year.)<br />
Call for Memories<br />
of Mona Vale Hospital<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> residents have<br />
launched a project to record<br />
memories of Mona Vale Hospital,<br />
creating a social history<br />
showing the facility’s significance<br />
to the area. Protect<br />
Continued on page 24<br />
Gatsby-themed gala a success for Women’s Shelter<br />
Last month’s sold-out Northern Beaches<br />
Women’s Shelter Annual Gala raised<br />
around $130,000 to support homeless<br />
women across the region. More than 240<br />
people attended the ‘Roaring ’20s’ themed<br />
event, which highlighted greater community<br />
awareness of the Shelter and its work<br />
on the Northern Beaches. “Hundreds of<br />
women right across the Northern Beaches<br />
continue to find themselves homeless due<br />
to domestic violence, financial trouble, drug<br />
or alcohol abuse, or mental health issues,”<br />
said the Shelter’s Acting President, Rosy<br />
Sullivan. “The NBWS provides a safe haven<br />
for these women. We offer more than just<br />
a roof over their heads and a warm bed to<br />
sleep in. We are helping to break the cycle<br />
of homelessness, by linking women with<br />
the right services, offering employment<br />
and financial assistance and much needed<br />
emotional support to help them rebuild their<br />
lives and rejoin the community.” Formerly<br />
the Manly Women’s Shelter, the non-profit,<br />
charitable organisation was recently<br />
renamed to reflect its growing reach across<br />
the peninsula. Since the Shelter first opened<br />
its doors in 2010, it has supported more than<br />
350 women to rebuild their lives.<br />
News<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 23
<strong>Pittwater</strong> News<br />
News<br />
Continued from page 23<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> president Bob Grace<br />
said the group was calling on<br />
residents from Palm Beach to<br />
Narrabeen and in the offshore<br />
communities to get in touch<br />
about their experiences and<br />
treatment at the hospital.<br />
He added local filmmaker<br />
John Illingsworth would film<br />
interviews to create an archive<br />
of the hospital’s history. “We<br />
want to hear the stories of new<br />
lives, lives saved and what the<br />
hospital means to locals,” Mr<br />
Grace said. “Patients, doctors,<br />
nurses, other staff and volunteers<br />
will all have stories –<br />
medical treatment in <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />
was a different kettle of fish<br />
before Mona Vale was built<br />
and we want to pay tribute to<br />
the hospital which has been an<br />
integral part of our community<br />
for over 50 years.” Protect<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> is also organising a<br />
film night and public forum<br />
at Mona Vale Memorial Hall on<br />
Wednesday <strong>July</strong> 18, from 7pm<br />
to 9pm. To volunteer to be interviewed<br />
for the film history<br />
phone 0439 788 867.<br />
Rural Fire Brigade<br />
equipment boost<br />
The West <strong>Pittwater</strong>, Mackerel<br />
Beach, Coasters Retreat and<br />
Scotland Island brigades of<br />
the NSW Rural Fire Service<br />
(RFS) have been boosted by<br />
new equipment made available<br />
under the RFS Association’s<br />
Grant Scheme. West <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />
Brigade Captain, Andrew<br />
Cutler, said the acquisition of<br />
two thermal imaging cameras<br />
would be invaluable to the<br />
brigades when fighting fires<br />
or assisting other agencies in<br />
search activities. “The cameras<br />
will be included in the equipment<br />
on the two boats the<br />
brigades use when attending<br />
structural and bush fires or<br />
assisting in searches,” Mr<br />
Cutler said. These boats and<br />
their equipment are essential<br />
to the brigades as most of the<br />
buildings and areas the brigades<br />
cover are only accessible<br />
by water. The thermal imaging<br />
cameras enable the crews to<br />
quickly identify where the major<br />
heat areas of a fire are located<br />
and provides much more<br />
accurate information to better<br />
assign resources and identify<br />
potential risks to crews.<br />
Mackellar aged care<br />
Budget injection<br />
The Federal Government’s<br />
$5 billion aged care budget<br />
injection will deliver significant<br />
benefits for Mackellar,<br />
says local member Jason<br />
Falinski who visited Anglicare’s<br />
Marcus Loan House<br />
in Warriewood with Aged<br />
Care Minister Ken Wyatt last<br />
month. Mr Falinski said the<br />
budget increased home and<br />
residential care options and<br />
provided more choice and<br />
certainty for local older Australians<br />
and their families.<br />
“The Government invested<br />
more than $116 million in<br />
Mackellar aged care services<br />
in 2016-17, including $107<br />
million for residential aged<br />
care, $1.1 million for transition<br />
care, $5.3 million for<br />
home care and $2.9 million<br />
in the Commonwealth Home<br />
Support Program.” Other<br />
budget highlights included<br />
increasing home care packages<br />
from 87,000 to 151,000<br />
so older Australians could<br />
live in their own homes for as<br />
long as they can; $60 million<br />
in capital grants for new and<br />
expanded aged care facilities;<br />
$102.5 million commitment<br />
to older Australians’ mental<br />
health; an online aged care<br />
provider comparison system;<br />
health, career and finance<br />
checks for 45- and 65-yearolds<br />
for future planning; and<br />
pensioners will be able to<br />
earn $7,800 per year without<br />
affecting their pension. “We<br />
want the more than 28,000<br />
people aged over 65 and their<br />
families in Mackellar to live<br />
longer, happier and healthier<br />
lives,” Mr Falinski said. As at<br />
30 June 2017, there were 20<br />
residential aged care facili-<br />
24 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
ties with 1,869 places operating<br />
in Mackellar.<br />
Council scoops up<br />
pair of awards<br />
Northern Beaches Council<br />
was acknowledged in two<br />
separate honours presented<br />
at the <strong>2018</strong> NSW Local Government<br />
Excellence Awards<br />
last month. The awards<br />
presented were in the Community<br />
Partnerships and<br />
Collaboration category, and<br />
separately, The Col Mills<br />
Scholarship which is given to<br />
a younger professional drawn<br />
from the local government<br />
sector. The Community Partnerships<br />
and Collaboration<br />
award (for communities with<br />
a population over 60,000)<br />
was presented in recognition<br />
of the widely-praised<br />
Northern Beaches Council /<br />
Dee Why PCYC Project. The<br />
$26 million Dee Why PCYC<br />
facility on the Kingsway opposite<br />
Council’s Civic Centre<br />
was opened in June 2017<br />
Continued on page 26<br />
Cruising Christmas in <strong>July</strong><br />
With Australia’s British and European heritage, there’s a strong attachment<br />
to the tradition of celebrating Christmas in cold weather. That’s why there’s<br />
‘Christmas in <strong>July</strong>’, which is also known as Yulefest or Yuletide in Australia.<br />
So that means hearty food like roasts, and warm drinks in front of fireplaces.<br />
Fantasea Cruising have collaborated with Club Palm Beach to create a Winter<br />
Cruise experience around <strong>Pittwater</strong> followed by a delicious Traditional hot<br />
Christmas Roast lunch (turkey and ham) with pudding – for just $30 per person<br />
(groups of 10 or more). Christmas in <strong>July</strong> will be on offer from Monday to<br />
Sundays for the month of <strong>July</strong>. For bookings call Club Palm Beach on 9974 5566.<br />
News<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 25
<strong>Pittwater</strong> News<br />
News<br />
Continued from page 25<br />
As happy as a dog… in mud<br />
The trial of the small off-leash dog walking area at Avalon<br />
Beach Reserve parklands on Central Road may still<br />
have a month to run but locals are already unconvinced<br />
it represents an ongoing option. The park turf and and its<br />
temporary fencing has taken a battering over the past few<br />
months, with June’s ‘big wet’ turning the grounds into a<br />
muddy quagmire requiring the turf to be replaced. Dog<br />
walkers report that although well-used, the small space<br />
cannot handle the volume of dogs and they are concerned<br />
it will require maintenance every month. A report will be<br />
presented to the Council regarding the future use of the<br />
location when the trial expires on <strong>July</strong> 31.<br />
to deliver enhanced social,<br />
sporting, cultural and recreational<br />
options for Northern<br />
Beaches’ youth, as well as to<br />
provide an integrated carpark<br />
close to public transport. The<br />
<strong>2018</strong> Col Mills Scholarship<br />
was presented to Northern<br />
Beaches Council’s Project<br />
Manager (Environment & Infrastructure),<br />
Russell Peake,<br />
who works on a wide range of<br />
Council’s environment and<br />
infrastructure projects. In<br />
the citation accompanying<br />
his Scholarship, Russell was<br />
described as “a bright, young<br />
professional, a future leader<br />
and a well-deserved recipient<br />
of the scholarship.”<br />
State assists Councils<br />
The recent NSW budget contained<br />
several allocations by<br />
the State Government aimed<br />
at continuing the support of<br />
local councils to enable better<br />
delivery of key services,<br />
facilities and infrastructure to<br />
their communities. Minister<br />
for Local Government, Ms Gabrielle<br />
Upton, noted highlights<br />
included: $98 million to help<br />
councils to deliver services<br />
and facilities for their local<br />
communities; $79 million to<br />
help pensioners make ends<br />
meet by subsidising council<br />
rates and charges; $31 million<br />
over 10 years for low interest<br />
loans so councils can invest<br />
in infrastructure to address<br />
housing affordability; $15 million<br />
so councils could provide<br />
better facilities through the<br />
Local Infrastructure Renewal<br />
Scheme; and $7 million to assist<br />
councils to prepare plans<br />
of management for Crown<br />
lands.<br />
Winter author<br />
discussions<br />
Beachside Bookshop at Avalon<br />
Beach is introducing a<br />
series of intimate Sunday afternoon<br />
events with local authors<br />
over the winter months,<br />
commencing on Sunday <strong>July</strong><br />
29 with Caroline Beecham,<br />
author of ‘Maggie’s Kitchen’<br />
and now ‘Eleanor’s Secret’.<br />
The ‘Sunday Salons’ will be<br />
held over an afternoon tea<br />
from 3-4pm in the shop and<br />
is free. Limited capacity, so<br />
bookings essential at info@<br />
beachsidebookshop.com or<br />
call 9918 9918.<br />
Christian School<br />
marks 40 years<br />
It began with a vision to instill<br />
in children a view of the world<br />
the way God sees it – and 40<br />
years later that vision remains<br />
a core value for Covenant<br />
Christian School. ‘Covie’<br />
started with a class of 19 and<br />
one teacher in a hired church<br />
hall in Terrey Hills – there are<br />
now almost 900 students from<br />
all over the northern beaches<br />
attending at the purpose builtschool<br />
in Belrose. “Today’s<br />
students and those from<br />
that very first class might be<br />
26 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
separated by four decades,<br />
societal changes, unfathomable<br />
advances in technology<br />
and the providence of infrastructure<br />
but they have this in<br />
common: they have been, and<br />
will be, taught God’s word as a<br />
seamless part of their curriculum,”<br />
principal Bill Rusin said.<br />
“This educational philosophy<br />
impacts what you’re saying,<br />
how you’re saying it, and how<br />
you teach.”<br />
$1.5m to help youth<br />
The NSW Government is<br />
urging local organisations to<br />
apply for a share of $1.5 million<br />
to support projects that<br />
improve youth participation<br />
in the community. The program<br />
provides one-off grants<br />
between $10,000 and $50,000<br />
to not-for-profit organisations<br />
and local councils for<br />
youth-led and youth-driven<br />
community projects.<br />
Projects previously selected<br />
aim to upskill young<br />
people to provide them with<br />
greater opportunities for<br />
employment in a number of<br />
sectors, including hospitality,<br />
events planning or<br />
media. Since the program<br />
was launched in 2012, Youth<br />
Opportunities has provided<br />
$9 million in funding to 177<br />
projects across NSW. Applications<br />
for grants under<br />
this year’s program close on<br />
Monday 16 <strong>July</strong>. More info:<br />
youth.nsw.gov.au/youthopportunities/<br />
Blues out for<br />
Avalon blood<br />
Throughout the State of Origin<br />
series the NSW Blues and<br />
Queensland Maroons have<br />
taken the competition offfield<br />
and are ‘Out for Blood’<br />
– encouraging fans to get out<br />
and donate for their state.<br />
The distinctive NSW Blues<br />
Mobile Donation Centre will<br />
be at Bowling Green Lane,<br />
Avalon on Fri 29 June and Sat<br />
30 June from 9am-2pm both<br />
days. To make an appointment<br />
call 13 14 95.<br />
Amnesty film event<br />
Amnesty International<br />
maintains the detention of<br />
Asylum Seekers is a form of<br />
torture and is used to deter<br />
other refugees from attempting<br />
to come to Australia. The<br />
film Chauka Please Tell Us<br />
The Time is a unique record<br />
of life inside detention on<br />
Manus Island. This thoughtprovoking<br />
film is being<br />
shown at Avalon Baptist<br />
Church on Sun <strong>July</strong> 1 at 5pm.<br />
Free entry and free supper<br />
but voluntary donations to<br />
Amnesty are welcome.<br />
Support for Soibada<br />
This month a group of local<br />
volunteers are once again<br />
heading to the village of<br />
Soibada in Timor Leste to<br />
continue the work begun 10<br />
years ago by the students<br />
at Avalon’s Maria Regina<br />
Catholic Primary School. As<br />
the children grew, so did<br />
the project, which has now<br />
become the registered charity<br />
The <strong>Pittwater</strong> Friends of<br />
Soibada and to involve local<br />
government several schools,<br />
community groups, Rotary<br />
and surf clubs. The key objective<br />
of the organisation is to<br />
support sustainable development<br />
in the region by helping<br />
to implement projects initiated<br />
by the people of Soibada<br />
to improve their daily lives<br />
and their future. Visit pittwaterfriendsofsoibada.org.au<br />
to<br />
find out how you can support<br />
this great work.<br />
Award for local<br />
medical design<br />
A local family business with<br />
a huge global presence has<br />
won an Australian Good Design<br />
award for a medical instrument<br />
used by specialists<br />
to treat skin conditions. The<br />
Terrey Hills-based company<br />
Dermapenworld was presented<br />
with the award for the<br />
Dermapen4 micro-needling<br />
instrument in a category<br />
that has recognised iconic<br />
brands such as Cochlear and<br />
ResMed.<br />
Vet<br />
on<br />
call<br />
with<br />
Dr Ben Brown<br />
Is your pet showing signs of<br />
slowing down? If you have<br />
seen your pet slowing down<br />
over the winter months, if<br />
could be a sign that they<br />
could be suffering from<br />
arthritis.<br />
Arthritis is a painful<br />
condition characterised by<br />
the progressive degeneration<br />
of cartilage in the joints of<br />
the body.<br />
Arthritis affects up to 25%<br />
of dogs and 90% of senior<br />
cats. Signs that your pet<br />
could be suffering from<br />
arthritis include stiffness<br />
after laying down, being<br />
slow on walks, limping, pain<br />
when being touched, muscle<br />
wasting and lethargy.<br />
There are many things<br />
which we can do to help our<br />
pets feel more comfortable<br />
when suffering from arthritis,<br />
including medications<br />
including non-steroidal anti<br />
inflammatories.<br />
Cartrophen injections can<br />
also make your pet feel more<br />
comfortable by stimulating<br />
new cartilage production and<br />
helping to lubricate the joint<br />
surfaces.<br />
There are certain diets<br />
such as Hills J/D which<br />
contains omega-3 fatty acids,<br />
glucosamine and chondroitin<br />
and anti-oxidants which has<br />
been shown to help preserve<br />
joint cartilage.<br />
Other supplements<br />
such as Joint Guard are<br />
also beneficial in helping<br />
prevent ongoing cartilage<br />
degeneration.<br />
Weight management is<br />
also essential in helping with<br />
arthritis as there will be less<br />
stress on your pet’s joints.<br />
If you have noticed any of<br />
these signs in your pet, drop<br />
into one of our hospitals at<br />
Newport or Avalon to discuss<br />
with one of the vets how best<br />
to help manage your pet’s<br />
arthritis and keep your pet<br />
comfortable.<br />
News<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 27
Driver’s<br />
Seat<br />
There’s no stopping Beryl<br />
Driver and her fellow<br />
‘Mermaids’ who are about<br />
to buckle up and head off<br />
on a 20th Variety Bash for<br />
kids in need.<br />
Story by Rosamund Burton<br />
<strong>Life</strong> Stories<br />
After turning 85 in May, Beryl Driver<br />
had to do the compulsory NSW<br />
driving test to retain her licence.<br />
She passed with ease; now this Order of<br />
Australia Medal and Australia Day Award<br />
recipient is preparing to head off in August<br />
on her 20th NSW Variety Bash. With<br />
friends Elyse Cole, doing her 11th bash,<br />
and Viktorija McDonell, on her 14th, Beryl<br />
is driving 4440 kilometres on mostly dirt<br />
roads from Bonnyrigg in Western Sydney<br />
to Braitling, a suburb of Alice Springs.<br />
Beryl’s Holden station wagon, its blue<br />
panels painted with brightly coloured<br />
mermaids, is parked outside her home on<br />
Bilgola Plateau. And she is in the kitchen<br />
making sausage rolls for the annual<br />
Variety fundraising event she holds at Currawong.<br />
Beryl Driver has had a lifelong passion<br />
for cars. Back in the 1970s her son Michael<br />
bought her a 1969 Plymouth Barracuda,<br />
and she spent many years at classic car<br />
shows with it. Because she’s always wanted<br />
to do the Redex Trial, but never had the opportunity,<br />
in 1999 a friend’s son suggested<br />
she should do the Bash. A week later Michael,<br />
who is a motor mechanic, had found<br />
her a car – a meticulously restored 1963<br />
EH Holden then owned by Warriewood<br />
publisher, David Scott.<br />
At the time Beryl looked after her four<br />
grandchildren every day, so she took them<br />
with her to his office.<br />
“He wanted $20,000 for the car. I sat<br />
across the table from him with my little<br />
grandkids and said, ‘I really want to do<br />
the bash. I’ll be the first woman with an<br />
all-female crew, but I’m only on a pension.<br />
I’ve got $3000 and not another cent to my<br />
name.’”<br />
David Scott told her to ring him tomorrow.<br />
“When I rang his secretary said, ‘David’s<br />
sitting here with one thumb up and one<br />
thumb down.’ ‘What does that mean?’ I<br />
asked. ‘Get your $3000 and come here as<br />
quick as you can before he changes his<br />
mind.’”<br />
Beryl was born in Leeton and moved to<br />
Mona Vale when she was two. Aged five<br />
she went to Mona Vale School, but after the<br />
first morning there decided she didn’t like<br />
school and walked home. Soon after she<br />
went with her parents to Glen Davies, near<br />
Lithgow, as her father had a trucking business,<br />
and he got a contract to build a road.<br />
Beryl’s mother cooked for the 300 workers.<br />
“She had a 22 rifle, and used to shoot<br />
rabbits to feed the men, and I used to drag<br />
along the hessian bags full of rabbits.”<br />
Beryl eventually started school aged<br />
eight when the Glen Davies contract<br />
finished and the family moved to Bondi,<br />
then left aged 14, after her Intermediate<br />
Certificate, to care for her mother when<br />
she broke her spine.<br />
Beryl’s father wouldn’t let her use the<br />
car, until she could drive a truck and semitrailer.<br />
When she got her licence she used<br />
to take the semi-trailer to dances at Rose<br />
Bay, and at the end of the night drop home<br />
all her friends. She met her husband, Brian<br />
Driver, at high school. They married when<br />
she was 19 and he was 21 and had three<br />
children, Michael, Bruce and Stacey.<br />
A friend who worked in the fire brigade<br />
with Beryl’s husband, and whose wife had<br />
just left him, asked if his two daughters,<br />
aged 5 and 6, could stay with the Drivers<br />
over the school holidays.<br />
“He brought the girls up, then left the<br />
fire brigade and disappeared for seven<br />
years.” Three years later her husband ran<br />
28 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
off, leaving her with the five children, and<br />
working three jobs to make ends meet. Susie<br />
O’Brien, the youngest of the two girls,<br />
and Beryl still see each other nearly daily.<br />
“She’s just like my own daughter.”<br />
These girls weren’t the only children<br />
to find their way into Beryl’s home. If<br />
children had nowhere to go, due to trouble<br />
at home, or after a broken marriage, they<br />
came to live in the small house on Bilgola<br />
Plateau.<br />
In 1999 Beryl Driver and Kit Moore,<br />
dressed as mermaids, and with a lighthouse<br />
flashing on the roof of the EH<br />
Holden, became the first female team to<br />
ever do the NSW Variety Bash. With Beryl’s<br />
commitment to supporting children doing<br />
the bash made perfect sense, as it’s one of<br />
