Pittwater Life March 2023 Issue

The Local Voice Since 1991 

MARCH 2023 

FREE 

pittwaterlife 

2023 NSW ELECTION SPECIAL 

MEET THE CANDIDATES + ROB STOKES FAREWELL INTERVIEW 

DOUGIE: FREE & BACK HOME / GENTLE GIANT BRAD DALTON 

THE WAY WE WERE / ARTISTS TRAIL / SEEN... HEARD... ABSURD...

Editorial 

Is that the end of the PEP talk? 

There’s been more than a 

mouthful spoken about 

the controversial PEP11 gas 

exploration lease application 

by all leanings of politics 

recently – and it seems no-one 

supports it. 

Dr Sophie Scamps and the 

Federal ‘Teal’ Independents 

are applying the blowtorch 

to the belly of the Albanese 

Labor Government to follow 

through on its pre-election 

verbal commitment to cancel 

the application; the NSW 

Liberal Government has 

vowed to introduce legislation 

to ban offshore coal and gas 

mining; and Independent 

candidates running in the State 

Election including Pittwater’s 

Jacqui Scruby have proposed 

a bill that would amend the 

State Planning Act and stop 

certain offshore projects from 

progressing. 

Looks like it will be a great 

outcome for the community 

– unless you happen to have 

shares in PEP11 lease applicant 

Asset Energy. 

* * * 

NSW heads to the polls on 

March 25 – and Pittwater is 

guaranteed a new MP given the 

retirement of Rob Stokes. 

We posed a series of 

questions to the candidates – 

for Liberal, Labor, Independent 

for Pittwater and The Greens. 

Their replies form our special 

2023 Election Preview (see p44) 

which we hope will assist you 

to make an informed decision 

at the ballot box. 

We also take the opportunity 

to say farewell to Mr Stokes, 

with an interview to cover off 

his time in office (see p55). 

As is the polarising 

nature of politics, Mr Stokes 

experienced support as well 

as criticism during his four 

terms. Regardless, we should 

be thankful for his 16 years of 

serving the community; and he 

is to be congratulated for this 

commitment. – Nigel Wall 


MARCH 2023 3

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Publisher: Nigel Wall 

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Vol 32 No 8 

Celebrating 32 years 

36 

74 



FREE 

pittwaterlife 

2023 NSW ELECTION SPECIAL 

MEET THE CANDIDATES + ROB STOKES FAREWELL INTERVIEW 

DOUGIE: FREE & BACK HOME / GENTLE GIANT BRAD DALTON 

THE WAY WE WERE / ARTISTS TRAIL / SEEN... HEARD... ABSURD... 

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thislife 

INSIDE: In a backflip, Council says it will revisit its proposed 

rezoning of land lots in Pittwater (p9); former Pittwater 

Independent MP Alex McTaggart takes a look at the ‘mood’ 

of community heading into this month’s NSW Election (p12); 

Darko Desic is out of detention and back living in Avalon 

(p14); readers have their say (p20); we look at the remarkable 

career of Australian basketball legend Brad Dalton 

(p26); and read the pitches from the Pittwater electorate 

candidates contesting this month’s crucial State vote (p44). 

COVER: Pittwater glimpse / Sharon Green 

XXXXX 2022 

also this month 

Editorial 3 

Pittwater Local News & Features 8-35 

The Way We Were 26 

Seen... Heard... Absurd... 28 

Briefs & Community News 30-35 

Life Story 36-38 

Art 42-43 

2023 NSW Election Special Preview 44-53 

Rob Stokes: Farewell Interview 54-55 

Health & Wellbeing; Hair & Beauty 56-63 

Money & Law 64-67 

Crossword 72 

Food & Tasty Morsels 74-77 

Gardening 78-80 

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FRIDAY 17 MARCH 

The APRIL issue will be published 

on WEDNESDAY 29 MARCH 

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All contents are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced except with the 

written consent of the copyright owner. All advertising rates are subject to GST. 

MARCH 2023 The Local Voice Since 1991

News 

Satellites a local ‘game-changer’ 

Northern 

Beaches 

Council has signed 

a game-changing 

deal for broadband 

powered by 

a constellation of 

satellites. 

It will ensure 

Council can 

continue to operate 

and provide 

critical services to 

the community when networks are down 

– especially during emergencies or natural 

disasters. 

Council confirmed it had signed a new 

contract with tech billionaire Elon Musk’s 

telco Vocus Satellite – Starlink; it becomes 

the first Council and first government agency 

in NSW to access their high-performance 

low-earth-orbit satellite broadband service. 

“Our community, like the rest of Australia, 

has experienced its fair share of 

environmental threats and challenges,” 

Council CEO Ray Brownlee said. 

“These events have reminded us of the 

need to plan and prepare for future challenges, 

as set out in our recent Resilience 

Strategy. We need to ensure our teams remain 

operational in times of crisis, so we 

can continue to provide critical services to 

RECEPTION: The Starlink network. 

the community. 

“Satellite broadband 

is a real 

game changer for 

Council. It doesn’t 

require the traditional 

infrastructure 

of cables and 

fibre optics which 

can be disrupted 

during floods and 

fires. 

“We are a 

Council that is focused on innovation and 

we are proud to be the first government 

agency in NSW to sign an agreement with 

this service provider.” 

Integration with Starlink-powered 

broadband will improve Council’s delivery 

of critical services, including child-care 

centres and Surf Life Saving clubs. 

Council will also avoid heavy costs associated 

with network engineers troubleshooting 

unreliable network connections 

or black spot locations. It will also reduce 

network downtime thanks to dual reliable 

links installed at critical locations. 

Vocus is the local Australian provider 

of Starlink. The high-speed connectivity 

is made possible by a constellation of 

low-earth-orbit satellites the size of pizza 

boxes. 

– Lisa Offord 

HCF rebates back 

at Beaches Hospital 

Healthscope has confirmed it has 

reached an agreement for a new 

two-year contract with private medical 

fund the HCF Group. 

The announcement comes as a 

huge relief to thousands of Pittwater 

residents who feared their private 

medical expenses would no longer be 

covered at the Healthscope-operated 

Northern Beaches hospital. 

Healthscope CEO Greg Horan said 

he was pleased the hospital group 

and HCF had secured an agreement 

which fairly recognised the cost 

inflation associated with provision 

of services to HCF members, and was 

commercially viable and sustainable 

for both parties. 

“We are delighted to be continuing 

our long-standing agreement with 

HCF,” Mr Horan said. 

“We acknowledge that the recent 

negotiation process has created uncertainty 

for HCF members and patients. 

I’m pleased this new agreement means 

HCF members can continue to be 

treated in our hospitals with no additional 

out of pocket charges.” 

The new agreement includes HCF, 

rt health and Transport Health. – LO 

8 MARCH 2023 

The Local Voice Since 1991

Council backflips on Zone review 

Northern Beaches Council will go back 

to the drawing board and review the 

methodology for its controversial Conservation 

Zones Review. 

It follows revelations of a precedent set 

by neighbouring Mosman Council where 

scenic values and other criteria were 

considered in its zoning process, resulting 

in formerly residential zoned land being 

rezoned as environmentally sensitive land. 

Council’s rewind is a victory for local 

residents groups, including the Mona Vale 

Residents Association which lobbied Pittwater 

MP Rob Stokes to clarify why Northern 

Beaches Council had asserted that the 

NSW Department of Planning and Environment 

had specifically advised Council 

that scenic values should not be used as a 

criteria to establish conservation zones. 

Council’s position was first reported by 

Pittwater Life in November last year. 

It prompted significant community 

backlash as Pittwater residents struggled 

to understand why some blocks of formerly 

environmentally sensitive land (E4 

Environmental Living) were proposed for 

rezoning as R2 Low Density Residential. 

Some 940 submissions were received 

between Council’s exhibition period September 

– December 2022. 

In correspondence seen by Pittwater Life, 

EXCLUSIVE 

Minister for Planning Anthony Roberts 

wrote to Mr Stokes to confirm his Department’s 

previous advice was that scenic 

values should not be used as the sole criterion 

to inform a conservation zone, and 

that other criteria should be considered to 

strengthen the rationale behind a proposed 

conservation zone. 

“I note that you raised questions about 

the approach to the Mosman Scenic Protection 

Area and its possible relevance to the 

review – Mosman Council’s previous planning 

proposal sought to rezone land from 

within the Mosman Scenic Protection Area 

from R2 Low Density Residential to E4 

Environmental Living,” Mr Roberts wrote. 

CONTROVERSY: Rezoning. 

“Mosman’s proposal, which has now 

been finalised, established multiple criteria 

that supported the rezoning of land, including 

areas of special aesthetic attributes, 

native vegetation, wetland protection 

areas and culturally significant lands.” 

Northern Beaches Council disputes Minister 

Roberts’ version of events. 

Pittwater Life has asked Council for any 

documents that would support its assertion 

it was acting within the guidelines set 

by the Government. 

“Council was advised by staff in the 

Department of Planning that the use of 

scenic values as a criteria to establish Conservation 

Zones would not be supported,” 

Council’s latest statement said. 

“Since this time it has become apparent 

that Mosman Council were able to rely (in 

part) on scenic values to inform the distribution 

of the C4 Environmental Living 

zone within the Mosman Local Government 

Area. 

“In light of this and in response to 

submissions received, Council staff are 

reviewing the methodology, including giving 

active consideration to the addition of 

scenic values as a criteria. 

“We will continue to work with the 

community as we refine our work on this 

project.” 

– Nigel Wall 

News 



The mural of the story is… 

News 

Leonardo da Vinci spent 

a reputed three years 

painting his most famous 

fresco, The Last Supper – one 

of Milan’s artistic drawcards. 

Roving artist Daniel Hend, 

28, is a lot quicker. 

Daniel took just four days to 

complete the expansive mural 

of Northern Beaches bush life 

which now adorns the Bowling 

Green Lane side of Avalon 

Beach RSL. 

Look carefully and you’ll 

spot lots of familiar fauna and 

flora. 

However, three creatures are 

depicted, ghost-like in grey. 

“The wildlife that still exists 

in Avalon is painted realistically,” 

Daniel says. “But the 

three that are now extinct 

(in the neighbourhood) – the 

koala, the swamp wallaby and 

the echidna – appear as ghosts 

as a reminder of what has 

been lost.” 

The $4000 mural is largely 

crowd-funded, with a $2000 

donation from Avalon Beach 

RSL, and owes its existence to 

local businesswoman Jasmine 

Hopcraft. 

After spotting Daniel’s request 

for mural commissions 

on the Avalon What’s On social 

media site, Jasmine contacted 

the itinerant artist who roams 

along the east coast of Australia 

from “my two homes 

in Mullumbimby (in northern 

NSW) and Tasmania”. 

“I thought his work was outstanding,” 

says Jasmine, whose 

family has lived in the beachside 

suburb for two decades. 

“So I put a post out saying, 

‘Why don’t we set up a Go 

Fund Me page to get a mural 

here in Avalon to celebrate our 

gum trees and natural fauna 

and flora?’ 

“The public just jumped on 

it. We had over 46 donations. 

Some people put in $200. 

“I scoped Avalon looking for 

suitable walls, and decided the 

Bowling Green Lane side of the 

RSL was the best spot.” 

Jasmine took her proposal 

to Cristo Tracy, the RSL’s affable 

General Manager, who 

promised to run it past the 

club’s board – which agreed 

“unanimously”. 

A slight hiccup came when 

STREET ART: The mural painted by Daniel Hend and depicting ‘ghost’ and living local wildlife, came about thanks 

to crowd funding and negotiations between Jasmine Hopcroft and Avalon Beach RSL, which donated $2000. 

a Northern Beaches councillor 

“suggested we approach 

the Council in case we needed 

financial help,” Jasmine continues. 

“We didn’t. But the Council 

was keen to support it, and 

helped ensure we ticked all the 

(planning) boxes… and they 

helped to make sure we could 

go ahead in the timeframe 

before Daniel moved on.” 

Daniel – who never went to 

art school – learned his skills 

from “my father, Len (Hend), a 

landscape artist”. 

When Daniel was 19, his 

father was offered a mural 

commission but turned it 

down – recommending his son 

instead. 

Since then, Daniel hasn’t 

looked back – with a dozen 

murals queuing up to be 

started when we talk. The RSL 

one was painted using brush 

and roller and normal exterior 

household paint. 

To research the Avalon 

mural, he was guided around 

Angophora Bushland Reserve 

(between Avalon, Clareville 

and Bilgola plateau) by “two 

of my new friends, Tom and 

Jaidon”. 

According to Jasmine, both 

the Council and the RSL are 

keen to re-commission Daniel 

to extend his mural up the 

entire wall. 

“The Council also suggested 

we apply an anti-graffiti finish. 

“Daniel has painted it so the 

trees can become taller, exposing 

the canopy with cockatoos, 

sea eagles and the sky,” she 

says. 

However, there are two 

problems. 

To extend the mural – with 

all the scaffolding and scissor 

lifts that would entail – will 

cost an extra $15,000. 

Plus it would probably entail 

the relocation of the muchloved 

signature emblem which 

the prominent Palm Beach 

artist Bruce Goold – a founder 

member of the famous Yellow 

House collective largely funded 

by the late Martin Sharpe 

—created to celebrate Avalon 

Beach’s centenary in 2021. 

“Bruce can select the most 

appropriate position if the 

Avalon centenary logo is 

relocated to another position 

on the building,” Cristo 

explained. “The board and 

myself are very interested 

in extending Daniel’s mural 

when possible. 

“What already is up is 

fantastic. Taking up the whole 

wall would complete the artwork 

perfectly.” 

– Steve Meacham 



News 

McTaggart on Independents days 

The only Independent to win the seat of 

He noted the media landscape had 

Pittwater Alex McTaggart believes the 

changed over the past 16 years. 

chances of success for Independent for 

Pittwater candidate Jacqui Scruby at the 

NSW State Election this month hinge on 

how hungry the evolved local community’s 

appetite is for change. 

He also questions whether issues external 

to the area will trigger the level of support 

generated for Mackellar MP Dr Sophie 

Scamps at the 2022 Federal Election. 

Pittwater Life asked Mr McTaggart, who 

was elected to NSW Parliament in 2005 

while Mayor of Pittwater Council, for 

his observations about the differences 

between independent campaigns then and 

“Social media was non-existent – The 

Manly Daily was in all houses five days a 

week, with a Letters page that made everyone’s 

views clear.” 

He said his observation of community 

today was that residents generally felt 

sanitised. 

“[The people] have moved to the left, 

not in ideology but through frustration 

because they are being given lip service by 

a Council, dependent on grants, that does 

not stick up for its Community.” 

He added that Independents in the past 

had served Council “apprenticeships” and 

now. 

got to know “where every drain, footpath, 

REFLECTION: Alex McTaggart with Liberal 

In determining which way the community 

candidate for the NSW Election Rory Amon. vocal resident, community contributor and 

might vote, Mr McTaggart said it was 

important to reflect on the political and 

social climate that existed in the lead-up 

to his election in 2005 – and look at those 

factors as they apply today. 

“Labor was in government with a large 

majority and not likely to lose at the 2007 

election,” he said. 

“Labor was planning to close Mona Vale 

Hospital with the support of the Manly 

Independent (Dr Peter Macdonald), with the 

other local Liberals mute. 

station. And made a dud deal over Currawong.” 

Mr McTaggart noted the voice of the local 

community back then was strong, with 

eight community groups that met regularly; 

each had a large membership base 

and a newsletter, with their main targets of 

discussion local or Council issues. 

“My recollection of the only State issues 

that impacted 2000 to 2007 were the hospital, 

overdevelopment and Council needing 

president of the sporting association was”. 

“The Independent movement right at 

this moment is a federal independent 

movement, not a local movement,” he said. 

Mr McTaggart has publicly endorsed 

Liberal candidate Rory Amon for the upcoming 

poll; he worked alongside Mr Amon 

on Northern Beaches Council from 2017 to 

2022. 

“We need somebody who knows the area, 

the community groups, the people, that’s 

what you need. I absolutely endorse Rory 

“Labor had sold the Avalon Ambulance grants for sports fields and clubs,” he said. Amon.” 


PHOTO: Northern Beaches Advocate 



Council CEO heading ‘home’ 

Northern Beaches Council 

seats of Wakehurst and Pittwater 

as Independent and Liberal ship set the Council up for 

“Ray’s outstanding leader- 

is set for a shock administration 

upheaval following 

the resignation of its Chief 

Executive Officer and possible 

departure of two of its 15 

councillors – including Mayor 

Michael Regan. 

In March, Council CEO Ray 

Brownlee announced he is 

leaving the Northern Beaches 

after five years to head up 

Randwick City Council – where 

he was General Manager for 14 

years up until 2018. 

Mr Brownlee said it was not 

a position he sought, noting 

it was a significant community 

campaign undertaken 

by stakeholders, groups, and 

residents at Randwick that 

requested he return. 

“It was an extremely difficult 

decision for me, as I have 

had the honour to work with 

the most outstanding group of 

Directors, Executive Managers, 

and staff, here at Northern 

Beaches, who have achieved so 

much for the Council and their 

community,” he said. 

EXIT: Ray Brownlee. 

“I am proud of our achievements, 

especially in customer 

service, industry leadership, 

and our work towards becoming 

an employer of choice. 

“Now I feel is the right time 

for new leadership to continue 

the journey.” 

Mr Brownlee will leave 

Council’s Dee Why chambers 

in late March – one week after 

the NSW State Election in 

which Mayor Michael Regan 

and Pittwater Ward Councillor 

Rory Amon are contesting the 

candidates respectively. 

Under laws introduced in 

2012, should Cr Regan be 

elected to State Parliament he 

cannot continue as Northern 

Beaches Mayor. 

However, both he and Councillor 

Amon can continue their 

term as Ward councillors. 

Should they decide to discontinue 

their Council duties, 

a vote countback in Frenchs 

Forest and Pittwater Wards 

from the 2022 Council election 

would determine the new 

Ward representatives. 

Cr Regan’s Your Northern 

Beaches Team currently hold 

seven of the 15 Councillor 

roles across the Beaches LGA. 

An interim CEO has yet to be 

determined. 

Mayor Regan said Mr 

Brownlee’s tenure had seen 

the merged Council reinvest 

over $29.5 million in savings 

each year for the community 

and the sustained delivery of a 

balanced budget. 

success and built a great working 

relationship between the 

organisation and the elected 

Council,” he said. 

“While we are sorry to see 

him go, we understand these 

opportunities are important to 

pursue and we are grateful for 

his leadership, direction, and 

commitment to our community 

over the past five years. 

Meanwhile Cr Regan said 

he would run for the seat of 

Wakehurst as an Independent 

under the banner ‘Safe hands. 

Smart solutions’ as a nod to his 

14 years’ community service. 

He is lobbying for urban 

centres at Frenchs Forest and 

Brookvale – “backed by the 

right infrastructure”. 

Cr Regan’s campaign pillars 

include housing affordability, 

lower energy bills, climate protection, 

health and education 

and fixing bottleneck traffic. 


*More info visit Michael- 

Regan4MP.com 

News 



News 

Darko tale has a happy ending 

PHOTO: Supplied 

HOMECOMING: Darko celebrates with Scott, Belle and Peter; and revisiting some of his local stonemasonry. 

Darko ‘Dougie’ Desic’s first 

taste of freedom – after 

a home-cooked spaghetti 

bolognaise with friends – was a 

morning walk with a dog to the 

dunes behind Avalon Beach. 

These same dunes provided 

shelter for Dougie at the height 

of COVID – before things got 

too difficult and the then-fugitive 

handed himself in to Dee 

Why police, explaining he had 

escaped from the high security 

jail in Grafton in 1992. 

Hitch-hiking a ride, he ended 

up in Avalon – living under the 

police and social security radar 

for three decades, even pulling 

out his own teeth rather than 

risk going to a dentist to expose 

his non-citizen status. 

The Northern Beaches community 

backed Dougie when 

his story went global, contributing 

to a GoFundMe page to 

the tune of $30,000-plus as 

well as erecting numerous ‘Free 

Dougie’ signs around Pittwater. 

However, few but his most 

ardent supporters thought he’d 

be allowed to re-settle in what 

he’s called home for 30 years. 

After serving his remaining 

prison sentence, Dougie was 

dispatched to Villawood Detention 

Centre before New Year’s 

Eve. The guy in the bunk below 

had endured those conditions 

for seven years, without any 

whisper of an outcome. 

However, Dougie was backed 

by a high-profile legal team led 

by Paul McGirr who represented 

him pro-bono and a 

Free Dougie campaign funded 

by Avalon entrepreneur Peter 

Higgins – as well as grass roots 

support from the community. 

Hardly anyone leaves Villawood 

happy. But on February 

6, Dougie was doing washing 

at the detention centre when he 

was approached by a guard. 

“Good news,” the officer told 

him. “You’re being released in 

two hours’ time.” 

His friends Nina and Scott 

Matthewson in Avalon had offered 

him a bedsit and a job. 

But two hours is barely 

enough time to check into an 

airport, let alone take the Freedom 

Ride. He made multiple 

calls to his Pittwater friends. 

Eventually Scott – who had 

been out of phone range – rang 

him back. 

“Mate, I’m being released” 

Dougie said. “Can I come to 

your place?” 

He was delivered from Villawood 

by taxi, utterly bewildered 

at not being sent back to 

Croatia as he expected. 

“He thought he was a goner,” 

Scott tells Pittwater Life. 

As dinner was being cooked, 

Dougie was shown all the stories 

written about him. 

“Dougie’s very much a keepto-yourself 

kind of bloke,” the 

friend says. “He can’t work out 

why so many people would be 

so interested in his story.” 

Nina’s home-made spag bol 

came with fresh salad, Scott 

recalls. “It was the first time 

Dougie had tasted anything 

fresh for 17 months.” 

It was washed down with a 

ginger beer. 

Then, exhausted, he retired 

to the spare room. “That was 

the first time he’d slept alone 

in a room since he handed 

himself in,” Scott said. 

“He had a few nightmares 

as anyone would who has 

been through what he’s been 

through. 

“But he’s just so thankful 

to be back here – and overwhelmed 

by the local support.” 

There are still procedures 

Dougie has to go through. He’s 

on parole and has to register 

for the multiple government 

services – tax, Medicare, social 

security – he avoided as a fugitive. 

He’s back enthusiastically 

working as a stonemason, but 

has more red tape to go 

through first – like a photo ID. 

“I don’t understand how the 

authorities can lock him in jail 

but can’t issue him a photo 

ID when he’s a free man,” Scott 

says. 

However, Dougie’s “notoriety” 

has reaped dividends. 

Because of the worldwide 

publicity he’s been contacted by 

nieces and nephews in Croatia 

he never knew he had. 

But his home is here in Pittwater. 

“It was this local community 

which kept pushing for him to 

get back,” Scott says. 

“His release is a great result: 

David v Goliath. 

“It just goes to show you 

need to get involved, and keep 

going. 

“This whole thing has taught 

me a lot of things about a lot of 

people. 

“It’s been like the Australia 

when I was a kid. 

“We’ve got our values back.” 




News 

Bus stop madness: gimme shelter! 

The pensioner, clutching two heavy 

bags of shopping, staggered from 

Woolies at Avalon to the latest 192 

bus stop. 

It was the height of midsummer. There 

was no level path to guide her there, and 

no bus shelter or seat for her to rest. 

So she sat down on the grass like a 

kindy kid, with no shade or protection 

had it been raining, until the bus arrived. 

No-one is more embarrassed than 

the bus drivers. 

They can’t believe how Northern 

Beaches Council and their employer 

– Transport for NSW – have cocked 

up the redesign of Avalon public 

transport since the controversial 

Streets as Shared Spaces project, 

funded by the NSW Government. 

The six-months ‘trial’ involving the 

northern part of Avalon’s Old Barrenjoey 

Road is now two months in. 

For Avalon PS students, nothing 

much has changed. At going home 

time the 192 still leaves from outside 

the school, pausing to pick up 

Maria Regina students on the way. 

If you’re an adult however, the regular 

shifts to the bus stops have changed 

countless times over the Summer, with 

little regard to passengers’ needs, comfort 

or convenience. 

Take the current starting point of the 

192 service to Stokes Point and return. 

You’d be hard-pressed to find it, around 

50 metres north of the Barrenjoey Road 

traffic lights. 

Yes, there’s a post signalling that it’s a 

bus stop – and a bus timetable. Though 

that timetable is for the 199 Manly to 

Palm Beach service which doesn’t stop 

here, and never did. 

There’s also a sign saying the 191 

service – via Bilgola Plateau and Clareville 

OPINION 

STARTING POINT: The new bus stop on Barrenjoey Rd. 

