The Weekly Times - TWT - 27th March 2019

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4 THE WEEKLY TIMES Wednesday 27 March, 2019 Salute to genuine party volunteers Dear Sir, By choosing to be a rusted on political party member and volunteer one has to have courage to wear the party’s T-shirt, proudly display your leader’s face in your front yard for all to see and engage in political activities such as handing out pamphlets at prepoll and shopping malls, knocking on doors and letter box dropping. Those on the opposing side can be quite irrational and abusive towards you and even more so now as the end is “nigh”. The swinging voter is most interesting when they blame you for the ills of your party but then they might jump ship in time to say they were on the winning side. Ah! But comfort from the like minded is sweet when they wish you luck or smile and say “you’ve got my vote”. JUDY NICHOLAS Denistone East Endangered wildlife at Ivanhoe Estate Dear Sir, City of Ryde Council is to be congratulated for taking action on the proposed development at Ivanhoe Estate, as reported in last week’s TWT. As a long-time local resident I have been pleased to see how the section of forest between the estate and Epping Road remained unspoilt as an effective buffer between the road and the existing lowrise housing units. It is a Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest. All such forests are classified as Endangered Ecological Communities because only 0.5 percent of these forest areas remain. The NSW Biodiversity Offset Policy for Major Projects cannot make amends for destruction of any part of this forest because it would further reduce the remaining total. The development plans specify an access road to cut through this forest, which will destroy a large section and also break up the wildlife corridor. Even if the development goes ahead, this planned access road is unnecessary. The plans also specify two-way access to Lyon Park Road, so traffic wishing to enter the estate ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVE WE ARE GROWING! The The Weekly Weekly Times Times has has a new a new position position for an enthusiastic, for an enthusiastic, creative, well creative, organised person well organised to join our person sales team. to join our sales team in a permanent position. The The successful applicant applicant will be will required be required to service to existing canvas clients new business as well as as source well as out service new clients. existing clients in a defined local territory. Must have have good good telephone interpersonal skills, be punctual, skills, be have punctual, a proven have sales a proven record, and sales be record, able to and work be within able deadlines. to work within publishing deadlines. A car reliable is essential. car is Good essential. salary commissions Good salary and and allowances commissions for the right for the applicant. successful applicant. This To apply is a full-time send resume position. to: General Manager To The apply Weekly send Times resume to: General PO Box Manager 123, Ryde NSW 1680 or The Email: Weekly contactus@weeklytimes.com.au Times PO Box 123, Ryde NSW 1680 or No agencies please. Email: contactus@weeklytimes.com.au Letters to the Editor could use Lyon Park Road which has an existing welldesigned exit point from Epping Road. In meetings with Mr Dominello and with representatives of the developer engaged by the NSW Government, I have been told that the access road through this forest is essential to the development. If that is the case, the development should not go ahead as presently proposed. The welfare of the forest must take priority. PHILIP WARD North Ryde We need to dam for prosperity Dear Sir, In reference to Viv Forbes “Curse less and dam more” comments on March 13 TWT I whole heartedly agree with him. I have been saying for years that we need to either dam more or put pipelines in to harness some of the floods waters particularly in Northern Queensland which will safeguard the population against flood devastation, the loss of life, the government against future costs and bring life back to the Darling /Murray river system and many other drought stricken areas. I have seen the Perth to Kalgoorlie pipeline which goes for about 700 or more kms, so if water can be piped here it can be done in many other places. These future pipes could be put underground to safeguard collapse and be much more aesthetically pleasing ! Also it would provide many more jobs!! Governments please take a stand and ensure the water future for generations in this drought/ flood stricken country of ours. CHERYL RILEY North Ryde Phony pre-election letter disappoints Dear Sir, I completely agree with Roseanne Gallo’s letter in the TWT March 20, 2019 which described the pre-election anonymous letter. This appears to have been designed to trick people. Disappointing that anyone would stoop to that level. JULIA CASEY 1921-2018 Multi Award Winning Community Newspaper LETTERS Welcome TWT welcomes letters from our readers. Full name, address and telephone number MUST be supplied, even if not for publication. Send to: TWT PO Box 123, Ryde 1680 or email: contactus@weekly times.com.au Candidates should be congratulated Dear Sir, Shame on Richard Quinn for attacking Pamela Alvarez in his ‘statement’ published in last week’s TWT (20/03/19). Mrs Alvarez is a highly respected member of the Hunters Hill community... is she not allowed to express an opinion that differs from his? All other candidates conducted themselves with dignity and respect for the democratic process, and for that they should be congratulated. CLR BEN COLLINS Deputy Mayor of Hunters Hill Legislative Council Vote counting Dear Sir, Please see a media release and NSW Electoral Commission statement regarding the vote count for the Legislative Council. The NSW Electoral Commission is aware of a media release jointly issued by a number of minor parties and independent candidates today regarding the count process for the Legislative Council in the 2019 NSW State election. In early 2018, the NSW Electoral Commissioner determined that seven