The Beast’s Monthly Mailbag

By jimmyhutton on August 19, 2021 in People

Letter of the Month

TRAMS and a LOOMING TRANSPORT NIGHTMARE
Thanks to COVID, the ruination of Yarra Bay at La Perouse by construction of a mega passenger cruise terminal has been delayed. Planning for this destructive proposal continues behind closed doors, and agitation will recommence when the cruise industry revives. Imagine the devastation of La Perouse and the traffic congestion.
While Meriton has been talking up relocation of Long Bay Gaol in order for the huge site to be used for high rise accommodation, it is building 3,000 apartments at Pagewood, bringing probably at least 7,500 people and 6,000 more cars. Additionally, Meriton plans 1,900 apartments at Little Bay, with 18-storey towers, perhaps another 4,750 people and 3,800 cars. A bit ambitious, but Harry Triguboff has a successful record of achieving his objectives. He’ll probably get away with a small reduction in numbers.
Our NSW planning minister says that Sydney needs more apartments and advocates that older residents should accept smaller homes in order to enable construction of higher density accommodation in existing suburbs. Then we have Andrew Constance, the NSW transport minister, putting a knife through Eastern Suburbs bus services so as to force patronage of the unpopular light rail. As it was Gladys Berejiklian, as transport minister, who initially inflicted the light rail project upon us, and Mr Constance, who finished the job, it is not surprising that they want the patronage figures to look good.
Mr Constance, (A Message from the Minister, Letters, The Beast, July 2021) tells us, “Light rail services have seen a 696 per cent increase in patronage post COVID.” Sounds impressive, but he failed to give us the actual numbers. Increasing ten passengers by 696% gives 69.6, but the tram capacity is about 450. My observations suggest that the system is so inconvenient that it is grossly underused. Those I have seen recently would be lucky to have 20 passengers.
But this “trustworthy” Liberal minister for transport, having taken the Bronte to Central bus away from us, despite a promise to reinstate it if the coalition was to win the 2019 state election, failed to honour the promise, which remains unfulfilled. Maybe he never intended to honour that promise, perhaps he is punishing the residents of the Coogee electorate who opted for Labor’s Marjorie O’Neill. It also punishes the 18,937 who voted for the Liberal candidate.
Adding all this together, I worry for the future lifestyle of those living along this part of Sydney. A government we cannot trust and a continuing worsening of our quality of life. What for? To benefit developers and to generate huge government revenue from stamp duty, GST and land tax.
Greg Maidment
Bronte

 

Buses and Local Transport

Public Transport is not a Business but a Public Utility
Andrew Constance is quoting “hard facts of Opal travel data” (A Message from the Minister, Letters, The Beast, July 2021), but is public transport not a service that governments are supposed to provide for from our taxes to benefit the travelling public? Therefore, it should be provided also at times in the day when, for example, the elderly, disadvantaged groups and people with health issues are on their way to attend hospitals or government services, visit family, participate in professional training, etc.
Seniors have actually been encouraged to make appointments and undertake activities at off peak times. However, for that to happen, public transport has to be available.
Ute Geissler
Waverley

 

Express Bus Cut Backs
I know I sound like a broken record, as many others are suffering with the same issue as me, but please, I beg and plead the state government to please keep the express buses going! It is bad enough that the X73 buses have been reduced, but the added transfer to the stupid tram is just going to make our lives so much harder.
The trams have been the most expensive disappointment since their inception. I already dislike my job, and then to have an extra 40 minutes added on to my commute each way will destroy my soul. Some may say, “Move closer to your job,” as a solution, but my GP and local chemist are in Coogee, and having Prince of Wales Hospital just up the hill is the reason why I reside here, especially as I suffer from a serious autoimmune disease.
Coogee works for me, I just wish my commute didn’t soon have to involve the tram that, in my opinion, seems to be used purely for advertising. Yes, Hamilton the Musical is fantastic, but I don’t need a tram that has no one in it each morning to tell me that.
The tram already affects my commute and I am not even on it! It cuts off my bus and just slithers right through like the dickhead that it is.
Attention state government: please don’t make us all suffer just because you overspent on an obsolete light rail that no one wants to use.
Lou Shoe
Coogee