the biggest fundraisers for the children’s<br />
charity, Variety, and visiting schools is the<br />
focus of the 10-day drive.<br />
Beryl drove the EH Holden for the next<br />
eight years, until her son Bruce, who is a<br />
welder by trade, said 2006 would have to<br />
be her last Bash, because the rusty body<br />
couldn’t be welded any more. The Bash<br />
had reached Huondon in Queensland,<br />
when Beryl told another driver, Gordon<br />
Douglas, that this was her last year, as she<br />
couldn’t afford another vehicle.<br />
“Beryl,” he said, “you’ve got to keep<br />
doing the Bash, you’re an inspiration to us<br />
all.” That evening Gordon showed Beryl an<br />
immaculate-looking 1974 Holden station<br />
wagon.<br />
“It’s yours,” he said, handing her the<br />
keys.<br />
It transpired that the exterior of the<br />
vehicle was in good shape, but it had<br />
mechanical problems, so all the parts<br />
from the first EH Holden went into the new<br />
one. The result was a rust-free body and a<br />
working vehicle, and 12 years later it’s still<br />
going. But because the bash cars have to be<br />
at least 30 years old, they break down frequently,<br />
so the Mermaids of Palm Beach,<br />
Bash Number 2108, travel well prepared.<br />
“We carry a spare radiator, two axles,<br />
two spare wheels and tyres, and three<br />
big plastic containers full of other spare<br />
parts.”<br />
She became involved in Bush to Beach<br />
when Jack Cannons, one of the heads of<br />
the Bash, founded it in 2005, organising<br />
through South Narrabeen SLSC for<br />
children from Brewarrina to come to the<br />
beach for the week. Beryl became friendly<br />
with Les and Joyce Doole, the indigenous<br />
couple coordinating the program in<br />
Brewarrina. Wanting to help the community<br />
further she collected clothes for<br />
both children and adults, and furniture<br />
for a women and children’s safe house,<br />
and made regular trips to Brewarrina with<br />
donations.<br />
Beryl was very close to the Gonsalves<br />
family and lived in a house on the waterfront<br />
next to boatshed for 42 years. She<br />
weathered several severe storms, and<br />
knew one was imminent on 5 June 2016.<br />
By the time she had packed a few belongings<br />
waves were breaking on the toilet<br />
block in the wharf car park.<br />
“I saw green water coming over the car,<br />
and thought when it breaks, I’m finished,<br />
because it’ll take the car with it. I put my<br />
foot down, and shot out onto the road.<br />
Next morning there were 12 cars written<br />
off in that car park.”<br />
The house collapsed, and her bed, furni-<br />
Continued on page 30<br />
<strong>Life</strong> Stories<br />
CLOCKWISE FROM<br />
OPPOSITE: Long-time car<br />
enthusiast Beryl Driver at<br />
home at Bilgola, making<br />
ready for her 20th NSW<br />
Variety Bash in August;<br />
trusty EH Holden – ‘Car<br />
2108’ – heads off-road; Beryl<br />
on her wedding day; with<br />
her Mermaid friends Elyse<br />
Cole and Viktorija McDonell;<br />
the Variety Bash provides<br />
the opportunity to meet<br />
and help local indigenous<br />
children.<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 29
Continued from page 29<br />
ture and belongings were swept away. So,<br />
she has returned to Bilgola Plateau, where<br />
she lived when she married and was bringing<br />
up her family.<br />
Member for Mackellar, Jason Falinski,<br />
recently made a speech in Federal Parliament<br />
about Beryl Driver, describing her as<br />
“a Mackellar icon… and a truly inspirational<br />
woman who has given everything<br />
she has to those in need even at her own<br />
detriment.” Ever since David Scott sold her<br />
the car he has been asking her to write a<br />
book about her life.<br />
“It’s been a wonderful 85 years,” she<br />
says, “but I haven’t got time – I’m too busy<br />
living it.”<br />
Footnote: You can meet Beryl and the<br />
Palm Beach Mermaids and check out car<br />
2108 when Federal MP Jason Falinski<br />
hosts a sausage sizzle fundraiser at<br />
Winnererremy Bay Playground Mona<br />
Vale on Sun 29 from 12.30-2pm. Also, the<br />
major fundraising dinner will be held<br />
at Palm Beach RSL on Mon 30 from 7pm.<br />
Dinner and entertainment $45 per head.<br />
All proceeds go to Variety the Children’s<br />
Charity. For tickets call 0410 478 897 or<br />
Club Palm Beach on 9974 5566 or pop into<br />
Pronto Cafe Palm Beach.<br />
<strong>Life</strong> Stories<br />
* To make a donation go to<br />
<strong>2018</strong>varietyb2bbash.everydayhero.com/<br />
au/car-2108<br />
30 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Beryl’s former home at Palm Beach before<br />
it was destroyed by a storm; receiving her Order of Australia Medal;<br />
toasting with The Mermaids at Cape York; with her beloved 1969<br />
Plymouth Barracuda; and car 2108’s journey to Broom, when Beryl tipped<br />
a container of water from the Pacific Ocean into the Indian Ocean.<br />
<strong>Life</strong> Stories<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 31
Cover Feature<br />
<strong>Life</strong><br />
without<br />
plastic<br />
With China’s recent<br />
announcement that it<br />
will no longer accept<br />
Australia’s waste for<br />
recycling, and the ABC’s<br />
War on Waste program<br />
highlighting that the<br />
contents of recycling bins<br />
in some regions end up<br />
in landfill, people are<br />
looking at what they can<br />
do to reduce their use of<br />
plastics. For Plastic Free<br />
<strong>July</strong>, <strong>Pittwater</strong> <strong>Life</strong> met<br />
residents who are focused<br />
on being part of the<br />
solution rather than the<br />
problem. Special report +<br />
pics by Rosamund Burton
Helga Pike<br />
’ve always been very<br />
“I aware of not using<br />
unnecessary plastic, but<br />
particularly lately,” says<br />
79-year-old Helga Pike. As<br />
the oldest active member of<br />
the Bayview Bei Loon Dragon<br />
Boating team at Bayview, and<br />
a daily swimmer in the Avalon<br />
ocean pool, she is only too<br />
conscious of the detrimental<br />
effect plastics are having on<br />
our oceans and sea life.<br />
Helga buys very little<br />
plastic, because she buys<br />
predominantly fresh food,<br />
shopping at the Friday<br />
Beaches Markets at Rat Park,<br />
and Avalon Organics, where<br />
she buys unpackaged dried<br />
fruit and nuts. She doesn’t<br />
buy meat in plastic trays from<br />
the supermarket, choosing<br />
instead to shop from the<br />
butcher, because the meat is<br />
only in a very thin plastic bag<br />
and wrapped in paper.<br />
“I do like carbonated<br />
water, so I used to buy<br />
bottles of that, but now<br />
I’ve got a SodaStream,”<br />
she says. She rushes over<br />
to the kitchen to make<br />
me a carbonated water,<br />
dropping in slices of<br />
lime from the garden,<br />
and it tastes delicious.<br />
Her other new purchase<br />
is a silicone lid as an<br />
alternative to cling film<br />
for sealing food (right).<br />
She admits she buys<br />
her milk in a plastic<br />
bottle and doesn’t want<br />
to go back to the days<br />
when she first came with her<br />
parents from Amsterdam as<br />
a 10-year-old to the Northern<br />
Beaches, and the milkman put<br />
milk in a billycan.<br />
“Birds often flipped off the<br />
lid, or there was debris in it,”<br />
she recalls.<br />
Helga loves blueberries<br />
and raspberries and is<br />
frustrated she can only<br />
buy them in plastic<br />
containers.<br />
“In my lifetime, I<br />
would love to see them<br />
presented in more<br />
eco-friendly packaging,<br />
like cardboard, but I’m<br />
not going to stop eating<br />
them.”<br />
But whenever possible<br />
Helga makes the choice<br />
to avoid or reduce the<br />
use of plastic, and<br />
her Avalon Heights<br />
neighbour, Kim Swaby,<br />
says she has the least<br />
rubbish of anyone she<br />
knows.<br />
“On weekly red bin nights,<br />
she has one little bag at the<br />
bottom of her rubbish bin.”<br />
Celebrate<br />
plastic-free<br />
There’s little doubt<br />
the vibrant and<br />
environmentally conscious<br />
groups on the northern<br />
beaches are leading the way<br />
towards a single-use-plasticsfree<br />
community.<br />
For the first time ocean<br />
conservation charity Living<br />
Ocean will host a huge day<br />
of beach cleans, great food,<br />
live music, workshops, face<br />
painting, films and so much<br />
more to showcase all the great<br />
work our community is doing<br />
in order to live a Plastic Free<br />
<strong>Life</strong>.<br />
Everyone is invited to<br />
Barrenjoey High School, off<br />
Tasman Road in Avalon, from<br />
10am-4pm on Saturday 28 <strong>July</strong><br />
for a day of love for our planet.<br />
Hear from the discussion<br />
panel of community and<br />
environmental leaders as they<br />
get stuck into the plastics<br />
situation.<br />
Take part in the hands-on<br />
Bees Wax Wraps workshop<br />
and make your own nonplastic<br />
food wraps or make<br />
Boomerang Bags, or learn how<br />
to recycle efficiently.<br />
Walk through the Avalon<br />
Community Garden and visit<br />
the chooks.<br />
There will be educational<br />
demonstrations and ecofriendly<br />
stalls selling things<br />
such as sustainable t-shirts or<br />
zero-waste reusable wooden<br />
cutlery sets.<br />
Meet the dedicated folks<br />
from Living Ocean, Wander<br />
Lightly, Sea Shepherd,<br />
Surfrider, Green Team, Take 3,<br />
Kimbriki, Wander Lightly and<br />
more. – Lisa Offord<br />
Cover Feature<br />
Café culture has an appetite for change<br />
When Surfrider Foundation<br />
Australia’s Ocean Friendly<br />
program rep Rowan Hanley took on the<br />
gig of encouraging businesses to take<br />
action to reduce single-use plastics she<br />
knew cafes, food providers and bars<br />
up our way would be quick to get on<br />
board.<br />
Since April, Rowan has been able<br />
to certify more than 22 northern<br />
beaches businesses that have set<br />
high standards of environmental<br />
accountability and sustainability to<br />
protect the planet.<br />
To be accredited as Ocean Friendly,<br />
businesses must not use polystyrene,<br />
plastic take-away packaging or<br />
containers, plastic bags, plastic cutlery,<br />
plastic straws, plastic water bottles;<br />
and they must also adhere to the<br />
proper recycling practices appropriate<br />
to their local areas.<br />
Other sustainable practices are also<br />
encouraged but are not mandatory<br />
such as discounts for customers who<br />
bring their own keep cups, water<br />
conservation efforts, energy efficient<br />
appliances and sustainable food<br />
procurement.<br />
Rowan says it seems that customers<br />
appreciate businesses that not only<br />
do things well but have “soul and<br />
purpose” and they respond in kind<br />
with patronage.<br />
Businesses interested in becoming<br />
Ocean Friendly are encouraged<br />
to send an email to operations@<br />
surfrider.com.au or rhanley@<br />
surfrider.org.au.<br />
– LO<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 33
Kane, Mavournee, Ivy & Beau Georgeson<br />
The Georgeson family, Kane<br />
and Mavournee, and their<br />
daughter, Ivy, and son, Beau,<br />
live in Avalon. At first glance<br />
their spacious family home<br />
seems no different to any<br />
other. However, four-year-old<br />
Ivy doesn’t show me a range<br />
of plastic toys, but instead a<br />
basket of ceramic shapes she<br />
made with her grandmother,<br />
and a large white wooden<br />
doll’s house (bottom left)<br />
containing only wooden<br />
furniture. In two-year-old<br />
Beau’s room is a big basket<br />
full of wooden building<br />
blocks, with ‘Beau’ and ‘Ivy’<br />
carved on them, which Kane<br />
made.<br />
“The kids do have some<br />
plastic toys, but they have<br />
mostly been given to us,”<br />
Kane explains, “or are<br />
second hand from Vinnies.”<br />
The Georgesons have a<br />
box of organic fruit and veg<br />
delivered weekly from The<br />
Organic Scarecrow.<br />
“Blueberries are a great<br />
treat, because we only get<br />
them in our produce box<br />
when they’re in season, or<br />
we go fruit picking,” says<br />
Mavournee.<br />
Their large pantry<br />
cupboard is filled with glass<br />
jars (below right).<br />
“We try to use all glass<br />
jars, but when we run out<br />
I use Tupperware,” says<br />
Mavournee. “We’ve been<br />
given a lot of Tupperware, as<br />
I’m a big accepter of things.”<br />
Mavournee is doing a<br />
Bachelor of Sustainability<br />
through the University of<br />
New England, and admits<br />
that she has been inspired<br />
by Bea Johnson’s book, Zero<br />
Waste Home. The decisions<br />
she makes are based not<br />
only on not using plastic,<br />
but also using items which<br />
would otherwise go to<br />
waste.<br />
They buy their dried<br />
foods, such as rice, flour,<br />
sugar, salt and pulses, and<br />
also herbs and spices, at<br />
either Scoop at Mona Vale<br />
or The Source Bulk Foods<br />
in Warriewood. When<br />
they buy meat, they take<br />
a Pyrex container for it<br />
to the butcher. As a cake<br />
decorator by profession,<br />
Mavournee enjoys cooking<br />
and happily makes all<br />
their food from scratch.<br />
When it comes to nappies<br />
they’ve used a combination<br />
environmentally friendly<br />
disposals and cloth ones.<br />
Kane admits that he isn’t<br />
someone who likes change<br />
but is pleasantly surprised<br />
to find reducing their use of<br />
plastic requires very little<br />
extra effort.<br />
“Lining the bin with<br />
newspaper is no harder than<br />
putting a plastic bag in.”<br />
With their two young<br />
children, they are<br />
determined to make<br />
conscious choices, and this<br />
extends to Kane’s irrigation<br />
business for residential<br />
gardens. The cylinders for<br />
his wire he returns to the<br />
supplier and are reused,<br />
and he’s found an outlet<br />
which recycles old poly pipe.<br />
However, he’s still searching<br />
for a company that can<br />
recycle hard plastic taps<br />
and materials which are a<br />
combination of metal and<br />
plastic.<br />
“Those are under the<br />
house in five big cardboard<br />
boxes, until I can figure out<br />
what to do with them.”<br />
Cover Feature<br />
Be consistent in your focus on the Big Four<br />
There are plenty of ways to reduce<br />
waste and its impact on the<br />
environment – the best part is you don’t<br />
have to make a drastic change to make an<br />
impact… you just have to be consistent.<br />
If you haven’t already, start by<br />
reducing the use of the ‘Big Four’ we<br />
can’t ignore – plastic bags, plastic bottles,<br />
takeaway coffee cups and plastic straws.<br />
Need a plan?<br />
Take your own shopping bags – keep<br />
them by the front door, in the car or<br />
folded up in your handbag so you<br />
don’t forget them. If you find yourself<br />
at the register without a bag and you<br />
buy too many goods to carry, ask the<br />
store for a box rather than fall into the<br />
habit of buying those heavier reusable<br />
plastic bags, which will eventually end<br />
up in landfill.<br />
Carry a reusable coffee cup – many<br />
cafes will reward your effort by giving<br />
you a discount on their brew.<br />
Use a reusable water bottle – there<br />
are plenty of cold-water re-fill stations<br />
to utilise while you are out and<br />
about. Say no to plastic straws and<br />
cutlery – BYO stainless steel reusable<br />
straws and eco-friendly utensils.<br />
– LO<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 35
Cover Feature<br />
Sarah Tait<br />
My final visit is to 41-yearold<br />
New Zealand-born Sarah<br />
Tait in Newport. In October<br />
2014, she went on a yoga retreat<br />
to a small Tongan island with<br />
Avalon-based yoga teacher,<br />
Denby Sheather. Finding a large<br />
sheet of polystyrene floating<br />
in the ocean, while on a boat<br />
whale watching, promoted a<br />
group conversation about the<br />
Great Pacific Garbage Patch and<br />
marine pollution. Sarah woke<br />
at 4am the following morning<br />
resolving to stop using plastic<br />
for a year and write a blog<br />
about it (wanderinglightly.com).<br />
“On 1 January 2015, I went<br />
plastic-free, and my rule was, if<br />
I did get any, I had to keep it.”<br />
In her kitchen cupboard, she<br />
had 182 food items packaged<br />
in single-use plastic, so bought<br />
bundles of glass jars from op<br />
shops, and transferred all the<br />
food items into those. She didn’t<br />
use teabags, explaining that<br />
most teabags, although they<br />
look like paper, are woven with<br />
a fine plastic, or the edges are<br />
sealed with a layer of plastic.<br />
When I mention that sometimes<br />
I baulk at the cost of<br />
an item in a bulk food store,<br />
because I know I can buy it in<br />
a plastic bottle in the supermarket<br />
for a sixth of the price,<br />
Sarah replies:<br />
“I’ve found reducing plastic<br />
you’re more mindful about<br />
what you buy. That first year I<br />
was a real purist, and I saved<br />
so much money. Partly because<br />
I wasn’t buying packaged food<br />
and instead making my own.”<br />
Sarah has continued to be<br />
a minimal user of plastic, but<br />
admits that sometimes her<br />
partner Dwane and she buy potato<br />
chips or corn thins, which<br />
come in a plastic wrapper. However,<br />
they both keep containers<br />
in their cars, so if they decide<br />
to get takeaway they ask for the<br />
meal to be put in those. Also,<br />
Sarah takes her own containers<br />
to delicatessens.<br />
In her bathroom, she shows<br />
me their bamboo-handled<br />
toothbrushes, and a shampoo<br />
soap bar.<br />
“I rinse my hair with cider<br />
vinegar, and if it feels a bit dry<br />
I rub some coconut oil on the<br />
ends,” she explains.<br />
Then she holds up her metal<br />
razor, and says the packet of<br />
blades cost $5 and lasts her a<br />
year.<br />
She used to make her own<br />
toothpaste, but now buys it,<br />
and recycles the tubes through<br />
TerraCycle, which offers free<br />
recycling of dental products, as<br />
well as hair and beauty products<br />
and coffee capsules.<br />
However, she does make, and<br />
sell, her own her natural deodorant.<br />
She also sells reusable<br />
metal straws which come with<br />
a cleaner, plus chopsticks and<br />
wooden cutlery sets made from<br />
recycled wood by local communities<br />
in Indonesia (above).<br />
For anyone trying to use less<br />
plastic Mavournee suggests<br />
starting with the big four –<br />
plastic bags, straws, coffee<br />
cups and plastic bottles.<br />
“My partner has a reusable<br />
coffee cup, and gets a coffee<br />
every day, so that’s 300-odd<br />
takeaway cups a year saved. I<br />
think it’s about doing what you<br />
can and what works for your<br />
lifestyle,” says Sarah.<br />
Boomerang Bags’ new direction<br />
After two years of creating<br />
thousands of re-useable<br />
Boomerang Bags for local<br />
shoppers in Avalon to borrow<br />
and share and finding many<br />
don’t make it back, volunteers<br />
are now making more bags for<br />
supporters to call their own.<br />
Carrying the logo “bought to<br />
support” an increasing number<br />
of bags are now made for sale<br />
at markets and community<br />
stalls. Boomerang Bags<br />
always welcomes volunteers<br />
to ‘sew’ the seeds of change<br />
by providing a sustainable<br />
alternative to plastic bags.<br />
If you can’t sew there are<br />
other ways to get involved and<br />
if you want to learn how to<br />
sew there are plenty of patient<br />
people willing to teach you.<br />
Volunteers meet at the Avalon<br />
Community Centre on Tuesdays<br />
from 11am-3pm – if you can’t<br />
attend during the day there are<br />
kits available to take away and<br />
do in your own time.<br />
For further info contact<br />
boomerangbagsavalon@<br />
hotmail.com or phone Laurel<br />
0410 608 315. – LO<br />
36 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
What a difference<br />
a year makes...<br />
Over the past 12 months Northern<br />
Beaches Council has adopted policies to<br />
reduce single-use plastics and reduce waste<br />
within the organisation and the wider<br />
community.<br />
Currently Council’s Coastal Environment<br />
Centre is driving an innovative program<br />
to eliminate single-use plastic in school<br />
canteens and significantly cut the amount<br />
of waste schools produce across the<br />
northern beaches.<br />
Major supermarkets have now stopped<br />
offering single use plastic bags to shoppers<br />
and pledged to reduce plastic wrap on fruit<br />
and vegies, meat and poultry and replace<br />
packaging with recycled and renewable<br />
materials.<br />
Customers can now drop soft plastics<br />
at supermarket ‘REDcycle’ bins so the<br />
material can be converted into products<br />
including outdoor furniture and road base.<br />
To reduce litter from drink containers,<br />
return and earn Reverse Vending Machines<br />
have popped up at Warriewood near the<br />
indoor sports centre and at <strong>Pittwater</strong> RSL<br />
Club, Mona Vale where people can receive<br />
a 10-cent refund for each empty glass, cans<br />
and plastic container deposited. – LO<br />
Cover Feature<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 37
Beaches Living<br />
Warm up to winter<br />
When winter bites we<br />
naturally spend more<br />
time inside, rearranging<br />
interiors to add warmth to<br />
our home, planning improvements<br />
and tackling those<br />
necessary jobs that are often<br />
put off when sunny days and<br />
blue skies demand we enjoy<br />
the great outdoors<br />
To help take the chill off<br />
the season we’ve brought together<br />
some tips and a directory<br />
of local experts who can<br />
help you create a home that’s<br />
functional, warm and bright.<br />