– no longer departs from here. Instead, it 

departs a pedestrian crossing away from 

Ecodownunder on Avalon Parade. 

Helpful if you’ve struggled here with 

your shopping. 

The bus drivers volunteer their opinions. 

Most seriously, they warn the current 

192 bus stop is a traffic hazard. Two 

of them confide they fear children will 

be injured dodging the northern flow to 

Palm Beach via the ludicrously placed 

traffic island to Avalon Beach Surf Club. 

So, what’s to happen now? 

It’s probably no surprise Council and 

Transport for NSW blame each other – 

albeit in the politest possible prose. 

Our questions weren’t difficult: What 

consultation was there between Council 

and Transport for NSW before the bus 

stops were moved? Why did the bus stops 

move so often in the Christmas period? 

Will the current bus stops stay? When will 

the 192 bus stop get a seat or shelter? 

The spokesperson for Transport for NSW 

replied with gobbledygook, referring 

Pittwater Life to Council: “Engagement of 

this nature takes place through the Northern 

Beaches Council Traffic Committee, of 

which bus operators are a member. 

“Determinations regarding timing of 

implementation take place within this 

forum.” 

In December, the 192 service, which 

formerly commenced opposite the 

‘Barefoot Boulevard’ shopping strip 

was moved while “roadworks were 

underway to remove parking north 

of the pedestrian crossing”. 

And the bus shelter/seat? “Council 

is responsible for bus stop infrastructure. 

Please refer to Council.” 

Naturally, Council was equally 

into pointing the finger away from 

itself. 

“Works will recommence in late 

February to complete the Streets As 

Shared Spaces project,” said CEO 

Ray Brownlee. “This will include 

completion of the footpaths and 

additional civil works. 

“We look forward to continuing 

to receive feedback from the community 

during the trial period. Feedback will be 

considered in the project evaluation. 

“Council has been working through 

commuter issues with Transport for NSW 

and contractor Keolis Downer to address 

concerns over access to bus stops.” 

As for improving amenity at the bus 

stop? 

Council says it has committed to installing 

a shelter and a seat. 

“We are working with our supplier 

to finalise timings associated with this 

installation,” said a spokesperson. 

Maybe by next Summer then? 


PHOTO: Steve Meacham 



Local Kayak club making waves 

Tucked away towards the 

back of Narrabeen Lake, 

great things are happening 

every morning – often 

before many of us are out of 

bed. The humble Northern 

Beaches Kayak club, based at 

the Academy of Sport at Narrabeen, 

is making waves at a 

State and National level. 

Under the expert tuition of 

Christine Duff – ‘Duffy’ to her 

friends – kids aged from 12 

upwards are often transformed 

into national kayak 

representatives. Some 60 kids 

from the club have gone on 

to represent national junior 

teams since Duffy started the 

club in the mid-’90s. 

So great is the recognition 

for what the club achieves, it 

has been named NSW State 

Championship Club of the 

year for the second year running 

– and recently won the 

Australian Club of the Year 

title. 

Cherie Lovett is one of the 

parents who gets up at 5.30am 

every morning to take her 

child Harper, 14, to train on 

the lake from 5.45am to 7am 

before school. Hard though 

it is, she definitely thinks it’s 

worth it. 

“The kids train all year 

round, and it can be cold on 

the Lake at 5.30am in the middle 

of Winter, so we’re often 

sat in the car with a warm 

coffee. 

“Duffy is one of those 

coaches that just gets results 

though. She’s been doing it for 

30 years and is very hard on 

the kids, but she earns a lot of 

respect. There are 18-year-old 

boys who always say ‘thank 

you, Duffy’ after a session. 

“She never wants credit for 

what she does and isn’t very 

good at self-promotion, but 

she’s great at what she does. 

And with the 2032 Olympics 

being held in Brisbane, the 

push is on for the next set of 

champions. 

“Firm, but fair,” is how 

Duffy (inset) herself describes 

her style. 

Double Olympian Jo 

Brigden-Jones and Paralympian 

Dylan Littlehales are two 

of Duffy’s graduates, along 

with Simon McTavish, who cut 

his teeth at Narrabeen before 

returning to Canada to compete 

in the Olympics. 

You don’t necessarily need 

to have any Kayak experience 

when you join the club 

at 12 years old, you just be 

into sport and ready to follow 

Duffy’s instruction. 

“Hard work will out-trump 

talent every day,” says Duffy. 

“We just take on fit young 

kids with backgrounds in 

other sports; anything from 

surf lifesaving to netball. 

“Kids with a gymnastics 

background tend to have a 

strong core, which is good for 

Kayak. A good running and 

aerobic base also helps. 

“But we just want kids prepared 

to do the work.” 

And work they do… 

In the first year as 12-yearolds, 

the kids paddle two 

mornings a week before 

school. The under-14s then 

progress to four mornings a 

week. Then as a 16-year-old 

the club members paddle six 

mornings a week – having 

Sunday off – and train in the 

gym every day from 4pm to 

5.30pm. 

Duffy started the club 

in 1993 after the Barcelona 

Olympics. She was working 

at the Academy of Sport at 

the time and a paper had just 

come out about the way ahead 

for Australian sport. 

“It was just girls we took on 

originally as numbers needed 

boosting in sport, but then a 

year later the boys joined. 

“The links with the Institute 

MOTIVATED: The 

early-risers train on 

Narrabeen Lake. 

of Sport have always helped 

and many of the kids have 

gone up to the Institute after 

they finish our program. 

“I’ve always run the club on 

a voluntary basis alongside my 

career, but I retired eight years 

ago and have continued with 

it. It’s really a labour of love.” 

And that love is definitely 

reciprocated. 

“Duffy does a great job,” 

says Cherie. “Us parents have 

even started paddling in the 

morning. We bought boats 

and have some fun while the 

kids are training.” 

The parent paddlers may 

not have Brisbane 2032 in 

their sights, but there are 

plenty of Duffy’s charges who 

do. 

– Rob Pegley 

*The Club is holding an Open 

Day from 8am on 1 April; 

more info email snbkayakclub@gmail.com 

News 



Upbeat Merissa on a roll 

News 

Merrisa Wills is capable of landing a 

lawn bowl on a jack from 35 metres 

away – not a particularly remarkable feat. 

Other than she is totally blind. 

After losing her sight in a car accident 

in Western Sydney 33 years ago, Merrisa, 

49, is preparing to compete for Australia 

in the International Blind Bowls Association 

2023 World Championships in 

Tweed Heads from March 6 to 16. 

While Merrisa has won a swag of medals 

at NSW State and National titles since taking 

up lawn bowls in 2015, the worlds will 

be her first major, international event. 

“It’s scary, bloody scary,” Merrisa said. 

“My goal is to come out alive. I don’t care 

if I win. I’m doing it for the experience. 

I’m just going to enjoy it.” 

Eleven days after her 17th birthday 

Merrisa was in the passenger seat of a car 

that ran into the back of a bobcat trailer 

without reflectors, attached to a truck in a 

no-parking zone, during a thunderstorm. 

Merrisa’s side of the car slid under the 

bobcat trailer, the roof “rolling in like a 

tin can”, shattering her forehead. 

Taken to Westmead Hospital, Merrisa’s 

optic nerves died as a result of a lack of 

blood. In a coma for 14 days, she spent 

five months in hospital, learning to walk 

and talk all over again. She still suffers 

from hemiparesis, which is characterised 

by weakness on the left side of her body. 

“It was like being a baby in an adult’s 

body,” Merrisa explained. 

After living like a recluse for two 

years, Merrisa had an epiphany. 

“Something went ‘ping’ inside my head,” 

she said. “I’ve got a life ahead of me. I 

started going to the gym, got a personal 

trainer. I rang a friend from school and 

asked if they went to nightclubs. That’s 

when life started happening again.” 

Merrisa worked for the national youth 

mental health foundation, Headspace, 

part-time, gave talks on road safety and 

took up tenpin bowling. 

Nine years ago Merrisa moved from 

Lidcombe to Narrabeen where she 

PHOTOS: Bret Harris 

TEAM: Blind lawn bowler Merrisa 

Wills with her director Maureen Eves. 

lives independently in a unit above her 

mother Merril. 

It was at a monthly gathering of the 

Northern Beaches Vision Impaired 

Group at the Dee Why RSL that Merrisa 

met Maureen Eves, who runs the Avalon 

Vision Impaired Bowls Group, which 

started in 2005. 

At first, it was difficult to find a club 

that would accommodate the blind bowlers, 

but Avalon Bowlo, a little club with 

a big heart, welcomed them with open 

arms, providing the players with free use 

of the greens, club shirts and coaching. 

Merrisa joined the Avalon Vision 

Impaired Bowls Group in 2015. The nine 

blind bowlers have a set routine of morning 

tea every Tuesday, an hour or so of 

bowls and lunch at the nearby Avalon RSL 

Club. 

“People who are visually impaired 

have a tendency to be hermits,” Merrisa 

said. “It’s a good social atmosphere, a bit 

of a workout, and it’s enjoyable.” 

Maureen became Merrisa’s director, 

acting as her “eyes” while she is bowling. 

She describes Merrisa as “street-smart”. 

“I admire Merrisa greatly because she 

has lost all of her vision and she gets out 

and lives her life in the world,” said Maureen, 

who received a Northern Beaches 

Australia Day Award for Community 

Service. “The loss of vision doesn’t stop 

her doing anything.” 

Merrisa’s coach Peter Ward, who is 

chairman of Mona Vale Bowls Club where 

she has been training, believes she will be 

competitive in the world championships. 

“Merrisa has got very good ball sense,” 

Peter said. “She’s got all the shots. She 

will hold her own.” 

Whether Merrisa wins a medal or not, 

she has already demonstrated champion 

qualities. 

“My life’s a trilogy,” Merrisa said. “The 

first one was life before the accident. 

The part of the book that’s open now is 

the second part. And the third one is my 

future and what I make it.” – Bret Harris 



News 

Letters: Readers have their say 

Barrenjoey for all 

Since the excellent work done 

to create the stone path to the 

top of Barrenjoey Headland, 

the number of visitors 

making the trek to the top 

has increased dramatically. 

The number that was just 

a few every week increased 

into the thousands. 

As a regular trekker to 

the top, I find most of those 

making the walk along 

Station Beach and up the path 

are visitors from other parts 

of Sydney and overseas. One 

of the common questions 

asked at reception in Sydney 

hotels by guests looking 

for information about an 

adventurous day out are told 

about Barrenjoey Headland. 

I think we have to 

recognise that the area where 

we live is enjoyed by others 

and that there are people who 

would love to stay and spend 

time in one of the cottages 

on the headland, and they 

should be welcomed. 

There’s no coffee bar at 

the top but there are many 

who remain hopeful that will 

change soone. 

Allan Porter 

Avalon Beach 

Don’t erode the 

Barrenjoey ‘magic’ 

Is holiday accommodation 

in short supply in Sydney? 

Definitely not. I checked and 

found 600 options on just 

one of the many booking 

sites. But we are short of 

unique places like Barrenjoey 

Headland. 

Each year thousands 

of people walk up the 

beautifully crafted path to 

the lighthouse, admiring the 

bush and glorious views on 

the way. 

Why would anyone want to 

erode the magic of this place 

for financial profit? 

The NSW National Parks 

and Wildlife Service states 

their aim is to “preserve... 

(not develop)... biodiversity, 

heritage sites and Aboriginal 

culture” and to “provide 

peaceful places of inspiration 

and seclusion that are 

important for human health 

and wellbeing”. 

Barrenjoey Headland is a 

national park which fulfils 

these aims. It is a welcome 

escape from the urban sprawl 

of our city. We need to keep 

Barrenjoey Headland as it is. 

Sylvia Saszczak 

Avalon Beach 

Fried rice follow-up 

To Mike Musgrave and 

cooking fried rice without gas 

(Pittwater Life Feb): I have had 

an electric induction cooktop 

for 18 years and can cook a 

superb fried rice using a nonstick 

frypan and have done so 

for years. 

When Independent for 

Pittwater candidate Jacqui 

Scruby advocates electric 

cooking, she is absolutely 

correct; no noxious gases, 

no fossil fuels, no dirty gas 

burners and fabulously fast 

cooking. Further, my solar 

panels make most of my 

cooking free! 

Electric: the only way 

forward. 

Ian Roberts 

Warriewood 

A ‘dog’s brekkie’ 

Can the powers that be in all 

honesty assess the traffic and 

seating changes in Avalon as 

an improvement? 

It is now a visual ‘dog’s 

breakfast’ and reminds me 

of a common Food Court at 

a Westfield shopping centre. 

Wooden traffic bollards 

are everywhere… weatherexposed 

seating and tacky, 

cheap, ugly planter pots with 

bland, dying plants. 

What is the practical point 

of the road now having a 

curve in it? Is traffic now 

flowing better? No. And how 

is removing so many parking 

spaces good for commerce? 

Bring back Pittwater 

Council ASAP. 

Jason Keegan 

Avalon Beach 



Scamps’ community survey results 

Climate Change and protecting the environment are the top 

national and local issues for Mackellar residents, according 

to the results of Mackellar MP Dr Sophie Scamps’ first community 

survey. 

Dr Scamps said the survey, conducted between October and 

December 2022, attracted more than 3,400 

responses with 1,311 surveys completed online 

and 2,091 paper surveys completed following 

an electorate-wide letterbox and “street listening” 

campaign. 

The results have been released in a report 

outlining the top 10 national and local issues 

identified by the survey, and how Dr Scamps 

will act to represent the community on these 

issues. 

Dr Scamps said the survey provided a valuable 

insight into the issues the community 

wanted to see more action on. 

“Listening is a two-way exercise so while 

many MPs conduct community surveys, it was 

important to me that I also shared the results 

of this community survey in a timely, transparent 

and clear way,” she said. 

“To get over 3,400 responses is a fantastic 

result, and what really struck me is the high 

level of community concern about climate change and the state 

of our environment. 

“People in Mackellar want to see firmer and faster action on 

climate change and they want the government to lead and accelerate 

the transition to net zero. 

“I’ll continue to hold the Albanese Government to account on 

LISTENING: Dr Scamps. 

climate policy, and push for strong policies that help us meet 

and beat our 2030 climate target. 

“Our community is also incredibly concerned about the 

health of our local environment. The legacy of Scott Morrison’s 

multiple ministry scandal is that our coastline is still under 

threat from the PEP-11 oil and gas drilling 

licence. 

“Our bushland is also under threat from 

overdevelopment and projects like the Lizard 

Rock development. I commit to continuing to 

fight for our community so neither of these 

projects go ahead.” 

She said that at a national level, the survey 

also found that restoring integrity in federal 

politics was a top issue for our community. 

“To that end, I’ll be introducing my ‘Ending 

Jobs for Mates’ Private Members Bill when Parliament 

resumes in a bid to end the decades of 

cronyism that has eroded faith in the institutions 

that underpin our democracy.” 

The top 10 local issues (in order) were: 

Protecting our local environment; hospitals 

and health services; over-development; major 

road upgrades; public transport; mental health 

services; housing and affordability; waste and 

recycling services; coastal erosion; and schools. 

The top 10 national issues were: Climate change; environmental 

protection; integrity and tackling corruption; cost of living; 

orderly transition to net zero; economic growth; housing affordability; 

ensuring multinationals pay their fair share of tax; the 

cost of energy; and improving public health. – Nigel Wall 

News 



Tween Taskers spark up 

News 

PHOTO: Connor Neil 

WINNERS: Tween Taskers Thomas, Elias, Cooper N, Cooper T, and Charlie 

(with their new Spark mentor Anthony Ballesty, Founding Director of id8 

Studio), raked in over $6500 at the Spark Tank event. 

Share the Spark loves to give 

young people a reason to 

smile – at their annual Spark 

Tank event, held at the Glen 

Street Theatre with the support 

of the Northern Beaches Council, 

over 200 people watched 19 

local youth pitch their business 

ideas to a panel of eight successful 

entrepreneurs. 

Tween Taskers was a big 

winner and is gearing up to 

launch its youth-run services 

of dog walking, pet sitting, 

lawn mowing and car washing. 

Relax Brand design is 

helping them create their logo 

and their mentor Anthony 

Ballesty, Founding Director of 

id8 Studio, is certain they will 

be a huge success. 

Inspiring and empowering 

young people was the reason 

Share the Spark Inc. was created 

in 2017. 

“The organisation provides 

free long-term mentoring services 

to youth from diverse 

backgrounds and circumstances, 

with a focus on helping 

them develop the skills 

and confidence they need to 

succeed in life,” said founder 

Kimberly Clouthier. 

“Mentors are carefully 

selected and trained to 

provide personalised support 

and guidance, helping young 

people to overcome the challenges 

they face, achieve their 

goals, and keep their spark 

for life alive. 

“Their impact has been 

tremendous. Well over a 100 

young people have benefited 

from its programs, and many 

have gone on to achieve great 

things. From starting their 

own business, to pursuing 

successful careers and giving 

back to their communities, the 

stories of these young people 

are a testament to the power 

of ‘sharing your spark’.” 

On March 31, Share the 

Spark will be hosting a fundraising 

dinner to support its 

mission and provide muchneeded 

resources for its programs. 

This event will bring 

together community members, 

business leaders, and supporters 

of the organisation. 

The dinner will be held at 

the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht 

Club in Newport, beginning at 

6.30pm. The evening features 

a three-course meal, dancing, 

and a silent auction with 

a variety of exciting items. 

By attending the dinner and 

participating in the silent 

auction, attendees can make 

a tangible difference in the 

lives of young people and 

help build a brighter future 

for the community. 

Tickets are $160 with proceeds 

going directly to Share 

the Spark, providing essential 

support for its mentoring 

programs and events. 


*Ticket sales close March 14; 

for more info or to purchase, 

head to sharethespark.org.au. 



News 

6THINGS 

THIS MONTH 

Hospital support. The Mona 

Vale Hospital Auxiliary has stalls 

at Pittwater Place on the first 

Saturday of the month (In March 

that’s the 4th) from 9am to 3pm 

and Bunnings, Belrose on the 

third Saturday of the month (the 

18th) from 9am to 3pm, selling 

handmade sewing, knitting, craft 

and jam. 

Music concert. International 

Canadian Violinist Alexander 

Da Costa will perform on a 1701 

Stradivarius violin accompanied 

by well-known Australian pianist 

John Martin many Baroque and 

well-known classical works 

reimagined with some jazz and 

pop influences at St Luke’s 

Grammar Bayview Campus 

at 8pm on Fri 10. Tickets only 

$30, students under 18, $10 

or free when accompanied by 

an adult. Contact Peninsula 

Music Club on 0407 441 213 or 

peninsulamusicclub.com.au. 

Women’s Day. Join The 

Possibility Project for a 

beautiful morning of meaningful 

conversation around the theme: 

FASHION ‘For What It’s Worth’ on 

International Women’s Day Wed 

8 from 10.30am-11.30am in The 

Pelican Room. Mona Vale Library. 

Bush Tucker. Discover where 

you can find bush tucker and 

how to eat it at the Aboriginal 

Support Group Manly Warringah 

Pittwater ‘Bush Tucker Night’ 

on Wed 8 from 7.30pm-9pm at 

Mona Vale Memorial Hall. Free. 

Details at asgmwp.net. 

Ocean Swim. The Newport to 

Avalon Swim & Surf Swim event 

is on Sun 12 from 8am-11am with 

a 1.2km ‘family’ swim around the 

buoys off Avalon Beach and the 

pinnacle event, the 2.5km pointto-point 

journey swim ‘Around 

The Bends’ from Newport to 

Avalon Beach. Book online 

through oceanswims.com. 

Community awards. 

Shine a light on people who 

make a positive impact on 

our community through the 

Westfield Local Heroes program. 

Nominations close on Thurs 30 

March; the community vote will 

be held between 22 Aug and 11 

Sept with the grant recipients 

announced on 10 Oct; visit 

westfield.com.au/local-heroes. 



LAUNCH: Garry 

(far right) and 

beaches-based 

punk rockers 

RUST. 

A new spot of RUST 

More than 18 years spent in a punk 

rock band can be something of a 

rollercoaster, but nothing like the 

surprising rollercoaster ride that RUST 

front man Garry Campbell sings about, 

on a track from the Narrabeen band’s 

sixth album, to be released in March. 

“We played a gig in Munich a few years 

ago and identical sisters who were longtime 

fans travelled across Germany to 

attend,” Garry explains. “We’d never met 

them and it turned out they were both 

blind. They stood at the front among a 

raucous crowd and sang all the lyrics. 

“They then followed us to a festival 

held in Blackpool, and said they’d always 

wanted to ride a rollercoaster but had nobody 

to take them, and asked if we would. 

I took them on twice, had ice cream with 

them afterwards and they loved it. 

“I wrote a song about it for the latest 

album afterwards and they were stoked 

when we told them.” 

That album, ‘Double Denim and a Bottle 

of Bleach’, gets its official launch at 

North Narrabeen Surf Club on 18 March. 

Starting at 4pm, local bands The Buddz, 

4 Barrel Hemi and The Darrans will provide 

support slots, with ska and reggae 

tunes playing in between bands. 

“It’s really a bit of a party for our local 

friends and followers, as we don’t play 

on The Beaches that often,” Garry said. 

“We’ll play a mix of the new tracks and 

old favourites. 

“It was a COVID album really, and so 

we didn’t get to iron out the songs live 

as we normally do, but for some reason 

people in-the-know, who have followed 

us a long time, think it’s the best we’ve 

recorded.” 

Expect an afternoon of explosive Aussie 

rock ’n’ roll. But dig deeper and RUST 

are not your normal skinhead punk 

band. Covered in tattoos and sweat, 

Garry thrashes around on stage with 

every performance, but at 55 he is now 

a grandfather, and has also been sober 

for more than 24 years. And rather than 

a bottle of Jack Daniels, he warms up for 

gigs with an apple and a quick workout. 

The band started almost two decades 

ago with longtime members Garry, 

drummer ‘Smurf’ and bassist ‘Ferns’ 

coming together from other punk bands 

on the Beaches, to play covers of Rose 

Tattoo, Motorhead and Radio Birdman. 

After recording their first album, overseas 

tours started happening and the 

band have a big following in Europe, as 

well as having toured the USA. 

“We played to a crowd of 5000 in the 

UK, which for a band like us which is 

under the underground, is incredible,” 

says Garry. 

“We even had a fan propose to his girlfriend 

in the UK. He told us he wanted to 

do it beforehand and so we stopped playing 

after four tracks for him to propose.” 

While the original trio have remained 

solid, RUST guitarists have been a pretty 

fluid proposition throughout. 

“It’s been like Spinal Tap with guitarists,” 

laughs Garry. “We were a five-piece 

originally, but we got interstate gigs and 

the original guitarists didn’t really want 

to leave the garage days. So we’ve been 

back and forward between four-piece 

and five-piece, and even a six-piece when 

old guitarists have been back to visit. 

“It’s almost like a footy team mentality, 

and when reserves are on the bench 

we’ll get them on to play. There’s never 

been any animosity, our guitarists lives 

have changed and they’ve run their 

course with the band.” 

The current line-up has no intention of 

stopping anytime soon. 

“No year has ever been the same and 

no show has ever been the same. I don’t 

know how long I’ll keep doing it, but I 

try to keep as fit as possible. I put myself 

through the wringer on stage, but I like 

that and want to keep doing it. As long as 

I’m enjoying it, that’s what it’s all about.” 


*Album launch at North Narrabeen Surf 

Club, 4pm on 18 March; tickets eventbrite.com 

News 



The Way We Were 

Every month we pore over three decades of Pittwater Life, providing a snapshot 

of the area’s recent history – and confirming that quite often the more things change, t 

he more they stay the same! Compiled by Lisa Offord 

25 Years Ago… 

The Way We Were 

Pittwater Council’s General Manager 

Angus Gordon had been approached by 

several Councillors from Warringah to 

apply for the position of General Manager 

there: “… a more highly paid job offering 

a package of $160,000 to $170,000 a year 

against Mr Gordon’s current $138,000… 

It will be ironic if Mr Gordon applies, gets 

the job and then finds he has perhaps 

to oversee a merger of Warringah with 

Pittwater and Manly”. An exclusive report 

revealed Pittwater Council was looking 

at options for development of its assets 

in Avalon and Newport and seeking 

expressions of interest from developers. 

“The recurring theme [in a report from the 

Department of Public Works] is that Old 

Barrenjoey Road should be closed to traffic 

at the Northern end, a proposal which the 

Chamber of Commerce and local shopkeepers 

have long opposed. Its recommended option is 

to take the Avalon Parade car park and 

seek expressions of interest from a developer to provide 

a library, 8 shops, 20 residential units above the shops and 


library, 64 car parking spaces for the 

development and 136 parking spaces 

for the public in a decked car park. 

