Pittwater Online News

Front Page Issue 640

Week Four March 2025 (March 17 - 23)

Aquatics: Hansa Worlds + Para Worlds Will Fire Up the estuary This Week: 'Welcome to Pittwater Athletes'! by Di Pearson and RPAYC (runs March 23-30)

Pictures 2025 NSW Surf Life Saving Championships: Opens - Newport Wins 11th Straight Title!

Terms of Reference for 2025 Inquiry Into the Safety and Quality of Health Services provided by Northern Beaches Hospital Released: Pittwater MP's Clarion Speech in NSW Parliament on Tuesday March 18 

Scamps' Call for Residential Battery Subsidies May Ease Council's EV-Charging Stations Dilemma + Solar for Apartment Residents incentive open until December 31 + EV and Hybrid vehicle data for our area by postcode + NSW Inquiry into Infrastructure for electric and alternative energy source vehicles in NSW (closing date for submissions is Friday 2 May 2025) + ‘A house battery you can drive around’: how a handful of Australians are selling power from their cars back to the grid 

Tender Accepted for Female friendly Accessible change facilities at Pittwater Rugby Park: Construction Scheduled to commence in April

Boaters reminded not to get complacent on the water: MRNSW's February 2025 Rescues - Boating Season Closes Anzac Day 2025

Council Review of Alcohol Free Zones: Feedback closes April 27 2025 - changes for some areas proposed

Elanora's Kalang Road - Newport's Robertson Road Permits Approved by Traffic Committee for Plug & Play: Fairlight + Brookvale approved too

Digital Parking permits coming for across the Peninsula + CellOPark Dispute 2024-2025 + NSW Government's Ticketless Parking Reforms and Consultation on Equal Access to Beach Parking Permits (open until April 17 2025)

Park Bench Philosophers: Australia has promised to end domestic violence within a generation. Jess Hill asks: are our strategies working?

Seas The Day 2025 returns to Kingscliff Beach

ACCC recommends supermarket reforms to provide better outcomes for consumers and suppliers: Final Report released

Custom designed Tactical Armoured Vehicles  handed over to NSW Police Force: five new Lenco ‘Bearcat’s

Food Pears: Autumn Fruits + Packham's Pear - the Australian Pear

Environment Just Two Trees, Council's Draft Tree Management Policy Open for Feedback until March 30, Chlamydiosis discovered in South West Sydney Koalas: public kept in the dark, New walking track linking Middle Head–Gubbuh Gubbuh and Georges Head Now Open, Coastal Dynamics 2025 Conference, Smoky mouse reintroduced to South East Forest National Park feral cat and fox-free area, Giant Sunfish washes up on WA Beach, New skink a second unique species for Scawfell Island, Grants open for the $81 million FOGO fund, NSW's tree-mendous icons: Eucalyptus Day 2025, Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 Recycling Batteries: at Mona Vale + Avalon Beach, ‘1080 pest management’, Closed areas: Major works in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Please Remember to leave water out for wildlife on hot days, Reporting Dogs Offleash - Dog Attacks to Council, Ku-ring-gai's natural treasures Killara Park: What Bush Care Volunteers Achieve, Woodside’s bid to expand a huge gas project is testing both Labor and the Coalition’s environmental credentials, We found the only kangaroo that doesn’t hop – and it can teach us how roos evolved their quirky gait, Dozens of surfers fell ill after swimming in seas that turned into a ‘bacterial smoothie’ of sea foam; What was in it?, Sand-sized fossils hold secrets to the history of climate change, Renewables are cheap. So why isn’t your power bill falling?, Rain gave Australia’s environment a fourth year of reprieve in 2024 – but this masks deepening problems: report, Flooding in the Sahara, Amazon tributaries drying and warming tipping over 1.5°C – 2024 broke all the wrong records, Why build nuclear power in place of old coal when you could have pumped hydropower instead?, Plastic Bread Ties For Wheelchairs: Mona Vale drop-off point, Volunteers for Barrenjoey Lighthouse Tours needed, Stay Safe From Mosquitoes, Mountain Bike Incidents On Public Land: Survey, Report fox sightings, marine wildlife rescue group on the Central Coast, Watch out - shorebirds about, Possums In Your Roof?: do the right thing, Aviaries + Possum Release Sites Needed, Bushcare in Pittwater: where and when, Friends Of Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment Activities, Gardens and Environment Groups and Organisations in Pittwater, Ringtail Posses, Pittwater Reserves: histories + Walks, Birds, + 