Compiled by Lisa Offord<br />
Focus on<br />
what works<br />
Is your home working for you?<br />
The specialists at Sydney Design<br />
School suggest you start by asking<br />
some tough questions about<br />
whether your home fits your<br />
current lifestyle such as;<br />
Can people move around<br />
your living spaces easily?<br />
Do you need more seating<br />
and is it comfortable?<br />
Are all areas of your home<br />
well used?<br />
And if not, can they take on<br />
a new life?<br />
Be productive and sort<br />
through cupboards, shelves<br />
and storage areas and declutter<br />
– sell or donate furniture<br />
and objects you don’t use or<br />
love and in return allow your<br />
most beautiful possessions<br />
the space to shine.<br />
Think carefully before you<br />
bring new pieces into your<br />
home – do they bring you joy<br />
and enhance the space? Do<br />
they work with your home’s<br />
colour palette?<br />
Speak to an interior designer<br />
or book yourself into a<br />
course so you can achieve the<br />
look and feel you want without<br />
making mistakes along<br />
the way.<br />
Comfort rules<br />
Take stock of how you heat<br />
your home and how your<br />
home retains the heat.<br />
Use passive design principles<br />
to increase comfort and<br />
reduce energy use.<br />
Assess insulation in the<br />
roof, walls and floor and take<br />
steps to stop draughts breezing<br />
through – check around<br />
doors, windows, in between<br />
floorboards, chimneys and<br />
around exhaust fans and seal<br />
up.<br />
To save energy, zone your<br />
home and only heat the rooms<br />
you are using, closing doors<br />
to prevent heat escaping into<br />
unused spaces.<br />
It also pays to keep your<br />
blinds open during the day<br />
to allow sunshine to warm up<br />
your rooms before the temperature<br />
drops at night.<br />
At night, use heavy curtains<br />
to block draughts and insulate<br />
your windows from the cold.<br />
And check your ventilation<br />
is up to scratch; the last thing<br />
you want in winter is constant<br />
condensation on your windows<br />
and damp and mould on<br />
your walls and ceilings.<br />
You can instantly add<br />
warmth to a room by introducing<br />
layers of plush textiles in<br />
fluffy faux fur, luxe velvets<br />
and wool.<br />
Things like cushions,<br />
throws, sheepskins, floor rugs<br />
and heavy curtains in a blend<br />
of different materials will<br />
instantly add an element of<br />
cosiness to a home.<br />
Simply overlapping rugs on<br />
floors and adding cushions<br />
and chunky knit throws on<br />
sofas, chairs and beds are<br />
not only bang on trend but<br />
can also prevent heat from<br />
escaping.<br />
Take the coldness off bare<br />
walls with framed photographs<br />
and artwork you love.<br />
Light candles, switch to<br />
low-wattage bulbs in side and<br />
floor lamps and string up interesting<br />
lights to provide yet<br />
another layer of warmth and<br />
ambiance in your home.<br />
It’s cool to<br />
work now<br />
Maintaining your home and<br />
contents by protecting surfaces,<br />
replacing and repairing<br />
worn fixtures and furnishings<br />
and fixing leaks and cracks<br />
when they first appear can<br />
prevent the need for much<br />
bigger and more expensive<br />
jobs.<br />
38 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Don’t wait for spring! Even<br />
the simple act of keeping<br />
furniture, floors and fixtures<br />
clean and not letting dust and<br />
dirt build up will help keep<br />
your home in tip-top shape.<br />
Regular TLC – yes even<br />
outside in the colder months –<br />
will pay off in the long run.<br />
Check your roof, skylights,<br />
windows and keep gutters<br />
free and clear as neglect can<br />
lead to leaks, flooding and<br />
major internal damage.<br />
Make sure you get advice<br />
from a builder before conducting<br />
any major work.<br />
Having the exterior of your<br />
house professionally washed<br />
HEATING<br />
yourhome.gov.au/energy/<br />
heating-and-cooling<br />
INTERIORS<br />
Sydney Design School<br />
sydneydesignschool.com.au<br />
9437 1902<br />
Antique General Store<br />
antiquegeneralstore.com.au<br />
9913 7636<br />
Peninsula Reflections<br />
Custom framing and gallery<br />
4 Daydream St Warriewood<br />
peninsulareflections.com.au<br />
9979 4488<br />
AWNINGS, BLINDS<br />
AND CURTAINS<br />
SunSpec<br />
Opening roofs and awnings<br />
sunspec.com.au<br />
0413 737 934<br />
Shades of <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />
1731 <strong>Pittwater</strong> Rd Mona Vale<br />
shadesofpittwater.luxaflex.<br />
will remove mould as well as<br />
grime and significantly extend<br />
the life of its paint job.<br />
And if your home is on the<br />
‘dark side’ simply cleaning<br />
windows, skylights, louvered<br />
roofs or replacing old ones can<br />
instantly brighten things up.<br />
A good-quality louvered<br />
roof can give you the flexibility<br />
to control the light, provide<br />
ventilation and view the sky<br />
when you want to.<br />
Bring new life to furniture<br />
by having leather furniture<br />
and fabric covers professionally<br />
cleaned and replacing<br />
uncomfortable cushion inserts<br />
with new supportive ones.<br />
com.au<br />
9999 6001<br />
HOUSEWASHING<br />
The Aqua Clean Team<br />
Call Mark 0449 049 101<br />
Martin Earl House Wash<br />
Call Martin 0405 583 305<br />
UPHOLSTERY<br />
Leather Hero<br />
0490 796 012<br />
Luxafoam North<br />
luxafoamnorth.com.au<br />
9999 5567<br />
Essyou Design<br />
0422 466 880<br />
Avalon Marine Upholstery<br />
9918 9803<br />
FLOOR COVERINGS<br />
Blue Tongue Carpets<br />
Showroom – 1 Polo Ave<br />
Mona Vale<br />
9979 7292<br />
Rug Revival<br />
Heating can dry out leather<br />
and cause cracks – a thorough<br />
clean and condition can address<br />
this issue.<br />
Thinking of the bigger<br />
picture? Winter is a great time<br />
to plan major renovations<br />
and updates to kitchens and<br />
bathrooms – flick through<br />
magazines and websites and<br />
visit showrooms for inspiration.<br />
And if you want your home<br />
in the best shape it can be for<br />
spring and summer beat the<br />
rush and line up your tradies<br />
now.<br />
For more info and local services<br />
contact…<br />
aglcarpetservices.com.au<br />
9997 8888<br />
Karavan<br />
373 Barrenjoey Rd Newport<br />
0412 259 268<br />
KITCHENS<br />
Collaroy Kitchen Centre<br />
Showroom - 1000 <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />
Rd Collaroy<br />
collaroykitchen.com.au<br />
9972 9300<br />
Northern Suburbs<br />
Water Filters<br />
Showroom – 6/20 Bungan St<br />
Mona Vale<br />
9979 5855<br />
BUILDER<br />
Renovations and repairs/all<br />
carpentry needs<br />
Rob Burgers 9973 1455 or<br />
0416 066 159<br />
Eco Corner<br />
How<br />
refreshing<br />
to walk into a<br />
major super<br />
market in<br />
late June<br />
to discover<br />
their singleuse<br />
plastic<br />
bags have<br />
with<br />
Jono Burke<br />
disappeared! If the biggest<br />
businesses in Australia can<br />
help make a difference to our<br />
environment then we should<br />
all follow their leads.<br />
The consumption of nonrenewable<br />
sources like oil,<br />
gas and coal is increasing at<br />
an alarming rate. The time<br />
has come to look at other<br />
renewable sources of energy<br />
i.e. solar, wind and geothermal<br />
energy.<br />
The main benefit of solar<br />
energy is that it does not<br />
produce any pollutants and<br />
is one of the cleanest sources<br />
of energy. It requires low<br />
maintenance and the systems<br />
are easy to install. The only<br />
limitation is that it cannot be<br />
used at night and the amount<br />
of sunlight that is received on<br />
earth depends on location,<br />
time of day, time of year, and<br />
weather conditions. Australia is<br />
the sunburnt country so there’s<br />
plenty of sun to go around!<br />
The main components of<br />
a solar system are the solar<br />
panels, used to capture the<br />
energy and the solar inverter,<br />
which in turn is used to convert<br />
the energy from DC (Direct<br />
Current) to AC (Alternating<br />
Current) in your property.<br />
Inverters now have the<br />
ability to convert the energy<br />
ready for storage, most<br />
commonly into Lithium<br />
batteries that have become<br />
cost-effective. This allows the<br />
solar energy you are producing<br />
to power your property<br />
through the night time hours<br />
when there is no sunlight.<br />
The technology is as good<br />
as it has ever been and the<br />
payback periods have reduced<br />
dramatically (some cases<br />
down to two years) to make<br />
going solar a cost-effective<br />
investment for your family or<br />
business. So start saving the<br />
planet, one roof at a time…<br />
* Jono is a Partner with Solar<br />
Energy Enterprises<br />
Beaches Living<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 39
Art <strong>Life</strong><br />
Art <strong>Life</strong><br />
Curate escape<br />
Mona Vale photographer<br />
Pamela Pauline says<br />
curating the northern<br />
beaches’ new private hospital<br />
Arcadia <strong>Pittwater</strong> with 70 pieces<br />
of her artwork was one of the<br />
most challenging yet rewarding<br />
experiences of her career.<br />
Pamela’s works cover the<br />
rooms and corridors of three<br />
floors at the hospital which<br />
opened in February. They<br />
include scenes of water, birds,<br />
trees and other flora and fauna.<br />
Pamela approached the<br />
directors of the hospital with<br />
a proposal after hearing they<br />
were looking to install artworks.<br />
They approved, and she then<br />
met with the hospital’s Interior<br />
Design Team at Billard Leece.<br />
“We worked closely to select<br />
the photos and it helped me understand<br />
their colour scheme,<br />
so that I could ensure that my<br />
works were coordinated and<br />
enhanced their design,” she<br />
said. “Thereafter the selection<br />
was curated with the purpose of<br />
illuminating the extraordinary<br />
beauty of <strong>Pittwater</strong>’s natural<br />
environment.”<br />
The word ‘Arcadia’ played a<br />
role in the curation.<br />
“Arcadia in old Greek means<br />
‘a vision of pastoralism and harmony<br />
with nature’,” Pamela said.<br />
“As such, the artworks selected<br />
for this facility were congruent<br />
with this vision, offering patients<br />
a sense of connectivity to<br />
nature, facilitating<br />
a reprieve from<br />
their discomfort<br />
and a sense of<br />
wellness and<br />
hope.”<br />
She purposefully<br />
veered away<br />
from images of negativity, or<br />
those with too much energy<br />
such as powerful storm fronts<br />
or crashing waves.<br />
“The works are 100 per cent<br />
photographic, but myriad<br />
processing techniques are used<br />
to create the final piece,” she<br />
said. “Of course, there are also<br />
images that just capture an<br />
incredible moment in time.”<br />
The lobby, banquette and<br />
meeting rooms showcase large<br />
Arcadia in old<br />
Greek means<br />
‘a vision of<br />
pastoralism’<br />
works printed onto metal and<br />
encased in an artbox frame.<br />
The lobby features a smooth,<br />
long-exposure wave in a triptych<br />
comprised of three 1.5m x<br />
1m prints on metal.<br />
“For the banquette artwork,<br />
we used a triptych again, with<br />
three 1m x 1m prints on metal<br />
of the beautiful rocks down at<br />
Flint and Steel<br />
Beach at West<br />
Head,” said<br />
Pamela.<br />
The other<br />
works in the<br />
hospital have<br />
been printed<br />
onto canvas. They are generally<br />
grouped in themes along<br />
corridors – ocean pools as you<br />
walk towards the pool and gym;<br />
birds in trees in another corridor;<br />
sailboats and ocean scenes<br />
in another.<br />
“The feedback received<br />
suggests that using one artist<br />
throughout provides a sense of<br />
continuity, calm and cohesion,”<br />
said Pamela.<br />
“I have been thrilled to receive<br />
several emails from patients<br />
and visitors to the hospital commenting<br />
about their pleasure in<br />
viewing the artworks. During<br />
my visits, I have enjoyed engaging<br />
with patients – their curiosity<br />
and affinity with the images<br />
has been heartwarming.”<br />
Arcadia <strong>Pittwater</strong> Director<br />
Dr Harry Pannu said Pamela’s<br />
artworks were chosen because<br />
they wanted bespoke photos<br />
of local landscape, fauna and<br />
flora to suit the hospital and its<br />
northern beaches location.<br />
“We reviewed Pamela’s previous<br />
work and found that her<br />
artistic touch created a sense of<br />
serenity and calmness to the patients<br />
of the hospital,” Dr Pannu<br />
said. “It is also fantastic to be<br />
able to showcase the talents of<br />
a local northern beaches artist.”<br />
* You can view Pamela’s other<br />
works in her new home studio/<br />
gallery on Mona Vale headland<br />
(by appointment only); she is<br />
also offering creative workshops<br />
in the studio. More info<br />
0412 234 675.<br />
– Nigel Wall<br />
40 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Arts and crafts on show<br />
Members of the Artists and Craftsmen of<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> are hunkered in their studios<br />
painting and creating new work for their next<br />
exhibition and sale at Mona Vale Memorial Hall<br />
on <strong>July</strong> 19-21.<br />
Two new artists who have joined their number<br />
will exhibit – Patricio Polanski will take the<br />
art viewer on a colourful storytelling journey<br />
with his vibrant acrylic paintings, while Carol<br />
Altman who has won awards at the St Ives<br />
Show will be exhibiting oil paintings depicting<br />
beach and landscapes.<br />
Popular artist Linda Joyce, who was a finalist<br />
in the Hunters Hill Art Show this year, will be<br />
bringing her amazingly<br />
detailed work<br />
to the winter exhibition.<br />
Linda has<br />
also won many of<br />
the ACOP ‘People’s<br />
Choice’ art awards.<br />
Organisers<br />
promise a diverse<br />
collection from<br />
their other team<br />
of artists, with oil<br />
paintings, acrylic<br />
art, water colour<br />
and mixed media all at affordable prices.<br />
Meanwhile, crafters will display patchwork,<br />
jewellery, porcelain, wooden burls, handpainted<br />
art cards and wooden gifts, quilling,<br />
knitted baby wear and toys, felted toys and<br />
play mats, silk scarves, paper tole, children’s<br />
clothing (including new designs by Ruth),<br />
cushions, folk art, silver wire jewellery, glass,<br />
felt mermaids and creatures for children,<br />
embroidery plus a few Christmas-themed<br />
items for sale. (Great to send overseas or to<br />
celebrate ‘Christmas in <strong>July</strong>’).<br />
The exhibition and sale is open each day<br />
(Thursday through Saturday) from 9am-4pm.<br />
More info on Facebook or www.acop.com.au<br />
Art <strong>Life</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 41
Art <strong>Life</strong><br />
Art <strong>Life</strong><br />
Coco warms<br />
to career<br />
Coco Tully was still studying at<br />
Sydney Design School when she<br />
decided to launch her own business<br />
Cote Interiors in Manly.<br />
A former fashion buyer and merchandiser,<br />
Coco graduated with a<br />
Diploma in Interior Design and Decoration<br />
from SDS in December 2017.<br />
“When I decided to change<br />
careers and study interior design, I<br />
just assumed I would work for someone else for a few years to<br />
learn the ropes,” Coco said.<br />
But towards the end of her course at SDS she had what she<br />
described as a “bit of an Aha! moment”.<br />
“I asked myself why I was putting off my ultimate goal when<br />
I was already armed with a comprehensive design education<br />
and business knowledge from my previous career,” she said.<br />
Coco was amazed at how much she has learnt in the past 18<br />
months about design, about business and about herself.<br />
“When I enrolled, I didn’t know how to read a technical<br />
drawing and now I can whip one up in AutoCAD.<br />
“I can also tell you about Australian Trademark laws,<br />
accounting platforms, and tile slip ratings – things I knew<br />
absolutely zero about before,” she said.<br />
Sydney Design School is currently taking enrolments for its<br />
next major intake starting <strong>July</strong> 23 (see ad p41). – LO<br />
Towering presence<br />
series of assemblages<br />
A expressing fascination with<br />
the architecture of religious<br />
worship is the focus of inventive<br />
Sydney sculptor Geoff Harvey’s<br />
latest exhibition at the<br />
Manly Art Gallery & Museum.<br />
Opening on <strong>July</strong> 13, Harvey’s<br />
works – all made from<br />
recycled materials – reference<br />
distinctive Christian domes<br />
and columns of Western sacred<br />
architecture, with others<br />
evocative of Eastern philosophy<br />
with slender minarets and<br />
finely proportioned towers.<br />
MAG&M senior curator Katherine<br />
Roberts said all conveyed<br />
a dignity and clarity<br />
of proportion that<br />
transcended<br />
the materials’<br />
humble<br />
origins.<br />
“Together<br />
in this<br />
installation<br />
they speak<br />
of an overriding humanity,” she<br />
said.<br />
Much of what Geoff makes<br />
comes from the streets and<br />
beaches of the Manly area,<br />
courtesy of his long-time friend<br />
and local resident Rudi Wolf.<br />
“Like Geoff, Rudi has a passion<br />
for recycling materials and<br />
during his daily walks he often<br />
picks up unusual things he<br />
knows Geoff may use in his art<br />
practice,” said Ms Roberts.<br />
“They are both pleased that<br />
instead of becoming landfill<br />
these objects have been reinvented<br />
as art.”<br />
Geoff Harvey has appeared<br />
in numerous group exhibitions<br />
in Australia,<br />
England and<br />
USA including<br />
Sculpture by the<br />
Sea, Sydney.<br />
More info on<br />
the Council<br />
website or<br />
9976 1421.<br />
42 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
It’s ‘still’<br />
rock ’n’ roll<br />
Artist Phil Meatchem<br />
is looking forward to<br />
“rocking” the local community<br />
with his innovative solo<br />
exhibition ‘
Surfing <strong>Life</strong><br />
Surfing <strong>Life</strong><br />
Make a critical incident<br />
safety net your priority<br />
The Indo surfari follow-up: here’s what to do to protect yourself on a trip...<br />
Last month’s piece on<br />
the perils of travelling<br />
to remote Indonesian<br />
surf zones drew a lot of<br />
responses. Like, a LOT.<br />
Many people recounted their<br />
experiences and those of<br />
others, either stuff they’d<br />
witnessed or just heard about<br />
through the coconut wireless.<br />
One of the issues with<br />
assessing surf travel risk in<br />
this part of the world is the<br />
lack of statistical evidence;<br />
not even travel insurance<br />
companies keep detailed tabs<br />
on such things. We tallied the<br />
responses, matched them up<br />
with our own research, and<br />
came up with five deaths in<br />
the past six years, two being<br />
surf guides who drowned on<br />
duty. Also a very broad and<br />
rather magnificent collection<br />
of injuries/illnesses,<br />
including loss of eyes, neardisembowellings,<br />
severe head<br />
injuries, heart attacks, broken<br />
bones (compounded and<br />
otherwise), dislocations, and<br />
the classic dengue fevers and<br />
malarias.<br />
Talking with resort owners<br />
and operators revealed a<br />
different picture: one in which<br />
some boats and camps are<br />
well-resourced in safety and<br />
care, but are relied upon in<br />
emergencies by other, less-<br />
organised operators, who run<br />
on luck and the good graces<br />
of their betters. As Gavan<br />
Clark, a former paramedic<br />
and long-time surfer who<br />
now runs a first aid training<br />
program for Indo surf guides,<br />
says: “The cowboys end up<br />
relying on the established<br />
operators to get them out of<br />
trouble.”<br />
Some resorts hire specialist<br />
trainers like Clark and his<br />
team to coach their guides in<br />
lifeguard skills and help them<br />
stock up on gear like oxygen<br />
and defibrillators; others even<br />
provide free accommodation<br />
for doctors or paramedics<br />
who want a surf holiday. And<br />
some third parties are trying<br />
to make a difference. Surfing<br />
Doctors, an organisation of<br />
around 40 docs worldwide,<br />
have set up an infirmary at<br />
the renowned Grajagan surf<br />
camp in eastern Java – but it’s<br />
at the surfing docs’ expense.<br />
Further north, at Lagundri<br />
Bay on the island of Nias,<br />
Australian ophthalmology<br />
specialist Dr Raf Ghabrial<br />
is helping drive the set-up<br />
of a not-for-profit medical<br />
clinic to service locals and<br />
travelling surfers alike. (You<br />
can help by donating funds to<br />
friendsofnias.org).<br />
This is all great stuff;<br />
WIPEOUT WOES: Don’t get caught out when surfing overseas.<br />
Lagundri and Grajagan have<br />
seen some horrendous<br />
injuries and deaths over the<br />
years. But it’s far from the<br />
norm, and no rules, either<br />
within the travel industry or<br />
local governments, govern<br />
the supply of such training or<br />
expertise.<br />
Here are a few tips for you<br />
or any of yours who might<br />
be planning such a trip:<br />
with Nick Carroll<br />
Get good travel insurance.<br />
This is a must. It should<br />
cover medical evacuation<br />
from remote places (many<br />
insurance policies only work<br />
within 25 kilometres of a<br />
significant town) and should<br />
have no cap on medical<br />
expenses. Pay the extra.<br />
Do your homework. Make<br />
sure you know how prepared<br />
(or not) your resort or boat<br />
