Pittwater Life February 2025 Issue

The Local Voice Since 1991

FEBRUARY 2025

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Editorial

Community opposes rate hike

By the time this issue of

Pittwater Life was printed

and dropped into your letterbox,

Council will have met

to set in stone its ‘Funding Our

Future’ financial strategy for

the next three years.

The strategy involves four

levels of rate increases, which

range from delivering a decrease

in servives, to a top-end

46 per cent hike that would

deliver increased services.

If everything went to plan at

Council’s extraordinary meeting

on January 28 – at least the

Council’s plan – our 15 elected

Local Government representatives

will have endorsed staff’s

recommendation of an 8 per

cent rise plus 3.8 per cent rate

peg each year – a cumulative

39.6 per cent hike by the end of

the 2027-28 year.

Council has made its perilous

position clear, having been hit

with significant costs over recent

years which it says make its

financial outlook unsustainable.

The body blows include a $24

million gap from increasing

inflation costs of materials and

construction; $15 million in

repairs from natural disasters

(which the State Government

lags behind in chipping in); and

$41 million from COVID times.

A review of Council’s community

consultation provides a

good barometer of the mood of

the people. Of the 5,469 ratepayers

who responded, 51 per cent

preferred a reduced services

outcome. The second-lowest

rates increase option attracted

32 per cent of preference votes.

Council’s preferred option garnered

just 11 per cent support.

Now all that remains is for

IPART to approve the increase.

However, all eyes will be on

Council over the next few years,

given we’ll be digging even

deeper into our pockets during

a cost of living crisis.

Ratepayers will expect to get

what they have been promised.

– Nigel Wall


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Publisher: Nigel Wall

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Photography: Adobe / Staff

Contributors: Rob Pegley,

Steve Meacham, Kate Farrelly,

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Vol 35 No 7

Celebrating 34 years

58


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INSIDE: Learn what readers have to say about issues

including the latest on Lizard Rock and NB Council’s rate

hike (p6); a review of Council’s community consultation

on the rate increase revealed just 11% support for their

preferred option (p8); Sydney’s biggest community cleanup

– Adopt A Beach – kicks off (p12); the Newport SLSC

refurbishment has been given the green light (p16); boaties

are being urged to look out for turtles in Pittwater (p19); and

we profile new Barrenjoey HS principal Brett Blaker (p24).

COVER: ‘Levitation’ / Sharon Green

also this month

Editorial 3

Pittwater Local News & Features 6-39

The Way We Were 26-27

Seen Heard Absurd 28

Sideline Eye 30

Community News 34-39

Sport: Avalon Soccer Club in 2025 40

Hot Property 42

Health & Wellbeing; Hair & Beauty 44-49

Money 50-51

Trades & Services / Classifieds 52-55

Times Past 56

Food & Tasty Morsels 58-61

Gardening 62-64

ATTENTION ADVERTISERS!

Bookings & advertising material to set for

our MARCH issue MUST be supplied by

WEDNESDAY 12 FEBRUARY

Finished art & editorial submissions deadline:

MONDAY 17 FEBRUARY

The MARCH issue will be published

on WEDNESDAY 26 FEBRUARY

COPYRIGHT

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.

FEBRUARY 2025 The Local Voice Since 1991

News

Letters: Readers have their say

Library of Things a

visionary initiative

The opening of the Sydney

Library of Things – Northern

Beaches (Pittwater Life –

January) is to be highly commended.

Libraries of Things,

Repair Cafes (along with

the Right to Repair), Local

Exchange Trading Systems as

well as recycling, are important

elements of the economy

of the future: the ‘Steady State

Economy’.

As we argue over where

future housing should go,

population numbers, how

to preserve our natural

environment and biodiversity,

the awareness that the desire

for endless economic growth

is the driving force behind our

ecological problems grows.

Building these components

of the circular economy is

a fundamental

ingredient of

the ‘Steady

State Economy’,

the required

economy of the

future. Libraries

of Things are

truly visionary.

Phil Jones

NSW Centre

for the Advancement

of the

Steady State

Economy

Elanora

Heights

Political sniping

is a bit of a laugh

I read your James Brown profile

(Pittwater Life – December)

with a little amusement.

On Page 13 was a picture of

Chris Minns visiting Pittwater

to see Mona Vale Road for

himself, at the invitation of

Jacqui Scruby, who had only

been elected a few weeks

prior.

And then 16 pages later we

see Mr Brown complaining

that Anthony Albanese hasn’t

set foot in Mackellar – so

this means an Independent

representative is somehow

ineffective?

Dr Sophie Scamps may not

have hosted a Prime Ministerial

visit, but that doesn’t

mean she doesn’t work every

day for her constituents.

I understand she’s held

almost 700 community meetings

in her time as the Member

for Mackellar, and I think

most constituents would prefer

that representation over a

photo-op visit from Albo.

I don’t live in Mackellar today,

but I am a regular visitor.

In my federal electorate, the

Liberal MP has a parliamentary

attendance rate of 82%

since his election. It seems

he takes the day off on an

average of one day per sitting

week. I note Dr Scamps’ attendance

rate is closer to 95%.

I’ll take a hard-working

and effective local member

6 FEBRUARY 2025


over a major party part-timer,

thanks.

Leigh Bentley

Cheltenham

‘Lizard Rock’

fire concerns #1

Regarding the progressing of

the application for housing at

‘Lizard Rock’ (Pittwater Life

– January): it’s one more loss

of habitat for our unique and

endangered wildlife – and one

more development that will

live with the likely threat of

devastating bushfire.

How can anyone ignore our

past horrific bushfires and let

this development go ahead?

Sandra Myers

Newport

‘Lizard Rock’

fire concerns #2

I am against the (‘Lizard

Rock’) development for the

main reason of its access by

just a single road.

There will inevitably be

bushfires and lives and property

will be lost.

We all saw an example of

the horrors of bushfires in Los

Angeles in January. Let it be a

warning to would-be developers

of this bushland area.

JC Borda

Frenchs Forest

Thank you to an

anonymous ‘angel’

On Sunday 22 December my

wife Mary was shopping at

Coles in Pittwater Place; when

she got to the supermarket

check-out she discovered to

her horror that her wallet was

missing from her handbag.

Mary was in a terrible state

as it contained all of life’s necessities

– credit cards/driver’s

licence etc. But then a wonderful

lady in the queue behind

Mary said: “Don’t worry, I will

pay for your groceries… It is

my Xmas present to society.”

Mary asked her for her name

and phone number; this Christmas

‘angel’ simply replied:

“Happy Christmas, Mary.”

What a wonderful gesture!

It makes one feel good to be

alive and living in God’s own

back garden, Pittwater. (PS –

Mary later found her wallet.)

Noel Reilly

Newport

Council adding to

cost-of-living crisis

Having been raised by a

single mother who worked

a 50-hour week to feed and

educate my brother and me,

I am used to the idea that

if you don’t have the funds,

then you don’t spend the

money.

The bureaucrats and some

councillors are proposing to

add to the cost-of-living crisis

for all ordinary residents,

including renters, by setting

an up-to-46% rate increase

over the next three years

– and forever more, as it

becomes subject to the next

rate percentage increase.

On top of that the rates

on some properties will

be increased, based on the

increase in land values.

Then there is land tax, that

the State Government levies

on non-owner-occupied

residential land and

commercial land holdings

which will be passed on to

businesses, thus increasing

their rents and recovered

in price increases for their

goods and services.

Council should stick to its

knitting and find ways to

stem this tide.

Ted Brailey

Mona Vale

Council should

stick to delivering

core services

Northern Beaches Council,

like all industry, needs to find

savings and live within its

means. Saying that costs have

gone up just doesn’t fly – it is

the same for all businesses.

Council has many capable

and highly paid staff, so

finding savings should be an

achievable part of their job.

Ratepayers are struggling

with the cost of living.

Most of us don’t have any

opportunity to increase our

incomes to fund additional

Council costs.

Council needs to stick to

core activities. My rates never

reduced as part of the council

amalgamation: it is critical

that those promised savings

and new savings are realised.

David Abbott

Newport

News


FEBRUARY 2025 7

News

11% support for ‘Option 3’ rate rise

Ratepayer support for Northern

Beaches Council staff’s push for an

almost 40 per cent rate hike over the

next three years tallied a lowly 11 per

cent, according to Council’s assessment

of opt-in survey responses to its community

consultation.

At an extraordinary meeting of Council

on Tuesday January 28, the LGA’s 15

Councillors voted for the ‘Funding Our

Future’ ‘Special Variation’ (SV) option

which will be submitted as an application

to the Independent Pricing and

Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) on February

3 to come into force on July 1.

Council staff’s recommendation

to Councillors was to endorse their

preferred ‘Option 3 Improve Services’

increase comprising a 39.6 per cent

plus rate peg – which it estimated would

impact the average household by $673 a

year or $12.89 a week.

(Pittwater Life went to print before the

meeting and vote – to learn the result

head to northernbeachescouncil.nsw.

gov.au)

Other choices were ‘Option 1 Reduce

Services’ – with a 3.8 per cent Rate Peg

annually; ‘Option 2 Maintain Services’

– totalling a 31.1 per cent increase over

three years; and ‘Option 4 Increased Services’

– totalling a 46 per cent hike over

three years.

Council said it had received 5514

manual submissions – which included

responses to Council’s survey on the rate

increase – on its ‘Your Say’ page when the

two-month consultation period ended on

January 12. Some 851 direct responses

took the total to 6,389 submissions.

It noted that while 4,811 respondents

had ranked all the rate options, 5,584

respondents had locked in a first preference.

Of the 5,469 ratepayers who responded

(there were 115 non-ratepayers in the

survey), a staggering 51 per cent voted

for Option 1 – Reduced Service.

Option 2 – Maintain Service attracted

32 per cent of first preference votes;

COUNCIL CEO:

Scott Phillips.

PHOTO: NB Advocate

Option 3 – Increased Services attracted

11 per cent; and Option 4 – Improved

Services attracted just 6 per cent.

Several councillors were opposed to

higher-end rate increases, notably Narrabeen

Ward independent duo Vince De

Luca and Bob Giltinan, as well as Pittwater

Ward’s Liberal-aligned independent

Sunny Singh.

Also, the Palm Beach and Whale Beach

Association (PB&WBA) and Newport Residents

Association (NRA) flagged their

concerns in submissions to Council.

Prior to the rates vote, Pittwater Ward

Councillor Miranda Korzy told Pittwater

Life that Council would have to convince

her they had reviewed and taken measures

to reduce unnecessary spending.

“This would include actions like having

reduced the number of Council divisions

from six to five, with loss of one

top level executive by attrition,” she said.

In November, PB&WBA President Dr

Richard West wrote to Council CEO Scott

Phillips informing him about the association’s

concerns over the consultation

process.

Dr West said the association’s observations

were that most of the community

wanted the lowest impact (Option 1) – but

conceded “we fail to see the point of supporting

this option”.

“This Council, like many other councils,

is clearly running out of money

through no major fault of its own and

does not have the resources to bring its

estate up to ‘good’ condition,” Dr West

wrote.

However, he added the association was

of the view that more measures could

have been taken to trim the Delivery Plan

and Budgets for the current and following

2-2½ years while the SV would be in

operation.

Dr West lobbied for an extension of the

consultation period until January 21, so

that the community could have access

to the Councillor-requested report on

potential savings from assets and head

count.

“We are also strongly of the view that

insufficient information has been made

available to the public… to assist in the

formation of their opinions and this is

the overwhelming view of our members,”

he wrote.

“The community remains unconvinced

that the Council has diligently reviewed

all its major assets post-amalgamation

and made appropriate decisions about

which of them to sell.”

He wrote that “Option 2 ticks almost

all the boxes… and enables Council to

restore its estate to a ‘good’ condition”.

He concluded: “What it would take to

persuade us to recommend Option 3 to

our members would be more detailed

disclosure of the main items of expenditure

which the Council would be considering

with the significantly greater sums

of money involved.

“Without this additional information,

and without some commitment by the

Council to carry out the projects, we

doubt that more than a few residents

would support either of these options.”

– Nigel Wall

*For more information on Council’s new

rates increase and how it will affect

you, plus Hardship Rates Relief (subject

to eligibility) go to Council’s website.

8 FEBRUARY 2025


News

Scruby: Money for nothing?

Pittwater Independent

MP Jacqui Scruby has

questioned the NSW Government’s

allocation of Local

Government funding for fringe

projects at a time when an

increasing number of Councils

are being forced to seek rate

hikes of up to 40 per cent.

“Here on the Northern

Beaches, we want public

money used effectively – one

thing I have noticed is people’s

frustration about spending

on ‘solutions in search of

a problem’, such as the new

traffic-calming measures (at

Narrabeen and from Avalon

to Palm Beach),” she said.

“Although projects like

these are often funded by the

NSW Government through

grants, people would prefer

that money be spent on local

priorities such as maintaining

our pools, roads and reserves,

or building footpaths.”

Ms Scruby wants the Government

to implement the 18

recommendations of a recent

inquiry into Local Government

sustainability to reduce the impact

on ratepayers during the

ongoing cost of living crisis.

She said special variation

(SV) rate increase requests

from multiple Sydney Councils

highlighted that the issue

was not unique to Northern

Beaches Council and clearly

showed the need for structural

reform.

“Across NSW, Councils have

applied or are applying to

the Independent Pricing and

Regulatory Tribunal (IPART)

for rate rises similar to those

being proposed by the Northern

Beaches,” she said.

“Councils are facing similar

increasing costs. These costs

include general inflation,

above CPI increases to the

cost of construction and

insurance, the increased cost

of extreme weather (the cost

of climate change) and cost

shifting to Councils from the

NSW Government such as the

Emergency Services Levy.”

ACTION: Ms Scruby.

At the beginning of 2024,

nine Councils applied for or

were granted special rate variations,

including Randwick

and Willoughby. This year it

is anticipated that up to eight

councils will apply, including

Northern Beaches and North

Sydney.

“This issue is so ubiquitous

across NSW that it has

prompted parliamentary

inquiries at both a state and

federal level,” said Ms Scruby.

She said the current Federal

Inquiry into Local Government

Sustainability was

looking at the role the Federal

Government should play, including

increasing funding.

She noted the NSW Parliamentary

Inquiry into the ability

of Local Government to

fund infrastructure and services

released its report and

18 recommendations late last

year, including the reversal of

State and Federal Government

measures which shift costs

to councils, increased funding

from State and Federal

governments; and a review of

ratepaying exclusions.

“Even if IPART does approve

an SV, implementation should

be delayed or staged until

both State and Federal governments

have responded to the

two inquiries’ recommendations,”

she said. – Nigel Wall

What do you think? Tell us at

readers@pittwaterlife.com.au

10 FEBRUARY 2025


Wet contains fire threat

ENCOURAGING: Preparation and weather

conditions have made for a ‘favourable’ fire

season so far.

Local experts are confident the

end of the 2025 fire season on the

Northern Beaches is unlikely to

present significant threats, thanks to

diligent preparation and unseasonally

high rainfall.

Their prediction follows the devastating

wildfires that destroyed thousands

of homes in California in January, killing

dozens of people.

Acting District Manager with the

Northern Beaches Rural Fire Service

Peter Marshall told Pittwater Life: “It’s obviously

been horrific over there, but it’s a

different situation to here… they’ve had

a unique weather pattern with driving

winds, and a build-up of vegetation.

“The forecast patterns here for the

next two months include a lot more

moisture. Higher temperatures, but with

increased rainfall and significant humidity,”

he said.

“It’s been absolutely devastating

watching the fires in California and

there are definitely lessons to be learned

in terms of preparedness and understanding

conditions – we certainly don’t

want to see that here.”

One of Australia’s most intense and

catastrophic fire seasons on record occurred

in 2019-20 – known as the ‘Black

Summer’.

Mr Marshall believes Sydney’s divisions

and the Beaches’ brigades are well

prepared moving forward – but adds we

can always do more and be better.

“I think we’re more and more attuned

to monitoring conditions – however I

think survival plans might have flattened

off and there is perhaps a little bit

of complacency.”

To date there has only been one significant

fire on the Beaches this summer

– at Manly Dam on New Year’s Day.

“It was nothing of great concern,” he

said. “There hadn’t been storms in the

area, so we suspect it may have been

started by visitors. But volunteers dealt

with it and wrapped it up quickly.

“It’s only January though and the

fire season runs to the end of March,

so we need to maintain vigilance. We’ll

continue to monitor the weather and any

warnings, and we’ll do preparation when

the weather allows.

“It’s the coastal ridges that are of most

concern as they dry off the quickest…

the top of Ku-ring-gai National Park and

the Avalon escarpment. It only takes a

period of dry weather for things to dry

out.”

As for California and the post-fire

clean-up, Mr Marshall revealed local

volunteers were ready to help.

“Australia hasn’t been asked to help.

We publicly made the offer, but no

request (from the US) has been made. At

this stage it looks like they’ve had containment,

and I know Mexico and Canada

have sent firefighters to help.”

– Rob Pegley

News


FEBRUARY 2025 11

News

Community kills off PEP-11

The cancellation of the PEP-

11 permit for gas and oil

exploration off the Northern

Beaches and Central Coast

has been lauded by community

and environmental groups as a

victory for “people power”.

In January, the Federal Minister

for Industry and Science

Ed Husic announced that the

Commonwealth-New South

Wales Offshore Petroleum Joint

Authority had refused holder

Asset Energy’s applications to

extend the controversial permit

– largely due to “reasons of

public interest”.

PEP-11 – a petroleum exploration

permit granted in 1999

covering 4,500 square kilometres

of ocean between Manly’s

North Head and Newcastle –

has been a political hot potato

for the past six years, with

community opposition to any

renewal of the permit heaping

pressure on successive State

and Federal Governments.

