Pittwater Online News

2026 Surf life saving NSW State Championships - SLS SNB Branch results

The 2026 NSW Surf Life Saving Championships, with Swansea Belmont surf club welcoming more than 20,000 athletes, officials, family and friends to Lake Macquarie over the course of this years States, is drawing to a close as this Issue goes to press.

Dubbed the unofficial home of the NSW Surf Life Saving Championships, it’s the first time in five years Swansea Belmont surf club hosted the largest surf sports event in NSW after half a decade at Queenscliff. 

On a scale similar to that of the Commonwealth Games, nearly 6,000 athletes across Age (Youth), Masters, Open and Surf Boat Championships have contested 12 days of surf sports competition at Blacksmiths Beach, where individual and club glory are both up for grabs across the full range of surf sport sand and water events. 

The first disciplines tested were the 2026 SLSNSW State Championships – Lifesaving, running February 13-15.

For many the Lifesaving Competition is the most important annual States event – it speaks to what lifesaving is all about and teams across the generations train within clubs together to keep these skills at peak. The practice saves lives as all those knowledge sets come together as the individuals and team work is tested in competition. Newport SLSC won several Golds this year across all Age Divisions, including the Open Champion Patrol. 

Vice President Guyren Smith, along with current President Rebecca Cappell, have worked with a cohort of members for years, year round, to represent their clubs and selves in this discipline.

Five SLS SNB Branch clubs featured among the top 10 again this year – demonstrating how seriously local lifesaving members take their role on the sand and in the water to look after others.

MORE HERE

Sell Off of Pittwater Residents Asset at Vuko Place 'On the Nose' Residents State

The vote to proceed was passed at the February council meeting, and forms part of the council's special rate variation 'Property Rationalisation Plan' to realise a $10million dollar fund with two out of three of the assets to be sold located in Pittwater.

Prior to the vote residents stated this is not the council's to sell, it belongs to Pittwater, and that any money derived from the sale of Pittwater assets should be spent, in whole, in Pittwater.

The sale comes on top of the council taking $4.6 million out of the internally restricted Mona Vale Cemetery Reserve Fund to pay for a new software management system for the Northern Beaches Council, following a vote at the June 2023 council meeting. That has been described as 'stealing form the dead' by one respected community member.

Staff estimated in 2023 the loan would be paid back by 2028/29, including interest of $900,000.

The news service asked the council to clarify and confirm where it intended to spend the funds raised. 

The response was:

''Council considered the potential divestment of underutilised properties as part of our commitment to IPART during the application process for the Special Variation to Rates. While any final decision to sell a property rests solely with the elected Council, Council has a target to raise $10 million from property sales within the next five years, consistent with Council’s IPART submission. 

Council’s Property Management Framework (p27) notes that the proceeds from the sale of a property are placed into a restricted financial reserve. This reserve has been established to reduce reliance on rates to provide for the future requirements of the community with the intent that the funds are used for: 

• Community infrastructure
• Environmental acquisitions
• Commercial development projects 

Any future use of these funds, in line with these purposes, would be determined by Council through the normal annual budget process.’’

So no confirmation that what is taken from Pittwater will be spent in Pittwater.

As Pittwater residents are also doing the heavy lifting in the permanent rates rises of over 24 percent secured through the Special Rate Variation, the vote to 'steal' yet another Pittwater asset, paid for by Pittwater residents, and spend it elsewhere, is considered 'on the nose' in the community.

Those in Pittwater continue to say they have been placed back under a 'Greater Warringah Council' [through the May 2016 forced amalgamations] where the culture is to destroy the Pittwater environment and extract money from Pittwater which will be spent in Warringah, while 'treating residents objections with contempt'.

