Community News: February 2026 - Issue 651

Week Four February 2026: Issue 651 (published Sunday February 22 2026)

Front Page Issue 651

Week Four February 2026: Issue 651 (published Sunday February 22 2026)

Pittwater's Matt Philip Captains NSW Waratahs in 2026

End of Summer Dispersal of Birds From Birth Nests: Mona Vale's Powerful Owl Juvenile - photos by Michael Mannington OAM

NSW Government invests $1 million to fund biocontrol research to manage weeds: Pittwater's 2020-2021 Connections

Aquatics Pittwater Ocean Swims Welcome Swimmers in March by John Guthrie

Park Bench Philosophers Menzies Oration 2026 - Social Cohesion and the Future of Australia: Leadership, Civility, and the Greater Good given by President of the Australian Human Rights Commission Hugh de Kretser

Pictures Turimetta Moods: February 2026 by Joe Mills

Northern Beaches Council's 'Ban on Residents Voices' Extended Across First Quarter of 2026

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 + Emergency Services Levy reform

Ingleside Planning Proposal Rejected by Council - State Significant Development Approved by NSW Planning Department in Oxford Falls Valley, Belrose

Sale of Bulk of HMAS Penguin Site Approved - Pristine Angophora Forest Likely to be Destroyed, Wildlife Killed, Another People's Parkland stolen: Pittwater Annexe will be retained

Minimum age to ride an e-bike to be introduced in NSW: Pittwater MP Maintains Licensing-Registration required

Environment 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 + Emergency Services Levy reform, End of Summer Dispersal of birds From Birth Nests + Flying Foxes Feasting on Spotted Gum Blossoms, NSW Government invests $1 million to fund biocontrol research to manage weeds: Pittwater's 2020 connection, Climate outlook for March to June, Mona Vale Dunes bushcare group: 2026 Dates, North Avalon Beach Dune Planting, Bangalley Headland WPA Bushcare 2026, Community helps shift future of NSW national parks: Applications from Community Members invited to join Committees, New analysis confirms ongoing destruction of high-value habitat under NSW land clearing laws: NCC, Legal action against ‘closed’ coal mine that’s still wrecking protected landscapes, First Ecological Performance Scorecard for northern NSW forests, NSW manufacturing can reduce gas consumption by 75% with the right policy support, NSW Government's Heat Pump Feasibility Grant for businesses: closes March 31, Have your say on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan Review, North Head visitor access Changes: feedback invited, community invited to have a say on recreational opportunities In Great Koala National Park, Royal National Park plan draft amendment: Have your say, Intense heatwaves directly threaten crops and native species. Here’s what we can do, Plummeting fish numbers triggered controversial fishing bans in WA. But no-take zones could benefit fishers, Dramatic changes in upper atmosphere are responsible for recent droughts and bushfires: new research, Want to boost uptake of battery EVs? Subsidise chargers at home and work – not the vehicles, ‘Blood cobalt’ is disappearing from batteries – and cheaper, cleaner batteries are arriving, How sailing voyages can inspire the next generation of ocean scientists and advocates, Species on east-west coastlines are more likely to go extinct than those on north-south shores – new study, How shaming unethical brands makes companies improve their behaviour, Why coping with heavy rain in Scotland’s whisky country shows how to save water for the summer, How Bad Bunny’s power pole dance spotlighted the colonial legacy of energy poverty, Trump has scrapped the long-standing legal basis for tackling climate emissions, ‘A lingering in stillness’: philosopher Byung-Chul Han on the radical power of gardening, 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 +

Inbox News ‘Not met their duty of care’: new report finds racism is widespread at Australian unis, A few weeks of X’s algorithm can make you more right-wing – and it doesn’t wear off quickly, Too many satellites? Earth’s orbit is on track for a catastrophe – but we can stop it, Australia plans to sell off defence land to developers – but could it deliver homes instead?, A worker was sacked over his side hustle. Here are 5 tips for employees with second gigs, EU-US: Is social media addictive? How it keeps you clicking and the harms it can cause, Maitland Rutherford tobacconist shut down for the second time after breaching closure orders, Cheaper medicines for people living with cystic fibrosis, Cheaper medicines for chronic kidney disease and psoriasis, Weight-loss drug ‘support supplements’: do they address nutrient deficiencies or are they just another fad?, Four foods that can help improve your cholesterol and boost heart health, 55,000 extra social housing homes are being built. But a new study shows that boom still falls short, Angus Taylor defeats Sussan Ley by hefty margin of 34-17 as Liberal leader - Who is Angus Taylor and could he cut it as opposition leader?, After ‘code brown’, how long before the pool is safe again? Water quality experts explain, A new diagnosis of ‘profound autism’ is on the cards. Here’s what could change, Runners, flat shoes or bare foot – what should I wear to lift weights?, Play reduces stress and lifts wellbeing – and adults benefit as much as children do, Amazon’s Ring wanted to track your pets. It revealed the future of surveillance, Coles accused of ‘utterly misleading’ discounts as major court case kicks off, Nessun Dorma (Loosely Woven), $10.8 million gift establishes new research chair at UNSW, Mow for Ol'Mate in March, Measured deeming rate lift and indexation lessen the blow to pensioners, Local Seniors Festival Events: 2026, Dementia: how brain resilience, immune health and the menopause play a role in women’s risk, Even the best writing about science recalls ancient myths, SpaceX rocket left behind a plume of chemical pollution as it burnt up in the atmosphere, End of Summer Dispersal of birds From Birth Nests, Minimum age to ride an e-bike to be introduced, Young artists honoured with Theo Batten Youth Art Award, Two Boys and A Boat, Premier’s Anzac Memorial Scholarship tour applications open,   Opportunities: International Women’s Day Webinar – Balancing the Scales with Tash Bryant, Jessica Sweeney, and Stacey Jackson+ NASA 2026 is a go!! + Sevens by the Sea + Battle of the Bands – Youth Edition: at Palm Beach +, Financial help for young people, School Leavers Support, Word Of The Week: Quiver, ‘Learning to be humble meant taming my need to stand out from the group’ – a humility scholar explains how he became more grounded, Can a rhythm be owned? What a reggaeton lawsuit reveals about how copyright misunderstands music, The science behind the trend for showering in the dark before bed, Why it’s funnier when you’re not allowed to laugh, Why central bankers look to the ‘stars’ when setting interest rates, Ten classic films that used rain to transform a scene, The Biba Story: the fashion brand that lifted a drab post-war Britain into the swinging 60s, How sailing voyages can inspire the next generation of ocean scientists and advocates, Early Mars was warm and wet not icy, suggests latest research, Are the costumes for Wuthering Heights accurate? No. Are they magnificent? Absolutely yes, Held captive in their own country during World War II, Japanese Americans used nature to cope with their unjustified imprisonment, Heart-shaped locket discovery offers rare glimpse into Henry VIII and Katharine of Aragon’s marriage

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Week Three February 2026: Issue 651 (published Sunday February 15 2026)

Profile of the Week: Zonta Northern Beaches Club’s President Dr. Lorna Scott: On the IWD Breakfast + 2026 Works

History: Bayview + Mona Vale + Brookvale Bricks: Makers Mark Every run of 10 Thousand

Pictures Pittwater Regatta 2026: 86 boats, 13 yacht clubs sail on Pittwater - reports by Di Pearson, Photos by Andrea Francolini and RPAYC

Victory for the Australian Lifesaving Surf Boat Team in 2026 Trans Tasman - NSW Win 2026 Interstate Comp. As Well

Narrabeen Athletics Track works underway - new study suggests track materials should be chosen carefully

Project Restore at Balmoral: Modern Moorings May Protect Sydney’s Endangered Seagrass

Illegal e-bikes will be seized-crushed in NSW: e-bike Injury Presentations to NSW Hospitals doubles + That e-bike you bought your teen might be an illegal electric motorbike – and the risks are real

Wakehurst MPs Bushfire Bill Lapse Date extended: Concerns persist Over DA's in High-Risk Fire Zones

Community Grants Funding Delivers Support for 5 Local Veterans Projects in 2026

Park Bench Philosophers The ultra-processed foods problem is driven by commercial interests, not individual weakness; Mandatory Health Star Ratings on food products won't fix that while they can be 'Gamed'

Australian MP's-Senators Call Government to Fix Our Feeds - Safer Internet Day 2026

Aquatics Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Yacht Race: First in best dressed! by Di Pearson

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Week Two February 2026: Issue 651 (published Sunday February 8 2026)

Profile of the Week: SOS (Save Our Suburb) Mona Vale: New Residents Group Launched - next meeting Feb. 26

History: Careel Head Road Shops and the Bangalley- Burrowong Creeks: Some History  

New Analysis Shows Mackellar MP Dr. Sophie Scamps Tops Time Spent Doing Her Job

Two Narrabeen Sports High School Teachers, One Curl Curl PS Teacher Honoured for 50+ Years of Public Education

Aquatics: Milla Coco Brown - Lucas Hickson Win 2026 Kim Burton Pro Junior 

ARTEXPRESS is back! and Out Front 2026 celebrates the next generation artists - HSC Artists

NSW Women of the Year 2026 finalists announced: Several Locals named

Zali Steggall Calls For Royal Commission into Domestic Violence: 6 Women lost in 2026, so far  

Marine Rescue NSW volunteers respond to almost 700 incidents in January 2026

Pictures: Dolphin Park Bushland Reserve: a stroll through this Right-of-way Park between Dolphin Crescent and Barrenjoey Road

North Sydney Council Refutes State Government Claims of Consultation on Future of Cammeray Golf Course

PBP's: eSafety report shows while tech giants have made some progress they still have a long way to go in stamping out online child abuse + Big tech companies are still failing to tackle child abuse material online

DIY Ideas: A Job For Life: Apprentice Carpenter + Fee-Free Courses + Commencement Tool List + How to Look After Your Tools

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Week One February 2026: Issue 651 (published Sunday February 1 2026)

Profile of the Week: 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

History: On International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2026 we Remember those Lost and the work of Sister Muriel Knox Doherty, Of Avalon Beach, at the Bergen- Belsen Camp

Vale Mike Fletcher AM -  9.10.33 - 30.1.26

The fauna bridge on Mona Vale Road East – will it be a bridge to nowhere?

Pittwater MP Launches Survey Asking For Local Knowledge on Sharks: State Government Announces Further $4.2 million to Improve Shark Safety this Summer + How to reduce the risk of an encounter with a shark

Aquatics: Synthetic grass fragments are increasingly prevalent microplastics in waterways across Metropolitan Sydney: Report finds Microplastics Have tripled in Sydney's waterways in three years - Manly Cove's 'very high' reading -NSW microplastics report 2026 

NSW Government announces New Northern Beaches Hospital 'High Volume Surgery Hub' to power through waitlist: Pittwater MP Confirms Locals Will Have Priority

Summer BirdFest 2026: Play antics of New Locals - Blue-faced Honeyeaters Breeding In Pittwater

Australian Sailing Team Appoints Pittwater's Jim Colley as 49erFX National Coach

Pantaenius Pittwater Regatta 2026: titans versus raiders by Di Pearson - held from 13 to 15 February, Entry closes at 1700 hours on 2 February. Late entries may be accepted at an additional fee.

Autism Swim’s Dippers program launches at Queenscliff: Inclusive Beach & Ocean Safety - Free, starts Feb, 2026

Manly Writer's Festival Announces 2026 Program: Exploring Ideas, Storytelling and Civic Debate - Thomas Keneally AO to open four-day festival, 19–22 March 2026, Tickets now open

Community Concern As Another Tree Up for Destruction by the Council - Doubling of prior Bassett Street Mona Vale DA proposal under NSW government SSD's provides stark illustration of impact on local environment of laws written 'for developers' (Feedback closes Feb 2, 2026) - Community Objections Being silenced or Ignored - Dec, 2025 Address to Council by Secretary of Protect Pittwater

Pictures: From Red Dust to Blue Water: Bush to Beach Celebrates 21 Years of Changing Young Indigenous Lives

Park Bench Philosophers: The V-set train on platform two has terminated after 55 years’ service

Profile of the Week Brett Babicci, President of Whale Beach SLSC 2025-2026 Season, and Boat Captain 

Whale Beach SLSC is going through a huge renewal of its Surf Boat Division, with Boat Captain and Sweep Brett Babicci leading a growing group of enthusiastic surf lifesavers into the next big charge of this legendary club on a favourite surf sports discipline. 

Having joined Whale Beach as a teenager, Brett has served the community as a volunteer lifesaver for over three decades and held several positions at Whale Beach; Competition Secretary and a member of the Competition Committee, Boat Captain (for over 10 years), serving on the Management Committee, and Patrol Captain.

As Competition Secretary Brett helps coordinate the Whaley Sunday events, the Club Championships, The Noel Greenfield Point to Point Swim, as well as Surf Boats at Branch, ASRL Open, State, and Aussies Competitions. 

On February 25th 2024 Whale Beach SLSC revived an old event, and ran the Inaugural Babicci Trophy Black Rock Ski Race. 

However, Brett’s passion is surf boats, stating in Whale Beach SLSC’s 2023-2024 Annual Report as Competition Secretary:

‘’Near and dear to my heart is the thrill of adorning the sky-blue cap with a yellow stripe and the famous brown ears, putting all that training on the line, listening for the call “Gun’s Up” competing against your mates from other clubs until the sweep yells “stop rowing” once the boat is up the sand.’’

The 2026 NSW Surf Life Saving Championships are currently underway. This year they have returned to Blacksmiths Beach, often considered the unofficial home of State Champs.

The Open & Surf Boat Championships run next weekend, 27 February-1 March 2026 at Swansea-Belmont SLSC. After that, everyone will head north to the Australian Surf Lifesaving Championships, the Aussies. 

This Issue, Brett shares a few insights on where the Whaley is at now that we’re at the pointy end of the surf sports Season, and why he devotes so much of himself to his community surf club.


Founded in 1949, the Palm Beach Sailing Club has a long-standing tradition of fostering a love for sailing.

The State Library of New South Wales has digitised an album of photos of the NSW VJ Championships, held on Pittwater, 25 February 1956, hosted by the Palm Beach Sailing Club, and 70 years ago this coming Wednesday - or a Saturday then. 

This wasn't the first time the young sailing club hosted the State Championships - their first was soon after they formed, in 1950, then again in 1952 and 1954. In 1953 they hosted the Australian VJ Championships. 

This week a few insights from one founding member, Max Boorman, also a 60+ years member of RPAYC, and a look into how Palm Beach at Sand Point, and Iluka Park, looked then.

Pittwater Offshore Newsletter:

February 1 2026


Click on Logo to access the latest PON:  

To contact Roy:  editor@scotlandisland.org.au

Pittwater's Matt Philip Captains Waratahs 2026

NSW Rugby announced late last month that 31-cap Wallaby Philip, 31, will take over the captaincy of the NSW Waratahs from scrum-half Jake Gordon, who led the team 53 times in Super Rugby over a five-season spell.

And Philip, who returned home to the Waratahs ahead of the British & Irish Lions fixture in July last year, is excited to realise a childhood dream of captaining the club.

“It's a huge honour and privilege to be named captain of the Waratahs and it’s something I don't take lightly,” Philip said.

“It’s probably the biggest achievement in my career to date, that's for sure, and I really want to do a good job to make sure that we get the results we want as a team. 

“We're extremely connected as a squad. It's our second year under Dan (McKellar) and the boys know what to expect. We're one year on of how we want to play, so both on and off the field I think we're going to see those connections come to fruition.

“Jake (Gordon) has done a great job over the last five years and has laid a fantastic foundation for this club. He’s super popular within the group and he will still be leading from the front.”

He added, "Me and Jake Gordon are really good friends, we played together through our juniors and been mates for a long time, and he's obviously done a great job over the last five years. Obviously, there's a lot of pressure and expectation that comes along with being a captain."

Born in Mona Vale Hospital, Matt attended Bilgola Plateau Public School before moving to St Augustine’s College, with alumni including former Waratah Langi Gleeson.

The 31-year-old was selected for Australian Schoolboys in 2012, before earning selection for Australia under-20s in both 2013 and 2014.

Philip continued his rugby development with Sydney University in the Shute Shield, playing alongside current teammates Jake Gordon and Andrew Kellaway. His consistent performances were recognised with a call-up to the Northern Stars ahead of the inaugural National Rugby Championship in 2014.

From there he was drafted to the Western Force, making his Super Rugby debut against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein in 2016, quickly becoming a regular in their match day squads.

In 2017, he was called into the Wallabies squad for the first time, named to make his international debut in the side’s first Test of the Spring Tour against Japan in Yokohama.

Since his Wallaby debut, he moved from the Force to the Melbourne Rebels, before featuring for Pau in France and Yokohama Canon Eagles in Japan, the city of his Test debut, before signing for the Waratahs following the end of last season’s Super Rugby Pacific.

Philip last appeared for the Wallabies at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, playing in two matches after a remarkable comeback from an ACL injury the previous year.

Standing at 199cm and weighing in at 115kg, Philip’s physical prowess is a huge asset in the engine room to any team.

Meanwhile Gordon, 32, leaves his position having played the third highest amount of Super Rugby matches as Waratahs captain, only behind Michael Hooper (65) and Phil Waugh (56).

Waratahs head coach Dan McKellar was delighted to be able to call upon Philip’s experience for the captain’s armband, while also thanking previous skipper Gordon for his time as leader.

“Matty is a boyhood fan of the Waratahs and is very passionate about this club. He is realising a dream in becoming captain and he deserves it,” McKellar said.

“Since arriving, he’s quickly become a senior leader and a really important part of the group. When he speaks, people certainly take notice and listen.

“He’ll no doubt become a key figure for us on and off the field and will be ably supported by the senior leaders at the club.

“I’d like to thank Jake for his contribution as captain at the Waratahs, which has been nothing but outstanding over the last five seasons.”

The NSW Waratahs kicked clear for a 36-13 lead over the Fijian Drua in Sydney on Friday February 20, 2026 - Debutant Ioane Moananu celebrated his first game in sky blue with a double, with Jorgensen sealing the win with his second.

That's Happy Dance Time.

The win sends the Waratahs into the bye on top of the ladder for now, before facing the Hurricanes in a fortnight.


Matt at the 'Tahs-Drua game on Friday. Photo: NSW Rugby, The Waratahs

Matt Philip profile
Age: 31
Height: 199cm
Weight: 118kg
Place of birth: Mona Vale Hospital, Pittwater, NSW
Education: Bilgola Public School, St Augustine’s College
Junior rugby club: Newport Breakers
Shute Shield club: Sydney University – played with current teammates Jake Gordon and Andrew Kellaway
Previous professional clubs: Western Force, Melbourne Rebels, Pau, Yokohama Canon Eagles
Wallabies debut: 2017 vs Japan (Yokohoma) – Wallaby number 915
Wallaby caps: 28
Languages spoken: Japanese, French
Musical instruments played: Saxophone

Newport Rugby (the Breakers) News

Vale Mike Pheils

Pheilsy was a tremendous supporter of the club and spent multiple years as manager through the Junior and Senior ranks. He was a proud supporter of his son,  club legend Sam,  who played well over 250+ games for the club through the 90s and 2000's.  

Our condolences to Sam and the extended Pheils family on the passing of Mike. 



Newport Breakers Supporters Club 2026 
Welcome everyone to the 2026 rugby season.as the mighty Breakers plan for a successful year in DIV 2.
The offseason has seen a wave of new coaching faces to the club & they have wasted no time in mapping out a preseason dedicated to fitness and skills improvement. We will spotlight the new coaching staff as we get closer to season kick off, but needless to say, a big welcome to them all from the Broken Breakers.

It is also exciting to welcome our new Co-Presidents for the 2026 season, Jackson Upton and Tenny James, both current players, have put their hands up to lead the club. Both are outstanding club men and natural leaders, and we wish them well and every success as El Presidentes. 

The Broken Breakers brains trust are meeting this weekend to look at what this years supporter merchandise will look like. We will conduct an exhaustive search, over many a schooner, to ensure the 2026 supporters gear will be a must have. We  will ensure it is ready to go for the season opener in late April.

In the interim can we please ask that you start ponying up for the season and transfer your Supporters membership. This guarantees you:
  • 2 x Free beers* - per home game. (or bubbles); An invitation to Sponsor’s Day on the deck of the finest Rugby Clubhouse in Sydney; An exclusive Breaker Supporter Merchandise TBA.
Details on Supporters Club at: www.newportrugby.com.au

Congratulations!
Congratulations to Newport's own Matt Philip who having returned to Australia, is now Captain of the NSW Waratahs and with his Breakers pedigree, can no doubt lead the Tah's to Super Rugby Glory in 2026! 

Avalon Land Gifted to the Community: Notice

Public Notice: Proposed classification of public land - 27 Elizabeth Street, Avalon Beach

At the May 20 2025 council meeting the council voted in confidential session to accept a Pittwater resident’s generous offer of an environmentally sensitive block of land for public space in Avalon at no cost, except for those of the owner incurred for the legal transfer.

Pittwater councillor Miranda Korzy, in her 'From the Chamber' updates for that meeting, stated:

'The council will formally thank the landowner for the proposed donation, acknowledging the significant contribution it makes to enhancing the connectivity and habitat values of the surrounding wildlife corridor and supporting long-term community and environmental outcomes.

Following the proposed transfer, the council will take the appropriate steps to classify the block as community land and rezone it to open space. 

No other details were available, in accordance with the wishes of the person transferring the land to Council.'

On Tuesday February 17 2026 the council placed a Public Notice on its website advising following the transfer, to publicly notify the proposal to classify the land as Community Land under the Local Government Act 1993.

The Notice reads:
''In accordance with Section 34 of the Local Government Act 1993, Council hereby gives public notice of its intention to resolve to classify the following land as Community Land.

Address: 27 Elizabeth Street, Avalon Beach NSW
Legal Description: Lot 9 DP 773307


Submissions
Submissions to Council regarding the proposed land classification may be made within 28 days of the date of this notice by:
All submissions received during the public notice period will be considered, and a further report will be presented to Council to determine the proposed classification.

Enquiries
For further information, please contact Council on 1300 434 434.'

Submissions close 17 March 2026 - on this webpage

Under the Local Government Act 1993, Community Land is council-owned land designated for public use - such as parks, reserves, and sports grounds - that cannot be sold. It requires a mandatory Plan of Management (PoM) to outline its usage, categorisation, and protection, and it can only be leased or licensed for up to 30 years.

Google maps 2026 aerial of the site

View from hill above this site - on Riviera

Ingleside Planning Proposal rejected

At its February 17 2026 meeting the council resolved not to support the planning proposal for land at 1-9 Wilson Avenue, 7-14 Wilga Street and 212-222 Powderworks Road, Ingleside following extensive evaluation and community consultation.

The proposal sought to amend planning controls to facilitate 536 new dwellings along with environmental conservation areas and public open space. However, the proposal does not align with the Northern Beaches Local Strategic Planning Statement, Local Housing Strategy and other key planning documents.

Mayor Sue Heins stated the decision to reject the proposal was based on several significant concerns.

“The proposed development is inconsistent with local and regional housing plans, is not within a designated town centre, lacks access to high frequency public transport and community infrastructure required to support development of this scale”, Mayor Heins said.

“Council staff also identified major environmental issues, including the loss of endangered native vegetation and inadequate plans for bushfire risk management and safe evacuation. 

During the exhibition period, Council received 606 submissions with an overwhelming 94% (567 submissions) objecting to the proposal. 

“The community has sent a clear message that any new development must respect the character of our neighbourhoods and prioritise the safety and wellbeing of residents.

“Key community concerns included increased traffic congestion, environmental impacts, bushfire risks, insufficient infrastructure and the proposal’s incompatibility with the unique identity of Ingleside and Elanora Heights.

“Council remains committed to working with the community to deliver appropriate housing in suitable locations, in line with strategic plans and the values of the Northern Beaches,” Mayor Heins said.

'The applicant retains the right to request a rezoning review by the Sydney North Planning Panel and Council will keep the community updated of any developments', the council stated. 
 
NSW Planning Department's SSD's
The proponent may also choose, now, to go straight past the council to the State Government and test out the SSD pathway for this proposal.

The NSW Government is using State Significant Development (SSD) pathways, managed by the Housing Delivery Authority (HDA), to accelerate large-scale housing projects, typically exceeding $60 million in capital investment. This process bypasses local councils for planning approvals, directly involving the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure to speed up delivery. 

