Maroubra Archives - Page 11 of 14

Proud Maroubra Resident Dylan Parker Taking Public Service to New Heights

Maroubra resident Dylan Parker is now at the helm of Randwick City, taking over from Danny Said. The new leader plans to rejuvenate the area and revive the city’s nightlife as he works to reopen establishments and community groups safely.

Mr Parker, who started his career as a public servant in 2017, worked in the government for nearly a decade. He assisted public housing tenants and was training to become an educator before public service became his calling.

The son of a nurse and a small business owner in Maroubra, Mr Parker is also a volunteer lifesaver. He promised to carry on the legacy of Mr Said, who served as Randwick’s mayor for two years.

Mr Parker’s key objectives as the new mayor include enriching the cultural life of the community and preserving the green spaces with various park and walking tracks improvements.

Photo Credit: RCCPhoto Credit: RCCPhoto Credit: RCC

“Randwick has remained resilient throughout a really tough period. Over the next term I look forward to ensuring our sporting groups, cafes, restaurants and community groups can reopen safely,” Mr Dylan Parker said.

“I want to rejuvenate our area and bring energy to our nightlife. I will also work to protect our green spaces and demand real, affordable housing for our area.”

Meanwhile, Mr Said remarked that “the Council is in safe hands” with Mr Parker at the helm.

Along with the new leadership, Lindsay Shurey was named the Deputy Mayor of Randwick. She started public service in 2012 and led the city in 2017.

Neighbourhood Cellars to Takeover The Feedbag in Maroubra

Neighbourhood Cellars, the family-run liquor shop with several outlets across the Eastern Suburbs, is moving into The Feedbag’s former site, a familiar corner spot on McKeon Street in Maroubra.

The Feedbag owner and chef, Peter Thompson, confirmed that he’s shutting down the burger joint in a few months to take time off and develop a new business concept. However, Thompson is not completely shutting down the option to revive the sought-after “Bra Burger” so patrons of the shop should continue to follow its Instagram account.

An experienced hospitality worker, Thompson opened The Feedbag in 2016 to offer an uncomplicated menu of burgers and beer. He created a laidback space with an inviting and relaxing vibe, attracting a diversified market of beachgoers, professionals, students and parents.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Feedbag Burger Restaurant (@thefeedbagburgers)

Meanwhile, Neighbourhood Cellars has filed a development application (DA/563/2021) with Randwick City Council to change the use of the retail premise from a cafe to a liquor store, which will operate from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday to Sunday. The plan also includes changes to the interiors

“The proposed development will involve a fit out of the interior of the ground floor of the building and its fitting out as a retail liquor store,” the development application indicated.

“The end-product will be a retail shop fitted out with perimeter shelving including refrigerated cabinets, some free-standing display units, a counter with a cool room at the rear similar to that found in stores retailing quality packaged liquor.”

Neighbourhood Cellars hopes to “breathe new life” into the shopping strip by offering fine wine choices that could attract new clientele from Maroubra and the surrounding suburbs.

The application, lodged on 13 Sept 2021, is still under preliminary review. Follow Neighbourhood Cellars on Facebook for updates about the new site’s opening.

Solar Start-Up SunDrive, Founded in Maroubra, Sets New World Record

SunDrive, the solar company established by two innovative UNSW graduates at a Maroubra garage, has set a new world record for efficiency which was previously held for years by Longi Green Energy Technology Co, a solar power giant from China.

In a post on Twitter, SunDrive announced a new world record of 25.54 percent efficiency for a commercial-size silicon solar cell. Its claim was tested by the Institute for Solar Energy Research in Hamlin, Germany and acknowledged by China’s PV-Tech.

Australian technology making history!🇦🇺☀️

SunDrive has officially set a new world record for a commercial size silicon solar cell.

A proud milestone for the team that worked incredibly hard to achieve this. Stay tuned for what’s next… pic.twitter.com/xf9NtqqZ7I
— SunDrive (@sundrivesolar) September 9, 2021

Cannon-Brookes also confirmed SunDrive’s big news on Twitter.

“This little Aussie startup just set the world record for panel efficiency,” he wrote. “This is a big deal on the world stage – and it came from some super smart people in a small Sydney garage. Copper is the way.”

The next move for SunDrive is to prove that their invention could be mass-produced affordably whilst retaining reliability and efficiency.

Formed by Vince Allen and David Hu in 2015, SunDrive has developed as a more cost-efficient solar cell, using copper instead of silver. The company has since received support from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes to upgrade its operations.

“It’s fantastic to see an Australian solar startup at the forefront of producing the next generation of high-efficiency solar cells,” ARENA CEO Darren Miller said after announcing its support for SunDrive.