 

Adrenaline Pumpers
To the editor – Being abused by a cyclist is an all too common experience these days. It gives you the impression that these two wheelers are gods, not to be interfered with.
Recently, while walking in Centennial Park, I crossed the Grand Parade at dusk. I had to wait some time to find a space between cars and bicycles to cross. One would think with a 30km/h speed limit it would be easy – it was not. In these COVID times it has become the new Pitt Street.
Unfortunately, as I crossed the outer bike lane, I nearly got skittled by a bike. And, yes, I suffered the usual abuse from this adrenaline pumper. Did I do something wrong? No, this person was wearing all black lycra, so he was hard to see. It was obvious that he did not believe he should be subjected to the speed limit imposed on the cars he was undertaking.
It is time cyclists came to terms with the effects of the adrenaline rush that can occur as they work on their fitness. It can give them the unrealistic belief that they can do no wrong on the road and a belief that all those around them are idiots.
On the same subject, I note that the junction of Bon Accord Avenue, which includes Central Synagogue, at Old South Head Road has been narrowed. This is a difficult junction to negotiate. If not blocked by traffic congestion it is subjected to cars coming around the bend at high speed in both lanes now that the bus lane on the hill and all the parking has been removed from nearby Flood Street. The problem is, cars turning left out of Bon Accord Avenue now need to cross to both oncoming lanes, making it nearly impossible and potentially dangerous. Also, those entering cannot do so if there are cars trying to egress, causing more mayhem. Trucks and busses visiting the synagogue will find it impossible to exit.
So, we have to wonder why this stupidity has occurred. Well, I am told the south side of the road is now a shared cycleway and, as such, the maximum opening of roads it crosses cannot be more than 7.3 metres. No, not for pedestrian safety, it’s for the adrenaline pumpers!
Kindest Regards,
Andrew Goldfinch
Bondi Junction

 

Development Proposals

Locals Locked Out In Development Lockdown
If you think Macpherson Street, Bronte, has been a development nightmare, it’s nothing compared to eight years of constant development in St Thomas Street between Macpherson and Gardyne Streets.
10 out 20 houses (I counted them) on St Thomas Street, starting from the corner of Albert Street, have been demolished, extensively excavated and then developed.
All have been under construction for a minimum of two years, with most pushing more than three years before completion (not including tradies constantly returning to complete the jobs of repairing lifts, gardens, interiors, etc).
Apart from the nerve-wracking sound of heavy excavation equipment, jackhammers and the constant loud voices of the numerous workers on these sites, more upsetting are the arguments over gaining access to your driveway. Yes, I repeat, your own driveway!
Residents without garages have had to deal with limited parking spots on the street, not to mention the constant loss of side mirrors and damage caused by the oversized vehicles navigating this already difficult stretch of road. And I’m not even talking about the developments on Gardyne Street that back onto the street.
One good thing about the COVID construction restrictions means we’ll have a break for at least a couple of weeks!
Clare
Bronte

 

12 metres and no more
The proposal for the Coogee Bay Hotel site includes some welcome changes, such as relocating the Sports Bar and Gaming Room and improving the hotel accommodation. However, replacing the two and three-storey buildings and Boutique Hotel with a six-storey block of units is of enormous concern.
This block extends from the southern side of the present drive-thru, north to Coogee Bay Road and then east all the way to the hotel. This six-storey (23.3m) bulk will block views from public places and residences west of the site. It will loom above and along the main thoroughfare of Coogee village. At seven storeys facing east, it will visually dominate the two-storey heritage hotel from the foreshore. This is made worse by the proposed truncation and flattening of the roof of the hotel.
R. Wade
Coogee

 