Another unfavoured option included 

more home units and fewer car parking 

spaces. Other options were to do as little as 

possible.” Concepts for Newport included 

selling the site at 17 and 19 Foamcrest 

Avenue and using funds to develop 

another site “taking in properties on 

Robertson Road to create a new retail and 

public square in Robertson Road”. In other 

news, the 1998 Pittwater Festival was to 

be held from March 21-29 with around 

100 events ranging from readings of 

plays to a “lively debate between Tom 

Keneally and Bob Ellis”, music, art, a 

film festival, a display by local 

architects of their work under the 

theme of living with the environment 

and walks led by local historians. “The week ends 

at Barrenjoey Lighthouse with poetry readings in the lighthouse 

keeper’s cottage – limited to 50 people, bookings essential, no 

dogs please.” 


Marking his first year as MP for Pittwater, we must keep up the pressure to have 

The proposal 

Rob Stokes wrote an opinion piece 

Currawong bought by the government and to build a 

entitled ‘Pittwater’s Coastline Under 

returned to the people as part of a National seniors living 

Threat’. He wrote: “Government must plan Park. My job is to see this is done.” Friends development 

how to manage our coast and determine of Currawong Convenor Shane Withington comprising 

proposals for coastal development, in light said the development “was just another 95 retirement 

of the most recent evidence on climate example of a State Government on decay units on a 

change. Otherwise, our precious waterfront with Labor looking after its mates.” In 

parcel of 

may be headed for a watery grave.” 

other news, businesses in Avalon were 

Bayview Golf 

Meanwhile, the future of Currawong considering reviving the ‘Don’t Go Round Club land 

was looking bleak as the controversial The Bends’ campaign of the early 1990s to sparked 

plans for its development were due 

persuade people to shop locally; Residents some debate 

to be lodged with the 

were encouraged to pack about the best environmental 

NSW Planning Minister 

a picnic and head to 

outcome; residents were 

Frank Sartor “… and 

Avalon Beach for Earth concerned an off-leash dog 

the Federal Environment 

Hour on March 29; the park trial at Avalon Beach 

Minister Peter Garrett is 

Northern Beaches Youth reserve “was set up to fail”; there 

refusing to agree with 

Orchestra was taking 

were more parking dramas 

local MP Bronwyn Bishop 

shape thanks to good 

on the horizon at Palm Beach 

that he should use his 

financial support to 

with “residents requesting NB 

emergency powers to 

the tune of $42,184 

Council revise their landscaping 

enter the property in the 

from Manly, Warringah masterplan for the “Kiddies 

National Heritage List. 

and Pittwater Councils; Corner” area including a 

Mrs Bishop accused Mr 

and Pittwater Council 

proposal for a boardwalk, after 

Garrett of giving in to 

said it was sticking with learning up to 20 much-needed 

Mr Sartor saying his 

its proposal to have 

beachside parking spots would 

action proved that the 

Norfolk Pines planted 

be lost”; and we went behind the 

Labor Government was 

down the centre strip 

scenes of a gruelling pre-season 

never serious about 

of the Newport Beach 

training session with Shute 

environmental issues”… 

Shopping Centre on 

Shield premiers, The Warringah 

Rob Stokes said: “… 

Barrenjoey Rd. 

Rats. 



News 

SEEN… 

Spare a thought for the pair of Eastern Ospreys that built a 

large nest two years ago on top of the counterweight on the 

yellow and green MLP rotatable crane on the building site near 

2129 Pittwater Rd Church Point. Local John Price reports the 

ospreys seem to delight in perching upon the rotating arm of 

the crane as it deposits loads of building materials about the 

site below. “In early February a hard-hat rigger climbed to the 

top of the crane and with the help of a second large crane set 

about removing the osprey’s nest, piece by piece, and lowering 

the detritus to the ground,” John said. “This action, we 

imagine, was intended to serve as an eviction notice. However, 

in mid-February, the ospreys are still there enjoying the rides.” 

He added removal of the nest would have required a threatened 

species licence from the NSW Government to mitigate potential 

impacts to the birds. “Unfortunately we have never spotted any 

chicks. And as the crane is only temporary, presumably it will 

shortly be removed. C’est la vie!” 

HEARD… 

The new MoWaNa Safe Space has found a temporary home at The 

Mind Café at Narrabeen while it raises funds for its own space 

within Pittwater. MoWaNa (short for Mona Vale, Warriewood 

and Narrabeen) opened on February 17; it is a peer-led service 

to support people who are experiencing emotional or suicidal 

distress. It offers a drop-in style place (initially Fridays and 

Saturdays 5-9pm) that’s a non-clinical alternative to acute 

clinical services such as hospital Emergency Departments. 

The Safe Space will operate with a ‘companion’ team of up to 

40 trained volunteers. More info 0478 007 722 (only available 

Friday and Saturdays 5-9pm); email support@mowana.org.au; 

or Facebook: MoWaNa Northern Beaches Safe Space. 

ABSURD… 

There’s so much to unpack from Council’s commission – and 

subsequent suspension – of new coast walk public art at Mona 

Vale. So much that could have been done better. And so much 

besmirching (albeit unintentionally) of the reputations of 

award-winning artists caught up in this storm. To summarise: 

Last year Council’s own Public Art Selection Panel selected 

Sulman Prize-winning Australian art collective Claire Healy 

and Sean Cordeiro to design a work for Robert Dunn Reserve 

at South Mona Vale. Their text-based sculpture ‘You Are Here’ 

(pictured) involved 25cm-high sandstone blocks spelling 

out its message, plus an ‘X’ to mark the spot. At Council’s 

November meeting, councillors were asked to endorse the 

project and commission the artists, at a cost of $170,000 plus 

GST. (Curiously, the venue changed from South Mona Vale to 

North Mona Vale Headland, without explanation…) Following 

some robust debate the art was endorsed by a 6-5 vote. 

(Pittwater Ward Councillor Miranda Korzy voted for it – the 

Ward’s other councillors Michael Gencher and Rory Amon were 

absent from the Chamber, as was Mayor Michael Regan). That 

may have been all she wrote – until social media lit up like a 

Catherine Wheel, spitting fireballs of outrage. On February 20 

Mayor Regan posted on his Facebook page that he intended to 

bring the project to a halt “and ask for options for a review of 

the way Public Art is chosen and more importantly consulted 

with our local community”. Woah there! Pittwater Life 

acknowledges that art is subjective; that’s why you must place 

trust in process – in this case, Council’s well-credentialled 

Public Art Selection Panel. (It’s disappointing that one 

Councillor we approached explained one of the reasons 

they voted against the art was because they didn’t know the 

evaluation committee’s make-up or credentials – newsflash: 

it’s on Council’s website.) Other councillors bemoaned the 

“misrepresentation” of the graphic circulating on social media 

which wasn’t the image they were shown – another newsflash: 

it’s the one on Council’s Your Say page. The last thing the 

community needs is art selected by uninformed committee. 

Sure, have consultation. But ultimately follow process and 

don’t bend with the breeze. After all, imagine if we’d all had a 

say on the purchase of Jackson Pollock’s Blue Poles? 



News 

Pittwater News 

Earth Hour offer 

Each year, millions of people, 

households and businesses 

around the world turn off 

their lights and appliances for 

one hour during Earth Hour 

as a symbolic gesture to show 

the need for stronger climate 

action. Since its 2007 inception 

in Sydney, Earth Hour has 

grown into a global event, with 

over 190 countries taking part 

this year to raise awareness 

for energy consumption and 

its effects on the environment. 

Besides showing that you care 

about our planet’s future, 

turning off the artificial 

lights at night can also be 

greatly beneficial to your 

(mental) health. Enjoying a less 

illuminated, candlelit evening 

can still the mind, help you 

sleep better, and offers a great 

opportunity to reconnect by 

turning off the screens and 

talking, playing games and 

sharing a meal. This year’s 

Earth Hour event will take 

place on Saturday March 25 

from 8.30pm-9.30pm. To help 

raise awareness for this great 

cause, Northern Beaches’ 

based Candle Kiosk Supply Co. 

is offering a complimentary 

candle for every reader. 

Don’t be in the dark: head to 

candlekiosk.com.au/earthhour 

to find out more. 

Chess is worth 

a check, mate 

The Sydney Academy of 

Chess is holding an under-18s 

chess tournament on Sunday 

26 March at the Tramshed 

Arts & Community Centre in 

Narrabeen, and it may surprise 

you to know that it’s been a 

regular event over the last few 

years. Prior to 2020-21, there 

have been four tournaments a 

year on the Northern Beaches. 

Players taking part start at 

as young as five. The cost is 

$40, and after registration 

at 12.40pm the first round 

starts at 1pm. Players compete 

in a ‘Swiss’ competition with 

every competitor playing six 

games with a time limit of 

15 minutes per player per 

game. Nobody is knocked out, 

but instead a ranking system 

lists players in a winning 

order. You’ll get six games no 

matter your standard and it’s 

a great learning experience. 

Trophies are given at around 

3.50pm. All players receive 

a certificate of participation 

and the tournament is 

NSWJCL-rated (the NSW Junior 

Chess League). More info 

sydneyacademyofchess.com.au 

State funding for 

local pothole repairs 

Northern Beaches Council 

is one of the 35 councils 

to benefit from funding to 

repair locally damaged roads 

following severe weather 

events last year. The $9.13M 

allocated to Council will assist 

in the repair of a vast number 

of unbudgeted repairs. These 

works have commenced and 

will be undertaken over the 

next 12 months. Council 

manages 844 kilometres of 

local roads. “In the last 12 

months Council has repaired 

SailGP inspires local youth 

Youngsters from Narrabeen Lakes 

Sailing Club, Royal Prince Alfred Yacht 

Club and Bayview Yacht Racing Association 

rubbed shoulders with the world’s top 

sailors last month when the fast-paced 

extreme catamaran racing event SailGP 

came to town. 

As part of SailGP’s youth and community 

outreach initiative, nine competing 

nations ‘adopted’ clubs around the state 

to promote the event, its numerous onshore 

career opportunities and inspire 

athletes of the future – NLSC was paired 

with France, RPAYC with Great Britain and 

team USA took BYRA under its wing. 

While BYRA may be a small volunteerrun 

community club it harbours a big 

vision – to lead the way in introducing 

learners to foiling sailing. 

So they were delighted when the US 

teams’ master-foiling craftsman Jimmy 

Spithill popped down to Bayview to talk 

to juniors and casually mingle with 

members a few days before the SailGP on 

Sydney Harbour. 

Spithill’s special appearance was topped 

off by an unboxing of the Nikki – the first 

foiling dinghy specifically designed for 

kids and lighter sailors – and an on-water 

display of various foiling sailing craft. 

over 8,500 road maintenance 

requests. We’re grateful to 

the NSW Government for the 

contribution to help us get 

on with the job and return 

our roads to an adequate 

condition,” said Council CEO 

Ray Brownlee. Members of 

the public can report damage 

to local roads via Council’s 

Customer Service number 

1300 434 434 or online. For 

state-owned roads – such 

as Barrenjoey and Pittwater 

Roads and Wakehurst Parkway 

– please report them to 

Transport for NSW. 

Local Probus 

Club News 

Scamming is a scourge and 

knowing what to do about 

it is essential. In March, 

Palm Beach and Peninsula 

Probus members will hear 

from two Cyber Crimes 

Prevention officers from 

Northern Beaches Police Area 

Command at its meeting 

on Wednesday 15 March at 

Continued on page 32 



Collaroy Beach posts Centenary 

Collaroy Beach postal service 

celebrated 100 years 

of operation last month with 

staff marking the occasion 

with a display of historical 

photographs, a charity raffle, 

giveaways and cake. 

Although the local post 

office has changed dramatically 

since it opened on 12 

February 1932, the one thing 

that has remained constant 

is its vital role in the community 

– a role the new licensee 

Sheetal Bansal loves. 

The mother of four and 

former yoga, art and Bollywood 

dance teacher admitted 

although she’s been on 

a steep learning curve since 

taking over the “tired old” 

newsagency and licensed 

post office on Pittwater 

Road eight months ago, she 

has been buoyed by the support 

and encouragement of 

locals as she puts her own 

stamp on the business. 

“I feel blessed and very 

fortunate to be surrounded 

by this warm and welcoming 

community,” Sheetal 

said. “Our longstanding customers 

have witnessed the 

business grow and diversify 

over many years and it’s 

been wonderful hearing all 

their stories.” 

Managers from Australia 

Post along with NSW Government 

Minister Natasha 

Maclaren-Jones, Liberal 

candidate for Wakehurst 

Toby Williams and Mayor 

Michael Regan joined locals 

in celebrating the centenary. 

News 



News 


Continued from page 31 

Club Palm Beach. Starts at 

9.45am with a short formal 

meeting, followed by morning 

tea then the talk from 11am. 

Visitors welcome; enquiries 

Carmel (0414 978 465). The 

speaker at the next Newport 

Probus Club meeting will 

be Sue Alexander, one of 

only three sister and brother 

pairings to have played on the 

centre court at Wimbledon. 

Sue and her brother John 

lost, unfortunately, against 

Margaret Court and Marty 

Reissen. At the meeting 

Sue will be recounting her 

travels, especially in Spain, 

which she has published 

in a book ‘A Spanish Love 

Affair’. The meeting will be 

held at Newport Bowling 

Club on Thursday 2 March, 

commencing at 10am. Visitors 

welcome; more info David 

Newton-Ross (0418 298 572). 

The next meeting of the 

Combined Probus Club of 

Mona Vale will be held on 

Tuesday 21 March, in the 

auditorium at Pittwater RSL 

(from 10am). Guest speaker 

is author Vivien Wilson who 

self-published the fictionalised 

memoir of her mother’s 

remarkable life ‘Ursula’s Story: 

From Berlin to Bayview’ in 

June 2021, just as Coronavirus 

forced Sydney into lockdown. 

Visitors welcome; call 1300 

630 488 to find out more. The 

next meeting of the Bilgola 

Plateau Probus Club is on 

Friday 3 March at the Newport 

Bowling Club (commencing 

10am). Guest speaker is Taylor 

Harrison from Active Seniors. 

The Club will hold a second 

meeting in March on Friday 31 

(no meeting in April). Visitors 

welcome; more info Patricia 

(0438 281 573). 

Candidates’ policies 

Before community 

Pittwater Community Alliance 

has invited candidates for the 

NSW Election to make brief 

presentations on their policies, 


Help for Resilience Centre 

onnecting Women’, an 

‘Cannual networking 

and fundraising event at 

Pittwater RSL Club, will be 

launched on March 

24 with profits 

donated to The 

Women’s Resilience 

Centre in Mona 

Vale. 

Club CEO Jason 

Manning said Pittwater 

would also 

announce a new 

partnership with 

the centre. 

“Our funding will support 

women in our community 

who have or are, experiencing 

a trauma response to an 

incredibly challenging situation 

in their life,” he said. 

“Pittwater is honoured to 

sponsor the Caring Conversation 

program and support 

women in our community 

as they bravely step forward 

into a brighter future with 

opportunity and hope.” 

The event will include a 

keynote presentation and 

Q&A hosted by author and 

philanthropist 

Sarah Wilson, 

known globally 

for founding the I 

Quit Sugar movement 

– a digital 

wellness program 

and 13 award-winning 

books that 

sell in 52 countries 

(in 2022 Sarah sold 

the business and 

gave everything to charity). 

Also speaking will be 

Simone Allan, founder of 

the Women’s Resilience 

Centre which has been set 

up as a place of hope and 

healing for women who have 

suffered domestic violence, 

deep loss or trauma and 

who need support in stepping 

forward to reset and 

rebuild their lives. 



News 


Have a ball across Pittwater 

It’s that time of year: a morning chill in 

the air, the smell of sausage sizzle and the 

sound of studs on concrete. Footy is back. 

And footy. And more footy. Plus of course, 

netball. 

Registrations and grading are well underway, 

but it’s never too late to get involved 

and Pittwater has a wealth of options for all 

ages, gender and sports. 

Soccer – Pittwater RSL FC play at Kitchener 

Park in Mona Vale; Avalon FC play at Careel 

Bay; and Narrabeen FC play at Warriewood. 

Registrations for most soccer clubs range 

from around $200 for the under-6s up to 

$350 for men’s football, but that does cover a 

whole season and kit. Teams range from U-6s 

through to U-18s, Senior Men’s and Over-45s. 

Pre-season training starts early March. 

Netball – Packing the courts at Curl Curl 

Saturday mornings and creating a noise a jet 

engine would be proud of, will be hundreds 

of girls and women competing in the Manly 

Warringah Netball League. Teams come from 

all over the Beaches, but Mona Vale Commodores 

(pictured), Pittwater Peninsula, 

Narrabeen and Newport are four clubs on 

Pittwater that are always looking for players. 

Rugby Union – For fans of the Waratahs 

and Wallabies, there are plenty of options 

to scrum down this Winter. Pittwater Rugby 

incorporating Pittwater Dolphins train at 

Narrabeen Sports High, while the Narrabeen 

Tigers are nearby. Newport Rugby 

Club including Newport Breakers play their 

games at the north end of Newport Beach, 

and Warringah Rugby Club are home to the 

Warringah Rats. 

Rugby League – Players and supporters 

who prefer the league game will be aware 

the Manly Sea Eagles kick off their season 

against the Bulldogs on Saturday 4 March. 

But for a more grass roots game there are 

the Avalon Bulldogs, Mona Vale Raiders and 

the Narrabeen Sharks. All have A-Grade, 

Junior and Masters teams. 

AFL – There are male and female teams 

at the Pittwater Tigers who play at North 

Narrabeen. The team have been highly successful 

at producing players for the national 

women’s league and popularity in the sport 

is growing quickly for both sexes. 

*More info on clubs’ websites. 


and to answer questions from 

the floor. The meeting will be 

held on Wednesday 15 March 

2023 at Newport Community 

Centre, commencing 7pm. The 

public information session will 

give candidates an opportunity 

to inform electors about their 

policies, and electors a chance 

to hear from candidates before 

polling day of March 25. More 

info Gavin Butler (0409 395 102). 

Stand-up 

comedy show 

Pittwater RSL is the venue for 

an Australian Comedy Festival 

Show on Saturday March 18 

commencing 8pm. It’s a twohour 

professional stand-up 

comedy show; the comedians to 

appear have been handpicked 

from Sydney’s hottest and most 

talented, headlining comedians 

on the circuit: Steve Hoskins, 

Mick Meredith, Simon Kennedy, 

Julia Wilson, Al del Bene. Steve 

says; “What makes our show 

so unique and popular, is that 

every show is different and we 

only choose the best, leading 

comedians that appeal to a wide 

audience.” Tickets are $30, more 

info pittwaterrsl.com.au or (02) 

9997 3833. Group table seating 

available. 

Av Chamber revival 

Avalon & Palm Beach Business 

Chamber has recently been 

reformed and reinvigorated – 

and is calling for new members! 



A core group of local business 

people have joined forces 

to form a working group. 

Ironically this occurred just 

prior to the controversial 

execution of the ‘Shared Zone’ 

at the southern end of Avalon 

Village. However, the group is 

keen to develop a long-term 

strategy for the economic 

and cultural development 

of the area. On 30 March at 

4pm, the Chamber will host 

a gathering (with live music 

and pizza) at the Avalon Bowlo 

and wish to invite all local 

business owners (not only 

those with shopfronts!) to 

become members. Organisers 

say no businesses will be 

considered too big or too small. 

The Chamber hopes to attract 

skilled, passionate individuals 

to be part of a development 

process to help execute positive 

change and growth in the local 

area. Membership can entail as 

little or as much involvement 

as individual businesses 

wish. More info avalonpalmbeachbusinesschamber.com.au 

and Facebook and Instagram. 

New RPAYC Patron 

Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club 

Commodore Allen Storman 

has announced Governor 

of NSW Margaret Beazley 

as the Club’s new Patron. In 

a written statement CDRE 

Storman thanked outgoing 

patron Bronwyn Bishop for her 

service. “She has represented 

our Club with distinction 

and will continue to be an 

Ambassador for our club with 

the local community.” 

Surfing Awards 

Two Pittwater locals were 

recognised at the Australian 

Surfing Awards held on the 

Gold Coast last month. Emma 

Dieters was awarded Female 

Para Surfer of the Year and 

Cooper Chapman was named 

the Reeftip Great Good Award 

winner for the mental health 

organisation, The Good Human 

Factory. 

Vet 

on call 

with Dr Brown 

As our furry friends age, it 

is so important to make 

sure that we provide them 

with the best care possible. It 

can be difficult to know how 

to do this when they enter 

their senior years. Here are 

some essential tips on caring 

for older pets. 

Regular Vet Check-Ups – 

Many health problems can 

develop quickly and without 

any warning signs, so regular 

vet visits become even more 

important. Your vet will be 

able to assess your pet’s 

overall health and recommend 

treatments or lifestyle 

changes if needed. They may 

also suggest supplements, 

medications or vaccinations. 

Adjust Diet / Exercise – As 

pets age, their dietary needs 

change as well. Older pets 

may require different levels 

of protein, carbohydrates, 

and fats than when they were 

younger. In addition, exercise 

should be adjusted based on 

your pet’s age and activity 

level. Make sure you talk to 

your vet about what diet and 

exercise routine is best for 

your aging pet before making 

any changes on your own! 

Provide Comfort – An 

older pet’s needs don’t stop at 

physical health; mental health 

is just as important! Providing 

comfort and companionship 

will help keep them feeling 

happy and loved as they age 

gracefully. This could mean 

anything from giving them 

extra cuddles each day to 

getting them a companion (if 

applicable). If you work all day 

or travel frequently, leaving an 

interactive toy or two in the 

home may provide some entertainment 

while you’re away 

– just make sure it doesn’t get 

too noisy! 

Caring for an older pet requires 

a bit of extra effort but 

can be incredibly rewarding. 

Taking these simple steps will 

ensure that both you and your 

aging pet enjoy quality time 

together for years to come! 

*For more info call your local 

Sydney Animal Hospitals 

Avalon (9918 0833) or Newport 

(9997 4609) sydneyanimalhospitals.com.au 

News 



Life Stories 

The 

Gentle 

Giant 

Australian basketball Hall-of-Famer Brad 

Dalton, comes from a family of famous 

hoop stars. Known as an aggressive 

player in his time, he presents as a most 

serene individual who is now helping 

kids to shape their love of basketball. 

The term Gentle Giant 

could have been made 

for Brad Dalton. It 

shouldn’t be a surprise that an 

ex-Olympian basketballer has 

height, but at 6’8” (he adds, 

in bare feet), it’s still a slight 

shock how tall he actually is. 

Brad is broad as well and still 

in good shape; he would have 

been an imposing character 

on court in the ’80s. And yet 

he has a quiet and calm grace, 

and with his shoulder-length 

hair, jeans and bare feet, he 

gives off more of a retired 

rocker vibe. As he leads me 

through his North Narrabeen 

cottage, past Buddhas and 

crystals, to a tranquil back 

yard, you can’t help but think 

how different his home is 

to the characterless Ubermodern 

mansions of Michael 

Jordan and his ‘Last Dance’ 

teammates. 

The serene picture is 

completed as he talks about 

his healthy approach to 

life. “I’m a vegan now,” Brad 

reveals, “and I haven’t drunk 

alcohol for around 30 years. 

I started picking up injuries 

and wanted to help my body 

heal quicker. 

“My joints were over-used 

and I was sick of not being 

able to move around like I 

wanted to, so I gave up alcohol 

and red meat and started to 

change my lifestyle.” 

The crystals, he says, are a 

hobby that started around the 

same time, as Brad started to 

embrace self-care and protect 

his body. He looks younger 

than most in their early 60s. 

But it’s a body that has been 

through a lot; even now Brad 

is recovering from a ruptured 

Achilles. It’s a body that went 

through 13 seasons in the 

Australian basketball league 

and two Olympic Games. And 

a body that was inherited 

from his statuesque sporting 

Story by Rob Pegley 

parents, along with his four 

siblings. 

“Mark and Karen were 

obviously great players, but 

I’ve got two other sisters who 

were also handy basketball 

players, and I can’t leave them 

out – one played in the WNBL 

and the other represented 

the area. We all grew up at 

Warriewood Beach and both 

mum and dad were good at 

sports – dad was a big part 

of the lifesaving community, 

played a bit of rugby and 

basketball, and he was six foot 

six. Mum was a league tennis 

player and they were both 

really encouraging when it 

came to sport.” 

