The Beast - November 2021

BEAST The

November 2021

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Freedom at Last!

Words James Hutton @thebeastmag Welcome to the November 2021 edition of The Beast, the monthly magazine for Sydney’s emancipated beaches of the east. There’s a palpable feeling of relief in the air as I type this welcome. Our local businesses are finally opening up again, and we even have the luxury of going out to dinner (if you can get a booking anywhere, of course). I just hope COVID numbers don’t go through the roof and we’re forced back into lockdown all over again - lucky we built all those new hospitals!

As a service to the local community, I’ve gone to the trouble of analysing a sample of COVID anti-vaxxers and categorising them based on characteristics specific to their groups so they can be easily identified. The first category, ‘the foolish’, includes any well-intentioned person who lacks the ability to discern between reliable scientific information and plain nonsense. Despite this group including more members than any informed person would reasonably expect, ‘the foolish’ can probably be forgiven for their naivety, and potentially even be educated to believe that they’re not being microchipped.

The second category, however, shouldn’t be so easily forgiven. This group, ‘the selfish’, includes all the privileged, entitled individuals who understand that the benefits of vaccination (to them and the broader community) far outweigh the miniscule risk of a negative long-term side effect, but still refuse to get vaccinated due to an arrogant belief that their ‘sovereignty’ outweighs their responsibility to the wider community. Most of Mullumbimby fits into this second category.

We all have a responsibility to protect vulnerable people, and part of that responsibility is getting vaccinated. Please, don’t be one of ‘the selfish’.

The Beast receives a lot of letters to the editor these days, being the only independent print publication in the area. A lot of these letters have raised concerns around the proposed redevelopment of the Coogee Bay Hotel site. I’m going to throw in my two cents’ worth, because this development will have a lasting impact, whether it goes ahead or not.

The site needs a facelift - it’s a bit of a shithole down there at the moment and the block certainly needs some love - but the current proposal exceeds planning controls to the point where many stakeholders feel that the benefits of the plan will not outweigh the cost to the Coogee community. Some of this can be written off as NIMBY self-interest - which is still valid, by the way - but most of the opposition comes from a genuine concern for the greater good of the local area and the people who live here.

The most important issue, I believe, is the size and scale of the proposal. This seems to be the general consensus, and understandably so - the proposed building is much bigger than what is there now.

A number of letters also raise the displacement of renters in the existing low-rent building as another negative impact of the development, especially in an area where increasing rents are forcing locals out.

Other issues that have been raised include traffic congestion, disruption to business during construction, shadowing

6 The Beast November 2021 Issue 202

of the beach, loss of views, etc., but I think that if the developer can address the two main issues by reducing the size and scale of the proposed building to a reasonable level (whatever that means) and incorporate affordable housing for existing tenants, then it could win the support of the local community.

The vast majority of people aren’t anti-development per se, but the benefits to the community need to outweigh the costs.

There’s one last point I’d like to make regarding the redevelopment. Despite what you may have heard, the owner of the Coogee Bay Hotel is a Coogee local, having grown up in the area attending a local school.

He still resides here with his family, where he plans to stay.

The Beast has a responsibiliy to provide accurate information to our local community, and correcting misinformation is an important part of that.

Enjoy your freedom!

Cheers, James

The Beast The Beast Pty Ltd ABN 32 143 796 801 www.thebeast.com.au Editor james@thebeast.com.au Advertising Enquiries advertising@thebeast.com.au Rates and Specs thebeast.com.au/advertise Circulation 60,000 copies are delivered every month; 57,500 are placed in mailboxes and 2,500 in local shops.

PEFC Certified The Beast uses paper from sustainably managed forests.

Letters to the Editor Please send your feedback to letters@thebeast.com.au with your name and suburb.

CONTENTS November 2021 Issue 202

6 Welcome Note

42 Local Artist

56 Dave's Diary

7

44 Unreliable Guide

58 The Green Room

8 Pearls of Wisdom

46 Kieran's Satire

60 Dana's Recipe

10 Monthly Mailbag

47 Tide Chart

62 More Local Photos

Contents

22 Letter of the Month 48 Money Matters

64 Beast Reviews

24 Local News

50 Headnoise

65 Brainteasers

38 Local Photos

52 Bandage

66 Beardy from Hell

40 Police News

54 Marj's Musings

66 Trivia Solutions

Haley at Bronte, by Mark Hunter @bondihunter.

Spare a thought for the real victims.

Understanding the Plight of Australia's COVID Refugees Words Pearl Bullivant Photo Rich Westerner Until most Australians are vaccinated against COVID, Pearl has elected to extend her contract as self-appointed COVID Ambassador to Australia and will continue each month to advise the masses on appropriate behaviour while also bringing to the fore issues pertinent to the survival of the affluent middleclass in the Eastern Suburbs.

This month, I am asking readers to ponder an issue that I find extremely annoying - the sloppy use of ‘terminology’ by those who wish to portray themselves as victims of the pandemic. As in most cases, the perps are typically affluent people used to getting their own way in life, but COVID has thrown a curveball into their

glossy, shiny existences and the world needs to hear about their woes.

Unfortunately, Australians have grown accustomed to hearing the bastardisation of terminology from big business and industry groups; the victim playing that so often occurs when the government or the community attempts to counter skewed market forces.

We are so used to the lament from property developers that they are “doing it tough” for the purpose of exploiting planning laws that we willingly swallow their crap. We also truly believe that class warfare is being raged against the wealthy by the great unwashed and we appear to be on the slippery

8 The Beast November 2021 Issue 202

American slope of believing that social welfare is really a sneaky form of socialism. And, during the panic of COVID, we have silently accepted that the oil and gas industry have morphed into activists against the evil eco-terrorists lurking in the form of Greenpeace and Knitting Nannas.

The terminology that is currently on Pearl’s goat is the misguided use of the word “refugee” to describe wealthy Australians who have elected to “flee” the COVID pandemic in business centres like New York and London. Until the pandemic, these cashed-up professionals who call themselves “COVID refugees” were happy to be “cutting a swath through business and finance around the world” but realised they could be enjoying the “freedom” of jogging between Bondi's kerbside bars instead of dodging a COVID bullet locked up in a trendy brownstone in Tribeca.

I understand that these ex-patriots (who are so used to getting what they want, when they want it) are using the word “refugee” in the hope of engendering community sympathy for their “plight”, but the bastardisation of this word has no place in a time of real crisis for political refugees who are sitting in limbo in camps across the world, vulnerable to outbreaks of the virus. If you are one of these returning ex-pats, you are NOT a refugee; you are a wealthy professional with an Australian passport returning with wads of cash to buy into an overpriced Eastern Suburbs real estate market. I am just waiting on the headline “COVID Refugees are Blocking Anzac Parade, Jumping the Queue at Private Schools and Clogging up Our Private Hospitals” to take some heat off those mysterious asylum seekers blocking the M4 and clogging public hospitals.

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The Beast's Monthly Mailbag Words The Emancipated People of the Eastern Suburbs Local Development Applications THE FORGOTTEN PEOPLE There is an aspect of the proposed redevelopment of the Coogee Bay Hotel and surrounds that has not received the attention it deserves.

The proposal includes 60 new apartments. While it records that some existing residential accommodation is to be demolished, it does not record the number of apartments or residents affected.

Nor does it give any attention to their fate.

The fact is that the residential buildings to be demolished offer inexpensive housing. There is no way that their residents could buy into the proposed new apartments.

These people - and there are many of them - are going to be forced out of their homes and forced out of the area. It is notorious that real estate prices, followed though not equalled by rents, are increasing rapidly in areas like Coogee.

The applicant for this development frequently expresses enthusiasm for the public interest, though serving it does not extend to these people. Once again, the truth is the opposite of the buzz words and clichés they use again and again in their application. In this instance, it is a shameful truth that shows a cynical and contemptuous attitude of the applicant towards real people.

On August 31, 2021, the original date scheduled for the close of objections to the DA, the owner of these residential buildings delivered a letter to the residents. One would expect that, as the owner, it would know the names of those who pay the rent, or at least could find them out. But no, treating them as anonymous objects will do.

The letter was addressed to “Occupant” - not “The Occupant”, just

“Occupant” - in an act of carefree negligence, that then became “Dear Occupant”.

“Dear Occupant, The Coogee Bay Hotel owner and operator, C!NC Hotels, along with Cotton Property Group, are excited to inform you that together, we have submitted a development application to Randwick Council for the contemporary makeover of the Coogee Bay Hotel and surrounding site.”

In other words, we are excited to tell you that soon you will be homeless. The narcissism and intense self-satisfaction in their own cause completely blinds them to the misfortune about to descend on others.

Excitement indeed. The cold impersonality of the letter continues to the end, where the name of the managing director appears in typing but without the extra effort of a signature.

These people proclaim themselves eager to serve the public interest. Any decent and humane proposal would contain some lowcost housing in the public interest.

Janet Bell Coogee COOGEE BAY HOTEL REDEVELOPMENT As a recent resident of Coogee, I would like to object to the size of the proposed development. Coogee is a beautiful beach area that requires to approve developments which add to the area and not detract from it with increased traffic and overdevelopment.

Harry Tamvakeras Coogee COOGEE BAY HELL Dear Sir/Madam - Would you consider printing my comments below about the above issue in the next edition of your magazine?

10 The Beast November 2021 Issue 202

Overshadowing and significant view loss with a monolithic structure takes away the open air feel that is part of the unique Coogee Bay landscape.

The open space park in front of the beach will have significant overshadowing in the afternoons, and this alters the environment for all residents and visitors to the beach area.

The natural beauty of the coast and proximity to the beach near the ocean water at this location is important and should not be dominated by a single oversized development such as this proposal for the Coogee Bay Hotel.

The proposal resembles a Gold Coast high rise, dominating all the other properties and the roads surrounding it, taking away the relaxed and open aspect of the locality.

It is important that all people enjoy the public open spaces in and around the Coogee foreshore for their own health and well-being.

This proposal impacts this aspect of the public open space.

Andrew Tosti Coogee THE EDIFICE AT COOGEE While an upgrade to the Coogee Bay Hotel would be welcome, the current proposal is massive overkill. The 24-metre high mass of the tower will dominate the village and create a visual wall like a dam across the skyline. We do not need another disaster like the monster on the corner of Arden and Carr Streets. The road system will be hard pressed by the traffic surge and everywhere around will be blocked. Not good.

Andrew Jakubowicz Coogee PROPOSAL TO REDEVELOP THE COOGEE BAY HOTEL I write as a long-term resident of Coogee (30-plus years) who has grave concerns about the latest proposal to redevelop the Coogee Bay Hotel.

This is an absolutely appalling proposal that will alter the character of a much-loved and protected precinct, and not for the better.

The proposal is way too high and too long. It’s just way too big.

The legal height limit of 12 metres was reached some years ago after substantial consultation with the community, and after a great fight.

The boutique hotel was permitted to be much higher at one point,

precisely because the gable roof allowed views from both ways and it was just at that one point. The character of the boutique hotel was also in keeping with the heritage look of the pub, with it’s iconic roofline, palm tree and beer garden.

It’s part of the character of the Coogee Village. The developer now proposes to use that concession, granted at the time in good faith, as a trojan horse to build a great high wall of apartments that will loom over the heritage building in front, completely destroying the look and feel of it.

Not only that - the apartments behind the hotel that will be demolished to make way for the new luxury flats are currently available to a mixture of people, many of them not on high incomes. The streets may not be slick and shiny, but they represent an authentic side of Coogee, with a certain raffish charm, and they are homes for people who deserve to live near the beach as much as the next rich person. The proposal entails demolishing three buildings on Vicar Street and at least one on Coogee Bay Road - forty homes, for families and singles, including the elderly.

These are the kind of people who will never be able to afford to buy one of the new apartments that will replace their homes.

Coogee has a unique feel, it’s a village, with a mixture of owners and renters, high and low income.

We absolutely do not want or need another crass commercial version of Bondi, Cronulla or the Gold Coast.

Remember, this proposal is right on the beachfront. It will dominate the view. It’s ugly. It will block the view of the sky and the street of Coogee going back up the hill, looking west from the beach.

The proposal is also for a large supermarket and three underground floors of parking, with the entrance and exit on Arden Street!

This is ridiculous. That intersection is already incredibly busy and is heavily used by pedestrians. The proposal states that a supermarket is needed, as the existing Woolworths is 200 metres away. In what world can people not walk or drive 200 metres to a supermarket?

There is also a huge shopping centre down the road at Pacific Square, Maroubra, with a Coles and an Aldi, and numerous supermarkets at Randwick Junction just up the road, and Bondi Junction. This is a

beach area - another supermarket is definitely not the right kind of development.

There is also an “eat street” in the proposal. Sorry, we already have one of them, and it is called Coogee Bay Road. It’s authentic too - not some developer’s idea of what an “eat street” is. I feel like we are living in an episode of Utopia.

Why can’t the owner of the Coogee Bay Hotel propose something that is actually within the agreed law? Why should any proposal higher than the legal 12 metres even be given the time of day?

This is the same kind of appalling development process that gave us the Crown Casino building at Barangaroo - and what a disaster that has turned out to be.

This development is just not appropriate, needed or wanted by the people who actually live here, pay rates and vote, and who love Coogee and want to protect it - for everyone.

Marianne Leitch Coogee COOGEE BAY MONSTROSITY As a long-time Coogee resident, I was dismayed to note that some out-of-towner has applied to erect another eyesore right on our beachfront. The local authorities let the other beachfront hotel get away with that monstrosity, no more!

John Woodruff Coogee PROPOSED PLANS FOR THE COOGEE BAY HOTEL Hi guys - As you are the mouthpiece of the east and have your finger on the pulse of so many people who live in the 2031 and 2034 postcodes and surrounding ‘burbs, surely you can’t help but notice the absurd monstrosity that the owners of the Coogee Bay Hotel are trying to force on us locals?

This monstrosity of a project will totally destroy the laid-back atmosphere of Coogee. Coogee is not Bondi Beach; let’s preserve the old seaside facade of the building and preserve that laid-back way of life.