Through the newly established Housing Delivery Authority (HDA), the state can fast-track large-scale residential projects and concurrently rezone land to facilitate higher density, such as turning low-density (R2) areas into medium-density zones. 

The planning reforms enable the State Significant Development (SSD) pathways for housing to override local council zonings, allowing for increased density and rezoning, particularly within 800m–1200m of transport hubs. 

However, State Significant Developments (SSD) and State Significant Infrastructure (SSI) in NSW can be approved away from established public transport. While state policy prioritises locating development near public transport to support sustainability, approvals are based on a merit-based assessment that considers economic, social, and environmental factors, allowing for exceptions. 

With the upgrade of the Mona Vale West sections on track to commence construction in 2028, according to the September 2025 Update, and now including constructing of a new local road connection between Bungendore Street and Powder Works Road, using the existing Harvey Road corridor, and extending the new local road east of Addison Road to meet the intersection of Mona Vale Road and Powder Works Road, other add-ins may also occur.

The 'Wilga-Wilson' proposal wanted to change zoning from RU2 Rural Landscape to R3 Medium Density, allowing new dwellings - including four six-storey apartment blocks (plus two bonus storeys), townhouses, and small-lot housing over the 14.248. hectare site. 

Among the 22 documents tabled the proponents stated that at completion of the rezoning process, it is anticipated that the land will contribute 536 new dwellings, comprising 133 detached dwellings along the perimeter, 210 terrace and manor houses, and 193 apartments across four lots. 


Wilga-Wilson site: Google Maps 2026

This project has had a few iterations.
 

In 2010 it was seeking a Site Compatibility Certificate to enable a seniors housing development of 850 independent living units, but was rejected by Pittwater Council.

In late 2016 it was among a proposal for close to 3,400 new homes and canned due to the high and unacceptable bushfire risks with no suitable route out for the thousands that would need to be evacuated in seconds.

The scheme was revisited in 2021, this time to rezone a smaller portion of Ingleside  of approximately 980 lots, 420 of which were located within the 'Wilga Wilson Precinct', however, as the bushfire risk was still too high the then Planning Minister announced in mid June 2022 the plan would not be proceeding.

Two SSD's, one at Narrabeen and another at Mona Vale, are using this pathway, although neither has been approved, yet.

See: 
Belrose SSD Approved
On February 5 2026 a State Significant Development application for Uniting Belrose Seniors Housing for a $194 million redevelopment was approved.

The approval allows demolition of the existing residential care facility and Manse House at 2B Morgan Road, Belrose. The project will deliver six new buildings ranging from two to five storeys.

The development includes 147 independent living units (ILUs) and 120 residential care facility (RCF) beds. It also provides a recreation centre, wellness spaces, café, salon, men’s shed, and 254 car parking spaces. The scheme has a total gross floor area of 26,973.7sqm.

The application relied on the State Significant Development pathway for large-scale seniors housing with residential care components, a pathway introduced in 2021. The site sits within the Locality B2 Oxford Falls Valley under Warringah LEP 2000, where seniors housing is permissible with consent.

The Department framed the proposal as a renewal of an ageing facility and noted the project responds to the needs of an ageing population. The location has access to public transport and proximity to established centres.

The Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council raised issues relating to sediment and erosion control, road access, and the consultation processes. Forest Community Men’s Shed Inc expressed support for the development, as the mens shed on the site will be retained.

The Northern Beaches Council lodged an objection outside the formal exhibition period. The council reiterated earlier concerns about height, bulk and scale, urban design, parking, stormwater management, and residential amenity.

Height and bulk were the council's the most contentious issues. Council argued the proposal could set an undesirable precedent for the low-density character of the Oxford Falls Valley.

However, the Department accepted the applicant’s method for measuring building height. It relied on relevant case law and supported variations to the 8.5m height control, allowing buildings up to 14.3m. The assessment cited site topography, setbacks, and visual impact analysis as its key justifications.

Before construction begins, the proponent must satisfy several conditions. These include retiring biodiversity credits, finalising stormwater and groundwater strategies, and approving construction management plans. The NSW Planning Department’s report does not list any further statutory processes beyond standard post-approval compliance.

Construction will occur in stages. Subject to conditions, work is expected to start in late 2026. 

The council also resolved not to support a separate planning proposal at 2 Abbott St, North Balgowlah for a dwelling house, as it would 'result in the loss of a long-established area of open space valued by the local community'. The council also stated it will write to the landowner and request the land be transferred to council ownership to be managed as public open space.

2 Abbott St, North Balgowlah. Image: Google maps

SOS Mona Vale: February 26 Meeting Notice

Our planned monthly meeting is happening and there is lots of news and many new members to meet.
 
Mona Vale Memorial Hall
1 Park Street Mona Vale
6:00pm to 8:30PM
Thursday, 26th February 2026
 
This will again be a meeting in 2 halves:
 
After kick off;
  • 55 new "join ups" we are now close to 600 members
  • Our "Sunday Drive" protest car rally - lock down a date
  • What to do when you are harassed by agents?
  • The next leaflet drops; where & when - Street Champs needed
  • Petitions - there are so many - our recommended picks.
  • Net loss of affordable housing - the lie continues
  • Not all the sharks on the Mona Vale coast are in the sea.
  • Seven practical actions that make a Mona Vale Champion
After half-time - we will focus on SOS - Saving Our Streets
SSDs - State Significant Developments
  • 159-167 Darley Street W - a debrief after 146 submissions lodged - what did we learn ?
DAs - Council assessed:
  • 20 Darley Street East - 7 storeys
  • cnr Park St & Kunari Pl - Aldea - approved
  • 32 Golf Avenue - Sabbia
  • 1 Park Street - Telstra site
  • 1763 & 1749-1753 Pittwater Road
  • 35-39 Darley Street East
  • 1803 & 1803A Pittwater Road - update
  • 21 - 33 Bassett Street
  • 19A Rowan & 67 Elimatta Road - update
DAs & SSDs in the pipeline
Even if you are not affected by proximity to these sites; you will be affected by the transformation of our home into the northern beaches "Gold Coast" and the slow choking of the village. 

As usual please remember to bring;
  • your notebook and pen
  • a few dollars to buy merch & help fund the fight - we have our EFTPOS machine at last
  • your voice - they will not keep us quiet.
  • your T-shirt - with you inside it. There will be limited stock of Ts on sale or we can take an order. Every t-shirt buys us one more corflute or hundreds of leaflets
  • your angry face for the group photo
  • and, if possible, a friend, family or concerned neighbour
New members welcome.
 
John David
Convenor, SOS Save Our Suburb Mona Vale

Avalon Beach Historical Society March 2026 Meeting Notice


The next meeting of the Avalon Beach Historical Society will be held on Tuesday, 3 March 2026, in ‘The Annexe’ in the northwest corner of Dunbar Park. The meeting will begin at 8 pm sharp and will focus specifically on the history of the SEA CAVES below Bangalley Headland.

For years, locals have known them as THE OVENS and fishermen reckon, they provide the ideal grounds for some of the best fishing available locally. Access has always been difficult for most, and early fishermen cut holes into the sandstone for finger and toe holds, enabling a rope-assisted ascent and descent from the end of Raynor Road.

Member and local historian Bill Goddard, who ran the Northern Beaches Cliff Training Team in earlier years, has visited the caves many times as a rock climber. His company, Total Height Safety, amongst other achievements was responsible for the Fall Arrest Harnesses used on the replica Endeavour.

He will be joined by member Felicity Davis and her son, Russ, to relate their early ventures into the northern oven with her late husband, John Davis. On 14 February 1965, John Davis was one of four climbers who became the first to reach the summit of Ball's Pyramid, the world's tallest volcanic stack, near Lord Howe Island.

A great compilation of excellent still photos and a drone video by the inimitable John Illingsworth will give us a bird's-eye view of the Ovens, providing a fascinating pictorial and geological look without the life-threatening first-hand experience.

Geoff Searl OAM
President Avalon Beach Historical Society


Zonta Club's 2026 International Women’s Day Breakfast

Wednesday 4th March is the date for our IWD Breakfast, more details are now provided. 
Firstly, and unique to our event, the 'PITTWATER WOMEN OF THE YEAR'  will be announced, and the presentation of this award will be made by Jacqui Scruby, Member for Pittwater. 
NB: Humatix ticket sales close February 25

Next, to our wonderful Guest Speaker, SHAE INGRAM, Senior Program Engineer in the Satellite and Space team at Optus. 
Come and join us for Breakfast as SHAE shares her incredible achievements to date, and her passion for advocating for Women in STEM,  promoting careers in Space, and participating in outreach programs as a Space Ambassador at Optus, where she spends time educating young people about space, sharing her career pathway, and creating visibility around what an engineer can look like.

Resilience Circle Store Gift to all Mental Health Nurses: feb 21-28 

The Resilience Circle wants to shout out and honour the good work of mental health nurses in our community. The Resilience Circle wants to offer a free gift if any nurse pops into our shop www.resiliencecircle.org.au between Sat 21- Sat 29 February.

Do drop into the Resilience Circle Shop at 1761 Pittwater Road Mona Vale
As Saturday 21 February, marks National Mental Health Nurses Day, we at The Resilience Circle Shop want to extend our heartfelt appreciation for all the care, dedication, and compassion you show every day.

To celebrate your invaluable service, we’re offering a free gift to every mental health nurse who visits our shop at Mona Vale between Saturday 21 February and Saturday 28 February.

You can choose from a selection of beautiful dresses and shorts – our small way of saying thank you for the incredible work you do in supporting our community’s mental health.

💛 Visit us or learn more at: www.resiliencecircle.org.au
Warm regards,
The Resilience Circle Shop Team
Mona Vale

Cranzgots Pizza Cafe Closing March 15 2026

Cranzgots Pizza Cafe has announced it will close permanently on March 15.

This follows a DA proposal, first lodged in September 2024, which has been approved. The development consists of the construction of a new three (3) storey mixed use building containing 1 level of early childcare centre, retail/commercial tenancies on the ground floor and a single storey basement carparking located at 1-3 Careel Head Road Avalon Beach.


The proposal will require excavation to a depth of approximately 2.3 meters to enable the construction of a basement car parking.

In mid-December 2025 a small Notice was placed on the adjacent property at 3 Careel Head road advising of an application to have a licence to run a Dan Murphy's at the same location. Details were added into the December 2025 Community News Page:


Documents - reports - and plans available on this page: HERE

Live at Crannys will run every Saturday night (until 15th March!!) from 6pm… BE SURE TO RESERVE your table… the current proprietors and staff are looking forward to sharing more memories before they close. 

Some history on the site is available in:
Careel Head Road Shops and the North Bangalley- Burrowong Creeks: Some History by William (Bill) James Goddard II, Geoff Searl OAM, John Illingsworth and A J Guesdon

Pittwater Online will run further History insights into Pittwater Creeks, alongside the last of the 2024-2025 theme of Pittwater Public Wharves. The South Bangalley-North Avalon Beach ones run next, when the load/set is finished - then we head south, to Mona Vale, Narrabeen, Bungan and Newport before heading west to Ingleside, McCarrs Creek et al....

Careel Bay shoreline in 1938. Photo: Max Dupain, courtesy State Library of NSW

IPART seeks community feedback as 10 councils apply to increase rates above the rate peg

Tuesday February 17, 2026
IPART is inviting community feedback on special variation applications from 10 NSW councils to increase their income from rates above the rate peg for 2026-27.

IPART Chair Carmel Donnelly said the Tribunal is now seeking community feedback on applications from Ballina Shire Council, Blacktown City Council, Central Coast Council, Cessnock City Council, Glen Innes Severn Council, Hawkesbury City Council, Ku-ring-gai Council, Muswellbrook Shire Council, North Sydney Council and Uralla Shire Council. 

The increases sought range from 12.8% over one year to 58% over two years. Glen Innes Severn Council and North Sydney Council have also applied for minimum rate increases.

“Community feedback is an important part of the Tribunal’s assessment of special variation applications,” Ms Donnelly said.

“We encourage ratepayers and community members to fill out the survey on the IPART website or lodge a submission in relation to any of the applications we’ve received.”

IPART assesses special variation applications against criteria set by the Office of Local Government (OLG).

As set out in the OLG assessment criteria, IPART will consider whether councils have:
  • demonstrated the need for the additional income
  • provided evidence that the community is aware of the need for and extent of the proposed rate rise
  • established that the impact on affected ratepayers is reasonable
  • exhibited, approved and adopted relevant planning documents
  • explained and quantified the council’s productivity improvements and cost containment strategies.
IPART may also consider other relevant matters.

All special variation applications for 2026-27 are available for review on the IPART website, along with a short survey, a fact sheet on special variations and information about how to lodge a submission. IPART is seeking feedback on Special Variation applications by 9 March 2026.

IPART will release the final decisions on special variation and minimum rate increase applications by June 2026.

The Tribunal is now seeking community feedback on applications from: 
  • Ballina Shire Council
  • Blacktown City Council
  • Central Coast Council
  • Cessnock City Council
  • Glen Innes Severn Council
  • Hawkesbury City Council
  • Ku-ring-gai Council
  • Muswellbrook Shire Council
  • North Sydney Council
  • Uralla Shire Council

Attachment 1 - list of special variation (Table 1) and minimum rate (Table 2) applications can be viewed on pages 3-5 of IPart media release here.

Mow for Ol'Mate in March

Sunday, 1 March 2026 - 09:00 am to Tuesday, 31 March 2026 - 05:00 pm
It's a simple idea with a big heart: neighbours helping neighbours, right in their own backyards. By mowing a couple of lawns for older members of the community, you're not just tidying up - you're checking in, having a chat and making sure they're safe, supported and doing OK at home.

A freshly mown lawn can mean independence, dignity and peace of mind - and sometimes a reason to to stop, say hello and connect. So, grab a mower in March and be part of something special in the Northern Beaches Community.

Join this amazing community mow-ment today. Register your interest via enquiries@mwpcare.com.au or call 9913 3244.

OR Are you over 65 and would like your lawn mowed? Call our friendly team on 9913 3244 to register your interest.

Contact information
MWP Community Care, email: enquiries@mwpcare.com.au


Victa rotary lawnmower and Mervyn Victor Richardson of Careel Bay, the owner of the company - 1955 - photo by Jack Hickson, Australian Photographic Agency - 01148. Taken by Australian Photographic Agency for account: Graves, Hayes & Baker 1642/55.

CSIRO partners with aviation sector to help STEM learning take flight

A new program is taking aviation expertise into classrooms across Australia to inspire an interest in STEM and help prepare students for jobs of the future.

Applications are now open for Aviators in Schools, a new nationwide initiative from Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, delivered in partnership with Aviation/Aerospace Australia. 

The program connects teachers with aviation and aerospace professionals to bring real‑world STEM learning into classrooms and inspire the next generation of industry talent, at a time where advanced technologies are unlocking new opportunities in the aviation sector. 

Australia faces a STEM skills shortage, with persistently low participation of women and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in STEM. Programs like Aviators in Schools play an essential role in building capability and broadening access to future career pathways. 

Director of Education and Outreach at CSIRO, Ruth Carr, said the initiative aims to make STEM learning more engaging and relevant for students. 

"STEM education is critical to Australia’s long-term success and to improving employment opportunities for young people. It provides students with the skills and confidence to explore a wide range of career options and contribute to the industries shaping our future," said Ms Carr. 

The program brings aviation and aerospace professionals through flexible industry partnerships that can include mentoring, career talks, site visits, hands-on demonstrations and co-developed projects aligned with curriculum goals — helping students see how STEM connects to real careers. 

Chief Executive of Aviation/Aerospace Australia, Anntonette Dailey, said the program addresses known barriers to participation. 

“Evidence consistently shows that when we have a diverse workforce, we bring in new perspectives, make stronger decisions, and create the kind of collaborative energy that drives real creativity and innovation,” said Ms Dailey. 

“We know that a lack of access to relevant role models and mentors, as well as awareness about the opportunities available — especially in non-traditional roles such as engineering and technical jobs – continue to present a significant barrier to participation. 

“We are proud to partner with CSIRO to address these gaps and attract new talent, particularly women, to the industry,” explained Ms Dailey.   

Early participants are already seeing the benefits. 

Steevi-Anne Flack, Teacher at Findon Primary School in Victoria credited her paired professional, Joelle Chia, an aeronautical engineer, for helping the school shape its new STEM program.

"STEM was a new initiative in our school, and our vision wasn’t clear on where we wanted to take it. This collaboration brought fresh ideas and helped us see exciting possibilities," said Ms Flack. 

"Students were engaged in the lessons and experiments, and it was fascinating for them to see real-world connections, especially when activities like making lava lamps linked to aerospace engineering.” 

Aviators in School is free for registered teachers in Australian primary and secondary schools and is welcoming applications from teachers and STEM professionals with experience in aviation, aerospace or related fields. 

“Sometimes it’s hard for students to connect their learning to real-life scenarios or imagine where their interest could take them. Having someone working in the field share their passion and experiences really helped spark their thinking in STEM," said Ms Flack. 

The initiative is part of CSIRO’s STEM Professionals in Schools program, which in 2025 supported 1,100 registered teachers and 900 STEM professionals across Australia. 

Aviators in Schools is supported by the Australian Government Department of Education and the Australian Government Women in Aviation Industry Initiative, and is delivered by CSIRO in partnership with Aviation/Aerospace Australia.  

For more information about Aviators in School and the broader STEM Professionals in Schools initiative, visit: STEM Professionals in Schools initiative — CSIRO

Photo: Amanda Mey, Chief-Remote-Pilot at CSIRO, is one of the many professionals pairing up with teachers through the Aviators in Schools program. Photo: CSIRO/Supplied.

Saltwater Veterans: Helping Hands Needed

Saltwater Veterans are at the stage where we really need more volunteer buy-in and community support for our ACNC registered charity.

As a starting point, we’ve broken some of the larger jobs into smaller time commitments that can be easily shared across a small team, with a number of opportunities that can even be supported remotely.

Small amounts of autonomous volunteering (from as little as 1 hour/month) would be massively appreciated and will start to build redundancy into our Saltwater Veterans Sailing Project.

We absolutely love how people step up and help on event days — and we’re now seeing Salties confidently running up Revs events, which is awesome. What we really need next is shore-side support — particularly with maintenance and administration. 

We are growing and as we grow we need more hands to help.
If you can lend a hand, please register your EOI here.

AOK: Thursday Volunteers Needed

Every Thursday, we serve a hot meal to our homeless community — and right now, we urgently need help to make that happen.
We’re looking for one or two reliable people with transport and a working oven who can help heat pre-cooked meals each Thursday.

Quick details:
  • Food already cooked
  • Trays provided
  • Pick up Warriewood – Thursday morning
  • Heat in your oven
  • Return hot by 4pm
That’s it. No cooking. Just heating.

This has become a critical weekly gap, and having consistent Thursday support would take enormous pressure off and ensure our community doesn’t miss out on a hot meal.

If you:
💜 Live near Warriewood 
💜 Have a working oven
💜 Can help most Thursdays (even fortnightly)
👉 Please comment or message us ASAP. at: 

If Thursdays aren’t possible but you’d like to help in another way, still reach out — we have other roles too.

Thank you for helping us keep our community fed with dignity.
— Sarah & the AOK team

MWP Care Seeking Volunteers

Our business relies on the kindness of strangers...
Looking for a way to give back without giving up your lifestyle?

Become part of our Volunteer IMPACT Club and gain access to exercise classes, social events, Silver Surfers, tables at trivia as well as training and development workshops! Plus – have your petrol reimbursed!!

Volunteering with MWP fits around your life and your schedule, letting you make a real impact in your local community. Enjoy meeting like-minded people, learning new skills, and knowing that your time is changing lives every day.
Your Time. Your Way. Your Impact. 

Find out more here: mwpcare.com.au/get-involved

Inaugural Surf Lifesaving Red & Yellow Day

On Wednesday 4 March 2026, Surf Life Saving Australia will launch the very first Red & Yellow Day, a new nationwide celebration of Surf Life Saving and the thousands of volunteer surf lifesavers who keep our beaches safe.

With one month to go until the inaugural Red & Yellow Day, Surf Life Saving Australia is calling on everyone across Australia to take part, by wearing the colours, donating, fundraising, signing up at your local club and by staying beach-safe.

Red & Yellow Day is an opportunity to:

  • Improve public awareness of the vital work of Surf Life Saving and the thousands of volunteer surf lifesavers around the country
  • Educate communities, families and individuals about essential water safety information
  • Increase fundraising to maintain and replace equipment, train volunteer surf life savers and deliver water safety education in communities
  • Inspire more Australians to get involved and support their local community

Events and activations are being planned around the country as the countdown to March 4 begins, with more information about national and local activity to be shared in the lead up to Red & Yellow Day.

Surf Life Saving Australia CEO, Adam Weir said:

“With one month until Red & Yellow Day, now is the time for schools, clubs, businesses, and individuals across Australia to get behind the day.

“Red & Yellow Day is an opportunity for all of us to show our support for the thousands of volunteer surf lifesavers who give their time to keep our beaches safe.

“The best way you can get involved is by wearing red and yellow on March 4, and by always swimming between the red and yellow flags.”

Surf Life Saving Australia’s major national partner DHL is supporting Red & Yellow Day by delivering up to 1000 Red & Yellow Day Party Packs nationally, with 100% of the purchase price going directly to supporting volunteer surf lifesaving services.

The Red & Yellow Day Party Pack contains everything you need to host a Red & Yellow Day event and are available to purchase now via redandyellowday.org.au.

For inspiration on how to get involved on March 4, check out the Red & Yellow Day campaign video below, or to learn more about Red & Yellow Day, visit redandyellowday.org.au.

By getting behind Red & Yellow Day, you’ll be supporting the vital work of Surf Life Saving volunteers around the country.

When you back the surf lifesavers on Red & Yellow Day, you can help save lives too.

Development Coordination Authority (DCA) changes: Feedback invited

The Minns Government has announced it is putting the proposed regulatory changes to create the Development Coordination Authority (DCA) on public exhibition.

The government states the changes will make navigating the planning system faster and easier for applicants and councils by centralising State agency advice and decision-making so applicants no longer need to navigate at times conflicting and confusing advice from up to 22 different areas of Government.

Through the DCA, the NSW Government is putting a stop to unnecessary delays ending a system which saw a DA with just one referral take an average of 60 days longer to assess than a DA without one, and where each additional referral added up to 100 days to assessment timeframes.

Under proposed regulatory changes the need for expert advice from the DCA and other bodies on local DAs will be consolidated from more than 800 requirements across 175 planning instruments into a single list aligned with the government's State priorities.

The government states this list will sit in State Environmental Planning Policy (Planning Systems) 2021, making it easier to access and understand for all users of the planning system and safeguarding areas like the environment, heritage, bush fire management and infrastructure operation with the DCA as a single point of contact on all State matters.

The DCA will be required to meet strict timelines.

The government states the DCA and other bodies will have 28 days to provide feedback on development applications (DAs), providing consistent response times and helping speed up assessment times.

The DCA, began initial operations in December and is already helping connect applicants to the right areas of Government and providing post-development consent support so projects can begin construction sooner.

Its main stated functions - to bring together experts from a broad range of state agencies so conflicts can be resolved quickly and allow a single, coordinated response - will begin on 1 July. Find out more here.

The government states the proposed changes are part of a landmark overhaul of the State’s planning system designed to tackle delays and complexity adding to construction costs and create a faster, fairer and modern planning system in NSW.

How DCA will work and proposed regulatory changes, will be exhibited from Thursday, 29 January to Wednesday, 25 February 2026. To have your say, visit www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/draftplans/exhibition/have-your-say-establishing-development-coordination-authority-dca

This is the first public exhibition to implement the landmark Planning System Reforms Bill 2025 which passed parliament in November 2025.

See: Scruby slams government and opposition teaming up to make it easy for developers as NSW Planning System Reform Bill passes - community asks: who are these elected Representatives actually representing?

Now Open: funding round for the NSW Government's Holiday Break Autumn/Winter 2026 program

If you want to bring young people together during the Autumn and/or Winter school holidays then this may be good news; a new round of the NSW Government’s Holiday Break funding is now open

Start preparing now so you can be ready to submit as soon as the funding round opens! We will notify you once the funding round opens.