If the Daltons had formed 

their own basketball team, 

they would have been a force 

to be reckoned with. Brad 

himself played for Sydney, 

Adelaide and Geelong 

throughout the ’80s, as 

well as competing in the 

’84 LA Olympics and Seoul 

in ’88 – where the Boomers 

were defeated by the USA 

in the Bronze Medal playoff 

game. Brother Mark played 

15 seasons in the NBL from 

1984, and played alongside his 

brother in LA – the first AIS 

graduate to ever represent the 

Boomers. Karen played more 

than 250 games for Australia 

between 1983 and 1994, and 

was inducted into the Hall 

of Fame in 2007. Brad was 

inducted himself in 2019. 

Apart from brief spells with 

basketball teams in Adelaide 

and Victoria, Brad has always 

lived on the Northern Beaches 

and still loves it here. 

“I went to school in 

Brookvale, and mum and 

dad had a great place near 

Warriewood beach that we’d 

all hang out at. I still like body 

surfing when I’m not injured 

and I haven’t been to too 

many bad restaurants on the 



Beaches – my local Indian and 

Thai are great. 

“Growing up we were all 

into sport – Nippers, rugby 

from under-7s onwards… AFL. 

Early on basketball for me was 

just once a week with friends. 

Myself, Mark and Karen were 

all state champion swimmers. 

Leanne and Janelle both won 

swimming medals in the 

district area. 

“I didn’t actually start 

playing basketball seriously 

until I was 18. I played for the 

Rats U-14s rugby, then I was 

asked to play AFL. I started 

playing for Warringah, then 

the North Shore and then was 

picked for a Sydney team to 

play a team on the border of 

Sydney and Victoria.” 

Tragedy on that trip would 

swing Brad’s life in a whole 

new direction. 

“The bus crashed on the way 

back and one of the local boys 

was killed,” says Brad. “I think 

that dampened everyone’s 

enthusiasm for AFL after 

that.” 

Around that time Brad’s 

cousin started badgering 

him to play basketball more 

regularly. 

“I played for the City 

of Sydney club and really 

enjoyed it. They asked me to 

try out for the U-20s, and then 

the following year I made the 

state U-20s and then the U-20s 

national team.” 

The City of Sydney club 

entered the national league in 

1979, and Brad found himself 

a regular starter after some 

time on the bench. While 

Sydney struggled for form and 

lacked drive, Brad himself was 

spotted by an Adelaide team 

on the rise and recruited to 

help fulfil their ambitions. 

“They said to me that they 

needed one more big guy – 

me – to give things a shake. It 

was a great move and I met my 

wife there,” Brad adds. “The 

group of athletes there had 

a really professional attitude 

to training, and it was a real 

kick up the arse for me. We 

made the semis that year 

and then won the national 

league the following year. And 

I progressed to the national 

senior team. 

“There was no money back 

then though, so I had various 

jobs like cleaning; then every 

afternoon and evening I was 

playing or training.” 

Brad was tempted back to 

Sydney in 1983 with promises 

of a more professional set 

-up. And while the team were 

minor premiers, the club got 

into financial trouble and 

didn’t finish the season. 

“People weren’t being paid 

and it really affected us – 

players were going to other 

teammate’s places to get a feed 

and some couldn’t pay their 

rent.” 

A four-year spell followed 

at Geelong and another minor 

premiership, before he joined 

the Sydney Kings when they 

formed in 1988. By then, Brad 

was a seasoned international. 

“I played in the 1982 world 

champs in Columbia and 

made the Rest of the World 

team – the best 10 players 

from outside Europe. That was 

a real honour for me. 

“And myself, Mark and 

Karen all made the 1984 

Olympic Team in LA. That was 

great. Lindsay Gaze was the 

coach and he liked aggressive 

players.” 

The “aggressive” tag sounds 

unimaginable as Brad pauses 

quietly to take a sip of green 

tea. 

I ask if he got to see Michael 

Jordan in action there and 

whether he was a freak. 

“Yeah, he was,” smiles Brad. 

“Athletically he was very 



CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Brad at Boondah Rd courts at Warriewood; 

with wife Inge after being selected for the 1984 LA Olympics; Brad 

with sister Karen and bother Mark; aggressive play, blocking a shot 

versus Ivory Coast; battling the USA; success with Geelong in the 

mid-1980s; Brad (#14) on court for Boomers team pic LA 1984. 





gifted. I think there were four 

players at the time who had 

a 42-inch vertical standing 

jump and he was the smallest 

of them. But it was more the 

way he saw and read the game 

quicker than anyone else. One 

of the plays I saw him do in LA 

was like nothing I’d ever seen 

in my life.” 

In addition to the Olympics, 

Brad and the Boomers 

also made the 1986 World 

Champs. He says he always 

saw a difference in standards 

between international and 

domestic games. 

“You come back from an 

international tournament 

feeling you have all the time in 

the world when you play back 

in the league again – like it’s all 

in slow motion. The quickness 

and efficiency at that level is 

like high-speed chess.” 

Brad started coaching as 

far back as 1984 when he 

was at Geelong. Then after 

1984 Olympics the Victorian 

Government – where he was 

then based – gave out sports 

grants to up the quality 

of the game. Lindsay Gaze 

asked Brad to apply for one 

and he ended up working 

for the Victoria Basketball 

Association, going out to 

schools to promote the game. 

“I wasn’t sure about it at all, 

but I really enjoyed it, and I’ve 

pretty much done that from 

then on in different capacities. 

I’m not as physically fit as I 

was, but I’m still involved with 

that back here in Sydney now.” 

“I still love the sport and 

have just put my hand up 

to coach the NBL 1 team in 

Manly.” 

It sounds an idyllic life, 

but it is one that was again 

shattered by tragedy two years 

ago when Brad’s beloved wife 

Inge died. 

“We’d been in COVID 

lockdown and the day after 

lockdown ended, we had all 

the kids and grandkids over. 

They’d just arrived and Inge 

had hugs with them all in 

the yard. She then went into 

the kitchen to finish lunch 

and collapsed on the floor 

with a major brain aneurysm. 

Apparently it was something 

she’d carried around the whole 

of her life waiting to happen. 

We called an ambulance and 

they couldn’t revive her.” 

Brad and Inge had met in 

1981 and been married since 

1986. 

“I’ve coped okay,” says Brad 

sadly but resolutely. “I just try 

to look at all the good times 

we had together. The girls are 

all really close to me. (Brad 

has three daughters who have 

all played basketball to a good 

standard.) Jade and Chloe live 

on the Beaches and Lauren 

lives with me, and we get 

together a lot. 

“Inge was my best friend 

as well as a wife. She was 

always very supportive of my 

basketball, and I’ll forever be 

grateful for that. But it often 

meant I was at a tournament 

or training, and not at home. 

I’m still doing that stuff and 

try to keep in that routine. 

Keeping busy with basketball 

helps, but I obviously miss her 

every day.” 

Of all the bumps and 

bruises Brad has suffered, 

it’s clear that this one is by 

far the biggest, and yet with 

calmness, good grace and an 

inner strength he continues 

to live a life in Basketball. It’s 

been good to him, and he’s 

certainly been good for it. 



Hot Property 

Hot Property 

‘Meet the market’ correction advice 

Sellers have been warned 

to meet the market – 

or face a longer sales 

campaign and larger discount. 

New Domain data shows 

Sydney houses were 

discounted by an average 

of 7.9 per cent in the three 

months to January – the 

largest discount since the 

three months to July 2019, 

when the property market 

was emerging from its last 

downturn. 

The average is for 

properties sold via private 

treaty and is based on the 

difference between the 

advertised price and the sale 

price. 

The average discount for 

Sydney houses has increased 

every month since its low 

of 4.9 per cent in the three 

months to July 2021. 

Units were discounted by 

an average of 7 per cent, the 

largest price drop since the 

three months to September 

2019. 

Domain’s chief of research 

and economics Dr Nicola 

Powell told Nine Media in 

February that the increase 

in the level of discounting 

pointed to a still-declining 

market. 

“[Discounting levels] have 

gone back to the previous 

downturn. When discounting 

is rising it means overall 

prices are falling. Historically, 

LOCAL OFFERING: 44a Kalang Rd, Elanora Heights is for sale between 

$2.95m to $3.2m through Hunter Estate Agents. 

you do tend to find that 

higher priced areas see 

greater rates of discounting,” 

Powell said. 

She warned sellers to “meet 

the market”. 

“The longer a home sits on 

the market the deeper the 

discount. Sellers need to be 

more open to accepting those 

[lower] offers.” 

According to Domain data, 

the largest discounting was 

in the eastern suburbs, where 

houses sold for an average 

of 11.8 per cent below their 

advertised price, up from 5 

per cent the previous year. 

This was followed by 

the Northern Beaches and 

the Ryde region where the 

average discount was 10 per 

cent for both, up from 6.5 

per cent and 7.4 per cent, 

respectively, the previous 

year. 

Praise for agent 

John and Jenny Bassetto aren’t 

in any great rush to jump 

back into the property market 

after finding a buyer for their 

remarkable resort-style home 

in Bayview. 

While the couple debate 

what type of property they will 

settle on next, they won’t have 

any difficulty downsizing from 

the place they created across 

a 1.517 square metre parcel 

of land at 1903-1905 Pittwater 

Road. 

Designed by John, the 

couple recruited architect 

Paris Spana to help bring 

their vast 610 square metre 

double-storey dream home to 

life while they were living in 

Singapore. 

With six ensuite bedrooms, 

stone-topped kitchen, multiple 

living/dining zones, games/ 

sports room, home theatre, 

alfresco terrace, lush lawns, 

wine cellar, mosaic tiled pool 

with swim-up bar, there was 

more than enough space for 

all the family. 

“John supervised 

everything while we were 

living overseas, construction 

took three years and it wasn’t 

until we returned that I 

understood the sheer size of 

it, it is big! and we have loved 

it,” Jenny said. 

“Our kids grew up there, 

we’ve had every significant 

party there, 18s, 21sts… you 

name it… we actually got 

married there on one of the 

blocks of land before we 

moved to Singapore, so while 

we are happy it has been 

sold, there’s some sadness 

there too,” she said. 

The property was 

marketed by Ray White 

Prestige Palm Beach principal 

Noel Nicholson and sold via 

expressions of interest last 

month for $6.6m. 

“We can’t speak highly 

enough of Noel,” Jenny said. 

“As soon as he set foot on 

the property, we knew Noel 

truly appreciated just how 

much work had gone into 

creating our home. 

“Noel was professional, 

open and honest with us 

from the beginning, he 

always kept us in the loop, he 

was wonderful to deal with,” 

Jenny said. – Lisa Offord 



Art Life 

Steph’s art future is sorted 

Art Life 

Ring the secret bell at 

Avalon Post Office and the 

early morning collection hatch 

opens – to the amazing world 

of Steph Brown, mail sorter 

extraordinaire with a hidden 

creative talent. 

Steph has looked after 

Avalon’s early risers for the 

past six years. Before the Post 

Office opens, her customers 

are swimmers heading home 

after a dip and chirpy locals 

on their coffee and mail runs. 

Everyone is greeted with a 

smile and a quick chat – and 

with the special parcel they’ve 

been waiting for: wine, coffee, 

records (the black vinyl 

kind)… even lawnmowers. 

“The early morning regulars 

are lovely, they’re bright and 

happy,” Steph says. “I enjoy 

seeing them and if I haven’t 

seen them for a while I get a 

little bit concerned!” 

“A lot of the regulars know 

that I have two lives.” 

Steph’s hidden talent is 

she’s an acclaimed artist. She 

brilliantly captures the essence 

of people in her portrait 

paintings – cinematographer 

John Ogden and Gretel Pinniger 

(aka Madam Lash) are 

two local identities she has 

painted. 

Twice selected for display 

in the Salon des Refuses for 

her portraits entered in the 

Archibald Prize, Steph is 

aiming for the 2023 Official 

Exhibition. 

Her portrait will be of a local 

lady of Japanese heritage – 

an origami exponent and volunteer 

interpreter and guide 

for the Japanese community 

during the Archibald Prize. 

“It’s quite hard actually selecting 

somebody,” she says. 

“It does help a lot if you 

paint someone well-known. I 

don’t know how the judging 

panel thinks but they may be 

thinking of drawcards to pull 

people into the exhibition.” 

A dairy farm in Matamata 

in New Zealand’s North Island 

was Steph’s childhood home. 

Art was always on her radar. 

“I did art at high school and 

I loved it – and I didn’t like it 

when kids played up in class!” 

she laughs. 

Steph left her mark on Matamata 

– her town mural at Firth 

Primary School is still there 40 

years later. Tourists flock to 

see it (and, perhaps, the Hobbiton 

movie set created for 

the Lord of the Rings and The 

Hobbit films). 

A graphic design career 

and teaching art were creative 

outlets before Steph took the 

leap into portrait painting. 

Steph says portraits demand 

exacting, intricate work 

and she needs several sittings 

with her subjects, getting to 

know them. 

“You get to work out 

people’s character and how 

they hold themselves,” she 

explains. 

Energy gained from her 

Next wave Express opinions 

Sharp, visual social commentary from 

Northern Beaches youth will be on display 

at the 2023 Express Yourself exhibition at 

Manly Art Gallery & Museum from March 3. 

Express Yourself comprises more than 

50 artworks by HSC Visual Arts students, 

selected from the 20 

secondary schools across 

the peninsula. 

“At its core, the exhibition 

displays the voice 

of youth and presents 

young artists as commentators 

and advocates, 

questioning the 

status quo, and opening 

minds and conversations 

to help us imagine new 

futures,” said Northern 

Beaches Mayor Michael Regan. 

The exhibition has been an important part 

of the Gallery’s program since 1995. 

“Express Yourself provides a chance every 

year to connect with the artists emerging 

from secondary schools across the region,” 

Cr Regan said. 

“It’s a loved centrepiece of the annual program 

and an exhibition that brings new life 

and ideas into the Gallery to be celebrated 

and exposed to new audiences. 

IMPRESSIVE: Joe Boaler (Barrenjoey High) – 

‘The Land is ours; this land owns me’. 

“I’d like to congratulate each and every 

artist selected to take part in 2023 and to acknowledge 

the tremendous work they have 

put in to be included,” Mayor Regan said. 

The works by 2022 HSC students show 

incredible diversity, depth and skill. 

Some artworks reflect 

very personal themes of 

family and relationships, 

or draw on their cultural 

heritage; some explore 

the environmental crisis, 

and our connection to the 

land and to place; while 

others reflect on all that it 

is to be human in an everchanging 

world. 

A ‘Meet The Artists’ 

session will be held on 

Sunday March 26, when visitors can engage 

with selected artists as they move through 

the gallery, listening to stories of inspiration 

and the creative process (2-3pm), followed 

by live performances by top young local 

musicians. 

Now in its 29th year, Express Yourself 

is presented in partnership with Northern 

Beaches secondary schools and the MAG&M 

Society. 

*More info Council website. 


Avalon Post Office customers 

helps by flowing into the ‘art 

part’ of Steph’s day. 

“I can still have enough 

energy and focus to go 

home and switch my brain to 

something that really can be 

quite draining and intense,” 

she says. 

Draining and intense also 

describes the experiences of 

the volunteer firefighters in 

the Victorian Black Saturday 

fires. 

Steph saw the destruction 

and upheaval the fires caused. 

“The firefighters took me 

out into the actual areas that 

were all burnt out – it was just 

devastating. I couldn’t believe 

it and I couldn’t believe what 

these everyday volunteer 

people would do – just for the 

community.” 

She’s painted a picture of 

firefighter Sandra, as “salt of 

the earth”, “as rugged as you 

get” and “all expletives with 

a few normal English words 

Trail 

bolstered 

by 10 new 

artists 

The 2023 Pittwater Artists 

Trail is bigger and 

better than ever – they’re an 

energetic and vibrant creative 

community right here on our 

doorstep. 

The 21 Trail members – 

including 10 newcomers in the 

past 12 months – have diverse 

approaches but all are united 

by their passion for creation 

and innovation. 

This year’s popular annual 

group exhibition – featuring 

the stunning work of all Trail 

members – kicks off at the 

Newport Community Centre 

with an opening night on 

Friday 24 March. 

“This is a unique opportunity 

to see the work of a mix 

of emerging and established 

creatives under one roof, a 

chance to talk to them about 

what inspires their work and 



PHOTO: Greg McHugh

NEW FOCUS: 

Steph Brown in 

her studio. 

thrown in”. 

The firefighters inspired 

Steph’s Extraordinary Faces: 

Volunteers project – portraits 

and personal stories of 22 

volunteers depicting the 

incredible people and can-do 

attitudes that make a community. 

After focusing on portraits 

for 15 years, Steph is ready for 

the next adventure. 

“In my head I always wanted 

buy special pieces direct from 

the artist,” said Trail committee 

member Karen Hick. 

“With 10 new creatives, this 

year’s exhibition cannot help 

but excite visitors old and new 

to the Trail. 

“Carol Lamb creates bold 


to do big, colourful scenes 

and bright loose paintings. 

This year I’m not doing so 

many portraits and I’m doing 

a lot more scenery. Lovely little 

colourful things!” she says. 

– Greg McHugh 

*You can see Steph and her 

colourful art at the 2023 

Pittwater Artists Trail at 

Newport Community Centre 

– opening night 24 March 

and exhibition 25-26 March. 

sculptural wall art using traditional 

macrame techniques, 

but not as you know it! 

“Meanwhile photographer 

Leisel Edis produces ethereal 

underwater images that transport 

the viewer to a watery 

world. “ 

Karen said the Trail would 

present five new painters – 

Bob Richardson, Stephanie 

Galloway Brown (see story 

above), Liz Muir, Dennis King, 

Jennifer Rosnell – working in 

a range of media including 

watercolour, impasto, oils and 

beeswax. 

“Wendy Cummings will 

delight with her playful felted 

images of native birdlife; and 

Christine Sadler combines 

silver, beadwork and embroidery 

in her exquisite wearable 

designs. 

“Wrapping up the new lineup 

is the basketry of Louise 

Nade, featuring sustainably 

gathered natural and found 

materials.” – NW 

* Pittwater Artists Trail runs 

Friday 24 March (6-8pm) 

through the weekend of 25- 

26 March (10am-4pm). More 

info pittwaterartiststrail.com 


43 

Art Life

2023 New South Wales Election Preview 

Pittwater decides 

New South Wales heads to the polling 

booths on Saturday March 25, 

with the seat of Pittwater pivotal 

to the Liberal Government’s hopes of 

re-election. 

Pittwater was formed in 1973; the 

Liberals have held power after every 

election except when Independent Alex 

McTaggart (the then Mayor of Pittwater) 

triumphed in 2005. 

Rob Stokes, who has held Pittwater 

since 2007 (when he defeated Mr McTaggart), 

has retired. Mr Stokes won a fourth 

term in 2019, attracting 55% of the primary 

vote; the Greens tallied 15.3% and 

Labor 12.6%. 

Further breakdown from 2019 showed 

five minor community candidates, 

including one independent, attracted 

nearly 15% of votes. 

Four candidates will contest this year’s 

election. 

Over the following pages we provide a 

snapshot of these candidates’ opinions 

on Pittwater’s present, and their visions 

for its future, based on questions posed 

by Pittwater Life. Compiled by Nigel Wall 

Election 2023 

Jacqui Scruby 

Independent for Pittwater 

Jacqui Scruby has been a small 

business owner, environmental 

lawyer, and most recently was an 

advisor to Mackellar Independent 

MP Dr Sophie Scamps. 

Pittwater is her family’s home. 

Ms Scruby says that like so many 

other families, she and her husband 

and two daughters live here 

because they love Pittwater’s beauty 

and sense of community. 

Among her achievements, Ms 

Scruby developed and delivered an online course – 6 Weeks 

to Plastic Free – internationally, including through Northern 

Beaches Council, to help individuals reduce waste, helping NSW 

achieve its target of 10% household waste reduction 

Ms Scruby says she is running to preserve Pittwater’s way of 

life: protecting its environment, supporting its small businesses, 

and doing so all while seeking to restore trust and integrity 

in State politics. 

Rory Amon 

NSW Liberals 

community advocate, volunteer 

firefighter and family 

A 

lawyer for a decade, Rory Amon is 

a lifelong Northern Beaches local 

who proudly calls Narrabeen home. 

Mr Amon has been an active 

volunteer firefighter for a decade 

and was awarded the NSW Premier’s 

Bushfire Emergency Citation 

and the Governor General’s 

National Emergency Medal for his 

services fighting the devastating 

2019-20 Black Summer bushfires on the NSW South Coast. 

Mr Amon has been a Northern Beaches Councillor since 2017; 

he says he is most proud of having helped secure $2.5 million to 

fast-track the re-build of the Mona Vale Surf Club, and working 

with Councillor Alex McTaggart to secure $4.6 million to protect 

Newport Littoral Rainforest from development. 

Having graduated from Macquarie University with first class 

honours, Mr Amon is on the Roll of Solicitors of the Supreme 

Court of NSW and the High Court of Australia. 

Hilary Green 

The Greens 

Hilary Green says that after 

years of activism, she now has 

the opportunity to step up, speak 

up and push for change. Ms Green 

has worked in education for 42 

years – as a high school teacher 

plus three decades in universities. 

She says she is an adept listener, 

investigator and problem solver 

who knows how to work with 

those from all walks of life. 

She adds she has worked as 

cleaner and nanny whilst studying and being a single mother 

– leading a hyper-busy life whilst remaining organised and ontask; 

which she says are invaluable skills for any MP. 

Ms Green has a PhD in Statistics; she says the statistics 

field is based on common sense, as are Greens policies. 

She is passionate about a range of Greens policies, including 

tackling the climate crisis. 

She is urging voters to cast votes for change. 

Jeffrey Quinn 

NSW Labor 

J 

effrey Quinn grew up on the 

North Narrabeen peninsula and 

lives in the electorate. 

A dedicated member of the Narrabeen/Pittwater 

Branch of the 

Australian Labor Party, he owns 

and operates a business in the area. 

He says he wants to make a positive 

difference in the community an 

area he has lived in all his life. 

In particular, Mr Quinn says he is 

conscious that after the formation 

of the new Northern Beaches Council, Pittwater’s natural and built 

environment had felt the threat of overdevelopment and habitat 

destruction. 

He says a Labor MP would ensure that development harmoniously 

regenerates the urban environment with a long-term habitation 

viewpoint – scrutinising current policies that see Council 

pushing for changes to zoning in Pittwater “that could facilitate 

undesirable development that destroys the natural environment 

with buildings that change the characteristics of the place”. 



INDEPENDENT FOR PITTWATER – Jacqui Scruby 

‘We need to protect beautiful Pittwater’ 


Q: What are the three main Pittwaterspecific 

issues you think need addressing? 

First we need to protect beautiful Pittwater 

so our children can enjoy it like 

we do. We are defined by homes nestled 

in trees and a lifestyle that relies on the 

health of our environment. I will be a 

strong voice at State level to push back 

on inappropriate development, while 

advocating for a community-centric approach 

to planning for the future, and 

pushing to shop local and revitalise our 

chambers of commerce. 

People miss the Pittwater Council days 

– and they know we can do so much better 

to retain our bushland and conservation 

zones, and prioritise environment 

and character criteria. 

We need to address climate change by 

fighting oil and gas drilling projects off 

our beach and making our infrastructure 

and beaches climate resilient. I’ve 

already taken action. I have a bill ready 

jects – I’ll address this. We need our fair Q: Do you think the Pittwater electorate 

to go – that has the support of six independents, 

including Alex Greenwich MP 

share of State funding for projects that is in a better or worse position/condition 

than it was 4 years ago? 

have been pending for years. 

– that makes PEP-11 unworkable. 

Public transport services need to be People feel generally worse off. We’ve 

Second, we need better access to 

improved. We can start by holding bus had declining services due to privatisation 

of buses and hospitals, threats of 

health care – I’m calling for a solutionsbased 

inquiry into the Northern Beaches 

operators to their contracted terms and 

increasing Keorides. 

overdevelopment and loss of Pittwater 

Hospital. I’d like transparency on the 

Q: Are there any issues external to Council and our roads need updating 

commercial arrangements and claims by 

Pittwater electorate you are campaigning 

on? 

Q: Should the newly elected Govern- 

and floodproofing. 

HCF and residents that the hospital puts 

profits before people. 