Bernie Roberts Coogee SHORT MEMORIES Dear Editor - Does the Coogee Bay Hotel, the source of so much alcohol-fuelled violence over decades, which regularly put Coogee in the national headlines and led the way in creating the need for lockout laws to be introduced (which

12 The Beast November 2021 Issue 202

crippled many businesses), really need to be expanded and developed? People have short memories.

They should not be rewarded with a vastly larger venue. Coogee will not be better off for it.

Kim Millar Coogee OPENING UP THE HERITAGE OF THE WAVERLEY WAR MEMORIAL HOSPITAL The War Memorial Hospital site has a rich and interesting history.

On ANZAC Day, 1919, Jane Vickery donated the site to the Methodist Church. Over the last 100 years, the church, and now Uniting NSW.ACT, has been dedicated to using the site to provide essential community services including aged care, retirement living and hospital services.

Uniting and the Uniting Church are proud of the work they have done to maintain these buildings over the last century and will continue to maintain the heritage of the buildings including the rich historical meaning to the community.

The Waverley redevelopment proposal by Uniting plans to honour and enhance the heritage aspects of the site. One of the exciting features of the redevelopment is the significant amenity for the local community. The land on which the hospital stands has great financial value, but Uniting believes it has far greater value in being a place that continues to offer community services in line with Jane Vickery’s original vision when it was gifted.

The proposed development will feature retirement living, residential aged care, a seniors gym, affordable housing and hospital augmentations to meet future needs of the local health district. The development proposal aims to open up the site for public viewing and appreciation of the heritage during certain periods and will include community gardens available for use of the community.

Biophilic design and heritage have been important considerations in the development proposal for the War Memorial Hospital site and its surrounds. The drafted Development Control Plan (DCP) will have tight controls on heritage, canopy cover, informed open spaces for residents and opportunities for tree replacement, as well as ensuring landscape visibility. Green spaces are a critical aspect of our design.

Currently the War Memorial Hospital site and its surrounds are private and closed off to the com-

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munity. The buildings within the site are not visible as a part of our local skyline and the community are unable to experience the history and beauty of this site.

We have consulted with the Vickery family and they are huge supporters of these proposed changes. This development aims to honour the memory of Vickery’s gift and vision, a vision we look forward to sharing with the community for many years to come.

Simon Furness Director of Property and Housing at Uniting NSW.ACT COVID-19 in The East CONE OF SILENCE On August 27, Randwick LGA had less than half the COVID cases of Bayside, which had been on the hotlist for weeks. In the last three days, we caught up and overtook Bayside’s case numbers - today (September 20) having 693 to Bayside’s 689.

On August 14 a party was held at Maroubra and was attended by 60 people. We were told about this party seven days later. 16 attendees were COVID positive.

A week later it was announced (at the bottom of an obscure article on some unrelated topic) that 90 people connected to the party had tested positive and it was declared a super-spreader event. They are the only two mentions of this event that I can find in the media.

Now, without being a mathematical genius, it figures that this party could be responsible for every one of the 693 current Randwick cases.

It is highly likely that almost every one of those 693 cases is connected to the party, because on August 27 the official Randwick COVID positive figure was 111.

We know who the attendees at the Orthodox Jewish engagement party in Melbourne were, and how much they were fined. We know who attended the South Western Sydney party that carried the virus from one limo driver (piece of cake to nip the problem in the bud - as Scomo said, Gladys had set the gold standard for dealing with COVID issues without upsetting the business community) to much of NSW, large numbers of infections and two new prolonged lockdowns in Victoria, transmission to most other states and territories, and even New Zealand. Good work, Gladys.

But we know nothing more about this super spreader elephant in

the room. Have the attendees been caught and fined? Who were they?

I can only surmise they are some kind of protected species - a Hillsong congregation (another Ruby Princess event?), Liberal Party donors, or maybe rugby league icons.

Asking around, people say, “It was just a bunch of kids!” So, that’s OK? Pamela Young Maroubra DUMB CHOICES Of course it’s your choice to be vaccinated or not. However, if you decide against it, then please do not inflict yourself upon our hospital services when you contract the virus. Stay at home and deal with it. I don’t care.

The very reason you’re currently alive and able to make your stupid choice is because vaccines for diseases like polio, diphtheria, typhoid, smallpox, tetanus, whooping cough, measles, yellow fever, etc. were available and used by your parents and ancestors. Are you too dumb to get the irony?

Gavin Kleinhans Bondi Beach Local Government Issues MONEY FOR PRAWN HEADS Dear Beast - Woollahra and Randwick LGA residents can toss food scraps, including prawn heads, into their green bins. It’s not even that stinky at Christmas as they have special composting bags. I wish we had the same system in Waverley. Aside from the environmental benefits of composting, the council could make money from our food waste.

M Hughes North Bondi BRONTE COASTAL WALK, AGAIN Hi James - Waverley Council has been diligent with their Have Your Say page to involve the local community, but how much is too much? The 196-page Biodiversity Action Plan is a massive piece, and I congratulate Council for all the work. However, I wonder if Council should allocate some of this money to maintaining our verges and widening the coastal walk around Tamarama and Bondi. A conflict between runners and walkers remains a problem in this area.

The Action Plan suggests that development is eroding the remnant vegetation, but images of Bronte Cutting in the past show this is not the case - there is more vegetation now than ever before. The coastal walk is a national treasure and

14 The Beast November 2021 Issue 202

requires regular maintenance, but planting extra species as part of the Biodiversity Action Plan should not overshadow the magnificent bare rock-face of the coastal walk with its unrestricted views to the sea.

Georgie Bronte SHAMELESS WAVERLEY COUNCIL For a change of scenery on Saturday morning I walked down to Bronte Beach. It was lovely to see everyone out exercising, enjoying packed picnic breakfasts and walking their dogs. However, on my walk home I was disgusted by the number of cars I saw papered with parking tickets (I have a picture of three cars in a row with parking tickets).

People are having a tough time at the moment (mentally and many financially). Not everyone is able to make the long walk down to the lawn and have to drive to get access to open space within their five kilometre radius. Charging residents for the pleasure of parking is one thing, but callously hitting them up with parking fines during a citywide, hard lockdown is another.

Tone deaf and shameful.

Patrick Walsh Clovelly WAVERLEY COUNCIL REDUCES GARBAGE TRUCK NOISE IN BRONTE I would like to thank Waverley Council for instructing the garbage removal operators to reduce the noise during the weekly emptying of garbage bins, in particular quietening down the garbage trucks’ loud reverse beepers.

It is very much appreciated, and hopefully garbage removal will not wake us up at dawn every Friday morning anymore!

Dariusz Janiak Bronte KITCHEN CADDY BINS: A POSITIVE UPDATE Hello James - I’m happy to report that John Swanton (Kitchen Caddy Bins, Letters, The Beast, October 2021) can put his second big thumb up now, as Randwick Council has heard and taken on board the fact that the first wave of green recyclable bags for food waste that were distributed were too small for the kitchen caddies. And the good news is that the second wave of bags, recently distributed, are bigger, and big enough. A gold star for the council!

Anne Ring Coogee

State Government Issues PAGING DR O’NEILL In response to the rosy portrait of lockdown painted by Dr Marjorie O’Neill in her recent column (We’ve Come a Long Way, The Beast, October 2021) - what planet are you living on?

“We have witnessed a level of kindness and caring for each other probably only seen before during times of war...” No, we have seen neighbours dobbing each other in to CrimeStoppers for every perceived infraction and old busybodies gleefully policing everyone around them.

“Independence and adaptability are particularly evident in our school children, who have learnt to function in an environment very different from the one they were used to...” If by adaptability you mean a startling increase in self-harming behaviors and suicidal ideation.

“Those in small or crowded dwellings who have discovered a space within a space...” Shall I go out on a limb and suggest that Dr O’Neill isn’t riding out lockdown in such a dwelling?

“Parents and carers have mastered the fine art of juggling employment, domestic chores and home schooling...” I won’t even dignify that with a response.

“Recognition of the value of our frontline workers… has been a theme of recent months...” Frontline workers continue to be paid minimum wage to accept risks to their health to keep our economy running, endure draconian lockdown rules and police harassment, and generally be treated like pariahs by anyone in the Eastern Suburbs.

I’m sure Dr O’Neill’s intention was to buoy our spirits, but to read this delusional missive that could not be further from the situation on the ground is simply insulting.

If our MP is so out of touch that she thinks that all is truly sunshine and lollipops in lockdown then I suppose it’s no surprise that our government has had no qualms locking us in our homes for over three months.

Jennifer Bondi Beach WOMAN UP! Hi James - It was very cruel of you to publish the letter about Dr. Marjorie O’Neill (Doctor, Doctor, Give me the News, Letters, The Beast, October 2021) from William Ockham, because the letter so eloquently displays the writer’s puerile misogyny.

His cheap comments on Dr. O’Neill’s appearance and personal activities evoke the vituperative attacks on powerful women that we heard from Tony Abbott and Alan Jones. The writer appears to be ignorant of the careful detailing of these attacks, and others, in many articles by Anne Summers and in Tosca Looby’s recent ABC documentary, ‘Strong Female Lead’.

Recommended viewing.

Dr. O’Neill’s focus may have temporarily strayed from plastic bags, and while this is a serious issue, plastic bags are not causing severe illness to 90,372 and death to 1,186 Australians to date - and counting.

On the contrary, Dr. O’Neill’s daily emails have informed thousands of people in her electorate of Coogee and nearby areas about the state of play with the pandemic and arrangements for protection and vaccination. They have provided much better and more targeted information than we’ve had from the state or federal governments.

Your own pages have carried many articles from Dr. O’Neill with monthly updates, advice, information and support. This very month you’ve published her outstanding message of care for our community, encouraging and supporting all of us who have patiently and stoically dealt with the difficulties of the pandemic.

In conclusion (almost!), William Ockham advises Dr. O’Neill to “man up” - an ugly phrase that demonstrates his lack of understanding of the strength and compassion of the woman we are lucky enough to have as our state representative.

Sandra Alexander Clovelly IN REPLY TO WILLIAM OCKHAM Dear William - After the 2019 state election, in line with my deep commitment to ban single use plastic bags, I wholeheartedly supported a bill put forward in the NSW parliament by the NSW Labor opposition which would have finally seen our state take positive and decisive action to end the use of this major environmental pollutant, the ‘Plastic Shopping Bags (Prohibition On Supply By Retailers) Bill 2019’.

When the house divided on the bill the vote was sadly lost, as 48 Coalition MPs voted against the bill, although the 36 Labor MPs, including of course myself, voted in support of the bill. The Liberals’ opposition to this much needed

16 The Beast November 2021 Issue 202

legislation was a blow to me and to the great majority of our community who supported it.

My commitment to advancing environmental issues, including the removal of all single use plastics and waste reduction, has not waivered. I also know that, like myself, there is huge community concern about the mountains of nonrecyclable packaging and so-called reusable plastic bags entering our waste every day. My voice on these issues can be heard in a number of forums including my Coogee Voice podcasts and in my many articles to be found in The Beast archives.

Check them out.

Marjorie Spooner O’Neill State Member for Coogee THREE CHEERS FOR SERVICE NSW! Recently, I had two phone calls to make. One was to Telstra and one was to Service NSW. I rang Telstra first and was disconnected twice after they had delivered their message for me to go on the website. When I finally found a number that didn’t hang up on me I was then made to type back and forth to a robot until, after forty minutes, I received an answer to my question. Such a waste of time and very demeaning.

I summoned my strength and rang Service NSW. A person answered the phone and gave me my answer within 30 seconds. Service 24 hours a day, and you get to talk to a human. Thank you, NSW government, for this wonderful service.

Sally Morrison North Bondi Federal Government Issues DAVE SHARMA'S CLIMATE INACTION Dear Beast - I am one of the many readers who love your magazine and also want our government to actually do something about climate change. So you can imagine my pleasant surprise to see MP Dave Sharma telling us all about the dangers of climate change and the need to reduce emissions (Australia Must Accelerate Our Climate Action, The Beast, October 2021). I decided to overlook the fact that it was Sharma who last year supported a ‘gas-fired recovery’ as our way out of the pandemic - as if burning more fossils fuels will help us. I also had to ignore his talk of more electric vehicles, given that he himself was criticising an electric vehicle target just two years ago.

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Issue 202 November 2021 The Beast 17

But then when I read his piece, I simply couldn’t overlook his proposed solution - net-zero emissions by 2050, which is simply not enough. Scientists are telling us that we need rapid, short-term emissions reductions, with a 50 per cent target by 2030 as an absolute minimum, if we’re to avoid the worst-case scenario of 2 degrees warming. If Dave Sharma is finally serious about climate action, he should start with listening to the scientists.

Felix Taaffe Bronte GREENWISHING SHARMA In The Beast’s October issue, Dave Sharma writes, “the recent report form the IPCC is a sobering wakeup call”. This is more greenwashing - misleading readers that the Liberals are green - than greenwishing - wishing to be greener that you actually are.

Sharma’s statement is a bit like the Taliban saying a recent report from the UN on our abuse of women is a sobering wake-up call.

Sharma’s Liberal Party is the party of rampant environmental vandalism ranging from the fight against Labor’s environmental tax to the Liberal Party’s support for Adani, to support for land clearing and stratospheric rates of animal extinction - the list goes on.

Recently, the internationally acclaimed climateactiontracker.org, for example, ranked the Liberal Party’s green policy as “Highly Insufficient”, and this includes the Mad Monk, Turnbull and Scomo.

By the way, Scomo, Scotty from marketing, is set to waste $90 billion of tax money on nuclear U-boats. The average spending on solar panels is $5,250 per house in Australia. If one divides the $90 billion by that number, one gets to 17,142,857. That means with that money we could put solar panels on over 17 million houses. Yet Australia has only 9.9 million houses.

Hence, we would have enough tax money to put solar panels on every house in Australia and throw free batteries in as well. This would provide all Australians with free electricity for years to come and lots of jobs in production and maintenance. Bye bye electricity bill.

