Construction gangs out and about

Council civil construction gangs have been busy down in McBurney Avenue Mascot installing new drainage lines and pits.  The work is designed to reduce flooding that’s been experienced during periods of heavy rain. As part of countering flooding, Council also installed new kerb and gutter, which channels the storm water into the new drainage system. When this work is finished, the gangs will move to Flint Street in Hillsdale for more drainage works. 

Along with the drainage works, the gangs are busy in Mascot shops, where the new footpath is under construction.  As I advised last week, the work along the Mascot shopping strip will take four to five week and to minimise disruption we’ll be working after 7.00pm at night.  When we’re finished the new footpath will add some new sparkle to the shopping strip as was the result when we did the pavers and planter boxes down on Botany Road along the Botany shopping strip.

Down at Sir Joseph Banks Park, the outdoor gangs are also upgrading the garden beds around the park, bringing the spring growth to what is probably our most popular park.

Local Volunteers Recognised

Last week it was my privilege to host a special function for about 70 of our local volunteers.  The groups represented were the Botany Historical Trust, our Meals on Wheels, the Senior Citizens’ Advisory Committee, the Access Committee and the Knitting Network.

There are within communities, that is if a community is fortunate enough, a few individuals, a group or a few groups who selflessly, unstintingly and with no need for recognition or reward give of themselves. These people, these volunteers, give to their community without ever seeking recognition. To me it is almost instinctive giving. They don't think about it. They just do it. It was fitting that, through Council, our local community took the opportunity to both thank and recognise the invaluable work done by our volunteers.

Your health Your hospital

The next in the Prince of Wales Hospital Foundation and Rotary Botany Bay series on better health and better health outcomes is scheduled for this coming Thursday night and the subject is one of growing importance – living and learning about cardiac disease. 

It will be presented by James McVeigh, a Prince of Wales Hospital nurse practitioner in the heart failure service area. James was the first cardiac authorised nurse practitioner in NSW and his presentation on this important subject will be well worthwhile. We all know that having a healthy life and making sure you don’t get diabetes, or taking care of your diabetes if you do have it, can go a long way in protecting your heart. And, protecting your heart means protecting your life.  James is keen to hear and answer questions after his presentation, which begins at 6pm Thursday, October 20. 

The location is the Edmund Blacket building at Prince of Wales Hospital. Tat’s the old stone building on Avoca Street. Light refreshments will be provided for those attending.  You can book by calling the Prince of Wales Hospital Foundation on 9382 4261 or email info@powhf.org.au <mailto:info@powhf.org.au. The lectures and presentations that the Prince of Wales Hospital Foundation and Rotary Botany Bay have organised in the past (and this is the fifth) have been extremely beneficial to those who have attended with positive health outcomes.

Mascot Shopping Strip Upgrade

Just as we’ve done down in the Botany shopping strip, we’ve kicked off works down in the Mascot shopping strip to upgrade the footpath – but it will mean some disruption.  We began last Saturday night and work will go on for about four to five weeks.  

We’re replacing the entire footpath on the eastern side of Botany Road between Hollingshed and King streets.  The existing pavers are coming up to be replaced by high quality asphalt.  To minimise inconvenience, we’re doing the work at night, starting from either 7:00pm or 8:00pm each night.  During the day, we’ll make sure there is a useable footpath for those who like to wander up and down the shopping strip.  In the end, the Mascot shopping strip will look as good as what we’re doing down in Botany.

Garden Competition Winners

After many entries and extensive judging, the results of this year’s Garden Competition are in. The judges gave me the list (I thought they would at least pass me the envelope!) and, as we’ve done in previous year’s, details are announced in my column in the Southern Courier on Tuesday, and today right here.  The overall winner was Andrew Stevenson from the Botannix Studio Café of Botany. The category winners are:

Front Domestic Garden 

1^st Jason and Riley McFadyen of Daceyville; 

2^nd The Kolbe Family of Botany; 

3^rd Gregory Phibbs of Eastlakes

Angelo and Rita Propoggia of Eastlakes Highly Commended.

Rear Domestic Garden 

1^st Pene, Logan and Hayden (who we know as HaHa) Ingle of Botany; 

2^nd Kathryn and David Webb of Rosebery; 

3^rd Jason and Riley McFadyen of Daceyville

Tom and Pam Vose of Botany Highly Commended.

The judges added a special award to this category with Dorothy Arthur of Botany being acknowledged for her knowledge and excellence; and 

Robert Jarvis gaining a merit award for his wildlife habitat.

Planted Nature Strip

1^st Janet Cole of Botany; 

2^nd Helen McCleod of Botany;

3^rd Richard Muirhead of Daceyville.

Annual Display

1^st Phillip Tomczyk of Daceyville;

2^nd Edith Nowlan for her plot in the Leon Lachal Community Garden;

3^rd Lorraine Henderson of Daceyville. 

Highly Commended was Lesley Button of Botany.

Balcony Garden

Ben Forsyth and Rebecca Vietch of Mascot; 

2^nd Annie Parkes of Botany; 

3^rd Carol Ashmore of Botany. 

Botany resident Dorothy Arthur was Highly Commended.

Native Garden

1^st The Kolbe Family of Botany; 

2^nd Jason and Rile McFadyen of Daceyville;

3^rd Pagewood Public School.

Edible/Sustainable Garden

1^st Siri and Parichart Thongsiri of Pagewood; 

2^nd Panayiotis and Thalia Achilleos of Pagewood;

3^rd Botannix Studio Café of Botany. 

Mascot Public School was Highly Commended. 

Takashi Abe was awarded a Merit in this category for an unusual and interesting array.

School or Community Group Garden

1^st John Brotchie Nursery School of Botany; 

2^nd Pagewood Public School; 

3^rd Banksmeadow Public School. 

Mascot Public School was Highly Commended.

Industrial/Commercial Gardens: 

1^st Botannix Studio Café of Botany; 

2^nd Botany Grove Business Park;

3^rd Discovery Cove Industrial Estate.

Residential Complex (Communal) Gardens

1^st Kevin Rayner of Botany; 

2^nd Dave Rothery of Greenwood Apartments; 

3^rd Rolf Koch of Daceyville.

Gaiarine Gardens Pagewood

 

Orica: Another Week—Another Spill

Last week’s release of mercury into the atmosphere from the Orica plant in Botany is, perhaps, a spill too many. 

Our questioning of Orica’s operations, and its misfortunes, has been on-going for years. For years we questioned the impacts on the Botany groundwater from Orica and were always told everything was fine.  Then we checked ourselves and the true pollution became apparent.  This led to an Orica clean-up, of sorts. 

Next there was the mercury clean-up, which began this year and was found to be useless within weeks. Unfortunately Orica never told us about that. 

Then there are the dangerous chemicals stored on the site until Orica finds a way to destroy them safely.  

Then there are the chemicals that are expelled into the air. 

And last week, yet another spill as mercury (above the safe levels as defined by NSW Health) found its way into the atmosphere. 

Again, Orica didn’t tell anyone for a few hours, much the same as Orica did in Newcastle a few weeks ago.  

At least this time, NSW Health is involved and I trust them to tell us the truth. Not like the Office of Environment and Heritage, which, like its predecessor the Department of the Environment, always assures us everything is fine – that is until we find out the opposite.

I’m looking forward to the State Government’s report into Orica to see if, perhaps, now we may know the truth of the way this company goes about its operations. Maybe it’s time for Orica to go – to locate where there are no residents for hundreds of kilometres.  But then Orica could be a threat to remote plant and animal life.