Unwanted Concrete Installed on South Avalon Beach Without Community Consultation: Little Av. Path + Sandstone Terracing still May Appear
South Avalon's Beach once green hill - February 16, 2026. Photos supplied
Although the path could have been welcomed by those in wheelchairs, mums with bub in prams and the elderly on walking sticks to provide access either to the beach or the way up the hill, a series of steps in the structure negates the 'who this could be for' inclusion of these groups.
There are concerns the path has been cut too close to a treasured palm tree and that too will now fail as a result of the works.
People are also wondering what happened to the council not covering over the sacred ochre known to be at the site, treasured by resident indigenous peoples.
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March 16, 2026: the new path that creates more access, unless you're pushing a pram, in a wheelchair, or using a walking stick
South Avalon's Beach once green hill - February 16, 2026. Photos supplied
Although the path could have been welcomed by those in wheelchairs, mums with bub in prams and the elderly on walking sticks to provide access either to the beach or the way up the hill, a series of steps in the structure negates the 'who this could be for' inclusion of these groups.
There are concerns the path has been cut too close to a treasured palm tree and that too will now fail as a result of the works.
People are also wondering what happened to the council not covering over the sacred ochre known to be at the site, treasured by resident indigenous peoples.
March 16, 2026: the new path that creates more access, unless you're pushing a pram, in a wheelchair, or using a walking stick
What a successful two weekends it has been for NLSC Junior sailors.
On the weekend 7/8 March the Heron Junior NSW State Championships were held at Concord Ryde Sailing Club.
Two races on the Saturday in light fickle breeze were followed by four races on the Sunday in a well established 10-15 knot wind with occasional gusts of up to 18 knots. The two Divisions, Junior/Junior and Junior/Senior were hotly contested.
NLSC Juniors achieved first and second places on scratch and a third place on handicap in the Junior/Junior division with a third on scratch and a second on handicap in the Junior/Senior Division.
Well done to all the junior sailors competing!
You may well think that after a hectic week end of sailing they may have wanted to rest but the following Sunday 15 March many were back on the waters on Narrabeen Lake competing in the Sabot Zone Regatta.
Sabot Zone Regatta, hosted by NLSC, March 15 2026. Photo supplied
Profile of the Week VALE: Allan Edward Gonsalves
November 30, 1931 - Thursday March 12 2026, aged 94.
Beloved husband of Maureen, adored father of Mark, Kerrie and Paul.
A Service will be held for Allan at Innes Gardens Memorial Park, Port Macquarie Monday March 23, 2026, 1:00 PM - 2:15 PM. For those unable to attend, a Live stream will be available here.
Palm Beach Butcher, Surf Boat Crew Member, Legend of Whale Beach SLSC
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History Crescent Reserve, Newport, on Old Mangrove Bay: Some History + 2026 Site Investigation PhotosWe continue our intermittent delving into the parks and reserves on the 'Newport Loop', this time finding one that has a Manly link and land being resumed by that council at the same time for a park and reserve there from the same family who once owned that resumed to form Crescent Reserve.
James Verrall, Boatman and Boatshed Proprietor, and Walter Verrall, Carpenter and Boat Builder, both of North Harbour Manly and sons of James Verrall senior, acquired 5 acres 3 roods and 34 perches through Primary Application 27062 on March 2nd, 1926 – 100 years ago this month - on the Crescent and The Avenue at Newport with just over 2 acres of this fronting what had been known in earlier times as 'Old Mangrove Bay' and alongside where 'Boulton's Jetty/Wharf' had been in one lithograph.
Their father had bought the Newport land in 1891 on January 1st, according to the records, from the Mona Vale Land Company. James Verrall senior drowned aged 84 in North Harbor on Thursday November 6 1924, between Side Hall and Forty Baskets beach.
James Verrall senior, was one of the early boatmen of Manly, who had settled at 'North Harbour' by 1875. Boatmen were like today's water taxi proprietors, except they rowed people in that pre-engine age for boats. George Mulhall, first Lightkeeper at Barrenjoey Lighthouse, was also a boatman and considered the First Champion in Rowing in Australia due to his ability to beat all comers in races that form part of early Sydney Harbour Regattas or in betting races that would see big wins for the person who came first. Then, as now, boatmen's boats used to transport fare paying passengers around or across the harbour, before regular ferry services in the 1860s and even afterwards, for those who missed the last boat home.
This Issue a few insights into how the council ensured the community and wildlife could access the water of Old Mangrove Bay and in doing so, saved a section of this environment.