44 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
PL’s JULY SURF CALENDAR<br />
<strong>July</strong> 2-13: Corona Open J-Bay, Jeffreys Bay, South Africa<br />
Last year this was the best event on the WSL Championship Tour.<br />
Best surf, best single wave ridden, best win from Brazil’s Filipe<br />
Toledo. When it’s on fire, Jeffreys Bay is an overwhelming surf<br />
experience: big, broad, fast, hollow, technically challenging, and<br />
not without consequences, as even Kelly Slater can attest. (Another<br />
feature of last year was Kelly breaking his foot in a wipeout, an<br />
injury from which he is yet to fully recover.) This year it’s a double<br />
header, with a long overdue women’s CT added to the program;<br />
it’s also the tour’s hinge event, being sixth out of 11 stops on the<br />
CT. Super critical in other words. But there’s two big risks at J-Bay.<br />
One – sharks – we all know about courtesy of Mick Fanning’s 2015<br />
moment. The other is inconsistency. The joint pumped last year<br />
for 11 days straight, but its coastal angle and shadowing behind<br />
Cape St Francis further west means it’s just as likely to be flat.<br />
Here’s hoping it isn’t.<br />
NICK’S JULY SURF FORECAST<br />
The Bureau of Meteorology thinks this will be a dry winter. Me, I think<br />
the end of June may mean the onset of a colossal and frightening<br />
flat spell. Sydney has not had a real winter flat spell for many, many<br />
years, not since the winter of 1979, in fact. Back then it went flat at<br />
the start of June and nothing happened until the end of <strong>July</strong>. I mean,<br />
it literally was flat for almost two months. This may well occur again<br />
from the beginning of <strong>July</strong> through to the end of August, when it<br />
looks as if a succession of long-range westerly wind fronts will pass<br />
across south-eastern Australia, bringing cool dry winds, relatively<br />
warm conditions, and very little opportunity in the way of swell.<br />
Truly, truly I hope this does not happen and instead we experience a<br />
continuation of June, an energetic and explosive month during which<br />
all kinds of weather nonsense happened and several big swells<br />
landed on our doorstep. But I can’t see June turning into <strong>July</strong>. Get<br />
ready for a very boring surf month.<br />
Nick Carroll<br />
Surfing <strong>Life</strong><br />
operator is in case of an<br />
emergency, or just a small<br />
injury for that matter. Can<br />
they pull off a medical<br />
evacuation in a crisis? The<br />
way things are at present,<br />
your research and your<br />
choice will come back to you,<br />
not to them.<br />
Take your own stuff. A<br />
simple but useful first aid<br />
kit can be found at many<br />
pharmacies or online. Surf<br />
travel agents often stock kits;<br />
they’ll happily point you to<br />
one of the numerous surf first<br />
aid kits available from various<br />
websites. Expect to pay $60 to<br />
$80 for a good one.<br />
Stay hydrated. This is a big<br />
one for surfers coming from<br />
a cool Aussie winter straight<br />
into equatorial climes. Beer<br />
won’t do it. Drink a lot of<br />
water, especially early in the<br />
day before you do too much<br />
surfing, and when you’re not in<br />
the water, stay out of the sun.<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
Listen to the guides. A lot<br />
of injuries happen when<br />
surfers overstep their limits<br />
in unfamiliar surfing territory.<br />
A good guide knows when<br />
to encourage a client and<br />
when to advise discretion.<br />
Don’t do something you know<br />
you can’t do just because<br />
someone else on your trip can<br />
do it – or worse, because your<br />
mates egg you on.<br />
Most of all: make it an issue.<br />
Let booking agents, resorts,<br />
charters, owners and guides<br />
know that a critical incident<br />
safety net is part of your trip<br />
decision and really matters to<br />
you. Every person we’d talked<br />
with by <strong>Pittwater</strong> <strong>Life</strong>’s press<br />
time told us they thought<br />
the main factor in change<br />
will prove to be customer<br />
pressure. The more surfers<br />
demand better crisis care on<br />
trips, the more resorts and<br />
charters will feel encouraged<br />
to provide it.<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 45
Health & Wellbeing<br />
Health & Wellbeing<br />
Dragon boaters fire<br />
up for good cause<br />
Angie O’Reilly, a member<br />
of Bei Loon Dragon<br />
Boat Club and <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />
Pinks, was diagnosed with<br />
high-grade breast cancer in<br />
2002 and given a 65 per cent<br />
chance of not making five<br />
years.<br />
Angie, whose<br />
treatment over a<br />
12-month period included<br />
two surgeries,<br />
seven months<br />
of chemotherapy<br />
and seven weeks of<br />
radiotherapy, said<br />
she was determined<br />
to beat the odds<br />
and to be around<br />
“way longer” than<br />
five years.<br />
“So here I am<br />
nearly 16 years<br />
later, stronger than<br />
ever.”<br />
She credits Dragons Abreast<br />
Australia and dragon boating<br />
for “giving me my life back –<br />
and I am fitter than I have ever<br />
been, both in mind and body.”<br />
Angie explained she was introduced<br />
to dragon boating in<br />
2004 by her Breast<br />
Care Nurse.<br />
“A study undertaken<br />
in Canada in<br />
1996 determined<br />
that upper body<br />
exercise and, in<br />
particular, dragon<br />
boating was not<br />
only safe but<br />
beneficial to breast<br />
cancer survivors<br />
both physically<br />
and, equally as<br />
important, psychologically,”<br />
Angie<br />
said.<br />
She said Dragon<br />
Boating for breast cancer survivors<br />
began in Australia with the<br />
organisation Dragons Abreast<br />
Australia (DAA) in 1998.<br />
Angie has been paddling for<br />
13 years and will be competing<br />
in two International events<br />
this month. The first is an International<br />
Breast Cancer Paddlers<br />
Commission Festival in<br />
Florence, Italy with 24 of her<br />
breast cancer survivor teammates<br />
which will see some<br />
200 crews (4,000+) individuals<br />
from all over the World.<br />
Then she’s off to the Club<br />
Crew World Championships in<br />
Szeged, Hungary, where the<br />
Bei Loon over-40s Women’s<br />
crew qualified alongside only<br />
two other Australian crews to<br />
join a total 500 crews from<br />
across the world. The team of<br />
23 paddlers will be competing<br />
against 14 other international<br />
crews over race distances of<br />
200m, 500m and 2000m.<br />
In preparation, the Bei Loon<br />
Ladies have undertaken a gruelling<br />
program which includes<br />
four ‘on water’ training session<br />
per week.<br />
Steve McKeogh, Bei Loon’s<br />
Head Coach, said: “This team<br />
has made a huge commitment,<br />
right from the start of<br />
the season. It has been an<br />
inspirational journey already,<br />
before we even leave home.<br />
“The competition overseas<br />
is going to be tough, we’re<br />
up against teams with a huge<br />
membership base and a<br />
46 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
history of being very strong<br />
at this level of competition.<br />
Having earned the honour of<br />
representing Australian clubs<br />
and racing alongside them<br />
means there are no losers<br />
at this World event and the<br />
chance of a huge achievement<br />
if we can beat them!”<br />
When she’s not training<br />
and competing, Angie works<br />
to spread the word about<br />
the Dragons Abreast Festival<br />
which will be held on Saturday<br />
October 20 at Darling<br />
Harbour.<br />
The festival’s Corporate and<br />
Community Challenge, involving<br />
hundreds of passionate<br />
people of all ages, gender and<br />
fitness levels racing 12-metre<br />
dragon boats, is the major<br />
fundraiser for DAA which helps<br />
thousands thrive in their lives<br />
after breast cancer treatment.<br />
Businesses and community<br />
groups are encouraged to<br />
get together a group of 16-24<br />
people, enter a team and get<br />
training – if you have never<br />
paddled there’s plenty of support<br />
to show you how.<br />
For more information go<br />
to dragonsabreastfestival.<br />
com.au<br />
– Lisa Offord<br />
Health & Wellbeing<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 47
Health & Wellbeing<br />
Health & Wellbeing<br />
Next Gen contact lenses:<br />
seeing without specs<br />
Patients over 40 love contact<br />
lenses, but losing flexibility<br />
in reading vision presents some<br />
challenges.<br />
The latest technology in<br />
multifocal contact lens designs<br />
can keep those needing reading<br />
glasses free from specs for most<br />
daily activities. Imagine driving<br />
to a restaurant and then reading<br />
a menu in dim lighting without<br />
the need to pull out readers and<br />
show your age.<br />
People love contact lenses for<br />
convenience, lifestyle and providing<br />
excellent vision. For some<br />
the advantage of visual clarity<br />
becomes a challenge when they<br />
reach their 40s and experience<br />
the onset of presbyopia (problems<br />
focussing at near). Suddenly<br />
their spectacle-free world<br />
is invaded by reading glasses.<br />
For many of my patients, multifocal<br />
contact lenses provide<br />
a solution that allows them to<br />
continue to enjoy freedom from<br />
everyday spectacle wear.<br />
But not all multifocal contact<br />
lenses are equal…<br />
Just like spectacles, multifocal<br />
contact lenses come in a variety<br />
of designs and technologies<br />
that can suit each individual<br />
patient differently. Each design<br />
may interact differently with the<br />
brain and eyes, and the material<br />
may interact differently with the<br />
ocular surface.<br />
Each patient’s visual processing,<br />
ergonomics and lifestyle<br />
is different. Certain designs<br />
work better for certain patients.<br />
Sometimes it’s trial and error. I<br />
use simple language to illustrate<br />
the difference between multifocal<br />
spectacle lenses: “Not every<br />
shoe or pair of pants fits the<br />
same. They may all be the same<br />
size, but some will feel more<br />
comfortable than others. Our<br />
job is to find the right fit.” It’s<br />
similar with multifocal contacts;<br />
we can find the right lenses for<br />
individuals with great vision and<br />
comfort all day.<br />
The lifestyle questionnaire we<br />
use for all patients is particularly<br />
helpful in perfecting multifocal<br />
prescriptions. The questionnaire<br />
asks about work and hobbies,<br />
so we know how reliant an individual<br />
is on detailed, up-close<br />
vision versus the need for sharp<br />
distance vision. For example,<br />
one patient may love to do embroidery<br />
as a hobby and use a<br />
computer all day at work, therefore<br />
having high near demands,<br />
while another patient may be on<br />
the road driving a lot for work<br />
with Rowena Beckenham<br />
requiring superb distance vision.<br />
I ask progressive spectacle<br />
wearers if they have heard of<br />
multifocal contact lenses, pointing<br />
out from their lifestyle form<br />
where in their lives I think they<br />
could benefit from contacts that<br />
allow them to see both near and<br />
far. On the Northern Beaches<br />
this often relates to sporting<br />
and outdoor pursuits, such as<br />
reading on the beach, the computer,<br />
on a bike and the need<br />
to see clearly into the distance,<br />
or when out walking and being<br />
able to read a menu or Sunday<br />
paper in a coffee shop without<br />
the need to carry reading specs<br />
with them.<br />
Thinking about what you do<br />
in your activities for work and<br />
leisure enables optometrists to<br />
customise a solution and provide<br />
a whole new way of solving<br />
vision concerns.<br />
Comment supplied by Rowena Beckenham, of<br />
Beckenham Optometrist in Avalon (9918 0616). Rowena<br />
has been involved in all facets of independent private<br />
practice optometry in Avalon for 16 years, in addition<br />
to working as a consultant to the optometric and<br />
pharmaceutical industry, and regularly volunteering in<br />
Aboriginal eyecare programs in regional NSW.<br />
48 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Health & Wellbeing<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 49
Health & Wellbeing<br />
Health & Wellbeing<br />
Help needed<br />
to pack Kits<br />
Zonta Club of Northern<br />
Beaches and Barrenjoey<br />
High School are organising<br />
a day to pack Birthing Kits for<br />
women in developing countries.<br />
Volunteers plan to pack 2000<br />
kits made up of six simple items<br />
assembled into a small bag, explained<br />
Zonta Northern Beaches<br />
Club President Margaret White.<br />
And members of the community<br />
are invited to help.<br />
“With an estimated 385,000<br />
women dying annually in<br />
childbirth, many from infections<br />
acquired during childbirth, there<br />
is a great need for these birthing<br />
kits,” Margaret said.<br />
By providing a clean birthing<br />
kit and training in how to use<br />
it, these mothers will have the<br />
resources to reduce infection.<br />
Birthing Kits are assembled<br />
under the auspices of the Birthing<br />
Kit Foundation (Australia)<br />
– the not-for-profit, non-government<br />
organisation that provides<br />
birthing kits and education in<br />
clean birthing practices.<br />
Margaret said BKFA originated<br />
from the Zonta Clubs of<br />
Adelaide Hills and had grown<br />
to be supported by Zonta Clubs<br />
across Australia.<br />
Well over 100,000 kits are<br />
assembled and distributed each<br />
year.<br />
Each kit contains six disposable<br />
components:<br />
n Soap to wash the birth attendant’s<br />
hands and the<br />
mother’s perineum;<br />
n Plastic Sheet to prevent the<br />
mother and newborn coming<br />
into contact with the ground<br />
or an unhygienic surface;<br />
n Gloves to cover the birth attendants’<br />
hands and provide<br />
protection from infections<br />
such as HIV for carers and<br />
care recipients;<br />
n Gauze to wipe clear the newborn<br />
baby’s eyes, and to clean<br />
the mother’s perineum prior<br />
to giving birth;<br />
n Cord ties to cleanly tie the<br />
umbilical cord; and<br />
n Sterile blade to cut the umbilical<br />
cord and reduce risk of<br />
newborn tetanus and sepsis.<br />
A donation of $3 buys the<br />
materials for one kit and the<br />
training program for its delivery.<br />
You can help by making a donation<br />
on the day.<br />
For full details of the Birthing<br />
Kit Program see the BKFA website<br />
at.bkfa.org.au<br />
The Packing Day will run on<br />
Saturday August 5 from 1-4pm<br />
at Barrenjoey High School.<br />
* Contact Margaret on 0416<br />
182 393 or email marg.white@<br />
me.com if you are able to<br />
assist or you would like more<br />
information.<br />
50 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Hair & Beauty<br />
Cooler months best time<br />
to rejuvenate your skin<br />
with Sue Carroll<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
After the summer sun’s<br />
destruction of our skin,<br />
the tell-tale signs of<br />
brown hyperpigmentation and a<br />
red capillary blush are scattered<br />
all over our facial and body skin.<br />
Take heart – the cooler months<br />
are the best time to refresh and<br />
rejuvenate your skin using IPL<br />
(Intense Pulsed Light) Photofacial.<br />
This treatment is also<br />
known as Photorejuvenation.<br />
IPL, which uses light photons<br />
to rejuvenate skin, is the world’s<br />
most popular skin rejuvenation<br />
treatment. In contrast to<br />
laser resurfacing, IPL does not<br />
injure the skin’s surface and<br />
has a much shorter recovery<br />
time. IPL primarily addresses the<br />
skin’s tone, texture and reduces<br />
the brown pigmentation and<br />
redness that create a dull, aged<br />
complexion. IPL is a treatment<br />
that delivers pulses of light to<br />
the targeted areas, such as<br />
brown pigment and red cells in<br />
the skin. The light is converted<br />
to heat energy, which fades<br />
those specific targets resulting<br />
in a more even, brighter complexion<br />
with less discolouration.<br />
People who have had IPL treatments<br />
once or twice a year over<br />
a decade have healthier, more<br />
radiant skin with often less skin<br />
cancer than those who do not<br />
have treatments.<br />
IPL is used on sun-damaged<br />
skin to even out a range of skin<br />
issues, such as skin discolouration,<br />
texture, pigmentation, distended<br />
capillaries, facial rosacea<br />
or redness and poikiloderma<br />
of Civatte. IPL will also complement<br />
other rejuvenation skin<br />
procedures such as laser resurfacing,<br />
skin needling, microdermabrasion<br />
and dermal fillers.<br />
Most clients who have IPL<br />
tolerate the treatment with minimal<br />
discomfort. The sensation<br />
of the treatment can be likened<br />
to the snapping of a few rubber<br />
bands at the one time. For those<br />
who are sensitive, a numbing<br />
cream mat be applied about 30<br />
minutes prior to the treatment.<br />
This will reduce the discomfort<br />
by about 60-70%. The treatments<br />
are designed to work<br />
over multiple visits, which may<br />
be from 1 -3 treatments over a<br />
couple of months. Most people<br />
will see improvement in the removal<br />
of capillaries and freckles<br />
within two weeks of their first<br />
treatment. Deeper redness and<br />
brown discolouration will take<br />
2-3 treatments to see significant<br />
improvement.<br />
For some people the side<br />
effects of the IPL treatment may<br />
include swelling and redness of<br />
the treated area. This may last<br />
for a few days and up to a week<br />
in some cases. When darker<br />
brown pigmentation is treated,<br />
scattered brown crusts resembling<br />
dark coffee granules may<br />
occur and will take 7-12 days<br />
to slough off. A very important<br />
point to remember is that IPL<br />
treats what it sees at the time of<br />
treatment and does not prevent<br />
new discolouration from forming.<br />
Following an IPL treatment,<br />
sunscreen is a must in order<br />
to reduce the occurrence of<br />
pigmentation and distended<br />
capillaries. Ten to fourteen days<br />
post-treatment it is advisable<br />
to attend the clinic for a deep<br />
exfoliation treatment such as a<br />
microdermabrasion or Jet Peel.<br />
This is then followed with a<br />
hydrating infusion with either<br />
oxygen therapy or a relaxing<br />
facial treatment. These posttreatments<br />
ensure the optimum<br />
result for the skin and any<br />
follow-up treatments can then<br />
be customised for individual<br />
needs.<br />
Intense Pulsed Light is a<br />
procedure rather than a relaxing<br />
treatment. The results of the IPL<br />
treatment will reveal a brighter,<br />
healthier complexion. When the<br />
prescribed home care products<br />
are used diligently morning<br />
and night, this will enhance the<br />
results of the IPL treatment to<br />
reveal a healthy and definitely<br />
rejuvenated complexion.<br />
Sue Carroll of Skin<br />
Inspiration has been a qualified<br />
Aesthetician for 33 years.<br />
Sue has owned and<br />
operated successful beauty<br />
clinics and day spas on<br />
the Northern Beaches.<br />
info@skininspiration.com.au<br />
www.skininspiration.com.au<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 51<br />
Hair & Beauty
Business <strong>Life</strong>: Money<br />
Business <strong>Life</strong><br />
Good Tax Dept reason does for laundry going<br />
‘nuts’ on simply this festive massive season scale<br />
When This month writing marks about the start<br />
of financial the <strong>2018</strong> tax innovation season one<br />
and of with the the perspectives media I<br />
can reaching share saturation with you point is from about the<br />
inside the problem of a fintech of overclaiming company<br />
which expenses in my we case revisit has a few been of the<br />
rolling fundamentals out the about fast-growing including<br />
Acorns clothing app. expenses Since on launching tax returns.<br />
in According Australia in to early data 2016 from the<br />
app ATO, now work-related resides on clothing the smart and<br />
phones laundry claims of around have 350,000 risen 20%<br />
Australians, over the past that’s five years, roughly with 1.5%<br />
of something the population. like six million people<br />
claiming If you’re nearly in the $1.8 dark billion about in<br />
what expenses I’m talking last year about, – that’s Acorns about<br />
is $300 a micro per head investment per year. platform What<br />
or sticks what’s in the sometimes Commissioner’s called a<br />
‘round-up’ craw is the fact app, that the those first one<br />
of numbers its kind represent in Australia. around Our half<br />
firm the workforce along with apparently our partners having<br />
brought to wear a it uniform, out from protective the US<br />
clothing 2015 where or occupation-specific<br />
it had been<br />
established clothing. for a few years.<br />
The Commissioner app works in a may couple very<br />
of well ways: be onto by taking something a data here<br />
feed because from from your where spending I sit in Mona<br />
accounts Vale it doesn’t and rounding really feel up to me the<br />
purchases like half the you workforce make to is the getting<br />
nearest about in dollar uniforms, and hi-vis investing or steel<br />
these caps and accumulated we’ve had construction<br />
balances<br />
into going a on mix for of months exchange in the traded<br />
funds building. listed I suspect on the the ASX, problem or,<br />
by has you its roots debiting in two an main amount places or –<br />
regular the first payment being the from ever-expanding your<br />
