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Maroubra SLSC Secures $400,000 for Stage 1 Upgrades

Good news for Maroubra locals as the people prepare to enjoy a safe and healthy summer! Randwick City Council has agreed to allocate $400,000 for Stage 1 of the planned upgrades to the Maroubra Surf Lifesaving Club (Maroubra SLSC).

The scope of works covers the following:

140sqm increased storage capability for lifesaving equipment
New beach surveillance and observation platform
New training and education room
Improved community room space

The start date of construction has yet to be determined. The remaining stages of redevelopment and upgrades will still be decided upon based on the Maroubra Beach Foreshore plan.

Maroubra SLSC is crucial to the community’s safety and protection in the water, especially when Maroubra’s beach is deemed as one of the more hazardous beaches in Sydney. Club members rescue some 285 people every year, which is considered as one of the highest in New South Wales.

The organisation also hosts various community activities for physical and mental well-being, making the clubhouse an important social hub. Club membership increased by more than 25 percent in three years, making the current building’s format and condition unfit for the expanded membership.

The facility improvements will help support Maroubra SLSC’s mission and value to the precinct. The upgrades will also push the club to become a world-class site.

Maroubra Blue Whale Sighting Just ‘Third in 100 Years’

A majestic blue whale, one of the largest animals on the planet, was spotted and photographed in the waters of Maroubra recently. Wildlife experts said that this has been a rare gift since it is only the third confirmed sighting in the last 100 years in the world and the first off Sydney, Australia’s coast.

Andrew Marshall of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) confirmed the sighting in a news release. He said that blue whales often go unnoticed because these animals avoid the shore due to their sizes.

“They are not often seen because they tend to live very far out to sea, their populations are widely dispersed and we have very limited data on its migration and critical habitat.” Mr Marshall said. “We have unofficial records of blue whales near Sydney from observers at Cape Solander in 2002 and 2013,” he added.

“But this recent sighting is the first verified record of this species off our coast.”

The expert said that the blue whale caught on camera by Instagram photographer @seansperception is likely “25 metres in length and weighed over 100 tonnes.”

The photographer said that he was documenting humpbacks in Maroubra when this beautiful creature appeared.

“Although so large they are incredibly hard to ever see especially on the east coast on Australia,” Sean said. “To put their size into perspective; they grow to around 30 metres, their tongue weights the same as an elephant & their heart is the size of a car! Completely mesmerised & feel like I’ve hit the Jackpot!”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sean (@seansperception) on Aug 17, 2020 at 12:04am PDT

The latest sighting will hopefully help NPWS and its marine experts gather more information about the species.

Maroubra has plenty of vantage points for whale watching but visitors to the beach are reminded to observe COVID safety precautions.

Be Involved at the Maroubra Residents Online Meeting

Do you want to know the projects and plans for the community? A meeting among Maroubra residents will take place online on Monday, 28 Sept 2020, via Zoom. Members from the Council will also be there to consult and engage with the community on issues that impact residents.

Get involved and stay abreast of what’s going on in the community!

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS ONLINE MEETINg

Heffron Centre Development: Concept Design Unveiled, Project to Bring 200 Jobs

The concept design for the Heffron Centre development in Maroubra has been unveiled following a public consultation in April 2020. The planned multi-purpose, state-of-the-art sports facility will move on with the development application, with an estimated target date of construction in mid-2021.

The new Heffron Centre will include two indoor sports halls with spectator seating and ample storage spaces. This site will house the Community and High-Performance headquarters of the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Souths Cares.

Lecture rooms, gymnastic zones, training and operational areas, bathrooms for athletes and guests, as well as a merchandise shop were incorporated in the design, based on the residents of the locals.

Photo Credit: CO-OP Studio/Randwick City Council

Part of the centre will also include a cafe within an open plaza with both indoor and outdoor seating. The plaza is envisioned as a community hub for relaxation and socialisation.

An internal street will be built to link these facilities and connect the front and back of the site. Visitor areas for viewing the NRL training field will also be established.

“The concept designs have been informed by community feedback and are the result of more than four years of hard work, research, consultation and planning,” Randwick Mayor Danny Said stated in the unveiling of the concept design. “This is an exciting project that will see grassroots and elite sports co-exist at Heffron Park. It will also see the Rabbitohs move to their supporter heartland in Maroubra,” Mr Said added.

Randwick City Council and the South Sydney Rabbitohs were able to secure about $21 million in state and federal funding for the Heffron Centre. About 200 jobs will be generated once construction starts, with at least 60 ongoing jobs to be retained once the site is operational.

The Council expects the development to be completed in late 2022.