Key program guidelines:
  • Applicants are encouraged to design high quality, fun and engaging activities for the exclusive participation of young people aged 12-24 years.
  • Applicants can deliver the activities in the Autumn and/or winter holidays, and apply for both rounds in a single application.
  • Eligible organisations can apply for funding which can be split across the autumn and/or winter school holidays. Additional travel loading is still available per organisation if an external supplier is needed to deliver the program in remote or very remote parts of NSW.
  • Successful applicants will receive one funding agreement for the program.
Please email grants@officeforyouth.nsw.gov.au with any questions, or find out more by visiting nsw.gov.au/HolidayBreak.        
NSW Office for Youth

Narrabeen Sports High School 2026 Open Night

Come and join us for our 2026 Open Night on Tuesday 3 March, from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. 

This event is open to all prospective students and parents and is a wonderful opportunity to experience our school community first-hand.

On the evening you will:
  • - Meet our dedicated teachers and staff
  • - Enjoy guided tours of our school facilities
  • - Explore faculty Teaching and Learning displays
  • - Hear the Principal’s Address at 4:00pm
  • - Enjoy student music performances
  • - Learn more about our Sports Academy Program
We look forward to seeing you there!

Feedback on Middle Harbour flood study findings Invited

The council is asking residents of Belrose, Davidson, Frenchs Forest, Forestville, and Killarney Heights to find out about flood risk in the area and share their views on the draft Middle Harbour Flood Study. This new Study uses the latest technology and data to better understand local flood risks and improve emergency planning.

The draft Study replaces the 2010 Frenchs Creek Flood Study, showing fewer flood-affected properties in this area due to modelling with improved technology and more up-to-date rainfall data. However, by looking at a significantly wider area not previously investigated for flooding, it identifies more properties at risk overall. The Study provides information on flood levels, depths, and hazards, includes feedback from recent floods and considers climate change impacts.

Mayor Sue Heins said the release of the draft Study marks a significant step forward for the community.

“This draft Flood Study is a major step in making our neighbourhoods safer and better prepared for future floods.

“We’ve listened to the experts, community members, used the latest technology and now we want to share that with you and hear back from you.

Flooding can seriously affect homes and infrastructure. 

The council states the updated Study will guide future development, help emergency planning, and build a safer community.

During the exhibition period, property owners within the study area will receive a letter if their property has been identified as being flood affected. This letter will outline how they can find out more about the study and its findings and how to make a submission. Residents will be able to book in for face-to-face meetings with council flood officers and a consultant, receive updates through council e-newsletters and give feedback on the council’s Your Say webpage for this work.

The next stage of the process will be to undertake the flood risk management study and plan, which will investigate potential options to reduce and manage flood risk in the area.

The draft Study is available to view on the council’s Middle Harbour Flood Study (draft) webpage and submissions are now open and will close March 9.

The draft Study has been prepared with financial assistance from the NSW and Commonwealth Governments through the Natural Disaster Resilience Program.

 

Click on logo above to visit their website.

The Kerry Gleeson Centre 

We are reaching out on behalf of the local community to warmly invite you to our Community Call to Action Night on 4 March at 6:30pm at Mona Vale Public School. 

This free event brings together local organisations, services, and community members who care about mental health, connection, and creating meaningful change.

For more than 15 years, Kerry Gleeson has been a dedicated Lived Experience Practitioner and Advocate supporting individuals and families across the Northern Beaches. Her work spans suicide prevention and postvention, grief support, trauma‑informed care, Mental health and community advocacy. Much of this support is provided voluntarily, especially to people who cannot access or have felt failed by funded services.

Kerry’s voluntary contributions include:
  • Supporting families after suicide loss when aftercare services were unavailable
  • Advocating for community members experiencing unsafe or inadequate care
  • Assisting families facing homelessness after traumatic events
  • Facilitating free anxiety support groups for Way Ahead Mental Health
  • Co‑facilitating the Bereaved by Suicide group with Lifeline Northern Beaches
  • Connecting bereaved parents to reduce isolation
  • Chairing the Northern Beaches Council Mental Health Month wellbeing event, coordinating over 25 local services
  • Assist Chair for Homelessness Interagency
  • Serving on the Avalon Youth Hub Steering Group
  • Contributing lived‑experience guidance to the National Suicide Prevention Strategy
Kerry is now establishing The Kerry Gleeson Centre, a not‑for‑profit organisation (charity registration pending) designed to make this work sustainable and community‑led.

About the Event
This is the first event of its kind, a genuine call for the community to help shape and build a charity created for the community, by the community. To bring this vision to life, we are seeking skills, support, volunteers, and community partners who can contribute time, expertise, or resources.

On the night, Kerry will share the purpose and vision behind the Centre, and two community members will speak about their own experiences and how advocacy has supported them. The event is open, welcoming, and designed to encourage community voices.
Our shared goal is to build a community‑driven organisation grounded in hope, connection, and advocacy. We cannot do this without the involvement of local businesses and community.

To learn more about Kerry’s work, please visit: www.theadvocatekerry.org
We would be grateful for your presence and support at this important community event.

Warm Regards,
Jodie Anderson, Volunteer and Secretary 

Mosman Council: Questions Time + Public Forum

On January 29 2026 Mosman Council advised that based on directives issued to all NSW councils by the State Government, there will be changes to how community members can participate in Mosman Council meetings from 3 February, the first Council meeting of the year. 

Open Question Time will take place at 6.20pm in the Council Chambers, and will provide an opportunity for community input. 
This will be followed by a Public Forum for registered speakers wishing to address items listed on the meeting agenda, before the Council meeting commences at 7pm. 

For more information, to view the agendas of Council Meetings, or to register to speak, visit the Mosman Council Meetings webpage. 

Recission Motion On Hearing from residents Before Meetings Deferred to March 2026

On December 16 2025 Crs. De Luca, Singh and Giltinan lodged a Notice of Motion to rescind Council’s resolution in respect of of its 'Outcome of Public Exhibition - Draft Code of Meeting Practice', made at the 16 December 2025 Council meeting.

The Northern Beaches Council had voted to remove the Public Address and Public Forum from council meetings.

Only the Public Forum, addressing Items on the meeting agendas was to be retained and this was to be moved to 7 days prior to any council meeting. 

Any late Additional Information, such as the 4 listed atop the Recission Motion, all dated February 16 2026, the day before, would not be included in what residents could address.

The Northern Beaches Council had been pushing for changes to hearing from residents prior to this, and pushing them through.

At the February 27 2018 Meeting, for councillors elected to the newly established 'Northern Beaches Council', after the May 2016 forced amalgamation of Pittwater with Warringah and a year and a half under an Administrator imposed by the previous NSW Coalition Government, the council's then draft Meeting Code proposed abolishing the Public Forum prior to meetings. 

Then (Feb. 2018) it was proposed that, if that draft Code of Meeting Practice was adopted, the Public Forum would continue as a separate community meeting held five times a year in venues rotating across the region. 

To Item 8.3 Cr.s De Luca an Ferguson proposed adding 'Clause 5.19, Public Forum': 

a. a Public forum will be conducted at each Ordinary Council Meeting for a period of 30 minutes (maximum of 10 speakers at 3 minutes each)  
b. Public Forum should not be used to raise routine questions, matters or complaints. Such matters should be forwarded in writing to Council where they will be responded to by appropriate Council offices 
c. any question to Council must be submitted with the request to address Council and will be reviewed by staff prior to the meeting. If the question is deemed to be a routine matter it will be processed as a customer request and a response will be provided in accordance with customer service standards 
d. if a question cannot be answered at the meeting a written response will be provided in accordance with customer service standards. 

This was carried with only Crs Bingham, Heins, Philpott and Regan voting against it.

The draft Code of Meeting Practice was exhibited for 28 days and consequently passed.

In speaking on the amendment, to not abolish the Public Forum, Cr. De Luca said then (2018);

“We have heard from our community tonight that they do not want the Public Forum as proposed (in the then current draft)..’

We should not be restricting our community’s right to address us through any avenue available.

We are only sitting a mere 10 times a year. It is not an unfair or unreasonable expectation by our community for them to expect us to listen to them every month.

I commend the Amendment Motion to you and ask you to do what our community wants not what we, as elected representatives, feel is more efficient, to shorten council meetings. 

The perception is, (by the community) is that we are gagging the community for our own benefit."

In August 2024 the Northern Beaches Council proposed cutting the amount of time residents and councillors will be allowed to speak at meetings and to ban photography anywhere near them.

Speakers’ time during public forums (to Items on Agenda) and addresses was to be reduced from three to two minutes. These had already been shortened as they had once been 5 minutes.

  • Encouraging councils to hold public forums preferably before committee meetings, ... to enable community engagement in local matters
At the December 2025 meeting the council again tabled its preferred interpretation which included removal Public Forums from prior to council meetings and the Public Address. The Item was passed, and included:
  • A public forum will be conducted prior to each ordinary meeting of the Council for the purpose of hearing oral submissions from members of the public on mayoral minutes, reports to council and notices of motion (collectively, items of business), to be considered at the meeting.   
  • The public forum will be held in Council Chambers from 6.00pm 7 days prior to an ordinary meeting of the Council. 
and:
  • A public forum should not be used to raise questions or complaints. Such matters should be forwarded in writing to the council where they will be responded to by appropriate council officers.
And that the council would:
  • Establish a monthly community engagement forum, separate from the public forum referred to in clause 4 of the Code of Meeting Practice, to be held on the same evening as that public forum, for Councillors to hear from the members of the public on items not on the Council meeting agenda, on a trial basis for 6 months.
And:
  • Note its opinion that the amendments to the draft Code are not substantial and it may adopt the amended draft Code without public exhibition as its code of meeting practice.
Part of the reasons behind removing residents voices from before council meetings continues to be reducing the length of these. This, it has been stated, would enable the meetings to be more productive through being able to get through the Items listed in each agenda.

The length of meetings, due to the amount of business to be gone through, often sees these finishing closer to midnight and this impacts on the ability of those to do what they're there to do - councillors and council staff all have 'day jobs' and family responsibilities - even before taking into account ensuring everyone gets home safely, even if that is not mentioned. Fatigue has been recorded as a primary source of road accidents.

However, the Minutes from the February 2026 meeting, as with other council meetings, show a large number of Items 'resolved by exception', meaning they didn't get discussed at all, just passed, (did the councillors get time to read all the documents?' residents ask - 119 pages in Agenda, 735 pages in the Attachment Booklet), and that despite vetoing hearing from residents - stated to be 'muzzling' and 'silencing community dissent' in emails to the news service since Tuesday - the meeting finished at 11:43pm.

As with other council meetings, the February 17 2026 meeting saw items deferred to the ordinary Council meeting of 17 March 2026 in accordance with clause 19.4(a) of the Code of Meeting Practice, including the recission Motion: 
  • 14.1  Notice of Rescission 4/2025 - Item 9.2 - Outcome of Public Exhibition - Draft Code of Meeting Practice 
  • 10.1  Update on Notice of Motion No 38/2021 - Masterplan for Manly to Shelly Beach Walk 
The council had already put up a Notice on its Council Meetings webpage prior to the first meeting of the year, stating:

Changes to public address
As of 1 January 2026, the NSW Government has changed the way councils run their meetings and the opportunities for the community to speak. Northern Beaches Council has proposed new forum arrangements for the community through a Code of Meeting Practice. The adoption of this Code is awaiting the consideration of a recission motion at the 17 February 2026 council meeting. As such no public forum can be held before the February council meeting.

This has been edited, with the same Notice and a date change - to 17 March 2026 - meaning a whole quarter of 'muzzling' or 'silencing' has been effected, as mooted in the Northern Beaches Council meeting of February 2018 - residents state.

Motion to Restore Residents Voice to before Meetings

At the December 16 2025 council meeting Cr Glanville, Cr Harvey, Cr Giltinan, Cr De Luca, Cr Singh and Cr Korzy voted against the council Draft Code of Meeting Practice.

Cr Bingham, Cr Williams, Cr Hrnjak, Cr Hackman, Cr Beaugeard, Cr Robins, Cr Dillon and Cr Heins voted for it which meant this was carried, 6 to 8.

Manly representative Cr. Grattan had been granted a leave of absence for the December meeting. 

The motion tabled that to be rescinded is:

That Council:

1. Adopt the Northern Beaches Council Code of Meeting Practice 2025 (Code) at Attachment 1, with the Code to come into effect on 1 January 2026, subject to the following amendments:

a. Delete the following clauses: 
i. 11.5, 11.6, 11.7 and 11.8

b. Add the following clause:
i. 11.5 All voting at council meetings, (including meetings that are closed to the public), must be recorded in the minutes of meetings with the names of councillors who voted for and against each motion or amendment (including the use of the casting vote) being recorded.

2. Establish a monthly community engagement forum, separate from the public forum referred to in clause 4 of the Code of Meeting Practice, to be held on the same evening as that public forum, for Councillors to hear from the members of the public on items not on the Council meeting agenda, on a trial basis for 6 months.

3. Note its opinion that the amendments to the draft Code are not substantial and it may adopt the amended draft Code without public exhibition as its code of meeting practice.

In the event the rescission motion is carried, the proposed alternate motion is:

That Council:

1.  Adopt the Northern Beaches Council Code of Meeting Practice 2025 (Code) at Attachment 1, with the Code to come into effect on 1 January 2026 with the exception of: 

a. A1.2 The public forum will be held in Council Chambers from 6.00pm 7 days prior to an ordinary meeting of the Council change so it now reads:

The Public Forum for items on the agenda will be held in the Council Chambers, prior to an Ordinary Meeting of Council from 6.00pm and close strictly at 6.45pm. 

b. Delete the non-mandatory clause that provides an option for the chairperson to be granted authorisation to expel any person, including any Councillor from a Council or committee meeting.

c. Replace 14 days with 8 days, being:

3.10 A Councillor may give notice of any business they wish to be considered by the Council at its next ordinary meeting by way of notice of motion. To be included on the agenda of the meeting, the notice of motion must be in writing and must be submitted by 12 noon 8 days before the meeting is to be held.

d. All voting at Council meetings (including meetings that are closed to the public) must be recorded in the minutes of meetings noting the names of Councillors who voted for and against each motion or amendment (including the use of the casting vote). 

2. Note its opinion that the amendments to the draft Code are not substantial and it may adopt the amended draft Code without public exhibition as its code of meeting practice.

3. Staff prepare options for open public forums to be held separately to Council meetings to be presented to the first scheduled Council meeting in 2026; these should include possibilities for up to 5 forums per year, where residents can advocate to Councillors on topics of interest or concern.  

The matter listed for consideration in the 17 February 2026 council meeting agenda, has now been deferred to March, and still, even if passed, excludes the former Public Address [3.].

Add-ins the day before
Residents have also pointed out that moving a Public Forum and removing the Public Address from prior to council meetings does not allow late add ins to be spoken on.

Four other Additional Information items in relation to agenda items, and dated as being added in on February 16 2026 in the council documents, were added in.

No Voice for Residents
As can be seen above, Mosman Council has retained the time and place where questions (Public Address) and Items on its agendas (Public Forum), may be included and addressed by that council's residents as being directly prior to council meetings.

Those now living under the Coalition NSW Government forcibly imposed Northern Beaches Council state they are now 'muzzled' through the council passing in December 2026 its 2018 first draft version of 'hearing from residents', and will be for at least the whole of the first quarter of 2026. 

NSW Government announces extra public holiday this year

The NSW Government announced on Sunday February 15 here will be an additional public holiday on the Monday following Anzac Day this year and in 2027.

Under the Public Holidays Act 2010, Anzac Day is fixed to 25 April each year regardless of the day on which it falls. In 2026, Anzac Day will fall on a Saturday, and in 2027 it will fall on a Sunday.
This will not change, however there will be an additional public holiday this year and in 2027.

Unlike New Year’s Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, there are currently no additional public holiday arrangements in place in NSW when Anzac Day falls on a weekend, which occurs on average twice every seven years.

NSW has fewer public holidays than all other mainland states and territories.

Prior to the addition of the Anzac Day holiday, NSW had 11 public holidays in 2026, compared with 15 in South Australia and the Northern Territory and 14 in Queensland, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory and on par with Tasmania’s 11 public holidays this year.

The experience of the additional public holidays will form part of a NSW Government review of the state’s public holidays to commence in 2027, that will consider:
  • the current number of state-wide public holidays in NSW
  • whether NSW should have an additional public holiday
  • whether there should be a permanent change to Anzac Day public holiday arrangements when Anzac Day falls on a weekend
The review will be informed by community, business, veteran groups and other stakeholder feedback, as well as the economic and social impacts of the additional public holiday in 2026 and 2027.

Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:
“Anzac Day on 25 April is one of the most important and solemn days on our national calendar, and that will not change.

“We have a tremendous amount of reverence for Anzac Day across our communities, especially among our veterans and their families.

“Each year, thousands of families rise before dawn, gather at local memorials, march alongside veterans and reflect on the service and sacrifice that shaped our nation.

“Adding a public holiday when Anzac Day falls on a weekend will not diminish that tradition. If anything, it is a reminder of its importance and another reason for people to get up, attend a local service and ensure the spirit of remembrance continues to be passed on to the next generation.”

Minister for Industrial Relations Sophie Cotsis said:  

“Anzac Day continues to hold important cultural significance across the state as we honour those who served our nation.

“NSW has fewer public holidays than any other state or territory, and that’s something worth examining thoughtfully.

“This review will look at whether the balance is right for workers, families and businesses, and whether there is a case for change going forward.”

Minister for Veterans David Harris said:

“Anzac Day is about remembrance, reflection and respect for those who have served and sacrificed for our nation.

“Ensuring people have the time to commemorate properly on 25 April won’t change and we will continue to commemorate at the many Dawn Services and Marches that take place throughout our communities to honour that service.”

Acting President RSL NSW Vince Williams said:
“RSL NSW’s primary concern is that the sanctity and significance of Anzac Day is protected, and we welcome Premier Minns’ assurance that Anzac Day itself will remain the central focus of national commemoration, observed with the respect and reflection it deserves.

“Having consulted members, RSL NSW does not oppose the introduction of an additional public holiday, and looks forward to continuing to work constructively with the defence and veteran community and the NSW Government as the trial progresses. 

“Additionally, a public holiday on Monday will also provide many serving Australian Defence Force personnel who are required to work on Anzac Day itself with an opportunity to spend quality time with their loved ones.”

Pic: AJG/PON

NDIS Evidence Advisory Committee: share your thoughts on supports under review

On 16 February 2026 the Australian Department of Health announced the NDIS Evidence Advisory Committee is reviewing supports to make sure they are safe, beneficial and cost-effective for people with disability. The committee wants input from the disability community to help inform their advice to government.  

The Australian Government established the NDIS Evidence Advisory Committee to ensure that NDIS supports are safe, suitable and cost-effective for people with disability.

Supports the committee will be reviewing include:
  • early intensive behavioural interventions 
  • positive behaviour support for older children and adults 
  • robot-assisted gait training 
  • social skills training as a disability support for children and young people.
If you use or research these supports or use other supports for similar goals, the committee wants to hear from you.

Your feedback will help inform the committee’s advice to government to improve outcomes for NDIS participants.

Find out more from on the Department's consultation hub:

Public consultation is now open until 11:59 pm AEDT on 29 March 2026.

Monika's Doggie Rescue Pets of the Week

Jess 

5yo Sharpei

Jess is a very affectional girl for a shar-pei. She is always wagging her tail. She loves attention, enjoys her baths and tolerates ear treatment. Like most shar-peis she had ear infections which are now resolved. Jess walks well on lead. She has had entropion surgery around her eyes so she can see more comfortably now. She is such a well-behaved girl that she is allowed to sleep in our office. She has a short wiry coat and weighs 18.8kg. She suits apartment living and FT hours alone. She is desexed , fully vaccinated, heartworm free and chipped. Her adoption cost is $450.

Popcorn 

3yo Basenji X Foxy

Popcorn is a bright active bouncy boy who loves to be involved in everything you do. He is affectionate and seeks out your attention. He is social with other small dogs but prefers to play with active dogs who like to rumble and chase. Popcorn is good walking on lead and is not disturbed by cars or motorbikes. He has a smooth coat and weighs about 7kg. He suits apartment living and a home-based worker as he has separation anxiety. He is desexed, fully vaccinated, heartworm free and chipped. His adoption cost is $700. 

For further details call DoggieRescue on 9486 3133  or email  Monika@DoggieRescue.com.  RON R251000024

International Women’s Day Webinar – Balancing the Scales

Thu 5 March 2026: Online | 7:00pm (AEDT)
Celebrate International Women’s Day with Australian Sailing and join an inspiring online conversation with Tash Bryant, Jessica Sweeney, and Stacey Jackson.

Tash Bryant started out in Optimists at Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club on Pittwater, Tash progressed through the 29er class, became a Youth World Champion, campaigned the 49erFX, and learned to foil during COVID. She now races internationally as Strategist on the Bonds Flying Roos and was part of the Australian team that won Season 3 of SailGP. As the only woman on board, Tash will share her journey, the challenges she’s faced, and how she’s helping shift the balance in elite sport.

We’ll also hear from Jessica Sweeney, Team Lead for Marine and Coastal Hazards at the Bureau of Meteorology. She leads Australia’s national marine forecasting and warning services and is a former meteorologist for two America’s Cup campaigns and the Volvo Ocean Race. An accomplished ocean navigator, she is a Pacific Cup winner, Round Britain and Ireland Race record-setter, and six-time Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race finisher.

Joining them is Stacey Jackson, an elite offshore sailor with nearly 20 Sydney to Hobart starts and multiple Volvo Ocean Race campaigns. She skippered the first all-female professional crew aboard Wild Oats X to second overall in the 2018 Hobart and is fresh from helping The Famous Project become the first all-female crew to complete a non-stop circumnavigation of the globe in a Jules Verne Trophy campaign in January 2026.

This is a fantastic opportunity to hear first-hand how big dreams can start in small boats — and to feel inspired, empowered and motivated to take your own sailing journey further.

Find out more and register here: https://www.sailing.org.au/events/340409

Women Of Whale Celebrations 2026

Whale Beach SLSC are excited to celebrate their Women of Whale Weekend at Whale Beach on 7-8 March.

WBSLSC tells us:
''Across the weekend, we’re bringing together the women and girls of our club and wider community for connection, creativity, leadership and fun.''

✨ Women of Whale Celebration - Evening & Sleepover
A night of clothing swaps, jewellery-making with AHHA Jewelry, shared dinner, and a supervised sleepover for our under-18 members (with parental permission) - creating space for belonging, friendship, and confidence.

🌊 Pink Zinc Day Patrol
A fully operational, female-led patrol aligned with International Women's Day - with leadership opportunities across patrol captaincy, first aid, radio, IRB, jetski familiarisation and board skills, plus mentoring, team connection, and a splash of pink (and cupcakes!).

🛍Women of Whale Community Bazar
An afternoon pop-up stall to recycle, refresh and raise funds for future Women of Whale initiatives - strengthening our club culture of care, inclusion and support.

This weekend is about celebrating women past, present and future at Whale Beach - building leadership pathways, strengthening friendships across generations, and continuing to grow together.
We can’t wait to celebrate with you!

Narrabeen Lakes Amateur Swimming Club: Saturday Afternoons

Some say the key to keeping New Year's resolutions is to make them specific, measurable, and achievable. If health and wellness is yours, then swim clubs can help you achieve them.  It’s an easy exercise habit to develop, super cheap ($40 for the rest of the season), with measurable improvements.  And its heaps of fun and so good for your wellbeing.  

Just walking down the path to our beautiful Narrabeen ocean and lagoon sheds will help you destress and then you get to swim in our spectacular pool with some pretty wonderful people (at the most magical time of the year to swim).  

You can learn more about us at www.nlasc.com.au or just come down and swim a length of two with us and see what we're all about.  

You'll find us at Narrabeen rockpool every Saturday arvo from 1pm.

Petition: Stop Politicians from spamming & harvesting our data

Sign at: www.katechaney.com.au/spam-and-data-petition

We want political parties to communicate - but without bombarding us or harvesting our personal information.

This is a chance for the Government to act to protect voters.