Beyond Pittwater this community cares ment consider dissolving Northern 

We need expanded hospital services deeply about genuine climate action, Beaches Council and at least return the 

for the whole community, including responsible economic management, integrity 

and pokies reform, and more. I believe our community deserves a 

former Pittwater Council? 

mental health, regardless of health cover, 

and more services closer to home on the NSW could be a renewables superpower 

and with interest-free loans for clear our community is concerned about 

strong voice in local government. It’s 

former Mona Vale Hospital site. 

Third, we need to keep the Wakehurst solar and batteries and ensuring strata, the loss of conservation zones, and 

Parkway open and transparency on the renters and commercial properties can non-conforming developments are a key 

Beaches Link Tunnel. The Wakehurst access them, we can cut power bills for threat. 

Parkway is a major arterial road and the households and businesses. To address There is a strong case to see an independent 

main route to our hospital. I’ll work to cost of living pressures we need to 

review as a first step to inform 

make sure it’s open, even when it rains, prevent more mortgages hikes – the NSW all Pittwater constituents of the pros and 

by keeping Northern Beaches Council government should not be handing out cons of each model. 

and Transport for NSW accountable. more vouchers, risking fuelling inflation. Q: Why should voters consider ticking 

There are serious integrity questions Climate action means no new coal your box on the ballot paper? 

about the Beaches Link, raised by a NSW and gas – the Liberal/Nationals have I will represent Pittwater, not a party, 

Parliamentary Inquiry. The business case approved 26 new projects since the and be a voice on both local issues and 

must be publicly released immediately. Paris agreement. Ending native forest on state-wide issues. Only 12 days after I 

Q: What are the other important Pittwater 

logging will cut emissions, protect our announced a draft bill to stop PEP-11 the 

issues? 

iconic koalas and save taxpayers $12m in Liberal government announced a similar 

The shortage of teachers is a big issue for subsidies. 

bill after years of inaction – that is testament 

families. We should implement recommendations 

It’s also time to ensure our governfering 

to the positive force an Independ- 

of the Gallop Inquiry – ofment 

acts in all our interests, not their ent for Pittwater can be. 

teachers permanent places over parties’ interests. I plan to introduce a We do politics differently. We make 

casual employment, increasing wages bill to end ‘jobs for mates’ and stop porkbarrelling. 

good policy better. A vote for me is a 

and removing hurdles to entering teaching. 

vote for a strong independent voice for 

Locally, we need affordable housing We need to seize this moment on Pittwater. I will vote in the community’s 

for teachers and nurses, as proposed in pokies reform. Neither party currently interests each and every time. I’ll be your 

Brookvale. 

goes far enough. My support depends on representative in Parliament, not a political 

We are 1,200+ students more than we effective reform, including a compulsory 

party representative in Pittwater. And 

have school places for and our funding cashless card and $1 per spin maximum we’ll make history, voting in our first 

has been focused on only a couple of pro- 

bets. 

female State MP. 



LIBERAL – Rory Amon 

‘I’ll continue legacy of improving services’ 


Q: What are the main 

posed amalgamation now 

Pittwater-specific issues 

tell me they are satisfied 

that you think need addressing? 

with the Council and no 

longer press for de-amalga- 

The biggest issue locals 

mation. 

raise with me is cost of living. 

As a local ratepayer and 

The next are preserving 

Northern Beaches Coun- 

Pittwater’s natural beauty 

cillor, I see first-hand the 

and continuing to improve 

benefits of having a single 

local services and infrastructureern 

Council across the North- 

Beaches. We’ve been 

The NSW Liberal Government 

able to lower residential 

has a strong record of 

rates overall in Pittwater 

delivering on these issues, 

while also funding record 

including strong economic 

infrastructure, including 

management. This allows 

an 80% increase in 

us to deliver programs that 

new footpath spending, 

help to reduce the cost of 

surf club and RFS Brigade 

living, including the Energy 

upgrades, and the Narrabeen 

Bill Saving Program, backto-school 

Lagoon overwater 

vouchers and free 

boardwalk. 

universal pre-kindergarten 

Q: The Pitch: Why should 

childcare. 

voters consider ticking 

The NSW Liberal Government 

has nation-leading climate and in favour of calling on the NSW Gov- 

paper? 

a Northern Beaches Councillor, I voted 

your box on the ballot 

energy policies that preserve our environment 

through initiatives such as ban- 

poker machine licences on the Northern who is passionate about our community 

ernment to put an immediate cap on I am a lifelong Northern Beaches local 

ning single-use plastics, expanding the Beaches. I fully support the Premier’s and way of life. Whether it be my five 

Return and Earn scheme, and increasing landmark gambling reform package years delivering for the community as a 

the size of national parks by more than that protects the vulnerable and stands Northern Beaches Councillor, or my time 

600,000 hectares since 2019. 

up against organised crime and money as a volunteer firefighter and family 

And it has delivered and will continue laundering. I am asking Council’s February 

lawyer, I have a proven track record of 

to deliver improved services and infrastructure 

meeting to affirm its support for standing up and delivering for Pittwater. 

including better public transport, 

these reforms. 

As interest rates and inflation rise, I 

upgrades to local schools and roads, Q: Do you think the Pittwater electorate understand that cost-of-living pressures 

and improved local health services. is in a better or worse position/condition 

are mounting. The Perrottet Liberal Gov- 



ernment has a track record of providing 

issues? 

Pittwater is in a far better position now targeted and effective relief. This election 

Overdevelopment; as a Northern Beaches thanks to the NSW Liberal Government. 

is about who you trust to continue 

Councillor, I have worked hard to prevent In addition to the B-Line bus service and reducing cost of living pressures. 

inappropriate overdevelopment, including 

new commuter car parks, we’ve ex- 

I will also ensure we protect and 

in Newport, Warriewood and Inglepanded 

the successful Keoride service; enhance the natural beauty of Pittwater 

side. One of my proudest achievements delivered the $50 million upgrade of and continue Rob Stokes’ legacy of improving 

as a Councillor was working alongside Mona Vale Public School and the $350 

services and increasing invest- 

Independent Councillor Alex McTaggart million duplication of Mona Vale Road ment in local infrastructure, including 

to secure $4.6 million to protect Newport (East); invested over $5 million in Mona surf clubs, community facilities, schools 

Littoral Rainforest from development. Vale and Warriewood Surf Clubs and and roads. 

Q: Are there any issues external to committed $75 million for Wakehurst If elected, I will advocate to finish the 


Parkway upgrades; and invested more duplication of Mona Vale Road (West), 

on? 

than $90 million for improved health ensure the Wakehurst Parkway is flood- 

Protecting the vulnerable in our community 

services at Mona Vale Hospital including proofed, and fight for upgrades to New- 

is particularly important to me. the 24/7 urgent care centre, dialysis serport 

Surf Club, North Narrabeen Public 

As a family lawyer, I’ve spent a decade 

vices, palliative care, and rehabilitation and Narrabeen Sports High. 

helping clients, often survivors of facilities. 

A vote for Labor, the Greens, a minor 

domestic and family violence, navigate Q: Should the newly elected government 

party, or Independent is a vote for a 

the difficulties of family breakdown. 

consider dissolving Northern Chris Minns Labor Government – Labor 

The Government has a strong record of Beaches Council and at least returning has promised to increase development 

delivering initiatives to prevent domestic 

the former Pittwater Council? 

on the Northern Beaches and cancel in- 

violence and support survivors, Pittwater Council was a wonderful frastructure projects, including funding 

including doubling down on perpetrators, 

organisation. As a Councillor, I have for the Wakehurst Parkway upgrade and 

removing barriers to housing for worked hard to ensure that Northern Beaches Link Tunnel. Our local environ- 

survivors, and delivering more women’s Beaches Council delivers the benefits of ment will be trashed, and our roads will 

refuges across NSW. 

a smaller council and the scale of a bigger 

reach gridlock. 

Problem gambling is another scourge 

council. 

Only the Perrottet Government has a 

on our society. That is why in 2017 as Local resident associations that op- 

plan for NSW and Pittwater. 



PHOTO: Northern Beaches Advocate

LABOR – Jeffrey Quinn 

‘Only Labor can stop overdevelopment’ 



issues you think need addressing? 

First, protecting our unique local environment 

from overdevelopment. We 

have seen inappropriate developments 

not in harmony with Pittwater’s unique 

environment or our community’s needs. 

Overdevelopment places a huge strain on 

already choked roads, health and transport 

services. Pittwater is a rare natural 

wonder with more tree canopy than the 

rest of Sydney. Making sure the needs 

and wants of the Terrey Hills and Duffys 

Forest citizens receive the quality of 

careful planning they deserve is intrinsically 

important too. 

Second, returning the people of Pittwater’s 

democratic rights: Labor promises 

to facilitate a vote on the de-amalgamation 

of Pittwater from the Northern 

ever proceeding. 

getting to local health services. A new 

Last, it’s important to create careers vision for public transport in Pittwater 

Beaches Council. Residents deserve the 

with fully funded and resourced TAFE, is timely. 

right to choose whether or not they remain 

part of a huge local council with a 

so our local people who do not want 

Lowering the cost of living will be 

to attend university are educated and helped by Labor’s recently announced 

very low level of representation, or have 

trained, ready for entry into life after NSW Energy Security Corporation and 

their council restored so democratic 

school. 

our ability to deliver more stability and 

representation is also restored. 

Q: Are there any issues external to reliability in our State’s energy supply by 

Third, rebuilding and expanding public 

health services. The downgrading and 


on? 

The State Government has taken a 

building community batteries. 

demolition of Mona Vale Hospital and The Wakehurst Parkway (pictured) is a hands-off approach to urban development, 

meaning that there is a constant 

the privatisation and sale of Northern crucial road for Pittwater residents and 

Beaches Hospital have disadvantaged visitors. We need a permanent solution to struggle to prevent over-development 

Pittwater’s community. We deserve much the flooding problems so we never have that threatens the unique natural environment. 

better. I will fight to have Mona Vale to close it again. A land bridge spanning 

Hospital clinics and medical services the floodplain will be an efficient and Unfortunately, the government has 

upgraded and a public hospital rebuilt cost-effective long-term solution. Moreover, 

the answer I propose will provide of Pittwater for granted. 

become complacent and taken the people 

as, at the very least, a Level 4 Emergency 

and Acute Care Public Hospital so that it safe passage for wildlife. 

Q: Should the newly elected government 

provides much-needed services for the Lizard Rock, as it is presently structured, 

consider dissolving Northern 

community. 

is an inappropriate development Beaches Council and at least returning 


that will be out of keeping with the local the former Pittwater Council? 

issues? 

environment and will add enormous Labor promises to facilitate a vote on the 

Improving and restoring affordable public 

pressure to the already stretched infra- 

de-amalgamation of Pittwater from the 

transport services. The privatisation structure in the area. 

Northern Beaches Council. 

of bus services has led to a degradation Q: Do you think the Pittwater electorate Q: The Pitch: Why should voters consider 

in the quality of service with delays, long is in a better or worse position/condition 

ticking your box on the ballot paper? 

queues and damaged electronic signage 


This district needs me to restore public 

that causes frustration and inconvenience. 

Pittwater has been largely ignored by health systems in balance with private 

the Government over the past four years systems, so all the community members 

Also, building roads that cannot be and, as a result, our public health, public are safe and cared for in a manner that is 

flooded and do not kill our native species. 

transport and public education services better than adequate. 

have deteriorated. 

I want to be part of a Minns Labor Gov- 

There should be a proactive permanent 

Local health services have been 

ernment that focuses on our people’s, 

police presence north of the Bilgola degraded, and the Northern Beaches the environment’s and the economy’s 

Bends that could be part of a multi-function 

Hospital is now further away for Pit- 

real needs. A Labor member of an active 

centre in the existing ambulance twater residents. It can’t even be reached government will be Pittwater’s only hope 

station. 

via Wakehurst Pathway in the event of a to stop overdevelopment, restore public 

Ensuring there is a fully staffed 

flood. 

health and our hospital services. 

ambulance station open around the 

Privatised public transport services I have watched how 12 years of the Perrottet 

clock is important… as is preventing are less affordable and frequently delayed 

Liberal Government has seen the 

the commercialisation of the Barrenjoey 

and cancelled, causing incredible area stagnate at a time when our stand- 

Headland. 

frustration for commuters. 

ard of living should be improving. 

I will maintain Labor policy to oppose Roads have become choked. It has 

It’s only a Labor government – not the 

and never allow offshore exploration or become a battle for people trying to get Coalition and not independents – that 

drilling – including stopping PEP-11 from work, dropping off kids at school, or can actually deliver. 



THE GREENS – Hilary Green 

‘Every Greens vote is for the greater good’ 



issues that you think need 

addressing? 

First, we need a publicly owned and run 

emergency and acute services hospital 

reinstated at Mona Vale. We’ll need 

it – with the extra population, tourism, 

unreliable roads and roadworks. We need 

mental health and paediatric services. 

Second, the Greens will not allow the 

bulldozers to reduce the natural beauty 

of the area. Greens will not allow any 

State government to override environmental 

decisions made by our local 

Council. 

Third, we need an efficient, electrified 

and expanded bus service in public 

hands. Time spent in traffic is wasted 

time. Transport is our biggest contributor 

to greenhouse gas emissions and so 

to climate change. 


issues? 

Housing affordability – we need the people 

who care for us to live here. There 

are plenty of areas that we can develop vulnerable folk. These are State-controlled 

tising, and rebuild our public services. 

sustainably without encroaching on the 

scamming machines that cause Q: Do you think the Pittwater electorate 

natural landscape. Greens want at least chronic addiction and heartbreak. They is in a better or worse position/condition 

30 per cent of all new houses built to be enable the crime of money laundering. 


social housing. 

Gambling is a win-lose activity – they The good: We have the B-line bus service, 

The Greens will immediately introduce win, you lose. The Greens plan to pull a new surf club at Mona Vale and Mona 

a rent freeze and get rents back under the pin on pokies in NSW. We’ll make Vale Public School has been refurbished. 

control. We will end unfair no-grounds pubs and clubs pay for the harm they’ve We have three electric vehicle charging 

evictions. In Pittwater, we will support caused with a pokies ‘super tax’ and stations in Pittwater. 

renters enabling them access to cheaper reparation fund for affected communities. 

The Bad: We have lost our public 

renewable energy. 

Also, phasing out poker machines hospital. We have privatised our “public” 

Public education needs to be properly from pubs in five years, clubs in 10 years transport. Our roads are more congested, 

funded. Teachers are overworked, underpaid 

and introducing a mandatory cashless 

our schools are understaffed, the 

and over-supervised. Pay them gambling card. 

cost of living has increased. Rents have 

fairly and let them teach our children! Logging in native forests releases soared. Many small businesses have had 

We need to maintain the pressure on millions of tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere 

to close. People are mentally and finan- 

all levels of government so that absurd 

and costs millions to support. It is cially stressed. More and more people 

environmentally destructive projects like a loss-making industry, which only directly 

can’t afford to live here. We only have 

PEP-11 never see the light of day. 

employs about 1000 people. These three electric vehicle charging stations 

And the Wakehurst Parkway needs to jobs can easily be replaced with similar in Pittwater. 

be sensitively upgraded, with minimal employment. 

Q: Should the newly elected government 

harm to the environment. 

The Greens policy is to end logging 

consider dissolving Northern 

Q: Are there any issues external to our public native forests immediately, Beaches Council and at least returning 

Pittwater electorate you will be campaigning 

protect this vital habitat for threatened the former Pittwater Council? 

on? 

wildlife and maintain native forests so Yes. 

The State Government is seriously considering 

that the carbon they store protects us Q: The Pitch: Why should voters consid- 

proposals to expand coal mines from climate change. 

er ticking your box on the ballot paper? 

in Narrabri, the Hunter Valley, and more. The Greens will make the big banks, The Greens have been raising the alarm 

They have approved Narrabri Gas project fossil fuel companies, property developers 

about climate change, the environment 

– overriding the science, economics, the 

and the gambling industry pay their and social justice for decades. It’s in our 

First Nations traditional owners’ and fair share of tax, so we can invest in DNA – it’s who we are. The Greens are a 

farmers’ protests. Exporting CO2 emissions 

climate action, affordable housing and progressive party and we are in a position 

does not reduce emissions. The public services for all. 

of leverage. We can make demands on the 

major parties are not reducing emissions Most importantly, we need to bring government of the day – make them listen 

effectively. The Greens have a plan to integrity back into politics, so that those to our voice of reason. The stronger we 

immediately ban the construction of new in government work for the better of the are, the sooner we achieve our goals 

coal and gas infrastructure and phase people and not corporate donors. The You get two opportunities to vote 

out coal and gas by 2030. 

Greens will tackle corruption; ban all Green – in the Lower House and in the 

We’ve had enough of the thieving corporate political donations, stop porkbarrelling, 

Upper House. Every vote for the Greens is 

poker machines gouging the pockets of 

bring truth to political adver- 

a vote for the greater good. 




‘I’ll leave it to others to judge’ 

Rob Stokes reflects on his time as Pittwater’s Member of Parliament. Interview by Nigel Wall 

Q: Congratulations on your 

16 years’ service to Pittwater. 

Did you envisage you would 

serve that long when you 

were first elected in 2007? 

When I was first elected I 

made a personal commitment 

that I would serve a minimum 

of eight years and a maximum 

of 16 years, assuming I was 

elected each term. 

Q: The world has changed 

considerably in 16 years 

(smart phones, social media): 

has that made it easier or 

harder for politicians to 

deliver their messages and 

services? 

Politics has become more 

flexible and immediate. Media 

and communications is less 

relational, more transactional, 

so it is easier to communicate 

directly to the community, 

but there is less editorial 

scrutiny of political claims 

and messaging. 

Q: You served your first 

term in opposition – was it 

difficult to achieve outcomes 

for the local community? 

Yes! Opposition was an 

amazing training ground; it 

is possible to deliver small 

wins in opposition, but the 

last Labor Government had 

so little money and so little 

capacity to deliver, that being 

at the end of the queue was 

hard work. 

Q: What achievements within 

the Pittwater electorate are 

you most proud of? 

I’ll leave that to others to 

judge! 

Q: What achievements 

external to Pittwater 

electorate are you most 

proud of being associated 

with? 

I don’t really feel comfortable 

being a judge in my own 

cause… I guess it was great 

to be part of a team that 

formulated an economic plan 

to be in a position to deliver 

infrastructure, social and 

environment outcomes. We 

haven’t been a government 

that merely transacted the 

business in front of us, but 

we really sought to transform 

the State. 

Q: The most surprisingly 

easy – and most surprisingly 

NOW & THEN: Rob Stokes at the opening of the new Mona Vale Surf Life 

Saving club in 2022; and his first pic as MP in 2007. 

difficult – things to achieve? 

Easy – funding for stage two 

Mona Vale Road. The biggest 

single budget outcome for 

Pittwater was easy because 

we had done all the hard 

work arguing for the initial 

funding. The hardest would 

be the B-Line and Keoride. A 

service that has transformed 

access to public transport 

across Pittwater met strong 

opposition from people who 

thought it was a Trojan horse 

for high-density development. 

Q: Any things/projects you 

have been associated with 

that you wish could have 

been actioned/finished but 

for whatever reason have not 

been able to? 

I’d love to be in office to 

see the completion of Mona 

Vale and Narrabeen North 

Public School upgrades, as 

well as the upgrades to Mona 

Vale Road and Wakehurst 

Parkway. But my main job 

was to get the funding – so 

the important work is done. 

The unfinished work includes 

the completion of the final 

configuration of services at 

Mona Vale Hospital and the 

upgrade of Newport Surf Club 

– and I’ll happily help from 

the sidelines. 

Q: There are some voters 

who view candidates or 

sitting MPs in major parties 

such as Liberal or Labor as 

beholden to powerbrokers 

and majority faction 

members of their Party; 

what’s your view? 

Well, you have to be part of a 

team in power to get anything 

done – so the trick is to be a 

leader of the team in power. 

To become a leader you need 

to work hard and collegiately 

with others to prove yourself 

and build trust. It’s the same 

in any organisation. 

Q: How has the political 

landscape changed over the 

past 16 years and what is 

your view on the rise of the 

Independents at both Federal 

and potentially State level? 

The left and right are moving 

further apart. Both the 

Australian Democrats and 

the Christian Democrats have 

disappeared, replaced by the 

Greens to the left and One 

Nation and the Shooters to the 

right. Both Liberal and Labor 

get punished by protest-style 

independents when either 

stray too far from the centre 

ground. As the extremes get 

more vociferous, the need 

to listen to the majority is 

becoming more important. 

This means the major parties 

need to realise they have 

more in common than they do 

with those parties and groups 

to their left and right. 

Q: You can’t please everyone: 

what’s your message to 

those in the community 

who remain vocally critical 

about the redevelopment of 

Mona Vale Hospital precinct 

(or in their words closure); 

the amalgamated Northern 

Beaches Council; and a 

perceived overdevelopment 

in Pittwater? 

Mona Vale Hospital is open! 

More than 400 amazing 

health professionals work at 

Mona Vale Hospital providing 

incredible services to our 

local community. Sure, 

the role of the hospital 

has changed, but let’s not 

disrespect the hospital 

staff by downplaying the 

significance of their work. 

As to the Council – the 

boundaries of the three 

councils on the Northern 

Beaches never made any 

sense. They split catchments 

in half, so that many 

intractable drainage and 

environmental issues were 

never properly addressed. 

I still think 15 councillors 

is a lot (I reckon five Ward 

councillors and a popular 

Mayor is a model worth 

considering) – but there will 

never be an administrative 

arrangement that will keep 

everyone happy. 

Q: Any individuals or groups 

you would like to thank? 

Everyone! There is literally 

no-one in the community I 

don’t want to thank… I have 

been so blessed to work with 

an amazing community 

whose support I will always 

cherish. But a special shoutout 

must go to Andrew, Jane 

and Melissa in the Electorate 

Office. 

Q: How would you like to be 

remembered in 20 years? 

As a loving husband and 

father! 

Q: You’re only 48 years old; 

what’s next for Rob Stokes? 

Not sure yet… 

Q: Anything else? 

Thank you Pittwater Life for 

being a remarkably resilient 

little journal. One of the 

special delights of Pittwater is 

having a beautiful magazine 

that encapsulates our way of 

life and our unique character 

as a community. 



Stokes’ 10 top 

contributions 

Major local projects secured or delivered by Rob 

Stokes since 2007 include: 

• $600 million upgrade of Mona Vale Road. 

• Retention of entire Mona Vale Hospital campus in 

public ownership and more than $90 million invested 

in new hospital buildings, medical services and 

technology enhancements. 

• Introduction of Keoride on-demand public transport 

service, high-frequency B-Line buses and new 

transport interchanges. 

• Declaration of Currawong Beach State Park and 

Narrabeen Lagoon State Park (pictured). 

• Landmark commercial fishing reforms introduced to 

ensure the long-term sustainability of the Pittwater 

estuary. 

• Major education infrastructure upgrades secured for 

Mona Vale PS, Narrabeen North PS and Narrabeen 

Sports High. 

• More than $90 million secured for flood mitigation 

and traffic flow improvements along Wakehurst 

Parkway. 

• Introduction of ‘Return and Earn’ recycling initiative. 

• Funding secured for major infrastructure 

improvements to local surf life saving clubs – 

including Palm Beach, Avalon Beach, Mona Vale and 

Warriewood. 

• Comprehensive heritage restoration works and visitor 

access improvements introduced at Barrenjoey Headland. 




Health & Wellbeing 


The Son’s mental health focus 

In the Florian Zeller film The Son, Hugh 

Jackman plays a successful New York 

lawyer whose son suffers mental health 

issues. 

Jackman has been nominated for 

Golden Globe for his exceptional performance; 

his character Peter Miller and his 

partner Beth, played by Vanessa Kirby, 

have a new baby and he is about to accept 

the offer of a dream job working on 

a political campaign in Washington. Then 

his former wife Kate (Laura Dern) tells 

him their 17-year-old son Nicholas (played 

by Australian Zen McGrath) has not 

attended school for a month. Nicholas 

moves in with his father and Beth, starts 

seeing a therapist and descends into 

greater depths of depression. 

Anthony Hopkins makes a cameo as 

Peter’s cruel and uncaring father, whose 

behaviour in Peter’s youth led to a lifetime 

loathing of his father. 

The beautifully shot film is harrowing. 

“It was hard to watch at times,” says 

Elanora’s Gus Worland, who hosted a 

special preview screening last month. 

But for him it is also hugely significant 

that his best friend from childhood is 

raising awareness of mental health on the 

big screen. 

Jackman and Worland have been close 

friends since attending primary school 

and then Knox Grammar together. 

“Jacko lived with us for three or four 

months of every year, because his father 

worked at Price Waterhouse Coopers and 

his parents were overseas.” 

