A Low Act

Council recently donated a substantial number of plants to St Michael’s Daceyville to help beautify the entrance way.  Father Jerzy and the St Michael’s congregation were very proud of the finished look, so you can imagine the distress when they came to church this week and found that someone had helped themselves to the lot!!  

I get frustrated when people do it to Council (as has happened on numerous occasions), but I get really angry when they do to it to a church.  It’s a low act.  Council will replace the plants but I am beginning to think that we need to take a tip from the retailers and put tracking devices on all our stock.  If anyone has any information on the missing plants please let me know, after all these people are not only stealing from a Church, they are stealing from our residents.

City of Botany Bay Community Report

Council's 2011 report to the community is available for download at http://tinyurl.com/7wleh8p 

You can either read it online or download a copy. Residents should have received their copy last week. If extra printed copies are required, please contact me on 9366 3600 or mayor@botanybay.nsw.gov.au.

Pain Forum

We all have it at times – and none of us likes it.  I’m referring to pain and those who live with pain day to day know life is very difficult indeed. A partnership between the Prince of Wales Hospital Foundation and the Rotary Club of Botany Bay has put together a free information session on treating and dealing with pain.  The session is part of an ongoing information initiative of the Foundation and the Club and, based on those run last year, the information sessions are both informative and useful. 

At this week’s session, pain specialists Dr K E Khor and Dr Chimene Bhar along with Nurse Consultant Grazyna Jastrzab, Psychologist Cate Courtney and Physiotherapist Stephanie Mossman pain is definitely on the agenda – and what you can do about it. There are many ways to treat pain whether it is acute or persistent and the specialists at the session will give advice. 

The February 23 session, which begins at 6.00pm, is held at the Edmund Blacket Function Rooms at Prince of Wales Hospital, with access via Avoca Street.  You’ll need to let the hospital know you’re coming to the session and you can do that by calling Elizabeth on 9382 4263 or www.powhf.org.au or by email to: elizabeth.thomas@sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au

The information is the first of five the Rotary Club or Botany Bay and the Prince of Wales Hospital Foundation have organised for this year and as the others approach I’ll give everyone details of topics and dates for what are extremely valuable information sessions.

Eastlakes Town Centre

I was intrigued, as many of my neighbours were, to receive a coloured brochure from the developers of the proposed Eastlakes Town Centre Project.  This is a project for the redevelopment of the Eastlakes shopping centre and it is a project Council has some serious reservations about.  Unfortunately, both the former and current state governments have decided in their wisdom that this project will be assessed (and potentially approved) by the Department of Planning and Council can only be an interested bystander.   

What did intrigue me with the brochure were the colour photographs of people relaxing, meeting, eating, enjoying life and wandering around laneways. A closer look showed all the photographs were of locations in Europe, mostly Italy and the life they depict is so far from local reality that it’s almost a joke. 

What this project needs is Council scrutiny not assessment by the State Department of Planning.

The Council has made it clear to the developers that it supports the redevelopment of the Eastlakes Shopping Centre. What the developers want is to make a quid not just from a new Shopping Centre they want to build high rise flats over the top.

I don't know about you, but as a kid who lived in Eastlakes and watched the developers build the flats that currently exist there, I do not want to see more high rise at the expense of  the quality of life of our residents just so developers can make a quid.

If it was not for the "Green Bans" by Jack Mundy and the BLF in the 1970's Eastlakes Reserve would not exist, it would have had flats instead.

Council has for a number of years given guidance to the developers to undertake a Master Plan for the orderly redevelopment of Eastlakes. A Master Plan allows our residents to have input so we make rectify the errors of the past.  Unfortunately it is not about rectification of planning disasters of the past, it is about making a quid. In my view people come first.

Schools Back … Increased Ranger and Police patrols

The beginning of the 2012 school year means the resumption of our patrols around our local schools to ensure that motorists obey the law, especially speeding.  Around every local school, our rangers will be visible during the morning and afternoon drop-offs and pick-ups, checking parking. While the overwhelming majority of parents and carers follow the rules, there is the odd person who, for whatever reason doesn’t and this puts our children at risk. We’re joined by the local police who keep an eye on speeding in designated school zones.  Remember, in school zones keep to 40kph and park only where you should.  Council makes no apology for issuing tickets if people park illegally. As well, our thoughts go to two special groups of school students – those who are in their first year of school and those in their last. For the kindy kids it is the beginning of a whole new life and for those entering Year 12, we wish you all the best for success in your last year of schooling.

Rain Rain Go Away

While we love all the rain for our parks and gardens it is playing havoc on two areas of our operations – mowing of nature strips and household waste collections.  The rain makes the nature strips unable to be mowed, and also boosts the rate in which the grass grows.  We’re battling but we are a bit behind.  Rain also impacts on safe working conditions for the refuse collections (not the garbage services) so, again, we might be running a little behind schedule.  It is an inconvenience, and it detracts from normally good-looking streets, but bear with us as we catch up.

Some Brazilian Fitness

Council’s Youth Workers are always on the look out for new programs to get local youth involved and entertained.  They’ve come up with a new fitness program which will be run in conjunction with Zumba Fitness.  Mothers and daughters are invited to join the Latin-inspired, easy to follow, calorie burning, dance fitness party.  Brazilian fitness kicked off this week at 7.00pm at the Hillsdale Community Centre at 236 Bunnerong Road, Hillsdale.  It will be on each Tuesday between 7.00 and 8.00 pm. Participants will be required to pay a small fee. For further information on how to get fit and lose the calories Brazilian style, contact either Patrick from our Youth Workers on 9366 3889 or Celi on 0410 732 391.