Apr 29, 2012

Oova – the Remoova’s Big Bruva


I know that none of the headline above is correct spelling but our little green machine Oova – the Remoova (seen cleaning up the footpaths in our main shopping strips) now has some competition following our acquisition of a slightly bigger version. Oova was given its by the local school children soon after it made its first appearance cleaning up the footpaths. In keeping with Oova’s name, our outdoor crews have christened the new cleaning machine Big Bruva – not for any Orwellian connotation but for sibling rivalry. Big Bruva is now around the streets and the main shopping strips doing the same job as its smaller sibling. Combined the machines make our City look that little more sparkling – and I do like the names they have been given.

Apr 27, 2012

Parks Improvements in Eastlakes

Among the constant work and upgrades of our parks there are a couple of recent bits of work that I thought worth passing on to our residents. 

We’re about to upgrade Jerome Dowling Reserve, which will not a big park is a unique one, located as it is between the two cul-de-sacs that are features of Mascot Drive in Eastlakes. The park makes a nice split to Mascot Drive. There will be new landscaping, a connecting walkway to Barber Avenue, pavements, seating, lighting and a refresh to the playground. This will give this small but well used piece of green a whole new look – and one locals are looking forward to. 

Also down in Eastlakes, Bridget Tight Reserve on Evans Avenue has a new post and rail fence, giving it a more rural feel. Not that you’ll find any farm animals behind the post and rail fence but you will find a playground for the children and some shaded spaces to relax.

Apr 25, 2012

Next Prince of Wales Health Seminar tomorrow

The next in the series of seminars for public health under the Your Health: Your Hospital banner will be on CPR. The Prince of Wales Hospital Foundation in partnership with Rotary Botany Bay invites everyone to come to the seminar for a basic lesson and practice in CPR. 

Health professionals will show you what to do before the ambulance arrives, whether it be for a child found submerged in a pool, or a close relative or a stranger collapsing. It is better to know what you can do than do nothing at all. The Seminar gets underway at 6pm, tomorrow, Thursday April 26 at the Edmund Blacket Building at Prince of Wales on Avoca Street at Randwick. To attend, please contact Elizabeth Thomas on 9382 4263.

Apr 22, 2012

Senior’s Garden Party

Just reminding all of our senior residents that our City’s senior’s celebrations will be held on Sunday May 27. I will be hosting my annual Garden Party in the Sir Joseph Banks Pleasure Gardens and you are all invited, simply register your name and address with my office on 93663600. The only requirement is that you live in our City and that you are a senior citizen.

Nature Strip Water Rate Rebate

Getting money back is always good and for some time we’ve given a rebate of $25 per household to those who help keep our nature strips watered and mowed which makes our City streets look a whole lot better. I’d like to remind people that they have to apply each year for the rebate and you’ve got to have either a lawn nature strip or one that’s planted.

If your nature strip is concrete then, sorry, but you don’t get the rebate. Units, flats and town houses get one rebate and that goes to the strata secretary or body corporate. If you live on a corner block and have two nature strips then we allow two rebates provide both are well maintained. 

You should have received a brochure outlining the scheme in your letter box (and I’ve already received quite a few applications) but if you didn’t call into my office on the ground flor at Eastgardens, next to the Central Library, and pick one up. You can also leave the completed form there as well. You must apply before July 6 for the rebate. Our Nature Strip Rebate is our way of saying thank you for ongoing support and your time and effort in making our community greener, neater and more attractive.

Laycock Street becomes Laycock Walk

Work has begun down in the Mascot Station Precinct to transform Laycock Street into a pedestrian mall. Laycock Street, will be re-paved with decorative pavers interspersed with a combination of ground level gardens, raised planter beds, low sitting walls and attractive street lighting. It will provide a much need pedestrian link from Mascot Station to the surrounding residential and commercial buildings. Once completed Laycock Street will be officially renamed Laycock Walk.