Coogee Bay Hotel Redevelopment
The iconic view from Coogee Beach will shift from soft trees and heritage buildings to massive, hard edged, sawtooth concrete units along Coogee Bay Road. The residential unit block is set for a height of 23.3 metres, in a zone with a maximum height limit of 12 metres. If the new Coogee Bay Hotel proposal is approved, the 60 residential units, supermarket and eight restaurants will add to traffic, shopper and beach congestion beyond reasonable limits. It is an impost on the Coogee foreshore and environment so a few can make a financial gain.
Regards,
Mark England
Coogee

 

COVID-19 in The East

We’re All In This Together
We’ve all seen them – the snarky social media posts and hysterical headlines, accompanied by photos of Bondi residents walking along the beach, jogging on the promenade or waiting for a coffee outside a cafe.
But while a few people will do the wrong thing, these images are by and large those of our community legally and safely exercising and supporting local businesses. Let’s face it, we’ve had a cluster named in our honour, but our Bondi community is rallying around, supporting each other and doing the right thing during this crisis.
Bondi is a densely populated suburb – 84 per cent of homes are apartments, with the majority of those being only one or two bedrooms. We’re largely locked down in small flats with limited access to gardens and private outdoor spaces. For families cramped together, juggling home school and new working from home routines, young people in packed share houses and many of our older residents locked down alone, getting outside for exercise has become a crucial daily ritual for maintaining mental health.
In the beachside suburbs, our public outdoor spaces are just that – beachside! For the Bondi community, exercise means making the pilgrimage down to the ocean. With not a single case of COVID-19 in NSW transmitted in an outdoor setting, hitting the beach while acting in compliance with health orders has been a great alternative to people’s regular routines at indoor gyms or exercising in large classes or boot camps.
There’s something special about the beach and the promenade. It belongs to everyone and it’s where a community has gravitated towards in times of trouble. A quick winter dip, a golden hour run, a chance to walk the dog at sunrise or a break from Zoom meetings to hit the surf is what’s keeping our heads above water.
There is no excuse for disobeying health orders – being in this together means sticking to the rules – but I’d urge those thinking of firing off a tweet attacking Bondi and its people to take a closer look.
Look at how strong our community is. So many of our friends and neighbours working in small business, the creative arts and hospitality are really struggling financially due to this lockdown. The vast majority have been trying to stay safe and have focussed on how to support each other. This is the same community who came together to save the Bondi Pavilion and, just this year, to keep Bondi Beach free and public for all to use.
Whether it’s the ‘Shop Local’ campaign headed by the Chamber of Commerce, food packages composed of local donations distributed by Brown Sugar Cafe, The Shop & Wine Bar embracing the COVID-safe ‘contactless pour’ for customers still wanting to do Plastic Free July… we’re figuring it out. Where we haven’t been able to come together in person, we’re coming together online through Facebook forums and over Instagram. We’re using these platforms to reach out, organise and support the people feeling it the hardest.
We’ve been lucky to escape the hardest lockdown restrictions, and many are feeling a degree of survivor’s guilt about it, but we can’t let this become a silly fight between different parts of Sydney. Bondi isn’t the enemy, we’re another area trying to make it through.
Lizzie Butterworth
Bondi

 

