Letters – April 2016

By Dan Hutton on April 19, 2016 in Other

JUICED UP IN BRONTE PARK

As a great grandfather who enjoys Bronte Park as a safe place for my great grandchildren and other family members, I would like to praise Waverley Police for maintaining their vigilance.

There is a growing subversive trend for alcohol to be consumed by troublemakers in the park, under the mask of fruit juices and other ‘soft’ drinks.

Luckily the police are not fooled by this activity and witnesses inform me that last Sunday afternoon two police officers confiscated a bottle of orange juice from a young man and despite his protestations that the libation was non-alcoholic they snatched it from him and poured it onto the ground.

Well done officers! It is a slippery slope to frequent abuse of the law with all manner of purchased soft drink bottles and containers masquerading alcohol. If a few people have to sacrifice their need to quench their thirst and hand over drinks for inspection, so be it I say!

A safe, secure beach and environs should remain the first priority in Bronte. The police are doing a difficult job, and show themselves up to the challenge.

I encourage all locals and visitors to be alert to this conduct by people who have to flout the law, and report any ‘soft’ drink activity directly to Waverley Police.

Sincerely,
W. Wintle (retired), Bronte

REFUGEES ARE PEOPLE TOO

Dear Beast,

Have we gone crazy? Is our government really planning to send about 90 kids and their carers to detention in Nauru? Many of these kids were born here. Toddlers with little Aussie accents. Off they go.
It costs us a fortune to incarcerate innocent people offshore. It is abusive and it’s completely out of step with the international community. How bad do we look? With the suicides, the confirmed rapes, the alleged child abuse and the indefinite nature of the detention, Australia is fully and knowingly participating in human rights abuse. In contrast, I look at the amazing lives our kids lead and I’m deeply ashamed.

Merran Hughes, Bondi

CEMETERY PROTECTED

Dear Editor,

Waverley Cemetery was left to languish for many years and has become somewhat rundown. Waverley Council must be congratulated on its recent efforts in rectifying that situation. There is still plenty of work to be done, but we are hopeful that the cemetery’s appearance and restoration will continue to improve. Furthermore, important steps have been taken to ensure that it is protected for future generations. Council supported our nomination of the cemetery for State Heritage listing and has this week applied for the cemetery to be included on the National Heritage List. These listings will ensure that the cemetery receives appropriate oversight by heritage experts and will also open up funding opportunities. Council is now working together with the community and we hope that the good work continues.

Yours sincerely,
Penny Mora, Residents for Waverley Cemetery

RESPONSE TO MS. MORA

In her letters in your January and February editions, Penny Mora has made statements that require correction.

In Ms Mora’s view, the community-based Save Waverley Cemetery heritage conservation campaign, which now has well over 3,000 signed-on supporters, is ‘scaremongering’ about Waverley Cemetery. Apparently we are ‘scaremongering’ when we draw attention to Council’s own data about the cemetery, such as the 500-plus photographically documented vandalism incidents, which have destroyed over 250 graves since 2000 and caused costly damage to fences and other infrastructure.

We are also apparently just ‘scaremongering’ about the disingenuousness of Waverley Council’s ‘commitment’ to the cemetery when the facts are that while Council has voted to support a heritage listing of the site, it has also accepted advice from Deloitte consultants to wind back expenditure on site maintenance wherever possible and reduced cemetery infrastructure renewal budgets for the next decade by a massive 88%.

Again we are just ‘scaremongering’ about the council’s half-hearted commitment to heritage conservation when the fact is the council has refused outright to do anything at all to prevent future vandalism and has voted to accept Deloitte’s advice that monuments should simply be removed as they age and collapse.

And we are ‘scaremongering’ about the grim financial prospects of this massive, old and very fragile site in the absence of a sound plan for its future – a plan which was promised by Waverley Council more than two years ago, but which has still not emerged. Instead the council has accepted the advice from Deloitte that no further investment should be considered in either the cemetery’s services or the monuments that constitute its most important heritage items.