Prior to the 2022 Federal

election, former Prime Minister

Scott Morrison announced that

PEOPLE POWER: The PEP-11 offshore mining permit has been cancelled.

the PEP 11 permit would be refused

after it became the focus

of unprecedented community

pressure and media scrutiny.

PEP-11 was also opposed by

then Mackellar MP Jason Falinski

and Pittwater MP Rob Stokes

and his successor Rory Amon,

as well as current Independent

MPs Dr Sophie Scamps and

Jacqui Scruby.

After the Federal election,

Asset Energy challenged Mr

Morrison’s decision, with the

Federal Court ordering the new

Albanese Labor Government to

reassess the application.

In March 2024, the NSW

Labor Government passed its

Environmental Planning and

Assessment Amendment (Sea

Bed Mining and Exploration)

Bill, designed to prohibit fossil

fuel mining in NSW coastal waters

and prohibit infrastructure

supporting offshore mining in

NSW Commonwealth waters.

Now the ruling by the Joint

Authority ends the PEP-11 permit

once and for all.

Handing down his decision,

Mr Husic said the Joint Authority

refused the applications

for reasons of public interest,

concerns about Asset Energy’s

estimate of the cost of works

and their ability to raise the

necessary capital to fund the

proposed works.

“In making this decision, I

have carefully considered all

relevant materials, including

those submitted by Asset Energy…

as part of the decisionmaking

process, Asset Energy

was given an opportunity to

respond to the concerns that I

raised in forming my preliminary

view that the Joint Authority

should refuse the applications,”

he said.

Surfrider Foundation

Australia’s Northern Beaches

Branch Committee member

Rowan Hanley said the refusal

was an historic moment

because “it sets a precedent

for communities stopping an

offshore mine due to pressure

on government… it’s never happened

this way before”.

She added: “This win truly

belongs to the communities

of ocean people who care, and

who show up because they

want to protect the coastlines

that they love.”

Ms Hanley said that since

2018, more than 80,000

handwritten signatures were

gathered by the community

group Save Our Coast, along

with thousands of additional

community submissions made

to the Government, and thousands

of people paddling out

in protest at various East Coast

beaches organised by Surfrider

Foundation Australia.

“The opposition to the

project was fierce and the

community were vocal in their

opposition.”

Mackellar MP Dr Sophie

Scamps said she was proud of

the local community which had

fought against PEP-11 “tooth

and nail, every step of the way”.

She said the campaign and

its successful resolution underlined

the ability of community

Independents to deliver change

at the highest political levels.

“Community Independents

have stood up and delivered

for the Northern Beaches by

advocating powerfully in

Canberra to kill off this terrible

proposal.”

Pittwater Independent MP

Jacqui Scruby said: “We’ve been

unanimous in our opposition,

and I’d like to acknowledge

everyone who campaigned

against drilling off our beautiful

coast, and we’ve done it.”

“This is the outcome we have

fought so hard for, through

legislation in NSW and now

with this decision by the Commonwealth

Government.

“It has truly been a community

effort – from paddle-outs

to petitions, Surfrider Northern

Beaches’ and Surfers for

Climate’s ongoing campaigning,

and political pressure at

both state and federal levels. We

can all be proud of what we’ve

achieved by working together

and working across political

party lines to get this done.

“Minister Husic gave ‘public

interest’ as one of his reasons

for refusing PEP-11 applications,

and I’d like to thank him

for listening to the community.

“He has followed due process

and considered the merits

of these applications. I am

happy that the merits assessment

aligns with community

sentiment.” – Nigel Wall

12 FEBRUARY 2025


PHOTO: Surfrider Foundation

‘Adopt a Beach’ clean-ups

News

Six beach locations across

Pittwater are among the

focus of Sydney’s largest

ever series of community cleanups

which sweep into action in

February.

Organiser Surfrider Foundation

Northern Beaches is calling

on the community to donate

one hour of time on the first

Sunday of each month to help

clear plastics and other pollution

from the sand.

Their new ‘Adopt A Beach’

program, kicking off 4-5pm on

Sunday February 2, will help

keep the Northern Beaches free

of pollution, as well as document

the impact of plastics and

support advocacy for greater

government action.

Clean-up locations are at

Palm Beach, Whale Beach,

Newport, Avalon, Narrabeen

and Collaroy, plus Long Reef,

Dee Why, Curl Curl, Freshwater,

Queenscliff, Manly, Manly Cove,

Little Manly and Shelly Beach.

Surfrider’s ‘Adopt A Beach’

Program Manager Jude Furniss

said the clean-ups would help

to identify marine pollution

hotspots and sources of pollution

and foster a coastal community

to protect the Northern

Beaches coastline.

“This mass clean-up couldn’t

come at a better time, as in

January many of the Northern

Beaches were closed due to a

large volume of ‘tar balls’ that

washed ashore,” Jude said.

She said every stretch of

sand on the Northern Beaches

was susceptible to plastic marine

pollution and hazardous

waste washing ashore.

“Holding regular community

PHOTOS: Surfrider Foundation

KEEP IT CLEAN: Sorting pollution

including microplastics.

beach clean-up events will

assist in identifying pollution

hot spots and provide data on

the volume, type and often the

source of this waste,” she said.

In Pittwater, Surfrider has

identified the dunes and headland

at North Avalon and Narrabeen

Lagoon as land-based

pollution hotspots, along with

popular areas for recreational

fishing including Narrabeen,

Collaroy and Palm Beach.

“One of the key goals of the

program is to stop the supply

of single-use plastic at its

source and drive behavioural

change to reduce this form of

waste,” Jude said.

“It’s simple: If you don’t sell it

or buy it, it can’t be litter.”

She emphasised that stormwater

pollution also remained a

problem across virtually all the

Northern Beaches “as generally

speaking no treatment of any

of this water occurs at all”.

“Pollutants found in stormwater

are many and varied, so

Surfrider will always advise to

consider your health before

taking to the water after heavy

or prolonged periods of rain,”

she said.

In addition, the recent closure

of nine Northern beaches

due to hazardous tar balls

washing ashore highlighted the

types of other environmental

threats our coastline faced.

“Through this program our

community of coastal carers

will provide additional

monitoring of our beaches and

can assist in raising alerts to

relevant government agencies

when hazardous events occur.”

Jude said frequent “bypass

events” from Warriewood Treatment

Plant also delivered contaminated

water to the Tasman

Sea at the edge of Turimetta

rock platform.

“The bypass events occur

due to occasional plant

failure or more commonly

during heavy rain events

when stormwater drains that

often sit in the same trenches

as sewer lines flood into the

sewer lines and inundate the

Warriewood Treatment Plant

with water quantities that are

beyond the plant’s capacity.

“Surfrider has conducted water

testing when these bypass

events occur which has shown

coliform counts at levels known

to be injurious to human

health.”

Surfrider issues alerts via its

social media channels to warn

the local community when

these bypass events occur.

The Adopt A Beach program

has the support of local business

partners and has received

additional funding through an

Environment grant awarded by

Northern Beaches Council.

Also, Surfrider Foundation

hopes the program will

broaden its reach to develop an

enduring community volunteer

program for high school students

undertaking the Duke of

Edinburgh award certificate.

At the end of 2025, data on

the volume and type of marine

debris will be collated and a

Marine Debris Beach Report

and Impact statement will be

prepared. – Nigel Wall

*For more info or to get involved

visit surfrider.org.au/

impact/adoptabeach/

14 FEBRUARY 2025


Bluebottle invasion alert

The excitement of heading to the

beach for a relaxing family summer

outing can often be tempered

by the disappointment of finding carpets

of long-tentacled stinging bluebottles

strewn along the sand.

But now Jaz Lawes, the National

Research Manager at Surf Lifesaving

Australia, along with academics at the

University of NSW (UNSW) are working

on a project to make your trip to the

beach safer and more enjoyable – by

warning you when bluebottles are about

to invade.

“We collect ‘sting data’… there are

more than 40,000 marine stings reported

each year and 70 per cent of them are

due to bluebottles,” explains Jaz. “That’s

likely an underestimate, as they’re only

the ones reported. A public survey found

one in six adults over 16 in Australia had

been stung at least once.

“The stings aren’t lethal, they’re

relatively harmless – but they can pack

a punch and some people can end up in

hospital. So it’s important we try to make

the beach safe for all beachgoers.”

Jaz admits researchers still don’t know

that much about bluebottles. So two

years ago, she and other academics from

UNSW started studying the marine creature

and its habits, by doing beach studies

at Maroubra. They combined their

field work with lab work, data analysis,

mapping and predictive tools to fill the

knowledge gap.

One of the most surprising things they

found is that it isn’t always the same

type of bluebottle that washes ashore.

“Sydney is a hotspot for bluebottles,

and from the data we pulled together,

there are actually two or three species of

bluebottle in NSW,” said Jaz.

“There are two peaks to when they

wash up on Sydney beaches – one in October

and one in late February – but the

species that washes up in October is not

the same one that washes up at the end

of February.”

Biological work is being done to see

how the two species differ – whether

their stings are more or less powerful,

for instance, and how their lifecycles

(thought to be around a year) compare.

What has also been found is the amazing

journey these strange blue creatures

go on, just to give us that nasty sting.

“They’re found all over the ocean and

sit on top of the water,” explains Jaz.

“The ones that wash up here come from

the tropics. They can’t swim, they’re

reliant on wind and ocean currents to

move. Some are tracked back to Papua

New Guinea and take around six months

to get here.

“Then which beach they wash up on

is dependent on both the winds and the

way the beach faces. Anecdotally it’s

a nor’ easter that brings them ashore,

but that depends on the beach and also

whether they’re ‘left-handed’ or ‘righthanded’

bluebottles.”

Jaz explains the bubble you see is to

help them float; some have the bubble on a

left tentacle, others on the right – and that

dictates the direction they are blown in.

MOOD KILLER:

Bluebottles

can ruin a

beach outing.

“Ultimately we just want to help people

make informed decisions about which

beach they can go to, so that they can

have a more enjoyable day,” she said.

“There’s nothing worse than getting all

packed up and then getting to the beach

to find a blanket of blue!”

Next year the bluebottle predictive

tool will be added to Surf Life Saving

Australia’s app Beachsafe, which already

has information such as whether a

beach is patrolled or not. Along with the

warnings about bluebottles there will

be tips on first aid and more facts about

stingers.

“They’re actually very cool animals, interesting

and beautiful – despite being a

nuisance.” said Jaz. – Rob Pegley

Footnote: Latest advice on treating a

bluebottle sting (Royal Australian College

of General Practitioners) is to remove any

tentacles that remain stuck to the skin, either

by using tweezers or by gloved hand.

The site of the sting should then be washed

with seawater. As soon as possible, apply

hot (not boiling) water. Thereafter a heat

pack for 30-90 minutes.

News


FEBRUARY 2025 15

Surf Club reno victory

News

Two local councillors are divided

about the approval given to build

a seawall to protect Newport Surf

Life Saving Club following a long-awaited

Land and Environment Court decision in

January.

The decision ends a three-year bureaucratic

roadblock to the $7.4 million

refurbishment of the surf club, which

will allow the building to remain on its

current footprint rather relocate.

The L&E Court overruled the independent

Sydney North Planning Panel’s

(SNPP) rejection of the Club’s building

plans, which included concerns over the

1000-member Club’s exposure to coastal

erosion.

The SNPP recommended that the

building be demolished and moved away

from the shoreline “given storm inundation

will continue to increase as the sea

level rises” and threaten the club in its

current position.

But the Club maintained that the seawall

would safeguard the venue against

severe storms, coastal erosion and the

threat of rising sea levels.

Club owner and proposed developer

Northern Beaches Council received

hundreds of submissions on its plan, including

significant support in favour of

retaining the Club in its current position.

Council’s modelling showed relocating

the surf club could add $3m to the

project cost and force the demolition of

amenities surrounding the Club including

the recently built basketball court

and long-standing car park.

Objections to the Club’s relocation included

fears it would hamper surf lifesaver

operations and put beachgoers at risk.

In its decision the L&E Court imposed

multiple conditions on the development,

including a requirement that Council

provide a bank guarantee for restoration

of the beach or maintenance of coastal

protection works if it’s damaged after a

coastal storm.

Council must also pay for coastal

protection works if increased erosion is

caused by the new works.

Pittwater Ward councillors Rowie Dillon

(Your Northern Beaches Independent

Team) and Miranda Korzy (The Greens)

are at loggerheads over the outcome.

Cr Dillon, told Pittwater Life: “I am really

excited about the approved upgrade

to the Newport SLSC.

“The renovation of the Club will have

significant benefits for the local community

and surf lifesaving activities, delivering

enhanced safety and lifesaving

capacity, further storage and improved

training areas.

“The renovation will make such a difference

to all members and volunteers

and the community and greater communities.”

But Cr Korzy said she did not support

any plan that involved extending the

Club along the front of the dune and

incorporating a seawall into the seaward

side of the building.

“Instead, there’s plenty of space

behind Newport Surf Club – and that’s

where the extension should go,” she told

Pittwater Life.

“It’s well documented that seawalls

destroy beaches – with the sand at either

end and below the wall eroded by wave

action. Over time, this will limit public

access to Newport Beach.

FINALLY APPROVED:

Council’s concept

plans for upgrading

Newport SLSC.

“It’s also time for us to take sea level

rise seriously and spend Council funds

accordingly. “

She said forecasts for Sydney predicted

sea level rise of up to two metres by

2100, with inundation in low-lying parts

of the city of at least 100 metres inland.

This would include at Newport.

“This club was undermined by storms

in 1974, when an emergency operation

propped up the front of the building

with large rocks,” she said.

“We have also now seen what’s happened

to the buried seawall at Collaroy

Beach – with the beach disappearing below

the water at times and waves crashing

against the exposed concrete.”

In a statement, Council said: “The Newport

Surf Life Saving Club building is

an important facility for the community

and more importantly, for saving lives.

“With the application now determined,

Council can consider the next steps

including timing and potential funding

opportunities.

“State legislation requires that certain

conditions have to be in place in order to

approve and construct coastal protection

works.

“Council is aware of these obligations

and is satisfied that they are appropriate

for the proposed works.”

– Nigel Wall

16 FEBRUARY 2025


Libs pitch GP cost relief

News

Liberal candidate for Mackellar

James Brown has

made health a key pillar of

his Federal election campaign,

pointing to spiralling out-ofpocket

medical expenses and

the Medicare “failures” of the

Albanese Labor Government.

It follows the release of the

2025 Cleanbill Blue Report

which says the rate of clinics

that will bulk bill new adult

patients without a concession

card in NSW has decreased by

2.7% in the past year alone to

34.5%.

At the same time, out-ofpocket

costs for patients in

NSW who cannot get access to

bulk billing rose by more than

4% in one year to $44.05 on

average, the report said.

Cleanbill is a website which

lists and details Australian

medical practitioners, their

services and their costs. It says

its goal is to “provide patients

with all the information necessary

to make educated decisions

about their healthcare

and its costs”.

Cleanbill said it contacted

6,818 medical providers on its

database between November

2024 and January 2025 – and

noted a “catastrophic” trend.

“(Our report) shows that the

national bulk billing rate has

fallen by almost 15% in the

past two years to 20.7%,” Cleanbill

CEO James Gillespie said.

“If you’re attending one of

HEALTH FOCUS:

Liberal candidate

for Mackellar

James Brown.

the almost 80% of available

GP clinics that won’t bulk bill

adult patients, your out-ofpocket

payment will be almost

7% more today than it was at

the start of 2023.”

The report also showed just

24.2% of GP clinics around the

country that were taking on

new patients still bulk billed

for all appointments – down

11% in a year.

Liberal candidate Mr Brown

said the Australian Medical Association’s

(AMA) own report

showed it was Labor that froze

the Medicare rebate.

“It has never been harder or

more expensive to see a doctor

in Mackellar,” he said.

“The findings of the 2025

Cleanbill Blue Report are

damning – under the Albanese

Labor Government, bulk

billing is going backwards as

out-of-pocket healthcare costs

are going up across NSW.

“Bulk billing has collapsed,

despite all of Labor’s disingenuous

rhetoric.

“(Local MP) Dr Scamps

should be representing the

people of Mackellar and holding

the Prime Minister and

his government to account for

declining bulk billing rates

that are hurting locals.”

Mr Brown said a Liberal government

would increase the

number of Medicare mental

health sessions from 10 to 20

for Northern Beaches residents

and 240,000 Australians – that

will make an enormous difference,”

Mr Brown said.

“The Liberals have already

announced that we will invest

in women’s health, including

specialist cancer nurses to

support Australians with Ovarian

Cancer; we will double the

number of Medicare mental

health sessions; and we have

committed $400 million to

grow a strong pipeline of

home-trained GPs, which we

PHOTO: Patrick Blacker

know is critical to addressing

Labor’s primary care crisis.

“This investment will

provide financial incentives

for junior doctors to choose to

train as a GP in the community.

As the Cleanbill report makes

clear, ensuring the availability

of local doctors right now is a

necessity.

“We are focused on ensuring

the people of Mackellar have

timely and affordable access to

healthcare.”

Shadow Minister for Health

Senator Anne Ruston said the

issue was hitting the people of

Mackellar at a time when they

could least afford it.

“It is unacceptable that more

and more Australians are being

forced to avoid essential healthcare

because they just cannot

afford it under Labor,” she said.

“This poses a serious risk for

the health of all Australians

and for our hospital systems,

which we know are already

overrun.

“Instead of focusing on the

record high healthcare costs

that they have created, Labor

is lying to Australians with a

third attempt at their disgraced

‘Mediscare’ campaign.

“The reality is that the Liberals

increased Medicare funding

every single year in government

and oversaw record high

bulk billing rates. Under Labor,

Medicare has only been weakened.”

– Nigel Wall

18 FEBRUARY 2025


Turtle loss heartbreak

Once or twice a day, animal lover

Madeleine Barbouttis heads down

to her favourite small beach on the

Pittwater side of Newport. She loves to be

in nature and be surrounded by wildlife.