Maroubra Cleaner Wins $100,000 at Lucky Lotteries

Following the Lucky Lotteries draw last 1 Sept 2020, a cleaner from Maroubra is now looking forward to better sleep every night after winning the $100,000 pot.

The unnamed winner said that she’s planning to buy a new bed with her acquired fortune, as well as build a new lounge suit in her home so she can comfortably enjoy a leisurely rest. She also plans to use the rest of her winnings to spend a luxurious holiday when travel is safer.

“I play Lucky Lotteries all the time. It’s my favourite game to buy at the newsagent,” the winner said. “I was supposed to be on holiday right now, but I couldn’t go because of COVID-19, so the win has definitely cheered me up. I can’t go anywhere to celebrate, but I think I’m going to stop cleaning the bathroom and have a cup of tea instead!”

The woman purchased her Lucky Lotteries ticket at the Pacific Square News at the Pacific Square Shopping Centre on Anzac Parade. The shop owner, David Zou, said that they also sold a division one winning ticket 10 days before the lucky woman.

Photo Credit: Ngariwan Ongkowidjaja/Facebook

“It’s perfect for our customers, and we feel like a really lucky store!” Zou exclaimed. “We’ve been talking to our customers about it, and they are really happy for us. It’s created a real buzz with everyone talking about it!”

“We want to thank our customers for their support. We hope we can sell another major prize soon! Congratulations to our winner! We wish them all the best.”

Maroubra Surf Life Saving Club Nippers’ March Past Team Wins Gold and Receives Team Excellence Nomination

The Maroubra Surf Life Saving Club Nippers’ March Past Team has recently received a gold award at the 2019 State Surf Lifesaving Championships, along with a nomination for the Team of Excellence category at the 2019 Local Sports Stars Awards.

Marching Their Way To The Top

This year’s championship event happened at the Blacksmiths Beach from 23 February 2019 until 10 March 2019. Throughout the course of the event, more than 6000 competitors came in and fought their way into the top of the different categories lined up at the competition.

One of the eager teams present at the oldest surf lifesaving sport competition is the Maroubra Nippers. The team is made up of 12 girls whose age ranges from 8 to 14. But despite the young age, these girls were very disciplined and determined in performing their best at the competition.

The Maroubra Nippers March Past Team has been marching together for the past four years. And as part of their preparation for the state championship, the Maroubra Nippers have been receiving rigorous training from their coach Brian Purdon and assistant coach Farah Messina.

As a comeback from their loss at last year’s championship event, the Maroubra Nippers marched their way to the top of the sport as they received gold at both Sydney branch level and overall 2019 State Surf Lifesaving Championship. This was by far Maroubra Nippers’ highest received award.

Remarkable Win

It was a remarkable win for the group when they received gold at the 2019 State Surf Lifesaving Championship given that a team member had to be pulled out from the group a few minutes before marching due to an illness. Fortunately, the team was able to fill in the missing spot with a dedicated reserve.

With the camaraderie, dedication, and passion of all members and coaches, the Maroubra Nippers was able to make history. And to top off their gold award from the competition, the team was also nominated at the 2019 Local Sports Stars Awards for the Team Excellence category.

Former Convenience Store on Malabar Road Could Become a Pet Clinic

For 30 years, a convenience store on Malabar Road in Maroubra traded and served the locals. Since the business closed, a plan has been lodged to develop the commercial site into a pet clinic.

Shane Abood and Dr Sally Pegrum, the owners of the Pyrmont Vet Clinic, filed a development application with the Randwick Council to change the former EzyMart store into a veterinary facility. It will be named the Coogee Veterinary Hospital.

The proposal, filed in March 2019, indicated that there won’t be any structural changes made to the site but there will be some internal changes once the Council approves the application.

Specifically, the two-storey building will be divided into two consulting rooms, treatment rooms, x-ray area, wet prep room, an operating theater, grooming area, pet store, and the reception.

“The site is suitable to accept the proposed development and the design is sympathetic to the surrounding sites. As there are no nearby veterinary hospitals we feel it is an excellent opportunity to maintain herd health and the entire community,” the proposal stated.

A decision has not yet been made regarding this plan. In the middle of May 2019, Randwick Council has referred the matter to engineering for further assessment.

If approved, however, the Coogee Veterinary Hospital will have around two to four staff and its hour of operation will be from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. during the weekdays, and from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Maroubra Beach Hosts Surfing Cup for Lifeguards across NSW

35 Lifeguards from seven NSW Councils are set for the Lifeguard Surfers Cup happening on 12 April 2019 at Maroubra Beach.