Finally we are supposedly ‘scaremongering’ by ‘suggesting’ that “Waverley Council has a long term agenda of selling Waverley Cemetery to developers”. The truth is we have never said the council has such an agenda, although we understand why many people now believe this is the agenda, given the poor way in which the current council is treating the site, the service and its staff.

The fact is, however much Ms Mora and some local residents may wish to deny it, all is not well at Waverley Cemetery. Age-related decay, land instability, vandalism, and the lack of a decent new cemetery service business model are all big and obvious problems.

Save Waverley Cemetery has been warning about all these problems for some time, particularly problems about land instability. The cemetery has experienced at least four land collapses in its unstable central eastern gully area along the coastal walk in the last 18 months.

Ms Mora and her group of ‘residents’ claim that any problems will be solved by a State Heritage listing. Save Waverley Cemetery strongly supports this listing. But the reality is that a listing will not deliver the funds needed to save Waverley Cemetery. Witness Gore Hill Cemetery, which has been State Heritage listed since the 1970s but which is now terribly degraded.

Just about everyone supports the conservation of Waverley Cemetery, but neither the local residents nor the council is developing any potential solutions. Save Waverley Cemetery is the only group that has put forward solutions and these are not ‘insensitive’, as Ms Mora claims; they are both affordable and utterly consistent with the heritage values of the site.

Our proposal for a pavilion for funerals and commemorative ceremonies will not disturb a single grave. In fact, it will raise funds for grave conservation. Our proposals for a combined café, flower and gift shop (not multiple ‘shops’ as claimed by Ms Mora) will also raise funds for the cemetery, which it so desperately needs. Our proposal for a niche pillar fence, new entry points and accessible ramps will open the cemetery up to more and safer visitation during the day (not close it off) and help prevent vandalism at night. The cost of this fence would be around $4.5 million (not $14 million as claimed by Ms Mora) and would be totally offset by sales of niches. The fence would also help avoid the cost of vandalism repairs, currently estimated to equate to about $1 million every five years (although, of course, the council currently does not do these repairs at all).

No matter which way you look at it, much more is needed to save Waverley Cemetery than a single ‘strategy’ of a heritage listing, especially if it is to be followed by ongoing neglect. What we need is a decent funded plan that will ensure the cemetery can remain viable in public ownership for the future. Visit the Save Waverley Cemetery website to see how our proposals will ensure the cemetery can be sustainably operated as a publicly owned asset and service.

Dr Bronwyn Kelly, Campaign Organiser for Save Waverley Cemetery

LOST READING GLASSES

Hi Guys,

On February 3 I lost a pair of purple reading glasses in Coogee. I lost them between Cozzi Café and the beach at about 2.30pm.

I did call into a few shops as soon as I discovered they were missing, but unfortunately they had not been handed in to anyone.

I am just sending this email on the off chance that someone may have picked them up.

Thanking you.

Regards,

Jean, Coogee
P.S. Love the Beast; read it from cover to cover every month. Love how you let us know what is happening in the area.

OF RENDER, BRICK AND NOODLES

Please Mr Baird, Joint Regional Planning Panel members and councillors, say no more render and brick facade multi-storey high-rises with the accompanying noodle/two dollar shops below. After living here all my life I’m nearly over it; trees are being cut down around parks and there are no parking spaces to be found on any given weekend. You’ve ruined Sydney’s jewel. Please stop before our beautiful Eastern Suburbs become a high-rise ruin.

Colin Decosta, Maroubra

BIKE BELLS DON’T WORK

Hi NSW Police,

I want to voice my disapproval at the squad of police (with portable EFTPOS machine in hand!) at Bondi Junction fining cyclists for not having bells on their bikes. Don’t get me wrong, I’m an advocate for fines for no helmets, no lights or not obeying road laws, but bike bells simply don’t work and I’ll tell you why:

1. It takes two hands to stop a bike. Stopping power for a bicycle is 70% front brake, 30% rear brake. Imagine you’re travelling at 35km/h in a bike lane and some bozo steps off the sidewalk whilst flipping through their Twitter feed. You can’t take either hand off the handlebar to ring the bell – the back brake won’t stop you and the front brake on it’s own will send you over the handlebars. The only way to avoid hitting said bozo is to yell.