“Arrogant” Eastern Beaches slammed by Police Minister
Four weeks into this latest version of our national nervous breakdown, I was cheered to find the August issue of The Beast in my mailbox today. If delivering this essential source of local information and entertainment isn’t on the list of government ‘approved occupations’, then it certainly should be.
Inside though, it was disheartening to find so many double page spreads minus their usual ads. Too much to read! But James, I do feel your pain, and my heart goes out to you and all the other local businesses struggling with the ever-changing restrictions, the mind-boggling uncertainty and the utterly deplorable government messaging. Combined, they’re way more of a threat than any virus.
As for messaging, there’s no doubt what one key member of the government thinks of us. Commenting on one of those now clichéd and dishonestly distorted images of a pathway at Bronte, the NSW police minister, David Elliott, was “enraged”. He had absolutely no firsthand knowledge of the situation, but that didn’t matter to this senior minister, who decided those who live in the east were “selfish” and “arrogant”. Unable to resist a few more ignorant and spectacularly unoriginal barbs, he reckoned we “thought we came from another planet”.
Well, greetings from Mars, Mr Elliott! I walked the entire coast from Bondi to Maroubra on that Sunday in July and didn’t encounter any alarming crowding. Yes, people were outside, smiling, happy and exercising – as we were allowed to be – and it was a joy to share the sunshine and crisp sea air with them. The chance of anyone coming to harm in the ocean or the fresh breeze of the Pacific was zilch.
I’m more than thrilled that ‘the science’ that closed our beaches last year has changed (as has everything else about the virus) and I can swim every day of the year if I choose (I’m a retired old codger, and often do). However, it’s sobering to know that the minds of those who impose these lockdowns on us remain firmly closed, and so prejudiced and full of spite.
In general, his attitude is typical of the authoritarian mindset of those who favour compulsion over persuasion and clear messaging. His government has made a complete and utter hash of almost everything associated with this Delta outbreak, and for that, Mr Elliott thinks it’s all our fault. Because we, the people, are just so deplorable…
Russell Edwards
Randwick

 

Old Lives Matter
One of the learnings I have gained from the COVID-19 pandemic is how, here in Australia and in societies across the globe, the lives of the elderly are trivialised and devalued.
Sure, there are out-cryings, enquiries and lots of publicity-grabbing teeth-gnashing when insufficient precautions are taken in old age facilities to protect the elderly. However, let’s for a moment reflect on a hypothetical alternative COVID-19 scenario.
Let’s imagine that COVID-19 primarily affected and killed children under 10 years of age, a scenario where the aged could transmit the disease but rarely became ill from it. Oh boy, what a different world of compliance we would be living under right now. We would have vigilantism and whistle blowing on a grand scale. Lockdowns would mean lockdowns, in the strictest sense. If you dared to walk maskless past a mother pushing a pram with her precious cargo aboard, you’d be instantly – and very publicly – vilified and shamed. Young parents would become self-appointed compliance enforcement officers. Vaccinations would be mandatory regardless of some ridiculously low probability of side effects.
However, this isn’t the case, so we protest, mingle and carry on strutting along the boardwalks because it’s our right, right?!
Trust me, the remaining days of an eighty or ninety-year-old are as cherished and valued by them as anyone else, regardless of age. We live in a world with a perverted sense of value placed on life based on how young a life is. What rubbish! Old Lives Matter.
Gavin Kleinhans
Bondi Beach

 

How the Covid-19 Lockdown Beats You
In the August issue of The Beast magazine, Duncan Horscroft writes, “Forget about the COVID-19 lockdown.” Well, that will be difficult, because the lockdown is all around us and it might continue for a very long time.
Funnily, on July 24, 2021, the ABC reported that NSW had 163 new COVID cases, with a strong upward trajectory. Incidentally, the 163 new cases were exactly the same number as the 163 boys of the $50,000-a-pop elite St Joseph’s College who were (of course, accidentally) vaccinated with Pfizer (accidentally) – not AstraZeneca (accidentally, again).
Our beloved ‘gold standard Gladys’ oversaw this – accidentally. Gladys also oversaw that frontline workers like airport bus drivers were not vaccinated. What followed was the inevitable. One of the bus drivers transported the virus into Sydney. Millions of people went into lockdown.
The Liberal government vaccinated the elite but not those who really needed to be vaccinated. As a consequence of the Liberal’s ‘some people are more equal than others’ policy, all of us suffer.
Worse, Gladys’ ‘gold standard’ off-sider, ‘Scotty from marketing’, failed to get enough Pfizer vaccines. By the end of July, Australia ranked at the very bottom of all OECD countries (ourworldindata.org) when it came to vaccination rates. As a pair, Gladys and Scomo are just unbeatable… in beating us into the ground.
Thomas Klikauer
Lockdown Coogee

 