E-Waste Success

Last Saturday’s E-Waste collection day proved such a success, that we have already begun to plan for the next one! There was a steady stream of people doing their bit for the environment and getting rid of unwanted or superseded computer equipment. As I said we’ll definitely organise another e-waste day and I’ll give everyone plenty of prior notice. Just out of interest I pulled out how much household clean up waste we collected last year (following a request from the Sydney Morning Herald on-line people) and found that with our regular clean ups so far we have picked up around 16,000 tonnes of waste (and that’s in additional to the weekly garbage collections). The more of the collected waste that we can reuse or recycle the better it is for the community and our environment.

Apr 18, 2012

Anzac Day

Council is working with both the Mascot RSL Sub-Branch and the Botany RSL Sub-Branch for Anzac Day ceremonies. Mascot RSL Sub-Branch is organising a pre Anzac Day march along Botany Road while Botany RSL Sub-Branch will be organising an Anzac Day Dawn Service. 

The Anzac march will begin at 2.00pm this coming Sunday, April 22, at Baxter Road, Mascot and go down Botany Road to Mascot Memorial Park, where a remembrance ceremony will be held. 

The Anzac Day Dawn Service will be held at 6.00am at the memorial in Booralee Park at the corner of Bay and Daniel streets. We’d like as many locals as possible to participate in both these important ceremonies.

Congratulations Inspector Schilt

Last week I was proud to represent our City at the Rotary Police Awards. For the first time the City of Botany Bay and Randwick City Council both sponsored a special award recognising a local police officer for outstanding service. On behalf of the City of Botany Bay I was pleased to present our award to Inspector Christopher Schilt of the Botany Bay Area Command.

Lionel Bowen: A Fitting Tribute

No one who attended the State Funeral for Lionel Bowen at St Mary’s Cathedral last Wednesday could be in any doubt of the immense respect and admiration that was held for him right across the nation. Representatives from communities, organisations and all political parties from right across Australia, and right across every section of this nation, were there to acknowledge and farewell a great man and a great Australian. There were many from our area of Sydney, the area Lionel and his family called home. It was a moving ceremony and a fitting tribute to a man who was a great friend to our City.


Garbage – what’s and whatnots


I want to inform all residents, and I will send reminders out  over the next few weeks  reminding everyone of what NOT to put in their domestic waste bins – that is the green mobile garbage bin with green or red lid.

This is a perennial issue and one which requires regular reminding of our residents to ensure that what we put into the waste stream is done in such a way to maximise reuse and recycling and is environmentally sound.

The list of what NOT to put in is really common sense and includes: 

  • Asbestos and fibro sheeting,
  • paint and paint related products, empty paint tins,
  • floor sanding saw dust (a common one)
  • pesticides and herbicides,
  • pool chemicals,
  • solvents and household cleaners,
  • motor oils, car batteries,
  • acids and alkalis,
  • gas bottles,
  • fire extinguishes
  • hazardous waste chemicals.

There have been a few incidents recently where some of these items have found their way into our garbage trucks.  When this occurs it becomes extremely dangerous for our workers. 

When crushed these items can explode or spray hazardous fluids.  So we’re asking everyone to be careful of what they put in their bin. 

There are a number of safe ways to dispose of these items. In the meantime if people have any such items they wish to get rid of they can ring Council on 93663666 for advice.



Daceyville Centenary

This year Daceyville turns 100, something that in human, and cricket terms, is a good number to which to aspire. For a suburb, it’s an historical marker – and one worth celebrating.

In terms of history, Daceyville was the first public housing estate to be built in Australia. Indeed, a special piece of legislation created it, which the then Governor gave Royal Assent on April 24, 1912. Just seven weeks after the then Governor, who had the very impressive title and name, The Rt Hon The Lord Chelmsford, GCMG, affixed his signature to the Bill to make it an Act, work began in Daceyville. It’s continued ever since.

There were so many firsts in Daceyville but one stands out – it had the first planned cul-de-sac in Australia, Colonel Braund Crescent.

The suburb is just about split, as far as street names are concerned, between soldiers (from Generals to Corporals) and Captain Cook, the Endeavour and those who sailed on her.