Inbox News NSW Government's Workers comp. reform to address psychological safety, MotherSafe celebrates its 25th anniversary, New board to lead NSW Aboriginal Languages Trust to 2030, Streaming, surveillance and the power of suggestion: the hidden cost of 10 years of Netflix, Sydney man fined more than $470,000 for unlicensed and uninsured building work, DP World Australia's proposed acquisition of Silk raises preliminary concerns: ACCC, Basin irrigation operator Cadell admits to breaching the Water Charge Rules, Airports report record aeronautical revenues despite slower growth in passenger numbers, Safety switch: Date set for Average Speed Camera trial, Less than 1% of the world’s biggest radio telescope is complete – but its first image reveals a sky dotted with ancient galaxies, You’ve heard of the Big Bang. Now astronomers have discovered the Big Wheel – here’s why it’s significant, ASIC puts payday lenders on notice they may be breaching the law, Loosely Woven 30th Anniversary Concerts: 'Unwound', New virtual nursing project: aged care, Professor Michael Kidd AO: Next CMO, Vaccination saves lives – prepare and protect, AMA will continue to work with government on private health fee transparency, Japanese encephalitis has claimed a second life in NSW and been detected in Brisbane. What is it?, Sugar tax needed to help tackle Australia’s obesity crisis: AMA, Cardio and strength training boost health as you age. But don’t forget balance exercises to reduce your chance of falls, I’m avoiding a hearing test because I don’t want chunky hearing aids. What are my options?, Treatment for Parkinson’s disease and restless leg syndrome is linked with risky behaviour – here’s what you need to know, Changes to speech and language can help detect Alzheimer’s early – here are five things to look out for, AvPals Term 1 2025, Seas The Day 2025 returns to Kingscliff Beach, We found a new wasp! Students are discovering insect species through citizen science, State Champs 2025 Surf Boat Highlights, NSW's tree-mendous icons, Word Of The Week: State, Dozens of surfers fell ill after swimming in seas that turned into a ‘bacterial smoothie’ of sea foam; What was in it?, What’s the difference between baking powder and baking soda? It’s subtle, but significant, If your tween or teen doesn’t know how to swim, it’s not too late for lessons, Long before debates over ‘wokeness’, Epicurus built a philosophy that welcomed slaves, women and outsiders, Streaming, surveillance and the power of suggestion: the hidden cost of 10 years of Netflix, Chinese only introduced a feminine pronoun in the 1920s. Now, it might adopt a gender-inclusive one, Hundreds of livestock breeds have gone extinct – but some Australian farmers are keeping endangered breeds alive, Japanese encephalitis has claimed a second life in NSW and been detected in Brisbane. What is it?, We combed through old botanical surveys to track how plants on Australia’s islands are changing, Opportunities: Youth Week creative arts competition: ACYP + NSW Youth Week 2025: Local Events + NSW YAC + 2025 Game Changer Challenge + Learner drivers benefit as more resources become available online + NSW History Awards 2025 + Racing for a Cause: Manly Inflatable Boat Race 2025, local services for you

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Week Three March 2025 (March 10 - 16)

Pictures: 2025 NSW Surf Life Saving Championships: Masters Report + Results

Profile of the Week:  Judith Friezer - 90-year-old first time author 

History:  Avalon Beach Historical Society March 2025 Meeting: Sunrise Cottage, Palm Beach + Geoff Searl OAM Great Adventure on HM Bark Endeavour Replica - report by Roger Sayers OAM

Aquatics Double celebration for two long-serving Marine Rescue Cottage Point volunteers

Parliamentary inquiry into Safety and Quality of Northern Beaches Hospital Services Announced

It's a 'Bit Sharky' out there: 5 Tagged Bull Sharks Pinged at North Narrabeen on Same Day - Bull Shark spotted at Bayview + some historical insights into Sharks in the estuary and along our beaches

Bus Problems set to Ease: Repaired Buses returning to Service in April - New Buses slated for local routes by end of 2025

Warriewood Community Centre Build: March 2025 Update by Joe Mills

Ethan Hrnjak announced as Greens’ federal candidate for Mackellar 2025

Park Bench Philosophers: Yes, it’s a terrible idea to pick up or interfere with wild animals – especially baby wombats. Here’s why + How to report abuse of Wildlife or help injured wildlife

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Week Two March 2025 (March 3 - 9)

Pictures: The Zonta Club of the Northern Beaches: Celebrating 50 years of Action in 2025 - The Zonta Northern Beaches Annual Women's Day Breakfast photos by Michael Mannington OAM, Zonta Club of Northern Beaches and others!

