The Weekly Times - TWT - 26th June 2019

Wednesday 26 June, 2019 THE WEEKLY TIMES 23
Parramatta News and Views
A colourful cube and some endless
possibilities as this father and son
take on a square shaped universe
A CLEVER ten year old Melrose Park student and his father will take on the world’s
Rubik’s Cube masters when they represent Australia at the Rubik’s presents WCA World
Championship 2019 in Melbourne next month.
St Patrick’s College
Strathfield student Jack
McDonald and Brett Mc-
Donald will take on male
and female cube masters
of all ages and backgrounds
who include
China’s Yusheng Du who
holds the world record of
completing the cube puzzle
in an amazing 3.47
seconds.
Jack told The Weekly
Times he is not intimidated
by competition from
cube masters four and five
times his own age and by
the possibility of “squaring
off” with the cube masters
of Europe and the United
States.
“There is a four year old
girl from India who is better
than my dad at the moment,”
he said.
“But the more we practice
the faster we become
.. we want to be the world
champions!”
His best time is 14
seconds for solving the
complex pyramid cube
although the Australian
champion Felix Zemdegs
has set a benchmark time
of 4.22 seconds on the
standard cube.
The competition will see
a computer select the
same cube puzzles for
all competitors who start
with their hands on a mat
and then solve a selected
puzzle before placing their
hands back on the mat in
a furious race against the
clock.
“It is as much about
my (hand to eye) co-ordination
as it is about my
problem solving ability,”
Jack said.
“But there isn’t a puzzle
I haven’t been able to
solve, so I practice my
speed and my control.”
The father and son
team will also have
to face the challenge
of having their every
move scrutinised by the
world’s media.
“There will be television
coverage and with
live streaming to a possible
audience of billions of
people, worldwide,” Brett
said.
“We will stand out as father
and son entrants, but
there will be more than
300 cubers there who can
solve a puzzle in under
10 seconds, so Jack and
Brett are both very happy
to just to have qualified for
a world championship.”
The Rubik’s Cube became
a universal phenomena
when it was first
released in 1980 and is
the best selling toy of all
time.
Jack picked up his first
cube when he was nine
years old as a gift from his
grandfather.
“Once you have solved
your first puzzle it becomes
addictive and you
just get better and better
at it,” he said.
His dad – a butcher by
trade - agreed.
“I picked the cube up
at Easter and with a good
coach in Jack , who taught
me some move sets and I
got myself into a qualifying
round but I only just
snuck in.”
Like professional chess
– where moves are also
timed – cube masters
have their own unique
set of skills and tactical
abilities with Yusheng Du
known for his technique
of commencing his lightning
fast displays from the
cube corners.
There is no cheating in
the world of the cube but
it could be argued there
is “cube tampering” as
some competitors strive
for a winning edge.
“Some will lubricate
their cube to make it
faster and there are tools
to tighten or loosen the
squares,” Jack revealed.
“There are also cubes
which have micro chips
in them and these micro
chips can send messages
to devices, like
mobile phones and there
are many cube videos on
youtube.”
Brett told The Weekly
Times it is estimated
“there are a quintillion
cube combinations” and
perhaps there just as
many cube solving attempts
because every human
mind is unique and
each attempt different.
“It is an amazing championship
which includes
blind solves, clock solves,
feet cubing, one handed,
and up to seven times
seven cubes,” he said.
Once Jack completes
school he hopes to go on
to university and pursue
his dream of being a physicist,
where he will have an
opportunity to solve the
puzzles of life and the universe.
“What the Rubik’s cube
teaches me is that if you
can solve the cube you
can solve anything,” he
said.
“When you first start it
also teaches you patience
and not to give up if you
get frustrated.
“The more you practice
the better and faster you
get.”
The cube also builds
friendships.
“There is a strong community
of cubers who
share a common bond
outside of cultures and
ages, so cubers are very
supportive of each other,”
Brett said.
The championships
will be held from July 11
until July 14 and fans
can follow the action on
live stream at: https://
wc2019.speedcubing.org.
au/en/
Until then the father and
son team will be training
each day with some time
off to pursue their other
interests.
“We both love reading
The Weekly Times as our
local paper and we are
keen golfers at Ryde -
Parramatta golf course as
well,” Brett said.
Melrose Park’s Jack McDonald and his dad,
Brett, will represent Australia at the Rubik’s presents
WCA World Championship 2019 in Melbourne
next month. TWT on-the-spot PHOTO.