Political Spam

We’re tired of getting swamped with political texts. Political parties shouldn’t be exempt from the Spam Act 2003 - they need to follow the same rules as every business. Prime Minister Albanese said on ABC Radio, “I certainly think that would be a reasonable thing to do, to ban the texts."

Data Harvesting - Postal Vote Applications

Millions of Australians vote by post. This process should be between you and the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) - not political parties fishing for your data. Right now, major parties send postal vote application forms – by SMS, email or to your mailbox - along with their political ads and ask you to send your application to a “processing centre” they control. They can then collect your personal details to use and share before passing the application on to the AEC. As AEC Commissioner Jeff Pope said on 31 March 2025, "Concerns about party postal vote applications through unsolicited outreach is the number one complaint we hear from voters at almost every federal election"

Governments in Victoria and Western Australia have fixed this. NSW is next. 

It’s time for the Federal Government to do the same!

More in report: Bill to Stop Politicians Harvesting your Data Via Postal Votes Introduced: Petition to support Bill

Report Hate Crimes

Recent reports to the news service would indicate this reminder is needed at present.

If you are subjected to hate on social media or online you should keep evidence by taking screen shots of the abuse including usernames, URLs and any other relevant information. You can report the abuse directly to the platform and report in person at any Police Station.

When not on social media and when there is no crime committed, but an action is still motivated by hate, prejudice or bias, it is known as a hate incident. Both hate crimes and hate incidents are taken very seriously by the NSW Police.

When you report hate that you witness or experience, you become part of a larger movement to remove it from our society.

What you can expect from the NSW Police Force:
  • Every report is taken seriously by the NSW Police Force.
  • You can expect a respectful and straightforward experience.
  • A translator will be used if required.
  • When you report to the police, they will request your details. You can choose not to provide these details at the time of reporting however, this will likely affect how police can proceed with an investigation.
  • Support services or contact with an appropriate liaison officer will be offered.
  • You will be kept informed of what happens next, your rights and the criminal process (if someone was able to be charged).
If you witness a hate incident or hate crime but are not the victim, you can still make a report to the NSW Police. 

In an Emergency call Triple Zero (000). If not urgent, you can report online at crimestoppers.com.au or call 1800 333 000 or report in person at any Police Station.  
For more information, visit  www.police.nsw.gov.au/crime/hate_crimes


Week Three February 2026: Issue 651 (published Sunday February 15 2026)

Front Page Issue 651

Week Three February 2026: Issue 651 (published Sunday February 15 2026)

Pictures Pittwater Regatta 2026: 86 boats, 13 yacht clubs sail Pittwater - reports by Di Pearson, Photos by Andrea Francolini and RPAYC

Victory for the Australian Lifesaving Surf Boat Team in 2026 Trans Tasman - NSW Win 2026 Interstate Comp. As Well

Narrabeen Athletics Track works underway - new study suggests track materials should be chosen carefully

Project Restore at Balmoral: Modern Moorings May Protect Sydney’s Endangered Seagrass

Illegal e-bikes will be seized-crushed in NSW: e-bike Injury Presentations to NSW Hospitals doubles + That e-bike you bought your teen might be an illegal electric motorbike – and the risks are real

Wakehurst MPs Bushfire Bill Lapse Date extended: Concerns persist Over DA's in High-Risk Fire Zones

Community Grants Funding Delivers Support for 5 Local Veterans Projects in 2026

Park Bench Philosophers The ultra-processed foods problem is driven by commercial interests, not individual weakness; Mandatory Health Star Ratings on food products won't fix that while they can be 'Gamed'

Australian MP's-Senators Call Government to Fix Our Feeds - Safer Internet Day 2026

Aquatics Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Yacht Race: First in best dressed! by Di Pearson

Environment Nymphes myrmeleonides: Yellow Lacewing, A few more local fliers, Climate outlook for March to June, First-Ever Release of Captive-Bred Mallee Emu-wrens Back Into the Wild, The lower Murray is officially on life support. Will we save it?, Sea lion camera reveals mother taking pup on educational foraging expedition in the wild, Mona Vale Dunes bushcare group: 2026 Dates, North Avalon Beach Dune Planting: Sunday 1 March, Bangalley Headland WPA Bushcare 2026 dates, Labor approves Middlemount coal mine extension, Maugean skate's status unchanged, Seismic blasting proposal near Whale Calving Grounds rejected, New compliance unit to strengthen NSW biosecurity systems, North Head visitor access Changes: feedback open until Feb. 27, community invited to have a say on recreational opportunities In Great Koala National Park, Royal National Park plan draft amendment: Have your say, New study warns huge areas of Australia are vulnerable to tree-killing beetle, Southern right whales are having babies less often; why?, Australia can’t reach its ambitious climate targets with current policies. Here are 6 things we can try, Rebuilding after a disaster is a long road. Lismore’s businesses offer hope for others, How delays in Australia’s switch to clean energy are hurting workers, If fracking begins in the Kimberley, it could damage a sacred river, How Indigenous ideas about non-linear time can help us navigate ecological crises, Trump’s EPA decides climate change doesn’t endanger public health – the evidence says otherwise, Trump’s plan to wipe out US climate rules relies on EPA rescinding its 2009 endangerment finding – White House announces it is rescinding the endangerment finding and the removal of judicial advice on climate change, The brilliant and bizarre ways birds use their sense of smell – from natural cologne to pest control, Why walking in a national park in the dark prompts people to turn off lights at home, What Olympic athletes see that viewers don’t: Machine-made snow makes ski racing faster and riskier – and it’s everywhere, , 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 +

Inbox News Australians living with disability at risk of exploitation by NDIS providers breaching consumer laws: ACCC, Serious incidents in childcare centres are still rising: Why?, Australian sport still has a gender-based violence problem. Our new guide might help tackle it, ASIC action sees FIIG Securities ordered to pay $2.5 million over cyber security failures, Reforms to enable NSW GPs to diagnose ADHD from March, NSW government increases funding to $12.8 million to support animal welfare enforcement, NSW Government moves to permanently reward safe drivers, Japan’s rock star leader now has the political backing to push a bold agenda. Will she deliver?, In the Australian outback, we’re listening for nuclear tests – and what we hear matters more than ever, Why scrapping a key health promotion agency makes little economic sense, The truth about energy: why your 40s feel harder than your 20s, ADHD prescriptions are up tenfold with the wealthiest kids most likely to be medicated, Was the violent Sydney protest avoidable and what can police and demonstrators learn?, Isaac Herzog visit: protesters lose challenge to sweeping special police powers. What now?, Victims have told us the worst of Epstein’s crimes for decades – and they are still being ignored, Indonesia’s leader is going after critics with a vengeance. This could complicate relations with Australia, Forget grand plans. These small tweaks can add meaning to your life, ‘I wish I could fall asleep and never wake up’: even passive suicidal thoughts are a worry. Here’s how to respond, National Seniors & Australia's largest fee-free ATM network join forces to keep cash, The Bull: The Surf Legend Who Walked Away From Everything, Mow for Ol'Mate in March, The damaged Gaza War Cemetery highlights ongoing risk to soldier graves in conflict zones, Local Seniors Festival Events: 2026, New appointments to the aged care quality and safety council, Meanjin has been resurrected by QUT, Where are Europe’s oldest people living? What geography tells us about a fragmenting continent, Funny, tender, goofy – Catherine O'Hara lit up the screen every time she showed up, Amid an Olympic boom, it’s risky timing to lift a ban on developers’ political donations,  Bayview + Mona Vale + Brookvale Bricks: Makers Mark Every run of 10 Thousand, First-Ever Release of Captive-Bred Mallee Emu-wrens Back Into the Wild, illegal e-bikes to be seized-crushed in NSW, Premier’s Anzac Memorial Scholarship tour applications open, ARTEXPRESS is back!, Out Front 2026 celebrates the next generation artists, The Bull: The Surf Legend Who Walked Away From Everything, Opportunities: NASA 2026 is a go!! + Sevens by the Sea + Battle of the Bands – Youth Edition: at Palm Beach + Sports sign up, Financial help for young people, School Leavers Support, Word Of The Week: Mind, 6 tips to survive and thrive in your first year of university, Worried AI means you won’t get a job when you graduate? Here’s what the research says, Deep-sea fish larvae rewrite the rules of how eyes can be built, What a Renaissance plate reveals about a woman who shaped literary history, Communal bathing was a public good. Then it got hijacked by wellness culture, How bird poo fuelled the rise of Peru’s powerful Chincha Kingdom, Why Aristotle would hate Valentine’s Day – and his five steps to love, Forget flowers: lovers in 18th- and 19th-century Ireland exchanged hair, Unpacking Bad Bunny’s Superbowl show – an alternative joyful vision for America, 

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Week Two February 2026: Issue 651 (published Sunday February 8 2026)

Profile of the Week: SOS (Save Our Suburb) Mona Vale: New Residents Group Launched - next meeting Feb. 26

History: Careel Head Road Shops and the Bangalley- Burrowong Creeks: Some History  

New Analysis Shows Mackellar MP Dr. Sophie Scamps Tops Time Spent Doing Her Job

Two Narrabeen Sports High School Teachers, One Curl Curl PS Teacher Honoured for 50+ Years of Public Education

Aquatics: Milla Coco Brown - Lucas Hickson Win 2026 Kim Burton Pro Junior 

ARTEXPRESS is back! and Out Front 2026 celebrates the next generation artists - HSC Artists

NSW Women of the Year 2026 finalists announced: Several Locals named

Zali Steggall Calls For Royal Commission into Domestic Violence: 6 Women lost in 2026, so far  

Marine Rescue NSW volunteers respond to almost 700 incidents in January 2026

Pictures: Dolphin Park Bushland Reserve: a stroll through this Right-of-way Park between Dolphin Crescent and Barrenjoey Road

North Sydney Council Refutes State Government Claims of Consultation on Future of Cammeray Golf Course

PBP's: eSafety report shows while tech giants have made some progress they still have a long way to go in stamping out online child abuse + Big tech companies are still failing to tackle child abuse material online

DIY Ideas: A Job For Life: Apprentice Carpenter + Fee-Free Courses + Commencement Tool List + How to Look After Your Tools

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Week One February 2026: Issue 651 (published Sunday February 1 2026)

Profile of the Week: 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

History: On International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2026 we Remember those Lost and the work of Sister Muriel Knox Doherty, Of Avalon Beach, at the Bergen- Belsen Camp

Vale Mike Fletcher AM -  9.10.33 - 30.1.26

The fauna bridge on Mona Vale Road East – will it be a bridge to nowhere?

Pittwater MP Launches Survey Asking For Local Knowledge on Sharks: State Government Announces Further $4.2 million to Improve Shark Safety this Summer + How to reduce the risk of an encounter with a shark

Aquatics: Synthetic grass fragments are increasingly prevalent microplastics in waterways across Metropolitan Sydney: Report finds Microplastics Have tripled in Sydney's waterways in three years - Manly Cove's 'very high' reading -NSW microplastics report 2026 

NSW Government announces New Northern Beaches Hospital 'High Volume Surgery Hub' to power through waitlist: Pittwater MP Confirms Locals Will Have Priority

Summer BirdFest 2026: Play antics of New Locals - Blue-faced Honeyeaters Breeding In Pittwater

Australian Sailing Team Appoints Pittwater's Jim Colley as 49erFX National Coach

Pantaenius Pittwater Regatta 2026: titans versus raiders by Di Pearson - held from 13 to 15 February, Entry closes at 1700 hours on 2 February. Late entries may be accepted at an additional fee.

Autism Swim’s Dippers program launches at Queenscliff: Inclusive Beach & Ocean Safety - Free, starts Feb, 2026

Manly Writer's Festival Announces 2026 Program: Exploring Ideas, Storytelling and Civic Debate - Thomas Keneally AO to open four-day festival, 19–22 March 2026, Tickets now open

Community Concern As Another Tree Up for Destruction by the Council - Doubling of prior Bassett Street Mona Vale DA proposal under NSW government SSD's provides stark illustration of impact on local environment of laws written 'for developers' (Feedback closes Feb 2, 2026) - Community Objections Being silenced or Ignored - Dec, 2025 Address to Council by Secretary of Protect Pittwater

Pictures: From Red Dust to Blue Water: Bush to Beach Celebrates 21 Years of Changing Young Indigenous Lives

Park Bench Philosophers: The V-set train on platform two has terminated after 55 years’ service

Profile of the Week Zonta Northern Beaches Club’s President Dr. Lorna Scott: On the IWD Breakfast + 2026 Works

NSW Women’s Week 2026 runs from Monday 2 March to Sunday 8 March, and will see a dynamic series of events, focusing on inclusivity and celebrating the achievements of women across NSW.

Although some of the tropes imposed on women persist in Australian society, as can be seen in the circus foisted on one  Australian lady Leader in recent days, cooler heads have prevailed than the exhausted patience prompted in those growing up with lots of brothers and no sisters, and set another example.

This example has been garnered from other women, many of them members of the Zonta Club of the Northern Beaches, who have actioned numerous initiatives for over five decades to quietly create change.

The next event on their 2026 calendar is their March 4th International Womens Day Breakfast at the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club at Newport, where Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby will announce who the Pittwater Woman of the Year is.

Tickets here: zonta-club-n-b-international-women-s-day-breakfast

Zonta NB’s 2026 Breakfast Speaker is Shae Ingram, a Class of 2018 graduate of Mater Maria at Warriewood who has gone on to become a Senior Program Engineer working in the Satellite and Space Systems team at Optus. 

Ms Ingram is very passionate about advocating for women in STEM, promoting careers in Space, and participating in outreach programs as a Space Ambassador at Optus, where she spends her time educating young people about space, sharing her career pathway, and creating visibility around what an engineer can look like.

‘’From studying Aeronautical Engineering to working at Optus Satellite and Space Systems, representation and visibility of women in engineering is so important to foster a more diverse workforce, particularly for students who are considering future STEM careers.’’ Shae says

The Speaker is very timely given former South Curl Curl girl  Katherine Bennell-Pegg was announced as the 2026 Australian of the Year, and fits with Zonta's own program of getting women 'off the ground'. Former Narrabeen and Mona Vale pilot Nancy Ellis, was, in 1953, the only Australian member of the Ninety-Nines and the winner of their Silver Jubilee Scholarship in the United States of America in 1954. The Ninety-Nines, founded by Amelia Earhart in 1929, is the International Organisation of Women Pilots that provides networking, mentoring, and flight scholarship opportunities to recreational and professional female pilots. 

Zonta's own  Amelia Earhart Fellowship was established in 1938 in honour of famed pilot and Zontian, Amelia Earhart. The US$10,000 Fellowship is awarded annually to up to 30 women pursuing Ph.D./doctoral degrees in aerospace engineering and space sciences. It may be used at any university or college offering accredited post-graduate courses and degrees in these fields.

This week a chat with current Zonta Northern Beaches Club President, Dr. Lorna Scott on that and what else is coming up this year.


Bricks with makers marks were gifted to us decades ago by Charles Benko. Charles stated he got these ones from Brookvale Bricks, when they were still around.

He explained the markings on these bricks, which are marked with a pipe in one case, and two thumbprints to make a heart or harp in the other, is made when the maker had completed  run of 10 thousand of them. They would place a personal insignia in that 10 thousandth one made to mark the end of a run.

Charles who lived at the back of Manly near Condamine street, and was a Hungarian who spoke of Auschwitz – his wife was French (Suzanne ?), came to Australia after World War Two. He passed away aged 99 years back now, but his gift of old Brookvale bricks, and stories of our area in the late 1940's and early 1950's, prompted a look into brick making in our area.

Pittwater Offshore Newsletter:

February 1 2026


Click on Logo to access the latest PON:  

To contact Roy:  editor@scotlandisland.org.au

Johnson Brothers Store at Mona Vale is Store of the Year

Johnson Bros Mitre 10 Mona Vale has officially been named the '2025 National Large Format Store of the Year.'

The Johnson Brothers said: ''Honestly, we’re still pinching ourselves.

This one belongs to our incredible team who show up every day with genuine care for every customer who walks through the doors.

And to our amazing community for shopping local, for backing us, for the chats at the counter, and for being part of the journey.
We share this win with all of you.''


Apprentice Day 2026 at Johnson Bros Mitre 10 Mona Vale will be held on Thursday February 19 this year, kicking off with a free Tradie Breakfast at the Mona Vale store and great custom deals.

Apprentice Week runs 9-15 February in 2026. Celebrating Australian Apprenticeships' role in building careers and growing the nation's skilled workforce, the theme this year is "It's in the making".

Across one week each February, employers, apprentices, schools, training providers, and government come together to:
  • Recognise the contribution of apprentices and trainees
  • Showcase apprenticeships as a respected and rewarding career pathway
  • Highlight the role employers play in shaping the workforce of tomorrow
More details about NSW Apprenticeship week on the National Apprentice Week website and current supports through TAFE and the NSW Government can be found in the current JBH DIY page:

Zonta Club's 2026 International Women’s Day Breakfast

Wednesday 4th March is the date for our IWD Breakfast, more details are now provided. 
Firstly, and unique to our event, the 'PITTWATER WOMEN OF THE YEAR'  will be announced, and the presentation of this award will be made by Jacqui Scruby, Member for Pittwater. 

Next, to our wonderful Guest Speaker, SHAE INGRAM, Senior Program Engineer in the Satellite and Space team at Optus. 
Come and join us for Breakfast as SHAE shares her incredible achievements to date, and her passion for advocating for Women in STEM,  promoting careers in Space, and participating in outreach programs as a Space Ambassador at Optus, where she spends time educating young people about space, sharing her career pathway, and creating visibility around what an engineer can look like.

Surf Life Saving NSW elects Female President

Saturday February 14 2026
SLS NSW has warmly welcomed the election of the first female President of SLSNSW in their 118-year history, Elissa Hancock.

SLS NSW states:
Elissa brings significant experience to our growing organisation – most recently through her current role as Sydney Branch President and a Patrol Captain and Patron of Era SLSC.

Having amassed nearly four decades of experience across a range of Surf Life Saving areas, Elissa is a champion for youth and an advocate for evolution across the movement. She steps into the role vacated by Peter Agnew AM who was elected to the position of President of Surf Life Saving Australia in November last year.

Congratulations, Elissa, on your successful election. We look forward to working together to continue saving lives and supporting our incredible surf lifesaving community across the state.

Elissa Hancock. Photo: SLS NSW

Drone Surveillance at Bungan

A SLSNSW drone was deployed to Bungan beach on Thursday February 12 after reports of a shark in the water and a dolphin washing up on shore. The drone spotted three bull sharks and the beach was quickly closed. 

Bungan beach remained closed until at least the end of the day, and SLSNSW continue urging the public to take care around the water.

More in: Pittwater MP Launches Survey Asking For Local Knowledge on Sharks: State Government Announces Further $4.2 million to Improve Shark Safety this Summer + How to reduce the risk of an encounter with a shark


Cranzgots Pizza Cafe Closing March 15 2026

Cranzgots Pizza Cafe has announced it will close permanently on March 15.

This follows a DA proposal, first lodged in September 2024, which has been approved. The development consists of the construction of a new three (3) storey mixed use building containing 1 level of early childcare centre, retail/commercial tenancies on the ground floor and a single storey basement carparking located at 1-3 Careel Head Road Avalon Beach.


The proposal will require excavation to a depth of approximately 2.3 meters to enable the construction of a basement car parking.

In mid-December 2025 a small Notice was placed on the adjacent property at 3 Careel Head road advising of an application to have a licence to run a Dan Murphy's at the same location. Details were added into the December 2025 Community News Page:


Documents - reports - and plans available on this page: HERE

Live at Crannys will run every Saturday night (until 15th March!!) from 6pm… BE SURE TO RESERVE your table… the current proprietors and staff are looking forward to sharing more memories before they close. 

Some history on the site is available in:
Careel Head Road Shops and the North Bangalley- Burrowong Creeks: Some History by William (Bill) James Goddard II, Geoff Searl OAM, John Illingsworth and A J Guesdon

Pittwater Online will run further History insights into Pittwater Creeks, alongside the last of the 2024-2025 theme of Pittwater Public Wharves. The South Bangalley-North Avalon Beach ones run next, when the load/set is finished - then we head south, to Mona Vale, Narrabeen, Bungan and Newport before heading west to Ingleside, McCarrs Creek et al....

Careel Bay shoreline in 1938. Photo: Max Dupain, courtesy State Library of NSW

Mow for Ol'Mate in March

Sunday, 1 March 2026 - 09:00 am to Tuesday, 31 March 2026 - 05:00 pm
It's a simple idea with a big heart: neighbours helping neighbours, right in their own backyards. By mowing a couple of lawns for older members of the community, you're not just tidying up - you're checking in, having a chat and making sure they're safe, supported and doing OK at home.

A freshly mown lawn can mean independence, dignity and peace of mind - and sometimes a reason to to stop, say hello and connect. So, grab a mower in March and be part of something special in the Northern Beaches Community.

Join this amazing community mow-ment today. Register your interest via enquiries@mwpcare.com.au or call 9913 3244.

OR Are you over 65 and would like your lawn mowed? Call our friendly team on 9913 3244 to register your interest.

Contact information
MWP Community Care, email: enquiries@mwpcare.com.au


Victa rotary lawnmower and Mervyn Victor Richardson of Careel Bay, the owner of the company - 1955 - photo by Jack Hickson, Australian Photographic Agency - 01148. Taken by Australian Photographic Agency for account: Graves, Hayes & Baker 1642/55.

CSIRO partners with aviation sector to help STEM learning take flight

A new program is taking aviation expertise into classrooms across Australia to inspire an interest in STEM and help prepare students for jobs of the future.

Applications are now open for Aviators in Schools, a new nationwide initiative from Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, delivered in partnership with Aviation/Aerospace Australia. 

The program connects teachers with aviation and aerospace professionals to bring real‑world STEM learning into classrooms and inspire the next generation of industry talent, at a time where advanced technologies are unlocking new opportunities in the aviation sector. 

Australia faces a STEM skills shortage, with persistently low participation of women and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in STEM. Programs like Aviators in Schools play an essential role in building capability and broadening access to future career pathways. 

Director of Education and Outreach at CSIRO, Ruth Carr, said the initiative aims to make STEM learning more engaging and relevant for students. 

"STEM education is critical to Australia’s long-term success and to improving employment opportunities for young people. It provides students with the skills and confidence to explore a wide range of career options and contribute to the industries shaping our future," said Ms Carr. 

The program brings aviation and aerospace professionals through flexible industry partnerships that can include mentoring, career talks, site visits, hands-on demonstrations and co-developed projects aligned with curriculum goals — helping students see how STEM connects to real careers. 

Chief Executive of Aviation/Aerospace Australia, Anntonette Dailey, said the program addresses known barriers to participation. 

“Evidence consistently shows that when we have a diverse workforce, we bring in new perspectives, make stronger decisions, and create the kind of collaborative energy that drives real creativity and innovation,” said Ms Dailey. 

“We know that a lack of access to relevant role models and mentors, as well as awareness about the opportunities available — especially in non-traditional roles such as engineering and technical jobs – continue to present a significant barrier to participation. 

“We are proud to partner with CSIRO to address these gaps and attract new talent, particularly women, to the industry,” explained Ms Dailey.   

Early participants are already seeing the benefits. 

Steevi-Anne Flack, Teacher at Findon Primary School in Victoria credited her paired professional, Joelle Chia, an aeronautical engineer, for helping the school shape its new STEM program.

"STEM was a new initiative in our school, and our vision wasn’t clear on where we wanted to take it. This collaboration brought fresh ideas and helped us see exciting possibilities," said Ms Flack. 

"Students were engaged in the lessons and experiments, and it was fascinating for them to see real-world connections, especially when activities like making lava lamps linked to aerospace engineering.” 

Aviators in School is free for registered teachers in Australian primary and secondary schools and is welcoming applications from teachers and STEM professionals with experience in aviation, aerospace or related fields. 

“Sometimes it’s hard for students to connect their learning to real-life scenarios or imagine where their interest could take them. Having someone working in the field share their passion and experiences really helped spark their thinking in STEM," said Ms Flack. 

The initiative is part of CSIRO’s STEM Professionals in Schools program, which in 2025 supported 1,100 registered teachers and 900 STEM professionals across Australia. 

Aviators in Schools is supported by the Australian Government Department of Education and the Australian Government Women in Aviation Industry Initiative, and is delivered by CSIRO in partnership with Aviation/Aerospace Australia.  