2. Pedestrians don’t notice bike bells. Two-thirds of my office has the bike bell chime as their text message ring. People are desensitised to this sound and don’t even look around when you ring it.

3. There is no time to ring a bell in the split second it takes for a car door to open on you, or for aforementioned bozo to step out into the bike lane. Imagine if the car horn was where the emergency brake is on most cars. Are you going to have time to take your hand off the wheel to honk?

4. Cars can’t hear/don’t care about your stupid little bell.

I find it insulting that police will blame cyclists for accidents because of not having a bike bell, yet pedestrians that step directly into a bike lane have to take no responsibility whatsoever.

I mount my bell under my seat to avoid fines, and I yell to avoid accidents.

The next time I’m whistling through the city at 35km/h and a bozo steps out into the bike lane, rather than put myself in danger by swinging wide into the road to avoid an accident, shall I make an attempt for the bike bell rather than the brakes and see how we both end up? After all, I’m the one wearing the helmet!

I think it’s time we re-visit this law – I’m happy to help find a solution – but what I witnessed this morning was simply a case of revenue raising at its most disgraceful.

Anonymous, North Bondi

SAVE THE TREES

I am writing in response to your article in the March 2016 edition, ‘Fig Trees Continue to Fall in the Name of Progress’. In this article the Department of Transport (Minister Andrew Constance) claims these trees were not planted for the Anzacs. This is misleading and suggests no relationship between the two – nothing can be further from the truth.

Centennial Parklands is comprised of three major parks, Centennial Park, Moore Park and Queens Park: land that was set aside by Governor Lachlan Macquarie in 1811 and the Sydney City Council in 1866. The Parklands is the ‘people’s park’. Planting of the majestic and historic avenue of native figs began in the 1860s.

On August 18, 1914, tens of thousands of people lined the city streets to farewell a group of Australian soldiers heading for the battlefields. Randwick Road (now Anzac Parade) formed part of the parade route taken by the soldiers marching from the barracks at Kensington to the ships at Circular Quay. Many men would not return, losing their lives on the April 25, 1915 when the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) landed at Gallipoli or later campaigns.

In 1917 Randwick Road was re-named Anzac Parade to commemorate the ANZAC sacrifice. The roadway was widened and a large avenue of Port Jackson figs was planted on either side. A memorial obelisk was erected at the northern end. “Anzac Parade was seen as Sydney’s most important boulevard commemorating the Anzac troops” (Centennial Parklands CMP 2001).

According to the City of Sydney, “the mixed tree avenue along Anzac Parade presents an extremely historic and culturally significant group of trees. Collectively, these figs have group significance at the city and local government level in terms of their aesthetic, commemorative and social values. It represents one of the most iconic and significant avenue plantings in the Sydney metropolitan area.”

How could a light rail system be allowed to destroy these and hundreds of other majestic trees along with the native wildlife they support? There are so many unanswered questions about the light rail.

Recently, Randwick City Council unanimously agreed to a motion presented by Cr Tony Bowen to demand Mike Baird pause and consider the route to protect these magnificent trees. We are waiting for a response from both Mike Baird and Bruce Notley-Smith to act. Meanwhile the trees, the ‘people’s park’ and the wildlife will continue to pay the price.

Maria Bradley, Coogee

SOME MAIL REBUTTAL

Hello,

I do enjoy reading The Beast, but there are a few slight rebuttals that need to be addressed in your Letters section`.
In ‘Disabled and Disgruntled’ (Letters, March 2016), I would love to tell A Tired Bronte Senior that the parking fines some people get really don’t startle them. Some can afford to pay the hundred and something dollar fine. A fine can only be given every 24 hours, so they can park longer than allowed and not really care.

With ‘Council Clean-Ups’ (Letters, March 2016), you will find that Randwick City Council ratepayers pay more rates compared with Waverley Council ratepayers. Therefore, Randwick would be able to afford the extra clean-up that K. Tangney would so love to have. Oh, and it’s not just ratepayers who get the clean-ups, but also renters.