As reported in 2025, page 32 of the council meeting agenda booklet of January 28 2025 lists the bulk of the sales to realise this $10 million is to come from Pittwater, and includes: 

‘Property Rationalisation Plan 

Council will continue to focus on the rationalisation of its property portfolio to realise a transfer of underutilised assets from property to cash, including: 

• 194 Lower Plateau Road, Bilgola Plateau (immediate opportunity for sale) 

• 2 Bangaroo St, North Balgowlah (immediate opportunity for sale) 

• Unit 9, 5 Vuko Place, Warriewood (3 to 5 years for opportunity of sale) -$200,000 (indicative potential loss of rental income)  (will realise $3-4 million)

To realise; Up to $10,000,000 (1 to 5 years)’ 

Selling Unit 9 at 5 Vuko place is estimated to realise between $3-4million. 

MORE HERE

Central Coast Teenager Confirmed as First Tick-induced Fatality in Australia

Jeremy Webb has become the first confirmed to have died from a tick-induced red meat allergy in Australia.

The 16-year-old from the Central Coast began having difficulty breathing after eating beef sausages on a camping trip at MacMasters Beach in June 2022. His friends attempted to revive him, but he collapsed and passed away in hospital.

Jeremy's death was initially determined to be asthma, however NSW Deputy State Coroner Carmel Forbes has ruled he died from an anaphylactic reaction to mammalian meat, which triggered an asthma attack.

"Without the anaphylaxis, the asthma would not have caused his death", Magistrate Forbes told the court on Thursday February 26 2026

Jeremey’s parents, Myfanwy and Johnathan Webb, had called for a coronial inquest into their son's death, hoping to raise awareness about the life-threatening allergy.

MORE HERE

Front Page Issue 652

Week One March 2026: Issue 652 (published Sunday Mar. 1)

Sell Off of Pittwater Residents Asset at Vuko Place 'On the Nose' Residents State

Central Coast Teenager Confirmed as First Tick-induced Fatality in Australia

Scruby urges government review to include benefits of licensing, registration and insurance- Northern Beaches PAC 'E-Voltage' Police Operation to continue

Pictures 2026 Surf Life Saving NSW State Championships - SLS SNB Branch results

Aquatics Australian Boardriders Battle Grand Final Set to Run Next Weekend: March 7-8 2026

DIY Ideas Reducing Ticks in Your Garden: Garden care, Plants that Repel, What to Wear Outdoors

Park Bench Philosophers Council's Wildflower Project

Pittwater Ocean Swims Welcome Swimmers in March by John Guthrie

A community legacy: Art Auction of works from the Home of Susan Duncan & Bob Story to Support West Pittwater RFS - Open now, closing Monday 9 March at midnight - Live auction: Saturday 7 March, Elvina Reserve, 3.30pm - Approximately 20 works will be concluded live

Councils Approving DA's in Known Flood Zones - NSW Government's Proposed Climate Change and Natural Hazards State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP): Have Your Say until March 16

Pictures 2026 Surf Life Saving NSW State Championships - SLS SNB Branch results

Food 10 Minute Salads: End Of Summer Sweetness - Summer vegetables and fruits in the best seasonal quality and price are now available with that end of season sweetness - peaches are at peak, melons are super-sweet and also have become cheaper. This week we’d like to share a few recipes and that combine some of these in dishes that suit the season and will give you great energy. Most of these, if the prep is already done, can be tossed in their dressings and served in 10 minutes, so these are great ideas for those who would rather spend more time enjoying the season and those late afternoon strolls in Pittwater than cooking.

DIY Ideas Reducing Ticks in Your Garden: Garden care, Plants that Repel, What to Wear Outdoors

With confirmation this week of the nation’s first death from a tick-induced meat allergy, and research showing Pittwater has the highest population of people living with mammalian meat allergy (MMA), information on how to reduce ticks in local gardens runs this Issue. There are some things you can do to lessen the incidence of being bitten by ticks in your garden and some plants that have been shown to repel them from the outdoor areas your family uses. 

The largest numbers of juvenile ticks are around in Autumn, with the middle phase, called “nymphs”, peaking in Winter and the adult numbers appearing through Spring and Summer. .