bank compliance account industry to your and Acorns the<br />
account. second being Most a long-standing users enjoy the tax<br />
round up feature of Acorns as<br />
it allows them to save while<br />
they spend. As a parent of<br />
teenagers I think I’ve come<br />
to the conclusion that apps<br />
such as Acorns using a blend<br />
of psychology and technology<br />
may be the only effective way<br />
to get modern kids to save<br />
because they sure do know<br />
how to spend.<br />
Acorns works because the<br />
principles underlying its design<br />
myth about what you can claim.<br />
Anyone who’s ever had<br />
anything to do with the<br />
compliance industry, and I’m<br />
talking work health and safety<br />
here, knows that you can never<br />
have enough hi-vis vests, eye<br />
protection, hearing protection<br />
are<br />
or sun<br />
firmly<br />
protection,<br />
rooted in<br />
etc.<br />
behavioural<br />
Sun<br />
finance:<br />
protection<br />
investing<br />
is now almost<br />
small<br />
a<br />
amounts on a regular basis that<br />
universal claimable for anyone<br />
won’t be missed combined with<br />
who on a sustained basis is<br />
investing over an extended<br />
required to be in the sun for all<br />
period of time to average<br />
or part of the day (ATO words)<br />
into the markets smoothing<br />
and this item alone could easily<br />
out peaks and troughs. Of<br />
course<br />
impact the<br />
it doesn’t<br />
returns<br />
hurt<br />
of millions<br />
that it<br />
of<br />
does<br />
workers.<br />
all of<br />
The<br />
these<br />
growth<br />
things<br />
in claims<br />
within<br />
the driven framework by this avenue of a highly is therefore<br />
attractive and functional user<br />
interface – fancy words for the<br />
app looks and feels very cool.<br />
While these principles have<br />
proven to be sound over time<br />
Acorns goes on to provide an<br />
indirect benefit to its users<br />
in the form of education and<br />
improved financial literacy.<br />
Get two or more people in the<br />
room who have an account and<br />
you’ll find out what I mean –<br />
when did you start? What are<br />
hardly surprising… just look at<br />
a the ATO’s occupation-specific<br />
guides and many of them will<br />
refer to protective clothing and/<br />
or sun protection so for the<br />
Commissioner to be upset about<br />
growth in claims in this regard<br />
might well be considered an own<br />
you goal. saving for? What returns<br />
have The you second had? issue, It’s inherently the tax<br />
competitive myth factor, is but really when the it’s problem<br />
combined child. Tax like with any the other tools business and<br />
information has a mythological that the element app –<br />
provides every industry it’s also does. extremely Compare<br />
informative it to that classic – as medical a regular myth: user<br />
you “… no can’t worries, help that but become mole will be<br />
more fine it informed has a hair about growing the out of<br />
behaviour it”, the tax equivalent of markets is: whether “… no<br />
you worries, are looking anyone can to or claim not for – the<br />
with Brian Hrnjak<br />
balance laundry of work your clothes Acorns just account keep<br />
rises it under and $150.” falls No, in line you with can’t; the it’s<br />
movements a myth. The other in markets myth that during goes<br />
the hand course in glove of with the trading the laundry day.<br />
claim One is of the the $300 challenges substantiation<br />
any threshold finance for app work-related would have<br />
encouraging expenses. young people to<br />
save To and give invest you some is to examples: remain<br />
relevant my oldest in son their is an eyes. apprentice, Over<br />
the wears past year an employer-supplied<br />
a number of<br />
enhancements uniquely branded have uniform taken (shirt, place<br />
following trousers) to user work feedback, each day. the He<br />
headline keeps steel ones capped being: boots at<br />
Found the workshop. Money Each partners day his – users<br />
can uniform shop needs online to with be laundered brands<br />
such in a separate as Bonds, wash Dan because Murphy’s, of<br />
BCF, the grease Uber etc. and and oil. He these can claim<br />
partners the actual usually cost of deposit laundry bonus in his<br />
amounts return based or extra on expense round receipts, ups<br />
into or he the can users elect account; to claim the $150<br />
My reasonable Finance basis feature amount. – uses He can<br />
artificial also claim intelligence the cost of his to track boots<br />
and as protective categorise clothing spending (assuming and<br />
calculate he could ever free find cash the flow; receipt in<br />
Super his car). fund linkages – allows<br />
users On the to make other deposits hand, I work to a in<br />
range office and industry get about and public in RM<br />
offer Williams superannuation boots and what funds; some<br />
Emerald have kindly Portfolio described – a as socially smart<br />
responsible casual clothing. portfolio Occasionally option I will<br />
introduced put on a suit. following Because member what I wear<br />
feedback; to work is regular clothing and<br />
Little neither Acorns protective – sub nor accounts uniform,<br />
designed I don’t get to to allow claim investment for either its<br />
on purchase behalf cost of children or laundry. or other<br />
dependants An architect under who the undertakes age of 18.<br />
56 52 DECEMBER JULY <strong>2018</strong> 2017<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
egular site visits is not be able to<br />
claim the cost or laundry of his or<br />
her everyday clothing but is able<br />
to offset the cost of steel capped<br />
boots, hard hat and hi-vis vest<br />
that live in the back of the car for<br />
such eventualities.<br />
A hairdresser required by her<br />
employer to wear plain black<br />
pants and a black t-shirt to work<br />
each day cannot claim the cost<br />
of purchase, laundry or if the<br />
clothing becomes damaged in<br />
any way. Yes, it does seem harsh<br />
but it’s the way the ATO interpret<br />
the legislation and I grabbed<br />
this example directly from the<br />
occupation guide.<br />
The ATO released their own<br />
examples in the lead up to<br />
tax time to showcase types of<br />
incorrect claims including:<br />
An advertising manager who<br />
claimed $1,854 for clothing<br />
purchased at popular fashion<br />
retail stores to wear at company<br />
work functions and awards<br />
nights. Her claim was disallowed<br />
in full and a penalty issued for<br />
failing to take reasonable care;<br />
A car detailer who claimed<br />
over $20,000 of work-related<br />
laundry expenses over two<br />
years calculating the expenses<br />
at the rate of $227 per hour<br />
because he valued his personal<br />
time. His deductions were<br />
disallowed with no penalties<br />
applied because of a voluntary<br />
disclosure made before the<br />
ATO’s audits progressed, and;<br />
A lab technician who claimed<br />
$2,500 for the cost of purchasing<br />
protective boots and laundering<br />
his work uniform but failed to<br />
keep any receipts to verify his<br />
claim, resulting in a reduction to<br />
$144, using the ATO’s reasonable<br />
basis.<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
The ATO have a problem and<br />
it’s one they cannot simply audit<br />
their way out of. With six million<br />
taxpayers making clothing<br />
specific claims the only way to<br />
attack the problem is going to be<br />
via education, press releases and<br />
the occasional flaming of a tax<br />
payer and/or their tax agent if<br />
they facilitated an incorrect claim.<br />
So last words to the ATO…<br />
the following three ‘golden<br />
rules’ are from their press<br />
release and should be your safe<br />
harbour if followed but you are<br />
unlucky enough to be audited:<br />
The best way to get your<br />
clothing and laundry claims right<br />
is to follow the three golden rules.<br />
Only claim if:<br />
n You paid for it yourself and you<br />
weren’t reimbursed;<br />
n You were required to wear<br />
a uniform that’s unique and<br />
distinct to your employer,<br />
protective or occupation<br />
specific clothing; and<br />
n You’ve got a record that<br />
demonstrates how you<br />
calculated your claim.<br />
You cannot claim a deduction<br />
for normal clothes, even if your<br />
boss told you to wear them or<br />
you only wear them to work.<br />
And there’s no such thing as a<br />
standard deduction or a safe<br />
amount – if it doesn’t meet the<br />
three golden rules, then don’t<br />
claim it.<br />
And I include this final line<br />
from their press release as<br />
a stern warning (but mainly<br />
because it is the most Australian<br />
thing ever written about<br />
taxation):<br />
Telling us you thought it was ok<br />
because your mate makes those<br />
claims or the shop assistant told<br />
you it’s deductible won’t help you<br />
in the case of an audit.<br />
Brian Hrnjak B Bus CPA (FPS) is<br />
a Director of GHR Accounting<br />
Group Pty Ltd, Certified<br />
Practising Accountants. Offices<br />
at: Suite 12, Ground Floor,<br />
20 Bungan Street Mona Vale<br />
NSW 2103 and Shop 8, 9 – 15<br />
Central Ave Manly NSW 2095,<br />
Telephone: 02 9979-4300,<br />
Webs: www.ghr.com.au and<br />
www.altre.com.au Email:<br />
brian@ghr.com.au<br />
These comments are of a<br />
general nature only and are<br />
not intended as a substitute<br />
for professional advice.<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 53<br />
Business <strong>Life</strong>
Business <strong>Life</strong>: Law<br />
Business <strong>Life</strong><br />
History & workings of<br />
Australian Class Actions<br />
Radio recently carried<br />
a report that a<br />
prominent legal firm<br />
was investigating whether to<br />
commence a class action. It<br />
is not uncommon to hear and<br />
read such reports. So, what is<br />
a class action?<br />
Generally it is defined as a<br />
court proceeding where the<br />
claims of a large group – or<br />
‘class’ – of people are brought<br />
by one or a small number of<br />
named class representatives<br />
against the same respondents.<br />
These actions were<br />
introduced in Australia in<br />
1992 and have developed<br />
since that time due mainly to<br />
the availability of litigation<br />
funding. Readers who<br />
currently listen to 2GB may<br />
have heard advertisments on<br />
behalf of a named litigation<br />
funder and a law firm directed<br />
to investors in ANZ shares<br />
between certain dates, and<br />
an invitation to contact the<br />
law firm and funder to join<br />
an action about to be taken<br />
against ANZ.<br />
In 1992 class actions were<br />
mainly concerned with product<br />
liability and consumer issues<br />
or migration claims.<br />
In Australia there are<br />
regimes for representative<br />
proceedings in both the<br />
Federal courts and the<br />
State Supreme Courts. New<br />
South Wales, Victoria and<br />
Queensland have regimes<br />
which copy that of the Federal<br />
Court. Other states have<br />
different models.<br />
The requirements for a class<br />
action to be commenced are<br />
generally stated:<br />
n 7 or more people must<br />
have claims against the same<br />
person/s;<br />
n The claims should be, or be<br />
in respect of, or arise out of,<br />
the same or similar or related<br />
circumstances; and<br />
n The claims should give rise<br />
to at least one substantial<br />
common issue of law or fact.<br />
In 2014 the Full Federal<br />
Court held that when<br />
commencing a class action<br />
against multiple respondents<br />
there is no requirement for<br />
every group member to<br />
have a claim against every<br />
respondent. All that is<br />
required is that seven or more<br />
persons as well as the class<br />
representatives have a claim<br />
against the same respondent.<br />
Actions may be<br />
characterised as ‘opt in’ or<br />
‘opt out’. The ‘opt in’ model<br />
requires potential class<br />
members to indicate positively<br />
that they want to be part of<br />
the group on whose behalf<br />
the claim is being made – ie,<br />
if they do not opt in, they will<br />
with Jennifer Harris<br />
not become members of the<br />
class and will not be bound by<br />
the final judgment or approved<br />
settlement.<br />
The opt-out model, which is<br />
generally the Australian regime<br />
model, means that all potential<br />
claimants who fall within the<br />
definition of the class become<br />
members of the class on the<br />
filing of the claim whether they<br />
are aware of it or not. It follows<br />
that they will all be bound by<br />
the judgment of the Court<br />
or any approved settlement<br />
unless they opt out of the<br />
proceedings before a date<br />
which is fixed by the Court. All<br />
class members will be notified<br />
of the action and their right to<br />
opt out.<br />
Of course, before<br />
commencing a class action one<br />
must consider how Australian<br />
Courts consider a class to be<br />
defined. It is viewed that only<br />
those claimants who have<br />
retained a legal firm and/or<br />
entered into an arrangement<br />
with a litigation funder are able<br />
to be members of the class.<br />
These classes are described<br />
as ‘closed’ as all members<br />
are identified to the legal firm<br />
and/or the litigation funder.<br />
The effect of a ‘closed class’ is<br />
to change the opt-out system<br />
into an opt-in system for class<br />
actions.<br />
It is argued that closed<br />
classes are attractive to<br />
third party litigation funders<br />
54 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
ecause they provide greater<br />
certainty as to risk and the<br />
number of claimants in the<br />
class and the returns the<br />
funder if successful will likely<br />
achieve. It is also suggested<br />
that closed classes encourage<br />
settlement.<br />
When settlement is<br />
reached between the class<br />
representative on behalf<br />
of the class it requires<br />
approval by the Court. The<br />
Court considers whether the<br />
proposed settlement is fair<br />
and reasonable compromise<br />
of the overall claims. In 2013<br />
the Court held that a proposed<br />
settlement sum between group<br />
members was not fair and<br />
reasonable.<br />
A distinction between<br />
the situation in America<br />
and Australia is that here<br />
lawyers and the profession<br />
cannot enter into contingency<br />
fee arrangements – i.e. an<br />
arrangement whereby in<br />
America lawyers can charge<br />
fees based on a percentage<br />
of their client’s recovery from<br />
the litigation is not available to<br />
Australian lawyers.<br />
There is a gap which<br />
is filled by non-legal<br />
entities and commercial<br />
organisations known as<br />
third party litigation funders,<br />
established to fund class<br />
actions. These organisations<br />
have been involved in<br />
funding cases such as:<br />
n Product liability – claims,<br />
drug liability, dangerous<br />
drugs;<br />
n Defective Medical devices<br />
– hip implants, stents,<br />
defibrillators;<br />
n Toxic chemicals – asbestos,<br />
lead in toys, oil spills;<br />
n Vehicle recalls and Defects –<br />
basic injury, car defect injuries,<br />
motor cycle defects;<br />
n Dangerous foods – food<br />
poisoning, food recalls;<br />
n Dangerous baby and<br />
children’s products – lead in<br />
toys, drop-side cribs, airsoft<br />
guns;<br />
n Dangerous consumer<br />
products, tobacco smoking<br />
injury dangers.<br />
The categories of claims<br />
seem to be growing and in<br />
future it is suggested that<br />
potential claims will arise in<br />
the following:<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
n Claims by residents and<br />
businesses following disasters<br />
such as bushfires and<br />
floods – see the $700 million<br />
distributed in December 2016<br />
and 2017 to the Black Sunday<br />
Bushfire class action;<br />
n Claims by creditors against<br />
directors/advisors of failed<br />
companies;<br />
n Franchisee claims;<br />
n Claims by investors in<br />
Managed Investment Schemes;<br />
Claims against trustees of<br />
Superannuation Funds and;<br />
n Cartel claims.<br />
Most cartel actions are now<br />
funded by third parties and the<br />
trend is continuing. However,<br />
the market is becoming<br />
crowded. And with specialist<br />
law firms the threat of multiple<br />
competing class actions in<br />
respect of the same issues<br />
are an ever-increasing risk,<br />
problem for both insurers and<br />
insureds alike.<br />
In a recent Federal Court<br />
case this year the Court had to<br />
consider whether more than<br />
two open class actions would<br />
be allowed to proceed. It was<br />
decided only one class action<br />
would proceed and the other<br />
two permanently stayed. The<br />
decision being based on the<br />
group members making up<br />
the class and the allegations<br />
of the competing proceedings<br />
both being ‘substantially the<br />
same’ – such that each class<br />
action could be compared with<br />
each other.<br />
Finally, if a claim is<br />
successful, the third party<br />
litigation funder receives<br />
its money back, together<br />
with a share of the amount<br />
awarded which is normally<br />
between 20 per cent and 40<br />
per cent depending on the<br />
size of the case, the timing of<br />
the settlement and the costs<br />
incurred.<br />
Class actions are becoming<br />
a major action before the<br />
courts. It is to be hoped that<br />
those who sign up to be part<br />
of a case are well rewarded.<br />
Comment supplied by<br />
Jennifer Harris, of Jennifer<br />
Harris & Associates, Solicitors,<br />
4/57 Avalon Parade,<br />
Avalon Beach.<br />
T: 9973 2011. F: 9918 3290.<br />
E: jennifer@jenniferharris.com.au<br />
W: www.jenniferharris.com.au<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 55<br />
Business <strong>Life</strong>
Trades & Services<br />
Trades & Services<br />
AUTO REPAIRS<br />
British & Swedish Motors<br />
Call 9970 6654<br />
Services Range Rover, Land Rover,<br />
Saab and Volvo with the latest in<br />
diagnostic equipment.<br />
Narrabeen Tyrepower<br />
Call 9970 6670<br />
Stocks all popular brands including<br />
Cooper 4WD. Plus they’ll do all<br />
mechanical repairs and rego<br />
inspections.<br />
Barrenjoey Smash Repairs<br />
Call 9970 8207<br />
barrenjoeysmashrepairs.com.au<br />
Re-sprays a specialty, plus<br />
restoration of your favourite vehicle.<br />
Commercial specialist.<br />
BOAT SERVICES<br />
Avalon Marine Upholstery<br />
Call Simon 9918 9803<br />
Makes cushions for boats, patio and<br />
pool furniture, window seats.<br />
ELECTRICAL<br />
Eamon Dowling Electrical<br />
Call 0410 457 373<br />
For all electrical, phone, TV, data and<br />
security needs.<br />
FLOOR COVERINGS<br />
Blue Tongue Carpets<br />
Call Stephan 9979 7292<br />
Family owned and run. Carpet, rugs,<br />
runners, timber, bamboo, vinyl, tiles &<br />
laminates. Open 6 days.<br />
GARDENS<br />
Graham Brooks<br />
Call 0412 281 580<br />
Tree pruning and removals. Reports<br />
regarding DA tree management,<br />
arborist reports.<br />
Precision Tree Services<br />
Call Adam 0410 736 105<br />
Adam Bridger; professional tree<br />
care by qualified arborists and tree<br />
surgeons.<br />
CLEANING<br />
The Aqua Clean Team<br />
Call Mark 0449 049 101<br />
Quality window washing,<br />
pressure cleaning, carpet<br />
washing, building soft wash.<br />
Martin Earl House Wash<br />
Call 0405 583 305<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong>-based owner on site at all<br />
times. No travellers or uninsured casuals<br />
on your property.<br />
Housewashing<br />
Northern Beaches<br />
Call Ben 0408 682 525<br />
Pressure cleaning and soft wash; window<br />
& gutter cleaning. Used by local<br />
real estate agencies.<br />
MASSAGE & FITNESS<br />
Avalon Physiotherapy<br />
Call 9918 3373<br />
Provide specialist treatment for neck &<br />
back pain, sports injuries, orthopaedic<br />
problems.<br />
Avalon Physiotherapy<br />
& Clinical Pilates<br />
Call 9918 0230<br />
Dry needling and acupuncture, falls<br />
prevention and balance<br />
enhancement programs.<br />
Avalon Beach Chiropractic<br />
Call Sam 9918 0070<br />
Professional care for all ages. Treatment<br />
for chronic and acute pain,<br />
sports injuries.<br />
Francois Naef/Osteopath<br />
Call Francois 9918 2288<br />
Diagnosis, treatment and prevention<br />
for back pain and sciatica, sports<br />
injuries, muscle soreness and strain,<br />
pregnancy-related pain, postural<br />
imbalance.<br />
PAINTING<br />
Modern Colour<br />
Call 0406 150 555<br />
Simon Bergin offers painting and<br />
decorating; clean, tidy, quality detail<br />
you will notice. Dependable and on<br />
time.<br />
AJJ Painting & Decorating<br />
Call 0418 116 700<br />
Andrew is a master painter with 30<br />
years’ experience. Domestic and commercial;<br />
reasonable rates, free quotes.<br />
Interior & Exterior Colour<br />
Call 0417 236 577<br />
Deborah is a local colour and interior<br />
design/decorating consultant with over<br />
30 years’ experience. One-hour colour<br />
consultation with spec and samples.<br />
UPHOLSTERY<br />
All Foam<br />
Call 9973 1731<br />
Cut to measure quality foam for day<br />
beds, boats, caravans and more. Discounted<br />
prices, reliable local service.<br />
Free measure / quote.<br />
Luxafoam North<br />
Call 9999 5567<br />
Local specialists in all aspects of<br />
outdoor & indoor seating.<br />
Custom service, expert advice.<br />
Essyou Design<br />
Call Susan 0422 466 880<br />
Specialist in day bed and outdoor<br />
areas. Reliable local service. Offering<br />
domestic & commercial.<br />
Leather Hero<br />
Call Leanne 0490 796 012<br />
Specialists in leather cleaning,<br />
revamps, repairs and colour restoration<br />
for lounges, cars and boats.<br />