But one afternoon shortly after Christmas

she made a distressing discovery.

“It was high tide and I noticed this

huge thing close to the shore in the water,”

she said. “I walked over and saw it

was a turtle, which amazed me. But then

as I got closer I could clearly see it was

dead and had suffered as result of a boat

propellor.

“I knew straight away – I have some

Greek heritage and used to see the same

thing around the islands when I was over

there,” she added.

“I’m a huge animal lover and it affected

me for days. It was so distressing.

My Dad confirmed that it was a boat propellor

than had killed the turtle. I had no

idea we even had turtles on Pittwater.”

Madeleine went back at low tide with

her neighbour who was equally as

shocked.

“She’s in her 70s and has lived on Pittwater

her whole life and has only seen a

turtle once,” said Madeleine.

“I called Lynette Millet from WIRES and

she estimated the turtle to be around

70 years old. She’s a lovely lady and I

know her as I’ve taken injured birds to

her before. I asked if I should remove the

turtle, but she said that we should leave

it and nature will take its course.”

Madeleine wants some good to come

out of the tragedy – so she is urging

boaties to be more aware and be vigilant

in shallower waters; noting that there

are large turtles on Pittwater and that

they should slow down and watch out for

them when on the water.

DISTRESSING: The dead turtle, believed to have been struck by a boat propellor.

It’s a sentiment that is echoed by local

state MP Jacqui Scruby.

“Many people weren’t aware Pittwater

had turtle populations both in our ocean

waters and in Pittwater,” she said.

“In the short time since I’ve been

elected, a turtle has been trapped in a

shark net, rescued from rocks at Whale

Beach and in this instance found dead

due to a likely boat strike.”

Ms Scruby added she was working

to ensure the NSW Government ended

its use of “ineffective” shark nets and

supported more modern and effective

shark management measures to reduce

the entanglement of turtles and other

marine creatures.

“I also want to raise awareness for those

using boats on Pittwater to watch out for

turtles and adhere to the speed limits,

especially close to the shore,” she said.

Affected by her shocking discovery,

Madeleine too wants boats to slow down

to protect the turtles on Pittwater.

“The area has a lot of seagrass and I’ve

since found out that the turtles feed on

that. I’ve seen boats going very fast in the

area and hope they can be more aware.

This poor turtle was really distressing

to see.”

Boaties are reminded the speed limit

in General Pittwater is 8 knots; in areas

taking in Bayview, McCarrs Creek, Coasters

Retreat and Currawong Beach the

speed limit is just 4 knots – the equivalent

of 7km/h on land and slower than

the 10km/h speed limit for cars at the

shared pedestrian zone at Avalon Beach.

– Rob Pegley

What do you think? Does Pittwater have

a problem with speeding boats? Tell us

at readers@pittwaterlife.com.au

PHOTO: Supplied

News


FEBRUARY 2025 19

News

Australia Day Award winners

Local contributors to community

Kevin Lee, Ian Hocking

and Saskia Rundle Trowbridge

were recipients of significant

honours in Northern Beaches

Council’s annual Australia Day

Awards.

Kevin was named Citizen of

the Year for his many hours

devoted to the Narrabeen Beach

Surf Life Saving Club through

beach patrols, various positions

within the Club and educating

other members.

He is also the co-convenor of

the Narrabeen Beach Challenge

Ocean Swim and has organised

numerous beach carnivals.

Council commended Kevin,

from Belrose, for his devotion,

his passion for the sea and keeping

the public safe.

Bilgola Plateau resident Ian – a

dedicated volunteer with the

State Emergency Service (SES)–

was named Senior Citizen of the

Year.

As the Deputy Unit Commander

at NSW SES Warringah

Pittwater unit, Ian conducts staff

training, fosters a culture of

readiness and professionalism.

Council noted that his selfless

dedication ensured residents

received swift and effective support during

emergencies.

Saskia, from Narrabeen, was named Young

Citizen of the Year for her act of beach rescue

bravery.

In 2024, Saskia pushed through perilous

conditions below Warriewood headland to

rescue three youths.

Council noted she showed remarkable

composure, leadership and quick thinking to

SENIOR CITIZEN: Ian.

YOUNG CITIZEN: Saskia.

organise her IRB crew while she

jumped in the swirling ocean to

swim the youths to the boat and

back to the beach for first aid,

saving their lives.

In another nod to Pittwater,

last December’s hugely popular

Carols by the Lake, organised by

The Link Church, was awarded

Community Event of the Year.

Carols by the Lake, which has

been operating for 20 years, attracts

around 10,000 locals each

year to celebrate the festive spirit.

The audience is encouraged to

donate to the Link Community

Care’s essential programs including

funding food relief and

emergency support for the local

community.

And Warriewood’s Leanne

Shanahan received an Outstanding

Community Service Award.

Since 2018, she has facilitated a

monthly support group in Narrabeen

for parents and siblings

who have lost a child. Council

noted she had created a space for

families to grieve together and

gain hope for the future.

Northern Beaches Mayor Sue

Heins said all nominees and

award recipients were impressive.

“Every year I am amazed by

the committed and passionate people that surround

us,” she said. “Each is being recognised

for their major contribution to our community

through volunteering their time, experience,

leadership and dedication to others.

“We heartly congratulate this year’s award

recipients and thank those who took the time

to nominate and recognise them,” Mayor

Heins said.

– Lisa Offord

*Full list of winners on Council’s website.

6THINGS

THIS MONTH

Sun Run. Now in its 15th year

this iconic event has attracted

runners of all fitness levels

with a record-breaking 10,000

entrants set to pound the roads

and pavements from Dee Why

to South Steyne (Manly) on

Sat 1. Road closures and traffic

changes will be in effect from

3am-11am.

Golf Classic. Hundreds of

amateur golfers from across

NSW will be welcomed at clubs

including Bayview, Mona Vale,

Cromer, Long Reef, Wakehurst

and Monash from Mon 10 to

Thur 13 competing in one of

the biggest golfing events in

the country – The Barrenjoey

Women’s Classic. This terrific

tournament also raises money

for the local charity Women &

Children First.

Sevens By The Sea. The

annual Warringah Rats Sevens

By The Sea tournament

featuring Colts, Subbies, Men

& Women’s teams promises an

action packed day at Pittwater

Rugby Park on Sat 15 from

11am finishing under the lights

at 8pm with DJ and live music,

pop-up bars, dress to impress

on HillBilly Hill, fastest on the

field race, raffles and prize

giveaways.

Poetry Slam. Avalon’s favourite

bookstore Bookoccino is

encouraging diverse poets

and performers to share

words, energy and ideas with

an interactive in-store poetry

competition on Fri 21 from 6pm-

8pm.

Purple Poppy Day. A special

service honouring all animals

currently serving or have served

and died, in all conflicts will be

held at 11am on Mon 24 at the

Lower Cenotaph at the Pittwater

RSL Club. Everyone welcome,

however organisers have asked

members of the community NOT

to bring pets to the service.

Paper Florist. Pop into the

Mona Vale Creative space to

see paper artist and designer

Jo Neville’s impeccably

crafted flowers and stunning

arrangements until Wed 26

(closed Sunday & Monday).

20 FEBRUARY 2025


A dozen good things

In the lead-up to

the 2025 Federal

election (the date is

yet to be called)

Mackellar Federal MP

Dr Sophie Scamps

recaps her 12 major

achievements from

the past 12 months.

My team and I door

1. knocked more than 500

local businesses to hear how

I can support them during

the cost-of-living crisis. I have

called for – and will continue

to work long and hard! – to

change the definition of small

business to provide red-tape

relief for a sector which drives

Mackellar’s economy.

Held the Mackellar People’s

2. Jury on Housing to hear

locals’ solutions to the housing

crisis on the Northern Beaches.

I fought hard for greater integrity

in politics, success-

3.

fully negotiating my ‘Ending

Jobs for Mates’ amendment to

the new Administrative Review

Tribunal to ensure it is fully

independent and merit-based –

and not stacked with cronies.

I held a local paddle-out to

4. highlight our community’s

opposition to the PEP-11 permit

for gas and oil exploration off

the Northern Beaches. Industry

Minister Ed Husic has since

rejected the permit extension

(see page 12).

I helped build a healthier

5. Mackellar by successfully

campaigning to end the sale

of vapes to children and I

continue to fight for a healthier

community by limiting gambling

and junk food advertising

online.

My private members

6. bill and advocacy led to

stronger protections for our

nation’s precious rivers and

waterways from harmful gas

BUSY YEAR: Dr Scamps in Canberra.

fracking. This was the only

step taken to strengthen our

national environment laws this

term.

Along with State MP Michael

Regan, I successfully

7.

advocated for the NSW Auditor

General to conduct a performance

audit of the Northern

Beaches Hospital to ensure our

community receives the highquality

healthcare we deserve.

I held several roundtables

and meetings to hear from

8.

local mental health groups –

and advocated continuously

for better hospital and at-home

mental health support on the

Beaches.

My team has now dealt

9. with more than 13,000

public enquires, including

resolving over 6000 complex

cases involving Government

services such as Centrelink,

NDIS and Jobseeker.

I compiled and distributed

hundreds of

10.

copies of our Seniors Guide

to make it easier for Mackellar

residents to find out about

and access federal government

supports.

I met with the NSW

11. Roads Minister to

ensure funding for Mona Vale

Road and Wakehurst Parkway

remains on track.

More than 25,000

12. people – and counting! –

have signed my Save the Aussie

Bush petition to end native

forest logging.

News


FEBRUARY 2025 21

Row, row, row the boat!

News

The countdown is on for locally raised

Micah Manger and her adventurous,

hand-picked crew, who intend to row

a whopping 4800 kilometres across the

Atlantic Ocean.

Micah, 26, grew up in Bilgola with a love

of the water. In 2026 she and friends Chelsea

Tanner, Cassie Gaff and Laura Lilly will

form an Australian female team of four, as

part of The World’s Toughest Row.

It is expected to take them anywhere between

45 to 60 days rowing in a shift pattern,

carrying all their food, water-making,

navigation and emergency equipment on

board.

And so I’m a little taken aback when I

ask Micah how long she’s been rowing.

“I’m not a rower,” she replies, and

then laughs into my stunned silence.

“I know!” she says. “I have a love of the

water and I’m active on the water. At the

moment I’m building strength and have

started rowing twice a week.

“My dad took me to the Ocean Film

Festival in 2017, right after graduation,”

Micah explains. “There was a film about

four women from the UK who rowed the

Pacific and it just got stuck in my head.”

When she heard about The World’s

Toughest Row, her mind went into overdrive

and Micah started sizing up friends

in her head, trying to envisage whether

they had what was needed.

“It’s funny, I started analysing people

I knew and dropping hints. All the girls

I’ve got together for the team are adventurous

and very capable. Not necessarily

rowers, but resilient and can sort any

problem.

“I met Chelsea through mutual friends

and she was the first person I asked. Laura

I met kite surfing, she has a history of

sailing and is very much a water person.

I worked with Cassie in Broome and she’s

always taking on adventures – she crossed

the Gobi Desert on a camel.”

The girls are fundraising to cover the

costs of their adventure through the Australian

Sports Foundation (all donations

are tax deductible). All funds recouped

from boat/equipment sales after they’ve

completed the race will be donated to

Royal Flying Doctors Service and Ruah

Community Services.

After fundraising efforts such as Bunnings

sausage sizzles and some loans

being taken out, a deposit has been put on

‘Saltie’ – a second-hand specialised rowing

boat, which has been raced by a UK team

before.

“The boat is self-righting and very

durable, so we’re mitigating the safety

issues within our control,” says Micah. “We

will all have to be tethered to the boat at

all times and keep hatches shut, and there

will be checkpoints throughout the race.

“The idea of big cargo ships feels a bit

TOUGH GIG: Teammates (l-r)

Cassie Gaff, Chelsea Tanner,

Micah Manger and Laura Lilly;

and their vessel ‘Saltie’ when it

was rowed by a UK Team.

weird as we’re really little, but we’ll follow

all the protocols.”

The two-year countdown began in

December, 2024 and it will all start to feel

very real, very quickly.

At the moment it is all about strength

and mobility training, but when the boat

arrives mid next year, then it’ll be team

building on the boat, rowing training – not

to mention getting used to sleep deprivation

with 24-hour rows.

With two years to go, however, Micah

doesn’t intend to be someone who sits on

the sofa watching Netflix when her rowing

adventure is complete.

“I’ve already talked to friends about

other adventures,” says Micah. “I’d like to

bike trek across South America or Canada.

But I also think this ocean rowing race

will open a lot of doors and there’s talk of

a new ocean rowing race from Australia.

“That’s if we find we love it,” she laughs.

– Rob Pegley

22 FEBRUARY 2025


A matter of Principal

News

New principal Brett Blaker has delivered

his vision for Barrenjoey High

School as the school basks in the

glow of its 2024 HSC results and some of

its best academic achievements on record.

Mr Blaker, who joined Barrenjoey HS

at the beginning of Term 3 last year, said

students, staff and parents were immensely

proud the school had recorded

its most Band 6 results ever.

“In 2024, 18 students achieved an ATAR

of 90 or above, a further 40 students

achieved an ATAR of 80 or above and we

saw a remarkable improvement in our

HSC rankings,” he said.

There were 3-All Rounders and 45 students

on the Distinguished Achievers list.

“These achievements highlight the

strength of our school community and

reinforce our vision to provide an environment

where every student is challenged,

supported, and empowered to

reach their full potential,” he said.

Mr Blaker said his vision was to establish

Barrenjoey HS as the first choice

for all local families seeking exceptional

education.

“In a community where there are

many educational options, our goal is

to distinguish ourselves by providing

an outstanding and holistic educational

experience that meets the diverse needs

of all learners,” he said.

“This vision extends beyond the classroom.

We are committed to offering a

broad range of extra-curricular opportunities

that foster personal growth, build

strong connections, and enhance our

sense of community.”

He said to achieve this, staff and

students would continue to build upon a

strong culture of learning, where “unashamedly

high” expectations for academic

conduct, behaviour, and engagement

were the norm.

A former rugby league player who won

a NSW Cup Premiership with Wentworthville

in 2008, Mr Blaker has diverse

experiences across a variety of schools.

He began his teaching career in 2004 as a

PDHPE teacher in the UK and worked for

three years at Tuggerah Lakes Secondary

College on his return. He moved to

Sydney and joined the partially selective

Sefton High School from 2009-19,

during which time he transitioned to an

Administration Head Teacher and later as

Deputy Principal for four years.

Living in Pittwater from 2009, he was

appointed Deputy Principal at Pittwater

High School before assuming the Principal’s

role at Canobolas Rural Technology

High School in Orange.

“When I arrived in Orange, the school

faced significant challenges: we were 17

teachers understaffed, had experienced

NEW HEAD: Barrenjoey High principal Brett Blaker has a strong vision for the school.

a notable decline in student enrolments,

and were grappling with high suspension

rates,” he explained.

“While the journey had its share of

ebbs and flows, we worked tirelessly to

rebuild a culture of learning, create supportive

environments for staff growth

and professional development, and establish

expectations for academic behaviour

and student engagement.

“Today, Canobolas stands as a testament

to what can be achieved through

collective effort and a clear vision. The

school is now fully staffed, has seen a significant

increase in student enrolments,

and has halved its suspension rate.

“Notably, more than 50 per cent of Year

12 graduates received Early Entry offers

to university – a remarkable outcome.”

Stepping into the role of Principal had

been both challenging and transformative.

“One of the most critical aspects of

the role is Community Engagement,” he

said. “This element takes on even greater

significance as a principal. Managing a

diverse array of issues requires thoughtful

interaction, as every exchange has the

potential to leave a positive or negative

impact on the people involved.”

But he said he always hoped to return

to the Northern Beaches when the right

opportunity presented.

Mr Blaker said Barrenjoey HS would

continue to offer a broad range of extracurricular

clubs and programs designed

to ensure students experienced a holistic

and well-rounded education – from band,

debating, drama, and sport, to the Duke

of Edinburgh program.

“These offerings are regularly reviewed

to meet the evolving needs of our

students and to leverage the expertise of

our dedicated staff, who are instrumental

in leading these programs,” he said. “By

doing so, we ensure that our extra-curricular

activities remain relevant, engaging,

and impactful.

“In addition, we have implemented

a comprehensive Wellbeing Program,

taught fortnightly to all students from

Years 7-12. This program addresses

targeted, age-specific issues relevant to

adolescence and teenage life, equipping

our students with the tools and strategies

to navigate the complexities of their

world.

“The Wellbeing Program is dynamic

and undergoes annual review and evaluation,

allowing us to adapt to the everchanging

landscape of student wellbeing.

“By prioritising both academic and

personal development, we aim to create

an environment where every student can

thrive and feel supported in reaching

their potential.

“Our future will be defined by continued

growth and achievement. I anticipate

even greater success in academic

outcomes, with more students achieving

top ATARs and excelling in their chosen

pathways, whether that be university,

TAFE, or employment.

“In five years, I want to look back and

see a legacy of continuous improvement

and incremental growth – a school where

students, staff, and families are proud to

belong, and where every individual feels

empowered to achieve their best.”

