Pittwater Life May 2024 Issue

Editorial
‘Cozzie livs’ is a dead weight
When the Macquarie
Dictionary announced
‘cozzie livs’ as its ‘Word of
2023’, it did so as a humorous
take on prevalent cost-of-living
pressures. But six months
on, no-one’s chuckling about
‘cozzie livs’.
Workers, families, businesses
and governments are
reeling under the pressures
of unchecked inflation and
stubbornly high home loan
interest rates.
Locally, things haven’t been
tougher in decades.
Council has just forecast a
whopping $255 million hole
in funding it needs to deliver
adequate services and capital
growth over the next 10 years.
Cue significant rate increases.
While some public service
workers across NSW have had
cause to celebrate pay hikes in
recent months, seems those
financial gains are being balanced
by a claw-back from a
NSW Government that’s scrap-
ing the bottom of its coffers.
This month we report on
the massive funding cuts to
11 public schools across Pittwater
– with Avalon PS the
worst affected with a 21 per
cent chop equating to almost
$100,000 per year (p24). That’s
at least one full-time teacher,
or two or more part-timers or
support staff.
Returning to Local Government,
Mayor Sue Heins explains
Council has opted out of the
Beachwatch water quality monitoring
service – because the
State Government has handballed
the six-figure per annum
cost across to Council (p9).
It’s not all doom and gloom
though: historic local yacht
‘Buckle Up’ is heading back to
Pittwater after a restoration
(p20); we have a great profile on
Avalon power couple Greg Combet
and Juanita Phillips (p32);
and learn how to bake some
delicious treats for Mother’s Day
(p66).
– Nigel Wall
The Local Voice Since 1991
MAY 2024 3