TUITION<br />
Northern Beaches Home Tu toring<br />
Call John 9972 1469<br />
1-ON-1 individual tutoring in your home. All ages and subjects K-Uni.<br />
Qualified tutors. WWC child protection checked. Since 2009.<br />
56 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Trades & Services<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 57
Trades & Services<br />
TUITION<br />
Northern Beaches<br />
Home Tutoring<br />
Call John 9972 1469<br />
1-ON-1 individual tutoring in your<br />
home. All ages and subjects K-Uni.<br />
Qualified tutors. WWC child protection<br />
checked. Since 2009.<br />
PEST CONTROL<br />
Predator Pest Control<br />
Call 0417 276 962<br />
predatorpestcontrol.com.au<br />
Environmental services at their best.<br />
Comprehensive control. Eliminate all<br />
manner of pests. They provide a 24-<br />
hour service.<br />
PUMPS & TANKS<br />
Water Warehouse<br />
Call 9913 7988<br />
waterwarehouse.com.au<br />
Rainwater tanks & pumps. Irrigation &<br />
filter supply specialists.<br />
RENOVATIONS<br />
Rob Burgers<br />
Call 0416 066 159<br />
Qualified builder provides all carpentry<br />
needs; decks, pergolas, carports,<br />
renos & repairs.<br />
BlindLight<br />
Call Dave 0403 466 350<br />
Specialists is window tinting and glass<br />
coatings. Act now for summer.<br />
TILING<br />
WM Tiling Services<br />
Call Wally 0452 449 449<br />
wmtiling.com.au<br />
Bathroom renovations, supply and<br />
install. Quality, guaranteed work. Call<br />
to arrange quote.<br />
Trades & Services<br />
DISCLAIMER: The editorial and advertising content in <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />
<strong>Life</strong> has been provided by a number of sources. Any opinions<br />
expressed are not necessarily those of the Editor or Publisher of<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> <strong>Life</strong> and no responsibility is taken for the accuracy of<br />
the information contained within. Readers should make their<br />
own enquiries directly to any organisations or businesses prior to<br />
making any plans or taking any action.<br />
58 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
the<br />
good<br />
life<br />
dining<br />
food<br />
crossword<br />
gardening<br />
travel<br />
60<br />
64<br />
67<br />
68<br />
73<br />
Showtime<br />
‘Accused’ puts verdict<br />
in hands of audience<br />
Elanora Players’ latest<br />
production The Accused<br />
is a murder mystery<br />
with an intriguing twist – the<br />
courtroom drama, written by<br />
Lord Jeffrey Archer, ends with<br />
the audience acting as jury to<br />
deliver the verdict, whereupon<br />
one of two specially written<br />
end scenes is triggered before<br />
the final curtain falls.<br />
“Audience members sit as if<br />
they were in attendance at a<br />
hearing in London’s Old Bailey<br />
court and their verdict decides<br />
which way the play ends,” said<br />
director Kerrie King.<br />
‘The Accused’ unfolds with<br />
eminent surgeon Dr Patrick<br />
Sherwood charged with<br />
murdering his wife with drugs<br />
obtained by his ‘supposed’<br />
mistress, Jennifer Mitchell.<br />
Dr Sherwood’s fate is left<br />
in the hands of the audience:<br />
Did Dr Sherwood murder his<br />
wife? Was Jennifer Mitchell his<br />
mistress? Which of his alibis<br />
should the audience believe?<br />
Is the accused a victim or<br />
a murderer? Was it a heart<br />
attack, or a crime of passion?<br />
POINTS OF LAW: Susan Boyd, Jan Adamson and Bill Akhurst in character.<br />
And ultimately, is the accused<br />
a victim… or a murderer?<br />
“The choice will keep you<br />
on the edge of your seats and<br />
at the end of the ‘trial’ you<br />
will be asked to deliver your<br />
verdict of guilty or not guilty,”<br />
said Kerrie.<br />
“Once the majority votes<br />
are counted and the verdict<br />
delivered, the play will<br />
continue with one of two<br />
different endings – only then<br />
will you discover the truth.”<br />
The production will<br />
be performed at Elanora<br />
Community Centre from <strong>July</strong><br />
13 to 21 – 8pm on <strong>July</strong> 13; 3pm<br />
and 8pm <strong>July</strong> 14; 11am and 3pm<br />
<strong>July</strong> 15; 8pm <strong>July</strong> 16 and 17; and<br />
3pm and 8pm on <strong>July</strong> 18.<br />
Complimentary wine and<br />
cheese will be served on<br />
opening night.<br />
* Early bookings are urged;<br />
more info 9979 9694<br />
or boxoffice.elanora@<br />
bigpond.com – Lisa Offord<br />
Beaches return for Wendy Matthews<br />
There are few recording artists<br />
Wendy is looking forward to<br />
in Australia who come close to<br />
engaging with the audience at<br />
Wendy Matthews and her stunning<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> RSL.<br />
credentials: seven ARIAs, 19 hit<br />
“Yes of course, it’d be so rude<br />
singles, and seven gold or multiplatinum<br />
not to! We do songs that I hope<br />
selling albums that see<br />
people know and remember, as<br />
her music in more than 1 million<br />
well as a few new ones and some<br />
Australian homes.<br />
of the songs have little stories<br />
And lucky us – Wendy is<br />
as to how they came about,” she<br />
returning to the northern beaches<br />
said.<br />
after many years, performing all<br />
“The more you live the actual<br />
her hits and more at <strong>Pittwater</strong> RSL<br />
words, the more a song becomes<br />
on Saturday <strong>July</strong> 28.<br />
part of the fabric that makes<br />
“When I go to a concert, I go to<br />
you. When you record a song<br />
mainly hear the songs I love, so I<br />
that means something to you,<br />
don’t bombard the audience with<br />
it has no choice but to stay that<br />
a whole lot of new material – although we do a way and grow with you. That’s the great thing<br />
few pieces from the last few albums that people about songs, they can transport you to a<br />
may not have heard,” she told <strong>Pittwater</strong> <strong>Life</strong>. specific moment in time.<br />
Wendy takes songs from every genre and “Living in Sydney for 20 years, then moving<br />
makes them her own; from jazz to blues, from to the country, I have lovely memories of<br />
rock to gospel, from soul to outright infectious friends and adventures on the Northern<br />
pop (‘Let’s Kiss’) and then, of course, there Beaches, so I’m looking forward to getting<br />
are the beautiful ballads such as ‘The Day You back there.”<br />
Went Away’.<br />
More info pittwaterrsl.com.au – Nigel Wall<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 59<br />
Showtime
Dining Guide<br />
Dining Guide<br />
<strong>July</strong>'s best restaurants, functions, events and reader deals...<br />
Bistro 61<br />
Avalon Beach RSL<br />
1 Bowling Green Lane<br />
Avalon Beach<br />
OPENING HOURS<br />
Open 7 days<br />
Lunch 12pm-2:30pm<br />
Dinner 5:30-8:30pm<br />
CUISINE<br />
Modern Aust / pub food<br />
PRICE RANGE<br />
Meals $8-$30<br />
Specials $12-$15<br />
BOOKINGS 9918 2201<br />
Avalon Beach RSL’s Bistro 61<br />
is a great place to head for<br />
a local meal, offering tasty<br />
modern Australian dishes at<br />
affordable prices.<br />
This month, catch State<br />
of Origin Game III on the big<br />
screen on Wednesday <strong>July</strong> 11;<br />
it will be live and loud – with<br />
$5 schooners between 7.30-<br />
9.30pm. Plus there's a <strong>2018</strong><br />
Blues jersey raffle – and $10<br />
'Blues Burgers' from Bistro 61.<br />
And now available for free<br />
download – the brand new<br />
Avalon Beach RSL Club App.<br />
Earn rewards, prizes and<br />
member points by logging in<br />
daily.<br />
See what's on, check out<br />
events, view menus and more!<br />
Bistro 61 is open for<br />
breakfast from 9am to<br />
11.30am. Open for lunch<br />
and dinner seven days, with<br />
extensive outdoor dining<br />
areas, Bistro 61 offers a variety<br />
of specials (lunch and dinner)<br />
during the week, including<br />
$12 tacos (Tues), $15 Chicken<br />
Schnitzels (Wed), 2-4-1 pizzas<br />
(Thurs), and a $20 burger +<br />
beer (Fri).<br />
Seniors are well catered<br />
for – there are daily Seniors<br />
specials, including beerbattered<br />
flathead – plus they<br />
do a $5 kids meals on Sundays!<br />
(There’s a playground, too.)<br />
From the menu, chef<br />
Mitch recommends his twist<br />
on nachos – pulled beef and<br />
blackbeans with chipotle, corn<br />
chips, guacamole, Danish fetta<br />
and coriander.<br />
Members get discounts on<br />
meals purchased. Membership<br />
starts from $5.50.<br />
The club is licensed, with<br />
no BYO. Bookings online or<br />
call 9918 2201 – large groups<br />
welcome.<br />
Barrenjoey<br />
Bistro<br />
Club Palm Beach<br />
1087 Barrenjoey Rd,<br />
Palm Beach<br />
BISTRO OPENING HOURS<br />
Lunch 11:30am-2.30pm<br />
Dinner 6pm-8.30pm<br />
PRICE RANGE<br />
Lunch and dinner<br />
specials $13.50<br />
BOOKINGS 9974 5566<br />
$4 schooners during Happy<br />
Hour (from kick-off)!<br />
And don't miss Christmas in<br />
<strong>July</strong> (see ad opposite).<br />
Barrenjoey Bistro is open<br />
for lunch (11.30am to 2.30pm)<br />
and dinner (6pm to 9pm) seven<br />
days, plus there's a Snack Menu<br />
available 2.30pm-6pm.<br />
The Bistro serves top-value a<br />
la carte meals plus daily $13.50<br />
specials of roasts (Mondays),<br />
rump steak with chips and<br />
salad (Tuesdays), chicken<br />
schnitzel with chips and salad<br />
(Wednesdays), homemade<br />
gourmet pies with chips and<br />
salad (Thursdays) and tempura<br />
fish and chips with salad<br />
(Fridays), except public hols.<br />
The Members’ lucky badge<br />
draw is held Wednesday and<br />
Friday night (every 30 mins<br />
between 5pm-7pm), and<br />
jackpots by $100 each week.<br />
Enjoy Trivia Night from<br />
5.30pm on Wednesdays, plus<br />
Bingo 10am on Fridays.<br />
The club has a courtesy<br />
bus that makes regular runs<br />
Wednesdays, Fridays and<br />
Saturdays from 4.30pm to 9pm.<br />
Ring to book a pick-up.<br />
The Mirage<br />
Restaurant<br />
at Metro Mirage<br />
Hotel Newport<br />
2 Queens Parade West,<br />
Newport<br />
CUISINE<br />
Modern Australian<br />
PRICE RANGE<br />
Breakfast – $25 adults,<br />
$12.50 kids (5-12)<br />
Dinner – entrees<br />
from $7-$17,<br />
Mains from $21-$30,<br />
Desserts from $13-$25<br />
BOOKINGS 9997 7011<br />
Local residents are finding<br />
the peaceful ambience<br />
of The Mirage restaurant<br />
overlooking spectacular<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong>, the perfect<br />
waterfront venue to enjoy<br />
breakfast or dinner.<br />
Located in boutique Metro<br />
Hotel Mirage Newport, The<br />
Mirage restaurant is a popular<br />
7-10am seven days a week,<br />
offering a fixed-price full hot<br />
and cold buffet, including a<br />
selection of cereals, seasonal<br />
fruit and freshly made juice,<br />
toast and pastries and<br />
sausages, eggs, has browns,<br />
bacon and tomato served with<br />
the Chef’s Special of the day.<br />
The Mirage restaurant is<br />
also open for dinner from<br />
Monday to Saturday from<br />
5.30pm – 8.30pm and can<br />
be hired, along with all the<br />
hotel’s function rooms, for<br />
private and corporate events<br />
of between 60-110 guests.<br />
Hong Kong<br />
Chinese Restaurant<br />
332 Barrenjoey Rd,<br />
Newport<br />
OPENING HOURS<br />
Dinner Tues-Sun 5pm<br />
CUISINE<br />
Chinese & Asian<br />
PRICE RANGE<br />
Entrees $5-20<br />
Mains $12.90-26.50<br />
*Deliver Whale Beach - Narrabeen<br />
BOOKINGS 9997 4157<br />
Book a table at this popular<br />
Newport eatery in <strong>July</strong> and<br />
your family is guaranteed<br />
a great night out with a<br />
feast for the eyes and the<br />
tastebuds.<br />
Order ahead for their<br />
wonderful Peking Duck which<br />
is offered as a dine-in-only<br />
special Thursdays through<br />
Sundays in Winter.<br />
There are two traditional<br />
courses: Peking Duck<br />
pancakes & duck sang choy<br />
bow (bookings essential;<br />
mention the ad when you call).<br />
This long-established<br />
restaurant on the eastern<br />
side of Barrenjoey Rd has<br />
an extensive menu based<br />
on traditional flavoursome<br />
Cantonese with touches of<br />
spicy Szechuan and other<br />
Asian dishes and fresh<br />
seasonal vegetables.<br />
Entrees start at just $6<br />
while mains are great value<br />
too, starting at $16.80.<br />
Head to Club Palm Beach,<br />
located just a short stroll from<br />
Palm Beach Wharf, for a huge<br />
month of specials in <strong>July</strong>.<br />
Watch State of Origin III on<br />
the big screen on <strong>July</strong> 11 with choice for breakfast from<br />
60 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
LIC<br />
BYO<br />
All<br />
P
The menu ranges from<br />
adventurous, like a Sizzling<br />
Szechuan-style platter of<br />
king prawns and fillets of<br />
chicken, to contemporary,<br />
featuring spicy salt and<br />
pepper king prawns, to<br />
traditional, with favourites<br />
including Mongolian lamb,<br />
Honey king prawns and<br />
Honey chicken.<br />
New dishes are introduced<br />
regularly so check out the<br />
blackboard specials.<br />
The team are only too<br />
happy to home deliver your<br />
meal, with a range that takes<br />
in Narrabeen to the south to<br />
Palm Beach in the north.<br />
Fully licensed or BYO.<br />
Royal Motor<br />
Yacht Club<br />
Salt Cove on <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />
46 Prince Alfred<br />
Parade, Newport<br />
OPENING HOURS<br />
Breakfast Lunch & Dinner<br />
Mon-Fri from 8.30am<br />
Weekends from 8am<br />
PRICE RANGE<br />
Breakfast from $8-$18<br />
Entrees from $9-$21<br />
Mains from $16-$26<br />
BOOKINGS 9997 5511<br />
RMYC’s restaurant Salt Cove<br />
on <strong>Pittwater</strong>’s menu has been<br />
updated for winter – but it still<br />
offers affordable meals and<br />
generous servings including<br />
a variety of starters and share<br />
plates, seafood, burgers,<br />
grills, salads, desserts and<br />
woodfired pizza.<br />
You're invited to the RMYC's<br />
special 'The Flavours Of India'<br />
night on Thursday <strong>July</strong> 12.<br />
Discover India through food and<br />
wine at Salt Cove from 6pm; $55<br />
members, $60 non-members,<br />
$25 kids (12 and under).<br />
Friday night music kicks off<br />
in the Lounge Bar from 6.30pm.<br />
Great acts in <strong>July</strong> include Keith<br />
Armitage (6th); Geoff Kendall<br />
(13th); Antoine (20th); and Keff<br />
McCulloch (27th).<br />
Book now for the sensational<br />
Michael Jackson and Prince<br />
Show on Saturday 14th <strong>July</strong><br />
featuring all the hits of the<br />
late, great singers of the 1980s<br />
and '90s; there's also a special<br />
guest tribute to the music of<br />
Cyndi Lauper, Madonna and<br />
Advertise<br />
in our<br />
Dining<br />
Guide!<br />
Phone<br />
0438 123 096<br />
Blondie – it'll be a great night<br />
of nostalgia and fun; tickets are<br />
$25 members and $30 nonmembers.<br />
And enquire about RMYC's<br />
special 'Priscilla – Queen Of The<br />
Desert' outing to catch the glam<br />
stage musical at the Capital<br />
Theatre on Tuesday <strong>July</strong> 17.<br />
Hurry – there's limited seating.<br />
Tickets $60, with bus seats $30<br />
(inc champagne and nibbles).<br />
Trivia is held every Tuesday<br />
night from 7.30pm (great prizes<br />
and vouchers).<br />
Club Boat and Social<br />
memberships are now available<br />
for just $160.<br />
Dining Guide<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 61
Tasty Morsels<br />
Sophistic<br />
For a meal to warm the<br />
cockles this month, Mirage<br />
Restaurant in the boutique<br />
waterfront Metro Mirage Hotel<br />
Newport is offering <strong>Pittwater</strong>’s<br />
best-value dining experience –<br />
and a weather-protected water<br />
view.<br />
Open for dinner from<br />
Monday to Saturday from<br />
5.30pm, guests can enjoy<br />
the sophisticated new winter<br />
menu created by Head Chef<br />
Raul Farnea which combines<br />
his passion for modern<br />
Australian cuisine with a love<br />
of fresh seafood and local<br />
produce.<br />
“Entrees and mains<br />
options include a daily soup<br />
and hearty stew special;<br />
mushroom and speck tart on<br />
taleggio cheese fondue with<br />
Quick serve of Americana<br />
What do you get when you combine a<br />
classically trained chef who has worked<br />
in fine dining establishments in New York City,<br />
with a hospitality expert schooled in the world<br />
of convenience food?<br />
Welcome to Chriso’s at Narrabeen, an independent<br />
outlet “fast” making its name across the<br />
northern beaches for its mouth-watering and<br />
generous offerings of ribs, chicken wings, burgers<br />
and pizzas among other wicked food treats.<br />
Couple Erika Carballo and Chris Milloy (above)<br />
have built a steady clientele since opening their<br />
doors in August last year. They restyled the<br />
interior of the space on <strong>Pittwater</strong> Road to blend<br />
elements of Australiana with an American roadhouse<br />
or diner. Diners can eat in, take-away or<br />
have their orders home-delivered.<br />
“Chris and I have a love for all things old<br />
Sydney and NYC,” explained former New<br />
Yorker Erika, who was schooled at the former<br />
French Culinary Institute in New York. “We’ve<br />
got a few old school advertisements on our<br />
walls and some iconic pictures referencing<br />
NYC and Sydney. We’ve also some famous<br />
American licence plates and we play classic<br />
1980s early 1990s movies on our big screen –<br />
and of course, 1950s and Doo-wop music on<br />
our jukebox!”<br />
Chriso’s has several other points of difference<br />
that set it apart from the ‘usual suspects’<br />
– namely a full range of tasty comfort food<br />
entrees, mains and even desserts.<br />
They serve a whopping New York-style pizza<br />
in 16- and 18-inch options – although it’s dinein<br />
only, until they manage to source boxes big<br />
enough for take-away!<br />
“Our supreme and meat lovers are the<br />
most-ordered pizzas,” said Erika. “And our<br />
slow-cooked hickory rib racks are consistently<br />
selling out, as we make a limited amount of<br />
those per day.<br />
“We’ve also introduced a Burger of the<br />
Month – this month it’s a Buttermilk fried<br />
chicken served with bacon, parmesan garlic<br />
aioli, shaved parmesan, lettuce and tomato<br />
(pictured top).<br />
“And our ‘Dirty Burger’ (doubly Wagyu beef<br />
patties, cheese, bacon, fried onion, BBQ sauce,<br />
mayo, lettuce and tomato) seems to be a challenge<br />
a lot of our customers enjoy taking on!”<br />
And if you still have room you might like to<br />
consider their ‘Sweet Tooth’ pizza comprising<br />
house-made custard, marshmallows, chocolate<br />
chips, Tim Tams, caramel and chocolate<br />
sauce – it’s a Kids Party favourite on weekends<br />
(bookings only).<br />
Chriso’s home deliver to Collaroy, Narrabeen,<br />
Elanora Heights, Warriewood and Mona<br />
Vale. Or call 9913 8045 to order; more info<br />
www.chrisos.com.au<br />
* Chriso’s have a special offer for <strong>July</strong> and<br />
August (see ad page 13). – Nigel Wall<br />
62 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
ated winter value<br />
walnuts; house-smoked duck<br />
breast, pickled grapes and<br />
crunchy kale; spicy glazed<br />
grilled chicken with pearl<br />
cous cous and burnt orange;<br />
sirloin steak with bush herbs;<br />
and an Indian curry board<br />
with vegetables, dhal, raita,<br />
basmati rice and pappadam,”<br />
said Raul.<br />
A tantalising choice<br />
of fresh seafood dishes<br />
includes herb-stuffed<br />
crumbed prawns, preserved<br />
lemon and witlof salad; blue<br />
swimmer crab ravioli in a<br />
bisque sauce; and market<br />
fish roasted on lemon<br />
myrtle leaves with pickled<br />
baby beetroot and roasted<br />
heirloom tomatoes.<br />
Mirage has also introduced<br />
a popular special from its<br />
sister venue, The Palace Hotel<br />
Sydney – lightly crumbed<br />
chicken breast fillet topped<br />
with ratatouille, crispy bacon,<br />
mozzarella and parmesan<br />
with garden salad and crispy<br />
golden fries.<br />
The delicious choice of<br />
desserts includes Mirage’s<br />
signature sticky date pudding<br />
with butterscotch sauce<br />
and vanilla ice cream; apple<br />
strudel with whipped cream;<br />
chocolate parfait with berry<br />
coulis: pavlova with rhubarb<br />
jam; and a cheese selection<br />
with dried fruits, lavosh and<br />
crackers.<br />
* Book your table now (and<br />
enquire about overnight<br />
accommodation); more info<br />
9997 7011 or metrohotels.<br />
com.au.<br />
Here’s to you,<br />
Mrs Robertson!<br />
New small bar ‘Mrs Robertson’ is a much-anticipated, welcome<br />
addition to the local hospitality scene.<br />
On the roundabout in Robertson Road at Newport, it’s<br />
the brainchild of locals Patrick Moroney and his wife Tanya<br />
(above), who tapped into the need for something other than<br />
a pub or club when considering gathering with friends.<br />
“The market has too many pubs and not enough quiet<br />
venues for the more discerning and [cough] mature among<br />
us!” said Patrick.<br />
“Mrs Robertson is the kind of place we think locals will<br />
want to come to again and again – it’s intimate, personable<br />
and welcoming, with just the right hint of funky and cool<br />
without being intimidating.”<br />
Patrick said Mrs Robertson, which seats up to 20 patrons,<br />
“makes you feel comfortable, is impeccably stylish, and has<br />
hospitality down to an a fine art.”<br />
Our recent visit revealed a truly relaxed vibe, in no small<br />
part to the eclectic, warm styling (courtesy of Tanya) and<br />
excellent acoustics that help divide the small space into<br />
individual sanctuaries that are still connected to the overall<br />
character of the bar.<br />
“We have an excellent, decently priced drinks list and delicious<br />
