Government

What’s On:

Lane Cove

MAY

LANE COVE PLAZA

First Fridays: Friday 4 May, 3:30pm - 5:00pm. A free afternoon of fun and games for children in the Plaza.

Saturday Sounds: Free live music in Lane Cove Plaza

Mimosa Duo: Saturday 5 May, 10:00am – 12:00pm and Bel Woods: Saturday 12 May, 10:00am – 12:00pm

Community Concert Series: Lane Cove Concert Band

Saturday 26 May, 10:00am – 12:00pm

Lane Cove’s Children’s Voices for

Reconciliation: Thursday 31 May, 10:30am – 12:00pm. This combined schools performance brings young people together during Reconciliation Week to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and Reconciliation.

LANE COVE LIBRARY

All events are free. Call 9911 3634 to book.

Meet the Ancestors: An Introduction to Family History:

Wednesday 2 May, 2:00pm – 3:30pm. You will learn how to use births, deaths and marriage records, immigration records and online resources to discover the stories of your ancestors.

Knit-in: Thursday 3 May, 10:00am – 12:00pm. Beginners & experienced knitters welcome. Law Talk – Strata Schemes: Tuesday 15 May, 6:00pm – 7:00pm. The NSW Department of Fair Trading presents this talk on the pros and cons of Strata Schemes. Legal Issues for Older People: Piano Forte. Thursday 17 May, 10:30am – 12:00pm. Join our panel of lawyers and seniors rights experts for a screening of the play Piano Forte. Listen to a discussion after the screening and ask the panel members questions. Complimentary refreshments.

Family History Workshop - Discover your World War I

Australian Soldier: Thursday 17 May, 6:00pm – 8:00pm & Saturday 20 May, 1:00pm – 3:00pm. Come along to this small hands-on workshop to learn how to trace your

For more details on these events visit www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au or call Lane Cove Council on 9911 3555.

Australian World War I serviceman or woman. You will learn how to use TROVE, archive and genealogy websites, as well as published sources to find out what your ancestor did during World War I. Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea: Friday 25 May, 10:00am – 12:00pm. Lane Cove Library will be serving morning tea. Gold coin donation appreciated. Digital Discoveries @ Lane Cove Library: Wednesday 30 May, 10:00am – 12:00pm. Book a 30-minute one-on-one session with a staff member who can help with downloading eBooks and eMagazines, the Library online catalogue, online supermarket shopping or trouble-shooting your tablet or other device.

Thursday Tunes – The Story of Opera: Thursday 31 May, 10:30am – 12:00pm. Local musician Graham Ball presents this talk on how Opera has travelled around the world from the baroque era to the present.

BUSHCARE EVENTS

Bookings essential: Book online at www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/ bushcareevents

Nature Photography Walk with John

Martyn: Saturday 5 May, 9:00am - 1:00pm, Blackman Park. Learn about composition, lighting and selecting subject during this photography workshop.

Introduction to Bushcare Workshop: Friday 11 May, 10:00am - 2:00pm. Great for new Bushcare volunteers or those wanting to know more about the Bushcare program.

Dragons of Sydney: Thursday 24 May, 6:30pm - 8:00pm Little-researched but full of character, discover where and how Eastern Water Dragons survive in our busy city and what threats they face. Find out ways to make your garden dragon-friendly as part of the latest research into this iconic species.

P: 0431 959 980 E: ppalmer@lanecove.nsw.gov.au

MAY 2018

A key responsibility for government is to provide more infrastructure as the population grows. Lane Cove Council has provided parks, childcare centres and community centres alongside our new high-density developments. But being able to provide land for new sportsgrounds is more difficult. Councils in the northern Sydney region recently commissioned a study which for the first time quantified the supply and capacity of our sportsgrounds. Demand will far outweigh supply in coming years. Council’s first steps will be to convert some existing ovals to synthetic surfaces. This has already been done very successfully at Blackman Park. We can schedule more training sessions and matches compared to grass with the surface quality maintained all year. We can also cater for more hours of use per day by installing or upgrading lighting at our ovals. In addition, we will work with local schools to upgrade their ovals and open these up to community use (as has been done at Chatswood High). Beyond these measures, we will need to work with the State Government to fund land acquisition for new sportsfields. Enabling local sports participation is an important part of what Council can do to encourage everyone in the community to live a healthy lifestyle.

Local news and information

Help create a new name

The name ‘Rosenthal Project’ is a temporary name during the construction stage of the project. Council is now calling for suggestions for the new name for the community space which will be home to open space, park areas, BBQs, play equipment, a stage, underground car parking for 500 spaces and tenants Coles and ALDI. If you would like to suggest a name, please visit Council’s website this May: www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/ haveyoursay. A shortlist of names will then be shared as part of the next stage of community consultation.

Out & about in Lane Cove

Improved Bike Lanes

Council has been working to improve the bike lane network in Lane Cove.

Earlier in the year the section of bike lane along Longueville Road from River Road to Richardson Street West was resurfaced with new line markings in place. The next stage later this year will see the section up to Lane Cove Public School upgraded.

Cyclists using the Pacific Highway to connect to the Epping/Longueville Road bike path will have recently discovered that the access is much smoother thanks to the extension of the final segment of the bike lane.

We’re planning for 2035

Council is currently reviewing its longer term plans for the community - if you would like to give feedback on our priorities and goals then this is a good time to take a look and have your say. It’s also the time of year that we adopt the budget for the next year of projects - visit www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/ haveyoursay to view the plans.

Last month Council launched two new publications. Pictured right are the contributors to ‘Memories of Lane Cove’. If you would like to purchase this book or the Literary Awards Anthology, please contact Lane Cove Library.