With ‘Unfair Fines’ (Letters, March 2016), it’s a pity that Philip (Grenard) was fined because his permit had expired. Randwick City Council do give reminder notices for renewal. Hopefully when Randwick, Waverley and Woollahra come together, Philip can get his reminder notice. Oh, and by the way, 80 percent of parking permits are given to renters, not owners (ratepayers). But to make more of the ratepayers’ plight with councils, just because people pay rates, it doesn’t really make anyone special. If you sell your property and someone buys it, they will pay rates. I personally don’t like paying huge health insurance premiums when I see people smoke cigarettes, but that’s another story.

Anna Cook, Randwick

I LIKE PLASTIC BAGS

Dear Editor,

I strongly disagree with the banning of plastic bags as advocated in the article ‘Swell Building For Bondi To Go Plastic Bag Free’ on page 74 of the March issue of The Beast. The article makes reference to just plastic bags; it does not actually specify plastic ‘shopping’ bags. If such a ban is introduced, does that mean that Waverley Council will no longer provide plastic bags at the doggy poo plastic bag dispensers located around Bondi, etc? Does it also mean that we will longer be able to buy special purpose plastic bags such as oven plastic bags, lunch plastic bags, large garbage plastic bags, etc. at the supermarkets? However, the article seems to suggest it is about a ban on plastic ‘shopping’ bags.

The article only states one reason for the plastic bag ban, saying that one of the most common sources of litter in Bondi is the not so humble plastic (shopping) bag. That statement is incorrect. I walk for an hour every day around Bondi, Bondi Beach, Tamarama, Bronte, Bondi Junction and Waverley, and very rarely see discarded plastic shopping bags; in fact, I’ve not seen any discarded plastic shopping bags for many weeks. However, every day I do see many discarded empty glass bottles (ideal glassing weapons) and plastic bottles. I would say that these plastic and glass bottles are one of the most common sources of litter in Bondi.

It would seem that the real reason for the ban is to fit into some feel-good, green, left wing, dictatorial agenda (the t-shirt shown in the accompanying picture to the article states ‘Blue Bondi Green’). If those advocating the ban don’t want to be given a plastic shopping bag at Coles/Woolies etc. they can choose not to take one. Their green dictatorial agenda should not prevail over those shoppers who want the convenience of taking their shopping home in plastic shopping bags. And most common sense minded people would reuse them appropriately. Please allow the people a choice.

I reuse my plastic shopping bags for a myriad of purposes; I’ll list my many practical uses and reuses of plastic shopping bags:

To carry shopping home; to carry wet and damp products home like prawns, meat, etc. (those cloth carry bags would get wet and smell); to carry home a milk carton and if it leaks, not a problem, but if it’s in a cloth carry bag it will smell; to carry home meat (freshly cut) from my local butcher in Bronte; to put prawn heads/shells in, which then go into freezer, then into the bin. To put minor kitchen waste into, which then goes into a bin; to carry home damp clothes; to put my damp beach towel into to carry home; to put wet swim trunks into to carry home; to pick up dog poo outside one’s house, which needs at least two or three plastic bags, which then goes in the bin; to pick up a dead bird in your yard or lane and put it in the bin; to pick up smelly food thrown into your yard and put it in the bin; to pick up broken glass, which will need several plastic bags, and put it in the bin; to put shredded confetti type paper in as it’s not permitted to put heaps of shredded paper in your blue bin for obvious reasons; to put swept up dirt and dust into and then put it in bin; to put a damp paint brush into for later use; to put a wet paint roller into for later use; to carry leaking paint tins in, which may need several plastic bags; to put papers into to carry around; to put wet rags into; to put painting rags into; to put paint stained rags/papers into and then put in the bin; to store brickie sand; to store small stones for cement aggregate; to carry sand/cement for later mixing; to carry small tools for later use; to put soiled sanitary napkins into (otherwise they smell and need three bags), then put in the bin; to put blood-soiled bandages into, then put in the bin; to put garden/lawn weeds into and then put into the bin. I can keep listing many more instances of how I reuse my plastic shopping bags.