– Nigel Wall

24 FEBRUARY 2025


PHOTO: Nigel Wall

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

The Way News We Were

25 Years Ago…

We reported Pittwater Council

had received “multi-unit

development proposals worth

more than $110 million in 18

months”. There were 21 SEPP

5 development applications

(providing housing for older

people or people with a

disability) estimated to cost

$39 million; shop-top housing

proposals worth $41 million;

and multi-unit housing

plans costing an estimated

$33 million. Meanwhile the

Millennium Dolphin Lanterns

first seen floating down Sydney

Harbour on New Year’s Eve

(and pictured on the cover)

“... have been saved from

the scrapyard and installed,

appropriately, in the Dolphin

Court of Warringah Mall”. Made

from silk stretched over a

metal frame, the dolphins had

cost more than $100,000 to

construct and with other floats

were about to be scrapped –

instead they were auctioned

and bought by Warringah Mall

for $5,500. Bob Friend “known

everywhere as ‘Friendly’,”

was named Pittwater’s

Australia Day Citizen of The

Year at the Australia Day

celebrations in Newport. The newly elected Manly Mayor

Jean Hay was featured. Talking about any amalgamation

of Pittwater, Warringah and Manly, Hay said she wouldn’t

be surprised if “… some many years down the track a State

Government forced an amalgamation on the area. Labor is

encouraging amalgamation at present – but who knows of

the future? I can see some advantages in terms of bargaining

powers but when it comes

to State Government

providing facilities and

grants we are largely

ignored, particularly with

transport.” Numbers were

down for the ocean swims

this year due to “some

unfavourable weather in

the days leading up to the

events. But for all three

– Avalon, Mona Vale and

the original Palm Beach

to Whale Beach event, the

weather was good and

all went off smoothly”.

The Avalon Junior Rugby

league football club’s

Under-15s won the grand

final becoming premiers

for the 7th time and

following a successful year

with nine teams making

the semis and two playing

in the grand final the club

was presented with the

Pop Hall Trophy for “the

most outstanding club of

the district”. Meanwhile, a

picture story highlighted

how the view of Bilgola and

Newport Beaches from the

Bends had changed over

a decade. “Nine years ago,

when the Eric Green Reserve overlooking Newport Beach was

planted, Warringah Council said nothing would grow above

a metre high... the view is now hidden from the road. Along

the rest of the Bends some clearing was done but self-seeded

wattles and overgrown bush are quickly re-screening the view

of Bilgola Beach. Why can’t we have a scenic road as fine and

famous as the Grand Corniche of the Riviera?”

26 FEBRUARY 2025


15 Years Ago…

The magazine ran a feature about the Hermans of Pittwater:

“… a remarkable family with three generations of artists, Sali

Herman, his son Ted and granddaughter Nada. This month

their achievements are honoured in a major exhibition at the

Manly Art Gallery and Museum. Our cover shows a detail of

one of Nada Herman’s paintings in the exhibition, Manly Cove.”

Pittwater Council was set to review the operation of its closed

circuit TV cameras fixed to libraries and the recreation

centres in Mona Vale, Newport and Avalon. “The cameras

provide information after the event, usually to help identify

persons involved in acts of graffiti, vandalism and in some

instance assaults for anti-social behaviour.” Council had also

introduced an “innovative online system allowing members of

the public to check the veracity of parking fines. The system

which has gone live on the Council’s website shows photographic

evidence of parking infringements which can be verified by

entering the fine number and the vehicle registration number…

the system also allows infringement notices to be paid online via

the council website”. Governor Marie Bashir visited Governor

Phillip Park in Palm Beach to unveil new sculptures at its

entrances that honour the park’s namesake and first Governor

of NSW. Palm Beach RSL held its “Miss Palm Beach 2010 Quest”

with more than $2,000 on offer. The Avalon Ocean Swim

“broke all records this year with 1038 starters – almost double

the number from

last year”. Former

Lamont Dance

School student

Nathan Brook

(who was living

in Melbourne

training at the

Australian Ballet

School) was

back in Avalon

for a special

performance

in the LDS 10th

Anniversary

Concert; and

“young people”

were being

encouraged “to

protect their

hearing by

reducing the

volume and

limiting the time

they spend using

MP3 Players”.

5 Years Ago…

We paid tribute to

the selfless work of

our local Rural Fire

Service volunteers

during the 2019-20

bushfire season

when higher

than average

temperatures

and low moisture

levels following

several years of

drought enabled

devastating

fires to burn

across much of

the state. While

Pittwater “dodged

a bullet” – “and

that’s in part due

to the incredible

efforts of our

local firies taking

preventative

measures”, the

impact of the

Black Summer fires on NSW communities, farmers, local

businesses, wildlife and bushland was unprecedented. Over

the course of a few months, 26 lives were lost, 2,448 homes

were destroyed and 5.5 million hectares of land was burnt

in NSW. Newport Vet Dr Ben Brown also volunteered his time

leading a response team to the south coast to assist wildlife,

companion animals and lifestock. “This is an unfolding human

and animal disaster that will take many months to resolve,”

Dr Brown said. “Personally, I am overwhelmed at the loss of

life… I feel we all have a personal duty to do what we can to

help.” To support bushfire and drought-affected communities

Northern Beaches Council did their bit by organising a “Rock

Relief” concert at Brookvale Oval featuring Christine Anu,

Dog Trumpet, Hoodoo Gurus, Shannon Noll, The Choirboys

and more. In other news, Northern Beaches top cop Dave

Darcy retired after 38 years’ service. We featured 90-yearold

Narrabeen legend – “Defender of the coast” Tom Kirsop

(Surfrider Gardens, a reserve on Narrabeen’s Ocean Street was

dedicated to Tom and his wife Margaret on Tom’s birthday

in December ); Columnist Nick Carroll pondered the issue of

overcrowded surf; and NB Council was reviewing the design

of the proposed new amenities block at Mona Vale Beach

following a petition drafted by locals opposing the scope of the

works.

The Way News We Were


FEBRUARY 2025 27

News

PHOTO: Nigel Wall

SEEN…

A win for Bayview residents following our item last month

highlighting the likely poisoning of trees in Alexandra Crescent,

presumably to open up views of Pittwater: After balking

at installing signs for fear of shaming the culprit without clear

proof, Council has backtracked (sort of) and is now “exploring

the possibility” of installing a sign in the area to raise awareness

about tree vandalism. “We hope that such a sign will serve

as a deterrent and discourage any future illegal tree removal

activities,” Council wrote to residents. The backflip follows our

highlighting the precedent set by Willoughby Council who

erected banners in strategic locations after tree vandalism at

Castlecrag last year. And what about this for timing! In January,

Bayside Council freighted in shipping containers to fill the

void left by trees that had been poisoned along the waterfront

at Brighton-Le-Sands (pictured).

Extreme, maybe…

but the message can’t be

clearer… An update on

Northern Beaches Hospital

operator Healthscope’s

contract termination with

private medical provider

Bupa: Healthscope says

any patient booked into NB

Hospital with an admission

between now and 20

February will remain covered,

with no additional

out-of-pocket costs. Should

no further agreement be

reached with Bupa, “your

admission may be captured in our transitional arrangements

with Healthscope with no additional out-of-pocket

costs depending on your treatment type and in accordance

with the terms of your policy”. For more info head

to healthscope.com.au… Newport Bowling Club is proud

of its new artificial turf green (pictured), which has

replaced the #1 turf green adjacent to the Clubhouse. The

green wasn’t cheap at around $250,000 to install; however,

it will reduce ongoing maintenance costs and enable

play – both competitive and social – when its other two

greens are unplayable due to inclement weather or when

being renovated.

HEARD…

Bilgola Beach residents want the community to know

that a new DA has been submitted to Northern

Beaches Council for a residence in idyllic Allen Avenue

which they say is almost the same as a previous DA

refused by Council, the Sydney North Planning Panel

and the NSW Land and Environment Court. They say

it is non-compliant with a range of Council planning

guidelines. The new DA retains the landholding’s tennis

court. In his decision to refuse the original DA the

L&E Court commissioner stated: “If retention of the

tennis court is the primary goal it is possible to design

a new dwelling house that is compliant with the

planning controls.” You can view the DA on Council’s

website… Wakehurst MP Michael Regan has written

to Premier Chris Minns about the “stark” planning

lessons to be learned from January’s LA fires – in

particular on the Northern Beaches. Mr Regan said

that while historical strategic planning and land use

decisions could not be changed, authorities could

make better decisions today. “I am particularly

interested in consideration of bushfire risk in land

use decisions because of the Patyegarang (formerly

Lizard Rock) planning proposal”, he wrote. The NSW RFS will

deliver its bushfire risk assessment for the site this year…

Eeew! Council says the results of analysis of “pollution balls”

that washed up on several Northern beaches and forced their

closures in early January indicated the presence of saturated

fatty acids, along with faecal coliforms and E-coli. Mayor Sue

Heins said she hoped the source could be identified. “We are

hoping that Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) analysis

will identify the source so that they can stop this from happening

at other beaches.”

ABSURD…

Mayor Sue Heins has slammed the NSW Government’s plan to

scrap Northern Beaches Council’s scheme whereby renters pay

for their parking permits while ratepayers receive two permits

FOC. “I am disappointed the Government has not sought to

discuss this idea with me directly,”

she told Pittwater Life. “Cost shifting

from the state onto Council

is rife and already costs Councils

millions of dollars each year. This

proposal costs the Government

nothing but will cost ratepayers

more than half a million dollars

a year. We already encourage local

landlords to pass on any permits

they don’t use to those in their

rental properties. I am seeking an

urgent meeting with the Minister

where I hope he will explain how he

will fund Council to implement this

proposal.” What do you think? Tell

us at readers@pittwaterlife.com.au

28 FEBRUARY 2025


PHOTO: Bayside Council

Sideline Eye

By Michael Gencher

Opinion

What’s slipped through cracks

while we’ve been distracted?

While we’ve been furiously

debating the

proposed rate rises

– and let’s be honest, that

“community consultation” has

been as transparent as Narrabeen

Lagoon at peak tourist

season – there’s a nagging

feeling that we’ve let other

issues slip through the cracks.

The kind of issues that don’t

need additional funding but

seem to be perpetually stuck

in limbo despite already being

accounted for.

While Council pitches rate

rises as the cure-all for everything

from potholes to public

amenities, let’s not forget that

many of these things were

already funded. There’s no

need for a new cash injection

for basic maintenance and

improvements. It just seems

like someone forgot to use the

chequebook, and more like

they’ve been scribbling IOUs on

the back of a (ticketless) parking

fine.

So, what have we missed

while we were collectively gritting

our teeth over the outcome

of staff recommendations and

councillors gearing up to play

the decision-making heroes or

villains?

Our Roads

Remember when Council promised

to fix the potholes after

previous heavy rains? Yes, that

was funded. The money was

allocated, the plans were made

– and yet, here we are. Many of

our (Council-managed) roads

still resemble obstacle courses,

and the temporary patch jobs

are breaking apart faster than a

New Year’s resolution.

We don’t need a rate rise to

patch potholes; we need Council

to do the work they’ve already

promised. But it seems a waiting

game with no end in sight.

Development Dilemmas

Oversized apartment blocks?

Planning breaches? Yes, we’ve

seen it all before. And here’s the

kicker: the compliance measures

to address these issues are

already funded; there’s no budgetary

excuse for why developers

seem to be playing by their own

rules while residents are held to

a higher standard.

Take Whale Beach Road

developments, for example. The

complaints from residents aren’t

new, and neither are the funds

for ensuring compliance. What’s

missing is the will to enforce the

rules.

Public Amenities

Bins overflowing, parks looking

neglected, playgrounds falling

into disrepair – it’s not because

there’s no money. The budget

for maintaining public spaces

has long been part of Council’s

annual allocations.

The holiday surge in visitors

wasn’t exactly a surprise, yet

our public amenities seemed

woefully unprepared. This isn’t

about needing more money;

it’s about better planning and

execution. Surely, Council

could find time to prioritise the

basics?

The Great Tree Debate

Tree management is another

area where the funds already

exist, but the logic seems to

have taken a vacation. Developers

are getting away with chopping

down significant trees,

while residents are tangled

in red tape trying to remove

dangerous ones from their own

properties.

The processes – and the

funding – for proper tree management

have been in place for

years. The question isn’t “how

do we pay for this?” but rather

“why isn’t it being done?”

Red Tape v

Common Sense

And then there’s the bureaucracy.

Businesses and residents

are stuck navigating a maze of

red tape to get anything done,

despite the Council’s resources

being more than adequate to

streamline these processes.

Small businesses shouldn’t

need to jump through flaming

hoops to operate, and community

groups shouldn’t have to

face mountains of paperwork

for simple events. This isn’t a

funding issue – it’s a priority

issue. Currently, common sense

doesn’t seem to be a priority.

In Conclusion

It’s hard not to wonder: if these

things are already funded, why

aren’t they happening? Could

it be that the Council is too

focused on spinning a narrative

about rate rises to get back to

basics? Or perhaps it’s easier

to talk about new projects and

future plans than to deliver

on promises that have already

been made?

The reality is that the Northern

Beaches isn’t suffering from

a lack of funding for essential

services – it’s suffering from a

lack of follow-through. We don’t

need more money to patch potholes,

maintain parks or enforce

compliance; we need action.

While Council might be banking

on us being too distracted

by the rate rise debate to notice

what’s not going on, we’re not

oblivious. These are not new

issues, and they’re certainly

not unfunded ones. They’re

problems that could and should

have been solved months ago, if

not years.

So, keep asking hard questions.

Where’s the money going?

Why aren’t these funded initiatives

being delivered? And why

should we trust that additional

revenue from rate rises will be

used effectively if they can’t

manage what they already have?

*Contact michael@michaelgencher.com.au

30 FEBRUARY 2025


News

Pittwater News

February Probus Club news in your suburb

The next meeting of the

Bilgola Plateau Probus

Club will be held on Friday 7

February commencing 10 am.

Guest speaker will be Nicholas

Cowdery, who will relate

his working life as Director

of NSW Public Prosecutions.

Visitors welcome; morning

tea afterwards. More info call

Shelley (0415 538 864).

Newport Probus Club

members will next meet

on Thursday 6 February at

the Newport Bowling Club

(commencing 10am). Guest

speaker will be Paul Kearney

who will present the History

of Rock and Roll in the 1960s.

(Paul presented the history

of the 1950s last winter and

members requested a return

visit.) Visitors welcome;

anyone who wishes to attend

please call Phil Butcher (0413

046 370).

The next meeting of

Pittwater Men’s Probus

Club will be on Tuesday

11 February at Mona Vale

Surf Club (commencing at

10am). Guest speaker will be

club member Gunter Schaule

who will explain how Crypto

Currency and Blockchain

work, even without banks

and governments. Visitors

welcome; more info Terry

Larke (0412 220 820). Also,

congratulations to member

Allan Woods (pictured) who

turned 100 on 27 November

2024. The Club celebrated

Allan’s birthday during their

December Meeting, with

President Stephen McRobie

sharing the many highlights

of Allan’s life.

Avalon Ladies Probus

Club will next meet on 4

February at Club Palm Beach

(commencing 11am). This

year the Committee is making

plans for excursions to

the Nepean River, Bathurst,

as well as local outings to

Patonga and its annual picnic

at Clareville. At their last

meeting in 2024, Bev Wilson

received a Lifetime Membership

Award. Bev joined the

Club in 2011 and has acted

as Treasurer from 2012.


Narrabeen Lakes Probus

Club is on Wednesday, 26

February at Narrabeen Baptist

Church. Speaker Michelle

Moffat will talk on Artificial

Intelligence (AI), how it is

used and its risks. Doors

open at 9.45am for 10am

meeting. For more info call/

text 0424 464 047.


Combined Probus Club of

Mona Vale will be held on

Tuesday, 18 February in the

auditorium at Pittwater RSL

Club (from 10am). Guest

speaker will be Diana Pheils,

who has been entertaining

audiences up and down the

Peninsula with her Theatre

Talks for U3A for almost

10 years. Originally trained

as an actress at NIDA she

continued her training in

Drama at the Guildhall

School of Music and Drama,

London. For over 30 years

she has taught, directed

and acted in Theatre as well

as taught Communication

skills throughout the UK and

Sydney. Visitors welcome;

membership enquiries call

Barry (0435 010 367).

Dan Giles, the General

Manager from Easylink Community

Transport, will be

the guest speaker at the

next meeting of the Palm

Beach and Peninsula Probus

Club at Club Palm Beach

on Wednesday 19 February

(commencing 9.45am).

Easylink is a registered

provider under the National

Disability Insurance Scheme

(NDIS) and My Aged Care.

Dan will inform members

and guests about the bus

services available to assist

you to go on shopping trips,

doctors’ appointments plus

‘mystery drives’. The cost

of the transport depends

on if you are registered

with My Aged Care or if you

are disadvantaged due to

financial, physical, cognitive

or geographic reasons. Visitors

welcome; more info and

guest speaker enquiries to

Julie Bertoldo (0418 272 214).

Kontrak defines

loan agreements

Kontrak Social is an innovative

Australian app designed

to simplify peer-to-peer lending

and borrowing. Created

by Blake McKenzie and Mat

Peden, the app aims to foster

growth and prevent relationship

breakdowns caused by

informal lending agreements.

Users can lend or borrow

items, cash, or even arrange

property access, with the app

handling the documentation

and tracking of the loan. The

creators say the platform is

particularly beneficial for

those who lack access to traditional

forms of finance, or

without material wealth, such

as newly arrived immigrants,

students, or individuals

starting small businesses.

The app offers a user-friendly

interface where lenders and

borrowers can quickly agree

on terms, set repayment

schedules, and enter into a

digital contract. This ensures

clarity and reduces misunderstandings,

making the

lending process smoother and

more reliable. Kontrak Social

also allows users to log promises

and other non-monetary

agreements. The app is available

on Android and iPhone;

head to kontrak.social

February acts

for The Shack

The Shack Live Music Club is

held on the first Saturday of

each month at the Ted Blackwood

Hall at Warriewood.

February’s show features

three live music acts in a

Continued on page 36

34 FEBRUARY 2025


Halvorsen anniversary

In January, a gathering of 16 historic Halvorsen vessels

were showcased at the wharves of the Australian National

Maritime Museum at Darling Harbour, to mark 100 years

since Norwegian boatbuilder Lars Halvorsen, his wife Bergithe

and their family immigrated to Australia.