morsels of food so you can stretch that ‘little drink’ to<br />
an extended, delightful evening listening to an unobtrusive<br />
but groovy music playlist.”<br />
Wines are available by the glass or the bottle, with gourmet<br />
cheese and meat plates to complement. They also serve<br />
cocktails.<br />
Patrick said that as a bonus, Mrs Robertson would soon<br />
be offering ‘laneway learning’.<br />
“We’re aiming to deliver an innovative mix of talks, teachings<br />
and workshops on a range of topics including foraging,<br />
French wines, and the fine art of conversation,” he said.<br />
“The evenings will be full of good wine and laughter.<br />
“Plus, keep an eye out for Mrs Robertson’s ‘Flight Nights’<br />
which will be departing soon to many of the world’s leading<br />
wine regions.”<br />
Mrs Robertson is open 4-8pm Wed-Thurs; 3.30-10.30pm<br />
Fri-Sat and 1-6pm Sun.<br />
– NW<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 63
Food <strong>Life</strong><br />
For more recipes go to www.janellebloom.com.au<br />
Food <strong>Life</strong><br />
Recipes: Janelle Bloom Photos: Mark O’Meara; Benito Martin<br />
Cook up a French storm<br />
to celebrate Bastille Day<br />
<strong>July</strong> 14 is Bastille Day. The date marks the beginning of<br />
republican democracy and the end of tyrannical rule in<br />
France. A military parade takes place along Champs-Elysee<br />
avenue. It is the oldest military parade in the world, having<br />
first taken place on Bastille Day in 1880. Thereafter – as only<br />
the French know how to do – family and friends gather for a<br />
feast. While it’s summer in the northern hemisphere, some of<br />
the classic French recipes they serve up to mark the occasion<br />
are perfect for our southern hemisphere winter! Try these –<br />
and celebrate. Vive la difference!<br />
Beef bourguignon<br />
Serves 6<br />
8 small French shallots, peeled<br />
8 thyme sprigs<br />
4 fresh bay leaves (or 2 dried)<br />
250ml red wine<br />
1 cup beef stock<br />
20g butter<br />
300 g button mushrooms<br />
Paris mash & sourdough, to<br />
serve<br />
speck, cook 2-3 minutes until<br />
starts to colour. Remove<br />
to a plate.<br />
2. Add 1 tablespoon oil and<br />
one quarter of the beef.<br />
Cook 1-2 minutes until<br />
browned all over, remove<br />
to a plate. Repeat in three<br />
batches with oil and remaining<br />
beef. Add remaining oil,<br />
followed by carrot, celery,<br />
leek and shallots. Sauté for<br />
5 minutes.<br />
3. Return the speck and beef<br />
to pan. Add the thyme, bay<br />
leaves, wine and stock.<br />
Bring to the boil. Reduce<br />
the heat to very low, cover<br />
and cook for 1 hour.<br />
4. Melt butter in a frying pan<br />
over high heat. Add mushrooms,<br />
cook 2-3 minutes<br />
until light golden. Stir the<br />
mushrooms into the beef,<br />
cover and simmer a further<br />
45 minutes or until the beef<br />
is tender. Remove the bay<br />
leaves, taste and season.<br />
5. Serve with the Paris mash<br />
and sourdough.<br />
Roasted garlic<br />
Paris mash<br />
Serves 6<br />
1 head garlic<br />
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil<br />
1kg floury potatoes (like<br />
sebago or coliban), scrubbed,<br />
unpeeled<br />
½ cup full cream milk<br />
200ml pouring cream<br />
150g butter, at room temperature<br />
Sea salt and freshly ground<br />
white pepper<br />
with Janelle Bloom<br />
from the skin onto a board<br />
and mash with a fork.<br />
2. Place the potatoes in a large<br />
saucepan of salted water,<br />
bring to the boil and cook<br />
15 minutes or until tender;<br />
drain. While hot, hold 1 potato<br />
in a tea towel and peel<br />
with a knife. Repeat with<br />
remaining potatoes. Mash<br />
or pass through a mouli or<br />
potato ricer back into the<br />
warm pan over low heat.<br />
3. Heat the milk and cream<br />
together in a small saucepan<br />
until almost boiling. Pour<br />
over the potato beating<br />
with a wooden spoon until<br />
smooth. Add the butter in<br />
batches, stirring until fluffy.<br />
Stir in the garlic. Season to<br />
taste with salt and white<br />
pepper.<br />
4. Serve immediately or press<br />
a piece of baking paper onto<br />
the surface to prevent a skin<br />
from forming.<br />
1. Preheat oven to 180°C fanforced.<br />
1.5 kg braising beef (like<br />
Cut 1cm from the top<br />
chuck, rump or topside), cut<br />
of a garlic bulb to expose<br />
into large chunks<br />
the individual garlic cloves,<br />
5 tbs extra virgin olive oil<br />
place on a sheet foil. Discard<br />
250g speck, diced<br />
the top. Drizzle over the oil Janelle’s Tip: To reheat<br />
2 carrots, halved lengthwise,<br />
then wrap the garlic bulb in mash, add a little hot<br />
cut into 4cm pieces<br />
1. Season beef with salt and foil. Roast for 45-50 minutes. milk, beating constantly<br />
2 celery stalks, chopped<br />
pepper. Heat a large heavybased<br />
Discard foil. Set the garlic with a wooden spoon<br />
1 leek, halved lengthwise,<br />
pan over medium-<br />
aside for 5 minutes to cool. until heated through.<br />
thinly sliced<br />
high heat until hot. Add Squeeze the garlic flesh<br />
64 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Cauliflower Gratin<br />
Serves 6<br />
1 large head cauliflower<br />
60g butter, chopped<br />
¼ cup plain flour<br />
1 litre full cream milk<br />
2 cups grated Gruyère cheese<br />
1. Break the cauliflower into<br />
medium-size florets. Drop<br />
them into a large saucepan<br />
of boiling salted water. Cook<br />
for 3 minutes (cauliflower<br />
should still be firm). Drain<br />
well; transfer to a lightly<br />
greased 6-cup capacity baking<br />
dish.<br />
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C<br />
fan-forced.<br />
3. Heat a saucepan over medium<br />
heat. Add the butter<br />
and stir until melted. Add<br />
the flour, cook stirring for<br />
3-4 minutes, making sure it<br />
doesn’t colour. Remove from<br />
the heat. Pour in the milk,<br />
whisking with a balloon<br />
whisk constantly. Return to<br />
the heat, stir until sauce just<br />
comes to the boil. Simmer,<br />
stirring often for about 6<br />
minutes.<br />
4. Add 1½ cups of the cheese,<br />
whisking until melted and<br />
Food <strong>Life</strong><br />
smooth. If the sauce thickens<br />
too much, thin it out<br />
with a little more milk. Season.<br />
Pour the sauce evenly<br />
over the cauliflower. Sprinkle<br />
with remaining cheese.<br />
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or<br />
until the top is light golden.<br />
Stand a few minutes before<br />
serving.<br />
Madeleines<br />
(Makes 24)<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
3/4 cup plain flour<br />
¼ teaspoon baking powder<br />
3 eggs, at room temperature<br />
2/3 cup caster sugar<br />
1 lemon, rind only, finely<br />
grated<br />
60g unsalted butter, melted<br />
and cooled<br />
icing sugar & hot chocolate,<br />
to serve<br />
1. Preheat oven to 200°C fanforced.<br />
Grease 2 x 12-hole<br />
madeleine pans. Sift the<br />
flour and baking powder<br />
together three times.<br />
2. Combine the eggs, sugar mixture into prepared holes.<br />
and lemon rind into bowl or Bake 8-10 minutes or until<br />
an electric mixer. Whisk 5-6 golden and cakes spring<br />
minutes on high until thick, back when pressed in the<br />
pale and doubled in volume. centre. Stand for 2 minutes<br />
Gently fold in the flour mixture<br />
in the pan before removing<br />
followed by the butter to a wire rack to cool.<br />
until just combined.<br />
4. Dust with icing sugar and<br />
3. Spoon tablespoons of<br />
serve with hot chocolate.<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 65
Food <strong>Life</strong><br />
In Season<br />
Lemons<br />
Food <strong>Life</strong><br />
Although Australiangrown<br />
lemons are<br />
available all year round<br />
they are at their peak June<br />
through to the end of<br />
August. There are three main<br />
varieties: Lisbon, Eureka and<br />
Meyer. Lisbon are the most<br />
common. They have smooth,<br />
bright yellow skin and a tart<br />
flavour. Eureka lemons are<br />
larger than other varieties<br />
(usually found across our<br />
backyards); they have a thick,<br />
rough skin and are more<br />
acidic. And Meyer lemons<br />
are a natural hybrid (cross)<br />
between a lemon and orange,<br />
so they are sweeter with a<br />
slight orange skin colour.<br />
Buying<br />
Always choose lemons that<br />
have a brightly coloured<br />
skin and feel heavy for their<br />
size. Avoid any with wrinkled<br />
or soft, bruised skin.<br />
Storing<br />
Keep lemons for up to a<br />
week at room temperature.<br />
They will keep for 3-4 weeks<br />
loose in the crisper part of<br />
the fridge.<br />
Nutrition<br />
Lemons are a good source of<br />
vitamin C, contain vitamin<br />
B6 and dietary fibre.<br />
Also In Season<br />
<strong>July</strong><br />
Apples, Bananas, Custard<br />
apples, Dates, Mandarins,<br />
Nashi, Australian Navel<br />
and Cara Cara Oranges,<br />
Pears, Quince, Rhubarb<br />
and winter Strawberries.<br />
Also Avocados,<br />
Beetroot, Broccolini<br />
and Broccoli, Brussels<br />
sprouts, Cauliflower,<br />
Leeks, Fennel, Jerusalem<br />
Artichokes, Kale,<br />
Butternut Pumpkin, Sweet<br />
Potato, Spinach and<br />
Silverbeet; and Turnips.<br />
Lemon delicious<br />
Makes 6<br />
80g butter, at room temperature<br />
1 cup caster sugar<br />
1 lemon, rind finely grated<br />
3 eggs, separated<br />
3/4 cup self-raising flour<br />
2 cups milk<br />
160ml freshly squeezed<br />
lemon juice (4-5 lemons)<br />
icing sugar<br />
thickened cream or ice<br />
cream, to serve<br />
1. Preheat oven to 180°C fanforced.<br />
Grease 6 x 1¼ cup<br />
capacity ovenproof ramekins<br />
or cups and place<br />
into a roasting pan.<br />
2. Beat sugar, butter and<br />
lemon rind with an electric<br />
mixer until pale and<br />
creamy. Add egg yolks<br />
one at a time, beating well<br />
after each addition. Add<br />
flour and milk alternately<br />
in batches and beat to a<br />
smooth batter. Stir in the<br />
lemon juice.<br />
3. In a separate bowl, whisk<br />
egg whites with a pinch<br />
of salt to stiff peaks. Stir<br />
in one third of the egg<br />
whites to lighten the<br />
batter, then gently fold in<br />
the remaining egg whites<br />
until just combined.<br />
Divide among ramekins<br />
or cups.<br />
4. Pour enough boiling water<br />
into the roasting pan to<br />
come halfway up the side<br />
of the ramekins or cups.<br />
Bake for 30-35 minutes<br />
or until light golden. Dust<br />
with icing sugar and serve<br />
with cream or ice cream.<br />
66 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
<strong>Pittwater</strong> Puzzler<br />
Compiled by David Stickley<br />
CLUE: 21 DOWN<br />
ACROSS<br />
1 A project that generates a continuous<br />
flow of money (4,3)<br />
5 Wave close to shore (7)<br />
9 Place in a grave at Mona Vale Cemetery,<br />
for example (5)<br />
10 Early PM (9)<br />
11 Types of snake, yes, or essentially ugly<br />
looking things? (8)<br />
12 Pickling solution (5)<br />
14 Break out suddenly or dramatically (5)<br />
16 A system for networking computers (8)<br />
18 A flat loaf of Italian bread made with<br />
olive oil and topped with salt, herbs etc (8)<br />
20 Sly looks (5)<br />
24 Firearm with long barrel (5)<br />
25 A very hot day (8)<br />
27 Criminals hopefully thwarted by<br />
groups of wooden posts painted white<br />
and red once located on Barrenjoey<br />
Headland (9)<br />
29 Russian spirit (5)<br />
30 Any of several varieties of Australian<br />
parakeet with brightly coloured<br />
plumage, first observed at Rose Hill near<br />
Sydney (7)<br />
31 In a state of rest or inactivity (7)<br />
DOWN<br />
1 Cuisine served by Hong Kong<br />
Restaurant in Newport (7)<br />
2 A complete meal with limited options<br />
offered by a restaurant at a fixed price<br />
(3,4)<br />
3 Community event held every three<br />
months in Avalon where unwanted items<br />
can be sold (3,4,4)<br />
4 Strip of coastline overlooked by Jonah’s<br />
restaurant (5,5)<br />
5 Tub for washing (4)<br />
6 Wax collector (3)<br />
7 A shared on-demand transport service<br />
on the Northern Beaches (7)<br />
8 One who holds a lease (6)<br />
12 Bilgola Plateau resident taking part<br />
in her 20th NSW Variety Bash in August<br />
(5,6)<br />
13 Elanora Players’ latest production (3,7)<br />
15 Sports official in short (3)<br />
17 Sailor; bitumen (3)<br />
19 Timber remnants (7)<br />
21 Australian animal that adorns the fivecent<br />
piece (7)<br />
22 Domestic helper (7)<br />
23 Australian sand island (6)<br />
26 Preliminary or testing stage of a<br />
software or hardware product (4)<br />
28 Cosmetic preparation (3)<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> Puzzler<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 67
Garden <strong>Life</strong><br />
Garden <strong>Life</strong><br />
Delight Freshen in up the homes amazing with<br />
colours glowing of indoor hydrangeas greenery with Gabrielle Bryant<br />
AAlthough lways a favourite<br />
it is a busy<br />
for<br />
time<br />
Christmas outside colour, in the garden, hydrangeas<br />
it is<br />
are<br />
still<br />
flowering<br />
cold. It is<br />
their<br />
fun<br />
heads<br />
to have<br />
off!<br />
a project<br />
They look<br />
that<br />
wonderful<br />
can be<br />
carried<br />
in the<br />
out<br />
garden,<br />
inside<br />
brightening<br />
where it is<br />
the<br />
warm.<br />
semi-shaded areas and<br />
glowing<br />
Indoor<br />
in<br />
plants<br />
the full,<br />
not<br />
protected<br />
only look<br />
sunlight.<br />
good, they<br />
Once<br />
have<br />
the<br />
also<br />
older<br />
been<br />
varieties<br />
proven that<br />
were<br />
they<br />
either<br />
clean<br />
pink<br />
the<br />
or<br />
air.<br />
blue<br />
This is<br />
depending<br />
why they<br />
on<br />
are<br />
the<br />
now<br />
soil,<br />
in<br />
additional<br />
every air-conditioned<br />
lime will deepen<br />
office<br />
the<br />
building<br />
pinks<br />
and<br />
and<br />
shopping<br />
blueing tonic<br />
centre.<br />
(sulphate<br />
Traditional<br />
of aluminium)<br />
flower pots<br />
will<br />
can<br />
heighten<br />
be expensive,<br />
the blues,<br />
so look<br />
but<br />
around<br />
the<br />
new<br />
your<br />
named<br />
house and<br />
varieties<br />
find some<br />
will<br />
maintain<br />
interesting<br />
their<br />
containers<br />
colour. White<br />
to pot<br />
never<br />
up. Old<br />
changes.<br />
tea cups,<br />
There<br />
tea pots<br />
are<br />
hydrangeas<br />
or desk organisers<br />
of every<br />
are<br />
size<br />
ideal;<br />
from<br />
the<br />
although<br />
tiny dwarf<br />
be very<br />
Piamina<br />
careful<br />
to<br />
not<br />
the<br />
to<br />
tall<br />
overwater<br />
traditional<br />
your<br />
Mop<br />
plants<br />
Heads.<br />
if there<br />
With<br />
is no<br />
so<br />
drainage<br />
many to<br />
hole<br />
choose<br />
in the<br />
from<br />
it<br />
bottom<br />
is almost<br />
of the<br />
too<br />
container.<br />
difficult to<br />
decide.<br />
Flowering<br />
There<br />
Peace<br />
are the<br />
lilies,<br />
delicate<br />
lace<br />
African<br />
caps,<br />
violets,<br />
the huge<br />
orchids<br />
blooms<br />
and<br />
anthuriums love good light.<br />
Hanging baskets of ferns or<br />
pots of maiden hair fern thrive<br />
in the bathroom. Potted herbs<br />
look good on the kitchen<br />
window sill. In a darker<br />
situation the Victorians knew<br />
what to plant: the Cast Iron<br />
Plant, aspidistra, Mother in<br />
Law’s tongue or Parlour palms<br />
were amongst the favourites.<br />
Still on indoors, Terrariums<br />
that were so popular in the<br />
’70s have made a spectacular<br />
comeback. They are very easy<br />
to make and once done take<br />
very little time to maintain.<br />
First, find a suitable glass<br />
of the traditional mop heads,<br />
the cone-shaped flowers of<br />
hydrangea paniculata bushes<br />
container. Tall vases, round<br />
fish bowls, fish tanks or glass<br />
domes will all work well.<br />
The most important factor<br />
is the potting medium.<br />
To start, add a layer sand,<br />
then a layer of fine gravel or<br />
decorative stones (if you have<br />
several colours you can layer<br />
them). Next comes a thin layer<br />
of crushed charcoal. This is<br />
important to filter the water<br />
and keep the roots free from<br />
that can be two metres tall.<br />
The recently introduced<br />
smaller growing Picotee<br />
varieties with two-tone flower<br />
heads are hard to leave behind<br />
and if you have a semishaded<br />
wall, the climbing<br />
hydrangea petiolaris is just<br />
fungus and mould. Finally, add<br />
beautiful.<br />
a thick layer of potting mix. (I<br />
Hydrangeas are forgiving<br />
use seed raising mix as it has<br />
plants that are easy to grow.<br />
a finer texture for a small pot.)<br />
They like regular water and<br />
Firm the soil by pressing it<br />
any good garden soil. Mulch<br />
well down before you begin to<br />
the roots with compost to<br />
plant your miniature garden.<br />
keep them cool and feed<br />
Now you are ready<br />
them in early spring to get<br />
to choose your plants!<br />
them going. Grow them in<br />
Remember that the tiny plants<br />
pots, or in the garden; bring<br />
will soon fill out, so don’t<br />
them inside when in flower<br />
over-plant. Ferns are ideal,<br />
or cut the blooms – they last<br />
miniature African violets do<br />
well in water.<br />
Cherry Guava a<br />
sweet surprise<br />
In full flower in my veggie<br />
garden is my Cherry Guava,<br />
sometimes known as a Strawberry<br />
Guava. This delightful<br />
evergreen shrub never fails to<br />
produce a heavy crop of cherry<br />
guavas in early autumn.<br />
It is a small, pretty tree with<br />
rounded, glossy green leaves<br />
that only grows to about<br />
three metres in height. Keep it<br />
trimmed into shape after fruiting.<br />
The delicate fluffy flowers<br />
are creamy white, growing close<br />
well, to the small branches. parlour They palms are followed<br />
for by the height tangy and flavoured, the tiny,<br />
are<br />
great<br />
creeping sweet, berry-sized, peperomias cherry will red soon<br />
act fruit as that a ground are high cove, in vitamin if you C.<br />
can Unlike find the them taller-growing small growing deciduous<br />
yellow orchids, guava moth that orchids needs<br />
native<br />
or cooking, oncidiums the fruit love can the be humid eaten<br />
conditions.<br />
raw straight from the tree or<br />
used Terrariums in cooking, create jellies, a very drinks,<br />
moist sauces environment or jams. so choose<br />
plants You should carefully, protect buy them fruit as<br />
tubes from fruit or take fly with cuttings a fruit and fly bait.<br />
wait for them to grow.<br />
Get into the<br />
‘swing’ of Xmas<br />
It is time to relax and enjoy<br />
your garden. Look at your<br />
outdoor seating requirements<br />
– the shops are full of<br />
amazing chairs and tables.<br />
Hanging cane egg chairs have<br />
been trendy for the past few<br />
years and now the ‘Swing<br />
Seat’ is back. Nothing is more<br />
peaceful than swinging in a<br />
seat for two, sheltered from<br />
the weather with a roof to<br />
shade from the sun – makes a<br />
great Christmas present too!<br />
72 68 DECEMBER JULY <strong>2018</strong> 2017<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Time to<br />
go potty!<br />
I<br />
t is still cold outside but<br />
you get ahead with spring<br />
veggies if you start them off<br />
inside. Mr Fothergills’ seeds<br />
have made a range of veggies<br />
and herbs that are ready<br />
to go. Inside the pots are soil<br />
and seeds ready to plant.<br />
All you need is water!<br />
These plastic pots have<br />
clear plastic lids to make<br />
them into mini glass<br />
houses. Start your basil and<br />
tomatoes now and they will<br />
be ready to plant out next<br />
month.<br />
Bottlebrush bushes make<br />
great hedges but can get<br />
untidy if not looked after.<br />
They are great where there<br />
is space for them to spread<br />
out but not so good in narrow<br />
spaces.<br />
New from Ozbreed is<br />
the callistemon called<br />
Slim. True to its name, the<br />
scarlet-flowering shrub<br />
produces masses of huge<br />
red brushes on a tall<br />
narrow plant. It can grow<br />
to a height of 3m but is<br />
just 1.3m wide.<br />
It is the perfect native<br />
shrub for hedging or can<br />
be trimmed to a column<br />
shape as an accent plant<br />
or it can be grown in a<br />
large tub by the front door.<br />
Trimmed just a couple<br />
of times each year, it will<br />
flower from early spring<br />
into summer and autumn.<br />
The foliage naturally grows<br />
right to ground level and<br />
the old flowers are selfcleaning.<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
As the days shorten the<br />
brightly coloured Kalanchoes<br />
explode into singing<br />
colours of scarlet, yellow,<br />
orange, pink, white or cerise.<br />
Through the cold winter days<br />
they give cheerful colour<br />
in the garden, but once the<br />
flowering finishes they need<br />
some attention to make them<br />
flower again next year.<br />
They are often thrown<br />
away, mistakenly, when the<br />
old flower stems brown off.<br />
Cut the old stems back to<br />
two or three leaves above the<br />
growing point to encourage<br />
new growth. The plant<br />
will thicken up with more<br />
flowering tips for next year.<br />
Kalanchoes have thick, fleshy<br />
leaves that store the water.<br />
They need water when they<br />
are growing but after cutting<br />
the plants back reduce the<br />
water until the weather warms<br />
up and new shoots appear.<br />
Too much water at this stage<br />
will kill the plants.<br />
Better than a ‘Slim’<br />
chance of great hedge<br />
