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Jennifer St High-Rise Development in Little Bay to Proceed Following Appeal Approval

A high-rise development on Jennifer St in Little Bay will proceed, following the approval of amended plans and a successful appeal, after a previous dismissal of the development application to protect the flora and fauna at the site.

The residential project, which will deliver apartments and townhouses near the Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub, has already been advertised after the developer won its appeal with the Land and Environment Court (LEC).

Though the project has been seen as a likely threat to local wildlife such as the Maroubra Woodland Snail, Randwick City Council said that it will respect the decision of the LEC.

In 2021, Council disapproved the Jennifer St development application to protect the flora and fauna on the site. Community groups also rallied against the proposal because of fears of the destruction of banksia scrub.

However, the developers amended and then escalated their plans with the LEC, which decided to approve the application in October 2022. The new plans now comprise 83 apartments, down from 95, as well as “tree removal, native vegetation maintenance, species relocation, landscaping and associated works through bushland management practice.”

Little Bay Jennifer St — Photo Credit: DA/698/2020

Based on the amended plans, Council stated that the development “does not cause adverse serious and irreversible impact to biodiversity values or likely to affect threatened species.”

A spokesperson for the Council also said that they will see to it that the developer will implement all agreed conditions in the appeal.

Published 1 February 2023

Locals Vow to Fight Possible Revival of Proposed Yarra Bay Cruise Terminal

Photo credit: Randwick City Council / randwick.nsw.gov.au/

Did you know that the proposed cruise terminal at Yarra Bay could be back on the agenda soon, as various parties that opposed the controversial proposal vow to fight it “tooth and nail”?

In a recent media comment, Port Authority of NSW CEO Philip Holiday was quoted as saying that they have revisited the business case on the proposed third terminal in light of Sydney’s looming capacity issues.

He added that Sydney would need more capacity to get the world’s premier ships and that discussions need to get back quickly given the projections.

Steve Odell, the SVP and Managing Director Asia Pacific of Oceania Cruises said that there are 100 new cruise ship bookings until the middle of 2025 with some to be deployed in Sydney. And considering the size of these ships which will not fit under the bridge, he admitted that the issue needs to be on the table again.

The issue on the proposed new cruise terminal surfaced in 2018 when the NSW Cruise Development Plan (CDP), prepared by the group chaired by the Hon. Peter Collins AM QC, was released. It identified the need for a third terminal in Sydney in order to accommodate large cruise ships.

A detailed business case had been compiled and was to be presented to the state government before the pandemic hit and the proposal which was originally planned to start construction this 2023 was put on the back burner.

“Randwick Council has been opposed to this badly thought through proposal since the beginning,” Mayor Dylan Parker said.

“Yarra Bay is not the place for a cruise ship terminal. Visitors don’t come to Sydney to dock next to an international port and fuels terminal. They want to have the iconic experience of entering through Sydney heads and seeing the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

“Building a mega cruise ship terminal at Yarra Bay puts at risk the bay’s sensitive marine life including some rare and threatened coral species as well as risking public access to Yarra Bay Beach.

“The community is strongly against this proposal and I’m calling on the NSW Government to rule it out and dismiss the comments made by the Port Authority,” Mayor Parke said.

“The community has run very strong and successful campaigns against over development of Little Bay Cove and against a proposed incinerator at Matraville. Both were successful.

“The Save the Bay community campaign is stepping up and will strongly oppose any cruise ship terminal.”

Published 28-January-2023

Op-Shop Finds New Home in Maroubra After Temporarily Operating as a Pop-up Store

Photo credit: B'nai B'rith / bnaibrith.org.au

B’nai B’rith NSW’s registered charity op-shop, the Bargain Bazaar finally finds a new home in Maroubra after operating as a pop-up shop in 2021.

Bargain Bazaar finally launched on 24 October 2022 its new Maroubra location after a year of searching for a permanent home. The op-shop is neatly organised with one side dedicated to second-hand furniture and the other side to pre-loved clothing and shoes and other items such as books, kitchen and household goods, and much more.

The op-shop was established with the purpose of giving back to the community by collecting donated goods and selling them as second-hand items at reasonable prices. Proceeds from sales go towards supporting a broad range of charities of all denominations, humanitarian, medical and educational.

Bargain Bazaar traces its roots back to 1962 when the first bazaar was held at Paddington Town Hall followed by the opening of the first shop in Waterloo in 1977. They then moved to Redfern in the mid-80s before relocating to Surry Hills in 1995.

Since its inception, the shop has been making modest sales until they started accepting donated furniture in 2018 which proved to be an in-demand item, particularly the chest of drawers. The shop, in fact, sold over $300,000 worth of furniture in just 15 months and raised $1.1 million by the end of 2021.