“Through technological innovations from startups like SunDrive, Australia will remain at the forefront of solar innovation and research and development for years to come.”

“With ARENA’s support, we feel incredibly proud to be in a position to contribute to Australia’s rich heritage of advancing solar cell technology. With this project we have an opportunity in Australia to lead the world in creating the best version of next-generation solar cells,” Allen said.

“Our goal is to use the learnings from this project to bring to life a superior solar technology, creating new local industries which can compete on the global stage.”

Plans Released for the Coral Sea Park Playground Upgrade in Maroubra

Plans for the Coral Sea Park playground upgrade in Maroubra are now under public exhibit. The playground designs were done with inputs from the Maroubra United Soccer Club, as well as various local and school clubs that use the greenfield.

In January 2021, Randwick City Council asked for contributions about the planned upgrades with most suggestions leaning towards the reconfiguration of the existing layout, as well as the construction of a new playing field, which should boost playing hours to more than 2,000 hours a year.

Per the Council, the Coral Sea Park playground upgrade will include the following changes and additions:

New state-of-the-art synthetic sports field to allow for an additional 2,000 hours of play, with mini-field markings for juniors and able to be played on all year round.
Redesign of the overall park to allow for larger fields to enhance the player experience and meet Football NSW Guidelines.
Upgrading lights to allow for safer play and additional spaces to be floodlit in winter.
New cricket nets, moved to a new location.
Existing half basketball courts will be unaffected and remain in their current location.

Maroubra locals and those who use the facility are enjoined to submit their inputs to the plans by filling out the online survey, which will close on 29 Sept. 2021. Council staff members will review the community feedback before any changes have to begin.

Submit Your Feedback

Coral Sea Park was dedicated to the war heroes of the battle fought in the Coral Seal in May 1942. It is set amidst a quiet residential area minutes away from the beaches. It’s a popular site for rugby, soccer, and cricket players, as well as kids who love to play outdoors in the playground. A section of the park is for off-leash dog exercises.

Maroubra Granted Priority Access to Pfizer for 16 to 49 Following Superspreader Event

Some parts of the Eastern Suburbs have been given priority access to the Pfizer vaccine for eligible individuals between the ages of 16 to 49 years old, following a superspreader event in Maroubra.

Health officials have grown concerned after a Maroubra party with about 60 guests on 14 Aug resulted in 20 positive cases who infected 61 more close contacts. To prevent a COVID-19 hotspot, NSW’s vaccine program has put Maroubra as a priority, as well as these Randwick local government areas: Chifley, Clovelly, Coogee, Kensington, Kingsford, La Perouse-Phillip Bay, Little Bay, Malabar, Matraville, Randwick, South Coogee.

Camden LGA and Bayside LGA are also on priority.

“We know there are several hundred thousand people in these LGAs who are unvaccinated in this age group, and this is a great opportunity for them to come forward and get their jab,” NSW Health Deputy Secretary Susan Pearce said.

Beginning Monday, 31 Aug 2021, Randwick City Council has urged all eligible residents to book a vaccination slot as a priority pop-up vaccination hub has been set up in Novotel Hotel at the corner of Grand Parade and Princess Street.

NSW has been administering 127,530 doses of Pfizer a week and will have more supplies by October 2021.

Meanwhile, the NSW Police announced the formation of Strike Force Travelstop, which will investigate the superspreader event in Maroubra.

“Each of these people who are going to these functions must understand that they run the risk of either having the virus and transmitting it or getting the virus and taking it home to their families and their communities,” Health Minister Brad Hazzard said.

“There is no time now to be selfish – it’s time to think of the broader community and your families. If you are actually spreading the virus, you could be responsible for peoples’ deaths.”

Aggressive contact tracing has taken place since the event but fines have not yet been issued by the authorities amidst the investigation.

ADCO Wins Tender for Heffron Centre Construction in Maroubra

ADCO, one of Australia’s top construction companies for the past 50 years, has secured the tender for the $58-million Heffron Centre construction in Maroubra.

Following a competitive process, the company was appointed on 3 Aug 2021 as the builder and centre operator of the new state-of-the-art sports facility, which will house the professional rugby league club, South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Following the decision by Randwick Council, work on the Heffron Community High-Performance Centre will begin in late August with an anticipated completion in late 2022.

ADCO is also behind the ongoing Brookvale Oval Redevelopment in the Northern Beaches and the redevelopment of the Concord Oval in Canada Bay.

“The new sporting complex will feature an indoor sports centre, gymnastics centre and new home for the South Sydney Rabbitohs who will move their headquarters and Souths Cares community outreach work from their spiritual home of Redfern into their south-east supporter heartland of Randwick City by the end of 2022,” according to Randwick Mayor Danny Said.