In short, the greenwishing Liberal Party screws us twice. Firstly, by wasting $90 billion, and secondly, by not giving us free electricity for decades to come. Some, when see-

ing their next electricity bill, might wonder, “Shall I really vote for those who f*** me twice?”

Thomas Klikauer Sweet Coogee DON'T WAIT UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently released its report ‘Climate Change 2021: the Physical Science Basis’, which has sent shock waves across the world. The report shows that without urgent action to reduce carbon emissions the world that we know and love is in serious peril. This may sound dramatic, but increasingly extreme and frequent weather events like unstoppable bushfires, 50-degree temperatures and droughts we have recently experienced are only going to get worse.

Like COVID, climate warming will affect the whole world, and Beast readers of course will not be immune. The IPCC report has made it very clear that we only have a small window of time left to make the changes required to ‘turn back’ from the devastating impacts of global warming. The IPCC Report does highlight that there is hope - as long as there is immediate action. However, this requires our politicians, at all levels of government, to take urgent and effective action. Adopting a much more ambitious timeframe for reaching zero emissions will mean urgently stopping the use of fossil fuels and putting in place effective plans to move our economies and communities to a low emissions sustainable level.

Key climate scientists have shown we need to commit to a 75 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030, with an aim to reach net zero by 2035. A target of net zero by 2050 will be much too late.

The Prime Minister’s response to this urgent wake up call was characterised by complacency, which is highly disappointing but sadly not out character. In the previous edition of The Beast, Wentworth MP Dave Sharma’s response (Australia Must Accelerate Our Climate Action, The Beast, October 2021) was no less disappointing. We know we can and must aim at much better than net-zero by 2050, and a slight increase in the 2030 target.

From November 1-12 this year, Australia will attend the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26,

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in Glasgow, a conference which many see as the last chance for countries across the globe to act to bring runaway climate change under control.

We ask concerned Beast readers to urgently email or call their MPs. Let them know that you expect Australia to set ambitious targets at COP26 to reduce our carbon emissions to a sustainable level, and tell them that they must put in place detailed actions and plans that can be monitored and evaluated, to ensure we reach these targets.

Concerned Eastern Suburbs Residents Other Local Happenings LOVE THE COVER! Dear James - Congratulations on the cover of the October edition of The Beast. What an energising, uplifting and all-round wonderful artwork. The movement in the waves, the fabulous floating hair, the lovely sea colours - well done Anouk, and make sure you keep creating! I’m sure Anouk’s artwork gave many of us a smile just when we needed it most.

Lyndall Randwick HELICOPTER NOISE If you live in Coogee, and likely other eastern beachside suburbs, you have quite a lot of aircraft noise. You put up with it because that is the price of living in such a glorious location.

Add to this the noise from helicopters from the lifesaving services.

And, when someone gets into strife in the surf or on nearby clifftops, multiple rescue helicopters can circle overhead for hours giving assistance to those in distress. To these you can add police force helicopters, which from time to time circle overhead, seemingly endlessly, at nights with searchlights, seeking out miscreants. During the lockdown, it was not unusual for the police helicopters to circle menacingly overhead, sometimes with loudspeaker announcements, lest any local attempted to coalesce into non-socially distanced groups.

OK! Reasonable people will accept the noise from these aerial beasts as having some social benefit. They are necessary for the community to operate safely.

What is not easy to accept are the helicopters, which fly up and down the coast, including Coogee, pulling huge advertising banners. Over the

Free Admission

October Labour Day weekend, for instance, was the constant drone of the noise of the helicopters towing the advertising banner for the “TAB Everest” horse racing event. There have been others.

Oh, come on! We have our fair share of aerial noise. Do we really need the advertising choppers?

Can’t they take out a newspaper ad?

Even in The Beast?!

Paul Convy Coogee FRUSTRATED NEIGHBOUR WITH PARKING Just another rant from a neighbour - We have a construction site happening across the road, and the site manager keeps putting cones on the public road thinking it’s his, and then takes them away when his mate in his F150 rocks up and parks. We have very little parking, but the arrogance and bullying from this builder (Growthbuilt), plus the aggressiveness of the site manager, is outrageous. After lodging several complaints to Woollahra Council this continues to go on. Good start for a 20-month construction lead time.

Daniel Covarrubias Bellevue Hill CHILDHOOD MEMORIES OF BONDI I was born in 1945 and lived in a one bedroom flat on Lamrock Avenue. I slept in the lounge room, sharing it with my sister. There was no need for swimming pools and the like when the best beach in Australia was a short walk down the road and the folks had you swimming training in Bondi Baths, under the watchful eye of coach Claude Seabrook.

Where I grew up it was all about us kids. We would gather in Chambers Avenue and play tennis with wooden ‘racquets’ on a half court painted on the street by the older guys. They took an interest in us younger kids. We were taught by them to box in backyard gyms and played football, cricket, etc. at the various schools that we Bondi Boys went to in those days. As my elder sister went to Bellevue Hill, I had to go there with her, walking up the hill each day. All my mates were at Bondi School.

The beach was a place to develop our surf courage on surfoplanes, hired at the beach. Great days were had riding waves from Ben Buckler at North Bondi on the big sea days, across the beach to the middle, hanging on to the handles of these

rubber floats no matter what.

My dad was a terrific bodysurfer.

Nicknamed Snowy, I still remember seeing his snowy head bobbing up and down way out the back as he patiently waited for the big one coming around the point to get him to the shore. He surfed with his hands outstretched and overlapping, with his head out of the water on his way back to the beach. It wasn’t long before I was mimicking his classy style.

Dad introduced me to rock fishing. He made his own cane rods and floats, which he also sold. He used to catch blackfish at the Murk, the old sewerage outlet below Bondi Golf Course. He went to the notorious Yellow Rock at Malabar and we climbed down ladders in the dark to get to the rocks to fish. It was dangerous and lives were lost there.

Dad also went miles out in the tinnies from the boat shed at North Bondi or fished at the Murk, which was no fun, bouncing around in that muck. A great attraction was when the men returned to the boat sheds with their catches, which they gutted and scaled on the rocks, and the guts drifted back into the water.

Sharks were caught off the beach on baited hooks. These sharks were opened up on the boat ramp and spectators were amazed at what spilled out of their stomachs. Their jaws were removed and sold or souvenired.

Dad’s Matchless motorbike was our mode of transport in those days. A trip to the fights at the old stadium at Rushcutters Bay had me wearing my pyjamas under my clothes, as the bleachers in the stadium were little warmer than the bike trip there on a winter’s evening.

My best mate Jim and I worked together on Sundays on three paper runs, accumulating enough money to buy our Speedwell bikes for 27 pounds. We used to ride them to Randwick High School when we both went there.

The thrill of living where we did was that wheelbarrows were the way to race your mates from Wellington Street, downhill to Chambers Avenue, throwing caution to the wind. As we grew up they were replaced by Holden cars, racing down Campbell Parade and over to Nelsons Bay, stupidly risking all.

Fortunately traffic was minimal. We still had a few rollovers but no one was killed, thank God. As Dad loved a drink at the Astra

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Hotel, it was Mum who took Jim and I to the SCG where we sat in the Noble Stand and supported the Newtown Blues, as my relative Les Hampson was a prop in a great Blues side, with Australian captain Dick Poole also captain of the Blues. We saw all the legends play - Churchill, Gasnier, Langlands the Thornetts... Ken Thornett was my hero, he was a great fullback.

We saw the battles against great English sides, the French sides and the great days of St George’s dominance.

They say, “You can take the boy out of Bondi, but you can’t take Bondi out of the Boy,” and I only have to run into one of the ‘old boys’ on my travels to bring back the memories we cherish, privileged to have grown up in Bondi. Remember that, Bondi Boys and Girls.

Alan Hampson (Big Al) Bondi PEARLS OF WISDOM Dear James - I understand much of what Pearl Bullivant has written in Pearls of Wisdom in the October 2021 edition of The Beast about big business, but I don’t agree with all of it. There is one particular reference to BUPA that I have difficulty with.

A loved one of mine is currently in care in an Eastern Suburbs BUPA facility. Contrary to Pearl’s musings, my family member receives outstanding care. Food is plentiful, nutritious and tasty. No resident suffers from malnutrition.

Physiotherapy and other medical treatments are provided as part of the accommodation and treatment.

If anyone was to get scabies I am sure that it would be dealt with promptly and it is the same with other medical conditions. Prior to the time of COVID I was able to visit often, and also spoke at times with other residents, who all appeared to be happy and contented, and not due to being overly medicated. There was laughter, singing and even dancing during activities.

The staff are always caring, professional and friendly.

I don’t know what experience that Pearl Bullivant has had with BUPA in the past, but my experiences have been very different to those expressed by her.

And no, I do not hold shares in BUPA or have any financial interest in the company.

Doug Richards Tamarama ¢

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Catholic Primary School Clovelly www.staclovelly.catholic.edu.au Telephone 9665 7399

Issue 202 November 2021 The Beast 21

Such information would indicate whether the club should retain control over any parking rights at all.

These spaces should only be denied to the public in compelling circumstances, and then only to the necessary extent.

The existing situation cannot possibly be justified.

It seems - and is understandable - that our mayor was unaware that there have been a series of behind the scenes activities that white-anted the wellmeaning intentions of councillors. Additionally, it seems that the councillors, perhaps unwisely, have expected the club to manage the privilege granted to its members in accordance with the terms of that grant.

It's time for these parking spaces to be returned to the community.

Mystical Mathematics, Councillors' Votes Ignored Words Greg Maidment, Bronte Photo James Hutton The September edition of The Beast alerted readers to the prime parking spots in Bronte Cutting signposted exclusively for Bronte SLSC which, adding to the chagrin of residents frustrated by the scarcity of parking opportunities, are often vacant.

Waverley councillors have voted to allow dedicated parking spaces for the use of surf club members, but only while on patrol or on other activities involving supervision and only on weekends and public holidays.

It appears that Waverley Council employees, obviously on instructions from someone with clout, have erected signage that unlawfully precludes the public from those spaces on ordinary weekdays. More spaces

were signposted as exclusive to surf club members than have been authorised by councillors.

The public is entitled to be informed how it was that instructions were issued to council employees that resulted in signage wrongly favouring the surf club to the detriment of the public.

Both the council and the public should be informed of the process followed by the surf club in allocating parking privileges and as to which office bearer or employee decides who benefits. The council and the public deserve detailed information from the club as to those who have been allocated parking rights by the club over the past couple of years, and for what purposes and duration.

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History Waverley Mayor (since 2019) Paula Masselos is reported as stating that, “These designated spaces are used by SLSC members who are rostered on for patrol on the relevant day.

In winter and other times, the surf lifesaving clubs utilise this parking for members undertaking training which is very important” (my emphasis).

That might be Council’s expectation, however it seems that it may not be the reality.

The mayor’s understandable belief reflects the intention behind a generous vote of the councillors in 2013, accepting the following recommendation, “To accommodate surf club members on patrol (or other activities involving supervision such as during training, nippers and carnivals) Council will provide six allocated spaces for these members on weekends and public holidays” (my emphasis).

The club had asked for spots to be “available on Weekends and Public Holidays for Patrolling Lifesavers + IRB driver & crew + Bronze Medallion trainees/trainers.”

Understandably, it seems that the mayor’s statement might surprise patrol members as they are encouraged by the club to purchase a Beach Parking Permit, which does not allow them the spots Council voted to provide for their use. This despite the primacy of patrol members being the basis of both the club’s request and the Council vote.

The online club Parking Policy tells members that, if they purchase a parking permit from the council (available for $160 a year) then “the purchase of this permit allows Active Patrolling Members to park free of charge in Bronte Beach car park (The Cutting) without time restrictions whilst on patrol.” This policy statement fails to advise members that a vote of Council had allocated free car spots for their use while on patrol.

Thus, it seems likely that the club allocates these valued spots not necessarily in accordance with either the club’s assertion of need or the purpose approved by Council vote.

Gossip has it that club employees use the spots on weekdays, while our Council lifeguards do not enjoy a similar privilege. I prefer not to specify others said to be dubiously authorised to use the spots. I obviously can’t verify these stories, however the surf club will doubtless inform your readers of what actually has been occurring.

I suppose the question becomes, if the club doesn’t need parking for those on patrol, etc., as it asserts, then what is its need, if any? I do not know how the club has bestowed free parking privileges, if not confined to those on patrol, etc.

One can only speculate. Clearly the grant is not intended as a perk of office nor for administrative staff, business acquaintances nor friends and relatives.

One wonders who is left.

The Numbers Game Back in 2013, Waverley Council granted patrol members and supervisors 6 spots of the then 140 available, and increased it to 9 in 2018. This year, the cutting was reconfigured with now 120 car spots. Council officers state that, consequently, the surf club lost just one spot. That should result in 8 spots, however the Council Major Projects team informs me that, after the club had lost one car spot, 9 remain. Miraculously, there were 10 signposted in late September, reduced to 9 in early October. I wonder whether there had been 11 before the reconfiguration?

The 2018 vote to afford 9 spots acted on a proposal stating that “the existing parking spaces are at capacity”, whatever that means, and “the increase will be consistent with the total number of parking spaces provided for North Bondi SLSC”.

The relevance of North Bondi SLSC escapes me, unless of course envy politics is justified.

In any event, the Bronte increase was approved without, so far as the records disclose, any investigation as to who the club bestows the privileges upon and as to why and for what purposes the lucky recipients are/will be authorised to use them.

We do know that Council authorised 9 spots, which reconfiguration was to reduce to 8. It appears that, without a Council vote, it had been increased possibly to 11, certainly to 10, and now to 9, where conditions remain without appropriate approval by councillors.

Six of these exclusive spots are in a prized position in the steep cutting. One wonders why those convenient spots, supposedly for fit patrol members, were so allocated rather than giving the elderly and mums with young kids and beach paraphernalia the opportunity to use them.

A further 3 spots at the top of the cutting are, it seems, occupied pretty much 24/7 by the club’s box trailers, again used contrary to the councillors’ vote, and ranking box trailers above the public.