However, when the nearby shopping centre closed to make way for its redevelopment, foot traffic declined and impacted the business immensely. And it did not help that the Surry Hills property where the shop is situated changed its managing agent and encouraged the owner to seek new tenants to increase rental profit.

But it was not until COVID-19 hit that the organisation decided to close Bargain Bazaar and end their tenancy. Without a permanent home, they temporarily operated as a pop-up shop.

And so last year, Bargain Bazaar opened its new location at 233 Maroubra Road and has so far been well-received by the community with many customers coming back for more.

If you are looking for quality, like-new second-hand items, do visit their store from 10 am to 4 pm, Monday to Friday. The op-shop is also open for a few hours on Sundays from 10 am.

Contact B’nai B’rith NSW on 9321 6300 or email council@bbnsw.org.au for more information or for volunteering opportunities.

Published 13-January-2023

Bargain Bazaar Charity Shop | 233-235 Maroubra Rd, Maroubra NSW 2035, Australia

Little Bay Beach Tragedy: Survivor Remembers The Day She Lost Her Husband And Son

A year after the tragedy that changed her life, Hasti Masoumi revisited Little Bay Beach, where she lost her husband Payam and her son Mahan whilst rock fishing.

Read: Rock Fishing In Maroubra: Important Safety Tips That Can Save Your Life

On 31 January 2022, the Masoumi family travelled almost two hours from Kellyville to Little Bay to spend the last day of family holidays together.

A day before their visit, they bought two rods – a kids rod for 10-year-old Mahan and a bigger rod for Payam along with some tackle. None of them could swim, which left Hasti a bit worried.

She thought of buying a flotation device, but she only found swimming aids suitable for children learning to swim. She didn’t know rock fishing life jackets existed.

When they arrived at Little Bay beach, they head to the fishing spot known as The Gutter. This spot looks like part of the coast during low tide, but it turns into an island marooned from the mainland by a shallow trough of water at high tide.

Hasti Masoumi (Photo credit: Randwick City Council)

The family walked onto this rocky outcrop without any safety gear and fishing licence and were wearing thongs.

Hasti recalled it was a sunny day and the swell was fairly benign. She said there were no waves at the time, that she wasn’t thinking it was dangerous.

The father and son were preparing their fishing rods whilst Hasti was looking for a place to put their bucket and bags. However, everything changed in the next few seconds.

“In one second a huge wave splashed on me and everything I was carrying was thrown towards the rocks. I turned back (to where Mahan and Payam had been standing) and realised no one was there,” she said.

At first, she did not realise that Mahan and Payam were washed into the sea. Her husband was already very far from the rocks whilst her son was much nearer to the edge of the rocks, so she ran towards the edge.

That moment, she was torn between jumping in the water and saving Mahan or turning back and calling for help. She did the latter, a decision that she regrets.

Hasti screamed for help and the nearby fishermen called emergency services. The Council Lifeguards arrived in just 10 minutes, but it’s all too late. Mahan and Payam could not be revived.

“This trauma will live with me forever, until the last moment I’m living,” shared Hasti.

Read: Is It Time for Maroubra to Get Rid of Shark Nets?

In honour of Mahan and Payam, Randwick Council will be installing a memorial where their family can visit and pay their respects to their lost loved ones.

Here’s the Draft Masterplan for the Transformation of Matraville Town Centre

The draft masterplan for the long-term transformation of the Matraville Town Centre has been released and locals are enjoined to provide their feedback before it’s permanently implemented.

Details of the draft masterplan were put together based on the community’s feedback from a series of consultations in 2021.

The aim of this project is to develop more recreational and community event spaces, dining spots and retail activities, and better pedestrian connections for the residents. The idea is to provide locals a distinct and vibrant town centre with a resilient economy, where people can gather and feel the community vibe.

According to Randwick City Council, the highlights of the Matraville Town Centre draft masterplan will entail:

Widened footpaths on Bunnerong Road to create spaces for outdoor dining and increased pedestrian safety
New and revitalised outdoor spaces for people to meet
More pedestrian crossings
Reduced speed limit along Bunnerong Road to 40km/ph
Provision for a future cycleway on Bunnerong Road
Opportunities for Indigenous and local art installations
New street furniture, lighting, landscaping and paving
Increased tree planting and canopy coverage on Bunnerong Road and surrounding streets

Implementation of this project will be divided into three actions to be delivered within 5 years (small-scale actions), 10 years (medium-scale actions), or 20 years (large-scale actions).