“It is funded by Souths and all three levels of Government and has been seven years in the planning. It will deliver more than 200 jobs during construction and more than 60 ongoing jobs through the operation of the facility.”

Randwick Council also negotiated for Belgravia Health and Leisure Group to manage the Heffron Centre for a 10-year lease. A multi-awarded company, Belgravia currently operates 190 sports facilities around Australia and New Zealand with a pool of 4,000 staff.

According to Mayor Said, Randwick Council is confident of the appointment of the head builder and centre manager, which both extensively demonstrated experience in their fields.

“I’m confident the partnership will provide high quality and well-run community facilities that will deliver for our communities for decades to come.”

Meanwhile, once completed, the Heffron Centre will be operating seven days a week and will have gymnastics programs for all ages and abilities. The indoor sports centre, on the other hand, will be a space for sports various community activities like netball, basketball, badminton, volleyball, and futsal.

Young Man with Autism Launches Sweet and Successful Biz in Maroubra Amidst Lockdown

When Richard Habelrih, a 25-year-old man with autism, had to pause his speaking engagements due to the lockdown restrictions in Sydney, he cooked up an idea to launch his own snack food business from his home in Maroubra.

Richard came up with a recipe for Freckly Faces chocolates whilst experimenting in the kitchen because of the stay-at-home orders. His mother, Randa Habelrih, said that her son initially made small batches to fill up his time as he didn’t like being idle.

Randa decided to sell some of these batches on Autism MATES, a non-profit charity advocating for the social inclusion of young people in the autism spectrum. Soon, however, Richard was making 400 to 900 chocolates a day to fulfill orders from around Australia, New Zealand, and all the way to the U.S.

Highlights

Richard Habelrih, a young man with autism, launched the Freckly Faces chocolate business in Maroubra during the lockdown.
Orders have come flooding in from across the country, New Zealand and the U.S., making Richard a certified entrepreneur.
He’s been diagnosed in the spectrum at age 4 but has never let this defeat his drive to make significant accomplishments.

The mum said that the deluge of orders was unexpected. They thought that Freckly Faces will have a short run because Richard would soon resume his work as a public speaker.

However, Sydney was placed on another longer lockdown so Richard pressed on with Freckly Faces chocolates and has been fulfilling bulk orders.

@autismmates
I love my new business ##autism ##onthejob ##smallbusiness ##sydneylockdown ##cadbury ##australiapost ##smallbusinessowner ##tiktokforbusiness_anz ##fyp
♬ Fancy Like – Walker Hayes

Freckly Faces Autism Mates Richard — Photo Credit: Autism MATES

At 4 years old, Richard was officially diagnosed in the autism spectrum and his family was often told he will encounter many obstacles. The young man never allowed these obstacles to defeat him.

Amidst the bullying and exclusion he experienced in a mainstream school, Richard was able to finish Year 12. Because of his disability, Richard could not speak eloquently but he’s now a paid orator and has been an inspiration for those who have listened to his speeches, whether they are in the spectrum or not. His mother said that people listen to Richard because he speaks with authenticity.

Though aware that he could never have a 9 to 5 job, Richard has accomplished a lot at a young age by becoming a part-time teacher’s aide in Randwick, providing voiceovers for NDIS materials, amassing thousands of followers on social media, and creating his animated program, Timmy The Turtle.

Most of the people who helped Richard put the program together are from the spectrum. Now, he can add “entrepreneur” to his list of impressive accomplishments.

To order Freckly Faces, which come in 8cm and 11cm diameter, visit the online shop.

‘Tell A Scientist’ If You See Pygmy Blue Whales in Maroubra, Expert Urges

A wildlife scientist from Macquarie University is urging the public to say something on social media if they see pygmy blue whales off the coast of Maroubra.

The expert, Vanessa Pirotta, has launched a new study into the six verified sightings of the elusive marine animal in the last 18 years after drones tracked pygmy blue whales in Maroubra two times in 2020. These have been rare opportunities for a species classified as a poorly studied, “data deficient” animal.

Ms Pirotta said that the pygmy blue whales are quite a challenge to study because they are not as accessible compared to dolphins despite being the biggest animal in the world. Whilst scientists have devised many techniques to learn about these whales, the work, so far, has been limited and focused on small areas.

Highlights

Two rare sightings of pygmy blue whales happened in Maroubra in 2020 within two months.
This prompted scientist Vanessa Pirotta to conduct a new study as she urged the public to sound off if they see the whales on Maroubra’s coast.
Pygmy blue whales are the largest animals in the world but they are so elusive that scientists have a hard time gathering data.