In 2017, Worland founded Gotcha4Life, 

a not-for-profit with a goal of zero suicides, 

and Jackman joined the board. 

“He was on the board for the first four 

and a half years, and he was always saying 

to me, ‘I’ve got an idea. I heard this. 

Read that’.” 

In 2009, one of Worland’s closest 

friends, Angus Roberts, took his own life. 

Worland describes him as his “go-to guy 

AWARENESS: 

Hugh Jackman 

in The Son. 

not just for personal stuff, but business 

stuff”, and the person who helped him 

land his first job “with proper money”. 

For seven years Worland didn’t talk about 

Angus’ death, then he spoke on air – he 

was one of the Triple M Radio’s breakfast 

presenters at the time – about what had 

happened and the effect it had on him. 

Worland’s openness led him to present 

the three-part series Man Up, a documentary 

exploring masculinity and men’s 

mental health, which was shown on the 

ABC in 2016. 

A year later Worland founded Gotcha4Life. 

“I don’t want anyone worrying alone. 

Find someone, whether it’s a friend, a 

professional, a family member, a coach, 

whoever it is, just don’t worry alone 

about the important stuff,” he says. “And 

it’s also good to build a village around 

you that you can share good and bad 

with.” 

Worland stresses that people can 

often be lonely even with a big group of 

friends. Also it takes, on average, visits 

to six counselors before you find one 

with whom you really connect, and many 

people give up after seeing two or three. 

And he says if you get some meds, and 

they don’t make you feel better, then you 

might go, “I’ve tried that”. But you’ve got 

to stick at it. 

“I call it mental fitness – you’ve just got 

to keep going back and keep practicing 

and trying. It’s like going to the gym. 

You’ve got to build up emotional muscle, 

but it’s bloody hard work.” 

Worland admits that only two weeks 

ago he felt utterly overwhelmed by everything 

life was throwing at him and arrived 

at a friend’s place and burst into tears. 

“I’m learning as I go along here as 

well,” he says. But he acknowledges the 

ups as well as the downs: 

“Jacko and my friendship is deeper now 

than it ever was, and that’s purely based 

on stuff that we’re learning all the time, 

and having the guts to be vulnerable with 

each other. To be honest… like completely 

honest.” – Rosamund Burton 

* Head Above Water’s annual 24-hour 

Swimathon is on 4-5 March – all funds 

raised help support people and organisations 

on the Beaches; headabovewater.com.au; 

gotcha4life.org 



Carers rise to the Occasion 

Two young Northern 

day-to-day care options 

Beaches-based aged 

on offer, we are offering a 

care professionals have 

unique and very personal 

come up with a caring 

service designed to benefit 

all family members 

solution for families who 

want loved ones to be 

on some of their most 

together and feel comfortable 

on special occasions. 

“Our goal is to connect 

memorable occasions. 

Colleagues Taylor and 

people… to help people 

Harriet explain they were 

attend and enjoy events 

working in an aged care 

they may not have been 

facility when they noticed 

able to attend without 

many clients were missing 

support.” 

out on special occasions 

Harriet has a certificate 

due to accessibility and 

IV in aged care support 

support needs. 

and a certificate IV in 

So they launched Occasion 

Care – a service where 

aged care. Harriet has 

leisure and lifestyle within 

they help with the transport 

and care of people 

working within the aged 

eight years’ experience 

with declining physical 

care sector and is trained 

and mental capabilities at 

in providing support and 

weddings, engagements, 

care for people living with 

CONNECTING PEOPLE: Occasion Care. 

birthdays, christenings and 

dementia. 

funerals. 

“We understand everybody is different, so we 

Taylor is a registered nurse specialising in offer quality assistance for a range of support 

palliative care and geriatrics. She has nine needs,” Harriet said. 

years’ experience working within the aged care “Overall, our service is all about inclusion 

sector providing support and utilising established 

care programs for people living with knowing those that need extra help will receive 

and enables everyone to enjoy family events, 

dementia. 

the necessary care and support.” – Lisa Offord 

She explained: “While there are excellent *More info occasioncare.com.au 





with Bec Johnson, M.Pharm 


Good & bad fats: how they 

affect cholesterol levels 

Cholesterol and triglycerides 

are a vital part of 

human life, including the 

synthesis of hormones, vitamin 

D, and cell membranes, and as 

a source of energy. However, 

having too much ‘bad’ cholesterol 

circulating in the bloodstream 

can increase the risk 

of developing certain medical 

conditions. 

It is recommended for certain 

people to get regular blood 

tests to monitor their cholesterol 

levels. This is particularly 

important if you: 

n Are over 45 years of age, or 

over 35 years of age if you 

are from Aboriginal or Torres 

Strait Island heritage; 

n Have a family history of heart 

disease, high cholesterol, 

diabetes, or kidney disease, 

or have been diagnosed with 

these conditions yourself; 

n Have had a heart attack or 

stroke; 

n Are a smoker; 

n Are overweight; 

n Regularly eat fatty foods. 

When measuring cholesterol 

levels, they will look for the 

following: 

n Low-density lipoproteins 

(LDL) – responsible for supplying 

cholesterol to cells. 

However, excess LDL can 

build up in the arteries as 

plaques and reduce blood 

flow, or even block the 

arteries entirely. Therefore, 

LDL is known as the ‘bad’ 

cholesterol. 

n High-density lipoproteins 

(HDL) – absorb the LDL 

cholesterol in the tissues and 

bloodstream and transport 

it to the liver for removal 

from the body. Therefore, 

HDL is known as the ‘good’ 

cholesterol. 

n Triglycerides – carried by 

very low-density lipoproteins 

(VLDL) from the liver to be 

stored in the body as ‘body 

fat’ or to be used for energy. 

High levels of LDL or triglycerides 

can cause weight 

gain, and increase the risk of 

having a heart attack or stroke, 

or developing coronary heart 

disease, angina, hypertension, 

or kidney disease. The most 

common cause of high LDL or 

triglycerides is consuming too 

much food containing saturated 

or trans fats, however this 

may also be due to a genetic 

difference in the way fats are 

metabolised by the body. This 

can be inherited. 

The key to reducing your 

intake of cholesterol-raising fats 

is to know about the types of 

fats, and the foods these are 

found in. Polyunsaturated and 

monounsaturated fats can improve 

blood cholesterol levels 

and are the ‘good fats’. They 

are most commonly found in 

oily fish and fish oils, plant and 

seed oils, nuts, avocados. The 

fats to avoid are the saturated 

and trans fats: 

n Saturated fats occur mainly in 

foods from animals, including 

milk, cream, cheeses, butter, 

yoghurt, and some meats. 

However, these are also 

found in coconut and palm 

oils, commercially baked 

products such as pastries, 

cakes, biscuits, pies, buns, 

and deep-fried fast foods. 

n Trans fats occur mainly in 

commercially baked products 

and deep fried fast foods using 

hydrogenated or partially 

hydrogenated vegetable fats 

or oils. 

While it may be beneficial to 

see a dietician if you are struggling 

with managing your diet, 

there are several useful resources 

on the Heart Foundation 

Australia website to support 

this. A few major points are to 

eat fruit, vegetables, nuts, and 

cereals, as they support lowering 

cholesterol. 

Also, aim for low-fat cooking 

methods, such as baking/grilling/poaching/steaming 

instead 

of shallow or deep frying. 

Use reduced-fat dairy products 

and lower fat cheeses, 

such as light cheddar or mozzarella, 

ricotta, and cottage 

cheese. Note that children 

under two years of age usually 

need to eat full fat dairy foods. 

Aim to eat 2-3 serves of fish 

or other seafood per week; and 

when selecting meat, aim for 

leaner meats and poultry. Trim 

all visible fat from the meat 

before cooking, and remove the 

skins from poultry. Limit the 

intake of processed meats, such 

as sausages, salami, and pâté. 

Limit the intake of takeaway 

foods, as these are often high 

in fats, sugar, and salts. 

Also limit the intake of fatty 

snacks, such as crisps, cakes, 

pastries, biscuits, and chocolate. 

Other important lifestyle 

management points include reducing 

alcohol intake, smoking 

cessation, regular moderateintensity 

exercise, keeping to 

a healthy body weight, and 

drinking an adequate amount 

of water (to keep your urine 

light coloured) unless otherwise 

advised by your doctor. 

If changing your lifestyle 

has been difficult or has not 

lowered your cholesterol or 

triglyceride levels enough, there 

are medications which your 

doctor can prescribe to help 

support this. 

These medications are very 

commonly used and are generally 

well-tolerated. Have a chat 

with your local pharmacist or 

GP for more information about 

managing cholesterol. 

Pittwater Pharmacy & 

Compounding Chemist 

at Mona Vale has operated 

as a family-run business 

since 1977. Open seven days; 

drop in & meet the highly 

qualified and experienced 

team of Len, Sam and Amy 

Papandrea, Andrew Snow 

and Bec Johnson. Find them 

at 1771 Pittwater Rd; 

call 9999 3398. 



Sleep hygiene for clean thinking 

Sleep is an almost mythical 

component of life, 

with that all-too-famous 

question “when we fall asleep, 

where do we go?” becoming 

clear only in recent years. 

With schools back and 

Autumn here, a deep dive into 

sleep and its powerful effects 

can do us all the world of 

good. 

The 2017 release of English 

scientist Dr Matthew Walker’s 

‘Why We Sleep’ was a gamechanger 

to help us understand 

how sleep affects our waking 

life. Sleep deprivation was 

once a misguided badge of 

honour, and almost an expectation 

of anyone deemed 

“busy” – from students to 

CEOs. Thankfully, the damaging 

belief system of sleep as a 

luxury is changing. 

Sleep supercharges everything 

from beauty routines to 

mental and physical health. 

We know that the development 

of long-term memory 

happens during sleep, and if 

we want to amplify a workout 

or study session, one of 

the best tips is take a nap 

afterwards. Try it out! The 

next time you need to learn 

or create something, schedule 

a nap. There are plenty of 

breakthroughs in history that 

have involved a good snooze, 

from the Rolling Stones to 

Mendeleev. The benefits of 

sleep are also harnessed by 

world-class athletes to boost 

the body’s rate of recovery 

and the mind’s capacity to 

remember new skills. 

However, even the best naps 

can’t replace a full sleep cycle. 

Biologically, adults are hardwired 

to need eight hours’ 

sleep a night. The two types 

of sleep our body needs are 

REM (when the mind dreams) 

and non-REM (when the body 

regenerates). Importantly, 

they are not evenly distributed 

throughout the night, 

and most of our REM sleep 

happens near the end. That 

means that if we cut our sleep 

short by a couple of hours, 

we can miss up to half of the 

dream sleep that we need. 

Chronic sleep deprivation 

negatively impacts our 

wellbeing. The good news 

is that setting good habits 

is a sure way to support our 

body’s natural sleep/wake 

rhythm. Dimming the lights 

before bed, avoiding caffeine 

at night, isolating our sleep 

space from where we study 

or eat and going to bed at 

regular hours are just some 

of the many ways to maintain 

good sleep hygiene. 

Quality sleep is a literal 

life-changer and should be enjoyed 

as the sport enhancing, 

memory boosting and beauty 

revolutionising feature of our 

wellbeing that it is. 

*By Tracy Milenko – Creative 

Director of Ecotopia, 

Warriewood. Tracy has been 

a passionate advocate of the 

Human Potential movement 

and stress management 

since the mid-1980s. 





Coastrek a Walk of Life 


For it’s 15th Northern Beaches event, 

Coastrek is really getting to the heart 

of women’s health. The event has 

come a long way – both figuratively and 

literally – since its inception in 2009. 

With 200 participants at the first event, 

it was one small step for women and one 

giant leap for womenkind. On March 24 

this year, the event will boast over 2,500 

entrants on the walk from Palm Beach to 

Balgowlah Heights, via 30km, 45km and 

60km routes. 

Coastrek walks now exist in five states 

across Australia, including the original 

Northern Beaches walk (events also take 

place in Margaret River in WA, the Sunshine 

Coast in Qld, Mornington Peninsula 

in Vic, and Fleurieu Peninsula in SA). 

Indeed since that inaugural walk, over 

64,000 trekkers have completed a Coastrek 

walk, raising more than $45 million 

for previous charity partners The Fred 

Follows Foundation and, more recently, 

Beyond Blue. An amazing two million 

kilometres have been hiked in that time 

– that’s more than 40 times around the 

globe. 

It has been a massive success for 

Founder & CEO of Wild Women On Top, 

Di Westaway, who in 2022 was awarded 

an OAM for services to women’s health, 

fitness and charity services. Discovering 

hiking in her 40s, she has been a true 

evangelist for women getting back to 

nature and enjoying fitness outdoors. 

For 2023, the new charity partner will 

be the Heart Foundation, recognising how 

important walking can be in warding off 

heart disease – and also how little focus 

there is on females and heart problems. 

Mathlide is one entrant in the walk who 

knows only too well how heart disease 

can affect women, as she will be walking 

in honour of her friend Ana who died last 

year at only 38 years of age. 

GOOD CAUSE: 

Coastrek has 

raised more 

than $45 million 

since 2009. 

“A beautiful Portuguese lady, who was 

a loving wife and devoted mum to three 

young children, Ana worked on programs 

to combat infectious diseases, primarily 

in third-world countries,” explains Mathilde. 

“In late 2021 though, Ana had her 

first heart attack, just three months after 

giving birth to her third child, a daughter 

she named Mathilde, after me… 

“She had felt a pain in her chest and 

arm, but the pain faded and she didn’t 

think much of it. Why would she? She was 

a healthy 37-year-old woman. A couple 

of days later the pain came back. She 

phoned her GP who verified signs of a 

heart attack and she was taken to hospital 

by ambulance straight away.” 

The medical team discovered that Ana 

had experienced a Spontaneous Coronary 

Artery Disceciton (SCAD) where the inner 

wall of the artery collapses. It’s a rare 

type of heart attack but more prominent 

in postpartum women. After a second 

heart attack she underwent emergency 

bypass surgery which was sadly unsuccessful. 

Doctors fitted a LVAD – a pump that 

is used for patients that reach end-stage 

heart failure. After 33 days in ICU she 

went home and lived life as fully as possible 

for another eight months, until she 

passed away in October 2022. 

Then there’s Ann Jenkins who will be 

completing her 20th Coastrek walk, after 

only starting hiking in her 40s. 

“It has taught me to be gutsy when I’m 

uncertain,” says Ann. “It’s taught me that 

I can do things I never dreamed I could 

do. It’s taught me that I’m not a middleaged, 

average woman, but that I’m strong 

and that I can make a difference to so 

many people.” 

And conversely a young team of 

20-year-olds from the Beaches called ‘Hot 

Girl Walkies’ will make their debut in the 

event. 


*While entries are closed for this year’s 

event, there is plenty of time to pledge 

support for walkers in this amazing 

initiative, via coastrek.com.au 







With Li Wen Chen 


Avoid long-term eye damage 

from exposure to UV Rays 

Australians just love the 

warm weather of Summer 

and early Autumn. 

Here on the Northern Beaches, 

we’ve chosen a lifestyle that is 

surrounded by beautiful beaches. 

When the sun is out, so are 

the surfboards, sails, kayaks, 

windsurfs, wakeboards, dragon 

boats, jet skis… 

Unfortunately, there is a 

downside. The sun’s ultraviolet 

(UV) rays can be dangerous to 

unprotected skin, as well as to 

unprotected eyes. Understanding 

UV eye damage is a lesson 

that many Australians have 

learnt the hard way. 

It is well-known that longterm 

exposure to UV rays can 

cause serious damage to our 

eyes. Vision impairments – 

like macular degeneration, 

pterygium, ocular melanoma 

or cataracts (a clouding of the 

lenses) – are common complications. 

In the short term, overexposure 

to UV rays can cause 

‘snow-blindness’ – a condition 

known as ‘photokeratitis.’ 

Fortunately, our awareness 

and attitudes about sun protection 

are changing, and healthy 

Kathy Hill says she doesn’t mind being 

a “regular visitor” to Arcadia Pittwater 

Private Hospital which focusses on 

delivering sub-acute care in a boutique, 

hotel-like environment. 

Mrs Hill, of Wheeler Heights, was the 

first patient to be treated at the 85-bed 

facility when it opened in Warriewood 

on 6 February, 2018 and she was there 

again last month to help celebrate its 

fifth anniversary. 

Five years ago the 60-year-old underwent 

back surgery – and coincidently 

returned a year later coinciding with its 

first anniversary. 

She has been back several times since 

for care and support and served on the 

hospital’s consumer representative committee. 

“The experience was fantastic,” she 

said. “They try to make it as comfortable 

as possible. 

sun behaviours are becoming 

more common. 

Even though rates for skin 

cancer are declining, it is not 

the case for eye damage caused 

by the sun. Today, experts predict 

a sharp rise in the number 

of Australians who will develop 

cataracts in the next 20 year. 

There are many possible causes 

of cataracts, but prolonged 

overexposure to the sun has 

been determined as a major 

factor. 

This doesn’t happen in one 

afternoon at the beach without 

sunglasses; cataracts are built 

up cumulatively, through years 

of repeated overexposure. That 

is why small measures, like 

developing sun-safe habits, are 

so important. 

Sun Safety Essentials 

Launched in 1981, the ‘Slip, 

Slop, Slap, Seek and Slide’ campaign 

by the Cancer Council of 

Australia has become a regular 

part of every Australian summer. 

It is one of the most successful 

public health campaigns 

in the world, and it is a message 

that all optometrist strongly 

support and encourage. 

Remember to… 

Slip on clothing that provides 

a barrier between you and UV 

rays. 

Slop on sunscreen, preferably 

SPF30+ and reapply every two 

hours. 

Slap on a hat that shades the 

whole face – a proper hat can 

reduce the amount of UV rays 

that reach your eyes by 50%. 

Seek the shade of trees, bushes 

or pergolas and shade sails. 

Babies under 12 months should 

always be kept out of direct 

sunlight. 

Slide on some close-fitting sunglasses 

that meet the Australian 

Standard for UV protection. 

Sun protection for kids 

The risk of eye damage from 

over-exposure to UV rays is 

particularly high for children; 

so the earlier they develop the 

habits of protecting their eyes, 

the better. 

When selecting sunglasses 

for children, remember that 

the most important thing is: do 

they provide sun protection? 

Choose sunglasses that fit 

closely to the child’s face – 

wraparounds are often the best 

option. 

Avoid toy sunglasses or 

sunglasses bought at costume 

shops for dress-ups. They may 

look cute or cool, but they 

won’t help at the beach. 

Remember: what you do now 

can shape the future when it 

comes to the health of your 

eyes. 

*Li is a principal optometrist 

at Eyecare Plus Avalon 

Beach; call 9918 2400 to 

make an appointment. 

Arcadia celebrates anniversary 

“If you’re in a hospital environment, 

it can be very sterile and it can affect 

some people as far as getting better, so 

I think the fact it doesn’t feel like that is 

important to recovery.” 

Mrs Hill isn’t the only “regular”– many 

of the 6,800 inpatients have returned for 

subsequent visits and the hospital has 

provided healthcare support for some 

47,000 day rehabilitation visits. 

Her 85- and 88-year-old parents have 

also been cared for there. 

“It’s been very difficult getting help for 

them, but the hospital has been fantastic, 

helping with rehab and physio,” she 

said. 

General Manager and Director of Nursing 

Ruth Ryburn said the five-year milestone 

was a huge achievement considering 

the challenges faced by healthcare 

service providers over the past few years 

due to COVID. 


FIVE YEARS: Ruth Ryburn, Melissa Metcalfe, Kathy 

Hill, Volkan Enginay and Annemaree Montgomery. 



Hair & Beauty 

with Sue Carroll 

You should trust your gut 

for the sake of your skin 

For your skin to look 

good, it depends on how 

you treat it from the 

outside and the inside. You 

may have heard the term 

“gut-skin axis”. Our skin is 

like a window to our gut; 

if you suffer constipation, 

diarrhea, bloating or gas, 

there is a good chance you 

may be experiencing facial 

dryness, rosacea, acne or 

other inflammatory skin 

conditions. These are some 

of the symptoms of poor 

gut health and research has 

shown by addressing your gut 

health through diet, lifestyle 

and supplemental support, 

you will be glowing from the 

inside out. 

The gut is often referred 

to as our second brain and 

is linked with our wellbeing 

and skin health. However our 

gut is certainly not one of the 

most glamorous organs in our 

body – 1-2 kg of microbes that 

live there form each person’s 

unique microbiome. Our brain 

isn’t the only organ in control 

of our emotions – 95% of 

serotonin, the body’s happy 

hormone, is created in the gut 

and profoundly affects our 

physical, mental and emotional 

balance. Without good gut 

health, we are unlikely to 

absorb the nutrients we take 

inefficiently; therefore, our 

skin will reflect our poor 

health. Our gut bacteria 

are essential to assist with 

producing micro-nutrients like 

vitamins and antioxidants from 

the food we ingest. Our gut will 

also support the breakdown 

of macronutrients such as 

carbohydrates, proteins and 

fats to ease digestion and keep 

our colon healthy. 

Some of the signs of poor 

gut health might be food 

allergies, poor memory, 

autoimmune disease, diabetes, 

anxiety, depression, hormonal 

imbalances, low energy, dark 

circles under the eyes, frequent 

infections, mood swings, 


interrupted sleep, acne, 

dry skin, rosacea, eczema, 

psoriasis and dermatitis. 

When the regulatory 

balance in the gut is evident, 

this creates an inflammatory 

response that will often show 

up in the skin with one or 

more of the above conditions. 

Remember, our skin is our 

largest organ and is often 

the outside mirror for what is 

happening inside. If the skin 

is inflamed, it usually means 

our inside screams for help. 

The gut microbiome and the 

skin are intrinsically connected, 

offering a defence against 

environmental pathogens. This 

gut-skin axis links to many 

inflammatory skin disorders. 

When there is disease within 

the gut, there is often 

inflammation in the skin. 

So how can you keep your 

gut healthy? A good rule of 

thumb is to eat a wide variety 

of nutritious whole foods from 

all food groups, which will also 

contain a lot of plant foods 

that are beneficial for your gut 

bacteria. An easy way to think 

of good food compared to that 

which may not be so healthy 

is to limit food drastically in a 

packet. One of the best kinds 

of food for good gut health is 

fermented, such as yoghurt, 

kimchi and apple cider vinegar, 

as they are overflowing with 

good probiotics. These support 

our immune defences and can 

also help break down foods we 

find hard to digest. 

The second way to keep 

good gut health is through 

prebiotics in foods like barley, 

beans, garlic, onions, cabbage, 

asparagus and legumes. An 

experienced nutritionist or 

naturopath may assist with 

your gut health. 

While working on your 

inside with a good health 

professional, external 

inflammation can be reduced 

with Clinic treatments such 

as the JetPeel Exfoliation and 

Infusion. Often the skin will 

experience dryness, flaking, 

acne and inflammation. When 

these are reduced through 

gentle but effective cooling 

exfoliation techniques, 

hydrating and calming serums 

can be absorbed much more 

effectively, assisting with 

topical results. 

By making simple changes 

to your diet and correcting 

any underlying imbalances 

in your gut, your skin will 

thank you for it with a radiant 

complexion. 

Sue Carroll is at the forefront 

of the beauty, wellness 

and para-medical profession 

with 35 years’ experience on 

Sydney’s Northern Beaches. 

She leads a dedicated team 

of professionals who are 

passionate about results for 

men and women. 

info@skininspiration.com.au 

www.skininspiration.com.au 

MARCH 2023 63 

Hair & Beauty

Business Life: Money 

with Brian Hrnjak 

Business Life 

Land whacks: not too much 

value in Govt’s new process 

This month as property 

investors open their 

land tax notices we look 

at what has the potential to 

become another governmentinitiated 

robo-debt fiasco. 

There may be a million ways 

to die in the west but there 

are a million and one ways to 

fleece a property investor and 

most pathways start and finish 

with a government. Once 

the lawyers, property portals, 

agents, trades, utilities, 

insurers, banks, tenants and 

tribunals have finished with 

you there’s always the government: 

with rates, stamp duty, 

land tax and capital gains tax. 

With a state election now 

only weeks away we have 

Dominic Perrottet going allout 

on a signature tax reform 

– in this case land tax in lieu 

of stamp duty for first home 

buyers purchasing a new or 

existing home valued up to 

$1.5 million. The annual land 

tax in this case is based on 

$400 plus 0.3% of land value 

and would be a substantial 

saving over the approximate 

$66,000 of stamp duty that 

would otherwise have been 

payable at a $1.5 million 

purchase price. Most first 

home buyers who typically 

turn over their first property 

after a few years are likely to 

benefit but whenever governments 

put in reforms such as 

ing the house. (You can find 

this number on the periodical 

notices sent to you by the 

Valuer General (VG) or on 

your Council rates notice as it 

also used as a basis for local 

government rating.) 