Weekends and Public Holidays Become 24/7 In June 2013 councillors voted to grant 6 spots for weekends and public holidays. That September the club was advised by a Council officer to the effect that it could have 4 spots each day of the week (i.e. 24/7) and the other 2 spots on weekends and public holidays. That clearly was different to, and not authorised by, the vote of the councillors.

In February 2015 internal work orders were issued by a Council officer requiring that the 6 spots be marked “Authorised Bronte SLSC Vehicles Only”, ignoring the limit to weekends and public holidays.

Thus, the spots became exclusive to the club 24/7, radically different to and not authorised by a vote of councillors.

At no stage had there been a Council vote depriving the public of these spots on ordinary weekdays. Leaving aside weekends and public holidays, it seems to me that the public have been unlawfully precluded from them.

In any event, we now have 9 spots marked “Authorised Bronte SLSC Vehicles Only”, not limited to weekends, etc., despite there never having been a vote by councillors lifting the restriction of weekends and public holidays only, decided upon back in 2013.

One wonders why the club should be entitled to any spots when active patrolling members can obtain a permit to park free of charge in the cutting without time restrictions whilst on patrol.

How did all of this come about?

Issue 202 November 2021 The Beast 23

Quinn in her humidicrib donated by Running for Premature Babies.

Run, Walk, Swim or Cycle the Annual Premmie Marathon Challenge Words James Hutton Photo Sophie Smith This November, local charity Running for Premature Babies is holding its annual Premmie Marathon Challenge, and they’d love some more Eastern Suburbs locals to sign up. Rather than turning the page because you’re a terrible runner, please read on, because this marathon is achievable by anyone. In fact, you get to choose whether to complete your distance (a 42 kilometre marathon or a 100 kilometre ultramarathon) over a day, a week or the entire month. You can split the kilometres up into as many segments as you like, and there’s no pressure to run - you can walk, swim or even cycle.

It’s free to register, and anyone who raises $50 will receive a medal after completing the challenge. Raise $200 and you’ll also receive a free running singlet and cap. But even better than the bling is knowing that your marathon (or ultramarathon) will also save the lives of hundreds of premature and critically ill babies.

The charity’s founder, Sophie Smith, who was named NSW Local Hero in the 2019 Australian of the Year awards, founded Running for Premature Babies in 2006 after losing all three of her triplets to their prematurity. Since then the cause has raised over $4 million and provided 85 pieces of life-saving equipment for neonatal units all around Australia, directly benefiting over 6,000 premature and critically ill babies.

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Sophie is hoping that 1,000 people will sign up for this year’s Premmie Marathon Challenge, and that together they’ll raise a whopping $250,000 so more premature babies can have access to the best neonatal equipment.

One of the major pieces being fundraised for is a state-of-the-art neonatal ultrasound machine for the Royal Hospital for Women. This machine will be a game-changer for doctors, who will be able to diagnose problems with babies’ hearts and brains more quickly, giving these tiny patients a better chance of survival.

350 people from all over Australia have already signed up, including the charity’s ambassador, Lachy the Purple Wiggle. Some are taking part to celebrate their children who have survived prematurity, others are running in memory of their babies who have passed away. Some are running to celebrate birthdays. Helen White from Coogee, a self-confessed ‘non-runner’, is turning 50 on November 17, which is also World Prematurity Day. To celebrate, she’s going to complete her 100 kilometre by running 10 kilometres each day for ten consecutive days over that week, and she’s asking for donations to the charity instead of birthday presents.

Helen isn’t the only one signed up for the challenge with a birthday on that day. Heather Lee is turning 95 on the same day, and incredibly has signed up to complete her 100 kilometres within a week.

Some local schools have gotten involved, with Waverley College and St Vincent’s College entering teams in the event. There are also family teams, corporate teams and running group teams. Doctors and nurses from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Hospital for Women have signed up too - the very people who work around the clock to save the lives of all the premature and critically ill babies cared for there each year.

It’s been a tough time for all of us, but premature babies continue to be born, and this charity really does save lives. As local mum Laura says about the survival of her prematurely born daughter Quinn, “I can say with a full heart that we wouldn’t be here today without these donations. They kept my baby warm, kept her lungs full of air when she was tired, made sure she was growing properly and cared for along with doctors and nurses every moment that I wasn’t by her side.”

So, please lace up your shoes and sign up for the Premmie Marathon Challenge this November, so together we can save the lives of more babies like Quinn. For more information and to register, please visit www.premmiemarathonchallenge.com.

Kate and Lucy doing what they love.

Equal Pay for Equal Play Words Nicola Smith Photo Clare Pluekhahn @wen.surfphotography A local longboarder and a journalist have teamed up to take a petition to NSW parliament calling for government-funded sports clubs to distribute equal prize money to men and women in sporting competitions.

Lucy Small and Kate Allman launched the petition, which requires 20,000 signatures to be debated in front of parliament, after Ms Small was awarded less than half the prize money of her male counterpart in a longboarding competition held on the Northern Beaches in April this year.

Ms Allman got in touch with Ms Small to write about the situation.

“I heard about Lucy the day it happened, and thought, ‘What the hell, it’s 2021, women at the highest levels have been paid equal numbers by the World Surf League since 2019, why is it not happening here?’”

While anti-discrimination laws in Australia prevent a man from being paid more than a woman for the same work, these laws don’t extend to elite sports competitions because a one-off competition doesn’t constitute employment.

Ms Small said that the response following the competition shows people are ready for change.

“That experience was not isolated, it’s not the only time that has happened for sure.

But seeing the media response made me think that five years ago there wouldn’t have been this level of outrage, but now people are ready for change and ready to see that equality,” Ms Small told The Beast.

Ms Allman explained that the crux of the petition is that sports clubs who apply for government grants should be able to demonstrate that they distribute that money equitably between women’s and men’s teams, and also provide equal opportunities for both genders in the form of entry positions, time and training resources.

“It really puts the onus back on the clubs, ‘Are we doing enough to be supportive of all genders?’” Ms Allman said.

The petition extends beyond just surf clubs to all sporting clubs and has already gained the support of the UNSW Hockey Club and UNSW-Eastern Suburbs AFL Club.

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Ms Small told The Beast that in longboarding, as in many sports, women offer a different set of skills to men and these differences should be celebrated.

“Especially in longboarding, it’s not about pound for pound muscle, it’s about style and timing and things that are not gendered, and I think that while men and women approach longboarding in really different ways, it’s still so sick and it’s exciting to watch,” Ms Small said.

Ms Allman believes that the equitable distribution of funding between men’s and women’s groups will allow the talent pool of women athletes to grow and women’s sport to improve.

“If you allow women to have a couple of generations of the same opportunities that the men have had, you see the amazing talent that flourishes and grows in those sports. I would say to the guys who say that “it’s not as good”, to give it a minute, because it’s a chicken and egg situation and if you’re not going to give people a chance, you’ll never see what they can do,” Ms Allman said.

Surfing Australia has since confirmed that their rule book mandates equal prize money between genders, and all competitions operating under their banner must follow this.

Ms Small told The Beast she believes this is an exciting opportunity for surfing to be a frontrunner in increasing gender equality across all sports.

“I’m looking at it like it’s an opportunity for surfing to lead the way in this space and for sports across the board to recognise the unique qualities and contributions that women bring,” Ms Small said.

To find out more about the petition, or to sign, head to equalpayforequalplay.com.au.

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Issue 202 November 2021 The Beast 27

The only upside.

Better Development Plans Need to Be Constructed Words Duncan Horscroft Photo Mulher Bonita “From little things, big things grow.” This catchy little tune is regularly played in the media, but it can also be applied to local councils as far as development is concerned.

Small suburban streets have been turned into major construction sites as architectural monoliths replace old-style houses that have stood the test of time for many decades.

A former edict from Waverley Council was that any planned development should fit into the local streetscape, but this seems to have gone through to the keeper when development applications are lodged.

The main problem seems to be that councils have no control over new projects once the DA is ticked off and it is handed to a state government planning department to control the

final process. And this poses the question of how the state government knows what design is appropriate or what affect it has on local residents.

Within the Waverley Municipality there is a plethora of narrow streets, and getting access to these is almost impossible during the construction process. For those who don’t enjoy the luxury of off-street parking, finding a spot close to home after a morning’s shopping is almost impossible. This is particularly problematic for the less mobile among us like the elderly and anyone with a disability.

Modular homes are popping up all over the suburbs and these can be a logistical nightmare as far as getting the structures into narrow streets, which are shut down to the

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locals to allow for the massive trucks and machinery to unload and erect the modulars.

Again, the residents are held to ransom and not allowed into their own street for around two days and have to find alternate parking away from their home.

Before a modular is erected there is the process of demolishing the existing building and then digging out the land. This can take up to six months. Most projects have been granted a construction zone permit, and if anyone aside from the workers parks there they are liable to a fine.

There is no doubting tradies have to get in and out of a work site, but some flout the rules and set up witches hats to reserve parking for themselves and if anyone has the audacity to remove these when there is no official ‘construction zone’ signage in place, they are frowned upon.

This writer was called by the police not so long ago and informed that they had received a call requesting that I move my car because a cement truck couldn’t access the building site. I was parked legally and there were no signs to the contrary.

It’s time councils were handed back responsibility for their own areas. We also need to ensure that ratepayers are treated with a bit more respect.

After all, isn’t that why there are local councils?

Some form of remuneration to residents would be an example of goodwill for the inconvenience suffered. Developers could slip a Crystal Carwash voucher on every windscreen of local cars who park on the street and are subjected to the dust and dirt from continual excavation. And councils should consider a reward such as a rate discount for those residents who have suffered.

Dr Williams working in Mombasa, Kenya back in 2017.

Kids, COVID, Vaccines and School Q&A With Dr Phoebe Williams Words James Hutton & Nicola Smith Photo Hamish Gregory With NSW coming out of lockdown, and a large part of our COVID-19 strategy going forward dependent on vaccination rates, many of us are wondering how safe it is for our kids to be going back to school, whether they should be vaccinated and why every country seems to have a different set of rules around vaccinating children.

Rather than asking our yoga teacher or the local barista, we thought we’d ask Clovelly local Dr Phoebe Williams, a paediatrician and infectious diseases physician, for some informed advice. Dr Williams completed her PhD with the Oxford Tropical Medicine Network and currently works as a clinician and researcher in Sydney.

Many Eastern Suburbs parents are concerned about sending their kids back to school too soon; is now the right time?

We’ve made kids put a lot of their lives on hold for an infectious disease that really predominantly affects adults, and we’re starting to see the mental

health burden of lockdown in kids. Getting kids back into classrooms as soon as we can through lots of different strategies - like safe returns to school and getting kids vaccinated and, most importantly, getting their parents vaccinated, which we know is the number one way to prevent kids from getting COVID - is very important.

Are cases going to skyrocket with unvaccinated kids all mingling at school? We can expect there to be more COVID in the community with kids going back to school, but that’s not necessarily due to transmission in children, which is where getting people’s heads around COVID and kids is really tricky.

What has shocked us as doctors is that, unlike most viruses, kids don’t seem to get severe COVID, and they’re also not good transmitters of the virus.

When schools open up we are likely to see more COVID, but that’s largely because adults will be moving about more as part of that process.

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The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) has done a really fantastic study looking at how COVID transmits within a school. We know that when kids have COVID in a classroom environment they’re not actually that good at passing it on, but when a staff member comes into a school environment with COVID it can more readily spread between adult staff members, or from adults to children. So vaccinating adults is really important.

Even with the delta strain, which we say is five times more transmissible in school environments, we see less than five per cent onward transmission from index cases to others. When you weigh that very small transmission risk against the benefits of getting kids back to school, the balance is clear.

What is the Australian health advice on vaccinating children, and how does it compare to the advice in other countries?

Because COVID is frequently such a mild illness in kids, it’s been a challenge for policy makers to weigh up the practicalities of broad vaccine roll outs, alongside the rare (yet often mild) side effects vaccines may cause, like myocarditis or pericarditis. Alongside the local levels of population immunity (or lack thereof), these are the sort of considerations vaccine regulators weigh up in decisions about vaccinating younger and younger age groups. There’s also the ethical question of using more vaccines to protect children who frequently have a mild illness, when only two per cent of adults in low and middle-income countries are vaccinated to date. Unless we have equity with our vaccine distribution, we could also see more variants of concern emerge across the globe.

Why do the UK, US and Australia all have different policies on vaccinating children? In England, the initial recommendation of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) was to not vaccinate healthy teenagers, because when they looked at blood tests at a population level it was clear that two thirds of children had already been exposed to COVID. So when they weighed up the risks and benefits, the cost and the diversion of health resources to vaccinate their children when the vast majority were already immune to COVID, the advice was that for the majority of kids, the benefits weren't there. Subsequently, their government has changed that policy to provide one dose of vaccination to adolescents.

Then we have other countries like the US who want to vaccinate as young as they can, as quickly as they possibly can.

Australia has met somewhere in the middle. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has advised that teenagers do get vaccinated, which I think is a really important strategy to get kids back to school because teenagers are better spreaders of COVID than younger kids, and if there is a group that are more likely to end up in hospital with symptoms, it is that age group.

Even though the clinical risk for an individual teenager with COVID is very small, from a societal perspective, to be able to get them back in the classroom and get society opening up again, and for kids to be socialising and playing sport again, it’s well and truly worthwhile.

We have lots of safety data around vaccines, and what we know when we look at most of the vaccines that have been created over the last few

hundred years is that there’s really no evidence to suggest that vaccines suddenly cause harm many years or months down the track. Most of the safety concerns around vaccines or adverse effects happen very soon after vaccination and those concerns have been identified.

What advice do you have for parents who are worried about vaccinating their kids or sending them back to school? My advice for parents is that while it’s really hard to find good reputable resources, I would just avoid clickbait headlines and instead look for clear resources like NCIRS.org.au who have an FAQ page that is updated every week in response to things that come up in the media. None of us are experts in the shifting sands of a pandemic, and we need to be flexible and adjust to new info as it comes in.