Exploding colours of Kalanchoe<br />
In spring you can take<br />
cuttings. Cut stems that have<br />
at least three pairs of leaves<br />
below the tip. Cut off the<br />
bottom two pairs. The new<br />
roots will appear from the<br />
node that is where the leaf<br />
was joined. Let the cuttings<br />
dry for 24 hours before<br />
planting. First dip the ends<br />
into rooting hormone powder<br />
then plant into seed raising<br />
mix.<br />
Don’t water for a couple<br />
of weeks, once the cutting<br />
appears to be firm in the soil<br />
then you can start to water it.<br />
Too much moisture will make<br />
the cutting rot. They root very<br />
easily if you keep them dry.<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 69<br />
Garden <strong>Life</strong>
Garden <strong>Life</strong><br />
Jobs this Month<br />
<strong>July</strong><br />
Garden <strong>Life</strong><br />
We needed the rain in<br />
June – although maybe<br />
not quite so much.<br />
The heavy rain has compacted<br />
the soil. Aerate your lawn<br />
and beds with a garden fork,<br />
before adding new compost<br />
or mulch.<br />
Miner problem<br />
New growth on citrus trees is<br />
a target for leaf miner, so keep<br />
up the regular sprays routine<br />
of Eco oil. It is time to buy a<br />
new leaf miner lure to hang in<br />
the tree.<br />
Snail watch<br />
Cymbidium orchids are<br />
flowering now. Marauding<br />
snails can destroy the<br />
flower spikes overnight. Use<br />
Multiguard pellets to keep the<br />
snails under control. Bring the<br />
orchids inside while they are<br />
flowering to enjoy the display.<br />
Also, tiny snails are climbing<br />
up vegetables and hibiscus.<br />
Pick them off by hand or<br />
entice that back to ground<br />
level with a saucer of beer.<br />
Fruiting tip<br />
Train passionfruit this month.<br />
The fruit is only produced<br />
on new growth. Cut the<br />
vines back by 50 per cent to<br />
encourage new shoots.<br />
Transplant time<br />
It is cold outside but time<br />
to keep busy. This is the<br />
month to move any trees or<br />
shrubs that are in the wrong<br />
place. Spray the plants with<br />
Yates’ Drought Shield the<br />
week before you dig them<br />
up. This will help to prevent<br />
transplanting shock.<br />
Prune roses<br />
Time to prune your roses.<br />
Cut back any weak or twiggy<br />
growth and open up the<br />
middle of the bushes. Always<br />
prune back to an outward<br />
pointing shoot, so that the<br />
bush remains open. This will<br />
reduce the congestion of the<br />
leaves in summer and help<br />
to prevent black spot. After<br />
pruning spray your bushes<br />
with lime sulphur to clean up<br />
any fungal spores from the<br />
previous season.<br />
Buy bulbs<br />
It’s not too late to plant liliums<br />
and hippeastrum bulbs for<br />
Bronze Glow for Xmas<br />
It may be winter but you<br />
can get ready for Christmas<br />
now! Last year the<br />
West Australian Woolly<br />
Bush was sold as an indoor<br />
Christmas tree. It is a<br />
dense pale grey shrub that<br />
responds well to trimming<br />
into shape.<br />
Adenothus Silver Streak<br />
has soft, velvety grey leaves<br />
and the new Bronze Glow<br />
has the wonderful bronze<br />
tips on the new growth.<br />
The natural shape is like<br />
a Christmas tree and with<br />
summer flowers. If you buy<br />
them now make sure that the<br />
bulbs are still firm without any<br />
signs of new leaves.<br />
Lift & divide<br />
Lift and divide gingers,<br />
agapanthus, iris, mondo<br />
grass, liriope, gazanias and<br />
a little help to thicken the<br />
foliage it looks spectacular<br />
when it is decorated.<br />
Buy a plant now and start<br />
to shape it. Like all native<br />
shrubs it is fast-growing.<br />
Feed it with the slowrelease<br />
fertiliser called Bush<br />
Tucker. This is specially<br />
formulated food for native<br />
trees and shrubs. Woolly<br />
Bush won’t do well as an<br />
indoor plant, so make sure<br />
to put it back outside in the<br />
fresh air and sunlight after<br />
the 12 days of Christmas.<br />
any other garden perennials<br />
now. Also, Geranium plants<br />
need a tidy up. Take new<br />
cuttings to replace any plants<br />
that have become woody and<br />
old.<br />
Seeds & seedlings<br />
Tomato seeds are ready to be<br />
planted out next month. Also,<br />
make sure that your sweet pea<br />
seedlings have a strong frame<br />
to climb up.<br />
Crossword solution from page 67<br />
Mystery location: HEADLAND<br />
70 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Times Past<br />
Sentry deception a<br />
smuggler deterrent<br />
Working day and night,<br />
seven days a week,<br />
outside and in all<br />
types of weather conditions<br />
certainly wouldn’t attract too<br />
many job applicants today!<br />
The ‘employee’ in this<br />
case was a wooden effigy<br />
of a military officer. He was<br />
dressed in an orthodox,<br />
scarlet swallow-tail coat,<br />
capped with a plumed<br />
infantry hat and drawn<br />
sword, “correctly dressed<br />
in the conspicuous uniform<br />
of the red coats”, so that he<br />
could be clearly seen from<br />
anywhere in Broken Bay.<br />
This fellow stood on<br />
Barrenjoey Headland during<br />
the latter half of the 19th<br />
century as a deterrent to<br />
smugglers (Smugglers Track,<br />
right). Goods, especially rum,<br />
were being landed in Broken<br />
Bay to avoid paying Customs<br />
duty in Sydney. Subsequently<br />
in 1843, a Customs Station<br />
was established in the lee of<br />
the headland on the <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />
side of the isthmus.<br />
Alexander Ross became<br />
the fourth Coast Waiter in<br />
January 1854. It was he,<br />
according to Jervis Sparks,<br />
who had cleverly fashioned<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
the soldier almost entirely<br />
from a single log which<br />
formed the head, body<br />
and legs. “The arms were<br />
made from thick branches<br />
inserted into augured holes.<br />
It was brightly painted with<br />
a red coat, white trousers,<br />
a fashionable full-black<br />
military moustache and an<br />
old black hat.”<br />
Ross stated that since an<br />
officer couldn’t remain on<br />
duty all the time, an effigy<br />
would provide him with<br />
some down-time. (Other more<br />
cynical observers stated that<br />
it also gave Ross time for<br />
cards and a tot of confiscated<br />
rum with his fellow officers.)<br />
Several reports claim that<br />
the effigy stood in front of a<br />
cave, erect and not far from<br />
the lighthouse.<br />
In his ‘A Century of Yachting’<br />
R. H. Goddard wrote that<br />
“… before the fire of 1912,<br />
old groups of wooden posts<br />
painted white and red, as if<br />
to represent ‘red coats’, were<br />
dotted over the hillside of<br />
Barrenjoey. At a distance they<br />
certainly looked like military<br />
sentries (below).”<br />
They also looked like<br />
military sentries to some<br />
skippers of passing vessels.<br />
Apparently the drawn sword<br />
was an acknowledged sign<br />
of a signal of distress (see<br />
illustration) and on one<br />
occasion a captain tacked<br />
into <strong>Pittwater</strong> to offer<br />
assistance. After his crew<br />
stopped laughing when it<br />
was discovered the soldier<br />
was wooden, the captain<br />
complained bitterly to<br />
the authorities. Ross was<br />
cautioned, but laughing<br />
himself, “… continued to<br />
paint his soldiers, hoping<br />
to trap another gullible<br />
captain.”<br />
Although Jervis said he<br />
made a reproduction of<br />
the soldier for one of the<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> Festivals of the<br />
1990s, no photo exists of his<br />
creation.<br />
A report in ‘The Bulletin’<br />
stated that the soldier<br />
remained on duty until the<br />
late 1800s when “… white<br />
ants ate his legs from under<br />
him and he collapsed.”<br />
TIMES PAST is supplied<br />
by local historian<br />
and President of the<br />
Avalon Beach Historical<br />
Society GEOFF SEARL.<br />
Visit the Society’s<br />
showroom in Bowling<br />
Green Lane, Avalon<br />
Beach.<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 71<br />
Times Past
Local Call<br />
Local Call<br />
We love the night<br />
(market) life!<br />
When Kiwis Sam Adams<br />
and Phaly My moved to<br />
Sydney three years ago<br />
they – quite literally – spotted<br />
a gap in the market, providing<br />
them with the opportunity to<br />
launch a new business.<br />
Newly arrived from Auckland,<br />
with two little kids in tow,<br />
the young family were keen to<br />
explore the local night market<br />
scene.<br />
“We loved going to night markets<br />
back home and would go<br />
to at least five or six a month,”<br />
Sam explained. “It was a great<br />
night out for our too little ones<br />
– we didn’t want to be stuck at<br />
home but having a young family<br />
also ruled out going to the pubs<br />
or clubs, so the night markets<br />
were a great fit for us.<br />
“When we started looking for<br />
night markets in Sydney we really<br />
struggled to find something<br />
similar… that’s when the wheels<br />
started turning and we thought<br />
that the Sydneysiders were really<br />
missing out on such a good<br />
family experience,” he said.<br />
After a year of research and<br />
planning and trying to get the<br />
concept off the ground, Sam<br />
and Phaly were given their ‘first<br />
shot’ just over 18 months ago.<br />
GOOD FOOD, GREAT FUN: Aussie NightMarkets are a<br />
great monthly addition to the <strong>Pittwater</strong> scene.<br />
There are<br />
now 10 Aussie<br />
NightMarkets<br />
boasting the best street food<br />
from around the globe, with<br />
kids’ entertainment and shopping,<br />
held in different locations<br />
across NSW on most nights<br />
of the week – with the latest<br />
launched in Mona Vale.<br />
“We have had many requests<br />
to come out this way (as well<br />
as a few other destinations) but<br />
thankfully the local Council<br />
was willing to work with us to<br />
get the concept off the ground<br />
in Mona Vale and we were able<br />
to make it work,” Sam said.<br />
The markets feature a<br />
wonderful mix of what Sam<br />
describes as the “hottest food<br />
vendors and food trucks on the<br />
scene”.<br />
With more than 30 food vendors<br />
on site, locals can sample<br />
a wide range of international<br />
food flavours, with dedicated<br />
dessert vendors dishing out<br />
sweet treats as well.<br />
These markets cater to all the<br />
family – there are amusement<br />
rides and games for the kids<br />
and a boutique retail section<br />
filled with quality goods and<br />
services.<br />
“We also bring in tables and<br />
chairs for a nice sit-down meal<br />
and a bit of music to create the<br />
atmosphere,” Sam said.<br />
“The park’s Amphitheatre<br />
provides a great natural seating<br />
area which overlooks the entire<br />
event – a great place to head<br />
if you miss out on grabbing a<br />
table on the night,” he said<br />
The Aussie NightMarkets<br />
are held in Mona Vale Village<br />
Park on the second Friday of<br />
every month from 5pm until<br />
10pm (weather dependent).<br />
Check out the Facebook page<br />
for announcements – kids’ rides<br />
sometimes can’t be operated in<br />
high winds and the food trucks<br />
and cars can’t get access to the<br />
grounds in damp conditions.<br />
Sam said they are always on<br />
the lookout for new stallholders<br />
– visit aussienightmarkets.com.<br />
au for more info.<br />
This month’s market is on<br />
Friday 13. – Lisa Offord<br />
72 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Travel <strong>Life</strong><br />
Educational tour of post-war Japan<br />
World War II was without<br />
doubt the defining<br />
event of the 20th century –<br />
it realigned the balance of<br />
power both in Europe and<br />
in Asia and established the<br />
United States as a global<br />
superpower. Indeed, the repercussions<br />
of the war and<br />
its aftermath still reverberate<br />
today. Which makes Ponant’s<br />
‘Legacy of World War<br />
II’ cruise – following in the<br />
wake of US General Douglas<br />
MacArthur who journeyed to accept the Japanese<br />
surrender in 1945, departing September 27, 2019 – a<br />
truly unique and educational getaway.<br />
“The ports of call on this intriguing 14 days/13<br />
nights voyage from China to Japan introduce passengers<br />
to the rich historical and cultural diversity of<br />
the western Pacific,” said Travel View’s Karen Robinson.<br />
“You’ll experience some 5,000 years of Chinese<br />
history collected in the National Palace Museum in<br />
Taipei; the unique crafts and music of the people<br />
of Ishigaki; the legacy of the Ryuku kingdom represented in the<br />
UNESCO World Heritage Shuri Castle on Okinawa; the samurai<br />
houses of Chiran; the Fujisan Sengen shrine in the foothills of<br />
Mt. Fuji; the Kumano Shinto shrines near Shingu – these are just<br />
some of the fascinating places you may visit along<br />
our way from Hong Kong to Osaka.”<br />
As cruise members explore the natural and<br />
cultural heritage of the distant past of islands<br />
visited, they will also attend to a more recent<br />
chapter in their history.<br />
“Special guest lecturers, James Bradley and<br />
Philip Hurst, will guide passengers in an exploration<br />
of the origins and conduct of the war and<br />
consider with them just how World War II shaped<br />
the world in which we live,”<br />
Karen said.<br />
On August 6, 1945, the US detonated<br />
an atomic bomb over the<br />
Japanese city of Hiroshima – one<br />
of the ports of call on this tour.<br />
Three days later they dropped<br />
a second atomic bomb on the<br />
Japanese city of Nagasaki. Japan<br />
surrendered to the Allied forces<br />
on August 15 and the surrender<br />
ceremony was held on September<br />
2, aboard the US Navy battleship<br />
USS Missouri, in Tokyo Bay. – NW<br />
* To learn more about this trip<br />
(departs September 27, 2019) attend an exclusive presentation<br />
at Long Reef GC from 4.30pm to 6pm on Wednesday<br />
25 <strong>July</strong>. Bookings essential; RSVP by 20 <strong>July</strong> on 9999 0444.<br />
Travel <strong>Life</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong> 73
Travel <strong>Life</strong><br />
Travel <strong>Life</strong>: The Insider<br />
Stuff you must do before<br />
heading to the airport...<br />
Visiting the USA is a<br />
GREAT idea! And there’s<br />
never been a better time<br />
to take off!<br />
We’re pleased to provide tips<br />
to help pave the way to the<br />
holiday of a lifetime in the USA.<br />
Move the ‘mouse’, before you<br />
leave the house – and remember<br />
to save this issue for future<br />
reference; you’ll thank us later.<br />
For starters, comprehensive<br />
travel insurance is a must! We<br />
suggest your buy travel insurance<br />
from your local agent,<br />
read the fine print and be sure<br />
the premiums you pay will deliver<br />
when needed in coverage.<br />
Getting good comprehensive<br />
travel insurance is possibly<br />
the most important part of<br />
packing for a holiday. Knowing<br />
you’re ‘covered’ for flight<br />
alterations, ‘deductibles’ for<br />
accidentally driving the hire<br />
car into the ‘drink,’ missing<br />
luggage, theft, and (on<br />
occasion) dropping that new<br />
camera into the Grand Canyon.<br />
An example? I chipped a tooth<br />
consuming a bowl of Bubba<br />
Gump Shrimp’s clam chowder.<br />
Ouch! If you do need to use<br />
any policy cover while away,<br />
call the provider first-up, and<br />
open a claim. While medical<br />
attention in the USA is arguably<br />
the best in the world the<br />
first question any practitioner<br />
is going to ask is “what’s your<br />
coverage, please?”<br />
Do homework online – but<br />
when it comes to making your<br />
purchases, march into your<br />
travel agent and take a seat.<br />
If you do need help later, your<br />
travel professional can assist.<br />
The best way to save money<br />
is to shop before you put the<br />
key card in the hotel door.<br />
Plan to shop around while<br />
still at home; short-list the<br />
‘must-do’ items on the holiday<br />
agenda and capture significant<br />
savings. When you’re ready,<br />
Did You Know!?<br />
Australians are among the most<br />
prolific and pleasantly resilient<br />
travellers in the world. No matter<br />
who is running the political<br />
show, or the ebb and flow of<br />
exchange rates, Australia continues its love affair<br />
with America, breaking all records for ‘vacation’ invasions.<br />
Over 1.4 million Australians lingered longer than any other<br />
long-haul visitors in the world last year. And visitors to the<br />
USA from ‘the lucky country’ return to the USA with incredible<br />
loyalty. About three trips on average in a lifetime. Remarkable.<br />
The traditional Australian’s trip to the US is, according to<br />
statistics, 22.9 days in duration and highlighted by access to<br />
incredible shopping opportunities. Shopping still puts Australians<br />
at the top of the class for purchases. Australians continue<br />
to rank shopping as the No.1 activity – 91% by last survey – and<br />
nowadays not just running shoes, linens, and blue jeans are going<br />
into the shopping trolley/cart. Australians are toting home<br />
lawnmowers, hedge trimmers, chainsaws, new luggage, golf<br />
clubs and vintage motorcycles and cars, to mention only a few.<br />
highlights in hand, head for a<br />
local travel guru and… ‘book<br />
’em, Danno!’.<br />
Pay the bulk of trip costs in<br />
Australian dollars instead of<br />
US Greenbacks when you ‘get<br />
there’. Leaving hotel bookings<br />
or car hire until the last minute<br />
is no longer a reliable path<br />
to savings. Planning can be<br />
almost as much fun as going<br />
along – enjoy the journey.<br />
Use your own funds in the<br />
USA with access to ATMs. Load<br />
your ATM account before you<br />
go, clear your credit cards.<br />
Don’t tote along any Aussie<br />
currency – unless you’re keen<br />
to show the locals how bills are<br />
a different size and colour.<br />
Some nuggets of gold:<br />
n Study pass options available<br />
before leaving. When you buy<br />
multi-attraction passes you’ll<br />
save both money and, tons of<br />
time!<br />
n In major cities, nail down a<br />
CityPass, which will include entries<br />
and admissions to all the<br />
key regional attractions. These<br />
fabulous passes also save<br />
huge chunks of time waiting<br />
in lines. Go right to the front<br />
and wave your VIP pass and<br />
you’re in! These pre-purchased<br />
passes will wind up saving the<br />
clever traveller at least 50% of<br />
the box office tariff. And you’ll<br />
spend more time in attractions,<br />
rather than waiting in<br />
queues.<br />
n Upgrade your current phone<br />
for ‘roaming’ or consider buying<br />
a new toss-away phone<br />
with Mark Sheehan<br />
while in the USA. Phone service<br />
providers in Australia will<br />
charge an international ‘roaming<br />
fee’ for overseas use of<br />
your own equipment. Ask your<br />
provider for their best shot at<br />
providing coverage. Crucially,<br />
confirm you’ve got a good bit<br />
of data to download so you<br />
can use the GPS and maps now<br />
available everywhere.<br />
n Contact your bank and let<br />
them know it’s you, using your<br />
credit cards overseas. It’s a<br />
sign of the times: your first<br />
credit card purchase in the USA<br />
goes as smooth as a baby’s<br />
posterior, only to be abruptly<br />
‘declined’ the next time you<br />
buy a second round at the<br />
bar. The message ‘contact<br />
your bank’ is almost always,<br />
guaranteed. Plan ahead – make<br />
a pre-departure call into your<br />
bank, or call the credit card<br />
company to alert them of your<br />
travel plans, and it should be<br />
smooth sailing when flashing<br />
the plastic. Without fear of<br />
rejection.<br />
n The Japanese business community<br />
has a saying, based<br />
on the iconic Samurai Battle<br />
Creed, called the ‘Five Ps’:<br />
Proper Planning Prevents Poor<br />
Performance! Start planning<br />
early, and you’ll be pleasantly<br />
pleased with the results when<br />
you finally do take off. Remember<br />
to drop us a postcard!<br />
Mark Sheehan is an<br />
entrepreneur and travel<br />
specialist who has helped<br />
build iconic brands such<br />
as TrekAmerica, Insight,<br />
Elite, F2T, Scenic, Trafalgar,<br />
and AmeriCan Adventures.<br />
Mark helped Sir Richard<br />
Branson launch V Australia<br />
(now Virgin Australia), while<br />
penning over 200 travel<br />
guides for onboard Tour<br />
Directors. His best-selling<br />
Know BEFORE You GO Guide<br />
– America Over Easy! Is in<br />
its fifth reprint.<br />
74 JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
WALKERS WANTED!<br />
Wordonthe St<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
NOT RAPT<br />
IN PLASTIC<br />
PITTWATER TURNS<br />
TIDE ON WASTE<br />
FIRST LOOK<br />
EXCLUSIVE<br />
PICS OF NEW<br />
NB HOSPITAL<br />
JULY <strong>2018</strong><br />
FREE<br />
pittwaterlife<br />
PICK-ME-UP<br />
ON-DEMAND CAR<br />
TRIAL SUCCESS<br />
VARIETY THE<br />
SPICE OF LIFE<br />
BERYL DRIVER’S<br />
20TH BUSH BASH<br />
DODGED<br />
A BULLET<br />
OUR REPRIEVE<br />
FROM DENSITY<br />
To deliver <strong>Pittwater</strong> <strong>Life</strong> once a month.<br />
Mums… Dads… Kids… Singles… Retirees…<br />
Permanent and casual runs are available<br />
throughout the <strong>Pittwater</strong> area.<br />
Deliver to your suburb – or further afield.<br />
Palm Beach, Avalon, Newport, Mona Vale, Bayview, Church Point, Warriewood,<br />
Elanora Heights, Ingleside, Narrabeen, Terrey Hills.<br />
EARN TOP MONEY, PAID PROMPTLY!<br />
Phone 0438 123 096 or email pitlifewalkers@gmail.com