Community News Warriewood Community Centre Update, NSW Optimist Championship 2026 on Pittwater, BHS Surf Team Raffle, Avalon Land Gifted to the Community: Notice, North Avalon Beach Dune Planting: March 1, Narrabeen Sports High School 2026 Open Night, Avalon Beach Historical Society March 2026 Meeting Notice, The Kerry Gleeson Centre, RMYC Redevelopment, World Hearing Day: March 3, Rare Pink Diamonds at Warriewood Event, NSW Government's Heat Pump Feasibility Grant for businesses: closes March 31, Open Arms group programs, NDIS Evidence Advisory Committee: share your thoughts on supports under review, Monika's Doggie Rescue Pets of the Week: Tucker + Freckles, Cranzgots Pizza Cafe Closing March 15 2026, International Women’s Day Webinar – Balancing the Scales; online conversation with Tash Bryant, Jessica Sweeney and Stacey Jackson, IPART seeks community feedback as 10 councils apply to increase rates above the rate peg, Women Of Whale Celebrations 2026, Mow for Ol'Mate in March, Narrabeen Lakes Amateur Swimming Club: Saturday Afternoons, Saltwater Veterans: Helping Hands Needed, MWP Care Seeking Volunteers, AOK: Thursday Volunteers Needed, Inaugural Surf Lifesaving Red & Yellow Day: Wednesday 4 March, Feedback on Middle Harbour flood study findings Invited, Petition: Stop Politicians from spamming & harvesting our data,  Pittwater  Residents Associations, Sports, Environment and Groups, Pittwater Offshore Newsletter

Environment North Avalon Beach Dune Planting: March 1, When Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos are Yelling to each other, They're Sounding A Warning or claiming 'my branch', Rare Sighting - Australian Shelducks Visit Macquarie University, Chuditch and Bilbies returned to NSW now Thriving, When feral cats are away, potoroos and bandicoots are more likely to play, Climate outlook for March to June, Mona Vale Dunes bushcare group: 2026 Dates, Bangalley Headland Bushcare 2026, March 2026 at Kimbriki, NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee final determinations for February 2026, Koala habitat tree field guide and workshops empowering Northern Rivers communities, Motorway bridge offers koalas Royal habitat connection, Environment Groups call on Environment Minister to revoke Alcoa’s 'national interest' exemption in Northern Jarrah Forest, Condemnation of Minister’s greenlight for deforestation in NT, NSW Government's Heat Pump Feasibility Grant for businesses: closes March 31, Have your say on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan Review, Climate change is drying out the ‘forgotten rivers’ that keep the Murray-Darling alive. We need a new plan, Birdwood Park Bushcare Group Narrabeen, How ‘smart’ rainwater tanks can help keep platypus habitat healthy, ‘Don’t leave late’ is the best advice for fires or floods. These terrifying videos show why, One street tree can boost Sydney house prices by $30,000 – or cost $70,000 if it’s too close: new study, Good fungus may one day help save plants from bad fungus like deadly myrtle rust disease, Deeper ocean ecosystems are unique – and uniquely vulnerable without better protection, Rain is coming to Antarctica – here’s how it will change the frozen continent, Extreme weather is transforming the world’s rivers. We need new ways to protect them, Can African penguins be brought back from the brink? Better designed no-fishing zones could help, Science knows of 21,000 bee species. There are likely thousands more, Severe flooding – in central Australia? How a vast humid air mass could soak the desert, How Australia’s new fuel efficiency scheme quietly created a carbon currency for cars ‑ and it’s working, Bones of St Francis of Assisi go on display for the first time – here’s why it took 800 years, Crocuses are blooming early – here’s what this means for nature, Scorpions can pose a deadly threat to children – we’re identifying the global hotspots, The wonders of daisies: the buffet we walk on, Sydney Wildlife (Sydney Metropolitan Wildlife Services) Needs People for the Rescue Line, 2025-26 Seal Reveal underway, 622kg of Rubbish Collected from Local Beaches: Adopt your local beach program, This Tick Season: Freeze it - don't squeeze it, Protect wildlife: dispose of fishing gear responsibly, Notice of 1080 Poison Baiting, Volunteers for Barrenjoey Lighthouse Tours needed, Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 Recycling Batteries: at Mona Vale + Avalon Beach, Reporting Dogs Offleash - Dog Attacks to Council, Plastic Bread Ties For Wheelchairs, Stay Safe From Mosquitoes, Mountain Bike Incidents On Public Land, Report fox sightings, marine wildlife rescue group on the Central Coast, Possums In Your Roof?: do the right thing, Aviaries + Possum Release Sites Needed, Bushcare in Pittwater: where + when, Friends Of Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment Activities, Gardens and Environment Groups and Organisations in Pittwater, Ringtail Posses, Pittwater Reserves, Environment History insights + Walks, Birds +