For more information about Aviators in School and the broader STEM Professionals in Schools initiative, visit: STEM Professionals in Schools initiative — CSIRO

Photo: Amanda Mey, Chief-Remote-Pilot at CSIRO, is one of the many professionals pairing up with teachers through the Aviators in Schools program. Photo: CSIRO/Supplied.

Putting Safety First in the Digital Age

On Thursday evening, February 12 2026, the NSW  Government’s digital work safety bill passed the NSW Parliament.

The bill will ensure that all work demands must be safe, whether they come from a human or come through artificial intelligence (AI) or algorithms. 

This will particularly benefit the growing number of gig workers who receive work instructions through an app or digital platform, including thousands food delivery drivers and riders, warehouse workers and home care workers.  

NSW is the home of innovation in Australia and digital work systems are being used extensively in NSW to grow productivity and efficiencies. The bill will ensure this continues safely.  

Throughout the public debate on the bill, including in Parliamentary inquiries since 2020, NSW has heard of the growing concerns of workers, including stories of workers using an app penalised for taking breaks, penalised if they don’t take an unsafe delivery route or pressured to rush care for NDIS clients. 

The need for these protections is underscored by the more than 366 total incidents involving gig food delivery riders, including tragically 7 fatalities in NSW.  

The bill requires industry guidelines, in consultation with business and unions, before any inspection powers are switched on. This will include specialised guidelines for the food delivery industry. 

The guidelines will provide further clarity to workers and businesses about what their rights and obligations under the new legislation are.  These measures will ensure that NSW gets the balance right. 

The Government and SafeWork NSW will also make a funding package available to assist businesses and unions in understanding those obligations. 

The bill also extends the well understood and existing right of entry framework under the Work Health and Safety Act (2011) (WHS Act) to digital systems.   

Despite the misinformation campaign from the NSW Opposition, the Bill does not override the existing safeguards in the WHS Act, including protections on data and privacy and penalties for misusing inspection powers.  

The passage of the bill demonstrates the commitment of the Minns Labor Government to keeping all workers safe at work, no matter how they work.  

Minister for Industrial Relations Sophie Cotsis said: 

“The Minns Labor Government is ensuring that workers are protected in the digital age. Behind every safety statistic is a person, a family, and a community. Our focus is simple: making sure every worker gets home safe at the end of the day.

“This reform follows the $127.7 Million package to workplace health and safety, ensuring better support for workers and businesses.

“Thank you to everyone involved and who contributed, especially those who gave evidence at the parliamentary inquiries that informed this Bill, and the families who have lost their loved ones to an unsafe system.

“I look forward to our continuing, productive dialogue with industry and unions to keep working Australians safe.” 

North Sydney Council to Apply for 52.66% Rise In Rates

At an Extraordinary Meeting held on January 21 2026 North Sydney Council  resolved to apply to IPART for a 52.66% cumulative increase to rates over three years (including the rate peg) together with an increase to the minimum residential and business rates of $396.08 above rate peg over the three-year period.

The council stated the submission will be focused on financial sustainability and infrastructure management while providing modest funding to respond to community needs and growth pressures.

The council had to submit its application by Monday 2 February. IPART will run a public consultation process where community members can provide feedback directly. 

IPART states its community consultation on special variation and minimum rate increase applications will commence on 17 February 2026 and run for 3 weeks. 

'During this period, we invite community feedback to help the Tribunal make an informed decision when assessing a council's application.

Your submission should address one or more of the criteria set by the Office of Local Government, as outlined below. You can provide feedback via a survey or through a submission (see here for IPART’s submissions policy). ' IPART states

More in IPART's webpage:

AOK: Urgent - Thursday Volunteers Needed

Every Thursday, we serve a hot meal to our homeless community — and right now, we urgently need help to make that happen.
We’re looking for one or two reliable people with transport and a working oven who can help heat pre-cooked meals each Thursday.

Quick details:
  • Food already cooked
  • Trays provided
  • Pick up Warriewood – Thursday morning
  • Heat in your oven
  • Return hot by 4pm
That’s it. No cooking. Just heating.

This has become a critical weekly gap, and having consistent Thursday support would take enormous pressure off and ensure our community doesn’t miss out on a hot meal.

If you:
💜 Live near Warriewood 
💜 Have a working oven
💜 Can help most Thursdays (even fortnightly)
👉 Please comment or message us ASAP. at: 

If Thursdays aren’t possible but you’d like to help in another way, still reach out — we have other roles too.

Thank you for helping us keep our community fed with dignity.
— Sarah & the AOK team

MWP Care Seeking Volunteers

Our business relies on the kindness of strangers...
Looking for a way to give back without giving up your lifestyle?

Become part of our Volunteer IMPACT Club and gain access to exercise classes, social events, Silver Surfers, tables at trivia as well as training and development workshops! Plus – have your petrol reimbursed!!

Volunteering with MWP fits around your life and your schedule, letting you make a real impact in your local community. Enjoy meeting like-minded people, learning new skills, and knowing that your time is changing lives every day.
Your Time. Your Way. Your Impact. 

Find out more here: mwpcare.com.au/get-involved

Inaugural Surf Lifesaving Red & Yellow Day

On Wednesday 4 March 2026, Surf Life Saving Australia will launch the very first Red & Yellow Day, a new nationwide celebration of Surf Life Saving and the thousands of volunteer surf lifesavers who keep our beaches safe.

With one month to go until the inaugural Red & Yellow Day, Surf Life Saving Australia is calling on everyone across Australia to take part, by wearing the colours, donating, fundraising, signing up at your local club and by staying beach-safe.

Red & Yellow Day is an opportunity to:

  • Improve public awareness of the vital work of Surf Life Saving and the thousands of volunteer surf lifesavers around the country
  • Educate communities, families and individuals about essential water safety information
  • Increase fundraising to maintain and replace equipment, train volunteer surf life savers and deliver water safety education in communities
  • Inspire more Australians to get involved and support their local community

Events and activations are being planned around the country as the countdown to March 4 begins, with more information about national and local activity to be shared in the lead up to Red & Yellow Day.

Surf Life Saving Australia CEO, Adam Weir said:

“With one month until Red & Yellow Day, now is the time for schools, clubs, businesses, and individuals across Australia to get behind the day.

“Red & Yellow Day is an opportunity for all of us to show our support for the thousands of volunteer surf lifesavers who give their time to keep our beaches safe.

“The best way you can get involved is by wearing red and yellow on March 4, and by always swimming between the red and yellow flags.”

Surf Life Saving Australia’s major national partner DHL is supporting Red & Yellow Day by delivering up to 1000 Red & Yellow Day Party Packs nationally, with 100% of the purchase price going directly to supporting volunteer surf lifesaving services.

The Red & Yellow Day Party Pack contains everything you need to host a Red & Yellow Day event and are available to purchase now via redandyellowday.org.au.

For inspiration on how to get involved on March 4, check out the Red & Yellow Day campaign video below, or to learn more about Red & Yellow Day, visit redandyellowday.org.au.

By getting behind Red & Yellow Day, you’ll be supporting the vital work of Surf Life Saving volunteers around the country.

When you back the surf lifesavers on Red & Yellow Day, you can help save lives too.

Development Coordination Authority (DCA) changes: Feedback invited

The Minns Government has announced it is putting the proposed regulatory changes to create the Development Coordination Authority (DCA) on public exhibition.

The government states the changes will make navigating the planning system faster and easier for applicants and councils by centralising State agency advice and decision-making so applicants no longer need to navigate at times conflicting and confusing advice from up to 22 different areas of Government.

Through the DCA, the NSW Government is putting a stop to unnecessary delays ending a system which saw a DA with just one referral take an average of 60 days longer to assess than a DA without one, and where each additional referral added up to 100 days to assessment timeframes.

Under proposed regulatory changes the need for expert advice from the DCA and other bodies on local DAs will be consolidated from more than 800 requirements across 175 planning instruments into a single list aligned with the government's State priorities.

The government states this list will sit in State Environmental Planning Policy (Planning Systems) 2021, making it easier to access and understand for all users of the planning system and safeguarding areas like the environment, heritage, bush fire management and infrastructure operation with the DCA as a single point of contact on all State matters.

The DCA will be required to meet strict timelines.

The government states the DCA and other bodies will have 28 days to provide feedback on development applications (DAs), providing consistent response times and helping speed up assessment times.

The DCA, began initial operations in December and is already helping connect applicants to the right areas of Government and providing post-development consent support so projects can begin construction sooner.

Its main stated functions - to bring together experts from a broad range of state agencies so conflicts can be resolved quickly and allow a single, coordinated response - will begin on 1 July. Find out more here.

The government states the proposed changes are part of a landmark overhaul of the State’s planning system designed to tackle delays and complexity adding to construction costs and create a faster, fairer and modern planning system in NSW.

How DCA will work and proposed regulatory changes, will be exhibited from Thursday, 29 January to Wednesday, 25 February 2026. To have your say, visit www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/draftplans/exhibition/have-your-say-establishing-development-coordination-authority-dca

This is the first public exhibition to implement the landmark Planning System Reforms Bill 2025 which passed parliament in November 2025.

See: Scruby slams government and opposition teaming up to make it easy for developers as NSW Planning System Reform Bill passes - community asks: who are these elected Representatives actually representing?

Now Open: funding round for the NSW Government's Holiday Break Autumn/Winter 2026 program

If you want to bring young people together during the Autumn and/or Winter school holidays then this may be good news; a new round of the NSW Government’s Holiday Break funding is now open

Start preparing now so you can be ready to submit as soon as the funding round opens! We will notify you once the funding round opens.

Key program guidelines:
  • Applicants are encouraged to design high quality, fun and engaging activities for the exclusive participation of young people aged 12-24 years.
  • Applicants can deliver the activities in the Autumn and/or winter holidays, and apply for both rounds in a single application.
  • Eligible organisations can apply for funding which can be split across the autumn and/or winter school holidays. Additional travel loading is still available per organisation if an external supplier is needed to deliver the program in remote or very remote parts of NSW.
  • Successful applicants will receive one funding agreement for the program.
Please email grants@officeforyouth.nsw.gov.au with any questions, or find out more by visiting nsw.gov.au/HolidayBreak.        
NSW Office for Youth

Monika's Doggie Rescue Pets of the Week

Bean 

9 yo Chihuahua X

Bean is a gentle, passive, affectionate boy who is social with other small gentle dogs. He gets very nervous of bossy dogs. Bean is not used to a lot of handling and affection and is looking for an experienced handler to make him more comfortable with handling and the outside world. He has a Grade 3 heart murmur but there is no heart enlargement, and he is not needing any pills. He has just had a dental and had 19 teeth extracted! He had 9 already missing. He has a short coat and weighs 4.2kg. He is desexed, fully vaccinated, heartworm free and chipped. His adoption cost is $600. 

Jethro 

12mths Ridgeback X

Jethro is a sweet but very timid boy. He needs an experienced family to help him gain confidence. He is nervous of cars and busy places. He is a "velcro dog" when he is scared. He loves treats. He has a smooth coat and weighs 28.7kg. He is desexed, fully vaccinated, heartworm free and chipped. His adoption cost is $400.  

For further details call DoggieRescue on 9486 3133  or email  Monika@DoggieRescue.com.  RON R251000024

Oppose the Planning Reforms: Petition

Liberals have worked with Labor to radically reform NSW's planning rules to be developer-led. 

NSW is implementing the biggest reforms in 50 years - overriding council-led planning and existing planning controls, and reducing community voices in planning decisions. 

These blanket planning laws disregard strategic council-led planning and centralise state-power, opening up the risk of corruption and lack of transparency in decision making. 

Although some mum and dad developers will welcome some streamlining, the reality is that we will face a development onslaught that will allow developers more scope to build where they want, when they want. 

We all knew the NSW Government was focused on delivering housing and was going to embark on these reforms, but we thought there would be resistance from the Opposition. Instead, the Liberal party worked with the government. 

"We are now a pro-supply, yimby-based (Yes In My Back Yard) party... getting government out of the way and letting developers build houses," according to Liberal MLC the Hon. Chris Rath.

I have spoken in parliament against these reforms and was one of only four MPs out of 93 who voted against these reforms in the Legislative Assembly. Please view my speech for details on the reform. 

We must continue this fight, which is likely to be long and difficult. Many small groups are popping up, but we are stronger together. 

This petition will allow me to build a co-ordinated campaign and keep you informed on planning. 

If you want to keep community voice in planning decisions and balanced developments that protect the environment, please sign my petition and remember to tell us if you are affected by any development applications or offers to purchase your property.

Jacqui Scrub,
MP for Pittwater
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Unlicensed X-ray Operators Targeted by NSW EPA

On Tuesday February 10 the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) sounded a warning to unlicensed X-ray operators after a radiographer and a medical diagnostic imaging company were fined for using a portable X-ray device on thousands of elderly patients across Sydney without a licence. 

The NSW EPA successfully prosecuted Mobile X-ray Services Pty Ltd and radiographer Dean Brockdorff for using radiation material without a radiation user licence, with the Local Court of NSW ordering the company and its employee to pay more than $93,000 in fines and penalties.

From June 2020 to August 2023, Mr Brockdorff conducted more than 3,000 X-rays without a licence, including hundreds of scans at aged care facilities in Castle Hill, Maroubra, Blacktown, Randwick, Marayong, Woollahra and Kellyville. 

NSW EPA Chief Executive Tony Chappel said all X-ray operators need to understand their compliance obligations under the Protection from Harmful Radiation Act 1990 or risk facing the consequences.

“In this case thankfully no one was hurt, but this prosecution sends a strong signal to businesses using X-rays that they must maintain stringent oversight of staff licensing and qualifications,” Mr Chappel said.

“Just like a driver’s licence, a radiation user licence must be renewed regularly, giving consumers confidence that a radiographer has met the highest standards of training.

“Offences under NSW’s radiation laws are treated very seriously due to the risk of harm, and court-ordered penalties may include imprisonment in the most extreme circumstances.”

Previously, in November 2025, in a separate case, Mr Brockdorff was convicted on 14 charges and ordered to pay $10,000 in fines and $16,487 in legal costs in a case brought to court by the NSW EPA.

On Friday, 6 February, Mobile X-ray Services was found guilty of 15 charges in the Local Court of New South Wales, and given a penalty of $42,300, with the company ordered to pay $24,500 of the EPA’s legal costs.

For more information about radiation licences, go to: Radiation user licence | EPA

Saltwater Veterans: Helping Hands Needed

Saltwater Veterans are at the stage where we really need more volunteer buy-in and community support for our ACNC registered charity.

As a starting point, we’ve broken some of the larger jobs into smaller time commitments that can be easily shared across a small team, with a number of opportunities that can even be supported remotely.

Small amounts of autonomous volunteering (from as little as 1 hour/month) would be massively appreciated and will start to build redundancy into our Saltwater Veterans Sailing Project.

We absolutely love how people step up and help on event days — and we’re now seeing Salties confidently running up Revs events, which is awesome. What we really need next is shore-side support — particularly with maintenance and administration. 

We are growing and as we grow we need more hands to help.
If you can lend a hand, please register your EOI here.

Barrenjoey High School P&C Welcome event: Feb. 19

Narrabeen Sports High School 2026 Open Night

Come and join us for our 2026 Open Night on Tuesday 3 March, from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. 

This event is open to all prospective students and parents and is a wonderful opportunity to experience our school community first-hand.

On the evening you will:
  • - Meet our dedicated teachers and staff
  • - Enjoy guided tours of our school facilities
  • - Explore faculty Teaching and Learning displays
  • - Hear the Principal’s Address at 4:00pm
  • - Enjoy student music performances
  • - Learn more about our Sports Academy Program
We look forward to seeing you there!

Feedback on Middle Harbour flood study findings Invited

The council is asking residents of Belrose, Davidson, Frenchs Forest, Forestville, and Killarney Heights to find out about flood risk in the area and share their views on the draft Middle Harbour Flood Study. This new Study uses the latest technology and data to better understand local flood risks and improve emergency planning.

The draft Study replaces the 2010 Frenchs Creek Flood Study, showing fewer flood-affected properties in this area due to modelling with improved technology and more up-to-date rainfall data. However, by looking at a significantly wider area not previously investigated for flooding, it identifies more properties at risk overall. The Study provides information on flood levels, depths, and hazards, includes feedback from recent floods and considers climate change impacts.

Mayor Sue Heins said the release of the draft Study marks a significant step forward for the community.

“This draft Flood Study is a major step in making our neighbourhoods safer and better prepared for future floods.

“We’ve listened to the experts, community members, used the latest technology and now we want to share that with you and hear back from you.

Flooding can seriously affect homes and infrastructure. 

The council states the updated Study will guide future development, help emergency planning, and build a safer community.

During the exhibition period, property owners within the study area will receive a letter if their property has been identified as being flood affected. This letter will outline how they can find out more about the study and its findings and how to make a submission. Residents will be able to book in for face-to-face meetings with council flood officers and a consultant, receive updates through council e-newsletters and give feedback on the council’s Your Say webpage for this work.

The next stage of the process will be to undertake the flood risk management study and plan, which will investigate potential options to reduce and manage flood risk in the area.

The draft Study is available to view on the council’s Middle Harbour Flood Study (draft) webpage and submissions are now open and will close March 9.

The draft Study has been prepared with financial assistance from the NSW and Commonwealth Governments through the Natural Disaster Resilience Program.

More Inspectors to tackle illegal tobacco

On Tuesday February 10 2026 the NSW Government announced thirty additional full-time equivalent tobacco inspectors will be recruited to boost the NSW Health’s newly established Centre for Regulation & Enforcement with additional funding from the Commonwealth Government.

The government stated the new Inspectors will bring the dedicated state-wide team to a total of 78 staff.

Over half of the additional 30 have commenced or are about to commence, and the other half are in the process of being recruited.

The NSW and Commonwealth governments have previously discussed the impact of the high level of the federal tobacco excise which is driving many consumers towards cheaper illegal tobacco products.

Under the NSW Government’s tough new laws which have introduced closure order powers, NSW Health Inspectors, working together with NSW Police, are continuing to close down stores selling illicit tobacco and vaping goods.

The closure of five tobacconists in Sydney’s Inner West last week by NSW Health Inspectors and NSW Police brings the total to 66 stores closed since the laws came into effect in November 2025.

Between 1 January 2026 to 31 January 2026, NSW Health Inspectors have conducted 131 inspections, seizing around 560,000 cigarettes and 98kg of other illicit tobacco products and over 6000 illegal vaping goods with a combined estimated street value of around $830,000.

In January, NSW Health has also finalised 4 successful prosecutions with the courts imposing a total of $41,300 in fines related to e-cigarette and tobacco offences. There are currently a further 20 prosecutions before the Courts. 

The NSW Government stated it is continuing to strengthen compliance and enforcement of tobacco and vaping goods laws across NSW, with the Public Health (Tobacco) Amendment (Landlord Offences) Bill 2025 currently before Parliament and expected to be debated in the coming weeks.

The legislation will build on recent reforms which target the illicit tobacco and illegal vaping market, including:
  • a new offence for the possession of a commercial quantity of illicit tobacco with a maximum penalty of over $1.5 million and 7 years' imprisonment, or both
  • new penalties for the sale of illicit tobacco with a maximum penalty of over $1.5 million and 7 years' imprisonment, or both
  • the introduction of short-term (up to 90 days) and long-term (up to 12 months) closure orders for premises selling illicit tobacco, illegal vaping goods, or selling tobacco or non-tobacco smoking products without a licence
  • new offences and penalties for anyone who breaches these closure orders, including for entering closed premises or selling products from closed premises
  • new lease termination powers for landlords where a closure order is in place
  • new nation-leading offences for falsely claiming to be licensed, resisting seizure, and attempting to retake seized products.
The NSW Government stated it is also aware the sale of illicit tobacco and vaping products continues to evolve, with some retailers attempting to obscure and avoid the enforcement activities of NSW Health Inspectors, by using QR codes and social media communications to facilitate the ongoing sale of illicit tobacco to customers, after a closure order has been issued.  

NSW Police and NSW Health are working together to identify these methods and pivot their enforcement strategies to shut down this activity. 

Minister for Health Ryan Park stated: 

“I am very grateful for the additional support from the Commonwealth Government to assist in our tobacco enforcement efforts.

“It is an acknowledgement that the federal tobacco excise is out of step with the community and it is driving consumers towards cheaper illegal tobacco products.

“The assistance from the Commonwealth will help us get ahead of the prevalence of illegal tobacco over the next two years.

“But so long as the federal excise is where it is, we can continue to see illegal tobacco permeate throughout our high streets – and so I will continue to work constructively with our Commonwealth colleagues in establishing a more sustainable, long term and permanent funding stream for tobacco enforcement personnel.

“Our approach to illegal tobacco is more boots on the ground; tougher penalties; and more powers to close down bad actors.”

Narrabeen Lakes Amateur Swimming Club: Saturday Afternoons

Some say the key to keeping New Year's resolutions is to make them specific, measurable, and achievable. If health and wellness is yours, then swim clubs can help you achieve them.  It’s an easy exercise habit to develop, super cheap ($40 for the rest of the season), with measurable improvements.  And its heaps of fun and so good for your wellbeing.  

Just walking down the path to our beautiful Narrabeen ocean and lagoon sheds will help you destress and then you get to swim in our spectacular pool with some pretty wonderful people (at the most magical time of the year to swim).  

You can learn more about us at www.nlasc.com.au or just come down and swim a length of two with us and see what we're all about.  

You'll find us at Narrabeen rockpool every Saturday arvo from 1pm.

Petition: Stop Politicians from spamming & harvesting our data

Sign at: www.katechaney.com.au/spam-and-data-petition

We want political parties to communicate - but without bombarding us or harvesting our personal information.

This is a chance for the Government to act to protect voters.

Political Spam

We’re tired of getting swamped with political texts. Political parties shouldn’t be exempt from the Spam Act 2003 - they need to follow the same rules as every business. Prime Minister Albanese said on ABC Radio, “I certainly think that would be a reasonable thing to do, to ban the texts."

Data Harvesting - Postal Vote Applications

Millions of Australians vote by post. This process should be between you and the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) - not political parties fishing for your data. Right now, major parties send postal vote application forms – by SMS, email or to your mailbox - along with their political ads and ask you to send your application to a “processing centre” they control. They can then collect your personal details to use and share before passing the application on to the AEC. As AEC Commissioner Jeff Pope said on 31 March 2025, "Concerns about party postal vote applications through unsolicited outreach is the number one complaint we hear from voters at almost every federal election"

Governments in Victoria and Western Australia have fixed this. NSW is next. 

It’s time for the Federal Government to do the same!

More in report: Bill to Stop Politicians Harvesting your Data Via Postal Votes Introduced: Petition to support Bill

Report Hate Crimes

Recent reports to the news service would indicate this reminder is needed at present.

If you are subjected to hate on social media or online you should keep evidence by taking screen shots of the abuse including usernames, URLs and any other relevant information. You can report the abuse directly to the platform and report in person at any Police Station.

When not on social media and when there is no crime committed, but an action is still motivated by hate, prejudice or bias, it is known as a hate incident. Both hate crimes and hate incidents are taken very seriously by the NSW Police.

When you report hate that you witness or experience, you become part of a larger movement to remove it from our society.

What you can expect from the NSW Police Force:
  • Every report is taken seriously by the NSW Police Force.
  • You can expect a respectful and straightforward experience.
  • A translator will be used if required.
  • When you report to the police, they will request your details. You can choose not to provide these details at the time of reporting however, this will likely affect how police can proceed with an investigation.
  • Support services or contact with an appropriate liaison officer will be offered.
  • You will be kept informed of what happens next, your rights and the criminal process (if someone was able to be charged).
If you witness a hate incident or hate crime but are not the victim, you can still make a report to the NSW Police. 

