Pittwater Life June 2023 Issue

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,
the more they stay the same! Compiled by Lisa Offord
25 Years Ago…
The Way We Were
Avalon Beach became the focus of
international attention with the
Australian Surf Life Saving IRB
Championships. “White hot action
is guaranteed” with more 700
Surf Life Savers, 100 officials, 200
VIPs and 2000 spectators on the
finals day expected. “The event has
particular significance for Avalon,
for it was in this club and on this
beach that the IRB was developed as
a surf life saving rescue vehicle by
Warren Mitchell and it was here, just
a month later in December 1969 that
the first mass rescue took place.” In
other news Pittwater Council held a
public meeting “on issues connected
with the ocean outfall from the
Warriewood Sewage Treatment Plant
(STP)… issues to be discussed include
timely release of information for the
community on the operation for the
Warriewood STP, System by-pass,
health and environmental impact of the
current ocean outfall performance and
increased development in Warriewood Valley and plans to
upgrade plant capacity… HAVE YOUR SAY Now!” Opposition
to the Environment Levy was growing, as Pittwater Life
posed the question: “E Levy: Community views ignored?”.
While there was undoubtedly widespread support for a
special environmental levy that was fair and equitable
in its applications, the “… proposed E-levy for Pittwater
smacks of attempt to bring the budget into line by having a
de facto increase in rates” and while
Council was “arguing it is only an
average of $52 per household… the
real costs vary from a mere $15 in
some households on low valuations to
around $180 on others. There is no
differentiation between single-person
households which have less impact
and households with four or more
people in them. Nor does
it give any relief to fixed or lowincome
persons already caught
in a spiral of high rates and land
taxes. The majority of Pittwater’s
Councillors are ‘gung-ho’ to
ignore the views they received
with public consultation, and
impose an Environment Levy
on the community. In doing so
they have ignored two public
meetings… Councillors note that
Manly and Warringah imposed
an E levy without any community
consultation. How they operate
is not the issue. Pittwater has an articulate community
which likes to be consulted. That’s why it broke away
from Warringah.” Meanwhile, all unleashed dog exercise
areas in Pittwater were again under scrutiny, with an
audit undertaken to “assess the appropriateness of each
area… and environmental impact” as a result of the State
Government’s proposed new Animal Act; and Cr Shirley
Phelps was photographed turning the first sod for the
Avalon Skate Park.
15 Years Ago…
5 Years Ago…
There were moves to make Avalon plastic-bag free, Woolworths “have informed us their
with Council calling a meeting between community supermarkets in Avalon, Narrabeen
groups and Woolworths to encourage the supermarket and Warriewood will go single-use
to move away from plastic bags to coincide with the plastic bag free from June 20”. Our
store’s re-opening following
mag presented six pages promoting
its renovation. The
Pittwater’s cafes; Former Pittwater
second Avalon Festival was Councillor Kay Millar talked about
to be held; the new $1.3m her quest to ensure our local area
purpose-built animal
gained much-needed inpatient palliative
hospital on Barrenjoey
care; Residents group Protect
Road Newport was officially
Pittwater explained how they would
opened; Pittwater focus on gathering information they
Outrigger Racing Canoe say would “prove the failings of the
Club’s Open Women’s Crew new Northern Beaches Council and
became the new national strengthen their case for returning
sprint champions and
to the former Pittwater Council
it was expected Council boundary”. The Palm Beach & Whale
would begin discussions Beach Association celebrated 100 years; People were urged to exercise
on a Masterplan for the caution near the Whale Beach Ocean Pool due to dangers posed by an
long-term future of Avalon
unstable rock shelf; and the Avalon Youth Hub marked its first full
town Centre.
month of operation.
56 JUNE 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991