There is no better way to end a successful season for our dear lifeguards than by having a friendly yet fierce surfing competition at the beautiful waters of Maroubra Beach.

The Randwick City Council has partnered with the Surfing NSW to create this inaugural surfing competition that will serve as an opportunity for networking and skills building for all the hardworking lifeguards across seven NSW Councils.

The event allows all competitors to share some of their amazing and exceptional experiences from the busy spring and summer seasons whilst showing off to everyone their great surfing skills.

What to Expect in Lifeguard Surfers Cup?

Participants of the Lifeguard Surfers Cup will consist of teams of five surfers each from Randwick, Waverley, Northern Beaches, Central Coast, Lake Macquarie, and Wollongong Councils.

They will compete in a tag-based format. This means that all surfers must begin on the beach, tag their teammate and paddle out. By having one wave from each of the five surfers will contribute to the team’s overall score.

Aside from claiming bragging rights, winners of the Surfers Cup will receive a brand new jet ski rescue sled given by Pro Guarding.

With a little friendly rivalry going on with some neighbouring lifeguards, this competition surely is going to be an exciting one!

The Lifeguard Surfers Cup will commence at 8:00 a.m. at the Maroubra Beach. The organizers of the event are expecting a large number of visitors and spectators coming over to witness this very first lifeguard surfing competition. They highly encourage everyone to come early to show support for all the teams competing.

Click here for more details about this upcoming lifeguard surfing competition.

Be a Volunteer for the Clean It Up Maroubra Beach Drive

Help keep Maroubra Beach clean by being a volunteer at the Clean It Up Maroubra Beach drive this 14 April 2019.

After the success of the first Clean It Up Maroubra Beach drive in February 2019, comes another round of cleanup drive this April.

Led by the Maroubra Community group, the cleanup drive is set to start from 8:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. The meet point for all volunteers is on the grass area opposite of the Marini Cafe.

All volunteers are requested to come by 8:15 a.m. at the meet up point for instructions and briefing. Please be advised that volunteers who are under 18 years old must be supervised by an adult throughout the entire duration of the cleanup.

*Photo credit: Clean It Up Maroubra Beach/ Facebook*

What To Bring

Everyone is encouraged to join this clean up event at the Maroubra Beach. If you are interested in being a volunteer, make sure to head over to the designated meeting place at the exact call time, wearing a navy blue shirt. Please make sure to bring your own buckets and gloves. Also, keep in mind that plastic bags are not allowed at this Clean It Up event.

For your convenience, please wear a hat and put on a decent amount of sunscreen before heading out under the sun to collect some rubbish. You may also bring your own water bottle in case you feel thirsty whilst the cleanup drive is ongoing.

After collecting and segregating all rubbish found at the Maroubra Beach, a little get together will be held under the covered area of the designated meeting place across Marini Cafe.

Here are some photos from the Clean It Up Maroubra Beach drive last February 2019:

Clean It Up Volunteers — Volunteers for the cleanup drive
Photo credit: Maroubra Community/ Facebook

What are you waiting for? Save the date and be part of the second Clean It Up Maroubra Beach drive! Feel free to come with your best mates too.If you are active on social media, make sure to use the hashtag “#cleanitupmaroubra” on all your posts.

Maroubra Ambulance Station Might Be Downgraded as PRP

Photo Credit: TBIT/Pixabay

The Maroubra Ambulance Station located on Mons Avenue might be downgraded to a Paramedic Response Point (PRP) as plans to build an ambulance superstation in Randwick have been revealed. NSW Health said that this centralised facility should improve the response time of its emergency units.

The centralised superstation will be built at the corner of Darley Road and King Street near the TAFE NSW. Currently, this site is being used a carpark, but it’s location is deemed ideal for the superstation since it is near and accessible to major roads such as Anzac Parade and Alison Road.

Once this is in place, paramedics formerly stationed at the ambulance services in Maroubra, as well as Bondi and Mascot, will have to report to the superstation in Randwick as a PRP. Their facilities will become a hub where paramedics from the superstation could be deployed on demand during their shifts.

*Photo Credit:* *NSW Ambulance/Facebook*

Health Services Union NSW Secretary Gerard Hayes, however, opposes the plan for the superstation, citing that this will “blow out” the response time.

Mr Hayes said that there is a larger network to cover in a centralised system and paramedics may meet traffic and congestion, particularly in the south east districts, when every second counts during emergencies.

The Maroubra Ambulance Station averages a response time of 6.9 minutes in most urgent cases, beating the 10-minute target time. Despite Mr Hayes’ observation, NSW Health believes this can still be improved with the completion of the Randwick superstation.