In an Emergency call Triple Zero (000). If not urgent, you can report online at crimestoppers.com.au or call 1800 333 000 or report in person at any Police Station.  
For more information, visit  www.police.nsw.gov.au/crime/hate_crimes

Week Two February 2026: Issue 651 (published Sunday February 8 2026)

Front Page Issue 651

Week Two February 2026: Issue 651 (published Sunday February 8 2026)

New Analysis Shows Mackellar MP Dr. Sophie Scamps Tops Time Spent Doing Her Job

Two Narrabeen Sports High School Teachers, One Curl Curl PS Teacher Honoured for 50+ Years of Public Education

Aquatics Milla Coco Brown - Lucas Hickson Win 2026 Kim Burton Pro Junior 

ARTEXPRESS is back! and Out Front 2026 celebrates the next generation artists - HSC Artists

NSW Women of the Year 2026 finalists announced: Several Locals named

Zali Steggall Calls For Royal Commission into Domestic Violence: 6 Women lost in 2026, so far  

Marine Rescue NSW volunteers respond to almost 700 incidents in January 2026

Pictures Dolphin Park Bushland Reserve: a stroll through this Right-of-way Park between Dolphin Crescent and Barrenjoey Road

DIY Ideas: A Job For Life: Apprentice Carpenter + Fee-Free Courses + Commencement Tool List + How to Look After Your Tools

North Sydney Council Refutes State Government Claims of Consultation on Future of Cammeray Golf Course

Park Bench Philosophers eSafety report shows while tech giants have made some progress they still have a long way to go in stamping out online child abuse + Big tech companies are still failing to tackle child abuse material online

Food The Food Of Love: Valentines Day Meal Ideas For The Home Cook - Valentines Day is coming up this Saturday, February 14, and even though we may not go overboard in Australia in celebrating this day, a few little bit special recipe ideas, and being able to make them quickly, can add something extra to this year's celebrations of love, and if done without slaving for hours, also give you more time with your loved ones – you can never have enough of that!

Environment Flowering Now: Pittwater Spotted Gum Trees, Australian Woodland Birds - Feeding behaviour of Varied Sittellas in the Capertee Valley, Wildlife rehabilitators to get $9 million in funding, Household rat poisons found to be ‘unacceptable risk’ to native animals; So why aren’t they banned?, Another mass fish kill at Menindee Lakes highlights NSW government’s failure to act on Darling/Baaka River: NCC, $7 billion pumped hydro projects declared critical for NSW by state government, Snakes in Suburbia: Coexisting Safely with our Local Species Webinar on Tuesday Feb 10 - Free, Mona Vale Dunes bushcare group: 2026 Dates, North Avalon Beach Dune Planting: March 1, Bangalley Headland WPA Bushcare 2026, North Head visitor access Changes: feedback closes Feb. 27, community invited to have a say on recreational opportunities In Great Koala National Park, Royal National Park plan draft amendment: Have your say, Birdwood Park Bushcare Group Narrabeen, These voices are the loudest in Australia’s ‘climate wars’, Renewables over 50%, wholesale prices down – is the energy transition… succeeding?, Why cheaper power alone isn’t enough to end energy poverty in summer, Victoria’s mountain ash forests naturally thin their trees. So why do it with machines?, If Australia and Indonesia agreed to end new thermal coal mines it could drive the green transition, Can a bird be an illegal immigrant? How the White Australia era influenced attitudes to the bulbul, Potoroos digging for ‘truffles’ keep their forests healthy – but for how long?, Tiny radio transmitters reveal a hidden survival tactic in birds, Some companies claim they can ‘resurrect’ species. Does that make people more comfortable with extinction?, 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 +

Inbox News Whooping cough cases are at their highest level in 35 years – so why the surge?, RBA raises interest rates as inflation pressures remain high, ASIC flags $40 million in refunds after review of risky financial products, Our study shows younger siblings spend more time on screens than big sisters and brothers, New data show where the parties got their money from in the lead-up to the 2025 election, New legislation to crackdown on ‘factories of hate’: NSW Government, Stronger conduct rules for NSW schools, with explicit ban on hate speech: NSW Government, NSW is ditching good character references in sentencing. Will the rest of the country follow?, New ASIC Chair,  ASIC proposes updates to legislative instruments about financial reporting: feedback open until Feb. 28, Puzzling slow radio pulses are coming from space. A new study could finally explain them, Why regularly taking laxatives over the long term can be a bad idea, Does coffee raise your blood pressure? Here’s how much it’s OK to drink, Why is my migraine worse in summer?, The government wants to track your medicines – here’s why, Mow for Ol'Mate in March, Rich boomer’ stereotype needs to go as new research shows 1 in 4 older Australians living in poverty: COTA Report, Deals done and dollars secured but what about stranded patients?: National Seniors, Pittwater Probus, Wyvern Music Forestville: Alexander Yau – Piano Recital, Local Seniors Festival Events: 2026, AvPals Term 1 2026 Short Courses at Newport, Star power lineup confirmed for 2026 Premier's Gala Concerts: to be Live Streamed, Milan Cortina Winter Olympics: history and new events and Australian medal chances, With a shortage of aged-care beds, discharging patients stranded in hospital is harder than it sounds, Lainie Anderson’s novels about a real pioneering policewoman invite us to play historical detective, Silver and gold hit record highs – then crashed. Before joining the rush, you need to know this, Flowering Now: Pittwater Spotted Gum Trees, Australian Woodland Birds - Feeding behaviour of Varied Sittellas in the Capertee Valley, Milla Coco Brown - Lucas Hickson Win 2026 Kim Burton Pro Junior, ARTEXPRESS is back!, Out Front 2026 celebrates the next generation artists, Club Chronicles: Billy Cart Blowouts in Longy Carpark, NSW Women of the Year 2026 finalists announced: Locals named, Opportunities: Newport Breakers Womens Rugby: Feb. 10 Training - bring your boots + a Friend+ NASA 2026 is a go!! + Safer Internet Day 2026 + Sevens by the Sea event + Battle of the Bands – Youth Edition: at Palm Beach + Fix our Feeds + Play Women's Social or Competitive Cricket with Cromer! + Pittwater Peninsula Netball Club + Avalon Bulldogs Announcement: Female Tackle Teams Kicking Off in 2026! + Female Tackle Coming to the Sharks in 2026!, Financial help for young people, School Leavers Support, Word Of The Week: Sport, Milan Cortina Winter Olympics: history, new events and Australian medal chances, A new comet was just discovered. Will it be visible in broad daylight?, Lainie Anderson’s novels about a real pioneering policewoman invite us to play historical detective, Australia once enshrined white superiority. These 10 trailblazers helped shift our attitudes to race, Why preferential voting is superior to first past the post, AC/DC in surgery and lo-fi beats in the office: what the science says about working to music, Brisbane dinosaur fossil is Australia’s oldest, Epiaceratherium itjilik: The rhino that lived in the Arctic, From statement sleeves to the codpiece: 5 fashions which should come back from Tudor England, Men rule the Grammys as women see hard drop in wins at 2026 awards, I studied 10 years of Instagram posts. Here’s how social media has changed, Olives have been essential to life in Italy for at least 6,000 years – far longer than we thought

________________

Week One February 2026: Issue 651 (published Sunday February 1 2026)

Profile of the Week: 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

History: On International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2026 we Remember those Lost and the work of Sister Muriel Knox Doherty, Of Avalon Beach, at the Bergen- Belsen Camp

Vale Mike Fletcher AM -  9.10.33 - 30.1.26

The fauna bridge on Mona Vale Road East – will it be a bridge to nowhere?

Pittwater MP Launches Survey Asking For Local Knowledge on Sharks: State Government Announces Further $4.2 million to Improve Shark Safety this Summer + How to reduce the risk of an encounter with a shark

Aquatics Synthetic grass fragments are increasingly prevalent microplastics in waterways across Metropolitan Sydney: Report finds Microplastics Have tripled in Sydney's waterways in three years - Manly Cove's 'very high' reading -NSW microplastics report 2026 

NSW Government announces New Northern Beaches Hospital 'High Volume Surgery Hub' to power through waitlist: Pittwater MP Confirms Locals Will Have Priority

Summer BirdFest 2026: Play antics of New Locals - Blue-faced Honeyeaters Breeding In Pittwater

Australian Sailing Team Appoints Pittwater's Jim Colley as 49erFX National Coach

Pantaenius Pittwater Regatta 2026: titans versus raiders by Di Pearson - held from 13 to 15 February, Entry closes at 1700 hours on 2 February. Late entries may be accepted at an additional fee.

Autism Swim’s Dippers program launches at Queenscliff: Inclusive Beach & Ocean Safety - Free, starts Feb, 2026

Manly Writer's Festival Announces 2026 Program: Exploring Ideas, Storytelling and Civic Debate - Thomas Keneally AO to open four-day festival, 19–22 March 2026, Tickets now open

Community Concern As Another Tree Up for Destruction by the Council - Doubling of prior Bassett Street Mona Vale DA proposal under NSW government SSD's provides stark illustration of impact on local environment of laws written 'for developers' (Feedback closes Feb 2, 2026) - Community Objections Being silenced or Ignored - Dec, 2025 Address to Council by Secretary of Protect Pittwater

Profile of the Week SOS (Save Our Suburb) Mona Vale: New Residents Group Launched Shines light on Problems of Overdeveloping a reclaimed floodplain

SOS (Save Our Suburb) Mona Vale is a grassroots resident action group, started in response to massive government over-reach, committed to keeping Mona Vale in the hands of its community. Formed just weeks ago, SOS Mona Vale has 100 signed-up members and thousands of followers.

The next Meeting for SOS Mona Vale will be held Thursday February 26 from 6pm at Mona Vale Memorial Hall. All welcome.

If you miss that one, Thursday March 19, same time and same venue, is next.

The group states:

''We are not aligned to any political group. 

We are not opposed to regulated appropriate development. In fact, we welcome it.

The State government's blanket rezoning of half the streets in Mona Vale allows greedy developers to prey on the heart of our community by legislation - 6+ storey luxury apartment buildings sideline the Council's Place Plan (designed in consultation with the community) - does nothing to make housing "more affordable" and defines the community as "a number of roofs". 

Mona Vale residents are much more then that.''

This week, a few insights into the what, where and why. Our thanks to John David, one of the Convenors of SOS Mona Vale, for his help with this Profile.
History Careel Head Road Shops and the Bangalley- Burrowong Creeks: Some History   by William (Bill) James Goddard II, Geoff Searl OAM, John Illingsworth and A J Guesdon

An absolute downpour of 340.5mm at Palm Beach, 258.5mm at Mackerel Beach, 191.5 and 180.5mm at Newport in the 24 hours of January 17-18, Saturday to Sunday, and flooding along the Barrenjoey road from Palm Beach Golf Club, at Pittwater Park, on the corner of Careel Head road, Careel Bay, and through the shopping area of Avalon Beach at the other end, along the 1860’s named ‘Priest's Flat’, coupled with the application to excavate at Careel Bay to facilitate a Dan Murphy’s outlet atop a Childcare Centre, with the ‘feedback’ period running from December 16 to January 15, when everyone has ‘clocked off’ for a few weeks, inspires a look into what may occur during this council approved DA build.

Pittwater Offshore Newsletter:

February 1 2026


Click on Logo to access the latest PON:  

To contact Roy:  editor@scotlandisland.org.au

Safer Internet Day 2026

Pittwater Online News supports @eSafetyOffice Safer Internet Day Tuesday 10 February 2026. We rely on the internet for almost everything in our lives, so online safety is more important than ever.  We’ll be kicking off our year with conversations about [how our staff] can stay safe online.

What will you be doing to help create safer, more positive online spaces? 

Safer Internet Day is a global day of action dedicated to raising awareness of online safety. On this page, you’ll find everything you need to make online safety visible in your school, workplace or community. Visit: eSafety.gov.au/SID

Mona Vale SLSC's New Surf Boat

MVSLSC launched a new surf boat just before Christmas 2025. Late last year the club was excited to share some fantastic news; 'The Pantry Manly generously agreed to purchase a new Surf Boat for our growing boat crews, and it has arrived.'

The Pantry’s owner, Sean Blasdall, is a proud nippers parent and has been a surf club member for several years. When the opportunity came up to support the club in such a meaningful way, Sean was more than happy to help our boat program continue to grow.'' MVSLSC said

''If you’ve been around the club on a Sunday morning, chances are you’ve seen Sean behind the BBQ, lending a hand like so many of our volunteers. He’s also the reason our BBQ crew now look so sharp in their Pantry aprons.

Sean oversees two local favourites in Manly — The Pantry Manly, perfectly positioned beachfront at the end of The Corso, and Manly Grill, a more family-friendly spot just down the road.

Next time you’re planning a meal out in Manly, we encourage you to show your support and enjoy a meal at one of Sean’s great venues. We’re incredibly grateful for his ongoing support of our club — thank you, Sean and The Pantry Manly team!''

The big reveal saw the new surf boat named after long-term Mona Vale SLSC Sweep and Mona legend Matthew 'Rude Boy' Collins - who was a bit surprised with the honour but then took the new boat and one of his crews out for a celebratory row.

Huge thanks to Sean Blasdall and all the great works he does here in Pittwater and at Manly.

That inaugural christening of the Matthew Collins -:

Maximum fares released for private ferry services

Announced: December 12, 2025
IPART has released our final report on the review of maximum fares for private ferry services in Sydney, the Central Coast and the North Coast.

The NSW Government asked IPART to set maximum fares for the following private ferry routes: Church Point – Scotland Island, Cronulla – Bundeena, Lane Cove – Circular Quay, Palm Beach – Mackerel Beach, Woy Woy – Empire Bay and Yamba – Iluka.

We’ve also been asked to recommend fares for the Palm Beach – Ettalong route.

“Private ferries provide important public transport for local communities, and our decisions aim to ensure these services remain accessible and sustainable” said Dr Darryl Biggar.

“We’ve set new maximum fares for each service, effective from 1 January 2026”. 

“The Tribunal’s review was informed by extensive consultation, including a public hearing, stakeholder submissions and a passenger survey. 

Community feedback made it clear that affordability and service viability matter to passengers and operators. We’ve listened and reflected these concerns in our final decisions.” 

Under the Tribunal’s decisions, maximum fares for an adult, single-trip ticket will rise in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for:
  • Church Point (Scotland Island and Western Foreshore of Pittwater) (increase from $12.00 in 2025 to $12.30 in 2026)
  • Cronulla to Bundeena (increase from $9.10 in 2025 to $9.40 in 2026)
  • Yamba to Iluka (increase from $11.60 in 2025 to $11.90 in 2026)
  • Woy Woy to Empire Bay (increase from $10.20 in 2025 to $10.50 in 2026).
These prices would also increase by CPI each subsequent year from 2027 to 2030.

The maximum fare for an adult, single-trip ticket for: 
  • Lane Cove to Circular Quay will decrease from $11.90 in 2025 to $7.90 in 2026 and then increase by CPI each subsequent year from 2027 to 2030.
  • Palm Beach to Mackerel Beach will increase from $9.70 in 2025 to $10.80 in 2026 and continue increasing to $16.20 in 2030. We have balanced setting affordable maximum fares that connect communities and the ongoing viability of operators.
We have recommended the fares on the Palm Beach to Ettalong route to increase by CPI (increase from $14.70 in 2025 to $16.70 in 2030).

Private ferry operators may choose to set fares lower than our maximum fares, or to offer discounts.

The Final Report is available on the IPART website.

Warriewood Community Centre Build: Update

Council has stated in a January 2026 update for this project that:

''Construction of the new Warriewood Community Centre is progressing well. Despite some recent weather delays, roofing is nearing completion, and work on external cladding, window framing and glazing is underway. Once the building is weather-tight, internal services and fitout will ramp up.

Below-ground services and landscaping preparation are continuing. The site office will soon be relocated to allow works on the western carpark to commence. We will ensure local residents and key stakeholders are informed in advance of any temporary access changes or traffic impacts associated with these works.

The project remains on track for completion in early 2026, subject to unforeseen delays.''


__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mow for Ol'Mate in March

Sunday, 1 March 2026 - 09:00 am to Tuesday, 31 March 2026 - 05:00 pm
It's a simple idea with a big heart: neighbours helping neighbours, right in their own backyards. By mowing a couple of lawns for older members of the community, you're not just tidying up - you're checking in, having a chat and making sure they're safe, supported and doing OK at home.

A freshly mown lawn can mean independence, dignity and peace of mind - and sometimes a reason to to stop, say hello and connect. So, grab a mower in March and be part of something special in the Northern Beaches Community.

Join this amazing community mow-ment today. Register your interest via enquiries@mwpcare.com.au or call 9913 3244.

OR Are you over 65 and would like your lawn mowed? Call our friendly team on 9913 3244 to register your interest.

Contact information
MWP Community Care, email: enquiries@mwpcare.com.au


Victa rotary lawnmower and Mervyn Victor Richardson of Careel Bay, the owner of the company - 1955 - photo by Jack Hickson, Australian Photographic Agency - 01148. Taken by Australian Photographic Agency for account: Graves, Hayes & Baker 1642/55.

North Sydney Council to Apply for 52.66% Rise In Rates

At an Extraordinary Meeting held on January 21 2026 North Sydney Council  resolved to apply to IPART for a 52.66% cumulative increase to rates over three years (including the rate peg) together with an increase to the minimum residential and business rates of $396.08 above rate peg over the three-year period.

The council stated the submission will be focused on financial sustainability and infrastructure management while providing modest funding to respond to community needs and growth pressures.

The council had to submit its application by Monday 2 February. IPART will run a public consultation process where community members can provide feedback directly. 

IPART states its community consultation on special variation and minimum rate increase applications will commence on 17 February 2026 and run for 3 weeks. 

'During this period, we invite community feedback to help the Tribunal make an informed decision when assessing a council's application.

Your submission should address one or more of the criteria set by the Office of Local Government, as outlined below. You can provide feedback via a survey or through a submission (see here for IPART’s submissions policy). ' IPART states

More in IPART's webpage:

Wildlife rehabilitators to get $9 million in funding

On Sunday February 1 2026 there was welcome news as the Minns Government announced an allocation of nine million dollars to boost support for the thousands of volunteers and veterinary professionals caring for injured, sick, and orphaned native animals.

Led by the Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment, Ms Trish Doyle MP, the NSW Wildlife Rehabilitation Sector Review commenced in July 2024 and involved extensive consultation across the state.

The review was undertaken to address funding, training, and logistical challenges for over 8,600 dedicated wildlife volunteers rescuing over 110,000 animals annually.

The Minns Government announced Recommendations from the review will be adopted in full. This includes reinstating the much-loved Wildlife Heroes initiative with a centralised resource hub that is proposed to support wellbeing and sector cohesion.

Actions from the review include:
  • Expanding training and upskilling carers for situations like fires and natural disasters
  • Grants to cover the cost of food, bandages, medication and vaccinations
  • Upgrading mental health support for volunteers, including access to counselling and peer support networks
  • Relaunching of the Wildlife Heroes initiative, which will act as a centralised hub for information.
The $9 million package will include a number of support programs for small operational expenses and collaborative initiatives for rehabilitators, veterinarians, and researchers.

NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said:
“We’ve known that our carers were under immense pressure and this review gives us a clear direction to support the work they do.

“The work our carers do to rehabilitate our native animals is irreplaceable.

“I’m thrilled to announce this funding, and I’m committed to working with the sector to implement these recommendations for our rehabilitators and our wildlife.”

NSW Parliamentary Secretary Trish Doyle said:
“It's been a privilege to hear the stories of our wildlife rehabilitators. I’ve been moved by the dedication, resilience and passion for our native wildlife.

“I want to thank everyone who has worked with me to pull together this incredible piece of work to make a real difference in the sector.”

One of the Founders of Sydney Wildlife and a representative of the NSW Wildlife Council, Pittwater's Sonja Elwood Wesley, was on hand for the announcement, stating this was an amazing morning and a first for the volunteer wildlife rehab sector in NSW.

''Big thanks to Minister Penny Sharpe MLC and Parliamentary Secretary Trish Doyle MP for their support and recognition of all the hard work of the volunteers in our sector.''

Photo: Sonja (left with white t-shirt), and NSW Environment Minister, The Hon. Penny Sharpe MLC, at the announcement. Photo: NSW Government

New NSW Children’s Guardian Appointed

Announced: Wednesday February 4, 2026
Ms Rachael Ward has today been permanently appointed as the Children’s Guardian for NSW.

Ms Ward has been the Acting Children’s Guardian since March 2025 and during that time has demonstrated strong and stable leadership as the head of the Office of the Children’s Guardian.

The Children’s Guardian is an independent statutory officeholder responsible for the safety of children and young people in NSW, including the administration of the Working with Children Check system, and the Reportable Conduct and Child Safe schemes.

Ms Ward brings a depth of legal and professional experience, with over 24 years of specialisation in child protection law. Ms Ward is a member of the Children’s Court Advisory Committee and was previously the Director of Child Law at the Department of Communities and Justice.

During her time as the Acting Children’s Guardian, Ms Ward has focused on rebuilding the capability of the regulator and increasing compliance and enforcement activities.

The Minns Labor Government is investing in improving children’s safety, with the Office of the Children’s Guardian recently receiving a $5.5 million funding boost over two years, meaning the office is now more than $10 million a year better off compared to 2022-23.

Ms Ward’s appointment is for a five-year term and will expire in February 2031.

Minister for Families and Communities, Kate Washington said:

“I am pleased to confirm the permanent appointment of Rachael Ward as the Children’s Guardian.

“As the Acting Children’s Guardian, Ms Ward has demonstrated strong leadership and professionalism driven by her longstanding dedication to child safety.

“I acknowledge and welcome Ms Ward’s proactive approach to compliance activities. The Minns Labor Government is investing in stronger enforcement of child safety laws, with the Office of the Children’s Guardian now more than $10 million a year better off.”

Children’s Guardian, Rachael Ward said:

“I am honoured to be appointed as the Children’s Guardian. Over the past year it has been my privilege to lead the excellent staff at the Office of the Children's Guardian and I look forward to our continued work to make NSW safer for children and young people, and people living with disability.”

AOK: Urgent - Thursday Volunteers Needed

Every Thursday, we serve a hot meal to our homeless community — and right now, we urgently need help to make that happen.
We’re looking for one or two reliable people with transport and a working oven who can help heat pre-cooked meals each Thursday.

Quick details:
  • Food already cooked
  • Trays provided
  • Pick up Warriewood – Thursday morning
  • Heat in your oven
  • Return hot by 4pm
That’s it. No cooking. Just heating.

This has become a critical weekly gap, and having consistent Thursday support would take enormous pressure off and ensure our community doesn’t miss out on a hot meal.

If you:
💜 Live near Warriewood 
💜 Have a working oven
💜 Can help most Thursdays (even fortnightly)
👉 Please comment or message us ASAP. at: 

If Thursdays aren’t possible but you’d like to help in another way, still reach out — we have other roles too.

Thank you for helping us keep our community fed with dignity.
— Sarah & the AOK team

MWP Care Seeking Volunteers

Our business relies on the kindness of strangers...
Looking for a way to give back without giving up your lifestyle?

Become part of our Volunteer IMPACT Club and gain access to exercise classes, social events, Silver Surfers, tables at trivia as well as training and development workshops! Plus – have your petrol re-imbursed!!

Volunteering with MWP fits around your life and your schedule, letting you make a real impact in your local community. Enjoy meeting like-minded people, learning new skills, and knowing that your time is changing lives every day.
Your Time. Your Way. Your Impact. 

Find out more here: mwpcare.com.au/get-involved

Inaugural Surf Lifesaving Red & Yellow Day

On Wednesday 4 March 2026, Surf Life Saving Australia will launch the very first Red & Yellow Day, a new nationwide celebration of Surf Life Saving and the thousands of volunteer surf lifesavers who keep our beaches safe.

With one month to go until the inaugural Red & Yellow Day, Surf Life Saving Australia is calling on everyone across Australia to take part, by wearing the colours, donating, fundraising, signing up at your local club and by staying beach-safe.

Red & Yellow Day is an opportunity to:

  • Improve public awareness of the vital work of Surf Life Saving and the thousands of volunteer surf lifesavers around the country
  • Educate communities, families and individuals about essential water safety information
  • Increase fundraising to maintain and replace equipment, train volunteer surf life savers and deliver water safety education in communities
  • Inspire more Australians to get involved and support their local community

Events and activations are being planned around the country as the countdown to March 4 begins, with more information about national and local activity to be shared in the lead up to Red & Yellow Day.

Surf Life Saving Australia CEO, Adam Weir said:

“With one month until Red & Yellow Day, now is the time for schools, clubs, businesses, and individuals across Australia to get behind the day.