Council and the Botany Historical Trust are planning to hold a number of special celebrations to mark the Daceyville Centenary. At the present time we’re looking at the June long weekend for the official celebrations.

The celebrations themselves will have a theme of informality, unlike the Generals whose names adorn Daceyville streets and cul-de-sacs. We’re looking at a picnic in the park and barbeque in Rowland Park, where there will also be a range of other activities for just about everyone.

We’ll have displays of memorabilia and we’re looking at a special exhibition in the George Hanna Memorial Museum.

On the exhibition, we’d like to hear from anyone who might have some Daceyville-related objects or stories. If anyone has, then please get in touch with the Curator of the Museum on 9366 3802.

Any locally-sourced objects and stories will be used to enhance the Daceyville centenary.

Over the next month we’ll finalise all aspects of the Daceyville centenary celebrations and we’ll let everyone know.

A Bit of Green Grocer and Shopping History

Every suburb had them and everyone stooped by at least once a week. They were the green grocers – where fruit and vegetables were stacked up in small shops and the people behind the counter generally knew those whom they were serving.

Large supermarkets in many areas spelt the end to the neighbourhood green grocer but the history of those unique shops, and their predominately Italian proprietors, is the focus of a new exhibition at the George Hanna Memorial Museum at 2 Hatfield Street, Mascot.

Sydney’s Italian Fruit Shops – The Original Green Grocer is the title of the photographic exhibition, which will remain on show until Friday June 8. The exhibition, entry to which is free honours the historic contributions made by Italian fruiterers to Sydney’s social history over the last 100 years. There’s a bit of a local flavour in the exhibition when Maria Conte, one of the family that ran the Mascot Fruit Shop, located in the landmark Mascot Corner shops, loaned a number of objects, which are now in one of the display cases.

Simultaneously with the fruit shop history is another exhibition with a shopping theme – Shop Locally. We all know shopping is an important feature of modern life and going to the shops is something we all do. Here in the City, our local shopping scene has evolved from basic corner shops to supermarkets and a modern mall.

In this exhibition you’ll get to see a number of our shops both past and present. You’ll discover everything from the long gone Quality Stores in Mascot, to the Kavanaghs Pharmacy in Banksmeadow, which opened in 1945 and still trades today.

This exhibition runs until July 6, a month after the fruit shop one. The George Hanna Memorial Museum is located within Mascot Library and is open Monday and Friday between 12 noon and 5:00pm, Wednesdays between 12 noon and 8:00pm and Tuesdays and Thursdays between 9:00am and 2:00pm. It is closed Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays.

Apr 10, 2012

New Street Furniture Mascot Shops

New Fencing at Bridgette Tight Reserve, Eastlakes

ANZAC Day

It is only two weeks away and I bought I would let residents know the details of forthcoming events to coincide with Anzac Day. We will be working with both the RSL Sub-Branches of Botany and Mascot for this year’s Anzac Day ceremonies.

The Mascot RSL Sub-Branch is organising a pre Anzac Day march along Botany Road and Botany RSL Sub-Branch will be organising an Anzac Day Dawn Service.
The Anzac march will begin at 2.00pm on April 22 at Baxter Road, Mascot and go down Botany Road to Mascot Memorial Park, where a remembrance ceremony will be held.

The Anzac Day Dawn Service will be held at 6.00am at the memorial in Booralee Park at the corner of Bay and Daniel streets.

Last year, due to a number of circumstances, the Dawn Service was not held and I immediately offered Council’s assistance in ensuring the service would be held in future years.The Dawn Service is one of the most moving ceremonies you can attend and it represents Australia and the debt this country owes those who served this nation in conflicts. 

I found it immensely gratifying in the past to see increasing numbers of people attending the Dawn Service, especially young adults and children. The growing attendances added to the regret the Botany RSL Sub-Branch had in not having a service last year. This City will ensure that this area commemorates Anzac Day in the future as it has done in the past. 