This year the Government 

increased the threshold 

amount from $822,000 to 

$969,000, a seemingly generous 

increase of 18%. 

Just to complete the picture, 

there is also a premium rate of 

land tax applying to properties 

valued at over $5,925,000 

at the rate of $79,396 plus 

2% of the amount over the 

threshold. 

If we know the rate and we 

know the threshold all we 

these the savings in tax have 

a way of creeping into the 

selling price of the property 

– if you need that tax saving 

to get across the line you can 

bet that someone has saved 

that amount and will use it to 

secure the property. 

What first home buyers are 

being offered is a form of 

‘land tax lite’. Property owners 

who are not first home 

buyers pay land tax in NSW 

at the general rate of $100 

plus 1.6% over a threshold 

of $969,000. The threshold 

applies to the UCV or unimproved 

capital value of the 

land your property sits on; 

in other words the value of 

the serviced land not includhave 

left to talk about then are 

the valuations, right? Precisely, 

and this is where the problem 

lies. Valuations are undertaken 

by the VG annually but are 

applied on an average basis 

over three years. Your land tax 

notice will show you values 

for 2021, 2022 and 2023 and 

the average (or averages if you 

have multiple holdings) used 

as the basis for the calculation. 

When valuations are rising 

this process works in the 

taxpayers’ favour – valuation 

increases and the amount of 

tax payable is slowed through 

the averaging process. When 

there’s an inflection point and 

values start falling it works 

against taxpayers as reduc- 



tions in tax are passed on 

more slowly due to the lagging 

effects of averaging. This is the 

situation we have now but it’s 

not the whole problem. 

The rest of the problem 

relates to the determination 

of valuations. My understanding 

is the VG undertakes 

broad-brush, desktop-based 

valuations to come up with 

numbers that have little 

resemblance to what you or I 

may equate to the value of a 

property when advertised for 

sale by a real estate agent, the 

percentage changes between 

the years however should be 

roughly in line with that of 

property markets. 

Over the past few weeks 

we have seen a steady stream 

of clients call to enquire how 

their land tax notices could 

have jumped so dramatically, 

in some cases by more 

than 300%. In all cases the 

valuation uplifts have been 

breathtaking. 

A couple of examples 

include: a townhouse at Warriewood 

rising 28% between 

July 2020 and July 2021 and 

23% between July 2021 and 

July 2022. A commercial property 

at Mona Vale showing 

growth of 13% between 2020 

and 2021 and 36% between 

2021 and 2022; a south coast 

clifftop property rising 68% 

from 2020 to 2021 and 46% 

from 2021 to 2022. 

In the Warriewood example 

our property database shows 

the change in Warriewood properties 

to be a reduction of 6% in 

median prices for houses and 

2.6% for units between calendar 

years 2021 and 2022 on sales 

volume that is approximately 

40% down on the prior year. 

In the South Coast example, 

the percentages roughly line 

up with the database: 65.5% 

for 2020 to 2021 and 31.9% 

for 2021 to 2022; the sales 

volume however is less than a 

third of normal. The inclusion 

of only one or two high sales 

will drag the averages up and 

will impact any broad-brush 

valuations. 

What do you if you disagree 

with your valuation? Here is 

where this has the potential 

to become another robo-debt 

problem. There is an objection 

mechanism but it doesn’t 

involve speaking to a person. 

You still need to pay the notice 

sent to you (or interest ap- 


plies) and the objection needs 

to be undertaken within 60 

days of the receipt of the land 

tax notice – these have been 

mailed out since mid-January 

with a few still reaching clients 

in mid-February. 

The VG’s website outlines 

how to go about the objection 

process but you can 

also engage your own valuer 

to prepare a case on your 

behalf – and it may be a good 

investment. Referring back 

to the earlier South Coast 

example, there were only 12 

property sales in that calendar 

year, a weak sample size to 

justify such a material price 

uplift. The subject property 

was clifftop but without direct 

beach access and it was valued 

equivalently to one that 

had better views, no adjoining 

neighbour and direct access 

to the beach. A property may 

have a range of topographical 

features or limitations that 

may impact UCV that are not 

obvious to someone undertaking 

a desk top valuation. 

It would be my guess that 

the VG is going to have many, 

many objections to process. 

The other thing investors 

should check for themselves 

is whether their property has 

now become subject to land 

tax for the first time. The valuation 

changes in our local area 

and in some typical holiday 

areas are well in excess of the 

18% increase in the general 

land tax threshold – a good 

example of bracket creep. The 

Office of State Revenue 

doesn’t typically work through 

tax agents as the ATO does 

and your accountant may not 

be in position to judge the 

UCV of the rental property 

included in your annual tax 

return. 

Brian Hrnjak B Bus CPA (FPS) is 

a Director of GHR Accounting 

Group Pty Ltd, Certified 

Practising Accountants. Offices 

at: Suite 12, Ground Floor, 

20 Bungan Street Mona Vale 

NSW 2103 and Shop 8, 9 – 15 

Central Ave Manly NSW 2095, 

Telephone: 02 9979-4300, 

Webs: www.ghr.com.au and 

www.altre.com.au Email: 

brian@ghr.com.au 

These comments are of a 

general nature only and are 

not intended as a substitute 

for professional advice. 


Business Life

Business Life: Law 

with Jennifer Harris 


Family members & entering 

financial arrangements 

The thought of 

documenting a written 

agreement between 

family members detailing 

the obligations of a loving 

and caring relationship is 

understandably abhorrent to 

most families. 

This may be viewed as a 

cultural issue which mainly 

involves the duty of families 

caring for older or infirmed 

relatives within the family unit. 

Post-war, say 60 years ago, 

families were still preparing 

for older members by having 

them move in with one of 

their children. This in a sense 

was made possible by the fact 

that most women fulfilled 

the role of homemakers and 

were not part of the workforce 

and so were available to 

care for elderly parents; plus 

life expectancy was not as 

extensive as it is today. 

In the 1950s and ’60s the 

churches and charitable 

organisations provided a form 

of institutional care in the 

development of convalescent 

homes. 

As time passed and more 

women entered the workforce 

full time, the convalescent 

home developed into the hostel 

care or nursing home and 

the elderly parent or relative 

moved from their home or 

accommodation into that 

institution and the demand for 

such facilities accelerated. 

At the same time, federal 

governments embarked on a 

policy of encouraging aging 

people to remain in their own 

homes by the provision of 

community care packages. 

This has had the effect 

of placing pressure on the 

families of aging parents to 

once again embrace the caring 

role. The caring role has 

meant that an adult child or 

relative has often had to give 

up their career to care for the 

family member. 

Today, the consequence 

of change has meant that 

the development of a 

family agreement, that is, a 

compensatable contractual 

obligation between family 

members is developed and is 

entered into. 

The recognition of the need 

for such agreements within 

the family can prove to be 

particularly difficult. 

A lifetime care contract 

or an agreement known 

as an ‘Independent Care 

Agreement’ or a ‘Personal 

Services Agreement’ sets out 

the specific arrangements by 

which aged parents, relatives 

or friends transfer property or 

pay compensation to someone 

in exchange for a provision of 

‘Care for Life’. 

Why have a contractual 

agreement covering the issues 

of care? 

So often the adult children 

are paying off mortgages, 

paying school or other fees for 

their children and their home 

may not be large enough to 

accommodate someone else. 

Therefore, a parent may 

have a house in which they 

no longer reside, or assets 

they can liquidate to pay 

for extensions to the child’s 

house, or to substantially 

contribute to the family with 

whom they are living. 

The problems this can 

cause with the siblings can be 

damaging and destructive, as 

some fear their inheritance 

is dwindling away as one 

child receives the permanent 

benefit of funds from a parent 

or family member to increase 

the value of an asset for a 

brother or sister. 

For families in this position 

it is therefore most desirable 

that they gather together to 

discuss the process by which 

such arrangements can be 

documented or in an open 

and frank discussion and in 

doing so to concentrate on the 

welfare of the aged relative. 

Transparency about 

arrangements and the 

processes by which they are 

implemented are essential for 

a peaceful care agreement. 

Care agreements should be 

between the carer/adult child, 

the person to be cared for and 

all siblings. It should cover 

matters such as the person 

being cared for providing 

funds or other assets to 



improve the child/carer’s 

property. 

What happens if there 

is a marital breakdown 

between the child/carer and 

his/her partner? In these 

circumstances, how can the 

person cared for get their 

money back? 

It is essential to define and 

document as to whatever the 

funds are and whether they 

are advanced as a loan, or 

are a gift. If the funds are for 

additions to the child/carer’s 

property, should the person 

cared for be on the Title? 

There are many other 

aspects of the overall issue 

of dealing with financial 

and property arrangements 

between children and their 

elderly parents and it is 

proposed to revisit this issue. 

Next month – ‘The Bank of 

Mum and Dad. 

Comment supplied by 

Jennifer Harris, of Jennifer 

Harris & Associates, 

Solicitors, 4/57 Avalon 

Parade, Avalon Beach. 

T: 9973 2011. F: 9918 3290. 

E: jennifer@jenniferharris.com.au 

W: www.jenniferharris.com.au 




Trades & Services 


AIR CONDITIONING 

Alliance Climate Control 

Call 02 9186 4179 

Air Conditioning & Electrical Professionals. Specialists 

in Air Conditioning Installation, Service, Repair & 

Replacement. 

BATTERIES 

Battery Business 

Call 9970 6999 

Batteries for all applications. Won’t be beaten on price 

or service. Free testing, 7 days. 

BUILDING 

Acecase Pty Ltd 

Call Dan 0419 160 883 

Professional building and carpentry services, 

renovations, decks, pergolas. Fully licensed & insured. 

Local business operating for 25 years. Lic No. 362901C 

CARPENTRY 

Able Carpentry & Joinery 

Call Cameron 0418 608 398 

Doors & locks, timber gates & handrails; decking 

repairs + more; 25 years’ experience. 

CLEANING 

Amazing Clean 

Call Andrew 0412 475 2871 

Specialists in blinds, curtains and awnings. Clean, 

repair, supply new. 

Aussie Clean Team 

Call John 0478 799 680 

For a good clean inside and outside, windows, gutters 

and small repairs. 

Housewashing - 

northernbeaches.com.au 

Call Ben 0408 682 525 

Established 1999 in Avalon & Collaroy. 

We specialise in soft and pressure washes, plus 

window and gutter cleaning, driveways and rooftops. 

CONCRETING 

Adrians Concrete 

Call Adrian 0404 172 435 

Driveways, paths, slabs… all your concreting needs; 

Northern Beaches-based. 

ELECTRICAL 

Alliance Service Group 

Call Adrian 9063 4658 

All services & repairs, 24hr. Lighting installation, 

switchboard upgrade. Seniors discount 5%. 

Eamon Dowling Electrical 

Call Eamon 0410 457 373 

For all electrical needs including phone, TV and 

data. Pittwater-based. Reliable; quality service 

guaranteed. 

Warrick Leggo 

Call Warrick 0403 981 941 

Specialising in domestic work; small jobs welcome. 

Seniors’ discount; Narrabeen-based. 

FLOOR COVERINGS 

Blue Tongue Carpets 

Call Stephan or Roslyn 9979 7292 

Northern Beaches Flooring Centre has been family 

owned & run for over 20 years. Carpets, Tiles, Timber, 

Laminates, Hybrids & Vinyls. Open 6 days. 

GARDENS 

!Abloom Ace Gardening 

Call 0415 817 880 

Full range of gardening services including landscaping, 

maintenance and rubbish removal. 

Conscious Gardener Avalon 

Call Matt 0411 750 791 

Professional local team offering quality garden 

maintenance, horticultural advice; also garden 

makeovers. 



Living Gardens Landscape 

Call Richy 0475 148417 

Lawn & garden maintenance, garden regeneration, 

stone work, residential & commercial. 

Melaleuca Landscapes 

Call Sandy 0416 276 066 

Professional design and construction for every 

garden situation. Sustainable vegetable gardens and 

waterfront specialist. 

Precision Tree Services 

Call Adam 0410 736 105 

Adam Bridger; professional tree care by qualified 

arborists and tree surgeons. 

GUTTERS & ROOFING 

Cloud9 R&G 

Call Tommy 0447 999 929 

Prompt and reliable service; gutter cleaning and 

installation, leak detection, roof installation and painting. 

Also roof repairs specialist. 

Ken Wilson Roofing 

Call 0419 466 783 

Leaking roofs, tile repairs, tiles replaced, metal roof 

repairs, gutter cleaning, valley irons replaced. 

HANDYMEN 

Local Handyman 

Call Jono 0413 313299 

Small and medium-sized building jobs, also welding & 

metalwork; licensed. 

HOT WATER 

Hot Water Maintenance NB 

Call 9982 1265 

Local emergency specialists, 7 days. Sales, service, 

installation. Warranty agents, fully accredited. 

KITCHENS 

Collaroy Kitchen Centre 

Call 9972 9300 

Danish design excellence. Local beaches specialists in 

kitchens, bathrooms and joinery. Visit the showroom in 

Collaroy. 

Seabreeze Kitchens 

Call 9938 5477 

Specialists in all kitchen needs; design, fitting, 

consultation. Excellent trades. 

KNIFE & TOOL SHARPENING 

Simply Sharper 

Call Dave 0411 192 429 

Professional knife and tool sharpening. Using slow-speed 

water-cooled grinding and polishing wheels. 

MASSAGE & FITNESS 

Avalon Physiotherapy 

Call 9918 3373 

Provide specialist treatment for neck & back pain, sports 

injuries, orthopaedic problems. 

PAINTING 

Cloud9 Painting 

Call 0447 999 929 

Your one-stop shop for home or office painting; interiors, 

exteriors and also roof painting. Call for a quote. 

Tom Wood Master Painters 

Call 0406 824 189 

Residential specialists in new work & repaints / interior & 

exterior. Premium paints; 17 years’ experience. 

PEST CONTROL 

Predator Pest Control 

Call 0417 276 962 

predatorpestcontrol.com.au 

Environmental services at their best. Comprehensive 

control. Eliminate all manner of pests. 





PLUMBING 

Mark Ellison Plumbing 

Call 0431 000 400 

Advanced solutions for sewer & stormwater pipe 

relining: Upfront price, 25-year warranty. 

Total Pipe Relining 

Call Josh 0423 600 455 

Repair pipe problems without replacement. Drain 

systems fully relined; 50 years’ guaranty. Latest 

technology, best price. 

R AINWATER TANKS 

Aquarius Watermaster 

Call 1300 794 850 

Rainwater tanks & pumps to capture and use the rain. 

Sales, service & installation. View large display area at 

Terrey Hills. 

RUBBISH REMOVAL 

Jack’s Rubbish Removals 

Call Jack 0403 385 312 

Up to 45% cheaper than skips. Latest health regulations. 

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Pittwater Puzzler 

Compiled by David Stickley 

Collaroy (9,5) 

26 A jocular name for a remote 

outback town or district (4,4) 

27 Darko Desic’s nickname (6) 

29 Areas set aside for our canine 

friends to run free (3,5) 

30 A distant view of a wide area, 

especially one that is pleasant to 

look at (6) 

Pittwater Puzzler 

ACROSS 

1 Organisation whose primary 

motto is ‘Service Above Self’ (6) 

4 What’s available at LARX 

Boutique in Newport (8) 

9 A local division or office etc. 

of a large business, as of a bank, 

library, etc. (6) 

10 A ringing in the ears (8) 

12 Small suburb south of Clareville 

and Avalon (7,7) 

14 & 2-down An alliance of 

creative people who collectively 

open their studios to the public 

twice a year (7,5) 

16 Local who will be competing 

at the International Blind 

Bowls Association 2023 World 

Championships, _______ Wills (7) 

17 Rocks at the bar (3) 

18 Clear enough to be deciphered 

(7) 

20 A long, narrow craft propelled 

with a paddle by the rider (4,3) 

22 Stretch of sand just north of 

DOWN 

1 Member of the New South Wales 

Legislative Assembly representing 

Pittwater, ___ Stokes (3) 

2 See 14-across 

3 Senior clergymen in the 

Anglican church (7) 

5 Revolve rapidly (5) 

6 Lizard of the genus Varanus, 

of Australia, Africa, and Asia, 

supposed to give warning of the 

approach of crocodiles (7) 

7 The wide parts of a river where 

it nears the sea (9) 

8 Local punk rock band that is 

fronted by Garry Campbell (4) 

11 Island state of Australia (6) 

12 A small, short-legged smoothcoated 

breed of hound (6) 

13 An ecclesiastical district having 

its own church and clergyman (6) 

15 Follows closely, usually 

uninvited (4,5) 

16 Interlocked or coordinated (6) 

19 Train station between Mount 

Kuring-gai and Cowan (7) 

21 Narrow strips or bands 

of fabric, used especially for 

trimming or decoration (7) 

23 A large building 

containing individual units of 

accommodation, etc. (5) 

24 To fish (5) 

25 Was in the red (4) 

28 Dine at Jonah’s, Whale Beach, 

for example (3) 

[Solution page 80] 



Food Life 

with Janelle Bloom 


Recipes: janellebloom.com.au; FB: facebook.com/culinaryinbloom Insta: instagram.com/janellegbloom/ 

Wok solid cooking: Get ready 

to cause a stir in the kitchen 

The two most important factors to successful Wok cooking 

are a well-seasoned wok and very high heat. It’s one of my 

favourite methods of cooking: it’s quick, easy, (mostly) 

healthy and fabulous for midweek meals. Below are some of my 

favourite wok recipes, plus great tips and tricks I have learned 

from numerous experts over the years. 

Pork and prawn 

dumplings 

Makes 40 

and bring the water to the 

boil. Place the dumplings 

into a bamboo steamer 

basket, allowing space for 

expansion, cover with the 

steamer basket lid, place 

over the wok, making sure 

the base doesn’t touch the 

water. Cook for 5-7 minutes 

until cooked through. 

Repeat in batches with the 

remaining dumplings. 

5. Combine all the sauce 

ingredients together and 

serve with the dumplings. 

Gyoza Style: For crisp-fried 

base, heat 1 tbs oil in the wok 

over medium high heat. Place 

about 12 gyoza in 2 rows of 6, 

slightly overlapping each other 

into the wok. Cook 2-3 minutes 

or until the base is golden, then 

pour 1/3 cup (80ml) of water 

around the gyoza and cover 

the wok with a lid. Cook for 

3-5 minutes until the water has 

completely evaporated (so base 

is not wet). Remove to platter, 

golden side up and serve with 

the dipping sauce. 

60ml (¼ cup) light soy sauce 

60ml (¼ cup) dark soy sauce 

60ml (¼ cup) oyster sauce 

2 tbs honey 

2 tsp rice wine vinegar 

1 garlic clove, crushed 

1 long red chilli, finely 

chopped, optional 

1 tbs vegetable oil 

200g fresh shiitake or button 

mushrooms, thickly sliced 

425g can baby corn, drained, 

halved lengthways 

1 bunch baby buk choy, 

quartered lengthways, washed 

1 red capsicum, quartered, 

sliced 

2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted 

Sliced green shallots, to serve 

1. Heat noodles following 

packet directions, drain well. 

2. Combine the light soy sauce, 

dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, 

honey, vinegar, garlic and 

chilli in a jug. 

3. Heat wok over high heat until 

hot. Add oil and mushroom. 

Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until 

browned. 

4. Add the corn, buk choy 

and capsicum. Stir-fry for 

2 minutes or until the buk 

choy is bright green. Add the 

noodles and sauce mixture. 

Stir-fry for 2 minutes or 

until heated through. 

Sprinkle with sesame 

seeds and shallots. Serve. 

2. Heat the oil in wok over 

medium-high heat. Add 

shallots, garlic and ginger. 

Stir-fry 1 minute until soft. Udon noodles with 

Add the cabbage, cook 30 shiitake and baby 

200g frozen raw prawns 

seconds until softened. 

2 tsp vegetable oil 

buk choy 

Remove to a bowl, set aside 

3 green shallots, finely 

Serves 4 

to cool. Wipe the wok clean. 

chopped 

3. Add the mince, prawns, 

1 garlic clove, crushed 

2x 400g packets udon noodles 

sesame oil, cornflour and 

3 tsp grated ginger 

soy to the cabbage mixture, 

1½ cups green cabbage, very mix until well combined. 

finely chopped 

Place 1 wrapper on clean 

400g pork mince 

work surface. Lightly 

1 tsp sesame oil 

brush the edge of half 

1 tbs cornflour 

the wrapper with water. 

3 tsp soy sauce 

Spoon 3 teaspoons of 

40 Gow Gee wrapper 

filling on the wrapper. Fold 

dipping sauce 

wrapper over to enclose 

2 tbs soy sauce 

the filling, removing air 

1 tbs oyster sauce 

pockets, pleat the edge to 

1 tbs rice wine vinegar 

seal. Place onto a tray lined 

2-3 tsp hot chilli sauce 

with baking paper, making 

1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted sure they not touching one 

another (as they will stick 

1. Place the prawns onto a plate together). Repeat to make 40 

lined with paper towel, allow dumplings. 

to thaw then finely chop the 4. To cook the dumplings, pour 

prawns. 

1 cup water into the wok 



Janelle’s Tip: To add protein, 

consider 400g minced pork or 

beef in Step 3 with the oil and 

mushrooms; or cut 400g firm 

tofu into cubes and fry in the 

wok until golden, remove to 

a plate and follow Steps 3-4 

above – return the tofu with the 

noodles and sauce in Step 4. 

Sweet and sour pork 

Serves 4 

1½ tbs cornflour 

1 tbs shao Hsing (Shaoxing) 

cooking wine 

2 egg yolks 


2 tsp white sugar 

1 tbs grated ginger 

600g pork fillet, thinly sliced 

vegetable or peanut oil, for 

deep frying 

¼ cup cornflour, extra 

¼ cup plain flour 

1 large red and green 

capsicum, cut into 2½cm cubes 

6 green shallots, cut into 4cm 

lengths 

1½ cups chopped fresh or can 

pineapple 

Steamed long grain rice, to 

serve 

Sweet and sour sauce 

2 tsp cornflour 

100ml water 

2 tbs white sugar 

1/3 cup pineapple juice 

1 chicken stock cube, crumbled 

2 tbs tomato sauce 


1. Whisk the cornflour and 

cooking wine in a large bowl 

until smooth. Stir in the egg 

yolks, soy, sugar and ginger. 

Add the pork, stir to coat. 

Cover and refrigerate for 30- 

60 minutes if time permits or 

overnight. 


2. Meanwhile, for the sauce, 

stir the cornflour with 1 

tablespoon of the water in a 

small saucepan until smooth. 

Stir in the remaining water. 

Add the sugar, pineapple 

juice, stock cube, tomato 

sauce and soy. Bring to the 

boil, stirring constantly over 

medium-high heat. Reduce 

heat to medium, simmer for 

30 seconds. Remove from 

heat. Set aside. 

3. Pour enough oil into the wok 

so its quarter-full, heat over 

high heat until hot. Combine 

the extra cornflour and plain 

flour in a snap lock bag, 

add the pork and shake to 

coat. Deep fry the pork, in 

batches for 3 minutes until 

golden. Use a slotted spoon 

to remove the pork to a wire 

rack over a tray. Carefully 

pour the oil into a saucepan 

and set aside to cool before 

discarding. Wipe wok clean 

and heat over medium high. 

4. Add the capsicum, shallots 

For more recipes go to janellebloom.com.au 

and pineapple to the hot 

wok. Stir fry 1 minute. Add 

the sauce and bring to the 

boil. Add the pork, stir to 

coat. Serve with rice. 

Janelle’s go-to beef 

& broccoli stir fry 

Serves 4 

2 tbs sweet chilli sauce 

2 tbs sweet soy sauce (Ketcup 

Manis) 

2 tbs oyster sauce 

3 tsp sesame seeds 

2 tbs peanut oil 

600g beef rump or fillet, thinly 

sliced across the grain 

1 red onion, cut into thin 

wedges 

2 garlic cloves, crushed 

400g broccoli or broccolini, cut 

into florets 

cooked jasmine rice or rice 

noodles, to serve 

1. Combine the sweet chilli, soy 

and oyster sauce in a bowl. 

Set aside. 

2. Spoon the sesame seeds into 

the wok, place over medium 

heat and cook, stirring for 5 

minutes until lightly toasted. 

Remove the seeds to a bowl. 