“Red & Yellow Day is an opportunity for all of us to show our support for the thousands of volunteer surf lifesavers who give their time to keep our beaches safe.

“The best way you can get involved is by wearing red and yellow on March 4, and by always swimming between the red and yellow flags.”

Surf Life Saving Australia’s major national partner DHL is supporting Red & Yellow Day by delivering up to 1000 Red & Yellow Day Party Packs nationally, with 100% of the purchase price going directly to supporting volunteer surf lifesaving services.

The Red & Yellow Day Party Pack contains everything you need to host a Red & Yellow Day event and are available to purchase now via redandyellowday.org.au.

For inspiration on how to get involved on March 4, check out the Red & Yellow Day campaign video below, or to learn more about Red & Yellow Day, visit redandyellowday.org.au.

By getting behind Red & Yellow Day, you’ll be supporting the vital work of Surf Life Saving volunteers around the country.

When you back the surf lifesavers on Red & Yellow Day, you can help save lives too.

Bronze Medallion Course at WBSLSC

Ready to take the next step in surf lifesaving?
Our Bronze Medallion Course starts 12 February and is the foundation qualification for becoming a surf lifesaver. Learn surf awareness, rescue techniques, first aid and teamwork - and be part of keeping our beaches safe.

Development Coordination Authority (DCA) changes: Feedback invited

The Minns Government has announced it is putting the proposed regulatory changes to create the Development Coordination Authority (DCA) on public exhibition.

The government states the changes will make navigating the planning system faster and easier for applicants and councils by centralising State agency advice and decision-making so applicants no longer need to navigate at times conflicting and confusing advice from up to 22 different areas of Government.

Through the DCA, the NSW Government is putting a stop to unnecessary delays ending a system which saw a DA with just one referral take an average of 60 days longer to assess than a DA without one, and where each additional referral added up to 100 days to assessment timeframes.

Under proposed regulatory changes the need for expert advice from the DCA and other bodies on local DAs will be consolidated from more than 800 requirements across 175 planning instruments into a single list aligned with the government's State priorities.

The government states this list will sit in State Environmental Planning Policy (Planning Systems) 2021, making it easier to access and understand for all users of the planning system and safeguarding areas like the environment, heritage, bush fire management and infrastructure operation with the DCA as a single point of contact on all State matters.

The DCA will be required to meet strict timelines.

The government states the DCA and other bodies will have 28 days to provide feedback on development applications (DAs), providing consistent response times and helping speed up assessment times.

The DCA, began initial operations in December and is already helping connect applicants to the right areas of Government and providing post-development consent support so projects can begin construction sooner.

Its main stated functions - to bring together experts from a broad range of state agencies so conflicts can be resolved quickly and allow a single, coordinated response - will begin on 1 July. Find out more here.

The government states the proposed changes are part of a landmark overhaul of the State’s planning system designed to tackle delays and complexity adding to construction costs and create a faster, fairer and modern planning system in NSW.

How DCA will work and proposed regulatory changes, will be exhibited from Thursday, 29 January to Wednesday, 25 February 2026. To have your say, visit www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/draftplans/exhibition/have-your-say-establishing-development-coordination-authority-dca

This is the first public exhibition to implement the landmark Planning System Reforms Bill 2025 which passed parliament in November 2025.

See: Scruby slams government and opposition teaming up to make it easy for developers as NSW Planning System Reform Bill passes - community asks: who are these elected Representatives actually representing?

Narrabeen Lakes Amateur Swimming Club: Saturday Afternoons

Some say the key to keeping New Year's resolutions is to make them specific, measurable, and achievable. If health and wellness is yours, then swim clubs can help you achieve them.  It’s an easy exercise habit to develop, super cheap ($40 for the rest of the season), with measurable improvements.  And its heaps of fun and so good for your wellbeing.  

Just walking down the path to our beautiful Narrabeen ocean and lagoon sheds will help you destress and then you get to swim in our spectacular pool with some pretty wonderful people (at the most magical time of the year to swim).  

You can learn more about us at www.nlasc.com.au or just come down and swim a length of two with us and see what we're all about.  

You'll find us at Narrabeen rockpool every Saturday arvo from 1pm.

Now Open: funding round for the NSW Government's Holiday Break Autumn/Winter 2026 program

If you want to bring young people together during the Autumn and/or Winter school holidays then this may be good news; a new round of the NSW Government’s Holiday Break funding is now open

Start preparing now so you can be ready to submit as soon as the funding round opens! We will notify you once the funding round opens.

Key program guidelines:
  • Applicants are encouraged to design high quality, fun and engaging activities for the exclusive participation of young people aged 12-24 years.
  • Applicants can deliver the activities in the Autumn and/or winter holidays, and apply for both rounds in a single application.
  • Eligible organisations can apply for funding which can be split across the autumn and/or winter school holidays. Additional travel loading is still available per organisation if an external supplier is needed to deliver the program in remote or very remote parts of NSW.
  • Successful applicants will receive one funding agreement for the program.
Please email grants@officeforyouth.nsw.gov.au with any questions, or find out more by visiting nsw.gov.au/HolidayBreak.        
NSW Office for Youth

Oppose the Planning Reforms: Petition

Liberals have worked with Labor to radically reform NSW's planning rules to be developer-led. 

NSW is implementing the biggest reforms in 50 years - overriding council-led planning and existing planning controls, and reducing community voices in planning decisions. 

These blanket planning laws disregard strategic council-led planning and centralise state-power, opening up the risk of corruption and lack of transparency in decision making. 

Although some mum and dad developers will welcome some streamlining, the reality is that we will face a development onslaught that will allow developers more scope to build where they want, when they want. 

We all knew the NSW Government was focused on delivering housing and was going to embark on these reforms, but we thought there would be resistance from the Opposition. Instead, the Liberal party worked with the government. 

"We are now a pro-supply, yimby-based (Yes In My Back Yard) party... getting government out of the way and letting developers build houses," according to Liberal MLC the Hon. Chris Rath.

I have spoken in parliament against these reforms and was one of only four MPs out of 93 who voted against these reforms in the Legislative Assembly. Please view my speech for details on the reform. 

We must continue this fight, which is likely to be long and difficult. Many small groups are popping up, but we are stronger together. 

This petition will allow me to build a co-ordinated campaign and keep you informed on planning. 

If you want to keep community voice in planning decisions and balanced developments that protect the environment, please sign my petition and remember to tell us if you are affected by any development applications or offers to purchase your property.

Jacqui Scrub,
MP for Pittwater

NSW Netball Privacy Policy: Ask Permission

Barrenjoey High School P&C Welcome event: Feb. 19

Narrabeen Sports High School 2026 Open Night

Come and join us for our 2026 Open Night on Tuesday 3 March, from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. 

This event is open to all prospective students and parents and is a wonderful opportunity to experience our school community first-hand.

On the evening you will:
  • - Meet our dedicated teachers and staff
  • - Enjoy guided tours of our school facilities
  • - Explore faculty Teaching and Learning displays
  • - Hear the Principal’s Address at 4:00pm
  • - Enjoy student music performances
  • - Learn more about our Sports Academy Program
We look forward to seeing you there!

Feedback on Middle Harbour flood study findings Invited

The council is asking residents of Belrose, Davidson, Frenchs Forest, Forestville, and Killarney Heights to find out about flood risk in the area and share their views on the draft Middle Harbour Flood Study. This new Study uses the latest technology and data to better understand local flood risks and improve emergency planning.

The draft Study replaces the 2010 Frenchs Creek Flood Study, showing fewer flood-affected properties in this area due to modelling with improved technology and more up-to-date rainfall data. However, by looking at a significantly wider area not previously investigated for flooding, it identifies more properties at risk overall. The Study provides information on flood levels, depths, and hazards, includes feedback from recent floods and considers climate change impacts.

Mayor Sue Heins said the release of the draft Study marks a significant step forward for the community.

“This draft Flood Study is a major step in making our neighbourhoods safer and better prepared for future floods.

“We’ve listened to the experts, community members, used the latest technology and now we want to share that with you and hear back from you.

Flooding can seriously affect homes and infrastructure. 

The council states the updated Study will guide future development, help emergency planning, and build a safer community.

During the exhibition period, property owners within the study area will receive a letter if their property has been identified as being flood affected. This letter will outline how they can find out more about the study and its findings and how to make a submission. Residents will be able to book in for face-to-face meetings with council flood officers and a consultant, receive updates through council e-newsletters and give feedback on the council’s Your Say webpage for this work.

The next stage of the process will be to undertake the flood risk management study and plan, which will investigate potential options to reduce and manage flood risk in the area.

The draft Study is available to view on the council’s Middle Harbour Flood Study (draft) webpage and submissions are now open and will close March 9.

The draft Study has been prepared with financial assistance from the NSW and Commonwealth Governments through the Natural Disaster Resilience Program.

Monika's Doggie Rescue Pets of the Week

Peaches and Cream

  • Peaches 2yo Tibetan Spaniel X
  • Cream 2yo Moodle 

Peaches and Cream are a bonded pair of boys who want to stay together. They are very sweet and affectionate and social with other small dogs. Peaches has a cherry eye that still needs repair (prolapsed third eyelid). They are cuddly dogs who want to sleep on your bed. Cream has a low-shedding coat that needs grooming and Peaches has a medium coat that needs regular brushing. They both weigh around 5kg. They are is desexed , fully vaccinated, heartworm free and chipped. Their adoption cost TOGETHER is $1400

Huntrix 

12mths Domestic Short Haired Cat

Huntrix arrived at the council pound with tiny newborn babies, terrified and unsure of the world. When Doggierescue rescued her and brought her into our care with her little family, she was so frightened we couldn’t get near her. But with time, patience, and lots of gentle care…Huntrix blossomed.

This beautiful tabby girl has transformed into the most affectionate, smoochy, cuddly young mumma. She raised her kittens with absolute devotion and grace, and now that her babies are ready for their own homes, it’s finally Huntrix’s turn to be cherished.

Huntrix Personality; Initially shy with new people — she may need a little time and a calm environment to settle. Once she trusts you, she is loving, gentle, and affectionate. Loves head rubs, cuddle time. Has the most stunning green eyes that will absolutely melt you. 

Ideal Home; A patient adopter willing to give her a gentle introduction to home life. A quieter household where she can settle at her own pace. Could suit a single person, couple, or family with respectful older children. Needs a safe indoor only home (or indoor with secure outdoor enclosure). Her adoption fee is $220. All our cats come desexed, wormed, F3 vaccinated, FIV/FeLV tested if over 6 months old and microchipped. 

For further details call DoggieRescue on 9486 3133  or email  Monika@DoggieRescue.com.  RON R251000024

Petition: Stop Politicians from spamming & harvesting our data

Sign at: www.katechaney.com.au/spam-and-data-petition

We want political parties to communicate - but without bombarding us or harvesting our personal information.

This is a chance for the Government to act to protect voters.

Political Spam

We’re tired of getting swamped with political texts. Political parties shouldn’t be exempt from the Spam Act 2003 - they need to follow the same rules as every business. Prime Minister Albanese said on ABC Radio, “I certainly think that would be a reasonable thing to do, to ban the texts."

Data Harvesting - Postal Vote Applications

Millions of Australians vote by post. This process should be between you and the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) - not political parties fishing for your data. Right now, major parties send postal vote application forms – by SMS, email or to your mailbox - along with their political ads and ask you to send your application to a “processing centre” they control. They can then collect your personal details to use and share before passing the application on to the AEC. As AEC Commissioner Jeff Pope said on 31 March 2025, "Concerns about party postal vote applications through unsolicited outreach is the number one complaint we hear from voters at almost every federal election"

Governments in Victoria and Western Australia have fixed this. NSW is next. 

It’s time for the Federal Government to do the same!

More in report: Bill to Stop Politicians Harvesting your Data Via Postal Votes Introduced: Petition to support Bill

Report Hate Crimes

Recent reports to the news service would indicate this reminder is needed at present.

If you are subjected to hate on social media or online you should keep evidence by taking screen shots of the abuse including usernames, URLs and any other relevant information. You can report the abuse directly to the platform and report in person at any Police Station.

When not on social media and when there is no crime committed, but an action is still motivated by hate, prejudice or bias, it is known as a hate incident. Both hate crimes and hate incidents are taken very seriously by the NSW Police.

When you report hate that you witness or experience, you become part of a larger movement to remove it from our society.

What you can expect from the NSW Police Force:
  • Every report is taken seriously by the NSW Police Force.
  • You can expect a respectful and straightforward experience.
  • A translator will be used if required.
  • When you report to the police, they will request your details. You can choose not to provide these details at the time of reporting however, this will likely affect how police can proceed with an investigation.
  • Support services or contact with an appropriate liaison officer will be offered.
  • You will be kept informed of what happens next, your rights and the criminal process (if someone was able to be charged).
If you witness a hate incident or hate crime but are not the victim, you can still make a report to the NSW Police. 

In an Emergency call Triple Zero (000). If not urgent, you can report online at crimestoppers.com.au or call 1800 333 000 or report in person at any Police Station.  
For more information, visit  www.police.nsw.gov.au/crime/hate_crimes

Week One February 2026: Issue 651 (published Sunday February 1 2026)

Front Page Issue 651

Week One February 2026: Issue 651 (published Sunday February 1 2026)

Vale Mike Fletcher AM -  9.10.33 - 30.1.26

The fauna bridge on Mona Vale Road East – will it be a bridge to nowhere?

Pittwater MP Launches Survey Asking For Local Knowledge on Sharks: State Government Announces Further $4.2 million to Improve Shark Safety this Summer + How to reduce the risk of an encounter with a shark

Aquatics Synthetic grass fragments are increasingly prevalent microplastics in waterways across Metropolitan Sydney: Report finds Microplastics Have tripled in Sydney's waterways in three years - Manly Cove's 'very high' reading -NSW microplastics report 2026 

NSW Government announces New Northern Beaches Hospital 'High Volume Surgery Hub' to power through waitlist:  Pittwater MP Confirms Locals Will Have Priority

Summer BirdFest 2026: Play antics of New Locals - Blue-faced Honeyeaters Breeding In Pittwater

Australian Sailing Team Appoints Pittwater's Jim Colley as 49erFX National Coach

Pantaenius Pittwater Regatta 2026: titans versus raiders by Di Pearson - held from 13 to 15 February, Entry closes at 1700 hours on 2 February. Late entries may be accepted at an additional fee.

Pictures: From Red Dust to Blue Water: Bush to Beach Celebrates 21 Years of Changing Young Indigenous Lives

Autism Swim’s Dippers program launches at Queenscliff: Inclusive Beach & Ocean Safety - Free, starts Feb, 2026

Manly Writer's Festival Announces 2026 Program: Exploring Ideas, Storytelling and Civic Debate - Thomas Keneally AO to open four-day festival, 19–22 March 2026, Tickets now open

Community Concern As Another Tree Up for Destruction by the Council - Doubling of prior Bassett Street Mona Vale DA proposal under NSW government SSD's provides stark illustration of impact on local environment of laws written 'for developers' (Feedback closes Feb 2, 2026) - Community Objections Being silenced or Ignored - Dec, 2025 Address to Council by Secretary of Protect Pittwater

Environment The fauna bridge on Mona Vale Road East – will it be a bridge to nowhere?, Synthetic grass fragments are increasingly prevalent microplastics in waterways across Metropolitan Sydney: Report finds Microplastics Have tripled in Sydney's waterways in three years - Manly Cove's 'very high' reading - NSW microplastics report 2026, Summer BirdFest 2026: Play antics of New Locals - Blue-faced Honeyeaters Breeding In Pittwater, Wildlife Dies in Extreme Heat: Please put water out - ‘Sad and distressing’: massive numbers of bird deaths in Australian heatwaves reveal a profound loss is looming + We know how to cool our cities and towns. So why aren’t we doing it?, Mona Vale Dunes bushcare group: 2026 Dates, Bangalley Headland WPA Bushcare 2026, North Head visitor access Changes: open for feedback until Feb 27, Shelly Beach Echidna, Oil-Gas Exploration in Southern Seas reopened by Albanese Government: feedback closes Feb 6, community invited to have a say on recreational opportunities In Great Koala National Park: Feedback closes March 1, Royal National Park plan draft amendment: Have your say until Feb 20, Ku-ring-gai Council fined for water pollution in creek incident from Legacy Landfill beneath North Turramurra Golf Course, DNA breakthrough for elusive Rufous Scrub-bird in NSW, Australian Government pilots national solar panel recycling program, Australia’s circular economy: unlocking the opportunities - Jan 2026 Report, $60,000 penalty to Forestry Corp NSW for Mogo State Forest water pollution: EPA, Birdwood Park Bushcare Group Narrabeen, Where did southern Australia’s record-breaking heatwave come from?, Anatomy of a heatwave: how a cyclone, humid air and atmospheric waves drove brutal heat in the southeast, Fossil fuels are doomed – and Trump can’t save them, Will killing dingoes on K’gari make visitors safer? We think it’s unlikely, Red flowers have a ‘magic trait’ to attract birds and keep bees away, Paying attention to birdsong while walking in nature can boost wellbeing - new research, Welcome to the ‘Homogenocene’: how humans are making the world’s wildlife dangerously samey, How to cut harmful emissions from ditches and canals – new research, PFAS are turning up in the Great Lakes, putting fish and water supplies at risk – here’s how they get there, Octopus numbers exploded around the UK’s south-west coast in 2025 – a new report explores this rare phenomenon, 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 +

Inbox News The rise of the ‘Super-K’ flu: what you need to know, Government announces public hospital funding deal with states, Free 2026 street events make blockbuster events accessible to all, NSW to name and shame property rule breakers, $2.5m Lung Bus tour of NSW begins in Newcastle to protect workers against dust diseases, Scientists once thought the brain couldn’t be changed. Now we know different, A new company tax mix has been proposed. We need to be careful how we assess it, How this ‘dirtbag’ billionaire chose to do capitalism differently, Back to school: what are the money lessons to teach your kids at every age?, Swap muesli bars for homemade popcorn: 5 ways to pack a lower-waste lunch box, Did the kids stay up late in the holidays? 3 ways to get sleep routines back, Should I take a fish oil supplement for my heart, joints or mood?, ChatGPT Health promises to personalise health information. It comes with many risks, Does your child want a part-time job? Here’s what the law says about kids at work, View from The Hill: Dysfunctional federal opposition is in gridlock, NSW Seniors Festival Comedy Show serving up laughs in Sydney: tickets available from 10am Tuesday 3 February 2026, AvPals Term 1 2026 Short Courses at Newport, MWP Care Seeking Volunteers, Congratulations to 2026 Senior Australian of the Year, Establishing the Neale Daniher National MND Clinical Network, Your experiences matter – please share them with us, Star power lineup confirmed for 2026 Premier's Gala Concerts: to be Live Streamed, 2026 Resident Experience Survey has started, Small improvements in sleep, physical activity and diet are linked with a longer life, ‘Bold’. ‘Elegant’. ‘Introverted’? How words describing wine get lost in translation, People who survive cancers are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s – this might be why, How interwar fiction made sense of an increasingly noisy world, Summer BirdFest 2026: Play antics of New Locals, Blue-faced honeyeaters Breeding In Pittwater, Sierra Kerr - The First Female Backflip: Surfing Australia, Scheriya seals her future in the waterproofing industry, Opportunities: Battle of the Bands – Youth Edition: at Palm Beach, Fix our Feeds + Play Women's Social or Competitive Cricket with Cromer! + Pittwater Peninsula Netball Club 2026 rego + Avalon Bulldogs Announcement: Female Tackle Teams Kicking Off in 2026! + Female Tackle Coming to the Sharks in 2026!, Financial help for young people, School Leavers Support, Word Of The Week: Chord, Animation on never giving up on your dreams:  The Necktie - by Jean-François Lévesque, Can shoes alter your mind? What neuroscience says about foot sensation and focus, It’s easy making green: Muppets continue to make a profit 50 years into their run, Submarine mountains and long-distance waves stir the deepest parts of the ocean, Friday essay: how hard is it to govern?, A brief history of sugar, Did a tsunami hit the Bristol Channel four centuries ago? Revisiting the great flood of 1607, Rethinking Troy: how years of careful peace, not epic war, shaped this bronze age city, In ancient Mesopotamia; what was a ziggurat?, A red Moon, a blue Moon, a supermoon and more: your guide to the southern sky in 2026, Beach swimming was once banned in Australia. How did it become a treasured pastime?, How interwar fiction made sense of an increasingly noisy world

Profile of the Week A community legacy: Art Auction of works from the Home of Susan Duncan & Bob Story to Support West Pittwater RFS

A thoughtfully gathered collection of locally inspired artworks from the home of Susan Duncan and Bob Storey will soon be offered at auction, bringing together art, place and community in a way that feels unmistakably Pittwater.

Following Susan’s passing late last year, Bob has since moved away from Pittwater. In a generous and considered gesture, a substantial selection of artworks from their home has been donated to the West Pittwater Rural Fire Brigade. The donation reflects Susan and Bob’s long-standing connection to the brigade and to the people it serves. It is not a dispersal of a formal collection. Rather, it is a practical and heartfelt decision to pass on works that were part of everyday life, allowing them to be lived with again rather than packed away or lost from view.

Key details

  • Online auction: Open now, closing Monday 9 March at midnight
  • Live auction: Saturday 7 March, Elvina Reserve, 3.30pm
  • Approximately 20 works will be concluded live
  • Live auction works will pause online bidding from 1.00pm on Saturday 7 March
  • All other works remain available online until final close
  • Printed catalogue available at the live event by donation 

Full event details, images and catalogue previews are available here: airauctioneer.com/the-art-of-living


International Holocaust Remembrance Day, or the International Day in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, is an international memorial day on 27 January each year that commemorates the victims of the Holocaust, which resulted in the genocide of two-thirds of the European Jewish population along with countless numbers of individuals of other minority groups, by Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1945.

The choice of 27 January for the annual commemoration aligns with the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp by the Red Army in 1945.

However, the European Jewish population were murdered in several other Nazi camps as well.

One of these was the Bergen-Belsen camp to which Avalon Beach Nursing Sister, Matron Muriel Knox Doherty, was tasked to when peace was regained. Her letters home described the challenges of trying to help thousands of people, many very ill, all of them homeless.

Bergen-Belsen began as a camp for Allied prisoners of war. After it was turned over to the SS, it became a Nazi concentration camp in 1943. Beginning in fall 1944, the SS deported to Bergen-Belsen large numbers of prisoners evacuated from Nazi camps further east.

As a result of overcrowded and horrific living conditions, where disease and starvation flourished, tens of thousands of people imprisoned there died. Anne Frank and her older sister Margot died at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in February or March 1945. 

Enthusiastic to provide aid in Europe, Sister Doherty arrived in Germany on July 11th 1945 as Principal Matron for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA).  Muriel wrote extensive 'Community Letters' to family and friends in Sydney, recording her insights of the camp and the extraordinary suffering she witnessed.

Muriel was then deployed to Poland, to Warsaw. This Issue her insights in her voice.

Pittwater Offshore Newsletter:

January 1 2026


Click on Logo to access the latest PON:  

To contact Roy:  editor@scotlandisland.org.au

Congratulations Tilly -Nixon

Congratulations to Tilly Hobbis from Bilgola Beach SLSC and Nixon West from Dee Why SLSC and on being named SNB Branch Junior Lifesavers of the Year on Friday January 30.  

We all wish them the very best as they head to the SLSNSW JLOTY program in April.

Congratulations to all candidates from SNB clubs - wonderful to see such bright, intelligent, caring young lifesavers stepping up to make a difference in their community.

SNB Branch Championships 2026

Open & Masters SNB Branch Champs: https://liveheats.com/events/454919
Inclusive SNB Branch Champs: https://liveheats.com/events/455843
March Past SNB Branch Champs: https://liveheats.com/events/455019
Surf Boats SNB Branch Champs: https://liveheats.com/events/454127
Junior SNB Branch Champs: https://liveheats.com/events/454259

Please submit your entries by 11pm Monday 2nd February. Any questions please contact surfsportsadmin@surflifesaving.net.au

Branch Distance Runs Championships will be held at Queenscliff on Fri, Feb 6, 2026. This includes Juniors, Opens and Masters Events will be held at 5:00 PM

Branch Open & Masters Championships will be held at Queenscliff on Sat, Feb 7 2026. This includes Water & Beach events, March Past and Surf Boats

Branch Inclusive Branch Championships will be held at Queenscliff on Sat, Feb 7 2026

Branch Age Championships will be held at Queenscliff on Sun, Feb 8, 2026. This includes Water & Beach events.