Legislative Council groups would be counted concurrently with the Legislative Assembly on election night, as part of the first preference count for both Houses. The seven groups were chosen on the basis that they currently, or previously had, held seats in the Legislative Council. This determination was made in the interests of workplace health and safety and to provide the voters of New South Wales with an early indication of the initial Legislative Council count on election night. In light of these workplace health and safety considerations, if this change had not been made there would have been no Legislative Council count conducted on election night. NSW Electoral Commissioner John Schmidt said that it needs to be remembered that the vast majority of election officials involved in the first preference count process are temporary staff drawn from the general community. “I make no apologies for doing everything I can to provide these staff with a safe working environment, which includes safe working hours on election day,” Mr Schmidt said. Registered parties were advised of this new process in a NSW Electoral Commission bulletin released on 11 May 2018. The process was further presented at briefings for registered parties which were conducted by the NSW Electoral Commission in June 2018 and November 2018. The change in process was also detailed in the Candidates Handbook for the NSW State election. This Handbook has been made available to all parties and candidates and is also available on the NSW Electoral Commission website. Five days before the election, on 18 March 2019 one registered party enquired with the NSW Electoral Commission whether it was possible for the process to be changed. The party was advised that, as all relevant policies and procedures, including training for election officials, were already in place, the NSW Electoral Commission was unable to change the process at this late stage. Allocating additional resources at this time in an attempt to change the current process would lead to disruption and confusion in count centres and could result in a delay in determining the election result. The check count of the 5 million Legislative Council ballot papers commenced on Sunday, 24 March. The NSW Electoral Commission will, from Tuesday, 26 March 2019, progressively report to its website the check count results for all 20 groups and all 346 candidates that appear below the line on the Legislative Council ballot paper. It is important to note that the change has not affected the estimated date of the distribution of preferences, or the Declaration of Results for the Legislative Council which is still scheduled to occur on Friday, 12 April. The joint media release sought information concerning ‘the process undertaken to secure the ‘Other’ ballot papers from interference’. The NSW Electoral Commissioner assures political participants and the public that the same level of security is applied to all ballot papers during the count process. The NSW Electoral Commissioner, John Schmidt, met with representatives of the minor parties and candidates this afternoon. After listening to their concerns, he agreed that the current Legislative Council count process would be reviewed in consultation with political participants before the next state general election. ALEX CHAPMAN Senior Adviser NSW Electoral Commision Hunters Hill Guest Column Sharing childhood memories and family stories of precious dolls WE STARTED VSandO (Very Special and Original) Doll Rescue as an idea to bring precious things from the past into the present, and give them a life into the future. Our first project was to rewrite vintage knitting patterns, which we thought were too beautiful to be allowed to fade into history. The patterns also represented two of the key pillars of our philosophy – the making of hand-crafted items and the use of traditional skills that were handed down through generations. At our home in Hunters Hill we began with ‘pop-up shops’ in the yard and in the lounge room. At our first sale we dressed some secondhand dolls in handknitted clothes to showcase what could be done with knitting. The dolls were very popular so we dressed some more. We wondered if it would be possible to rescue dolls, do them up and sell them on so that they could have another life. If people were interested in such a thing then we could express the third pillar of our philosophy – recycling, reclaiming and reusing discarded items. * * * WE WERE really encouraged when we To The POINT with YVONNE BATTERHAM had a stall at the first Hunters Hill Street Feast. The response to our dolls was so positive and overwhelming and we enjoyed doing them so much, that rescuing dolls has become our biggest project. Our dolls are mostly rescued from charity shops. We buy the ones that no-one else will buy because they are in such poor condition and bring home the scruffy, the dirty, the tangled and the broken. We clean them, fix them and dress them so that they are ready to be re-loved. Even the unfixable are used with recycled bits and pieces and made into new things. * * * IN THE course of our doll rescuing we have learned many new skills, to add to those that had been passed down to us. At our stalls we are often asked if we repair dolls. So now we do. Our doll rescuing project has been extended again. We love this work because we can use our skills creatively to give things another life that would otherwise be thrown away and love the challenge of we love the joy that we share with the people Whenever we have a stall we receive smiles and joyful responses. People tell us tales of People tell us about their own creative skills and sometimes share things with us that they is also highly valued by There are just the two the past to continue to make beautiful things As well as repairs we have dolls for sale all year round at our home solving and ideas. new problems generating But most new of all we meet. their own dolls. They share their childhood and family memories stories, as well for the as future their hopes of their precious dolls. can no longer use. Rescuing and recycling our customers. We become