Issue 202 November 2021 The Beast 31

Where else would you rather be?

More Than Just a Pretty Picture Words and Photo Tom Oliver Payne Bondi Beach is an international icon. On any given day, whether it’s winter or summer, tourists and locals can be seen photographing the Tasman Sea waves crashing onto sand. The beautiful Art Deco Icebergs hugs the rock face at the south end, with the bronzed swimmers in the water below nearly always making for an impressive photo.

The beautiful Bondi aesthetic has been recorded on blogs, websites and in magazines in every corner of the globe. But I often wonder if people know the importance of this place in the hearts and minds of Sydney locals. As our city opens back up, I certainly hope they do.

Almost every week until he was in his mid-90s, my brother, sister and I would pick my grandpa up from his home and take him down to his favourite beach. He was frail, shaking in his arms and legs, but was always determined to swim in the ocean. He would say to us, “The day I go to Bondi and do not swim is the day I die!”

We would often watch from afar, sometimes seeing him tumble in the waves, gasping for breath until a concerned onlooker would help him back to shore.

We would seldom help, as we were terrified of bruising his ego. Once back to the towels we would ask how his swim was.

He would always respond with a determined smile, “Lovely!”

Like many of that generation, my grandpa had a tough life. He was hard as nails on the surface, but on the inside were scars of physical hardship and sadness. Occasionally, although with much difficulty, he would recall to us the years he spent in hospital beds, the day his sister tragically died when their house caught fire, or the moment - as a teenage boy - he left the farm he lived on in search of a new life in Sydney. Never to return.

With no formal education, money or family, he created a successful life for himself in one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Bondi gave him a sense

32 The Beast November 2021 Issue 202

of pride. It reminded him of how far he’d come. Throughout the 1940s, he spent afternoons on the beach with his friends, and then in the ‘50s and ‘60s he spent time there with his own family.

I’d often lay with my grandpa on the beach. We’d keep our eyes shut, feeling the strong sun hitting our skin and intermittently chatting about anything that came to mind. He was much easier to talk to at the beach. There was something about the atmosphere that would soften him.

Walking back up Campbell Parade, backpackers would stumble out of pubs and couples would walk hand in hand.

My grandpa was always impressed by the energy of young people. He’d smile at them and often stop for a chat. Sometimes on a Sunday afternoon we would go to the Beach Road Hotel for a beer and game of pool, where he loved talking to the bar staff. Those few minutes of conversation could put a smile on his face for days. He got so lonely living on his own and would crave connection with the community.

When walking through the streets, he would explain to me how little the area had changed over the years. He told me how close the beach had been to having its own railway station.

“I wonder if it would have been filled with skyscrapers now,” he once asked. “Who knows?”

It’s been almost a decade since he passed away, and I’ve since moved to Bondi myself.

So many things will remind me of him. Icebergs’ Art Deco charm, forever stuck in time. Or a young person jogging - something he craved to do himself, as his own body got so weak.

It’s warming that memories can be tied to the physicality of a place. As long as I’m in Bondi, I’ll always have them.

Daniel, Tegan and Ruth Barnett last year.

Growing in Ruth’s Memory Words Nicola Smith Photo Anastasia Glushko After losing their infant daughter, Ruth, in 2020, Daniel and Tegan Barnett decided to create a community garden in Bondi in her honour.

Ruth was born in April 2020 and was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, a rare form of childhood cancer, in August 2020.

Neuroblastoma affects developing nerve cells and is a particularly aggressive form of cancer, with only a 50 per cent survival rate.

Ruth’s father, Daniel Barnett, told The Beast that he hopes the garden will be a constantly growing testament to Ruth’s life.

“I could’ve just done a GoFundMe page and I know people would have given money,” Mr Barnett told The Beast, “but I wanted to do something tangible and to create something that would keep on growing and would exist going forward in honour of Ruth. With a garden, our other daughter, Noa, can invite her community there and can remember Ruth too.”

The garden’s associated GoFundMe page is in the aid

of Neuroblastoma Australia.

Several local businesses have also come on separately to help fund the creation of the garden, which is based in a communal outdoor area in the family’s Bondi apartment block.

Anastasia Glushko, a close friend of the Barnetts and stakeholder engagement manager for the Children’s Cancer Institute, told The Beast that fundraising for children’s cancer is far more valuable than people first think.

“I see how much the research is needed because I know and loved Ruth, but also I see how far money can go. You think medical research and you think big pharma and billions of dollars, but no, $10,000 to $20,000 can go far,” Ms Glushko told The Beast.

Childhood cancers get four per cent of the funding that adult cancers get and are approximately 20 years behind in research and therapy.

“People mistakenly think that childhood cancer is just adult cancer in a smaller person, but

34 The Beast November 2021 Issue 202

you can’t actually easily extrapolate research from adults to kids,” Mr Barnett explained.

Neuroblastoma Australia provides money for cancer research, as well as supporting families with children fighting the disease, who Mr Barnett said often have to learn huge amounts of information about Neuroblastoma in a very short amount of time.

“I had never heard of Neuroblastoma before Ruth was diagnosed. These cancers kind of lurk in the dark and unfortunately no one hears about them until someone they love is hit with it,” he told The Beast.

Currently, the treatment for Neuroblastoma involves aggressive chemotherapy, some of which has been in use since the 1970s. However, advances in research could see treatment evolve into a more precise system that uses DNA sequencing of each specific child to deliver a tailored program of care.

The Barnett family and their supporters hope the garden will be completed by Christmas Day, the first anniversary of Ruth’s passing. Once it is open, it will be a community space for kids to learn about the environment, yoga classes and other events like an annual City to Surf barbecue.

“The garden will be full of natives, with lots of pink flowers and silver and lots of soft textures. It’s going to be absolutely beautiful,” Mr Barnett said.

The garden project, and the funds raised directly for Neuroblastoma Australia, wouldn’t have been possible without very generous contributions from Ideal Edging - innovative designer landscaping, Outdoor Establishments Landscape Architecture, BC Sands, Norton Plumbing, Indigigrow native plant nursery and Bunnings Randwick.

You can support Neuroblastoma Australia research by visiting the GoFundMe page ‘Ruth’s Pretty Garden’.

The latest from Randwick City Council about living in this great city

Randwick News It’s a real honour and privilege to take over the reigns as the new Mayor of Randwick City. I live and work in Maroubra and volunteer as a lifesaver at Maroubra Beach, so being able to serve the community as Mayor is a proud time for me.

What’s On FIRST WEDNESDAY EVERY MONTH UNTIL MARCH 2022 QUIRKY FILM CLASSICS

6:30pm via Zoom free, online bookings essential randwick.nsw.gov.au/library

THIRD THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH UNTIL MARCH 2022 CULT CLASSICS BOOK CLUB 6pm via Zoom, free, online bookings essential

TUESDAY 2 NOVEMBER WRITING FOR PLEASURE: A CREATIVE WRITING GROUP FOR BEGINNERS 2pm via Zoom, free, online bookings essential

Former Mayor Danny Said did an excellent job with the role and I’d like to thank him for his service to our community – we have been lucky to have him for the past two years.

FRIDAY 5 NOVEMBER AUTHOR TALK: DAVID HUNT PRESENTS GIRT NATION IN CONVERSATION WITH WENDY HARMER

We’ve all gone through a challenging period with the recent lockdown but we’ve stuck together throughout. Over the next few weeks I look forward to helping our community to reopen safely and see our cafés, restaurants, community sports and charitable organisations get back to doing what they do best.

EVERY FRIDAY CRAFTERNOON FRIDAYS

1pm via Zoom, free, online bookings essential

3pm via Zoom, free, online bookings essential

More broadly, I’m passionate about bringing energy to our nightlife, protecting our green spaces and securing real affordable housing.

My parents instilled in me the importance of public service from an early age, and I started my career supporting public housing tenants by advocating on their behalf. I’m passionate about education and assisting young people and I’m training to become an educator.

I really do look forward to meeting you all over the coming weeks, talking with you and getting to know your thoughts on this beautiful place we call home.

Councillor Dylan Parker Mayor of Randwick

1300 722 542 randwick.nsw.gov.au

SATURDAY 13 NOVEMBER BLAK MARKETS CULTURAL FESTIVAL Bare Island, La Perouse $2.50 Admission fee

The sleepy streets of Bondi Beach.

The Sounds of Silence Words and Photo Haydn Keenan I woke with a start, all senses in overdrive. In the predawn light, paranoia had me tense and listening hard. What was that noise? I crept over to the window and waited. Nothing. In the distance a kookaburra called, followed by what sounded like a magpie. Then I realised; there was no salsa serenade, no drunken renditions of Danny Boy, no glass breaking, no bins being overturned, no pilgrims returning from the pub’s required hour-long closure. It was quiet, naturally quiet. I could hear nature!

The borders are closed and the ensuing silence around Bondi has been so marked there’s people walking round with idiot grins on their faces saying, “Isn’t it great, it’s like the old days.” The silence shows how much of our community

is being rented out to tourists, Airbnbs and unlicensed backpacker hostels. It’s amazing how much these absentee landlords, carpetbaggers and bloodsuckers are profiting from our community. The silence speaks loudly.

No wonder local kids can’t stay, the Maori community has been driven out and we’re aliens in our own homes. With an unrenovated two-bedroom 1930s flat down the road from me going for $2,100 a week before the borders shut, who do you think can afford that? I’ll tell you twelve tourists in bunks, partying 24/7. The old lady upstairs is too scared to come out of her flat, and requests to be quiet are met with threats. What’s happening here is the same as what the locals in Venice, Florence, Paris and London are experiencing. It’s the hollowing out

36 The Beast November 2021 Issue 202

of communities by landlords profiteering from short-term, overpriced rentals. These jackals never live here; they’re in Double Bay, Surfers Paradise or holidaying in Barcelona, and it’s killing communities all round the world.

The bad news is that if you think it was bad before the borders shut, it’s going to get much worse once they reopen.

Those backpackers aren’t going to go to India, Thailand or Bali - get the virus there and you’re in real trouble. No, they’re all coming here, and if you come to Australia, you have to come to Bondi and party. We’re in for a tsunami of them.

Well, Surly’s not going to take it anymore. This hiatus in tourism is the perfect time to prepare. Council have been hopeless; expert at telling you why they can’t do anything.

We’ve got to do something ourselves. We’ve got act. So, I’m going to construct the local’s guerilla guide to fighting back, a one sheet information kit for the fridge that will arm each person with practical facts, the law and procedures to resist being the cannon fodder for profiteering mud sharks. Sick of listening to crowds whoa-ing to Abba at 5am, the drunk in the gutter yelling into Whatsapp, parties on three sides and you with the windows shut on a hot night? Surly’s resistance guide is the battle plan for you!

Bondi’s always been ‘live and let live’, we all agree. Want to live in a mausoleum? Go to Gordon. But it’s gotten out of control, and it’s the speculators and profiteers causing it. The time has come to fight back and let the birds be what wakes us up again.

If you would like to toss in a couple of hours and possess some research or legal skills, please give me a yell or email smart.street@bigpond.com.

Make the most of your money.

Downsizing your home and moving on to the next stage of life is the perfect opportunity to release your money in order to support your retirement. The money you make from the sale of your home can be invested in tax-free superannuation or other income-making assets like term deposits, shares or managed funds.

Downsizing your home is a big decision and it's important to get the right advice for your personal situation and goals. We can help you work out your financial position, explain your options and put a plan in place to secure your future.

Providing financial advice to our local community for over 12 years.

Call us 9398 2722 virtueadvice.com.au

Subject Big Bonsai Location Centennial Park Photographer Honey Skinner @hskinnerphotography

Subject The Other Plague Location Coogee Photographer Marina DeBris

Subject Tim Multitasking Location Tamarama Photographer Mark Hunter @bondihunter

Subject The Angler Location Maroubra Photographer Theresia Hall @theresia.g.hall

Subject Dion Location Bronte Photographer Mark Hunter @bondihunter

The Beast Magazine wants your local photos!

Subject Rush Hour Location Maroubra Photographer Theresia Hall @theresia.g.hall

Subject Noisy Miner Location Bondi Junction Photographer Graeme Bogan

Subject Tidal Lines Location Maroubra Photographer Theresia Hall @theresia.g.hall

Subject Rebels Location Bondi Photographer Simon Edds

Subject Luscious Lukey Location Waverley Photographer Stiffy Dickson

Please send them to photos@thebeast.com.au

Alleged Crimes of the East Words Gary Larson

Bikie Associate Did Not Just Have Food in Fridge - Police A 27-year-old South Coogee woman allegedly had $10,000 cash in her freezer when police searched her place.

The women, said to be a Hells Angels associate, is also alleged to have had a stun gun.

She was arrested and taken to Maroubra Police Station, where she was charged with goods in custody and possession of a prohibited weapon.

Drunk Rugby Player Allegedly Crashes Into Policeman’s Car A former Waratahs player is said to have been three times over the legal alcohol limit when he slammed his car into the

-

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The crash happened in Avoca Street, Randwick in the early hours of the morning. Behind the wheel was Jack Whetton, 29, a former second rower with the Waratahs.

Police say Whetton, who lives in Randwick, refused a roadside breath test. He was taken to Maroubra police station, where he blew an alcohol reading of .164.

Stab Mum Avoids Jail A mother who carried out a near-lethal attack on her adult son with a kitchen knife has escaped a prison sentence.

Samantha Palmer, 56, walked free after being given correction and community service orders, which some people might see as an overly light sentence, given the multiple stab wounds sustained by her 23-year-old

son Hugo Ball in their Bellevue Hill house.

Downing Centre Local Court heard that Hugo lost two litres of blood after Mummy Dearest stabbed him in the back and shoulders. The knife she attacked him with was a formidable weapon with a 12-inch blade.

But the way the defence barrister, Grant Brady, SC, described the situation, Hugo had provoked the attack because of his ice addiction. Over time, the negative behaviours of his drug habit had driven Mummy down her own addiction path.