The Delta Blues
Delta virus should be eradicated,
Lockdown will continue until it’s evaporated,
If everyone co-operated, business would be operated,
So do the right thing, then you can tolerate it,
To the anti-vaxxers, heed the warning and be vaccinated!
Graeme Bogan
Bondi Junction

 

Local Government Issues
Disrespectful Dog Owners
Dear Editor – I would like to express my frustration regarding disrespectful dog owners. I’m going to list just three of the wide variety of things I witnessed this week… Dog waste all over the place, having to swim at the North Bondi rockpools with dogs everywhere and my toddler being literally knocked down by an unleashed 14kg “puppy” who “just wanted to play” on the promenade.
I’m really fed up with all of this. Is anyone (Council, perhaps?) going to enforce the rules, or do we just have pointless signs everywhere?
Alexa
North Bondi

 

Think of The Children
Can somebody from any council tell me who designs our local playgrounds? As a grandmother of three toddlers, I am surprised at the lack of facilities for small children.
As a resident of Clovelly, I am constantly emailing Council about the disgraceful condition of the beautiful Burnie Park playground, which is just plain dangerous. It also lacks any facilities whatsoever.
Varna playground has been updated and, again, the equipment is unimaginative and totally unsuitable for toddlers. The circular swing thingy is nothing short of deadly and everything is too high, with huge, hazardous stone blocks. Clovelly Beach has nothing stimulating and hopefully the upgrade will be an improvement on the existing one.
Fox Studios has a great facility, with a toddler area and a more challenging older kids space, but it is too far for a ‘walk to the park’.
Come on councils, how about an imaginative team designing these important facilities? Get some parents’ suggestions on board.
D Richards
Clovelly

 

Forestry Fail
I am extremely frustrated and disheartened by the way Waverley Council continues to manage our trees. One example is the Notts Avenue streetscape upgrade. During the several ‘consultations’, no mention was made of the species of trees to be planted. Ultimately, Waverley Council chose to plant banksias, which can grow to 5 meters tall and will one day grow to block the views of local residents in the adjacent apartments.
In Rodney Reserve, the council admitted to planting the wrong species of acacia, which then grew to block views of the ocean. Years have gone by and the trees have still not been removed. How many years do residents have to wait until the council rectifies its error?
Finally, all over Dover Heights the council continues to plant street trees that will grow to block residents’ views of the ocean and the harbour. Council has so many trees to choose from in each zone, but instead of asking residents which trees they prefer, or considering the impact certain species will have on the community, it mindlessly plants whatever trees it likes, residents be damned.
Ratepaying residents are customers, and we are paying the council to do a job. It is time that our council put Waverley residents first.
Dov Frazer
Dover Heights

 