Events Bungan Gold 2026, Manly Writers Festival, Woody Point Yacht Club AGM 2026: Saturday 11 April, 2026 Annual Group Exhibition & Fund Raising Event for Pittwater Artists Trail at Newport: March 27-29, French Film Festival at Warriewood, Music, Markets, Social Groups + more on!
Community News VALE Allan Edward Gonsalves, Oliver's Pies Update, Northern Beaches Police Area Command News, NSW SES Warringah / Pittwater Unit at Cottage Point, Environmental Art & Design Prize 2026: Open, Reminder: Vote for INXS, Good Luck!: Aussies Wrap 2026, Autumn School Holidays Break, Lions Club Of Manly: 70th Year, Police re-issue warning over stealing and fraud offences targeting the elderly, NSW Government to strengthen laws to protect LGBTQIA+ community, Davidson Rural Fire Brigade Honours Centuries of Service, Minns Government banning display of hateful, divisive symbols, Petition: SOS Mona Vale, $3000 fines for cab drivers who rip off passengers with disability, Petition: Fix Sandbanks at Queenscliff Beach, a World Surfing Reserve, NSW Government's Heat Pump Feasibility Grant for businesses: closes March 31, Scamps: Capital Gains Tax Survey, Monika's Doggie Rescue Pets of the Week: Freckles + Bill and Ben, Open Arms group programs, $800,000 Social Cohesion grants to strengthen local communities and combat hate, Lock it or Lose it, NDIS Evidence Advisory Committee: share your thoughts on supports, Government delivers cost-of-living relief, BHS Surf Team Raffle, Woody Point Yacht Club AGM 2026: Saturday 11 April, Government delivers cost-of-living relief, 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, Petition: Stop Politicians from spamming & harvesting our data, Pittwater Residents Associations, Sports, Environment and Groups, Pittwater Offshore Newsletter
Environment Weed Cassia Now Flowering: Please Pull Out And Save Our Bush, Second Chance for Pixel, Steggall Launches the Warringah Sustainability Guide: households, apartments and businesses can make the renewables switch, Australia claims it is ‘on track’ to save nature; We disagree, First Australians always come off worst in disasters; This needs to stop, Cyclone Narelle: ‘compact’, dangerous and unusually predictable, Turning the tide: 135 Loggerhead hatchlings saved at Coffs Coast, NSW Labor’s plan to support coal mining out to 2050 fails climate test: Greens, Australian fossil fuel subsidies growing faster than NDIS, hitting $16.3 billion in 2025-26, $16 million boost to flood-proof Central Coast and Mid North Coast national park roads, $120,000 boost for feral rabbit control in the Riverina, Council's Wildflower Project + Bushcare Volunteers, NSW Government's Heat Pump Feasibility Grant for businesses: closes March 31, Have your say on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan Review, Electric vehicles: what to know if you’re considering an EV, Seabirds struggled to raise chicks in the Hauraki Gulf this summer. What happened?, Remote communities are more vulnerable to fuel price shocks – could microgrids help?, Formula 1: new sustainability rules are changing the way races are won, Microbes in Antarctica survive the freezing and dark winter by living on air, How moss could help roads cope with heavy rain and reduce air pollution, Beavers can turn streams into carbon stores – we measured how much, All 5 fundamental units of life’s genetic code were just discovered in an asteroid sample, Climate change may not end skiing. But it will make it more exclusive, Mona Vale Dunes bushcare group: 2026 Dates, Bangalley Headland WPA Bushcare 2026, 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, Pittwater Environment History insights + Walks, Birds +
Aquatics Narrabeen Lakes Sailing Club – Update by David Loomes
Children Sunday cartoons and animations this Issue: Wallace & Gromit's Cracking Contraptions Compilation, Where do Colours' Names come from?, Hands-on learning takes centre stage at the 2026 Sydney Royal Easter Show, Sydney Royal Easter Show 2026, The Royal Easter Show Began As the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW, 2026 Premier's Reading Challenge, Curious Kids: What was the very first plant in the world? + What’s the history of aircraft squawk codes and how do they work? + How do we get allergic to food? + Why do we not use the magnetic energy the Earth provides to create electricity? + Why does rain only come from grey clouds? + How can penguins stay warm in the freezing cold waters of Antarctica?, Stories this Week: The Giant Jam Sandwich + Little Dog Lost: The True Story of a dog named 'Baltic', Local clubs +groups 4U