Congratulations Cindy Gardiner

Bilgola Plateau Public School Principal, Cindy Gardiner, has been awarded a Fellowship with the Teachers Guild of NSW. 

''I was deeply honoured to be awarded a Fellowship with the Teachers Guild of NSW,.'' Ms Gardiner said, stating this was, to her, ''A humbling and meaningful acknowledgement.''

A Fellowship with the Teachers Guild of NSW is given in recognition of leadership that drives innovation, upholds professional commitment and keeps students at the centre of decision-making. 

Cindy Gardiner has certainly being doing that in spades for quite some time at the 'little school on the hill'.

Cindy commenced at BPPS in 2023, meaning this Term is her lucky 13th!

The award was presented by Dr Frederick Osman, President of the Teachers Guild of NSW, and Murat Dizdar, Secretary of the NSW Department of Education. 

Congratulations Cindy - very well deserved.

Image: BPPS on Instagram

Bayview baths, wharf and tidal pool upgrade: Project update 

A project to repair and upgrade Bayview Wharf is underway. This project also provides an opportunity to restore the tidal pool. 

The council advises the groyne (40 metre heritage barrier) replacement work in the area has now commenced.  To see the next steps please visit the project page on the council website. 


Bayview wharf and baths last year.

Bronze Medallion Course at WBSLSC

Ready to take the next step in surf lifesaving?
Our Bronze Medallion Course starts 12 February and is the foundation qualification for becoming a surf lifesaver. Learn surf awareness, rescue techniques, first aid and teamwork - and be part of keeping our beaches safe.

Group Bike Ride Feb. 1: Wear A helmet - Follow the Rules

NSW Police state they are aware of a planned large group bike ride through the northern beaches at 11am on Sunday, 1 February.

Police will have a high-visibility presence to monitor the event. Unsafe or antisocial behaviour will not be tolerated, including reckless riding, blocking roads, or putting pedestrians and other road users at risk.

All riders must:
✔️ Wear a helmet
✔️ Ride a compliant bike
✔️ Follow road rules and police directions


Northern Beaches Police Area Command Appeal for Information: Wakehurst Parkway


AOK: Urgent - Thursday Volunteers Needed

Every Thursday, we serve a hot meal to our homeless community — and right now, we urgently need help to make that happen.
We’re looking for one or two reliable people with transport and a working oven who can help heat pre-cooked meals each Thursday.

Quick details:
  • Food already cooked
  • Trays provided
  • Pick up Warriewood – Thursday morning
  • Heat in your oven
  • Return hot by 4pm
That’s it. No cooking. Just heating.

This has become a critical weekly gap, and having consistent Thursday support would take enormous pressure off and ensure our community doesn’t miss out on a hot meal.

If you:
💜 Live near Warriewood 
💜 Have a working oven
💜 Can help most Thursdays (even fortnightly)
👉 Please comment or message us ASAP. at: 

If Thursdays aren’t possible but you’d like to help in another way, still reach out — we have other roles too.

Thank you for helping us keep our community fed with dignity.
— Sarah & the AOK team

MWP Care Seeking Volunteers

Our business relies on the kindness of strangers...
Looking for a way to give back without giving up your lifestyle?

Become part of our Volunteer IMPACT Club and gain access to exercise classes, social events, Silver Surfers, tables at trivia as well as training and development workshops! Plus – have your petrol re-imbursed!!

Volunteering with MWP fits around your life and your schedule, letting you make a real impact in your local community. Enjoy meeting like-minded people, learning new skills, and knowing that your time is changing lives every day.
Your Time. Your Way. Your Impact. 

Find out more here: mwpcare.com.au/get-involved

NSW Libs establish New portfolio - announce shadow Parliamentary Secretaries: Davidson MP Matt Cross Announced as Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Men’s Health

On January 27 2026 the NSW Liberals and Nationals announced they have established a dedicated Men’s Health portfolio, 'reinforcing the Opposition’s commitment to improving health outcomes for men and boys across NSW'. 

Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane announced the appointment of Member for Davidson Matt Cross as Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Men’s Health, tasking him with developing a men’s health strategy for NSW. 

Ms Sloane said improving the health of men and boys is a clear priority for the NSW Liberals and Nationals and one that demands renewed focus and leadership. 

“We owe it to the four million boys and men in NSW to do better,” Ms Sloane said. 

“We should not accept the status quo where men continue to die around four years younger than women from largely preventable causes, or where suicide remains the leading cause of death for men aged 15 to 44.” 

“I want NSW to have the best health outcomes for men and boys in Australia, and that means a clear strategy, modern policies and practical support for men at every stage of life.” 

Ms Sloane said a future Liberal and Nationals Government would develop a men’s health strategy, building on existing frameworks but ensuring they are fit for purpose in 2026 and beyond. 

“This will include a stronger focus on prevention and early detection, better engagement with primary care, improved health information tailored to men, and practical support for fathers and families,” Ms Sloane said. 

“The framework developed in 2018 was an important first step, but eight years on it is clear more needs to be done.” 

Mr Cross said his appointment was deeply personal and reinforced by his own experience as a cancer survivor and new father. 

“Too often men delay seeking help, whether it is for their physical health or their mental health,” Mr Cross said. 

“I know first hand how critical prevention and early detection can be. My experience surviving bowel cancer reinforced the importance of men feeling comfortable talking openly about their health.” 

“The birth of my son has given me a new perspective on why this work matters. We need to make it easier for men to look after themselves, not harder.” 

Mr Cross said the Liberals and Nationals approach would be practical, evidence based and focused on measurable improvements in outcomes. 

“This is about saving lives, supporting families and ensuring men and boys across New South Wales have the opportunity to live longer, healthier lives,” Mr Cross said. 

On the same day the NSW Coalition announced the appointment of Shadow Parliamentary Secretaries.

Among the appointments are newly established roles, including the aforementioned Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Men’s Health, along with a Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Home Ownership and Rental Affordability, and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Prevention of Regional Crime.

The Shadow Parliamentary Secretaries will support the Shadow Ministry in delivering a long-term plan for NSW that unleashes our state’s ambition and potential.

Leader of the Opposition, Kellie Sloane, said the expanded team highlight the priorities of the Opposition ahead of the 2027 NSW Election.

“These appointments add depth and focus to our Shadow Ministry, ensuring we apply constant pressure on the Government while developing credible, practical solutions for New South Wales.” Ms Sloane said.

Leader of the NSW Nationals, Gurmesh Singh, said the Shadow Parliamentary Secretaries would play a key role in supporting communities across the State, particularly in regional NSW.

“Our communities expect strong advocacy and real outcomes. These appointments ensure regional and local priorities are front and centre.”

The full list of Shadow Ministry members responsibilities is available on the Parliament of New South Wales website.

Both the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council next sits on Tuesday February 3rd 2026

The NSW Parliament was recalled on Monday 22 December in the afternoon and Tuesday 23 December 2025, the only items of business were a condolence motion and legislation arising from the Bondi incident.

See; Attack on Bondi Chanukah event: Support Services available - Online Condolence Book - One Mitzvah - Requesting Privacy - Jack Hibbert of Narrabeen, Fundraiser

Mali Thai Careel Head Road: History Query

The news service is currently finalising a History page on the Careel Head Road shops, and Careel Head (east-north section) creeks and would like to hear from anyone who recalls who owned and ran the original Mali Thai at 9-11 Careel Head road (corner with Burrawong) which commenced in 1990.

We can see their faces but cannot remember their names. 
All help appreciated.


Thank you very much.

Development Coordination Authority (DCA) changes: Feedback invited

January 29 2026
The Minns Government has announced it is putting the proposed regulatory changes to create the Development Coordination Authority (DCA) on public exhibition.

The government states the changes will make navigating the planning system faster and easier for applicants and councils by centralising State agency advice and decision-making so applicants no longer need to navigate at times conflicting and confusing advice from up to 22 different areas of Government.

Through the DCA, the NSW Government is putting a stop to unnecessary delays ending a system which saw a DA with just one referral take an average of 60 days longer to assess than a DA without one, and where each additional referral added up to 100 days to assessment timeframes.

Under proposed regulatory changes the need for expert advice from the DCA and other bodies on local DAs will be consolidated from more than 800 requirements across 175 planning instruments into a single list aligned with the government's State priorities.

The government states this list will sit in State Environmental Planning Policy (Planning Systems) 2021, making it easier to access and understand for all users of the planning system and safeguarding areas like the environment, heritage, bush fire management and infrastructure operation with the DCA as a single point of contact on all State matters.

The DCA will be required to meet strict timelines.

The government states the DCA and other bodies will have 28 days to provide feedback on development applications (DAs), providing consistent response times and helping speed up assessment times.

The DCA, began initial operations in December and is already helping connect applicants to the right areas of Government and providing post-development consent support so projects can begin construction sooner.

Its main stated functions - to bring together experts from a broad range of state agencies so conflicts can be resolved quickly and allow a single, coordinated response - will begin on 1 July. Find out more here.

The government states the proposed changes are part of a landmark overhaul of the State’s planning system designed to tackle delays and complexity adding to construction costs and create a faster, fairer and modern planning system in NSW.

How DCA will work and proposed regulatory changes, will be exhibited from Thursday, 29 January to Wednesday, 25 February 2026. To have your say, visit www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/draftplans/exhibition/have-your-say-establishing-development-coordination-authority-dca

This is the first public exhibition to implement the landmark Planning System Reforms Bill 2025 which passed parliament in November 2025.

See: Scruby slams government and opposition teaming up to make it easy for developers as NSW Planning System Reform Bill passes - community asks: who are these elected Representatives actually representing?

Narrabeen Lakes Amateur Swimming Club: Saturday Afternoons

Some say the key to keeping New Year's resolutions is to make them specific, measurable, and achievable. If health and wellness is yours, then swim clubs can help you achieve them.  It’s an easy exercise habit to develop, super cheap ($40 for the rest of the season), with measurable improvements.  And its heaps of fun and so good for your wellbeing.  

Just walking down the path to our beautiful Narrabeen ocean and lagoon sheds will help you destress and then you get to swim in our spectacular pool with some pretty wonderful people (at the most magical time of the year to swim).  

You can learn more about us at www.nlasc.com.au or just come down and swim a length of two with us and see what we're all about.  

You'll find us at Narrabeen rockpool every Saturday arvo from 1pm.

Opening soon: funding round for the NSW Government's Holiday Break Autumn/Winter 2026 program

If you want to bring young people together during the Autumn and/or Winter school holidays then this may be good news; a new round of the NSW Government’s Holiday Break funding is just around the corner.

Start preparing now so you can be ready to submit as soon as the funding round opens! We will notify you once the funding round opens.

Key program guidelines:
  • Applicants are encouraged to design high quality, fun and engaging activities for the exclusive participation of young people aged 12-24 years.
  • Applicants can deliver the activities in the Autumn and/or winter holidays, and apply for both rounds in a single application.
  • Eligible organisations can apply for funding which can be split across the autumn and/or winter school holidays. Additional travel loading is still available per organisation if an external supplier is needed to deliver the program in remote or very remote parts of NSW.
  • Successful applicants will receive one funding agreement for the program.
Please email grants@officeforyouth.nsw.gov.au with any questions, or find out more by visiting nsw.gov.au/HolidayBreak.        
NSW Office for Youth

Oppose the Planning Reforms: Petition

Liberals have worked with Labor to radically reform NSW's planning rules to be developer-led. 

NSW is implementing the biggest reforms in 50 years - overriding council-led planning and existing planning controls, and reducing community voices in planning decisions. 

These blanket planning laws disregard strategic council-led planning and centralise state-power, opening up the risk of corruption and lack of transparency in decision making. 

Although some mum and dad developers will welcome some streamlining, the reality is that we will face a development onslaught that will allow developers more scope to build where they want, when they want. 

We all knew the NSW Government was focused on delivering housing and was going to embark on these reforms, but we thought there would be resistance from the Opposition. Instead, the Liberal party worked with the government. 

"We are now a pro-supply, yimby-based (Yes In My Back Yard) party... getting government out of the way and letting developers build houses," according to Liberal MLC the Hon. Chris Rath.

I have spoken in parliament against these reforms and was one of only four MPs out of 93 who voted against these reforms in the Legislative Assembly. Please view my speech for details on the reform. 

We must continue this fight, which is likely to be long and difficult. Many small groups are popping up, but we are stronger together. 

This petition will allow me to build a co-ordinated campaign and keep you informed on planning. 

If you want to keep community voice in planning decisions and balanced developments that protect the environment, please sign my petition and remember to tell us if you are affected by any development applications or offers to purchase your property.

Jacqui Scrub,
MP for Pittwater

Term dates for NSW public schools: 2026

2026 school term dates

Term           First day for students      Last day for students
Term 1 
(Eastern)    Monday 2 February 2026 Thursday 2 April 2026
Term 1 
(Western) Monday 9 February 2026 Thursday 2 April 2026
Term 2 
               Wednesday 22 April 2026 Friday 3 July 2026
Term 3  
                Tuesday 21 July 2026         Friday 25 September 
Term 4 
                Tuesday 13 October 2026 Thursday 17 December 

NSW school holiday dates: 2026 school year

Season                    Division
Autumn holidays Eastern and Western divisions
Tuesday 7 April to Friday 17 April 2026
Winter holidays Eastern and Western divisions
Monday 6 July to Friday 17 July 2026
Spring holidays Eastern and Western divisions
Monday 28 September to Friday 9 October 2026
Summer holidays
Eastern division
Friday 18 December to Wednesday 27 January 2027
Western division
Friday 18 December to Wednesday 3 February 2027

NSW Netball Privacy Policy: Ask Permission

 

Click on logo above to visit their website.

Fix our Feeds

The social media feeds that once connected us are now driving us apart. Social media algorithms are flooding young men’s feeds with radical misogynistic content, inciting real-world harm.

We’re calling on the Australian Government to act, and introduce an opt-in feature for social media algorithms so we can bring affirmative consent to our screens, and turn our feeds on and off at will.

Add your name to the Open letter, and more information available at: www.teachusconsent.com/fix-our-feeds

This has already been signed by Mackellar MP, Dr. Sophie Scamps, Warringah MP Zali Steggall and Wentworth MP Allegra Spender.

Independent MP Allegra Spender states:
''Great to see Chanel Contos in Sydney, and talk about the “Fix Our Feeds” campaign by @teachusconsent.

It’s simple but brilliant idea - social media algorithms should be opt-in, not forced upon us - so we have a real choice over what we’re shown.

Giving people the ability to switch off the algorithm would help reduce the spread of misinformation, misogyny, extremism and harmful body image content.

If this is something you would like to support, sign the open letter to Anthony Albanese at teachusconsent.com and share their campaign with your friends.''

The Teach Us Consent site states:

Systematic radicalisation
It takes just 23 minutes for a social media  mimicking a 16-18 year old boy to be fed misogynistic content, regardless of the account’s viewing preferences.

Misogynistic content is rife
73% of Gen Z social-media users have  misogynistic content online, with 70% saying they believe misogynistic language and content are increasing. This rises to 80% for women.

Sexual violence is increasing
Instances of reported sexual assault have  by 10% in the last year in Australia. This accompanies a  in the overall reporting rate.

Chanel explains:

Scam Alert: Counterfeit currency

We're reminding businesses and community members to stay alert following reports of counterfeit currency being used during transactions. If something doesn’t feel right, trust your instincts - don’t accept the cash and contact police.
NSW Police Force

McCarrs Creek road landslip

The council, in partnership with Sydney Water, Ausgrid and the Public Works Advisory (PWA), are working to fix a landslip that occurred on December 7, near 139 McCarrs Creek Rd, Church Point. 

Agencies have been working to ensure public safety and to provide access for residents, public transport and road users, with immediate measures taken to manage traffic and coordinate emergency works.

Emergency works by Ausgrid meant a full closure of the road on December 9, to relocate and guarantee power supply for affected properties. The road has been reopened with single-lane restrictions expected to continue while temporary stabilisation works and investigations are conducted.

Advice: Use an alternative route, avoid the area, expect delays. Portable traffic lights will allow motorists to pass in one direction at a time. Drive with Caution
Diversions: Use Mona Vale Road as an alternative

Agencies will provide regular updates including the road status via Live Traffic. 

Monika's Doggie Rescue Pets of the Week

Snowy

8yo Jack Russell X

Snowy is a gentle sweet natured boy who is social with other small dogs. He is very affectionate with people and active for his age. He has a very happy easy personality. He has just had a dental with 8 teeth extracted. Snowy has a cherry eye in right eye that will be repaired soon. He has some cataract development in both eyes but he can see well in good light. He has a short soft coat and weighs 8kg. He is desexed , fully vaccinated, heartworm free and chipped. His adoption cost is $600. For further information call DoggieRescue on 9486 3133 or email Monika@DoggieRescue.com. RON R251000024

Koda and Kenai brothers DSH

These gentle smoochy brothers came in from a fairly dire situation. They came from a hoarder's house, and they were covered in mites and fleas. They were under socialised and quite fearful, but it did not take long before they became very friendly and affectionate. Their itchy skin has settled, and they are such affectionate boys. They are very bonded and want to stay together. Kenai had previously tested positive to Feline Leukaemia but both are negative now. We are so excited! We are looking for an experienced home where they can stay together and are the only cats in the household. All our cats come desexed, wormed, F3 vaccinated, FIV/FeLV tested if over 6 months old and microchipped. 

For further details call DoggieRescue on 9486 3133  or email  Monika@DoggieRescue.com.  RON R251000024

Petition: Stop Politicians from spamming & harvesting our data

Sign at: www.katechaney.com.au/spam-and-data-petition

We want political parties to communicate - but without bombarding us or harvesting our personal information.

This is a chance for the Government to act to protect voters.

Political Spam

We’re tired of getting swamped with political texts. Political parties shouldn’t be exempt from the Spam Act 2003 - they need to follow the same rules as every business. Prime Minister Albanese said on ABC Radio, “I certainly think that would be a reasonable thing to do, to ban the texts."

Data Harvesting - Postal Vote Applications

Millions of Australians vote by post. This process should be between you and the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) - not political parties fishing for your data. Right now, major parties send postal vote application forms – by SMS, email or to your mailbox - along with their political ads and ask you to send your application to a “processing centre” they control. They can then collect your personal details to use and share before passing the application on to the AEC. As AEC Commissioner Jeff Pope said on 31 March 2025, "Concerns about party postal vote applications through unsolicited outreach is the number one complaint we hear from voters at almost every federal election"

Governments in Victoria and Western Australia have fixed this. NSW is next. 

It’s time for the Federal Government to do the same!

More in report: Bill to Stop Politicians Harvesting your Data Via Postal Votes Introduced: Petition to support Bill

2026 Manly Junior Rugby League & NSWRL Season Dates

Report Hate Crimes

Recent reports to the news service would indicate this reminder is needed at present.

If you are subjected to hate on social media or online you should keep evidence by taking screen shots of the abuse including usernames, URLs and any other relevant information. You can report the abuse directly to the platform and report in person at any Police Station.

When not on social media and when there is no crime committed, but an action is still motivated by hate, prejudice or bias, it is known as a hate incident. Both hate crimes and hate incidents are taken very seriously by the NSW Police.

When you report hate that you witness or experience, you become part of a larger movement to remove it from our society.

What you can expect from the NSW Police Force:
  • Every report is taken seriously by the NSW Police Force.
  • You can expect a respectful and straightforward experience.
  • A translator will be used if required.
  • When you report to the police, they will request your details. You can choose not to provide these details at the time of reporting however, this will likely affect how police can proceed with an investigation.
  • Support services or contact with an appropriate liaison officer will be offered.
  • You will be kept informed of what happens next, your rights and the criminal process (if someone was able to be charged).
If you witness a hate incident or hate crime but are not the victim, you can still make a report to the NSW Police. 

In an Emergency call Triple Zero (000). If not urgent, you can report online at crimestoppers.com.au or call 1800 333 000 or report in person at any Police Station.  
For more information, visit  www.police.nsw.gov.au/crime/hate_crimes

Community News + what ran in each Issue

Community News Pages list articles that ran each week as well as reports run in other pages: Inbox and Environment News archives etc.

March 2013  April 2013 May 2013  June 2013 July 2013 August 2013 September 2013 October 2013 November 2013  December 2013

January 2014 February 2014  March 2014  April 2014  May 2014 June 2014  July 2014  August 2014  September 2014 October 2014  November 2014  December 2014 

January 2015  February 2015 March 2015  April 2015 May 2015  June 2015  July 2015  August 2015  September 2015  October 2015 November 2015  December 2015 

January 2016  February 2016 March 2016 April 2016 May 2016 June 2016 July 2016  August 2016 September 2016 October 2016  November 2016  December 2016  

January 2017  February 2017  March 2017 April 2017 May 2017 June 2017 July 2017  August 2017 September 2017 October 2017  November 2017  December 2017 

January 2018  February 2018 March 2018  April 2018  May 2018  June 2018  July 2018 August 2018 September 2018 October 2018 November 2018  December 2018

January 2019  February 2019  March 2019  April 2019 May 2019  June 2019  July 2019  August 2019  September 2019  October 2019  November 2019   December 2019 

January 2020 February 2020 March 2020  April 2020 May 2020  June 2020  July 2020  August 2020  September 2020  October 2020  November 2020  December 2020

January 2021  February 2021  March 2021  April 2021  May 2021  June 2021  July 2021  August 2021  September 2021  October 2021  November 2021  December 2021

January 2022  February 2022  March 2022  April 2022  May 2022  June 2022  July 2022 August 2022  September 2022  October 2022  November 2022  December 2022

January 2023  February 2023  March 2023  April 2023  May 2023 June 2023 July 2023  August 2023  September 2023  October 2023 November 2023  December 2023

January 2024  February 2024  March 2024  April 2024  May 2024  June 2024 July 2024  August 2024  September 2024  October 2024  November 2024  December 2024

January 2025  February 2025  March 2025  April 2025  May 2025  June 2025  July 2025  August 2025  September 2025  October 2025  November 2025  December 2025

January 2026 

Speed humps on McCarrs Creek Rd: share Wildlife Data 

Local wildlife rescuers are asking all members of the public to report any roadkill on McCarrs Ck Rd or any other road in the NB (Wakehurst Parkway or Mona Vale Road for instance) on www.wildlifemapping.org

This records the GPS position, date, sex, species. Photos can be added as they help in identification. The data is then forwarded to OEH and Transport NSW as it can help establish the best places to place mitigation. 

Simply enter:
  1. The position via GPS or road and suburb
  2. The date
  3. The animal

Slow Down: Wildlife Crossing

Please contact Sydney Wildlife Rescue on (02) 9413 4300 for advice if you hit a native animal or come across an injured one while driving. It is helpful if you can provide an accurate location or landmark to assist our rescuers who will pouch check marsupials for joeys, so little lives like Phoebe can be saved. 


 
Photo: Phoebe the Swamp Wallaby by Jane Notice

Mona Vale Residents Association

Mona Vale Residents Association is a community group encouraging involvement on important matters within the Mona Vale area. Email: mvrasydney@gmail.com

Pittwater Community Groups: 


Sports (plus Social Members)

Gardens and Environment

Rural Fire Brigades
Services - Community Organisations

Arts and Social

JP Public Register

You can find a Justice of the Peace (JP) using the online Public Register. You can search by postcode, name of a JP, day of availability, language spoken and JP registration number. The register lists a JP’s location, availability and telephone number. Please note that JPs are volunteers and may not be available at all times. ​Click here to access the JP Public Register.  NB: There are  3 J.P’s working in Pittwater RSL Sub-Branch office, we work every Monday (10:30am to 15:30)except on public holidays:
  1. Terry Jones J.P.
  2. Robert (Bob) Wood J.P.
  3. Deborah Hendy(Carter) J.P

Letters to the Editor

Letters should preferably be 150 to 175 words, but that remains optional. Letters must include the writer's address and phone number and 'permission to publish'.  The editor's prerogative includes editing letters for length, grammar or legal reasons. 

Send yours via email to: pittwateronlinenews@live.com.au