Photo Credit: Matraville Town Centre Masterplan

“We understand that in some areas of the public domain, a staged incremental approach may be necessary. It allows for practical and effective steps to be taken in the immediate short-term, with restructuring and long-term investment to achieve the vision,” Council stated.

Share your inputs regarding the draft masterplan by making an online submission on or before the 3rd of February 2023 or by emailing council@randwick.nsw.gov.au.

Mahon Pool at Maroubra Beach May Soon Have Its Own Emergency Response Beacon

Photo credit: facebook / Randwick City Council

An Emergency Response Beacon may be installed at Mahon Pool in 2023/2024. The plan was revealed following the unveiling of two ERBs at Little Bay and Malabar beaches.

“The installation of the new beacons can give our community peace of mind, knowing that emergency services can be notified of an incident and help can be on the way quickly,” Dylan Parker, Mayor of Randwick, said last 19 December 2022.

Announced as well are plans to install another ERB at Mahon Pool by 2023 at the earliest.

The Emergency Response Beacons are designed to be operated in remote locations and were built to withstand the elements. Used at many unpatrolled locations along the NSW coastline, the installation is meant to reduce the emergency response times to incidents, so it is important to have the unit activated only in the event of an emergency situation.

The ERBs are approximately 10 feet tall with each equipped with cameras and a solar panel mounted at the top which powers the unit. It also has an intercom system that’s directly connected to the NSW Surf Lifesaving State Operations Centre 24/7, 365 days a year.

Lifeguard Brad Rope with new Emergency Response Beacon | Photo credit: Facebook / Randwick City Council

The beacons installed at Little Bay and Malabar beaches are undergoing brief testing and should be working and active in the coming days. The two locations are popular destinations among beachgoers, rock fishers and boat users.

Council said that across the last three beach seasons (2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22), Little Bay and Malabar Beach, had 10 and 17 emergency callouts, respectively.

Mayor Dylan Parker added that the installation of the ERBs will make a meaningful improvement to beach safety in the area.

Mahon Pool and Ross Jones Memorial Pool Restoration Now Complete

Photo credit: Kazim Ali Noori/Google Maps

Check out the newly upgraded Mahon Pool and Ross Jones Memorial Pool, completed as part of the Ocean Pool Restoration Program, aimed at updating and repairing pools with damaged coping caused by constant large swells, severe storms, and strong winds.

“After many false starts due to rain, swell, tides – and not to mention more rain! We have finally completed all the repair work at Mahon Pool and Ross Jones Memorial Pool. 🌊✨ Thank you for your patience while we completed these jobs,” Randwick City Council’s social media post last November 2022 reads.

Randwick’s ocean pools are constantly being battered by large swells, severe storms and high winds. In 2019, the Malabar Pool underwent coping restoration but was found to fall short of expectations prompting the council to seek other cementing products that would deliver the desired results.

Mahon Pool and Ross Jones Memorial Pool Restoration Now Complete — *Photo credit: Facebook/* Randwick City Council

Once the suitable product was identified, the council proceeded with repairs at Wylie’s Baths which proved to have delivered excellent results, even after a year of completion.

Following the successful coping restoration of Wylie’s Baths pool, Randwick City Council undertook a similar upgrade of the three other pools identified as needing restoration work around their outer edge or coping.

Malabar, Mahon and Ross Jones Pools then underwent an upgrade and coping restoration as well as additional minor civil works.

These minor civil works include:

Malabar Pool – preparation of pit grates, jetting of pump system, removal of loose materials.
Mahon Pool – remove existing hand rail, preparation and installation of new timber posts, removal of existing hand rail and installation of new hand rails, grout repair, removal of loose materials.
Ross Jones Pool – preparation of top of columns and grouting of columns.

All three ocean pools have now been restored.

About Mahon Pool

Mahon rock pool is located north of Maroubra Beach right at the base of Jack Vanny Reserve. It was built in 1935-1936 following a petition presented to Randwick City Council by Alderman Patrick Mahon.

Mahon Pool has in recent years been the preferred training venue of the Sydney Swans AFL team and other elite athletes.

In 2020, a large bolder slipped into the Mahon pool during wild winter sea storms. The bolder had to be moved and broken up by heavy machinery for visitors to gain safe access again to the pool.

About Ross Jones Memorial Pool

Ross Jones Memorial Pool is situated next to Coogee Surf Life Saving Club. It was built in 1947 and is a popular destination for families and children.

The rock pool is named and dedicated after Roscoe Jones, the Alderman for East Ward from 1934 to 1937.

The Ocean Pool Restoration Program is funded by a $300,000 grant from the federal government.