She had a drinking problem and was heavily intoxicated when she attacked her son.

This line of reasoning struck a sympathetic chord with the bench. Palmer was given a 17 month intensive correction order and must perform 250 hours of community service.

Consultations with a shrink are also on her agenda. A two year Apprehended Violence Order has been put in place preventing her from contacting Hugo, unless it is through a lawyer or for a family counselling session.

Coogee Flat Was Full of Lethal Weapons Police found an arsenal of guns, knives and other weapons when they raided the South Coogee LeCroix. hunting knives, ninja stars and a crossbow. They seized 200 items and charged the 34-yearold with multiple weapons In the District Court, LeCroix was sentenced to a three year community corrections order and 350 hours of community service. Judge Donna Woodburne also ordered her to see a psychologist and refrain from alcohol.

40 The Beast November 2021 Issue 202

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Introducing the Experienced Waverley Liberals Contesting the Local Government Election

Cr Sally Betts | Cr Will Nemesh | Dov Frazer

Cr Angela Burrill | Andrew Cusack | David Plaister

HUNTER WARD

LAWSON WARD

The Team that Will Listen to Residents & Put Waverley First

Cr Tony Kay | Josh Spicer | Kerry Pinkstone

WAVERLEY WARD

Cr Leon Goltsman | Brad Cole | Phil Occhiuto

BONDI WARD

VOTE 1 LIBERAL 4 DECEMBER AUTHORISED BY TRAVIS RUSSELL, 1/360 BOURKE STREET, SURRY HILLS, NSW 2010

Issue 202 November 2021 The Beast 41

Nick Boshier, Lucinda Price and Dave Woodhead in The Moth Effect.

Local Artist...

Nick Boshier from Clovelly Words Nicola Smith Photo Pip Cowley Nick Boshier has been an Eastern Suburbs resident for over fifteen years. In that time he has contributed some significant landmarks to the Sydney cultural landscape as one of the masterminds behind Bondi Hipsters, Beached As Bro and of course Trent from Punchy.

The Clovelly local has teamed up with Jazz Twemlow, formerly of Tonightly and The Roast TV, to create The Moth Effect, a political satire sketch show.

After reaching out to Twemlow, Mr Boshier said that the two quickly found a shared vision to take the project forward.

“He’s a funny, cerebral chap with a really academic mind,” Mr Boshier told The Beast.

“We really bonded and decided we wanted to do a comedy unlike what’s been seen in Australia that commented on the systems of our reality but that was anti-coalmining, not anti-coalminer.”

The pair wrote the show in eight weeks and also star in it, a pattern that has been a feature of Mr Boshier’s career to date.

“I started acting and writing at thirty, so I was in my own head an old bastard at that point. I knew then that if I wanted to act and perform I’d have to make stuff,” he explained.

“I’d always been a curious mind and wanted to explore the mysteries of life. Early on it was Beached As and Trent from Punchy, so there wasn’t much exploration of mystery in those, but I learnt a lot and maybe got a bit better. Then Bondi Hipsters explored a bit of stuff but was also silly. I’ve really evolved what began in Bondi Hipsters in The Moth Effect,” Mr Boshier told The Beast.

Before acting, Mr Boshier was in music management, managing the artist Lior from 2004 to 2010. He has also co-founded Ludo Studio, which

42 The Beast November 2021 Issue 202

produces hit Australian animated television series Bluey.

However, Nick believes that the drive to perform was in him all along.

“As a kid, I remember being in some sort of school musical.

I was dangling my legs off the stage. I wasn’t nervous, and thought to myself, ‘I think I kind of like this’, which I didn’t think about again until I was 30 and it hit me like a ton of bricks.”

Much of Mr Boshier’s career has coincided with his time living in the Eastern Suburbs.

Trent from Punchy was even filmed on the balcony of his Bronte apartment. Mr Boshier is emphatic about his love of the area that he now calls home.

“My partner and I have an apartment on Gordons Bay and there’s not a day where I don’t get home and relax and hear the ocean and it doesn’t blow my mind,” he told The Beast.

“Before settling here I was living very transiently, so I love that sense of community and continuity in Clovelly, it’s very nourishing.”

Mr Boshier said he is proud of what he and Twemlow have created in The Moth Effect, which boasts a cast of Australian talent including Miranda Otto, David Wenham, Christiaan Van Vuuren and Meyne Wyatt.

“We go for the jugular; this is not a politically correct, lefty righty thing. We haven’t pulled any punches and it’s a different show to other things that are on the air. Nothing is perfect, but we’re quite proud of it,” Mr Boshier said.

For The Beast cover this month, Mr Boshier has teamed up with Greg Broadmore, a New Zealand illustrator who has created the cover art depicting Time Night, a sketch from the series.

Every episode of The Moth Effect is now available on Amazon Prime.

y

y

y

y y y

y

y

a bottle of rosé one afternoon and accidentally open one of these scums, check online to see the latest advice on how to sort it out. I have an Apple phone, so it was a simple ‘clear history’ and total reset for me. If you have an Android, it may be more tricky, but there are lots of helpful sites online. When in doubt, power your phone off completely and use another device to find out what to do next.

Australia's number one text scammer.

The Unreliable Guide to...

Scammers Words Nat Shepherd Photo Con Spiracist The Unreliable Guide is really pissed off. Right now, I’m getting four or five scam texts a day telling me I’ve got a delivery. Liars! They don’t have news about my lovely order of Byron Bay paleo muesli, they want to infect my phone with a crappy virus. This has been going on for months now and it’s making me very, very angry.

Last year, Australians lost over 851 million dollars to scams and there were over 444,000 reports of scams. That is a lot of very pissed off people.

During the Second World War, people who undermined public confidence through scams, looting and cons were held to be guilty of treason, a crime which carried the death penalty.

I’m not saying that we should put on a blindfold, line these bastards up against the wall and shoot them, but this pandemic has been like a war - our lives have been upturned, we’ve been anxious, scared, even fearing for our lives. Taking advantage of that doesn’t make these people cheeky scammers, they are grubby scumbags. I probably wouldn’t shoot them in the head, but I definitely would kick

them in the balls. Hard. And I’ve stopped calling what they do “scams”, I call them “scums”.

If you feel the same, never fear, The Unreliable Guide is here to help you steer clear of the current range of scums.

Text Scums The thing that really shits me about these scum texts is how difficult it is to avoid opening them. If your phone is like mine, a text pops up on your phone even when it’s locked. “Oh,” you think, “how lovely, someone is texting me.” Perhaps it’s a double-vaccinated mate inviting me out for an alcohol-free picnic in the local park. You click before you read, and before you know it you’re on some random website, there’s a cloud of ironic balloons and you’ve downloaded some malware that will munch through all your secret data, clear out your bank accounts, ring all your friends at 2am and send your mum all the dodgy pictures your liability mate Charles sends you on WhatsApp. Ha, bloody ha, I don’t think so. So now, like me, you must never open a text without checking it. If you drink

44 The Beast November 2021 Issue 202

Phone Scums I personally think phone scums are easier to spot than text scums because I never answer my phone without checking who it is first. If the number is unknown, I probably won’t even answer. If it’s ‘number withheld’, I am never going to answer. Many of my mates have silenced all unknown numbers, largely due to the fact they were getting so many scum calls. I reckon that if it’s important, Mr or Ms unknown will leave me a voicemail. If they don’t, well... I don’t need to hear what they’ve got to say. If you get a call and the person says they are from any official body - your bank, the Tax Office, Federal Police or even Save the Koalas - politely say you’ll call them back. If they are legit, you will be able to find their number online or on a bank statement, etc. Always double check any number before you call. Scums can be very crafty.

Finally, I didn’t even have time to mention email scums, but the same general principles apply. Be suspicious, check your facts, and if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. If you’re scum-smart already, remember to keep an eye on your oldsters and your youngsters - scums love to target vulnerable people.

And for the very latest information on scams, check sites like www.scamwatch.gov.au.

Spectacular beaches, beautiful sunrises, and some of the most stunning residences in Australia...

It's no wonder that the Eastern Suburbs is one of Sydney's most desirable locations to live.

It's about feeling at home, wherever you go.

So, whether you're moving in, or moving on, call Mary Howell. She will make sure you feel right at home, wherever you are.

MARY HOWELL 0414 400 345 maryhowell@theagency.com.au

Issue 202 November 2021 The Beast 45

The current world record holder.

Sunbaking to Debut at Brisbane 2032 Satire Kieran Blake, kieranblakewriter.org Photo Max Dupain Sunbaking will make its Olympic debut at Brisbane 2032 and Eastern Suburbs residents are expected to scoop the medals.

Sunbaking is the first new sport to be added to the program after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) declared it an official sport.

“We are enormously excited to add this popular Australian tradition to the program for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games,” began a statement from the IOC. “The decision to classify sunbaking as a sport was made after reviewing images of thousands of people sunbaking without masks at Bondi, Coogee and Bronte during Sydney’s recent COVID-19 lockdown.”

Residents throughout Greater Sydney were required to wear a face mask every time they left the house during the extended lockdown, except when exercising or for religious reasons, “…confirming that Australians are sun worshippers, which provides further reason to include the sport.”

The IOC sought advice from former NSW Premier Gladys

Berejiklian and Health Minister Brad Hazzard, as well as Waverley and Randwick Councils, all of whom allowed people to sunbake without masks, congregate in groups and flaunt the rules that applied to other areas of Greater Sydney. This helped greatly to sway the IOC. Eastern Suburbs residents are already favoured to sweep the medals, even though the games are 11 years away.

“The Eastern Suburbs region is blessed with wonderful beaches which are the perfect training ground for elite international sunbakers,” explained Itan Allova, the newly-appointed high-performance director at Sunbaking Australia, which will be based at Bondi Beach.

“Local sunbakers also enjoy the support of regional authorities who allow them to train every time the mercury rises, even when residents of other parts of Greater Sydney are locked out of these specialised training facilities.”

The announcement is expected to attract even more people to local beaches in the

46 The Beast November 2021 Issue 202

coming months as Sydneysiders seize the opportunity to represent their nation at a home Olympics. Sunbaking is open to all ages, shapes and sizes, including children, meaning some sunbakers in Brisbane could be even younger than the skateboarders.

Sunbaking will take place alongside Surfing and Beach Volleyball, creating the historic opportunity for an athlete to win gold medals in separate sports at exactly the same time.

Competitors will be judged according to criteria such as consistency of tan, depth of tan and avoidance of tan lines.

Sunbakers exhibiting signs of sunburn, or the British Tan, will be eliminated, and use of performance enhancing substances such as tanning oils is prohibited.

Critics argue the inclusion of Sunbaking discriminates against people from landlocked nations, and even residents of Western Sydney or the Blue Mountains who live miles from the beach, to which the IOC replied, “Well, we included Surfing.”

November 2021 Tide Chart Numbers Bureau of Meteorology Tidal Centre Photo Kina Birkby Monday 1 0003 0616 1204 1816

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

2 0044 0659 1258 1905

0.35 1.51 0.47 1.65

3 0123 0740 1348 1953

0.29 1.65 0.36 1.67

4 0203 0822 1439 2042

0.25 1.78 0.26 1.66

8 0500 0.45 1132 1.94 1820 0.24

9 0023 0554 1228 1925

1.34 0.54 1.87 0.31

10 0128 0654 1328 2033

1.27 0.62 1.76 0.37

11 0239 0802 1434 2140

15 0016 0633 1239 1841

0.44 1.47 0.59 1.47

16 0055 0714 1329 1925

0.44 1.55 0.53 1.45

17 0129 0751 1412 2005

0.44 1.62 0.48 1.42

22 0407 1040 1721 2318

0.58 1.73 0.44 1.26

24 0001 0524 1157 1848

1.22 0.67 1.65 0.51

29 0444 1026 1637 2311

1.34 0.70 1.50 0.43

0.43 1.38 0.59 1.60

Lone Wolf.

23 0444 0.63 1116 1.70 1802 0.47 30 0534 1132 1737 2357

1.46 0.61 1.52 0.38

Friday

Saturday

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5 0244 0906 1530 2133

0.26 1.89 0.19 1.61

6 0327 0952 1625 2227

0.29 1.96 0.17 1.53

1.24 0.68 1.66 0.41

12 0351 0918 1546 2241

1.25 0.71 1.58 0.44

13 0455 1032 1654 2332

1.31 0.69 1.53 0.44

18 0200 0825 1451 2044

0.46 1.68 0.45 1.39

19 0230 0858 1528 2121

0.48 1.72 0.42 1.36

20 0300 0930 1604 2200

0.51 1.74 0.41 1.33

25 0048 0610 1242 1938

1.19 0.72 1.60 0.54

26 0143 0702 1331 2033

1.17 0.75 1.55 0.55

27 0243 0805 1430 2130

1.19 0.77 1.51 0.53

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Moons

• New Moon • First Quarter • Full Moon • Last Quarter

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•

Sunday 7 0412 1042 1721 2323

0.36 1.97 0.18 1.43

14 0548 1.39 1140 0.64 1751 1.50 21 0332 1004 1642 2238

0.54 1.75 0.41 1.29

28 0346 0915 1532 2223

1.24 0.76 1.49 0.48

Preparing for the ‘what ifs’.

Are You Covered?

Words Rob Shears Photo Benjamin Franklin Have you got enough insurance if something goes wrong? How much cover is enough? The amount of cover you need is different for every person. It is important that you speak to an expert on this matter as many underestimate the amounts that they need, or don’t fully understand the different types of insurance available.

I am an international pilot as well as a financial adviser. In these two roles, I have a unique perspective on risk. Almost anyone can fly a plane straight and level. Professional pilots are trained for when things go wrong. It is when things go wrong that you want an expert at the helm. In a similar manner, financial advisers are trained to prepare for things that could go wrong in your life.

What Do You Need Insurance For? If you lose your ability to generate income through sickness, accident or death, you will likely need: 1. Enough to cover your debts.

2. Cover for future income needs of your family.

3. Cover for future lump sum expenses (such as education, renovations for disability or medical expenses).

What Type of Insurance Do You Need?