A tale of tree
Friday, August 6, at 5.30am, minutes before Bondi woke up, one of the oldest, tallest, healthiest and most beautiful trees in Hall Street public space was cut down by the contractors of Orwell development site, 20 Hall Street (old post office). No doubt that Bondi locals would remember this nice big tree that was always full of birds. The video of this disaster will be posted on Bondi Local Loop Facebook group later today.
Living right next to the site, we were woken up by the soft sound of the chainsaw (we won’t talk today about the fact that living in Hall Street/Jacques Avenue is pretty much like living in a permanent construction site, that’s another story). So, we woke up, saw what was happening, were horrified and thought that this actually looked suspicious. The time of the day, the (questionable) safety measures (none). It seemed unlikely that anybody had approved the removal of one of the most beautiful trees still standing in Hall Street. We called the police straight away so permits could be checked and potentially this disaster could be stopped before the full tree was taken down if no permit had been granted.
Despite our calls, the police never came. We called back 15 minutes later (the tree was nearly completely down) and were told that the police already attended and checked the scene, and that if we wanted them to come back and see us they will, but that they could not give an exact time because it was not an emergency. We were there, nobody came.
It was an emergency. Seriously, going and checking if a permit has been approved to cut down a huge tree on public land, if this is happening right now, is a public emergency. Anyway, this is the first part of the story.
A couple of hours after the chainsaw massacre, we discovered the development application documentation approved by Council on the Waverley Council website. And, yes, Council had approved this huge tree to be cut down. Really?
As a council town planner, one of the key objectives would be to make sure that the suburb remains a comfortable and beautiful place to live in, wouldn’t it? So, why would you accept this? Yes, there are always good reasons, backed by tree specialists paid by the developers – the tree was not really in perfect health, the tree was obstructing the development of another tree, the tree could have fallen on pedestrians, the tree was hiding a heritage item, the developer will pay Council to plant other trees elsewhere… But let’s cut the BS and face the facts: why, even with the best arguments in the world, would you approve cutting down one of the nicest trees in one of the nicest streets in Bondi Beach? This is not in the public interest, no doubt about this.
When we saw with our own eyes that Council had approved this job, my partner and I felt responsible. It’s not just up to the developer, architect, landscaper (if there is one) and Council to decide. As locals and residents of Bondi Beach, our responsibility is to raise our voices before such things happen. We could have checked the Development Application online a year ago, we could have called the council, we could have submitted comments on the Development Application while there was still time to do so, we could have started a petition, we could have contacted an association in defence of trees which has legal support to help out, we could have tried, at least. But we stayed still, even when fences started to appear around the site, being too optimistic and thinking out loud, “There’s no way they are going to touch the trees, it’s impossible that Council would approve this.”
Living in front of the site, we feel particularly responsible for not having done all this, and we want to say sorry to the Bondi community. This is a significant yet painful learning for us. We need to raise our voices and be more active with matters that concern the community when we disagree – not just for trees, but for any case that matters to us.
Unfortunately, there is nothing that can now be done for this poor tree, but we thought raising this in The Beast might get other people living close to future building sites thinking and trying to avoid such pitfalls.
Here is what you can do:
• When you see a little sign on the street, or if you receive mail saying “Development Application under Council’s assessment at such and such address,” or if you receive a marketing booklet for the future building, go online to the ‘Development Application Tracking Tool’ of your local council.
• There, you need to find the page associated with the Development Application that has been filed. You will need to type in the address of the site. It is not always easy to find the correct Development Application, but you’ll get there after a few tries, and if you don’t, you can call Council for support.
• The Development Application page should say whether it has been approved already or not. Then, check the ‘documents’ on the Development Application page. Some of the layouts should show if any tree is proposed to be removed. You can also do a ‘control+f’ on each document with the word ‘tree’.
• If you have an architect, builder or developer friend, you can ask them for help to read all these. Yes, this is a pain to do, but this is our responsibility too. If some big trees are proposed to be removed and you disagree, raise your voice, earlier. This means contacting the council and asking if there is an official process to file a protest against the tree(s) removal, starting a petition, or calling an association in defence of trees that might help.
Does anybody know such an association? If you do, or have any other advice for the community, please reach out so that we can do our bit and raise our voice efficiently in the future.
Cheers,
SN & PYR
Bondi Beach

 

Taste of Coogee
Did you know that Taste of Coogee was offered by Randwick Council the opportunity to move to Coogee Bay Road, which would have allowed the local Coogee businesses to spill out and participate in a street festival, much like that of the widely popular Spot Festival?
This offer was rejected by Ms Summers without consulting the local businesses on Coogee Bay Road.
True Eastern Suburbs Local
Randwick

 

CORRECTING THE RECORD
Unfortunately, ‘True Eastern Suburbs Local’ has been misinformed. The only alternate site offered by Randwick City Council was Trennery Reserve, and this offer was subject to the site being suitable and event approval. This can be verified in the minutes from the April 2020 Randwick City Council Ordinary Council Meeting, which can be accessed through council’s website.
As the former president of Coogee Chamber of Commerce, I personally believe a street festival in Coogee Bay Road to support local business is a great idea, and this was suggested by local businesses to Randwick Council in consultation last year. Let’s hope they organise it!
Kind Regards,
Taste of Coogee Administration
Coogee

 