The family’s legacy is legendary, as is the connection to

Pittwater. Between 1925 and 1980, Lars Halvorsen Sons built

1300 vessels (pictured is ‘Silver Cloud’), with many more

built independently by Bjarne, Magnus and Trygve.

After World War II the family built and operated the

famous fleet of hire boats from Bobbin Head, introducing

boating to many people who lacked easy access to waters.

Halvorsen’s boatyard became famous for their sports and

bridge deck cruisers, racing yachts, defence vessels and

mission craft.

Today you can hire and self-drive the Halvorsen 36’ ‘Kangaroo’

for a Pittwater getaway from Church Point Charters

at Newport.

News


FEBRUARY 2025 35

Pittwater News

Continued from page 34

cabaret candlelit atmosphere

with BYO food and drinks for

an affordable night out.

The concert on Saturday 1

features Azadoota, Tin Pan

Alley Katz and Steve Turner.

Tickets $30 at shackfolk.com

or cash at the door (no wi-fi).

Computer Pals

need volunteers

Have you recently retired

and keen for a way to feel

connected and pass on the

knowledge you have acquired

over the years? Why not volunteer

at Computer Pals for

Seniors Northern Beaches Inc.

Situated at the Tramshed Arts

& Community Centre on Pittwater

Road at Narrabeen, they

are a not-for-profit organisation

helping seniors navigate

the wonderful world of technology.

They are interested

in anyone who can spare 2-3

hours a week to teach on a

one-on-one basis, with a focus

on Android/Apple tablets

and phones, Apple/Microsoft

laptops and Chromebook.

More information call 0478

920 651 or email training.

compalsnb@gmail.com

Continued on page 38

News

Club’s hopes for new home

Four years after fire destroyed

its clubhouse and

storage facilities and now

entering its 120th anniversary

year, Narrabeen Lakes Sailing

Club is hopeful that local

community support can help

deliver them a new Clubhouse

by the end of the year.

Publicity Officer David

Loomes explained that following

the fire in November

2021 all sailing craft had to be

transported to the lake each

Sunday; Council stepped up to

provide shipping containers

which gave storage space but

not any all-weather meeting

space.

However, Council has no

funds to build a replacement

building so the Club is now

looking at the alternative of

modular construction, similar

to the one built by the Balgowlah

Suns Junior AFL Club at

Balgowlah Oval.

David reports their summer

holiday sailing school

was well attended and highly

successful.

Their 2025 sailing season

commences on Sunday 2 February;

a day of celebration is

planned from 11am, with an

Anniversary regatta at 1pm.

*More info narrabeenlakessailingclub.com

36 FEBRUARY 2025


Relive Good Old Days of Rock

F

ive icons of the early days of the Australian Rock ’n’ Roll

scene will unite for a memorable matinee concert and

walk down memory lane at The Concourse, Chatswood on

Sunday 2 March.

‘The Good Old Days Of Rock ’n’ Roll’ will relive the ‘Bandstand’

days and feature Little Pattie, Dinah Lee, Jade Hurley,

Lucky Starr and Digger Revell.

Relive hits from the original hitmakers including Little

Pattie’s ‘He’s My Blonde Headed, Stompie Wompie, Real Gone

Surfer Boy’ (which drew inspiration from The Stomp surf

dance craze); Dinah Lee’s ‘Don’t You Know Yockomo’, ‘Reet

Petite’ (both international No 1 hits for New Zealand’s first

expat star); Country Hall of Famer Lucky Starr’s iconic ‘I’ve

Been Everywhere Man’; plus Jade Hurley (dubbed ‘Australia’s

King of Country Rock’ by Johnny O’Keefe) and pioneer Digger

Revell.

*Performance is 11am matinee; bookings and info call

8075 8111 or visit theconcourse.com.au

News


FEBRUARY 2025 37

News

Pittwater News

Continued from page 36

$450,000 Pittwater

Community grants

State Independent MP Jacqui

Scruby is urging eligible

community groups including

sporting clubs to apply for a

share of the $450,000 in NSW

Government grants available

in Pittwater. Incorporated

not-for-profit community

organisations can apply for

grants of between $10,000

and $100,000, with applications

closing on 21 February.

“This amount of money

can provide a huge boost

for the community. It can

used for building, refurbishing

or repairing community

infrastructure, or for buying

freestanding equipment or

vehicles, facilities and equip-

ment,” explained Ms Scruby.

Since 2009, the program has

awarded more than $464

million to more than 20,900

projects across the state. “My

office is there if you need

further help with your application,”

added Ms Scruby. Successful

organisations will be

announced later in 2025.

Help others

improve English

Literacy Network, a not-forprofit

organisation of more

than 40 years’ standing, is

seeking volunteer tutors

to pair with an adult who

is looking to improve their

English. No prior experience in

teaching is required. Six weeks

of training will commence

in March on Tuesday mornings

from 9.30am to 12.30pm.

The coordinators will then

match you with a student at a

mutually convenient time and

place. The average weekly time

commitment is two hours a

week, but that is flexible. More

info literacynetwork.org.au or

contact the coordinators on

0460 803 699.

Once in a lifetime?

A group of well-known Australian

musicians will come

together at Avalon RSL on

8 February to celebrate the

legacy of iconic band Talking

Heads. The band includes Ilan

Kidron (The Potbelleez), Robyn

Loau (Girlfriend), Miranda

Carey, Jak Housden (The Whitlams),

Seb Bartels, Jonathan

Zwartz, Hamish Stuart, and

Sensors tracking urban heat

Shannon Graham. More info

avalonrsl.com.au

Tilly launches Fiji

swimwear drive

A compassionate community

initiative is underway

thanks to 13-year-old Surf

Rescue Certificate (SRC)

member Tilly Cooper, who

is spearheading a Swimwear

Clothing Drive to support the

children of Tagaqe Village in

Fiji. During a recent family

holiday, Tilly observed a

pressing need for appropriate

swimwear for the local

children, who often swim

in their school uniforms or

everyday clothes due to a

lack of suitable attire. Tilly

has organised the Upper

Northern Beaches SLSC Swim-

Northern Beaches Council and Western

Sydney University installed heat

sensors to measure temperatures in 30

locations across Brookvale over summer

in an effort to develop strategies to

cool our suburbs and improve the local

environment.

The heat sensors, small electronic

devices housed within aluminium

cans, were installed in public trees, tied

securely with a cable tie. The sensors

have been collecting temperature data

at 10-minute intervals over a 3-month

period, which concludes in February.

Northern Beaches Mayor Sue Heins

said Council was committed to creating

a cooler and more sustainable environment

for our community.

“We need to better understand the

impact of heat and find ways to reduce

urban heat,” Mayor Heins said.

“This project will help us understand

local heat and hot spots and mitigate

urban heat through future greening

strategies, like planting trees, ensuring

a healthier, more comfortable living environment

for our residents,” she said.

Brookvale has one of the lowest tree

canopy coverages (21%) in the LGA, and

experiences high urban heat (over 9°C

above reference temperature). Much of

the industrial and mixed-use areas have

less than 10 per cent tree cover.

The Greening Strategy will inform planning

controls to increase urban tree canopy

along streets, public open spaces and

as part of new buildings, while maintaining

suitable access for vehicles within the

industrial precincts. This methodology

can also be flowed on to other low-canopy

locations to obtain informative data.

38 FEBRUARY 2025


South Creek rehabilitation

Eight sites along more

than 4.6km of South

Creek from Beacon Hill

down to Narrabeen Lagoon

will undergo bush regeneration

and creek stabilisation

works over the

next three years to help

safeguard the biodiversity

and ecological integrity of

the creek.

The first task will

include targeted weed

control and revegetation

at various sites along the

creek, followed by bed

and bank stabilisation

works. The final aspect of

the project will be the removal of sediment

between the creek and the wetlands at St

Matthews Farm Reserve to improve flows.

The project has been made possible thanks

to a $1.68 million grant from the Australian

Government’s Natural Heritage Trust, with

the support of Northern Beaches Council.

Senator for NSW and Special Envoy for

wear Clothing Drive, calling

for donations of gently used

or new swimwear, rashies,

board shorts, and t-shirts.

Donation boxes have been

placed at Pittwater surf clubs

and will be collected after 9

February.

Scamps urges

Tibet earthquake aid

Mackellar MP Dr Sophie

Scamps has called on the

Australian Government to

urgently send independent aid

and rescue teams to Tibet as it

deals with a 7.1-sized earthquake

which struck on January

7. Chinese state media reported

at least 126 Tibetans died,

more than 188 were injured

and around 1,000 houses were

damaged in the quake. With

Australia’s largest Tibetan

community living in the electorate

of Mackellar, Dr Scamps

Disaster Recovery, Tony

Sheldon said: “Sadly, our

urban waterways have

faced challenges from

pollution, overdevelopment,

and climate change.

But with the Albanese

Government’s $200 million

Urban Rivers and

Catchments Program,

we’re making it clear that

the health of our rivers is

non-negotiable.

“Almost $1.7 million in

funding for South Creek

is vital to restoring its

habitat and supporting

native species that depend

on it. This is a win for both the Mackellar

community and their environment.”

The creek (upper section, pictured) has

7.8 hectares areas of wetlands and threatened

ecological communities and is home to

several threatened animal species including

both the Large and Little Bent-wing Bat and

the Powerful Owl.

– LO

said it was vital the Albanese

Government assisted with a

rescue and recovery mission.

“The Government needs to

offer desperately needed food,

water and other essentials to

relieve the widespread suffering

in Tibet,” she said. Dr

Scamps also urged Chinese

authorities not to censor the

sharing of information and

images of the disaster with the

international community.

Vet

on call

with Dr Brown

Bringing a new puppy or

kitten into your home is an

exciting and heartwarming

experience. These early months

are full of playful moments,

adorable antics, and lots of cuddles.

But just like human babies,

young pets need special care,

regular health checks, and preventative

treatments to ensure

they grow into strong, happy,

and healthy adults.

At Sydney Animal Hospitals,

we’re passionate about giving

puppies and kittens the best

possible start in life. Until the

end of February your puppy or

kitten will receive:

• A free Puppy & Kitten Health

Check – our experienced veterinarians

will assess your pet’s

weight, growth, eyes, ears, skin,

teeth, and overall wellbeing to

ensure they are developing

properly.

• A free First Heartworm

Prevention Treatment for

puppies – Heartworm disease

is a serious and potentially fatal

condition spread by mosquitoes.

Puppies must start prevention

early.

• A free Dental Check – Did

you know that 80% of dogs

and cats over three years old

have dental disease? Early

dental check-ups help prevent

problems.

• Nutritional Advice – Puppies

and kittens have very

different dietary needs compared

to adult pets. Our team

will provide tailored nutrition

advice based on breed, size and

lifestyle.

• Parasite Prevention Guidance

– Fleas, ticks, and intestinal

worms are common threats

to young pets. We’ll guide

owners on the best parasite

prevention plan.

Early check-ups can: Identify

potential health concerns

early before they become serious;

ensure your pet is growing

and developing correctly with

the right diet and exercise;

provide essential vaccinations to

protect against deadly diseases

like parvovirus, distemper, and

feline herpesvirus; and prevent

parasites such as fleas, ticks,

and worms that can cause longterm

health issues.

Make an appointment today.

News


FEBRUARY 2025 39

Sporting Life

Sporting Life

Avalon SC eyes bigger, better 2025

While the wet weather

posed challenges

throughout 2024, the spirit of

Avalon Soccer Club’s players,

volunteers, coaches, and supporters

never wavered. With

2024 behind them, they all

look forward to a new football

season in 2025 – one they

hope will be bigger, better –

and most importantly, drier!

Club President John Kowtan

(JK) said player numbers

last year were very strong

with approximately 1,200

registrations across 90 teams.

Of those, 950 were Juniors

and Youth, while 250 were

Seniors.

“Our youngest members,

particularly in the U6/U7

groups, continue to make

up a significant portion of

our club’s future,” said JK.

“But the story doesn’t end

there: we also proudly saw

an impressive increase in

female participation. With

PREMIERS: Avalon’s W13/2 – League Champions and Grand Final winners.

411 registered female players,

over a third of our club’s

members are girls and women

– a statistic we continue to

celebrate and aim to grow

each year.”

JK noted that behind this

success was the unwavering

support of sponsors, including

major sponsor LJ Hooker

whose partnership remains

vital in helping Avalon SC to

continue to thrive.

“A huge thank you to

LJ Hooker and our other

sponsors,” said JK. “And I

also want to express deep

gratitude to our tireless

committee, VPs, age

coordinators, managers,

coaches and all the volunteers

who make the club run.

Without their hard work and

dedication, we simply could

not achieve all that we do.”

Last season saw some

exciting developments on the

field. Two new competitions

were introduced: a revamped

format for W12/U12s and the

debut of W7s, responding to

the growing interest from girls

eager to play football.

On the competitive

front, ‘The Mighty Reds’

proudly celebrated results

including 17 Semi-Finalists,

8 Grand Finalists – and 4

Grand Final Winners. “These

accomplishments are a

testament to the hard work

and dedication of all involved,”

said JK.

The Club will once again

kick off the year with the

3-way Club Challenge, where

junior and youth teams get

the chance to face off against

neighbouring clubs Pittwater

and Narrabeen before the

official season begins.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity

for our teams to prepare

and bond ahead of the full

competition.

“Off the field, we’ve continued

to make strides with

Northern Beaches Council to

improve our beloved Careel

Bay facilities. Several upgrades

have already been

made, including the installation

of a new dog fence, field

improvements and car park

maintenance. However, there’s

more work to be done. We will

continue pushing for decisions

on our long-term development

plans for Careel Bay, ensuring

that our facilities meet the

needs of our growing member

base.”

JK said that looking ahead,

the Club was excited to drive

forward its Project 2030 plan –

but called on members of the

community to pitch in to help

achieve the vision.

“This ambitious vision will

focus on four key pillars:

Football Development, Club

Infrastructure, Sponsorship

& Marketing, and Member

Services,” he said. “But we

need your help! Our current

committee is stretched thin,

and to make this vision

a reality, we need new

volunteers to join us.

“Whether you’re interested

in lending a hand with football

development, infrastructure

projects, or helping us

expand our sponsorship and

marketing efforts, there is a

place for you. Together, we

can continue to build a club

that serves the community

and leaves a lasting legacy.

“Being part of Avalon Soccer

Club is more than just playing

the game: it’s about contributing

to a vibrant, passionate

community and feeling a

sense of pride in wearing the

famous red Avalon jersey. Together,

we represent our club,

our families, and the sport we

love.

“We look forward to seeing

you all at Careel Bay in 2025

for another exciting year of

football. As we say: ‘Avalon is

Magic!’.” – Nigel Wall

*More info avalonsoccerclub.

com.au

40 FEBRUARY 2025


Hot Property

Homes with lots of upside to add value

These three properties are ready to enjoy now while promising potential for adding value

or complete transformation. By Lisa Offord

This beachside cottage at 29 Myola Road Newport has been

cherished by the same family for close to 30 years. Selling agents

say the classic beach house presents a “remarkable opportunity”

sitting on a rare 885sqm flat block footsteps from the sand and

surf within Newport’s esteemed ‘Golden Triangle’. With a practical

well-proportioned layout set over one level, the charming home

has timber floors, high ceilings, picture rails and a soothing

colour palette. There are four bedrooms, separate lounge and

dining areas, a gas kitchen and an updated bathroom dressed in

relaxed coastal themes. Outside there’s an abundance of space

to relax and entertain in, with a large deck and deep established

gardens and endless potential to create a new home in an

exclusive beach-side setting (STCA). Contact Thomas Mackay at LJ

Hooker Avalon Beach.

Hot Property

Located just a 450-metre walk from the sand of Mona Vale Beach,

the selling agent of this versatile home at 1625 Pittwater Road

Mona Vale says it offers a blend of lifestyle, investment potential,

and opportunity for growth. With a flexible layout, newly renovated

interiors and a separate self-contained granny flat, it’s ideal for

families or investors alike. This home combines modern updates with

functional design and scope to add further value. There’s a brandnew

shaker-style kitchen, three generously sized bedrooms and

multiple living areas, A sunlit eastern terrace and a private rear deck

make entertaining effortless. A separately metered granny flat with its

own entrance offers flexibility for rental income or extended family

living. There’s a lock-up garage, plus off-street parking for three cars

and two storage sheds. Contact Matt McEwan at Cunninghams.

This architecturally designed, four-bedroom home plus selfcontained

accommodation at 21 Waterview Street Mona Vale

exudes contemporary coastal style with exceptional finishes. The

tropical retreat features a deep, covered timber deck, overlooking

a low-maintenance landscaped garden. The sleek kitchen is lightfilled,

opening to the deck and flowing to the dining and living

areas. There’s a luxurious parents’ retreat on the upper level

and a roomy second living area is perfect for a home theatre,

extra bedroom, or large office, with a versatile adjoining storage

space. All three ground-floor bedrooms have built-in robes and

ceiling fans. The home comes with DA-approved self-contained

accommodation with an expansive 40 sqm floorplan and private

access and DA approved plans for a pool, extra deck and carport.

Contact Amy Young at Laing + Simmons Avalon Beach.

42 FEBRUARY 2025


Health & Wellbeing

Health & Wellbeing

ALL SMILES: Kylie

and Charlie at

a milestone

moment during

the family’s

surrogacy journey

with Henry.

PHOTO: Minya Rose

Kylie’s journey

Bayview local Kylie Faulkner shares her experience with

pregnancy-induced heart failure to raise awareness of the

condition, drive support for more research and advocate

to make the quality of care she received more accessible.

Super fit and surrounded

by friends and family,

Kylie Faulkner and her

husband John were in peak

health preparing to welcome

their baby into the world.

“We have always eaten well

and enjoyed an active lifestyle

– when I was pregnant, I ran

most days along the foreshore

from Bayview to Church

Point up until 20 weeks, then

I switched to spin classes at

Fitness First Mona Vale,” Kylie

said.