Youth Second Chance for Pixel, Manly Warringah Kayak Club at 2026 Australian Sprint Kayak Championships, 2026 Careers Expo: at Narrabeen Sports High School: March 27, 2026 Premier's Reading Challenge, Hands-on learning takes centre stage at the 2026 Sydney Royal Easter Show, Sydney Royal Easter Show 2026, The Royal Easter Show Began As the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW, Friday essay: my mother survived polio – stories like hers show why vaccination matters, Opportunities: Government delivers cost-of-living relief + Training and professional development opportunities for aged care workers + Game Changer Challenge 2026 + Girls Can't Surf available for Free on ABC iview, Financial help for young people, School Leavers Support, Word Of The Week: Colour, Can’t stop endlessly scrolling? Tips to help you take back control, In a world of AI text speech still reigns supreme, Project Hail Mary is packed with hard science. An astrophysicist breaks it down, Where did the ancient Greeks and Romans think lightning came from? Hint: not just the gods, Moulin Rouge! turns 25: how Baz Luhrmann reinvented the movie musical, Why some people still believe that aliens shaped ancient civilisations, Is Spotify’s AI ‘killing’ Australian music? What we found from analysing more than 2 million tracks, Stories open to interpretation: the 2026 Biennale of Sydney embraces narratives with multiple meanings, Nasa plans to have a permanent base on the Moon by 2030 – how it can be done, Almost 80% of Australian uni students now use AI. This is creating an ‘illusion of competence’, Local services and groups for you
Seniors Ending the abuse and mistreatment of older people: National Plan tabled, VALE: Allan Edward Gonsalves, NSA campaign proves cash still counts, COTA Australia welcomes commitment to ending the abuse of older people, Manly Warringah Choir May Concert: Mozart, Seniors’ Stories Volume 12 - 2026 Theme, Government delivers cost-of-living relief, Avalon Bowling Club's Wednesday Night Jazz: Little Patti on April 15, Australia’s new physical activity guidelines won’t shift the needle – here are 4 better ideas, Police issue warning over stealing and fraud offences targeting the elderly, Mow for Ol'Mate in March, Capital gains tax discount ‘skewed’ housing towards investors: Senate inquiry, Largest ever Parkinson’s study shows how symptoms differ between men and women, Local groups, clubs, events and services for you
DIY Ideas DIY Bird Houses + Possum Dreys
With more and more trees being removed from the Pittwater canopy, and soaked birds turning up at our windows, residents are asking for plans on how to build and install bird houses and dreys for possums.
Those who have had furry visitors to their rooves due to a lack of habitat outside have found that installing two of these in nearby areas, and encouraging the possums to visit them by putting in some food for a week, solves the roof tenancy.
Local wildlife rescue and care organisations do provide plans on ‘how to’ along with having volunteer members who can make these for you or work with men’s sheds to build them and supply them to humans. However, as there can be a wait list, this requested DIY help and plans runs this Issue on how to be part of the solution, perfect for those looking for something positive they can do in their own neighbourhood this Autumn school holidays.
Inbox News Stories open to interpretation: the 2026 Biennale of Sydney embraces narratives with multiple meanings, Men can get out of the manosphere. Here’s what former incels say about why they left, Can’t stop endlessly scrolling? Tips to help you take back control, Foundations for the Ryde Hospital Redevelopment, Minns Government banning display of hateful, divisive symbols, Consumer impacts and regional supply issues at centre of discussions at emergency fuel meeting, ACCC calling on industry to explain widely varying fuel prices, Can brevetoxins from algal blooms make me sick? A toxicologist explains, What’s ‘dirty fuel’ doing to our lungs? The same as it did for most of 2025, Australia was once a world leader in innovation. A new report shows the system is now ‘broken’, South Australians have truth in political advertising laws. Why doesn’t everyone else?, Capital gains tax discount ‘skewed’ housing towards investors: Senate inquiry, A world‑first quantum battery charges faster when it gets bigger – but it’s tiny and only lasts nanoseconds, New study shows global democracy hasn’t been this bad since 1978. Australia should be worried, Pete Hegseth is working hard to make sure the public hears only good news about Iran war
Park Bench Philosophers Women in Healthcare and Research: Four Exceptional Examples in the Northern Sydney Local Health District
Food Easter Feast 2026: Our Tried-Tested Recipe Ideas - There are many old traditions and folklore associated with the Feast of Easter, many of these aligning with the Festival of Passover - the eight-day festival celebrated in the early Spring, from the 15th through the 22nd of the Hebrew month of Nissan. Passover commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt.
Pictures Turimetta Moods April 2026 by Joe Mills
Joe shares the shift in the colours and Season as the first month of Autumn rolls in - and includes a visit to the Sydney Lunar Dragon Boat Festival 2026 on Darling Harbour, on March 1, and the newly rebuilt and opened Sydney Fish Markets during the first week of March.
This week the NSW Government announced this great new facility has already hosted more than one million visitors since opening.