Other Local Happenings

Randwick Ritz Reply
In reply to Emma from Bondi (Well Done, Randwick Ritz, Letters, The Beast, August 2021), I too object to The Ritz forcing people into paying via a credit/debit card. I have written to The Ritz about this matter but I have not even received the courtesy of acknowledgement of my letter, let alone a reply.
I no longer go to The Ritz – their action is one of cost-saving rather than health concerns. It is so easy to make statements such as, “It has been proven that the COVID-19 virus can survive on cash for as long as five weeks…” Evidence for such a statement is difficult to find, and the logical extension of this argument is that you should not touch any good in any shop as there could be COVID-19 virus on it from the last person who touched it.
Ross
Randwick

 

Clovelly Bombie Wolfpak
To the Clovelly Bombie Wolfpak – A 3-foot novelty wave (at best) does not justify treating the wave, and those who would dare surf it, like a treasured North Shore icon. The dirty looks and whistling are embarrassing. While I’m here, all these trust fund kids running around with blue collar ‘80s era haircuts… talk about irony – you live in Bronte for f*ck’s sake! Wake up.
12 Years a Blow-in
Bondi

 

Cross words
OK, Lisa of Bronte. Although I’ve never heard a living human use the archaism “obsoleteness”, I’ll concede it to the author of The Beast Crossword, but “oppulent” is a bridge too far.
Susan Geason
Bondi Junction

 

What Internet?
Why is the NBN so unreliable? We have had three outages in the last week, with little internet over the weekend. We are told to go online to find out what is happening, errr?
What is more, there is no information on how to fix it. Which politician told us the NBN was going to be so very good that we should all have it? He must be getting a different service than us at Bronte.
It is a disgrace that we cannot get reliable internet when we need it every day – particularly in a pandemic – but what happens? The copper wiring is overloaded and there is not enough service to go around. The people who run our country need to do a better job.
Sincerely,
Georgie
Bronte

 

Distribution Growth
Hi James – I was so thrilled to find The Beast in my letterbox. Not sure if it was from a friend or your delivery is now in my street, Clyde Street, North Bondi. I’ve been looking for the latest issue and now it’s finally in my letterbox.
Regards,
Rozanne
North Bondi

 

Litter-ally disappointing
Watching young kids on sunny afternoons sliding on cardboard down the Queens Park slopes, often cheered on by their parents, evokes the delight of good old-fashioned, homemade fun. Inevitably, the joy of the scene is rivalled by dismay at the discarded slabs of cardboard along the verge of the park. Could you – kids and parents – have some appreciation and consideration of the area that affords you this simple pleasure, and others’ enjoyment, and take your cardboard home? The epitome of your entitled selfishness is on display. In a sign of the times, the disposable face mask is fast becoming the scourge that is on par with the cigarette butt. Good citizens who are generally inclined to pick up after others are understandably hesitant to gather up and bin these.
Living in the East is a blessing and a privilege, respect for it and its residents is warranted. Let’s try a little harder.
Grace
Bronte

 

Tank You
Hi Beasties – I just wanted to say tank you, or thank you rather, for your article on how to help the environment during lockdown (What to Do During Lockdowns, The Beast, August 2021), or rather thank Dr Marjorie O’Neill.
I have just adopted my first drain/kerb on Arden Street, Coogee. I will do my part to carefully remove waste from its grate when it is required. I will also be building bee baths and ‘taking three for the sea’. My backpack is stocked with gloves and bags for collecting waste.
Thanks so much for a great initiative and an important reminder.Let’s hope this goes viral during the lockdown.
Leigh
Coogee – Proud Adoptee of Kerb8024

 

Foxes on the prowl
Hello – In addition to various other fox sightings in the area, my wife saw two foxes on our front lawn when she returned home late from work one evening a few weeks ago on Gilgandra Road, North Bondi. Be warned!
Basil Brush
North Bondi

 

Pearls of Wisdom
No Pearl Bullivant in the August edition of The Beast? I hope she’s back come September.
Alan
Bellevue Hill ¢