“I was working full-time, in

the middle of a home renovation

and excited about being

a mother and although I was

starting to feel tired and a bit

breathless and puffy, I put the

symptoms down to being a

normal part of pregnancy.”

Then one day while at work

Kylie felt uncomfortably “on

edge”.

“I couldn’t sit still, I felt like

I’d had 15 coffees, so I took

myself to the nearest hospital

at Macquarie to get checked

out,” Kylie said.

“I can still remember the

young GP’s hand shaking

when she was taking my pulse

– she told me she needed

to call my obstetrician who

requested I go to Royal North

Shore Hospital.”

Kylie’s heart rate was alarmingly

high – 185 beats per

minute. Not realising the seriousness

of her condition Kylie

drove herself to St Leonards

where doctors ran some tests,

told her her baby was fine,

but that she would need to be

monitored weekly.

“At first the team thought

44 FEBRUARY 2025


raises awareness for heart health

my heart was okay but in the

following weeks my heart

function began to decline.

That’s when my obstetrician

Anne MacGibbon started talking

about an early caesarean,”

she said.

At 32 weeks pregnant, Kylie’s

heart scans looked stable, however

the following day Dr Mac-

Gibbon called – there had been

a mix-up with the test results

and it was found Kylie’s heart

function had actually dropped

substantially; Kylie needed to

get to the hospital immediately

to prepare for her baby to be

delivered in the coming days.

Oblivious to the danger she

was in and focussing on carrying

her baby for as long as

possible, Kylie promised she

would take it easy.

Her doctor’s response could

not have been clearer.

“She said ‘we need you to

come to the hospital now –

the biggest risk to the baby is

if we lose you, and right now

that’s a very real possibility’.”

Doctors diagnosed Kylie with

peri-partum cardiomyopathy

(PPCM): a rare, life-threatening

condition where pregnancy

hormones attack the heart

muscle, sending the mother

into heart failure in the last

few weeks of pregnancy or the

months following delivery.

Early delivery is the most

effective treatment for PPCM

– currently there is no formal

medication for the condition.

Research on PPCM focuses

on understanding the causes,

developing treatments and

improving outcomes.

Baby Charlotte was delivered

safely by C-section six

weeks early.

“Looking back, I had the

most wonderful pregnancy

and experienced a beautiful

birth and a healthy baby; I was

so wrapped up in everything

that I didn’t really think about

me,” Kylie said.

It wasn’t until Kylie met with

family friend and cardiologist

Associate Professor Lynne

Pressley that she fully comprehended

her situation.

“Lynne is very direct, which I

really appreciated. She said 30

per cent of women with PPCM

won’t survive, 30 per cent will

fully recover and the rest will

recover fully or partially. While

they were hopeful they had

caught it in time it was too

early to know which outcome I

could expect.”

Kylie was taken under of the

wing of cardiologist Dr Jacqueline

Harris who has supported

Kylie as her health stabilised.

It took six months before

Kylie had enough strength to

leave the house confidently

on her own and 18 months for

her heart to function consistently

within normal ranges on

medication.

Now seven years on, Kylie

and John, a veterinarian, are

busier than ever and vibrant

Charlie has been joined by

Henry, born via surrogate

three and a half years ago.

“John and I always wanted

a big family and when Charlie

was 18 months old, we explored

our options – it wasn’t

safe for me to carry another

child. It was Jacquie who suggested

we explore surrogacy…

a truly humbling and incredible

experience,” Kylie said.

Kylie manages her health

with medication, yoga, weights

and running… “but my doctor

has set a strict 25km limit”.

The family enjoys the Northern

Beaches outdoor lifestyle and a

healthy diet but “like everyone,

we have the odd frantic weeknight

when Maccas is absolutely

on the menu!” – Lisa Offord

* For heart awareness month

‘REDFEB’, Heart Research

Australia has launched an

on-demand webinar ‘Healthy

Heart, Sharp Mind: 4 Simple

Steps to Improving Heart &

Brain Health’. For more infovisit

heartresearch.com.au

Health & Wellbeing


FEBRUARY 2025 45

Health & Wellbeing

with Rowena Beckenham

Health & Wellbeing

School is back! And it’s time

to get the kids’ eyes tested

As the first term of

school gets underway,

it’s time to breathe a

sigh of relief. You’ve reached

this far with (hopefully) happy,

healthy, and thriving kids

thanks to your care and support.

But have you thought

about their vision?

Data shows 80 per cent of

classroom learning is visual

– and this means poor vision

can substantially impact a

child’s development and scholastic

performance. Myopia,

known as short-sightedness,

is the most common vision

condition in children and it’s

on the rise. Currently, around

one in three children will be

shortsighted by the time they

reach adolescence, and it’s estimated

that more than 50 per

cent of the global population

will be myopic by 2050.

Visiting a trusted optometrist

regularly ensures your

children’s vision can be monitored

and any issues detected

early, which is crucial for early

intervention to stop or slow

disease progression. Early detection

is also crucial as each

year of delay in developing

myopia significantly reduces

the risk of a child developing

high myopia in adulthood.

High myopia leads to a

greater risk of developing

sight-threatening complications

in adulthood; these

include myopic maculopathy,

glaucoma, cataracts, and

retinal detachment, all of

which can lead to significantly

reduced vision or blindness.

However, it’s not just myopia

we’re looking for; optometrists

will assess for other

conditions such as hyperopia

(longsightedness), amblyopia

(lazy eye), eye coordination

problems and tracking skills,

in addition to eye health

concerns.

We recommend that children

have their eyes tested

regularly, even if there are

seemingly no signs or symptoms

of visual abnormality.

Kids should have their first

eye test before they start

school, and then every two to

three years as they progress

through their primary and

high school journeys as the

demands on vision change.

Unfortunately, in Australia,

30 per cent of Aussie kids

have never had their eyes tested.

As a parent it is important

to be proactive. Children may

not realise they see things a

bit differently to those around

them because they don’t know

any different. This means that

if they’re struggling to read

or focus in the classroom they

may not mention it, and poor

vision can sometimes present

as behavioural issues. Additionally

in some cases, as with

pre-myopia, there may be no

symptoms at all.

Regular eye exams set your

child up to thrive. Good vision

lays the foundations for learning,

social interaction, and

development. Book your kids

in for an eye exam to start

their year off right.

If you have concerns about

your child’s vision, or just

think it’s time for a check-up,

book them an appointment

to see one of our friendly

optometrists – and note that

children’s eye examinations

are covered under Medicare.

Rowena has been practising

at Beckenham Optometrist in

Avalon for 25 years. Whether

it be in Avalon alongside

valued colleagues Rebecca

Thompson and Stephanie

Ng, teaching eyecare

nurses and teachers in a

remote clinic in rural Sumba

Indonesia, or helping direct

the future of independent

optometry in her role

as Chair of the board of

Provision, the passion for

vision, eyes and the people

behind the eyes is there.

46 FEBRUARY 2025


Health & Wellbeing

with Peter Rule

Health & Wellbeing

Lunchbox tips to boost kids’

wellness throughout the day

Food plays a vital role in

our general wellbeing, with

fresh organic fruit and vegetables,

plenty of quality water

as well as probiotic-rich foods

a priority in our daily intake.

This is even more important

for our little ones, as fuel for

development, energy, mood

imbalances, irritability and immune

health is reliant on good

nutrition – as well as plenty of

rest hydration.

If your child is experiencing

food intolerances, allergies,

mood imbalances or just a fussy

eater consider the following.

Sore Tummies

Food intolerances, anxiety,

lack of movement and hydration,

as well as an overload

of sugar can contribute to an

uncomfortable stomach-ache

and poor digestion.

Probiotics are essential – and

may help boost and balance the

gut’s good bacteria, which aids

in digestion, nutrient absorption,

and mood. Whilst food

choices are optimal (plenty of

yoghurt and fermented foods)

we often need a high dose or

find it hard to get enough into

our little one’s daily intake.

That’s where quality supplements

come in – either in live

cultures or food-based additions.

Protein

Poor concentration, slowed

growth, and lowered immunity

A

tranquil new wellness space

helping people to manage

their health from the inside out

has opened in Narrabeen.

Led by nutritionist Kylie Dowling,

the Inside Out Wellness

Hub specialises in gut health

– investigating imbalances and

health issues and creating individualised

treatment plans.

“A healthy gut is foundational

to overall wellbeing,” Kylie says.

“By focussing on the connection

could benefit from additional

protein into your little one’s

diet. This helps to keep them

feeling full for longer whilst

providing their cells with the

fuel to grow big and strong!

If diet alone is not enough,

a simple protein supplement

added to their smoothie or

baked muffin can do wonders.

Ensure you are choosing a

child friendly option or speak

to us in-store.

Omegas & DHA

Omega 3 fatty acids (found in

oily fish, nuts, flaxseed, chia

seeds) are incredibly important

for cognitive function

and muscular development.

Omegas are one of the top

food groups to get into your

child’s diet and can assist with

ADHD symptoms to help with

memory, attention, learning

difficulties and hyperactivity.

Allergy and asthma sufferers

as well as children experiencing

sleep difficulties could also

benefit from increased Omega

3 in their diet.

Parasite cleanse

Something that a lot of people

don’t talk about enough – we

all have parasites that infect

our body systems throughout

life. These can drain our

energy and affect mood, with

possible symptoms such as:

irritability, difficulty sleeping,

itchy bottom, excessive cravings

for sugary foods.

Lunchbox inspo

It can feel like ground hog

day putting together the daily

lunchbox, ensuring the balance

of healthy foods that our

kids will eat! Our tips for this

year include mixing up the

fresh fruit and veg options.

Cut into easy to hold and bite

veggie sticks and use a variety

of colours. Why not add a little

hummus for dipping, which

is packed with protein, fibre,

iron and folate.

Pick up some premade

veggie bites; also swap out

the potato chips for colourful

veggie chips, popcorn or try

seaweed snacks for iodine.

Try wraps instead of bread for

sandwiches... there are plenty

of gluten free and allergen

friendly options.

Jerky sticks are very popular

right now and kids will love

the iron/energy boost!

We want to fuel their minds

and bodies to keep them active

and happy, without the

over stimulation of processed

and sugar-loaded foods.

*Peter Rule is a qualified

naturopath at Flannerys

Organic & Wholefood Market

at Mona Vale. Flannerys’

naturopaths provide

complimentary advice

on health and wellbeing,

including children’s health.

They can also give lunchbox

tips and tricks to get more

veggies into your little

one’s diet! Visit the team or

website Flannerys.com.au

for the latest Wellbeing Hub

Naturopath video.

New Narrabeen hub for gut health

between gut health and overall

vitality, we aim to empower

clients on their wellness journeys.”

With a decade of clinical

experience Kylie’s approach

includes functional testing, dietary

guidance, nutritional and

lifestyle support all grounded

in the philosophy of “food as

medicine”.

“Our services focus on uncovering

and addressing the root

cause of health concerns and

promoting impactful, long-term

change,” she said.

“By addressing imbalances at

their source, we support clients

in moving beyond temporary

fixes to experience true vitality.”

Unique and highly personailised

programs are created

to help clients address stress,

fatigue, energy levels, sleep

and immunity; cleansing to

help support the digestive

system, immuity and balance

hormones; digestive wellness,

bloating, inflammatory bowel

disease, constipation, irritable

bowel syndrome, diarrhoea,

food intolerances, leaky gut,

dysbiosis, coeliac disease; fertility

and pregnancy; hormonal

health; mental health; arthritis;

autoimmunue disease; weight

management; skin issues and

chronic diseases such as high

48 FEBRUARY 2025


Hair & Beauty

with Sue Carroll

Take time to evaluate your

rejuvenation goals for 2025

As the school holidays

end and the year begins

in earnest, February

feels like the perfect time to

reset. Whether you started

fresh in January or are recalibrating

now, it’s a great

opportunity to reflect on

your goals, especially when it

comes to health, wellness, and

skincare.

Your skin, the body’s largest

organ, requires regular care

to remain vibrant and healthy.

Skin fitness relies on three

pillars:

1. Lifestyle: A balanced diet,

regular exercise, and quality

sleep.

2. Personalised Home Care:

Consistent morning and evening

skincare routines.

3. Professional Treatments:

Regular visits to a skincare

professional for customised

treatments.

Without a strong foundation

of healthy habits and home

care, professional treatments

may not deliver optimal

results. Think of in-clinic treatments

as a “boot camp” for

your skin, designed to tackle

specific concerns and revitalise

your complexion.

In-Clinic Treatments:

High-Touch Meets High-Tech

Professional treatments

range from relaxing facials,

complete with face, neck,

and shoulder massages, to

advanced therapies such as:

• IPL (Intense Pulsed Light)

• Microneedling

• Tixel Therapy

• Radiofrequency

• Serum Infusions

Combining traditional and

high-tech approaches ensures

your skin remains active and

responsive. Like muscles requiring

varied exercises, skin

thrives on diverse treatments

for continued improvement.

Role of Toning Lotions

Toning lotions are an oftenoverlooked

step in skincare

routines, but they are invaluable,

especially in summer.

Key benefits include:

• Debris Removal: Clear

traces of cleanser, makeup,

and dead skin.

• Hydration: Combat transepidermal

water loss with

moisture-binding properties.

• Antioxidant Support:

Protect against environmental

stressors.

• pH Balance: Maintain the

skin’s natural barrier.

In the treatment room, toners

are used before enzyme

and acid peels, after extractions

for antibacterial support,

and during rejuvenating

treatments. At home, toning

lotions and spritzes can refresh

the skin throughout the

day, even over makeup. For

an extra boost, store lotions

in the fridge during summer

months.

Set Your Skincare

Goals for 2025

Take time to evaluate your

skincare goals for the year

ahead. Whether you aim to

improve hydration, rejuvenate

tired skin, or address specific

concerns, a customised plan

is essential. Consult your

skincare professional for personalised

advice—they’re here

to help you achieve your best

skin yet.

With the right balance of

home care, lifestyle adjustments,

and professional treatments,

you’ll be well on your

way to radiant, healthy skin in

2025.

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

Health Hair & Wellbeing Beauty

blood pressure, heart disease,

osteoporosis and diabetes.

Kylie is building a community

of health and wellness

professionals at the new hub

and is open to connecting with

practitioners who specialise in

lymphatic massage, acupunture,

gut hypnotherapy and

bodywork.

Appointments are available

six days a week for both clinical

nutrition consultations and

colon hydrotherapy.

*More info and bookings insideoutwellnesshub.com.au

SUPPORT: Kylie Dowling.


FEBRUARY 2025 49

Business Life: Money

with Brian Hrnjak

Business Life

‘Pay yourself first’ and other

psychologies on how to save

This month we look at

how leveraging some

basic psychology

can affect and positively

influence savings habits…

There was a timely article

in The Australian Financial

Review on 14 January by

wealth reporter Lucy Dean

titled ‘Wealthy people tend

to have mastered this simple

savings strategy’. The

article was timely because

as we know, January is New

Year resolution month –

particularly for wealth and

health topics.

In the article, the author

explored the ‘pay yourself

first’ approach to savings.

This is a subtle tweak

on regular investing that

encourages people to

identify, elevate and commit

to one or more savings goals.

Instead of banking your

salary, living your life and

then investing whatever

is left at the end of the

month, the pay-yourself-first

approach relies on you to

identify your primary goals

and then allocate funds to

them upfront, when your

pay is received each week,

fortnight or month.

The coaches and advisors

interviewed in this article

agreed that what you earn

is not a pointer to savings

success – there are plenty

of high-income earners out

there who live from pay to

pay, or, as we say in the

office – they’re broke at a

higher level.

The reason why this

approach tends to work

compared to the usual investwhatever-is-left

approach

comes down to having clear

goals and some human

psychology associated with

identifying and committing to

these goals.

A behavioural economist

interviewed for the article

expressed the importance

of goal setting: ‘By having

a goal and committing to it,

we don’t want to break our

own promise [by transferring

money back out of the

savings]… This loss aversion

type of idea helps us stick to

our goal and only spend what

we have in our budget.’

A financial coach in the

article stressed: ‘This is why

it’s important to really think

about how you name your

savings accounts. When you

have a name behind it, you

are making a commitment to

what that money is for.’

Identifying your personal

goals gives meaning, purpose

and commitment to the

saving process. Aside from

the importance of goal

setting, the other point

the article emphasised was

to start small and to be

prepared to tweak as you

go, leaving room to improve

rather than give up and fail

after the first hurdle.

The concept of payyourself-first

seems like a

technique that could motivate

some of us to be better

savers but it’s not something

that is really new. Scott

Pape the Barefoot Investor

talked about ‘buckets’ in his

bestselling books – there

were something like five of

them with bank accounts

linked to each bucket.

Just as the investment

50 FEBRUARY 2025


concept has to be easy to

understand the execution

also needs to be easy,

otherwise it all becomes too

hard and people will abandon

the strategy after only a short

period of trying. A financial

company that we have been

involved with since inception

appears to be able to deliver

on this idea efficiently and

effectively.

Raiz Invest, a fintech

listed on the ASX (RZI) is an

investment company that

has some 318,000 active

users and $1.6 billion in

funds under management.

Their product is available as

a download to smart phones

from the Apple and Android

app stores. Raiz users can

invest regular amounts

through deposits or ‘round

ups’ from spending and place

those funds into blended or

individual exchange traded

funds ranging from cash

to international shares,

Australian residential property

and even bitcoin up to a cap

of 5 per cent.

Raiz announced their ‘Jars’

update the day before this

article was published and

it seems to have been well

received by the user group. In

just over a week since launch

some 10,000 Jars have been

opened by users.