I’m against the ban on plastic shopping bags because they are so convenient and incredibly useful.

P.S. If plastic shopping bags are banned but not the plastic bags from the doggy poo dispensers, Waverley Council might find it may have to replenish the dispensers every day as they will be a valuable source of scarce plastic carry bags.

Peter Kingston, Waverley

HYPOCRITICAL MAYOR

Re The Beast article ‘Time to Butt Out – Smoke free trial for Bondi Junction’ (The Beast, March 2016), Mayor Sally Betts’ justification for the trial citing the need to protect public health seems somewhat hypocritical in light of the response below to my recent enquiry to Council regarding known cancer causing carcinogen ‘RoundUp’ being used liberally in Waverley parks and roadsides to kill weeds. Families and children soak up the toxins whilst enjoying the green spaces and get to bathe in its run-off when swimming in the oceans.

“As you are aware, RoundUp (a glyphosate based herbicide) is used in the management of weeds in open spaces in Waverley,” the Waverley Council Parks Manager wrote.

At least a non-smoker has the option to move away from cigarette smoke, but where do we go when our green spaces are doused with chemicals?

N. Penn, Bronte

MIRVAC SHOULD RACK OFF

Good old Waverley Council. Sending parking police to Wellington Street, Bondi, twice a day, at least three times a week, to book parents from both schools. They must be making an absolute motza. It must be a ‘done deal’ of a revenue raiser, because they know and fully understand there is nowhere for the parents to park due to the massive construction by Mirvac.

The construction workers arrive at 5.30am to 6am every morning, take up all available parking (which is hard to get anyway) and stay put the entire day. They leave the site from 3.15pm to 3.30pm. In the meantime the rangers have a field day.

Us poor residents have endured demo dust, drilling, trucks at least every three minutes, every day, entering or leaving the site, traffic delays and rude and indifferent construction workers who circle the block every morning to pounce on any available parking spot. Now it’s the building phase. You can’t park anywhere near our homes. And the winner is Waverley Council, which scores big time out of the mess.

One of the rangers told me that they are there for the children’s safety. Rubbish. Mirvac should provide parking, or get their workers to be inconvenienced like the residents. There is an empty park they could use each day so the parents could park to let their children out of their cars safely, without being booked. It’s only a matter of time before a child gets knocked down making the run out of a doubled parked car.

Safety of the children – no way. Just Waverley Council once again changing street parking signs, not giving a toss about rate-paying residents, to accommodate what they consider progress. And watch how quickly the street will become ‘Two-hour parking’ only once the site and buildings have been completed by Mirvac. Shame on you Waverley Council. Where is your ‘duty of care’ to the school children or your consideration for rate-paying residents? Oh sorry, I forgot, they don’t give massive pay outs for construction works and special privileges.

Dianne and Tibor Bors, Bondi

NO COUNCIL AMALGAMATION

Dear Editor,

The extraordinary meeting of Waverley Council at 9.30am on Sunday morning, February 21, 2016, to put forward recommendations on how to proceed with the forced amalgamations of Woollahra, Waverley and Randwick municipalities raises a number of questions.

The necessity to hold such a meeting on a Sunday morning, and at such short notice, suggests that there is much that is being hidden from ratepayers.

The financial advantages of the amalgamation have not been disclosed. After the initial capping, within six years of the amalgamation, rates will go up by 20% to 30%. This estimate is conservative. The combining of the three councils will create greater costs, especially if proposals, such as the one mooted by a Liberal councillor that the elected officers of the new amalgamated council be paid salaries, are adopted.

The murky interim administrative arrangements between dissolving the old councils and the election of new councillors offers a window of opportunity to put through highly contentious proposals that will have costly and lasting effects on the operation of any new Woollahra/Waverley/Randwick Council. In particular, Mayor Sally Betts and her Liberal colleagues’ proposal to create a ‘civic’ centre on Denison Street has a chance to be adopted without proper public scrutiny.