Without detracting from the solemness of Anzac Day, I must confess that I was concerned by a story last Monday of how bureaucrats in the Federal Government had spent money on focus groups to test the forthcoming Anzac Day centenary and multiculturalism. I must confess I do have problems about bureaucratic waste and madness but this one, as far as political correctness is concerned, goes a little too far.

“Commemorating our military history in a multicultural society is something of a two-edged sword,” the report of the research apparently says, add that such commemorations could be “divisive”.

At Gallipoli the Anzac Day commemorations are attended by many, many Turkish people and their government – whose ancestors Australians and New Zealanders troops engaged in battle. Do they worry about impacts on a multicultural society when they attend those commemorations? I think not.

Bureaucrats are often too political correct. We see it when they rail against celebrating Christmas or Easter. It might offend the adherents of Islam or the Jewish faith. Muslims and Jews in Australia aren’t offended – indeed we join in the celebrations.

I can think of many other, and more valuable, activities that the money allocated for the Anzac Day research could have been spent on. But putting political correctness aside, this City, which is multicultural, will commemorate Anzac Day.

New Fencing at Eastlakes Reserve


Apr 5, 2012

The Honourable Lionel Bowen

Next Wednesday as just about every one of our residents knows, we will lay to rest one of the greatest sons of this part of Sydney – Lionel Bowen. 

As I said when asked to eulogise Lionel in our local newspaper, Lionel Bowen never forgot where he came from and was never out of step with the people he represented.


Lionel left school at 14, worked and educated himself, and imbued within himself, a life-long commitment and dedication to education. Indeed, although he rose to be Deputy Prime Minister of Australia he considered his finest hours were those spend in developing and implementing education policies.
Lionel Bowen’s commitment to education is recognised in this City through the Lionel Bowen Scholarship, which assist local tertiary students in their first years of higher education. The scholarship is funded by this Council and local business but it is a mark of the man that every year, when he came to our Council Meeting he always sought to make a personal contribution to the scholarship fund.

I well remember how he beamed when he made the presentation of the scholarship and added another name to the roll of Lionel Bowen Scholars from the City of Botany Bay. Lionel, with Claire nearby, was in his element, supporting and boosting the education of young people.

Another local tribute to Lionel is the Bowen Library in Randwick City, a city he served as a member of local government in his first foray into public service.

Lionel Bowen then entered State Parliament for the seat of Randwick from 1962 to 1969, when he moved to the House of Representatives as the Member for Kingsford Smith. He was a minister for the two towering ALP Prime Ministers – Whitlam and Hawke – becoming Deputy Prime Minister after the 1983 Federal Election.

Lionel Bowen retired from political life in 1990 but he never retired from public service. We saw him on many, many occasions and he never changed from the man who first entered public life all those decades ago.

What other politician or leader lived in the same house he had first entered as a boy on the day World War II broke out? Lionel and Claire raised their own family there and it was fitting that it was in that house that he drew his last breath – surrounded by the family he loved.

A lot will and has beens said about Lionel Bowen – and a lot has been written in the days up until today – and all of right. Lionel Bowen was a friend of this City – and he was our friend. He was always there for advice or counsel. He will be sadly missed by each and every one of us.

To Claire and their children, his grandchildren and one great-grand child we offer our deepest sympathies for their loss.

Pool open for School Holidays

The Botany Pool, including the Big Splash waterslides, will remain open for the school holidays. The water slides will operate from 11am to 3pm daily. The pool will be closed on Good Friday, April 6.

Glenn McEnallay

Wednesday this week I had the honour, on behalf of all our residents, to attend a very moving ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the murder of on-duty police officer, Senior Constable Glenn McEnallay.

Senior Constable McEnallay, who was based in our City, died needlessly at the all-too young age of 26. Council created the Glenn McEnallay Reserve in Sutherland Street, Mascot as a tribute to his memory. Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione joined officers from the local command in remembering Glenn, his service and his ultimate sacrifice. 

A fine police officer, with his whole life ahead of him, died while serving our community and our State. That 10 years have passed have not dimmed the memory of Glenn McEnallay and the sympathies we feel for his family and his fellow members of the NSW Police Force.