Aquatics Australian Boardriders Battle Grand Final Set to Run Next Weekend: March 7-8 2026

Children Sunday Cartoons and Animations This Issue: The Wrong Rock - Finding Home in Unexpected Places, Stamped in time: University of New England research features in new Australia Post stamp collection, When Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos are Yelling to each other, They're Sounding A Warning or claiming 'my branch', Rare Sighting - Australian Shelducks Visit Macquarie University, Palm Beach XI Takes Flight, 250 million-year-old amphibian fossils from Australia reveal global spread of ‘sea-salamanders’, Curious Kids: What is the smallest thing in the universe? + What is Bluetooth and how does it work? + How was the Earth made?, Stroies this week: Dragons Love Tacos + 'Going Down Home with Daddy' read by Jeffrey Wright, local clubs and groups for you

Youth When Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos are Yelling to each other, They're Sounding A Warning or claiming 'my branch', Rare Sighting - Australian Shelducks Visit Macquarie University, Palm Beach XI Takes Flight, Study hard: students urged to know their rental rights before signing a lease, Australian Boardriders Battle Grand Final Set to Run Next Weekend: March 7-8 2026, Freshwater students embrace Writers Festival, Stamped in time: University of New England research features in new Australia Post stamp collection, Premier’s Anzac Memorial Scholarship tour applications open, Opportunities: International Women’s Day Webinar – Balancing the Scale - online conversation with Tash Bryant, Jessica Sweeney, and Stacey Jackson + NASA 2026 is a go! + Battle of the Bands – Youth Edition: at Palm Beach, Financial help for young people, School Leavers Support, Word Of The Week: Compassion, What makes a city beautiful? Here’s what ratings of thousands of urban landscapes reveal, There are more than 4.6 million food posts on TikTok alone. Why, then, do we still love cookbooks?, How 1.5 million km of undersea internet cables can double up as an earthquake and tsunami warning system, A cosmic explosion with the force of a billion Suns went unseen – until we caught its echo, 20 billion galaxies: new survey of the sky will reveal the universe in unprecedented detail, ‘Buy it nice or buy it twice’: what the ‘frugal chic’ trend tells us about our clothing habits, Buying a car? Here’s what you need to know about new safety ratings, Michelangelo hated painting the Sistine Chapel – and never aspired to be a painter to begin with, 250 million-year-old amphibian fossils from Australia reveal global spread of ‘sea-salamanders’, The ‘first-night effect’: why it’s hard to sleep when you’re somewhere new, Local services for you

Seniors Face-to-face scam support for NSW seniors, Palm Beach XI Takes Flight, Strengthening the retirement phase of superannuation, COTA welcomes retirement income reforms; calls for strong independent guidance, Spin-cycle savings: popular $250 washing machine program returns, Strengthening the reliability of medical reports: DVA, Open Arms group programs, AI companies promise to ‘fix’ aged care but they’re selling a false narrative, Mow for Ol'Mate in March, Local Seniors Festival Events: 2026, These shoes are best for hip and knee arthritis according to science, High-speed rail from Sydney to Newcastle is a step closer. But what about Sydney to Melbourne?, What wearables can (and can’t) tell you about your heart health, Utopia: on high-speed rail in Australia,  Local groups, clubs, events and services for you