Besides furthering the traffic mess of Bondi Junction, the proposed ‘civic’ centre will mean the destruction of Waverley Library and the further marginalisation of the Mill Hill historic residential precinct. The ratepayers of Woollahra and Randwick may not appreciate having to pay for Mayor Betts’ vision for a costly, unsustainable and gridlocked combined councils civic centre in Bondi Junction.

There should be a referendum on the amalgamation of Woollahra, Waverley and Randwick, not extraordinary meetings on a Sunday morning. Our members of parliament, Bruce Notley-Smith and Gabrielle Upton, should be at the forefront persuading their Baird/Liberal Party colleagues that the ratepayers of Woollahra, Randwick and Waverley do not want a forced amalgamation.

Gil Morris, Bondi Junction

LOVE YOU, PEARL

Dear Pearl,

I’ve been a semi regular reader of The Beast and always appreciate your column/tirades/journal/mediations – whatever you want to call it.

This month (March) you’ve outdone yourself. I love it that I can see it written down so cohesively, all those thoughts I have but just am not skilled enough to tie together so succinctly as you do.

Don’t stop – it’s fabulous. And thank you.

Annie

PICK OFF THE SCABS

Scabs. They live amongst us, but they are the most scabby of scabs. Actually, on reflection, I don’t think they live amongst us.

You know the guys, with their metal detectors scanning the sand looking for stuff that beachgoers have lost, which they then claim as their own.

Whether it’s change for the kids’ Mr Whippy, your wedding ring or your wallet with coins in it, it’s all fair game for the scab patrol.

Nothing gets handed in; most of it goes to Happy Hockers, which makes for some Unhappy F**kers.

The council should ban them, or enroll the good guys with metal detectors (they are plentiful, to be fair) to scan the beach and return items found to the council and advertise them as lost property. City Rail has been doing it for many years; all unclaimed lost and found items are auctioned off for charity. What the scabs do is tantamount to theft.

If you want a laugh, save all your five-cent pieces and scatter them all over the beach when they approach, then watch as they break their backs digging up 200 five-cent pieces. It’s most amusing.

Moose, Bondi

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

Hello The Beast,

It has come to my attention that there needs to be a Ten Commandments style thing about living in the east.

1. Thou Shalt Know About Parking.
People should realise that parking is gold in the east. That’s because it is the most populated area of Australia (also including the 2010 and 2011 postcodes). People who move to the area should realise that parking may be hard to get. As more people seem to want to live here, deal with it. Don’t complain about the parking permits either.

2. Thou Shalt Not Wear Tracksuit Pants.
Tracksuit Pants. They do come in many styles, including ones for yoga. This is not a reason to wear them whilst shopping in Bondi Junction’s Westfield. The Eastern Suburbs is meant to be a fashion haven. I’m not seeing it. Also, I don’t want to see men’s genitalia flopping around.

3. Thou Shalt Not Have Yummy Mummies And Their Unruly Kids In Cafes.
Yummie Mummies, who probably should be on ‘Real Housewives of the Eastern Suburbs’, are delightful people who can show that one can have children and still look great, but when their kids are screaming and shouting in cafes, the Yummie Mummies are still zoned into the latest in their husbands’ affairs. Don’t worry, some cafes have areas where the kids can play. Go there.

4. Thou Shalt Not Drive Your Teenage Kids To (Private) School.
It has come to my attention that teenage kids are being driven to (private) school by their parents, nannies, or by the help… and in large SUVs (I don’t think we have kangaroos in the east). Precious perhaps? Maybe the parents are scared their kids will get kidnapped or killed in a terrorist attack? Some do take public transport. Others should follow.

5. Thou Shalt Realise That Amalgamations Will Happen.
I’m talking to you Woollahra. The local government minister wants you to join your council with Randwick and Waverley. I know that you are quite wealthy, environmentally beautiful, and the people pay large sums for their real estate, but deal with it. Welcome to the Eastern Beaches Council.