There are a few different types of insurance.

1. Trauma (or Critical Illness), which pays you a tax-free lump sum in the event of sickness or injury.

2. Total and Permanent Disability, which covers a lump sum in the case of being permanently disabled.

3. Life (or Death cover), which covers your loved ones in the event of your death.

4. Income Protection, which covers potentially your largest asset, your future working income.

5. Business Expenses Insurance.

Australia has one of the highest household debt ratios in the world. This is potentially problematic for our economy

48 The Beast November 2021 Issue 202

in more than one way. The higher the debts, the higher the insurance needed to cover those debts, yet Australia has lower insurance levels than many.

Insurance can be expensive, although being underinsured can put your family in a far worse position if something goes wrong. Don’t forget you can use your superannuation to pay for a number of your insurances.

Many are prepared to spend more money insuring their car than their life or income. Insurance is an investment in the security of your family. It protects you against the ‘what ifs’! Are you appropriately covered?

Rob Shears is an Authorised Representative of Valor Financial Group (AFSL 405452). This advice is general and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should consider whether the advice is suitable for you and your personal circumstances.

IT I S FAR B E T TE R TO I NVE ST I N A WO N D E R F U L CO M PAN Y AT A FAI R P R I CE , THAN A FAI R CO M PAN Y AT A WO N D E R F U L P R I CE WARREN BUFFETT

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The Canadian culture warrior.

Here’s to You, Mrs Robinson Words Jeremy Ireland Photo Cathy Newman I would like to start, if I may, with a quote from The Only Story, the very first paragraph in Julian Barnes’ beautiful but heart-rending novel.

“Would you rather love the more, and suffer more; or love the less, and suffer the less?

That is, I think, finally, the only real question.”

The more I asked myself this question, the more I fell into the abyss. It is practically impossible to answer, unless you are prepared to face some confronting truths.

Many of the answers may revolve around notions of whether you are able to control how much you love someone. Again, it’s another tough question, but as we get older we perhaps get a better understanding of ourselves, and indeed the world, allowing us to get close to some form of answer that makes sense to us.

If that is the case, we may find ourselves wanting to protect the young, who are finding love for the first time. Indeed, everyone has their own love story and, as the title of the book suggests, perhaps it is “the only story”.

So, where do we start? Before we do, I’d like to state that most

relationships have problems to be solved. Many people may have inadvertently developed codes that distract or divert us from getting to the heart of the problem - jokes, work, routine... the list goes on. My guru here is Professor Jordan B. Peterson, Canadian professor of psychology, clinical psychologist, YouTube personality and author. One of the chapters in his new book, Beyond Order, 12 More Rules for Life, caught my attention. It is titled “Plan and work diligently to maintain the romance in your relationship”.

The chapter’s title is blunt enough but the content is even more so.

Before I go on, there is a metaphor I’d like to bring forward to assist with understanding his point. If you own a car less than five years old, you don’t require a pink slip in order for it to be registered, but after five years you need to get the car inspected and have it repaired if necessary. It is exactly the same with a relationship. Once the limerance, or ‘honeymoon period’, has worn off we should get the equivalent of a pink slip for our relationships. In other words, we should be forced to get some kind inspection to check if the relationship is functioning as it should. Pie in the sky perhaps?

Peterson explains that relationships need constant maintenance. Just as a worn tyre needs replacing, so do aspects of a relationship that are causing dysfunction. Start redoing the things you used to do when the relationship was new, like going on a date, holding hands, or even something as simple as a kiss. As uncomfortable as it might be if you feel your relationship is in the toilet, the more you practice, the greater chance you have of getting better at it. Compare the amount of time you might spend on your

50 The Beast November 2021 Issue 202

phone or watching TV to how much time you spend communicating with your partner and it’s easy to see how things can go south.

The author explains that no trust equates to no intimacy.

Romance needs trust, and the more trust, the higher the possibility of romance. The catch is that trust needs truth - you can’t maintain trust if either of you lie. The bottom line is that relationships that tend to work and have plenty of romance occur when people are honest with eachother. In his words, “Truth is King.”

Some other tips, which may sound subjective but are worth considering, include never assuming the other person should know what you want and need, so tell them what you want and need, communicate clearly, complain but don’t blame, make statements using “I” instead of “you”, describe what is happening, don’t evaluate or judge, be polite, be appreciative and don’t store things up. If one partner asks what the other wants and they reply, “I don’t know,” that probably means, “I don’t want to talk about it now.”

Most importantly, try and communicate like adults.

If you have tried all this but things aren’t working, be mindful that couples equipped with tools such as a problem-solving guide can gain control of their situation and reduce the stress in their relationship.

If you are thinking of leaving your partner for someone half your age, please consider this: Once the gloss rubs off and the younger person dumps you for someone else, you’re back to square one. Here’s to you, Mrs Robinson.

Have you got a question?

Please contact Jeremy at bondicounsellingservices.com.

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Raw and honest.

Indigo Point Are a Real Band Words Alasdair McClintock @aldothewriter Photo Stephen Neophytou Unfortunately, Indigo Point is not a real place. It sounds like it could be, even should be, a marvellous paradise on the coast somewhere, but it’s not (unless you count a random apartment block in Florida, USA). Indigo Point are a real band though, and they were kind enough to catch up with The Beast, just after releasing their second EP, Monochrome.

The three-piece is made up of Sam Morrell on guitar and vocals, JJ Tempas on the bass and backup vocals, and Josh Mason on the drums and backup vocals. They might look familiar to some readers of The Beast as they all grew up and live in the Eastern Suburbs (shout-out to Sam’s mum, Lorraine!). Like most musicians these days, they have day jobs and study, but back when bands could play gigs, they also played at a variety of venues around the place (fingers crossed they can again soon).

“When we first formed the band in early 2018,” the band

said, “we started jamming in JJ’s garage, trying to find our sound and learn how to play as a collective.”

They have since gone on to record two EPs, Distance in 2018, and the aforementioned Monochrome, which was released in late August this year.

“We tossed up a few ideas about what to call the EP, and in the end we decided to name it Monochrome, after the second track,” they explained.

“Though lyrically and thematically different, the songs were all loosely about how life isn’t just black and white, but a range of different perceptions based on one’s own experiences. ” “Our songs draw inspiration from our life experiences, whether these be personal or what we observe in the world around us. There’s always a grounded message and we don’t like writing about supernatural or fictitious stories.”

‘Grounded’ is a great way to describe their sound. It’s raw and honest, with crunchy

52 The Beast November 2021 Issue 202

guitars and big hooks. If you’re into grunge at all, you will no doubt dig it. The band describe it as “a blend of classic rock and ‘90s grunge, with unique hints of early 2000s pop.”

“Music is something creative and vastly unrelated to anything else in our lives. It not only allows us to express ourselves both in the studio and on stage, but also to break out of the mundane cycles that we find ourselves in.”

As for the future?

“We don’t have any hard plans at the moment due to the uncertain nature of the pandemic, however we feel that musically the next step for us would be to write and release an album.”

“We’d also love to tour Australia and play shows beyond Sydney, and look forward to start making plans once we’re allowed to travel.”

You can stream Monochrome now and keep an eye on the socials (@indigopoint) for when the bars have live music again.

Save the date

2021 NSW Local Government elections Saturday 4 December Voting is compulsory elections.nsw.gov.au/lge21 1300 135 736

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pamelayoung@selfhypnosis.net.au www.selfhypnosis.net.au Issue 202 November 2021 The Beast 53

Let's keep it clean.

We Can Do This Words Dr Marjorie O'Neill, Member for Coogee Photo Theresia Hall Instagram @theresia.g.hall As we settle into spring, looking forward to summer and awaiting some return to a new form of normal, it can be tempting to focus on issues that uplift us. So many people in our community have done it tough over the past year and a half or more. Since the pandemic disrupted our lives, every one of us has been required to refocus our attention and priorities, and some of us have experienced enormous health, economic and emotional loss. There is a part of all of us that just wants to get on with life, have some fun with family and friends, enjoy our beautiful environment and not engage in talk of doom or the worries of the world. Fair enough, but there is just one small caveat on this optimism. We need a physical environment that can sustain us, with fresh air, water and basic food at the very least.

Although we have held environmental concerns for a long time and tried to do our bit to help, it is abundantly clear that we urgently need to do much more. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in its Sixth Assessment Report, provides a rationale and well researched analysis of the current state of the climate, how it is changing and the role of human influence. The need for urgent and meaningful action on climate change is well documented and undeniable.

In our community, as in Australia and the world generally, we see evidence of the IPCC findings. We have witnessed our growing levels of waste, encountered plastics on our beaches, smelt pollution in the air and experienced more extreme weather conditions. Without real action, in the Eastern Suburbs and other coastal regions we will see the impacts of rising sea levels, increased coastal erosion and even more water pollution at our beaches.

54 The Beast November 2021 Issue 202

At a macro level, all levels of government need to work together to achieve net zero carbon emissions as soon as possible, and this can be achieved through initiatives including increased sources of renewable energy and batteries, facilitating safer active transport such as walking and cycling, improved access and affordability of public transport, slashing of inefficient taxes to making electric cars cheaper, reducing waste including banning single use plastics and packaging generally, increasing genuine recycling of all consumables but plastics in particular, as well as the preservation of our forests and promotion of green spaces.

As your State MP, in 2019 I supported the NSW Labor bill to ban the use of single use bags in NSW (the only state yet to ban the bag). This bill was sadly defeated by the Liberal led government. Through our School Safety Survey, I have been working with our local schools to help identify and remedy the obstacles that local families are facing while bringing kids to school via active transport means. As a member of the NSW Parliamentary Transport Committee, I recently and eagerly took part in the inquiry into the electrification of our bus network. While there are still some safety issues to be sorted out, electric is the future, particularly if we can ensure it is also being sourced from clean green energy. I have also supported solutions to the Coogee stormwater problem that would see greater reuse of water.

Our local governments have been leading the way in environmental sustainability and protection, with Waverley Council setting net zero emissions targets for 2030 and Randwick Council now diverting 40 per cent of our waste from landfill, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and using the waste to create compost that can be used in farms, parks, sports fields or even in our own gardens through their food organics & garden organics (FOGO) waste program.

While government has an important role to play, every one of us can contribute to ensuring that the environment we leave behind is sustainable. Our purchasing and transport choices provide major points of influence. Each time a tree is cut down and replaced with concrete, it contributes to urban heating. Our daily simple choices have significant implications for the environment, which we hold dear because its health will determine the quality of life for us, those we love and for future generations.

As we move beyond the immediate threat of COVID-19, our focus must be upon ensuring a healthy environmental future and this requires action at government and at individual levels. We can do this.

ah k k u n a H d n a s a m t is r h C e e g o Co Card Competition The Coogee Christmas and Hanukkah Card Competitions are now open to children from Kindy to Year 6 to find the design for the official Member for Coogee Christmas and Hanukkah Cards!

Theme: A Very 2021 Christmas/A Very 2021 Hanukkah Due: 31 October 2021 Format: A4 Size Image - Original or High-Quality Scan Please send all submissions to 15/53-55b Frenchmans Road, Randwick, or to coogee@parliament.nsw.gov.au

Dr Marjorie O'Neill MP

Member for Coogee If you have any issues at all that you require assistance with, please do not hesitate to contact my office on 9398 1822, email coogee@parliament.nsw.gov.au, or come in at 15/53-55 Frenchmans Road, Randwick.

To fill out my community survey, scan this QR code!

Authorised by Dr Marjorie O'Neill MP. Funded using parliamentary entitlements.

Change is coming.

Australia’s Net Zero Future Words Dave Sharma, MP for Wentworth Photo Smokey Dawson The world changes fast. 50 years ago, the five biggest US companies were General Motors, Standard Oil, Kodak, AT&T and IBM. Today, these five have been replaced by Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet (Google), Amazon and Facebook.

What we tend now to refer to as the ‘information revolution’ has changed the structure of economies, and the nature of jobs and wealth creation within them.

In the area of energy, a similar revolution is underway.

We are shifting from an energy system powered by fossil fuels to one powered by renewable sources. It's a transformation that has immense potential upside for Australia, if we get this right. We have a huge endowment of potential solar and wind power, meaning we can become a renewable energy superpower.

We can use this renewable energy to produce ‘green hydrogen’, likely to be the liquid

fuel of the future, and create a whole new export industry in Australia. We can also use our renewable energy reserves to process more of our raw materials on shore, in a way that will support the reindustrialisation of Australia.

We are endowed with the lithium and rare earth metals necessary to build new energy networks, battery storage and a more electrified and connected world. Rather than coal, these minerals will become the focus of future Australian mining.

With our large land mass, we have immense potential for carbon sequestration in our soils. Increasing our soil carbon not only improves agricultural productivity and drought resilience, but it can also create a valuable income stream for farmers.

These are just some of the opportunities for Australia, and we are pursuing them.

We are installing renewable energy at ten times the global average. Last year we installed a record 7 gigawatts of renewable energy, and we now have the highest solar power per person of any country in the world, with one in four households having rooftop solar.

Our National Hydrogen Strategy is supporting research and development into creating a new hydrogen industry in Australia.

Our Technology Investment Roadmap is supporting new and emerging technologies that will lower emissions, including electrification of our transport fleet, large-scale energy storage, and the manufacture of lowcarbon steel and aluminium.

Earlier this year a cattle farm in New England, through improved grazing and livestock management, lifted its soil carbon and sold half a million dollars’ worth of carbon credits to Microsoft.

56 The Beast November 2021 Issue 202

So this energy transformation underway has immense potential for Australia, and many of the new jobs and industries created will be in the regions, not in our capital cities.

But if we end up on the wrong side of these historical forces, then it will jeopardise our future prosperity and living standards.

As the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report makes clear, countries like Australia are likely to suffer worse and more frequent natural disasters and droughts if we do not address climate change.

Global capital markets, pension funds, insurers and investors are signed up to net zero by 2050, and are increasingly putting a climate risk prism on investments and capital allocation decisions.