Citizen Science

Technology is now making it easier than ever to be a ‘Citizen Scientist’. You can help to collect data and monitor important aspects of your local environment from the comfort of your own balcony, backyard, street or bushland. From frogs, birds, plants and reptiles there is a project waiting for your involvement. Go to Australian Citizen Science Association website and click on Find a Project: www. citizenscience.org.au. Council is involved in a number of programs and has recently installed nesting boxes for Powerful Owls to observe behaviour and record data.

Did you know?

Council has a community nursery located in Lane Cove West in between Lloyd Rees Drive and Banksia Close. Staff and regular volunteers help to propagate a range of plants with 15,000 native seedlings grown last year alone. For opening hours and upcoming workshops visit www. lanecove.nsw. gov.au/bushcareevents

Latest Works

• New picnic tables will soon be

installed at Bob Campbell Oval near the bush track on the western side

• The cover for the Lloyd Rees

bandstand will be removed in May and a new cover installed in June

• New planter boxes are on order for

Longueville Road

• Road works took place in Phoenix

Street last month resulting in improvements to the intersection at Dorritt Street as well as new kerb, guttering and pram ramps

Mayor of Hunters Hill P: 9879 9415 E: markbennett@huntershill.nsw.gov.au P: 9929 9822 E: trent.zimmerman.mp@aph.gov.au

Retirement of General Manager Barry Smith

At Council’s April meeting, General Manager Barry Smith advised of his intention not to renew his contract in September this year.

Barry will continue as General Manager until his retirement in September, while an executive search is conducted for the position. Barry has demonstrated leadership and energy during his time at Hunters Hill and he hands over a strong team and organisation. His legacy is one which Council can build on for the future.

Those of us who know Barry personally admire him not only for his business efforts, but also for his personal lifetime values as a devoted husband, father and soon-to-be grandfather. We wish Barry well for the future. Bedlam Bay habitat planting

Families and friends came along to help with the next stage in restoring small bird habitat in Bedlam Bay, an important link in a habitat corridor along the lower Parramatta River.

Small native birds need suitable resting places between bushland areas in order to move around safely. You can help them survive by planting native shrubs and groundcovers that will become their protective habitat havens. If you’d like to be involved, please contact Council on 9879 9400. Seniors Month events

I recently attended an event organised by Council to celebrate the 2018 Seniors Festival.

Called ‘Your Brain Matters’, the event included very interesting speakers, Prof Henry Brodaty from the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing and The Hon John Watkins, former CEO of Alzheimer’s Australia. We are fortunate in Hunters Hill to have so many local organisations promoting interesting leisure activities to help keep us fit and healthy as we grow older. New look for Community Transport

Our local community transport provider has been renamed. The organisation is now called Stryder, and all their buses and cars will now be decorated with their new bright blue logo.

The name was launched by His Excellency The Hon. David Hurley, retired Governor of NSW. Stryder provides a great service to our older residents, offering door-to-door transport to medical appointments, social outings and shopping.

If you would like to find out more about this very helpful service, call 9816 5000.

Bedlam Bay lights

It was a pleasure to officially open the new training lights at the Bedlam Bay sports field, which is part of the Bedlam Bay Regional Park.

This area originally formed part of the southern section of the Gladesville Hospital. It is now a home for women’s soccer, a rapidly growing sport and it is pleasing to see the increased usage now possible on this beautiful field.

The official opening was attended by local State member, The Hon. Anthony Roberts; Gladesville Ravens Soccer officials; Councillors and Council staff. The project was funded by Council together with both State and Federal governments. Anzac Day Care Packages

It has been more than a century since Australians at Gallipoli Cove showed the world those qualities of mateship, of toughness, and of cheerfulness under pressure, all of which are such a part of our national character.

This year an Australia Post initiative has given free postage for individual care packages to our Defence Force personnel serving overseas. I invited residents and community groups to join me in being part of this, and collected a mountain of food and toiletries to send.

Tim Tams turned out to be a favourite donation, but everyone who donated showed imagination and thoughtfulness. I am sure these gift packages will help bring a little bit of Australia to every country in which the Defence Forces serve. Thanks to Lane Cove Girl Guides, North Shore Police Command, Mercy College Chatswood, Hunters Hill RSL Sub-Branch, and North Shore Rotary for their generosity, and their support for our men and women overseas.

Commemorating Anzac Day

While these care packages went to our men and women overseas, Australians all over the country, as well as in France and Gallipoli Cove, commemorated the dedication of everyone who has served in the Australian Defence Forces - past and present.

We commemorated together particularly those who gave their lives for future generations. In the midst of some heightened international tension, their sacrifice is a particularly poignant reminder of the importance to all of us of our freedom, values, and way of life.

As well as the North Sydney commemorations, I personally attended the Hunters Hill Council Anzac Eve commemoration service on Monday 23rd, and the Lane Cove RSL commemoration service on the day. This is such an important part of our national calendar. I want to thank everybody who contributed to the commemoration services, together with everyone who commemorated the day, either at the services overseas or here in Australia itself.

Lane Cove Gardens Retirement Village Morning Tea

Shortly after Anzac Day I was invited by residents of Lane Cove Gardens Retirement Village to come and join them for a cup of tea. Our senior residents have given so much to the community throughout their lives. It’s a privilege to be able to sit down with them and hear some of the stories they have to tell. I also value the advice that frequently comes with it!

I am afraid I did not get around to baking my own Anzac Day biscuits to take with me, but I was grateful for the tea the residents gave me, and the sweet treats they kindly provided. My thanks for the hospitality extended to me by all the residents, but particularly Pat Jones and Bob Lawrence, who helped to organise the morning tea.