Eastern Suburbs Shoplifters Arrested in Operation Light Fingers

Operation Light Fingers, involving officers from the Maroubra Police Station in the Eastern Suburbs, the City of Sydney, and the police area commands in Leichhardt and Sutherland, has led to the arrest of 155 individuals for shoplifting.

Among the arrested and taken to the Maroubra Police Station were a 41-year-old woman who stole $ 1,100 worth of beauty products and a 27-year-old man who stole baby formula amounting to $1,200. Both individuals targeted stores in Eastgarden and have been refused bail. The arrested man had two other outstanding warrants for shoplifting as well.

According to NSW Police, Operation Light Fingers was a three-day operation led by the Central Metropolitan High Visibility Policing (HVP) Unit, with support from the other police networks. The arrests were conducted from the 8th to the 10th of December 2022.

As of press time, 98 of the 155 individuals have been charged whilst 97 received criminal infringement notices. More operations of similar nature are expected to continue during the Christmas season. However, according to the NSW Crime Tool, incidents of theft in Maroubra and Eastgardens have been stable between October 2021 to September 2022.

Operation Light Fingers Maroubra — Photo Credit: NSW Crime Tool

It comes as the Eastern Beaches Police Area Command recently conducted a community engagement with the IWA Maroubra Community Group. The session tackled steps on how to report a crime to the police.

Did You Know That Netflix’s Heartbreak High Was Filmed In Maroubra Bay High School?

Did you know that many of the key scenes in Netflix’s Heartbreak High were filmed in Maroubra Bay High School? Get to know some interesting details about the former school, which has been chosen as the location of the hit reboot of the famous ‘90s show.

Read: Opening of Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Matraville Fast-Tracked for January 2023

Some viewers are wondering if the school in the series, Hartley High, is a real school. Although it does not exist in real life, the grounds of Maroubra Bay High School where it was filmed, was once a real school.

Photo credit: Maroubra Bay High School, Ex-students: 1959-1965/Facebook

The school operated from 1955 to 1990, initially as a junior boys school and later as a boys’ high school. It was formerly called South Sydney Boys High and Junior Technical High School.

The former school was used to film the first five episodes whilst the next two were filmed in Warriewood, which was the fictional Hartley Heights.

The now-closed school was used for a short period only for the Netflix series. Reports indicate that filming for the series started in late 2021 and was completed in February 2022.

Sadly, the former school site, adjacent to Maroubra Bay Public School along Duncan Street, has now been redeveloped into town houses.

Heartbreak High in Sydney

Besides the former school in Maroubra, the production team also assembled in Tempe, Sydney, at Harry’s Café de Wheels and Maroubra Beach.

Read: Distinguished Maroubra Policeman Retires

The eight-episode series was released in September 2022. After quicky becoming a global phenomenon, with over 42 million views within three weeks of its first season, Heartbreak High has been confirmed for a second season.

It’s not yet announced where Netflix will shoot Heartbreak High Season 2, given that the former school site was recently developed.

Distinguished Maroubra Policeman Retires

After 36 years in service, this Order of Australia awardee and recipient of the distinguished Australia Police Medal who also happened to be Maroubra’s longest-serving policeman has left his post for a well-earned retirement.

Chief Inspector Paul Fownes had always wanted to be a police officer. As a little boy, he looked up to his grandfather, who worked as a policeman in London.

Mr Fownes was first posted at the Maroubra Police Station after his graduation from the NSW Police Force Academy in 1986. He was designated to general duties at the Maroubra Police Station.

He soon became the type of policeman who was very connected to the community he served. He worked with special operations and investigated drug and property offences.

The police officer then moved up the ranks to become a member of the Maroubra Highway Patrol and became the commander of the Central Metropolitan highway patrol region that covered the Eastern Suburbs, the City of Sydney, and Leichhardt.

A very familiar figure on the eastern beaches, Mr Fownes was often seen interacting with people in Maroubra, Bondi, and Paddington.

Chief Inspector Paul Fownes was awarded an Order of Australia in 2018 for his work with South Maroubra Surf Life Saving Club. A year later, he received the highest honor, the Australian Police Medal, for his service.

Outside of the police force, he is an active member of the South Maroubra Surf Life Saving Club and served as its president. As its current chairman, he plans to secure upgrades for the facility and improve its accessibility.

“This man is so kind and friendly. In my encounters with him at Maroubra SLSC he was so kind and helpful. Little did I know what achievements and stature he has. You could never tell. He is so humble. Thank you for all you did in your career for the community as an officer and all you continue to do for the SLS community,” wrote Lisa Proj.

“Thank you Sir for the many years of dedication to NSW Police. A long and distinguished career in keeping law and order. Trusting you will enjoy your retirement and further involvement in your community. Wishing health and happiness,” said Carol Jones.