For a country like Australia, given our level of integration with, and dependence on, global capital markets, this means our commitment to reduce emissions and reach net zero is inextricably tied to our economic future.

This is why the upcoming climate change conference in Glasgow is so important.

In Australia, we have reduced our emissions by 20 per cent since 2005, a better record than most developed economies.

But to remain credible, and to attract the investment that will support these future industries for Australia, we need to do more.

We need to make a firm commitment to net zero emissions by 2050, and we need to increase the ambition of our interim targets and milestones along the way.

These two steps will unlock a bright future for Australia.

They will protect our climate and position us to thrive in a low-carbon world.

Enough is enough.

NSW State Planning Wrecking Waverley Words Ludovico Fabiano, Greens Candidate for Waverley Ward Photo Colin Charlton In recent years, Waverley has lost many significant community institutions and open spaces. The state government’s planning regime prioritises large luxury apartment developments over other community needs. Developers and the Liberal state government have designed a neat playbook.

Land long ago gifted, with caveat, to a church or community organisations, or even land with historic zoning as open space, is no longer protected from overdevelopment.

State planning law voids all caveats on land in NSW and allows Open Space zoning to be sidestepped by developments claiming to be for “seniors living” called 55+ independent living units (ILUs). Is this aged care? The state government can up-zone any site. Bonus floorspace can be won with inclusions of seniors living or child care in the development proposal. Larger and yet larger buildings are approved under laws that override council.

Sites with approved building envelopes are onsold to developers. Claiming the full floor space, the developer abandons the promised community benefits of child care, aged care, gardens and trees from their plans. Luxury multi-storey apartment complexes appear for sale. These are no substitute for assisted living units for the frail and aged in our community, for which the original floor space bonuses were intended.

The Benevolent Society was gifted Scarba House in Wellington Street, Bondi in 1917 as a 58 The Beast November 2021 Issue 202

welfare home for women and children, which functioned until 1986. Some modest units for the aged were built in the grounds, as well as a child care centre. Approval was obtained for 128 ILUs for over 55s, including low income allocations, and some supporting care services.

The site was sold in 2013 to Mirvac, who went on to build luxury apartments with none of the affordable units or medical services of the original plan. The lawns and some of the old trees remain, but the promise to provide much-needed local, quality aged care evaporated. The views and the profits are spectacular.

Waverley Bowling Club, on a large site zoned private open space, found itself in modest financial difficulty. It was “rescued” by Easts Leagues Club who hatched a scheme to build two tenstorey apartment towers, a club and a child care centre. When that was defeated by Easts members, the club settled for 55+ ILUs in buildings of up to seven storeys with almost 200 car spaces underneath and two new bowling greens.

With Mirvac now in control, any pretence at seniors living has been abandoned. Hoarding advertising “Luxury Apartments” for sale says it all - hardly aged accommodation, hardly desperately needed affordable housing. The community will now live with less open space and more density.

The Uniting Church is making similar claims to build 55+ ILUs at the War Memorial Hospital site. Plans are for four to seven-storey flats buildings lining Bronte Road and part of Birrell Street, and internal to the site demolishing its own gardens and magnificent trees. Some heritage features are to be retained, but the heritage values of the landscape setting are ignored.

The estate was donated to the (then) Methodist Church in 1919 to be established as a hospital for returned soldiers. Since then the War Memorial Hospital has continuously provided a range of aged health care, rehabilitation, training and maternity services. This alone is culturally significant. The public have benefitted from access to the beautiful grounds, as a quiet retreat from overcrowded Waverley.

Retaining access and outlook to quality open space and trees is vital for aged residents, particularly those with dementia. The 100-year-old fig trees and gardens form an important link in the ecological corridor from Queens Park to Waverley Park. This is all soon to be gone, along with the site’s potential for state heritage listing. Even the existing elderly residents are to be evicted!

It’s time to overturn these developer friendly planning laws which are overstretching our infrastructure, reducing care for the frail and aged in our community and damaging our neighbourhood.

Actively Responding to Community Concerns

Dominic WY Kanak Bondi Ward

Elaine Keenan

Ludovico Fabiano

Lawson Ward

Waverley Ward

Waverley Greens gained Council support for:

△ △ △ △ △ △

Net zero emissions by 2030

✓

Increased funding for affordable housing Stopped Bondi Pavilion privatisation

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More electric vehicle (EV) recharging stations Solar schools, bike ways and walk ways Protecting heritage shopping villages

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There's more to be done.

Vote 1 The Greens

▢

Local Council is the closest level of government to you.

Please take a moment to fill out our survey, click QR code Authorised by Sylvia Hale for The Greens NSW. Suite D, 263-279 Broadway, GLEBE NSW 2037

Salad 2 Lebanese cucumbers, deseeded and chopped into small cubes 3 tomatoes, chopped into small cubes 1 tbs vinegar To serve Wedges of lemon 1 bunch coriander, roughly chopped

Mary had a little roast.

Spring Spiced Roast Leg of Lamb Words and Photo Dana Sims Instagram @stone_and_twine Spring is off to a fantastic start, and now it’s time to add some spice. Turn up the heat on this easy roast using a succulent leg of lamb, marinated in yoghurt with some familiar and powerful spices to inject plenty of flavour.

What really separates this meal from the rest is the refreshing accompaniment of cucumber, tomato and coriander, and the crunch of freeform shaped papadums that cook in seconds.

This recipe will serve six hungry diners - an icy cold beer on the side is strongly recommended. Get your hands messy and indulge!

Ingredients 2kg leg of lamb Marinade 150gm plain natural yoghurt 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp chilli flakes 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed 3cm piece fresh ginger, peel and finely grated Zest of 1 lemon 1 tsp sea salt ½ tsp cracked black pepper Sides 1 packet papadums 2 cups vegetable oil for frying

60 The Beast November 2021 Issue 202

Method 1. Remove the lamb from the fridge and bring to room temperature.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees celsius.

3. Prepare all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and stir well to combine.

4. Coat the lamb generously with the marinade.

5. Place the lamb in a baking dish and in the oven to roast at 200 degrees for 20 minutes.

Turn down the oven to 180 and roast for a further 1 hour and 20 minutes.

6. Prepare the cucumber and tomato in a bowl and combine, mixing in the vinegar.

7. Cook the papadums according to packet instructions and drain on paper towel. Set aside.

8. Remove the lamb from the oven to rest for 10 minutes and then carve.

9. Place the lamb on a large serving platter with the salad, papadums, coriander and lemon wedges.

Dana Sims is a Sydneybased food and prop stylist who has grown up in the Eastern Suburbs and loves to create delicious food for entertaining and family.

She is inspired by the fresh produce we have access to here in Sydney. For ideas, recipes and styling inspiration, check out her Instagram, @stone_and_twine.

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Subject Early Birds Location Coogee Photographer Kylie Mills

Subject Freedom Location Coogee Photographer Sandeep Gurkhi

Subject Sandy Banks Location Tamarama Photographer Mark Hunter @bondihunter

Subject The Boys Location Mackenzies Bay Photographer Lee Carter @carterlea

The Beast Magazine wants your local photos!

62 The Beast November 2021 Issue 202

Subject Locals Only Location Gordons Bay Photographer Honey Skinner @hskinnerphotography

Subject Pamela Location Coogee Photographer Daniela Benussi

Subject Let's Play Location Rose Bay Photographer Ron Guzman @ronaldsons32

Subject World's Keenest Kegged Location Bronte Photographer Focus on Forbes @bossfotos

Subject Beams Location Centennial Park Photographer Annalisa Paparo @ap_annalisa

Please send them to photos@thebeast.com.au Issue 202 November 2021 The Beast 63

LIL NAS X Montero Label Columbia/Amuse Reviewer @aldothewriter Rating  I’m not sure I’ll ever forgive Lil Nas X for making Billy Ray Cyrus relevant again. I admire what he was trying to do with ‘Old Town Road’, but let’s be honest, it’s an awful song. Thankfully, Billy Ray is not on this. Miley is, but that’s cool, I can get around Miley. His willingness to try new things, while staying within the vague confines of pop, is what makes Montero worth a listen. It’s by no means a great album, but it is a good one, and you get the feeling he has some pretty special things to come.

TONY BENNETT & GAGA Love For Sale Label Columbia/Interscope Reviewer @aldothewriter Rating 

RIDERS OF JUSTICE Genre Action, Drama, Comedy Reviewer Linda Heller-Salvador Award-winning writer-director Anders Thomas Jensen’s (Men & Chicken, The Duchess) latest offering titled Riders Of Justice may appear to be your stock standard revenge story, but his modus operandi is to blend flawed yet endearing characters with startling violence, kooky concepts and dark comedy, all while exploring grief, guilt, trauma, anger and the meaning of life.

Lives are forever altered after the simple theft of a pushbike sets off a disastrous chain of events that lead to a tragic train accident.

When an oddball trio of Mensa level nerds uncover a conspiracy regarding the accident, they join together with Markus (Mads Mikkelsen) and become the geekiest band of kick-ass misfits any revenge-action film is likely to see.

Along the lines of the Sliding Doors concept, Riders of Justice poses the question, is life a series of unrelated events and coincidences allowing for fate, or is everything a series of preceding events?

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Occasionally, you don’t know you need something until you get it. Like a spray from your loved one for bingeing on too much marble chocolate (it’s delicious, I make no apologies). Bennett and Gaga recording an album of Cole Porter songs isn’t something you think you need, is it? But you’re wrong.

Horribly wrong. I can’t help but think of Christmas when I hear an old-time crooner, and Love For Sale is an early gift. It’s perfect for a post-festive evening at home, with dim lighting, some nice alcohol, lazy company and yes, marble chocolate.

RUBY FIELDS Been Doin’ It For a Bit Label Independent Reviewer @aldothewriter Rating  Ruby Fields reminds me of a diluted version of The Smith Street Band. That might sound like a slight, but it’s not; they are one of my favourite bands and even I acknowledge they can be a bit heavy served with a Saturday morning eggs Benedict. She has been described as “grunge-pop”, but I feel that is doing her an injustice. Her insightful, observational lyricism belies her youth and not only brings to mind Wil Wagner, but also Paul Kelly. While Fields has already Been Doin’ It For a Bit, I expect she will be doing it for a long time to come.

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ACROSS 1. Surname of Gladys (11) 6. Capital of Tennessee (9) 9. Obtained (3) 11. The craft of decorating fabric using a needle (10) 13. Act of commencing game of tennis (5) 14. Common antidepressant (6) 15. Ready, set, …. (2) 16. A member of a Turkic people of Uzbekistan and neighbouring areas (5) 18. A full length vinyl record (2) 19. Italian song or melody (4) 21. Killer whale (4) 22. A tropical cyclone that occurs in the Atlantic Ocean and northeastern Pacific Ocean (9)

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DOWN 1. ... and mash (7) 2. Surrounded

by Eastlakes, Alexandria and Mascot (8) 3. Maori community (3) 4. Old farts think it means ‘lots of love’ (3) 5. Debaucherous Roman (4) 7. Roses are red, ... are blue (7) 8. Top of a container (3) 9. Japanese dumpling (5) 10. Muscle that extends the elbow joint (6) 12. Cry of joy (6) 15. Gwyneth’s company (4) 16. Mormons live here (4) 17. Uncastrated male swine (4) 18. Grassy area (4) 20. Bird of Middle Eastern mythology (3)

Trivial Trivia Words Lisa Anderson Photo Jarrah Forbes-Droulers Instagram @funksta75 1. Who was this year’s AFL Norm Smith medalist?

2. What NSW state politician recently announced he would run for a federal seat?

3. Which member of Status Quo recently passed away in Sydney?

4. Is Yuzu a type of fruit, vegetable or legume?

5. In diving, what is the word “scuba” an acronym of?

6. Where in the body is the hyoid bone?

7. Palmerston was the former name of which Australian city?

8. Which actress plays Shiv Roy in the TV series Succession?

9. The logo of which international airline is based on the yin and yang symbol?

10. Walter Burley and Marion Mahony Griffin helped design which two Australian cities?

Teenage Dreaming.

Issue 202 November 2021 The Beast 65

Capricorn Dec 22-Jan 20 Spout your uninformed views on vaccination and ‘Western medicine’ loudly in public to attract as much attention as possible.

Gemini May 22-Jun 21 It’s going to be really hard to squeeze a piss out in one go this month, but it’s all psychological and nothing to worry about.

Aquarius Jan 21-Feb 19 Sharpen all the knives in your kitchen before you have a nasty accident. Blunt knives are very dangerous.

Cancer Jun 22-Jul 22 Your boss doesn’t want you to work from home because you’re a lazy, lying leech who can’t be trusted to work unsupervised.

Visions Beardy from Hell

Pisces Feb 20-Mar 20 Chuck all the crap you bought during lockdown out the front of your place, because you’re never going to use any of it again.

Leo Jul 23-Aug 22 You’re about to discover a new method of self-pleasure that will make everyone else in your life permanently redundant.

Scorpio Oct 24-Nov 22 Now that you’ve got your ‘freedom’, you’ll pine for the good ol’ days when you could easily avoid your friends and colleagues.

Aries Mar 21-Apr 20 A deep, lustful crush is developing between you and someone you previously despised. It’ll be the best root you’ve ever had.

Virgo Aug 23-Sep 23 Go out, get on the gear and get as loose as possible, before COVID runs rife and we get locked down all over again.

Sagittarius Nov 23-Dec 21 You should urgently sort out your sleeping habits, before the bags under your eyes start affecting your vision.

Taurus Apr 21-May 21 Just because your work clothes no longer fit, it’s no excuse to rock up to work in your junkhugging activewear.

Libra Sep 24-Oct 23 You could potentially have the best summer of your life ahead of you, but you need to put in a solid month of exercise.

Star Signs

Trivial Trivia Solutions

1. Christian Petracca 2. Andrew Constance 3. Alan Lancaster 4. Fruit 5. Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus 6. Neck 7. Darwin 8. Sarah Snook 9. Korean Air 10. Canberra (ACT) and Griffith (NSW)

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