a community and strangers become friends. of us at VSandO. We’re a daughter are both mother team inspired and and by for the future. showroom in Ryde. Just Yvonne contact and Cheryl, us, on 9808 6314. YVONNE and BATTERHAM daughter Cheryl restore old dolls at VSandO. Forget the budget, just repair our paths HUNTERS HILL councillors have voted by five votes to two against a motion to adopt a policy to fix broken footpaths and potholes. The motion was put by Liberal councillors Zac Miles and Ben Collins during last week’s council meeting and saw them argue that many footpaths and roads are in such a poor condition that immediate repair should be undertaken, regardless of costs. “We want to bring things up to an acceptable standard, not an excellent standard,” Clr Collins said. “But I don’t think we can balance the budget and bring things up to this standard when twenty per cent of these assets are in a very poor state.” Councillor Collins believes that a balanced budget is the priority for some councillors, who fear the state governmernt will force the council to merge with Ryde if it runs into debt. “These so-called independents are voting as a bloc and they have unanimously decided that fixing our footpaths is not a priority,” he said. “Council staff are hamstrung by petty councillors that prioritise their own survival over delivering for the community.” Independent Clr Ross Williams denied this. “We do have an assets maintenance register, we do have a list and we do have a sound system,” he said. “There is no evidence to support what the two Liberal councillors are saying and I would be surprised if this is not a problem faced by all Sydney councils because of a lack of funding from the Liberal state government.” Councillor Collins is standing by his words. “This is a major safety issue and it’s been ignored for too long,” he said. “Many of our residents are elderly and having trip hazards on footpaths is simply not acceptable.” “The so-called independants have jointly decided that the best way to save on maintenance is to not do it.” He said residents who wish to report poor footpaths our deep potholes can email him at: bencollins@huntershill.nsw. gov.au Emails can include uneven surfaces, tree root damage and curb damage.
Wednesday 27 March, 2019 THE WEEKLY TIMES 5 Freemasons put Hunters Hill Temple up for sale THE historic Masonic Temple in Hunters Hill is up for sale. Built in 1921 the double-brick Temple at 28 Alexandria Street is being sold by Belle Property in Hunters Hill, which hopes to get between $2.7 million and $3 million from a buyer. Agent Simon Harrison from Belle Property said that although the Temple is not heritage listed and can be demolished, prospective buyers have expressed interest in retaining the building and redeveloping the interior. “There is a lot of masonic and local history associated with this site, which I respect because my father was a mason,” Mr Harrison told The Weekly Times. The Temple’s famous wartime Roll Of Honour is being preserved by the masons and is not included in the sale. “Of course, the people from the masonic club have taken all the important heritage items to be saved but even so you still feel a strong sense of history inside the building and the presence of the masons,” he said. The Temple has always been shrouded in mystery connected with the Freemasonry and with the masons who once held Omnes Sancti (All Holy) secret meetings there on every third Monday. Outside the Temple, heavy doors guarded by two pillars mark it as a sacred place, through which generations of masons once entered under the Freemasons’ emblem of the compass and set square, believed to represent the attributes of God as a celestial architect. The inner sanctum is famous for architectural and mystical symbols that are drawn from the bible and medieval freemasonry. Mystical Symbolism There are symbols that represent the medieval Order of Knights Templar. Stepping inside, today’s visitors will discover the first floor contains original floor boards, the original stage and an early portrait of Her Majesty The Queen. Upstairs is the ceremonial hall that has a carpet in Masonic Blue, a colour that has been registered under this name due to it’s mystical symbolism in Freemasonry. At the heart of the ceremonial area is a rectangular chequerboard floor with a masonic star at its centre. The black and white of the The Hunters Hill Masonic Temple as seen from outside. TWT on-the-spot PHOTO Belle Property’s Simon Harrison is pictured within the inner sanctum of the Hunters Hill Masonic Temple. TWT on-the-spot PHOTO chequerboard is believed to represent the active and passive spiritual powers that pervade the natural world and mankind. While the masonic story fascinates today’s historians there was a time when freemasonry was regarded by Catholics as a pseudo-political, occult practice and any Catholic who joined a Temple was under threat of excommunication. Today masonic temples are more widely regarded with nostalgia and Mr Harrison said the Hunters Hill temple offers forwardthinking buyers a truly extraordinary opportunity to refurbish or completely redevelop a part of the past. “This has been a rare opportunity for buyers, with this solid double brick building standing on a gently elevated block with rear-lane access to offers stately and grand proportions over two levels.” “It is a rare opportunity to secure a significant part of Hunters Hill’s history and all just a short stroll to boutique shops, cafes, schools and transport.” In 2013, Eastwood’s Masonic Temple was bought by a developer and the Masonic Temple in Top Ryde is being used as a day care centre. LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE ? BUT NEED A NEW HOME ! CALL NOW FOR A FREE QUOTE DISPLAY HOMES 14 & 16 Kingscott Place Castle Hill Inspect Wed & Fri 2pm - 5pm Sat & Sun 11am - 4pm www.binethomes.com.au 9868 3222 BUILDERS & ARCHITECTS Custom Homes Specialists Knock Down Rebuild Experts 50 + Years Experience Est. 1965
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The Weekly Times - TWT - 27th March 2019

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