3. Increase the heat to high, 

and heat wok until hot. Add 

2 tsp of the oil to the wok, 

add 1/3 of the beef, stir fry 

1-2 minutes or until brown. 

Remove to a bowl. Repeat 

with oil and beef in 2 more 

batches. 

4. Add the remaining oil to 

the wok. Add the onion and 

garlic, stir-fry for 1-2 minutes 

until soft. Add the broccoli, 

stir-fry for 1 minute. Add 

2 teaspoons water, cover 

6 Top Tips for 

no-miss stir-frying 

1. Stir frying is best in a 

metal or cast-iron wok 

over gas; if you have an 

electric stovetop, invest in 

an electric wok that is nonstick 

and has 2 heating 

elements. 

2. Heat dry, well-seasoned 

wok over high heat until 

very hot. Add a little 

oil once the wok is hot 

(peanut, vegetable, rice 

bran or extra light olive oil 

are good choices as they 

have a high burning point 

so they will not burn as 

quickly as other oils over 

high temperatures). Cook 

meat or seafood in small 

batches, this way the wok 

stays hot, frying the meat 

not stewing it. Each piece 

should come in contact 

with the hot surface of 

the wok. If cooking for 

4 people usually cook 

protein in 4 batches. 

3. Once all the protein 

is cooked, add a little 

more oil and stir-fry the 

vegetables starting with 

harder ones like onion, 

baby corn, then peas, 

beans, capsicum and 

last soft vegetables like 

mushrooms, Asian greens. 

4. When you add vegetables, 

particularly green 

vegetables, add 2-3 

teaspoons cold water and 

cover wok with a lid for 30 

seconds, the greens will 

stay bright and crisp. 

5. When marinating food, 

drain the marinade so 

the protein is not too wet 

before adding to the wok, 

if marinade is added as it 

heats, it falls to the base 

of the wok and the meat 

floats in the sauce which 

causes it to stew not fry. 

6. If you use sweet sauces 

like hoisin, sweet chilli etc 

they leave a sugar black 

surface over the wok 

surface. The best way to 

clean the wok is wipe it 

dry as you can then place 

it back over high heat until 

the sugary sauce burns 

and flakes; remove from 

the heat, add a little salt 

and rub into the wok – the 

salt acts as an abrasive 

to clean the wok without 

removing the seal. 


Food Life


5 Top Tips for 

Wok ‘Seasoning’ 


quickly and allow broccoli 

to steam for 30-50 seconds 

until bright green and just 

tender. 

5. Return the beef and any 

juices, add the sauce and 

stir fry until heated through. 

Sprinkle over the sesame 

seeds and serve with rice or 

noodles. 

Vietnamese crispy 

coconut pancakes 

(Bánh Xèo Tôm) 

Makes 8 

1 cup rice flour 

2 tbs cornflour 

1 tsp ground turmeric 

1 tsp sea salt flakes 

320ml coconut milk 

1 cup water 

1/3 cup vegetable oil 

400g pork mince 

600g medium green prawns, 

peeled, deveined 

4 green shallots, finely 

chopped 

1 cup beansprouts 

lettuce leaves, shredded carrot, 

sliced cucumber, Asian herbs 

like Vietnamese mint; thai basil 

and coriander, to serve 

Sauce 

3 tbs fish sauce 

3 tbs grated palm sugar or 

brown sugar 

3 tbs lemon juice 

1 red chilli, seeds in, finely 

chopped 

1. Combine all the sauce 

ingredients together and set 

aside. 

2. For the pancakes, sift the 

flours, turmeric and salt into 

a bowl. Combine coconut 

milk and water in a jug. 

Gradually pour into the 

flour mixture, whisking to 

a smooth batter (the batter 

should be the consistency 

of thin cream). Stand 15 

minutes. 

3. Heat wok over medium-high 

heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil 

and swirl over the base and 

side. Pour 1/3-cup pancake 

batter into the wok then 

tilt the wok back and form 

an 18cm pancake. Cover 

with a lid, cook, for 2-3 

minutes until base is lacy 

and light golden (this helps 

steam pancake slightly so 

easy to remove). Slide the 

pancake onto a tray, fold in 

half, cover and keep warm 

while cooking remaining 

pancakes. 

4. Increase heat to high. make 

sure the wok is hot. Add 

1 tablespoon oil and pork 

mince. Cook, stirring with a 

wooden spoon for 3 minutes 

until mince changes colour. 

Add the prawns, shallots, 

and 2 tablespoons of the 

sauce. Cook 3-4 minutes 

until sauce thickened and the 

pork is sticky. Add the bean 

sprouts. 

5. Spoon the pork and prawn 

mixture into the pancakes. 

Serve with lettuce, carrot 

cucumber, herbs and 

remaining sauce. 

Janelle’s Tip: You can cook 

the pancakes in a 18cm (base) 

shallow frying if you don’t have 

a wok with a lid. 

Stainless steel and castiron 

woks need to be 

seasoned to prevent the 

food from sticking (NB: 

non-stick coated woks do 

not require seasoning). 

1. Wash wok in warm soapy 

water and dry well. 

2. Place the dry wok over 

high heat until it is 

smoking (don’t add any 

oil at this stage as the oil 

will burn before the wok 

is hot enough). Turn the 

heat off. 

3. Add 1 tablespoon of 

peanut oil, swirl the oil 

all around the surface of 

the wok. 

4. Add 2 teaspoons fine 

table salt, rub the salt 

and oil into the surface 

of wok using thick wad 

of paper towel (the salt 

will change colour to a 

grey black, that’s good 

sign as its absorbing 

the impurities in the 

steel). Set aside to cool 

completely. Wipe all the 

salt out with clean paper 

towel and repeat steps 

2-4 again three more 

times. The wok is now 

seasoned. 

5. DON’T wash the wok 

in soapy water, as the 

soap will remove the 

seasoning. After cooking, 

wash in hot water, dry 

well. Rub peanut oil into 

the surface of the wok, 

cover with paper towel 

and store until ready to 

use again. If you do use 

soap, you need to reseason 

the wok following 

steps above. 



Tasty Morsels 

with Beverley Hudec 

Some Tiny Morsels to savour in March 

Paloma hints at an 

Av-meets-Mex feel 

A leafy Avalon street is now home to 

coffee van man David Trevena’s brand 

new cafe, Paloma. The coffee machine 

pumps out Single O brews, treats are 

made in-house and there’s always 

a bacon and egg roll on the menu. 

Lunchtime favours burrito bowls, 

wraps stuffed with beans, brown rice, 

cabbage, cheese and salad rolls. 

Cafe back on menu at 

Narra Sports Centre 

Nutritionist Kelly Jones is the driving 

force behind The Kitchen. Her cafe 

and ready-prepped meals business 

is located in Narrabeen’s Pittwater 

Sports Centre. Go for Barrel One 

Coffee, babycinos and kombucha, as 

well as fun and healthy dishes. Cafe 

eats include raw slices, bircher muesli 

and salads. 

Sir Duncan 

deserves more 

than a dunkin' 

Fancy a shady spot for 

brunch? Newport’s Sir 

Duncan now has an all-day 

breakfast and brunch menu. 

Granola and bacon and 

egg rolls get the nod, as do 

several pimped egg dishes. 

Fried eggs pop up in huevos 

rancheros, a tangy Mexican 

mix of black beans, salsa 

roja, avocado, feta and corn 

tortilla. 

Terrey Hills bar with 

breezy wow factor 

The trip to Bar Berkelo in Terrey Hills 

is worth it for the wow factor alone. 

Tom Eadie’s latest project is a light-andbreezy 

garden restaurant set within The 

Palms nursery. Breakfast bites include 

posh sausage sangers. Lunch flits 

between trendy wood-fired breads and 

buffalo curd with crudités and staples 

like organic beef burgers. 

Tasty Dining Morsels Guide 


Three of a kind: light and easy 

Avalon’s Momo Bar double 

dips into light, build-your-own 

meals with momos, traditional 

Nepalese-style dumplings or 

poke bowls (pictured). You can 

top six types of dumplings 

with extras like vegetable 

broth or paprika butter. 

Alternatively, the poke bowls 

are a colourful assortment 

of proteins, vegetables and 

crunchy toppings. 

Banana Blossom has been 

the Mona Vale home to Asianinspired 

salads for well over 

a decade now. Its signature 

dishes include Tokyo Classic, 

a popular combo of green 

tea soba noodles, cucumber, 

avocado and a white sesame 

sweet soy dressing. Or you 

may choose to turn up the 

heat with the fiery rice noodle 

Triple Chilli bowl. 

Whole Leaf neatly wraps up 

breakfast and lunch orders 

with smoothie bowls and 

salad bowls. Morning visits to 

the Narrabeen cafe showcase 

blended delights like a green 

goddess, made with banana, 

mango, baby spinach and 

coconut water. Lunchtime 

salad bowl ingredients span 

the globe from Mexico to 

Vietnam. 


Garden Life 

with Gabrielle Bryant 


Queen of the Night an 

exquisite orchid cactus 

Queen of the Night is an epyphitic member 

of the cactus family, but unlike the cactus 

that live in the hot arid areas of the 

world, she is native to the rainforests of Mexico 

where she climbs through the foliage of trees 

clinging to the branches as she grows. She uses 

the branches to support the long, flat, thornless 

leaves that hang down, living on fallen leaves and 

debris, doing no harm to her host. 

The exquisite, sweetly scented pure white 

flowers of the orchid cactus, epiphyllum 

oxypetalum, bloom between dusk and dawn. As 

the light fades these amazingly beautiful flowers 

open, filling the night air with their fragrance. 

(The flowers last for just one night, so be sure to 

check each evening once the buds appear). 

There are several varieties of epiphyllums and 

since the 1800s plant lovers have been crossing 

them to produce many colours and shapes. Look 

out for other colours of scarlet, pink or yellow. All 

have stunningly beautiful flowers; some will have 

blooms that will last for a couple of days – but 

none will have the same heady fragrance as The 

Queen of the Night. 

Queen of the Night (right) is easy to grow, 

either trailing from a large hanging basket, in a 

large tub, or in the garden where she will have 

some support. She asks for very little attention. 

Plant her in a coarse cactus or succulent mix 

that has free drainage with some added bark for 

moisture retention. 

She needs regular water, but she must not be 

left with her roots in water-logged soil. Water 

once a week in Summer but less in Winter. 

Feed this royal member of your plant collection 

with Thrive every three weeks in Summer, to 

encourage new flowers. 

Queen of the Night needs bright light and 

grows best in dappled shade. Early morning sun 

will encourage flowers, but she will burn in the 

hot midday sun. 

If you have an older damaged leaf, use it to 

make a new pot of orchid cactus. New plants can 

easily be grown from cuttings. Take old mature 

leaves, allow the cut stem to dry for a couple of 

days before planting into fresh cactus mix. They 

will root very quickly, sending new shoots from 

the central rib. Each leaf can be cut into several 

pieces. Be sure to plant the cuttings the correct 

way up. Half a dozen cuttings will fill a new pot 

or basket. 

Colourful 

Crotons 

The colourful crotons 

have flourished over 

the past few wet and 

humid summer months. 

There are so many 

different ones that it is 

hard to choose, with leaves 

that are black, scarlet, 

orange green or gold, but 

no matter which you grow 

it is impossible to find two 

leaves the same on any 

plant. 

They are slow-growing, 

but don’t be deceived: the 

small potted plants once 

potted into the garden will 

soon be above the fence. 

Don’t be afraid to cut 

them back; new growth 

will soon appear, which is 

why crotons make a great 

hedge. 



Nesting time for ferns 

Take a look at any damp 

rock or timber wall or in 

the gutter of a house that 

has been left undisturbed 

for several months, and you 

are bound to find a bird’s 

nest fern. Asplenium nidus 

is a native fern that loves 

moisture. It gets its name 

from its favourite habitat that 

is high in the branches of 

rain forest trees. 

Bird’s nest ferns only use 

their roots for stability; they 

feed from moisture in the air 

and fallen debris that lands 

in the crown of the “nest”. 

In the garden they will 

grow quickly in any shaded 

damp spot, under trees on a 

southern wall or on a fence. 

Grown as indoor plants 

they are great plants for 

the beginner; they will last 

for many months with little 

attention and will only need 

repotting when they grow so 

large that they tip over. 

When repotting, use a 

It is time to plant sweet peas. 

Seeds should be planted on 

March 17 – St Patricks day. 

Seedlings can be planted later, 

but they are not as strong and 

healthy as those that begin 

from seed where they are going 

to grow. A few tips will make a 

healthy harvest of deliciously 

fragrant flowers in Spring. Then 

your Sweet Peas will begin to 

flower 12-14 weeks from when 

they first appear. 

Before planting, prepare the 

soil. Add plenty of compost 

or organic matter to feed the 

seeds. Make sure that the soil 

is damp but that the drainage 

is good. Wet or soggy soil 

will rot the seeds. Prepare an 

application of potash or add 

some liquid lime. (Sweet Peas 

love an alkaline soil.) 

Make sure that you choose a 

sunny position that is protected 

from the wind, and if you are 

growing the tall Sweet Peas 

that have the best flowers for 

picking, build a frame or a 

tripod for the plants to climb 

before you plant. If you have 

a north-facing fence this is a 

perfect support for the Sweet 


peat-based potting mix with 

additional fine bark that 

will maintain the moisture. 

Water under the fronds and 

try to avoid water sitting 

in the crown. Our native 

species is simple, with wide 

flat bright green leaves that 

have slightly crinkly edges. 

However, there are several 

different forms available as 

houseplants. One of the most 

popular being Victoria, who 

has long glossy leaves with 

rippled edges; or Osaka with 

narrow, strap-like fronds with 

wavy edges. 

Bird’s nest ferns love 

warmth and humidity, 

making them perfect for 

bathrooms – close to the 

shower is perfect! Although 

they need good light to 

flourish, keep them out of 

direct sunlight that will burn 

the leaves. As your fern 

grows it is exciting to watch 

as the delicate new fronds 

unfurl from the centre. 

Sweet Peas are made of this 

Peas. Just attach some wires or 

netting to hold them. 

Soak the seeds over night 

to soften the coating, then 

plant into their new home in 

pairs. Seed love company – and 

double planted seeds do better! 

Once the new shoots appear 

after about two weeks, let them 

grow to 5cm before pinching 

out the top to encourage lateral 

growth. 

Feed at two-weekly intervals 

with a soluble fertiliser such as 

Thrive. Sit back and wait for the 

flowers to pick. Make sure that 

you pick the flowers every day 

to prolong the life of the crop. 


Garden Life


Jobs this Month 


The rain has caused so 

many problems: Root 

rot, powdery mildew 

and more. Let’s hope that the 

weather will dry out. All the 

problems in the garden are 

from the rain! However, some 

plants have thrived. Hibiscus 

are flowering as never before. 

Keep them fed with slowrelease 

fertiliser. 

Seasons change 

If you haven’t already pulled 

out Summer veggies and 

annuals, do it now. Plant 

Winter and Spring season 

seedlings. Silver beet, peas, 

carrots, broccolini, spring 

onions, lettuce and caulies 

can all go in now. It is 

also time to plant pansies 

primula, viola, marigolds, 

allysum, lobelia, cineraria 

and snapdragons. Mulch well 

with sugar cane and protect 

your new seedlings from the 

snails that have multiplied in 

numbers since the rain. 

Frangipani rust 

Watch for rust, a fungal 

infection, on your frangipani. 

The tell-tale brown powder 

that falls is the spore of a rust 

infection. It is hard to control. 

Remove all infected leaves 

and put them in the general 

red bin – NOT in the green bin 

where it will grow and flourish 

Macrh 

for another season. Spray all 

possible leaves, under as well 

as on top of the branches, with 

lime sulphur. Spray again once 

the leaves have fallen, spraying 

at the same time all the soil 

and foliage under the tree. 

Veggie control 

This month you should just 

take control of the veggie 

garden. No more waiting for a 

last crop of Summer veggies. 

Pull out the tomatoes, beans, 

zucchinis, capsicum and 

eggplants now. Fill the veggie 

garden with new compost 

and let it rest for a couple of 

weeks before planting Spring 

seedlings. Plant Broccolini, 

caulies, peas, carrots, silver 

beet, spring onions and 

lettuce now. If your family 

needs are not very much 

try using seed tape it is 

the easiest way to sow the 

veggies that you will need 

without too many at one time. 

Just 30cm of seeded tape 

every couple of weeks will 

give you a selected quantity. 

Protect fruit 

Possums and birds love 

autumn fruits. Protect Paw 

Paw, mangoes, guavas, 

bananas, peaches and plums 

with bird netting. Remember to 

fasten the net under the trees 

because possums can climb 

from underneath as well as 

the top! 

Last chores 

Patch up damaged lawns with 

top dressing. If you can see 

spotted leaves, spray with 

mancozeb… also this month, 

move your cymbidium orchids 

from the shade to where they 

will get some morning sun 

or a bright light. The flower 

spikes are forming – the more 

light, the better the spikes. 

Clivia care 

Cliveas have not liked 

the hot, humid and rainy 

weather. If they are older 

clumps that have not been 

divided, their roots obstruct 

the drainage. The plants will 

rot and suddenly the clump 

falls apart. If you see yellow 

leaves, try pulling them out. 

If they are rotten the whole 

plant will dislodge. Don’t 

throw it away. Remove all 

the affected leaves until you 

get back to a healthy core 

of the plant. Let it dry out 

and after a couple of weeks 

you will see new healthy, 

white roots appear. Replant 

into an open drainage 

soil and let it start again. 

By Spring your clivea will 

flower again! 

Crossword solution from page 72 

Mystery location: YACHT CLUB 



Times Past 

‘Royal’ Avalon Golf Links 

OPEN SPACES: The ticket office in 1930 before it was absorbed into the present clubhouse in 1938 (note Kamikaze corner in the middle background); 

purportedly AJ Small teeing off on the 1st hole in 1925 (inset) with Old Barrenjoey Road in the background. 

Avalon Golf Links, known more 

familiarly to locals as ‘Royal Av’, 

will celebrate its centenary in 

October 2026. 

Arthur Jabez Small purchased 35 

acres of land (14 hectares) for the future 

golf course from Mary Canty in July 

1921. Perhaps intuitively he saw the 

‘natural amphitheatre’ as the ideal geography 

for a 9-hole golf course. He may 

have even created it as an enhancement 

to add to the leisure activities already 

available in the area and to attract and 

cater for a wider market for the community. 

He sought only the very best as the 

designer for the course. 

Scottish immigrant Daniel Soutar 

designed many golf courses, including 

the standout Kingston Heath links in 

Melbourne’s sandbelt, as well as locally 

the Elanora Country Club and Long Reef 

golf course. 

He earned his place in the pantheon 

of early Australian golf course architects, 

especially for his work at Kingston 

Heath, regarded by many as the premier 

course in Australia. 

The Avalon Golf links has a challenging 

layout not just for the fit, the 

almost-fit but also for the members of 

the Mens’ club who roll up on Tuesday. 

It also provides a great variety of holes 

compared to local flatter courses. The 

women’s club celebrated their diamond 

jubilee anniversary in 2009 and remain 

a very strong group. 

The tiny kiosk nicknamed the ‘Avalon 

Hilton’ was the first built structure on 

the golf links; it was restored several 

years ago. 

The clubhouse began as a small ticket 

office in 1926 and was cleverly absorbed 

into the much larger clubhouse in 1938. 

It has since been extended southwards, 

providing a fine panorama over the 

course whilst retaining much of the 

original fabric. 

The Manager’s residence followed 

in 1930 and up until recently was still 

used as the greenkeeper’s residence. 

It is hoped that after restoration it will 

be able to resume its previous life as a 

residence and remain one third part of 

the heritage precinct. 

It is hoped to generate a new enthusiasm 

for the volunteer bush-care group 

and to include some of the members to 

help the new greenkeepers care for and 

maintain the course which is currently 

in the best condition it has been in for 

many years. 

The Avalon Golf Club is currently 

being assessed for membership of the 

Australian Golf Heritage Society. 

*If you wish to join the Avalon Ladies 

Golf Club please call the President 

Christine Gardner on 0408 437 985. To 

join the Avalon Men’s Golf Club call 

Jim Nicol on 0409 001 985. 

TIMES PAST is supplied by local historian 

and President of the Avalon Beach 

Historical Society GEOFF SEARL. Visit 

the Society’s showroom in Bowling 

Green Lane, Avalon Beach. 

Times Past 



Travel Life 

Join an Antarctic research expedition 

The Northern Beaches-based centre 

for marine studies Living Ocean is 

inviting locals to join a one-of-a-kind, 

hands-on Antarctic research expedition 

during the 23/24 whale migration. 

Led by glaciologist and marine 

climatologist Assoc Prof Ian Goodwin, 

whose 40 years of work has resulted in 

the exploration, mapping, and glaciology 

of new frontiers in Antarctica, and Toby 

Story from the pioneers of polar sea 

kayaking Southern Sea Ventures, the 

expedition will follow a bespoke itinerary 

focussed on understanding the “rewilding 

of our oceans”. 

Living Ocean President Robbi Newman 

says voyagers will be treated to an 

intimate exploration experience on the 

50-passenger ‘MV Polar Pioneer’ studying 

both sides of the Antarctic peninsula to 

journey through the past, present and 

future of great whales in Antarctic waters. 

However, this is not simply a cruise – as 

a centre for marine studies, Living Ocean 

will be documenting animal behaviour, 

microplastics, and climate research 

during the trip, with all on board having 

the opportunity to be directly involved as 

citizen scientists. 

Key features of the 14-day expedition 

includes cruising in zodiacs in small 

groups to soak up the surroundings 

onshore, paddling in sea kayaks, unique 

scientific adventures such as ice core 

drilling and ski touring and nightly talks 

by whale, climate and Antarctic experts. 

The Living Ocean Antarctic Research 

Expedition 2023 has been locked in from 

20 December 2023 – 1 January 2024 

departing from Argentina. Cost from 

US$11,975 per person. 

Learn more on the Living Ocean 

website and register your interest in 

attending an information night at the 

Avalon Bowling Club with guest speakers 

Prof Goodwin and Toby Story from 

6.30pm on Thursday 20 April. 

Those attending the event will be 

granted special access to a 10% discount 

on expedition berth prices. 

*Go to info@livingocean.org.au 

Travel Life 

Alaska is your muse 

D 

iscover the delights of cruising around the turquoise 

Explore Alaska by cruise 

ship and you can travel to 

gold rush towns and native 

heritage sites, get up close 

with glaciers and appreciate 

its rugged landscape and 

wildlife in comfort, even 

luxury. 

There’s an Alaskan cruise 

line to suit every travel style – 

those who enjoy all-inclusive 

packages on small ships, 

value contemporary luxury, 

spacious suites, gourmet 

food and pampering will lean 

towards the stylish Silversea 

passenger ships. 

The elegant Silver Muse 

is one of the largest of the 

Silversea fleet accommodating 

up to 596 passengers yet 

retains an uncrowded feel and 

personalised service boasting 

one of the highest crew-toguest 

ratios at sea. 

The team at Travel View 

Gail Kardash and Sharon 

Godden invite you to talk to 

them about their first-hand 

experiences on Silver Muse 

and visiting ‘The Last Frontier’ 

and find out how you can get 

onboard (see ad opposite). 

Sharon said there’s no 

better way to view Alaska than 

on a Silversea cruise. 

“Silversea’s Alaska cruises 

are simply phenomenal 

– these are journeys of 

breathtaking encounters with 

the natural world,” she said. 

“You will experience a 

glacier calving with the roar 

of a thousand canons... a 

personal butler... diamondblue 

icebergs floating on a 

glassy bay... superb service 

onboard an intimate ship... 

a humpback breaching in a 

spectacular display and ‘open 

jaw’ itineraries, allowing you to 

spend more time in each port.” 

Mediterranean boat charter 

waters of the Mediterranean with family or friends 

aboard your own private charter vessel. 

Sydney-based Latitude Vacations has been organising 

tailor-made charters for first-timers and avid sailors alike, 

across Croatia, Greece, Turkey and Italy (pictured) for more 

than 20 years. 

Charter 

options range 

from yachts, 

catamarans, 

luxury motor 

yachts and 

gulets – either 

fully crewed or 

bareboat for 

experienced 

yachties. 

Latitude 

Vacation’s suggested itineraries are designed for flexibility, 

allowing travellers to absorb the Med’s architectural and 

historical sites, visit tavernas in isolated bays and enjoy the 

wonderful restaurants that stretch along the coast, at their 

own pace. 

Many of the trips can be combined with self-drive road trips. 

More info sailingvacations.com.au

Pittwater Life March 2023 Issue

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