6. Thou Shalt Not Have Attitude.
It has also come to my attention that many retail shops in the east, including some cafes, have staff with major attitude. Some places like Bellagio Cafe in Waverley are fantastic. That place is great. Others, however, need an education in customer service. Maybe the staff do have attitude because of the clientele, who are also rude. I will give you the benefit of the doubt. But as Edina Monsoon said in Ab Fab, “You only work in a shop; you can drop the attitude.”

7. Thou Shalt Not Be Screwed Over By Bulk Billing.
Apparently living in the east equates to higher fees for medical services. There are medical centres for bulk billing, but if one wants a MRI scan, you generally have to pay. However, in Five Doc, for example, you don’t. Not fair.

8. Thou Shalt Question How Big Private Schools Have To Be.
For the past 15 years, many private schools have been building new facilities. As nice as that is, do they really need them, especially when public schools need them more? Case in point, St Catherine’s School in Waverley. They have put in an application for substantial works. These works don’t even include enough parking, as they are to build a 500-seat theatre. I guess they can do this when their fees are nearly $30,000 per year. To be honest, I would love to have gone to that school.

9. Thou Shalt Not Smoke.
I have noticed that people still smoke those carcinogenic expensive cigarettes. In five years time, they will be 100 dollars a pack, but it seems people in the east can afford it. But smoking around people (who are not smoking themselves) is considered rude. If you have to smoke, please don’t smoke on your person, because when you go places (cafe, shop, government office), you stink. It also makes you look older, and those in the east don’t want to look old before their time. How many anti-ageing places are there? And gyms?

10. Thou Shalt Not Take Life Seriously.
The residents of the east seem to take life a bit too seriously. Why? You don’t even get out of here alive. I know many people who work in jobs they hate to pay off houses they can’t afford, just so they can look good around their friends. But really, life should be enjoyed. You should stop and smell the roses. Because one day, it will all be gone. You’ll be under those roses.

Thank you.
Anna Cook

PRIVITISATION BY STEALTH – WHO BENEFITS?

The Bondi Pavilion has always provided a focal point for the local community. It has over decades hosted a multitude of community events and classes (many of which have been lost due to economic rationalism). The local people have been able to utilise this precious open space when many of us live in cramped apartments.

The current Waverley Council, voted in on a backlash against corrupt federal politicians, is making decisions on perhaps the most important development in Bondi history.

Let’s be totally clear here: they cannot do so after the council merger, hence a complicated piece of legislation is being pushed through by releasing it for public debate on December 15 (when I for one was away for an extended break).
At the recent council meeting, despite a pressing request from the community to extend this deadline, we were refused a realistic extension and given a token two weeks. We were also refused a meeting with the architects. Why?

All costings have not been made available to all councillors (despite numerous requests) due to ‘commercial sensitivity’. It’s hard to imagine this is legal. The criteria used to decide on community space ratio has likewise not been made available despite being told that community space ratio will not be changed. There is no specific information about the internal heritage listed parts of the Pavilion. The proposed theatre, which is lauded as the great white hope of all that the Pavilion stands for, will be overbooked and is poorly thought out with a dressing room in another building. The entire top floor, with its wonderful heritage listed balcony, is to be privately leased despite it being fairly widely recognised that any venture on the top floor will fail as its predecessors have.

It is no secret that Mayor Sally Betts is friends with the Lazarus family, who will be operating the pub in the new Pacific Bondi.

We know that in 2015 at an invitation-only meeting to discuss the newly unveiled plans for the Pavilion, Liz and Litz were present (the developers of the Pacific Bondi). Only one member of the community was invited.

The Bucket List (the only successful business to earn money for the council) will not be asked to renew its lease. One has to wonder about the connection between the $38 million development and an underground car park. With consent to do an archaeological dig around the Pavilion already underway, the community should be questioning if the beneficiaries of a car park might be too close to Council for comfort.

The Bondi community fought and won a privatisation bid in 1987. We have been fighting (and will continue to fight) this exact issue for 30 years now. This project is not standing up to scrutiny and the lack of transparency and the urgency to push it through should be questioned.

Nicolette Boaz, Bondi