DEVELOPMENT APPLICATIONS
Development Application
on Public Exhibition
We invite public comment on the following development proposal
before making a decision. The application and accompanying documents
for each proposal (other than internal residential floor plans and
some documents containing signatures or contact details of the
applicant/owner) may be inspected, at:
• Council’s website cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au;
• Electronically at the Development Counter at Council’s Administration
Building, 126 Church Street, Parramatta, during opening hours;
• Hard copy documents may be viewed at City of Parramatta Library
and the Branch Library located nearest to the development during
opening hours.
Submissions must be in writing and received by Council prior to 4.30pm
on the closing day of the exhibition period. A submission by way of
objection must set out the grounds of the objection. Please send your
submissions to City of Parramatta Council, PO Box 32, Parramatta
NSW 2124.
Any submission and respective reportable political donations made in
regard to this Development Application may be publicly available at
Council Offices subject to a request for access to information under the
Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA). The release of
the submission received will include the name(s) and address details
provided. You may request for your personal information to be
suppressed by Council. Council will consider this request. An objection
is an opportunity for public involvement in the decision making
process and does not constitute a complaint.
The exhibition period for the following application is from
Wednesday 26 June 2019 to Wednesday 17 July 2019.
■■EPPING
DA/348/2019 100 Mobbs Lane (Lot 49 DP 526204)
Applicant: Golf Peninsula Pty Ltd
Demolition works, tree removal and construction of a 2-storey and
3-storey childcare centre to accommodate 67 children (12 x 0–2-year-olds,
25 x 2–3-year-olds and 30 x 3–5-year-olds) with at-grade car
parking for 17 vehicles and associated earthworks and landscaping.
Development Applications Determined
Notice is given in accordance with Section 4.59 of the Environmental
Planning and Assessment Act 1979 of the determination of the
following Development Consents and/or Complying Development
Certificates. These consents/refusals are electronically available for
public inspection without charge during ordinary office hours at the
Development Unit Enquiry Counter on the ground floor of Council’s
Offices at 126 Church Street, Parramatta between 8.30am and 5pm
– Monday to Friday – public holidays excluded.
cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au
@parracity, @discover_parra
Approved – City of Parramatta Council
■■CARLINGFORD
City of Parramatta, Discover Parramatta
DA/334/2018/A 1–7 Thallon Street (Lot 100 DP 1221092)
Section 4.55(1A) modification to approved DA/334/2018 for Staged
subdivision: Stage 1 – 2-lot Stratum subdivision of Lot 1 in the
unregistered plan of subdivision approved via DA/910/2017 for a
Stage 2 – Strata subdivision of residential Stratum lot into 21 lots
(southern side of mixed-use building); and Stage 3 – Strata subdivision
into proposed 171 lots (northern side of mixed-use building).
The proposed modification includes amendment to Conditions 5, 14
& 19 pertaining to the removal of the references/requirements for
the final occupation certificate to be provided prior to Stratum/
Strata subdivision.
Decision Date: 28 May 2019.
■■EASTWOOD
DA/1134/2016/B 6 Raimonde Road (Lot 47 DP9950)
Section 4.55(1A) modification to approved DA/1134/2016 for
construction of an attached 2 storey dual occupancy with Torrens
title subdivision. Modifications include amendments to windows,
external materials, skylight, front façade and tree removal.
Decision Date: 27 May 2019.
■■EPPING
DA/94/2019 7 Audine Avenue (Lot 3 DP 222663)
Tree removal and construction of a 2-storey dwelling.
Decision Date: 30 May 2019.
DA/157/2019/A 84 Carlingford Road (Lot A DP 340047)
Section 4.55(1) modification to approved DA/157/2019 for construction
of a secondary dwelling at the rear. Modifications include amendment
to the contribution fee to be paid.
Decision Date: 29 May 2019.
DA/234/2019 40 Dunlop Street (Lot 11 DP 843340)
Construction of a 2-storey dwelling-house.
Decision Date: 30 May 2019.
DA/88/2019 82 Oxford Street (Lot 2 DP 315762)
Part demolition at rear of prinicpal dwelling, additions and alterations
including extension with attic and attached extension at rear of
existing detached garage.
Decision Date: 30 May 2019.
Lord Mayor, Cr Andrew Wilson
Acting Chief Executive Officer, Rik Hart
126 Church Street, Parramatta NSW 2150
PO Box 32, Parramatta NSW 2124
Phone: 02 9806 5050
Fax: 02 9806 5917