On their website, they

describe the feature: ‘Jars

in the Raiz app are your

personalised goals, designed

to help you stay organised

and on track. With up to

six Jars, you can allocate

funds for anything – house

renovations, school fees, or

even that tattoo sleeve you’ve

been planning! Each Jar can

have its own portfolio and

investment strategy, tailored

to your goals. Plus, you can

set up recurring investments

at a frequency that works for

you, making it easier than

ever to achieve your financial

dreams.’

The comment about saving

for a tattoo sleeve is probably

a giveaway that the app is

targeted towards younger

people, but I wouldn’t let that

put you off. Raiz also has a

significant number of older

users, typically those who

are unadvised and happy

to do things themselves.

It’s also the older users

that have flocked to the


kids account feature where

parents and grandparents

can open accounts for kids

and grandkids. There are

approximately 46,000 kids

accounts on the platform

that are actively saving and

investing and can be handed

over to the child any time

after their 18th birthday.

In case you were

wondering, you can have up

to six Jars in operation and

up to 8 kids accounts. If you

want to know a hack, kids

accounts look and operate

a lot like jars so that’s

potentially 14 sub-accounts

with their own individual

investment goals and

holdings that you can have

under one single user. All this

tech functionality is available

from an Australia-based, ASXlisted,

highly regulated and

properly licensed company

from your phone.

While I’m giving them a rap

for their functionality, it is

also worth knowing that their

balanced superannuation

option was ranked first by

SuperRatings in the top

10 balanced options to 31

December 2024 with a return

of 14.7%, outperforming

Hostplus index balanced

option and Colonial index

balanced fund.

The Raiz socially

responsible superannuation

option – the Emerald (SRI)

was also ranked first to 31

December 2024 with a return

of 16.9% outperforming

UniSuper and Aware Super.

It was also first over 5 years

with a return of 14.8%.

Disclosure: I have a Raiz

investment account and I also

have a shareholding in the

ASX listed company that owns

the Raiz platform.

Brian Hrnjak B Bus CPA (FPS) is

a Director of GHR Accounting

Group Pty Ltd, Certified Practising

Accountants. Office: Suite 12,

Ground Floor, 20 Bungan Street

Mona Vale NSW.

Phone: 02 9979-4300.

Web: ghr.com.au and altre.com.au

Email: brian@ghr.com.au

These comments are general

advice only and are not intended as

a substitute for professional advice.

This article is not an offer or

recommendation of any securities

or other financial products offered

by any company or person.

FEBRUARY 2025 51

Business Life

Trades & Services

Trades & Services

AIR CONDITIONING

Alliance Climate Control

Call 02 9186 4179

Air Conditioning & Electrical Professionals.

Specialists in Air Conditioning Installation,

Service, Repair & Replacement.

AIRPORT TRANSFERS

TeslaAirportTransfers

Call Ben 0405 544 311

New Tesla Model Y fleet; Airport transfer

Mona Vale ($129), Avalon ($139), Palmy ($149).

Guaranteed on-time pick-up.

ARCHITECTURAL PLANS

Cade Turner Design

Call Cade 0432 366 221

Award-winning designs. New homes, rebuilds

and additions; renovations and extensions

plus Granny Flats & Studios. Award-winning

designs.

BATTERIES

Battery Business

Call 9970 6999

Batteries for all applications. Won’t be beaten on

price or service. Free testing, 7 days.

BUILDING

Careel Bay Constructions

Call Simon 0414 606 491

25+ years’ local experience specialising in

full bathroom renovations, custom kitchen/

joinery and full apartment renovations. Great

team of reliable subcontractors. Insta: @

Careelbayconstructions

CARPENTRY

Able Carpentry & Joinery

Call Cameron 0418 608 398

Avalon-based. Doors & locks, timber gates &

handrails, decking repairs and timber replacement.

Also privacy screens. 25 years’ experience. Lic:

7031C.

CAR SALE & REMOVAL

Cash for Cars

Call Wal 0425 304 475

Damaged, unregistered car on your property?

Will beat any offer from dealer; also free towaway

service.

CLEANING

Amazing Clean

Call Andrew 0412 475 287

Specialists in blinds, curtains and awnings.

Clean, repair, supply new.

DISCLAIMER: The editorial and advertising content in

Pittwater Life has been provided by a number of sources.

Any opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the

Editor or Publisher of Pittwater Life and no responsibility

is taken for the accuracy of the information contained

within. Readers should make their own enquiries

directly to any organisations or businesses prior to

making any plans or taking any action.

52 FEBRUARY 2025


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 Castro 9979 7292

Owner/operator of Northern Beaches Flooring

Centre. Owner/operator, Mona Vale. 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.

Abloom Landscapes

Call 0401 599 242

Local landscaper established 2003; design &

construction, horticulture & maintenance. TLA

Member.

Campos Tree Services

Call Paulo 0403 941 883

Over 20 years servicing Pittwater. All tree work

including stump grinding. Fully qualified team.

Precision Tree Services

Call Adam 0410 736 105

Adam Bridger; professional tree care by qualified

arborists and tree surgeons.

Whale Beach Lawns and Gardens

Call Jim 0414 411 131

Experienced local gardener servicing the

Peninsula for 20 years. Call now for all your lawn

and garden needs.

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 313 299

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.

JEWELLER

Gold ‘n’ Things

Call 9999 4991

Specialists in remodelling. On-premises

(Mona Vale) workshop for cleaning, repairing

(including laser welding), polishing. Family

owned for 40 years.

Trades & Services

Conscious Gardener Avalon

Call Matt 0411 750 791

Professional local team offering quality garden

maintenance, horticultural advice; also garden

makeovers.

Luxury Property

Maintenance

Call Luke: 0415 112 480

All maintenance inc hedge trimming, lawn

mowing, pressure cleaning, mulching + planting.

Melaleuca Landscapes

Call Sandy 0416 276 066

Professional design and construction for every

garden situation. Sustainable vegetable gardens

and waterfront specialist.


FEBRUARY 2025 53

Trades & Services

Trades & Services

KITCHENS

Collaroy Kitchen Centre

Call 9972 9300

Danish design excellence. Local beaches

specialists in kitchens, bathrooms and joinery.

Visit the showroom in Collaroy.

LAWNMOWING

NB Lawnmowing

Call Joe 0433 933 028

Reliable, local lawn cutting and tidy-up. Quality

work. Call today for a free quote.

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

Eco Expert

Call 0414 779 975

Ecopestexpert.com.au

Environmentally responsible & effective treatment

for cockroaches, spiders, fleas, ants, wasps,

rodents, possums, bed bugs & birds.

Predator Pest Control

Call 0417 276 962

predatorpestcontrol.com.au

Environmental services at their best. Comprehensive

control. Eliminate all manner of pests.

PLASTERING

Craig Florimo Plastering

Call Craig 0420 866 009

All aspects, specialising in ceilings, cornice,

walls, repairs (inc water damage), renovations,

insurance work. craigflorimo@hotmail.com

PLUMBING

Platinum Plumbers & Pipe

Relining

Call Rhys 0421 637 410

Northern Beaches Plumbers, all general

plumbing and specialists in blocked drains.

Total Pipe Relining

Call Josh 0423 600 455

Repair pipe problems without replacement.

Drain systems fully relined; 35 years’ guarantee.

Latest technology, best price.

REMOVALISTS / PACKING

NB Removals

Call Greg 0417 253 634

Owner/operator, Avalon-based. For local /

country / interstate requirements. Reputation

(30+) years built on excellence in furniture

removing. Trucks regularly upgraded.

Pack & Unpack U

Call Lynne 0414 988 919

Professional local ladies will pack and unpack

your clothes/belongings; also declutter and

organise your home.

RENOVATIONS

BlindLight

Call Dave 0403 466 350

Specialists in window tintings and glass

coatings. Act now as the weather gets hotter!

RUBBISH REMOVAL

Jack’s Rubbish Removals

Call Jack 0403 385 312

Up to 45% cheaper than skips. Latest health

regulations. Old-fashioned honesty & reliability.

Free quotes.

One 2 Dump

Call Josh 0450 712 779

Seven-days-a-week pick-up service includes

general household rubbish, construction,

commercial plus vegetation. Also car removals.

SLIDING DOOR REPAIRS

Beautiful Sliding

Door Repairs

Call 0407 546 738

Fix anything that slides in your home; door

specialists – wooden / aluminium. Free quote.

Same-day repair; 5-year warranty.

UPHOLSTERY

Luxafoam North

Call 0414 468 434

Local specialists in all aspects of outdoor &

indoor seating. Custom service, expert advice.

WINDOW CLEANING

Local Window Cleaning

Call Simon 0406 389 841

Free quote; Mona Vale-based window cleaning microdetails

specialist. Reasonable price, no subcontractor,

the owner does it himself. Fully insured.

54 FEBRUARY 2025


Trades & Services


FEBRUARY 2025 55

Times Past

Times Past

Before sun set on Sunrise Cottage

Palm Beach founding family

member Peter Verrill

recalls that back in 1911

his father Fred and his grandfather

came down to build

a house for the surveyors to

live in while they re-surveyed

the fledgling suburb for its

first land sale in January

1912.

Fred recalled the construction

of Sunrise Cottage, which

was claimed to be the first

private residence in Palm

Beach. It’s highly likely that

it was designed by architect

Henry Austin Wilshire

(known as the ‘flat-roof’ architect),

who built his cottage

opposite on Palm Beach Road,

on the saddle between the

ocean and Pittwater.

The land on Pacific Road

to the south was called ‘Pill

Hill’ because of the number

of Sydney doctors who bought

land there, while the land to

the north was known as ‘Spin

100 YEARS AGO: The view

north down Pacific Road to

the intersection of it with

Palm Beach Road, circa 1930.

Hill’ due to the many spinsters

who acquired property

on Sunrise Hill.

Charlotte Robson-Scott purchased

lot 29 (30 Palm Beach

Road) from the Barrenjoey

Company Limited in February

1914, apparently initially for

use as a holiday home. For a

short time, the Verrills family

occupied the cottage, and it

was here in 1915 that Fred,

the eighth child of twelve,

was born to Albert George

and Florence Verrills. Albert

later built their own house on

Barrenjoey Road at the current

site of Barrenjoey House.

The October 1915 issue of

The Daily Telegraph carried

an advertisement for a

furnished cottage – ‘Sunrise’,

Palm Beach, with four rooms

and a kitchen for two guineas

($4.20) a week.

The cottage’s design and

construction are interesting.

The wall framing is exposed

and painted black as a feature

(probably Creosote); while the

weatherboards are fixed to

the inside of the frame.

The cottage stood on piers

of the abundant Hawkesbury

sandstone. Two south-facing

verandahs take advantage

of the eastern and western

views and depending on the

time of year and the weather,

you could choose the best

location. The centrally located

fireplace would warm the

whole house.

The cottage was demolished

soon after a heritage report

was undertaken in June

1999 which stated that “the

house has little significance

due to the extensive alterations

carried out”.

*Thanks to Bill Goddard for

help with this article.

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.

56 JANUARY 2025


Pittwater Puzzler

Compiled by David Stickley

Warriewood’s United Dental

Clinic no doubt (4,5)

27 The body excluding the

head and neck and limbs (5)

28 Riders who use assisted

pedal power (1-6)

29 Recite rapidly and

continuously (4,3)

ACROSS

1 The eighth sign of the zodiac,

between Libra and Sagittarius

(7)

5 Senior clergymen in the

Anglican church (7)

9 The white poplar-tree (5)

10 Park on Scotland Island (9)

11 Seagrass that is a vital

habitat for marine life in places

like Careel Bay (9)

12 Knowledgeable about (4)

14 Swimwear brand (6)

15 Computer program designed

to have undesirable or harmful

effects (7)

17 Female reproductive cells (3)

18 An Arctic white whale,

the male of which has a long

straight spirally fluted tusk

developed from one of its teeth

(7)

20 Hold in a tight grasp (6)

23 Change residence, affiliation,

or place of employment (4)

24 Remarkable things or people

(9)

26 A treatment available at

DOWN

1 15-down’s Independent MP,

Dr Sophie ______ (6)

2 Becomes more

communicative (5,2)

3 Australian band that had the

hit ‘Funkytown’ (6,4)

4 Recreational facility of which

there are seven between North

Narrabeen and Palm Beach (5,4)

5 Yoghurt side dish available

from Northern Beaches Tadka

in North Narrabeen (5)

6 Crab’s pincer (4)

7 Islands of the Pacific and

adjacent seas (7)

8 A fore-and-aft rigged ship

with two or more masts, the

foremast being smaller than the

other masts (8)

13 Marine stinger sometimes

seen washed up on Pittwater

beaches (10)

15 Australian electoral division

that covers the Pittwater area

(9)

16 Youngest member of the

victorious ParaMatilda’s team

that won the women’s 2024

IFCPF World Cup, ________ de

Uriarte (8)

19 Type of pasta served at

Amici di Toni in Mona Vale (7)

21 Goodbye (7)

22 In the distance (3-3)

24 Fairly small bodies of still

water formed naturally or

artificially (5)

25 The top or highest point (4)

[Solution page 64]

Pittwater Puzzler


FEBRUARY 2025 57

Food Life

with Janelle Bloom

Food Life

Recipes: janellebloom.com.au; Insta: instagram.com/janellegbloom/

Feel like chicken tonight? Dig

into these lip-smackin’ treats

Chicken is by far the most versatile

protein, offering a range of flavours

and textures depending on the cut

and cooking method. Most cuts are budget

friendly, quick to cook and popular with all

Oven-baked’ finger

lickin’ chicken

drumsticks

Makes 12

12 chicken drumsticks, skin on

1 cup buttermilk

1 tbs sea salt flakes, lightly

crushed

1 tbs garlic granules

1 tbs lemon pepper

1 tbs dried onion flakes

2 tsp smoked paprika

¾ cup self-raising flour

olive oil cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 210°C fan

forced. Grease a large

roasting pan. Cut two-three

deep slashes into each

drumstick (see Janelle’s Tip).

Place into a glass bowl. Pour

over the buttermilk, turn to

coat all the chicken. Cover

and refrigerate for 30-60

minutes if time permits.

2. Combine salt flakes, garlic

granules, lemon pepper,

onion flakes, paprika and

flour in a snap lock bag.

Shake well to combine.

3. Drain the chicken from the

buttermilk, discarding the

buttermilk. Add drumsticks,

1 at a time to the flour

mixture. Toss to coat.

Arrange in roasting pan.

Spray both sides lightly

with oil. Roast for 30-35

minutes or until golden and

cooked through. Serve with

coleslaw and chilli sauce.

Janelle’s Tip: Use a sharp

knife to almost cut down to

the bone at the thickest part

of the drumstick. This allows

the heat to penetrate so the

drumstick will cook right

through. Air Fry: you can air

fry these chicken legs at 180°C

-190°C for 20-25 minutes.

Sweet and sour

chicken

Serves 4

3 tsp cornflour

1 tbs shao Hsing cooking wine

or sherry

2 tbs soy sauce

family members (which can be a challenge

midweek). Our summer chicken meals this

month are all about keeping things light, fresh

and flavoursome, while using a variety of cuts.

Enjoy!

2 tsp white sugar

600g chicken breast fillets,

trimmed, cut into 2-3cm

pieces

2 tbs cornflour, extra

4 tbs vegetable or peanut oil

1 large red capsicum, cut into

2cm pieces

6 green onions, sliced

1 cup chopped fresh

pineapple, optional

Toasted sesame seeds and

steamed 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 tbs soy sauce

1. Combine the cornflour and

cooking wine in a large

bowl, stir until smooth.

Stir in the soy and sugar.

Add chicken. Stir to coat.

Cover and refrigerate for 30


2. For the sauce, stir the

cornflour with 1 tablespoon

of the water in a small

saucepan until smooth. Stir

in the remaining water and

sauce ingredients. Cook,

stirring constantly over

medium-high heat until

sauce comes to the boil.

Reduce heat to medium,

simmer for 1 minute.

Remove from heat. Set

aside.

3. Heat wok over high

heat until hot. Drain any

marinade from the chicken

(there may not be any but

important the chicken is

not sitting in any marinade).

Sprinkle the extra cornflour

over the chicken. Stir to

coat.

4. Add 2 tablespoons oil to

hot wok and swirl to coat

the wok. Add 1/3 of the

chicken, making sure each

58 FEBRUARY 2025


For more recipes go to janellebloom.com.au

piece comes in contact with

the hot work. Stir fry for

30 seconds until golden.

Remove to a plate. Repeat

with remaining chicken in

two batches adding more

oil as required.

5. Add the capsicum, green

onions and pineapple to the

hot wok. Stir fry 1 minute.

Return the chicken to the

wok. Pour over the sweet

and sour sauce. Stir to coat.

Scatter over the sesame

seeds. Serve with rice.

Sticky smoky

Guinness

chicken wings

Makes 12

1/3 cup firmly packed brown

sugar

1/3 cup smoky barbecue

sauce

2 tbs apple cider vinegar

1 tbs tomato paste

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 cup Guinness

1kg chicken wings

Toasted sesame seeds,

optional, to serve

1. Combine sugar, barbecue

sauce, vinegar, tomato

paste and garlic in a

saucepan. Mix well. Stir in

the Guiness. Bring to the

boil over medium-high heat,

stirring until sugar has

dissolved. Boil gently for

5 minutes or until slightly

thickened. Set aside to cool

completely.

2. Place the chicken wings in a

large glass bowl. Pour over

the Guinness marinade,

turn to coat all the chicken.

Cover. Refrigerate for 4

hours or overnight, if time

permits.

3. Preheat oven to 200°C

fan forced. Line a large

baking tray with baking

paper. Remove the chicken

wings from the marinade,

reserving marinade. Pour

reserved marinade in a

small saucepan. Bring to

the boil over high heat. Boil

gently for 3 minutes.

4. Arrange the chicken wings

on tray. Roast, basting

2-3 times with some of

the marinade, for 40-45

minutes or until golden,

sticky and cooked through.