“We don’t know much about pygmy blue whale presence in other parts of Australian waters, such as the east coast,” the scientist said. “The more information we know, the better we’re placed to assess their conservation needs. But focusing our efforts on species we know nothing about may require a conservative approach until we learn more.”

Pygmy blue whales are protected by the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act as a threatened species, and internationally by the International Whaling Commission and the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species. Ms Pirotta said they need more data to uphold these protections and safeguard the animals from threats, such as overfishing, ship collisions, climate change, and human activities in the water.

The scientist said that they still do not know the type of pygmy blue whales that were spotted in 2020.

“So, the next time you are by the sea, keep a look out and tell a scientist via social media if you see something interesting,” Ms Pirotta urged. “You just never know when the world’s biggest, or shiest, animal may turn up out of the blue.”

COVID-19 Fragments Detected in Maroubra Sewage as New Exposure Site List Grows

On the same day that the lockdown in Greater Sydney, the Central Coast, the Blue Mountains, Wollongong, and Shellharbour was announced, a public health alert was issued for residents of Maroubra, Auburn, Lough Park, St Marys, West Camden and Ireland Park after fragments of COVID-19 were detected in their sewage network.

The NSW Health said that locals in these areas should be “vigilant for any symptoms that could signal COVID” and self-isolate as soon as possible if they are exhibiting cough, runny nose, sore throat and fever.

The Maroubra sewage network serves over 90,500 homes and establishments in the following Eastern Sydney suburbs, which have entered into a lockdown from 25 June to 9 July 2021, along with Greater Sydney:

Bondi Junction
Bronte
Centennial Park
Clovelly
Coogee
Daceyville
Eastlakes
Kensington
Kingsford
Maroubra
Matraville
Moore Park
Paddington
Pagewood
Queens Park
Randwick
Rosebery
South Coogee
Waverley
Woollahra

In addition to the sewage detection, health officials have also expanded the list of COVID-19 exposure sites.

⚠️PUBLIC HEALTH ORDER⚠️
👉 Stay at home orders extended to all of Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour.
👉 Restrictions apply to the rest of NSW
🔗 For more information, head to https://t.co/rH9BQjnpBk pic.twitter.com/rn4Kq0GRBF
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) June 26, 2021

Anyone who has been in these venues is considered a “close contact” and must get tested and isolate for 14 days regardless of their test results.

View the specific case locations

⚠️PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT – FURTHER VENUES⚠️

NSW Health has been notified of additional venues across Sydney visited by confirmed cases of #COVID19. pic.twitter.com/mtaWk5DpuY
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) June 26, 2021

If their symptoms progress, they may call 1800 943 553 or any of these agencies for assistance:

Lifeline Australia 13 11 14
Kids Helpline 1800 551 800
NSW Mental Health Line 1800 011 511

Sydneysiders are also urged to regularly check NSW Health for succeeding alerts and updates.

Your Feedback Needed for the Revised Heffron Park Plan of Management

A revised Plan of Management (PoM) for Heffron Park in Maroubra has been released for public exhibition. Residents affected by this change to the PoM, which had originally been adopted in 2009, may express their support or objection to the recategorisation by submitting a feedback form.

The execution of the revised PoM is in line with the requirements of the NSW Crown Land Management Act 2016 covering all community lands, such as Heffron Park. The PoM enables better planning and governance for the use of such a public place.

According to Randwick City Council, the previous PoM’s major projects have been completed thus the need for recategorisation to:

better protect small areas of planting that is now categorised as ‘natural area: bushland’;
identify an area near the remnant sand dune to be categorised as park as this better describes its appropriate use; and
apply the category of ‘community use’ on the Heffron Centre precinct which most appropriately reflects the intended future use of the facility.

Heffron Park is Randwick City Council’s largest sporting facility and has been used for various events and leisure activities. Formerly used as storage area for the Navy during World War II, the park was turned over for Council’s management as a public recreation site in 1959.

The new PoM comes following the approval of the construction of a new indoor sports centre for the South Sydney Rabbitoh in March 2021.

Printed copies of the PoM are may be seen at the following exhibition sites or online:

Des Renford Leisure Centre in Heffron Park
Randwick Council Customer Service Centre, 30 Frances St, Randwick
Lionel Bowen Library, 669-673 Anzac Parade, Maroubra
Margaret Martin Library, Royal Randwick Shopping Centre, Randwick
Malabar Community Library, 1203 Anzac Parade, Matraville

The community may lodge their submission at council@randwick.nsw.gov.au or through the online feedback form until 27 July 2021.