Sprinkle with seeds if

using. Serve with remaining

cooked marinade as sauce.

Sriracha mango

barbecue chicken

Serves 4

8 chicken thigh fillets, skin on,

trimmed

Chopped green onions and

toasted sesame seeds, to

serve, optional

Avocado, cucumber green

salad, to serve

Sriracha mango marinade

1 mango, peeled, coarsely

chopped

2 tbs maple syrup

2 tbsp sriracha or chilli sauce

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1. For the marinade, combine

all the ingredients in a

blender or processor. Blend

until smooth.

2. Place the chicken in a snaplock

bag or glass bowl.

Pour over marinade. Secure

the bag, turn to coat.

Massaging the marinade

into the chicken. Refrigerate

for 1 hour or longer if time

permits.

3. Remove the chicken from

the marinade, reserving

marinade. Pour reserved

marinade in a small

saucepan. Bring to the boil

over high heat. Boil gently

for 2 minutes.

4. Preheat a well-greased

barbecue grill or plate on

medium. Barbecue the

chicken for 4-5 minutes

each side, basting

occasionally with cooked

marinate until golden,

lightly charred and cooked

through. Sprinkle with

green onions and sesame

seeds if using. Transfer to

a tray, cover and allow to

rest for 5 minutes before

serving. Serve with salad.

Cheesy chicken

rissoles

Makes 12

1 brown onion, peeled, grated

3 tbs olive oil

750g chicken mince

1 tbs Dijon mustard

2 egg yolks

1 cup fresh or panko

breadcrumbs

1¼ cups grated tasty cheese

½ cup finely chopped parsley

1/3 cup barbecue sauce

60g garlic butter, chopped

1. Combine the onion and

1 tablespoon of oil in a

microwave safe bowl. Cover

with damp paper towel.

Microwave 1-1½ minutes on

high/100% until soft. Set

aside to cool completely.

2. Combine mince, mustard,

egg yolks, breadcrumbs,

cheese, parsley and barbecue

sauce in a large bowl. Season

well. Add the cooled onion

mixture. Mix well with clean

hands. Shape into twelve

rissoles. Place onto a tray.

Cover and refrigerate 30


3. Heat the garlic butter and

remaining 2 tablespoons oil

in a large non-stick frying

pan over medium heat. Cook

rissoles, for 12-15 minutes,

turning occasionally and

spooning the garlic butter

mixture over the rissoles,

until cooked through (see

Janelle’s Tip).

Janelle’s Tip: If you don’t have

a large frying pan, cook the

rissoles in the garlic butter

mixture for 2-3 minutes

each side until golden then

remove to a roasting pan.

Pour the butter mixture over

the rissoles and finish in the

180°C fan forced oven for 10

minutes.

Food Life


FEBRUARY 2025 59

Food Life

Pick of the Month:

Seedless grapes

Food Life

Black and purple seedless

grapes are often overlooked

for the green variety; however,

the new varieties in abundance

across Feb-March are firm,

crisp, easy to remove from the

stems, bursting with sweetness

and have a nice thin skin –

making them a great snack for

the kids. Keep an eye out for

the long thin ‘Black Sapphire’

grapes – delicious!

Buying

Grapes are one of the few fruits

that do not ripen after they are

picked so you can buy grapes

that you are going to eat today

or tomorrow. Look for grapes

with green stems and berries

without any shrivel.

Store

Grapes generally have a much

longer shelf life than other

berries. Store unwashed in a

bowl or sieve loosely covered

with tea towel. They will absorb

strong flavours so keep them

away from onions, leeks etc.

wash them under cold water

just before eating.

Grape Focaccia

Serves 4-6

1¼ cups warm water

2 tsp instant dried yeast

1 tsp caster sugar

3 tbs olive oil

3 cups (450g) bread and pizza

flour

1 tsp sea salt flakes, crushed

1½ cups purple or black grapes

2 sprigs rosemary leaves or 2

tsp dried rosemary

buffalo mozzarella & extra

virgin olive for serving

1. Combine the water, yeast,

sugar and 2 tablespoons of

oil in a jug, mix well. Cover

and set aside in a warm

place for 5 minutes or until

bubbles form on top.

2. Place the flour and salt in

a bowl. Make a well in the

centre. Add yeast mixture.

Stir until dough comes

together in the bowl. Turn

onto a lightly floured surface.

Knead for 10 minutes or until

smooth

and

elastic.

Brush a

bowl with oil to

grease. Place dough in

bowl. Cover with wrap and

a tea towel. Set aside in a

warm, draught-free place for

20-30 minutes or until dough

doubles in size.

3. Preheat oven to 200°C fan

forced. Grease a 5cm deep,

20cm x 30cm (base) roasting

pan or tray. Punch down

centre of the dough with

your fist. Turn onto a lightly

floured surface and knead

until smooth. Press evenly

into the prepared pan. Cover

with a damp

tea towel. Set aside in a

warm, draught-free place for

15 minutes or until doubled

in height.

4. Use your finger to press

dimples into the dough.

Press the grapes into the

dough. Scatter over the

rosemary, season with salt

and pepper. Brush the top

with remaining oil. Bake

for 25-30 minutes or until

golden and focaccia sounds

hollow when tapped on base.

Serve warm with buffalo

mozzarella and olive oil.

In Season

February

Apricots; Berries

(blueberries, blackberries,

raspberries & strawberries);

Fresh figs; Grapes, limes

Lychee; Mango; Watermelon,

Nectarines; Peaches

Pineapple, Plums, Avocado;

Beans; broccolini, Cucumber,

Chillies, Capsicum; eggplant;

Snow peas, Sugar snap

Peas; Radish, Silverbeet and

English spinach, Tomatoes

and onions.

60 FEBRUARY 2025


Tasty Morsels

with Renata Gortan

Some Tiny Morsels to savour in February

Only natural Winona

would head to Avalon

Original Manly venue Winona Wine now

has a sister store at Avalon Beach; it’s a

natural wine bottle shop that stocks all

kinds of delicious provisions. Come for

a textural drop and leave with artisan

goodies including Koji salted caramel,

Patatas Torres Jamon Iberico chips and

Hotluck Club mushroom and black

garlic XO.

Win for The Joey is

a win for the locals

It hasn’t been a smooth ride for

the opening of The Joey, but in late

December it scored a win and got

approval to trade past 4pm. It’s also a

win for diners. The extended evening

hours mean you can make the most

of the balmy summer evenings at

Palm Beach and enjoy a sundowner

as the sun sets over Pittwater.

Boathouse has

a new anchor

with The Espy

The Espy is the latest venue

from the prolific Boathouse

Group. Located next to

the Manly Art Gallery &

Museum and Manly Pavilion,

the alfresco bar serves up

pizzas and snacks such

as prawn tostadas. The

partnership with another

Manly local, 4Pines, means

you can also enjoy the very

excellent Brookvale Union

Ginger Beer on tap.


Three of a kind: Valentine’s Day treats

Jack and Sandy’s, hidden

in a small arcade off Mona

Vale’s main street, use

the traditional technique

of tempering chocolate

on marble. It caters

to everyone; the dark

chocolate is dairy-free and

there’s also gluten-free

and low-sugar options

(pictured).

Lindsay & Edmunds

in the backstreets of

Warriewood’s industrial

estate is a hidden gem,

offering a range of organic

and fairtrade treats. Those

in the know make a pit

stop at the attached cafe,

which does a mean dark

hot chocolate with chilli.

Mona Vale gets new

Bacino by the beach

The old Ruby’s/Cinque site at Mona

Vale beach is now home to Bacino

Espresso, the latest caffeinated hotspot

by Steve Purcell of Mona Vale’s Basset

St Cafe and Park St Espresso. The

coffee is by Little Italy roasters, the

BLATs are generous and the acai bowls

are a taste of summer.

Wembley’s Chocolate

Makers in Brookvale is

all about bean-to-bar

craft chocolate. It takes

a winemaker’s approach,

with a focus on terroir

and single origin estate

beans to bring out

cacao’s complex flavours

and showcase what real

chocolate should taste like.

FEBRUARY 2025 61

Tasty Morsels

Garden Life

Garden Life

Add vegetation to bring back

small birds to your garden

Birds such as Noisy

and Indian Mynas are

a common sight in

suburban backyards. They

thrive in the typical Australian

garden that quite often has

open areas of lawn or pavers,

maybe a tree or two and little

in the way of connecting

vegetation. These common,

suburban gardens don’t

provide the habitat that small

birds need. They don’t have an

understory or many plants of

different heights and densities

for smaller birds to hide in,

and so they easily get chased

out of the area by more

aggressive birds like Mynas.

By adding more layers of

vegetation such as native

grasses, ground covers and

shrubs, not only are you

providing shelter and habitat

for small birds, you are reconnecting

habitat across the

landscape which means small

birds can move safely through.

Native plants are the obvious

choice, as they are generally

the source of food small birds

are looking for. Densely plant

an area of larger spikey shrubs

such as Grevilleas, Hakeea,

Acacias or Lambertias that

larger birds or predators will

find more difficult to access.

You can surround these with

smaller shrubs such as Epacrises,

Daviesias, Dillwynias or

Bauera. Other food sources can

then be added around the outside

such as tall native grasses

that will provide plenty of seed

for finches to feed on. Native

grasses include Kangaroo

Grass, Wallaby Grass and Poa

Grass, among many others.

Add plenty of mulch – and

an elevated bird bath or water

dish that is close to some cover

that small birds can hide in.

By increasing habitat you will

also increase other life such as

insects and invertebrates that

will attract birds such as Willy

Wag Tails and Wrens (pictured

above).

Ancient Cycads

Cycads have been around for

approximately 200 million

years and haven’t changed all

that much in that time. They

grow in many parts of the

world, mostly in temperate and

tropical regions including along

the east coast of Australia.

Most parts of a cycad plant

including the raw seeds are

highly poisonous to humans,

although Aboriginal people

developed methods of soaking

or ageing the seeds which

rendered the toxins harmless

and the seeds edible. Early

explorers who tried eating the

colourful seeds without treatment

became violently ill or

even died.

Cycads have a palm-like appearance

but they are actually

more closely related to conifers.

Australia has approximately

30 different species,

with several that are suitable

and readily available to plant

in your garden.

Lepidozamia peroffskyana

– commonly known as Scaly

Zamia or Pineapple Cycad – is

naturally distributed in the wet

sclerophyll forests of northeastern

NSW and south-eastern

Queensland. It has beautiful

dark green, glossy fronds and

can grow up to 3 or 4 metres;

however, this will take several

62 FEBRUARY 2025


Compiled by the team at Cicada Glen Nursery, Ingleside.

hundred years! It makes a wonderful

addition and feature in a

tropical-style garden.

Macrozamia communis – commonly

known as Burrawang –

(opposite below) is found locally

on the Northern Beaches growing

in Spotted Gum Forests.

Burrawang is an ornamental

addition to a rainforest planting

or large-scale formal garden,

so long as it is grown in a relatively

shady area. It should be

planted in well-drained soil and

will not thrive on clay soil or in

poor drainage.

Native cuttings

Propagating native plants

from cuttings (below) is very

rewarding and a great way to

source plants cheaply. There

are many native plants that

are relatively easy to grow

from cuttings, as long as you

follow a few basic steps.

Choose the right species –

Many native shrubs can be

grown from cuttings including

Grevilleas, Westringia, Prostanthera

and Correa. These

are some that are fairly reliable

and good for beginners.

Choose the right material

– Generally you will need to

choose new growth, that has

had time to harden off. This

can be found on the tips of the

branches at this time of year.

It is growth that has occurred

in spring and summer and has

had time to harden but not yet

become woody. Only cut the

material if you are ready to

plant your cuttings to ensure

they are fresh.

Take the cuttings – Use clean

secateurs or scissors. Most of

the above-mentioned species

can be grown from cuttings

about 10cm long. Remove the

lower leaves and make sure

the bottom of the cutting has

a clean cut. Leave 2-3 leaves at

the tip. Dip the cutting into a

rooting hormone powder or solution

(available at most garden

centres or hardware shops).

Planting – plant your cuttings

in small pots in a mixture of

perlite and coco-peat and water

well. You can use a plastic

soft drink bottle to create a

mini green house to put over

your cuttings.

Be Patient – Cuttings can take

many weeks or months to strike

roots. As long as the leaves are

still green, there is still hope, so

don’t give up too early. Ensure

to water your cuttings regularly.

round and is easy to cultivate, it

also looks striking in the veggie

garden. Wash stalks and leaves

at least twice. Remove stalks

and centre ribs and cut to requirements

if using. Cut or tear

leaves. Shake off excess water.

When cooking leaves, don’t

add water as the water that

clings to them after washing

is sufficient. The stems can be

removed from the leafy section

and cooked like asparagus, or

sliced and cooked. Both the

stems and leaves can be used

together; the stems take longer

to cook so add the leaves 3-4

minutes after the stems.

Garden Life

Growing Silverbeet

Silverbeet (above) is similar

to spinach but has a stronger

flavour. Silverbeet usually has a

white stalk; however, red beet

is sometimes available; it has

the same green leaves but has

a rich pink-red stem and veins.

Silverbeet grows all year


FEBRUARY 2025 63

Garden Life

Your February to-do list...

like to plant and add some

manure and blood and bone.

Choose from a variety of

flowers that are suitable to

plant at this time of year

including Alyssum, Cleome,

Cyclamen, French marigold,

Gypsophila, Iceland poppy

and Lobelia.

Garden Life

Harvest finger limes

Finger limes fruit (above)

will be ripening at this time

of year. Once you have

finished harvesting your

fruit it is a good time to

prune off any unwanted

or wayward branches. Add

some nitrogen-rich fertiliser

such as processed chicken

manure that will encourage

new growth, and finish with

a fresh layer of mulch.

Autumn veggie

gardens

Some of your summer crops

may be finishing. Remove

old plants and weeds and

add to your compost heap.

February can be hot, so

protect the soil in your

veggie garden with a layer

of mulch. This will maintain

moisture and ensure you

have a nice healthy soil with

worms and other beneficial

microorganisms. Plant fastgrowing

crops such as asian

greens, lettuce, radish,

silverbeet and spring onion.

Weed of the Month

Canadian Fleabane (pictured)

will be tall and popping with

seed at this time of year. Bag

and cut off the seed heads to

be disposed of, then remove

the rest of the plant ensuring

you get the tap root.

Colourful Flowers

Prepare your garden for

autumn colour by planting

some beautiful annuals.

Weed the area you would

Aerate & feed lawns

It is best to do this towards

the end of February or early

March. Start by giving the

lawn a mow, making sure

to collect all the clippings.

Using an aerating tool or

garden fork, work your way

around the lawn pushing it

in up to 100mm to create

small holes that allows air

and water to penetrate the

soil. You can then add a top

dressing product that has

added nutrients. Spread it

around the lawn with a rake,

being careful not to bury the

grass completely. Finally,

give it all a good watering in

and wait for the lush green

growth that will follow!

Crossword solution from page 57

Mystery location: SALT PAN COVE

64 FEBRUARY 2025


Travel Life

Travel Life

Escape to Greece, Turkey

Explore the legend-laden destinations of She added Explora Journeys promised and private terraces – offer guests comfortable

homes at sea.

Greece and Turkey this late European exclusive access that went far beyond the

summer – plus lesser-explored sirens,

where local cuisine bursts upon the palates

– with Explora Journeys, the newest and

most stylish European lifestyle brand that is

redefining ocean travel experiences.

Explora Journeys’ Gillian Seller said the

12-night cruise departing from Athens for

Istanbul on 26 September, 2025 will take in

under-the-radar Skiathos, Agios Nikolaos,

and Paphos.

“This exceptional cruise takes in Greece’s

‘Treasure Islands’ and progresses through

to Turkey’s ‘Turquoise Coast’ – you will get

to strut with peacock-blue waters whilst our

near-midnight departure from Mykonos

allows us to witness stars above amphitheatrical

Chora,” said Gillian.

“We’ll lounge on Turkey’s Riviera at

Marmaris, behold staggering Kusadasi, the

gateway to Ephesus, and sing odes to tiny

Mytilene, the muse of poet Soppho.

“Ashore, guests will venture both on and

off the beaten path, with a series of mesmerising

itineraries, with overnight stays

while in port to allow time to fully immerse

in the local culture and environment.”

classic luxury cruise experience.

“With EXPLORA I and EXPLORA II, the

first two of six luxury ships now sailing,

Explora Journeys is introducing an all-inclusive

luxury travel experience for those who

want to explore differently,” Gillian said.

“Designed in partnership with the world’s

foremost superyacht specialists and harnessing

cutting-edge technology, the fleet

offers refined yet effortless luxury.”

Onboard, European elegance permeates

every detail. The suites, penthouses and

residences – each with sweeping ocean

views from their floor-to-ceiling windows

“Each is thoughtfully designed to

stimulate the senses and reflect the brand’s

philosophy of creating an ‘Ocean State

of Mind’,” said Gillian. “Explora Journeys

has worked meticulously to ensure every

guest experiences an opulent, yet intimate

retreat.”

A celebration of global culinary talents,

cultures, and passions, sophisticated and

varied culinary experiences are showcased

across six vibrant restaurants, as well as in

five of the 12 bars and lounges onboard.

In just a short time EXPLORA I has

received unparalleled industry praise.

Jason Kerr, Founder/Editor of The Luxury

Cruise Review, said: “It has redefined

the art of luxe cruising. It is the perfect

choice if you appreciate the finer things in

life – outstanding food, exquisite service,

sophisticated entertainment and luxurious

surroundings. Right now, it’s arguably the

best ultra-luxury ship afloat.”

*To register for an information session

on Explora Journeys please call LUXE By

Itravel consultants Sharon (0414 632 476)

or Megan Catterall (0425 368 074).

66 FEBRUARY 2025


Pittwater Life February 2025 Issue

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