Profile of the Week  Pittwater Women of the Year 2025: Lisbeth Lawsen - Simone Allan + 2025 Manly Local Woman of the Year: Melissa Burgess 

History:  Max Dupain of Newport: Pittwater Photographer 

Saltwater Veterans in Hansa Worlds on Pittwater: Let’s Support Our Girls!

Aquatics Marine Rescue NSW Women in Flood Rescue leadership seminar

Urgent Care Clinic for Dee Why + What Services are Available 24/7 at Mona Vale Hospital UCC: Reminder + Tribute to Eileen Gordon Unveiled

NSW Government's Low and Mid-rise Housing policy – Exemptions for Avalon, Newport, Palm Beach: Residents Associations Responses

Local MP's Call for Funding to fix Narrabeen Athletics Track: Federal Budget scheduled for March 25

Old Barrenjoey Road Water Main Renewal: March 3 2025 Update from Sydney Water - Construction starting on Monday 10 March 2025

Park Bench Philosophers CSIRO science ship has students sailing into future careers

DIY Ideas Reducing Ticks in Your Garden (Autumn 2025): Garden care, Plants that Repel, What to Wear Outdoors

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Week One March 2025 (February 24 - March 2)

Happy 100th Birthday Avalon Beach SLSC!

Profile of the Week:  The Better Cities Initiative: Mona Vale public forum on housing and development 

Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby calls on Minns government to shelve Low to Mid-Rise Housing until the bus crisis - Mona Vale Road are fixed 

IPART Consult on NBC SRV Now Open - Closes March 17

Expanded mental health services for young people at Brookvale: Design-Services Consultation With Community Now Open 

NSW Pet Laws (dog and cat regulations) go under the microscope - Have your say until May 4

Pictures: Purple Poppy Day 2025: Flag of the Republic of Türkiye raised at Simpson Memorial of Narrabeen War Veterans - Pittwater RSL Honours All Animals who Served or Serve still in Moving Tribute

Aquatics: New data from Surf Life Saving Australia shows increased drowning risk on public holidays: Summer Coastal Drowning Report 2024-2025

Lime Cordiale Tees for Green Music Australia + Green Venue Program - Free Workshops this month

Water Main renewal on Old Barrenjoey Road, Avalon Beach to Commence this March

Just Two Trees (the Great Ruskin Row): Council's Draft Tree Management Policy Opens for Feedback - Closes March 30

Park Bench Philosophers Minns Government must act to fix our rivers: NCC + Sample of Previous PON Reports 2019 to 2024

Light at the end of Sydney’s secret train tunnels: St James Historical Walking Tour to commence later this year

Avalon Quilters 'The Sum of Us' Raffle Quilt for Mito Foundation

The Avalon Quilters have an amazing raffle quilt they have made to raise funds for the Mito Foundation. 

The quilt, appropriately named “The Sum Of Us”, was made last year by Avalon Quilter’s 25 members. It is completely handmade and totals over 4500 one-inch pieces, then finished off with hand quilting.

Details show the personal and colourful choices made by Avalon Quilters for each piece, underlining the title of this beautiful quilt.

Raffle tickets at $2 each, are available from members, who meet in the Uniting Church at Avalon every Thursday, 10-2.30,  at Patchwork on Pittwater at Mona Vale, and Avalon Fabrics and Craft, in Avalon Parade. 

The raffle will be drawn at Easter.

All tickets sales will go to the Mito Foundation, which Avalon Quilters have been supporting for over a decade through making raffle quilts. 

The Mito Foundation supports people affected by mitochondrial disease (mito), funds essential research into the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cures of mitochondrial disorders, and increases awareness and education about mito. 

Mitochondria are the power houses of the cell providing the body with over 90% of the energy it needs to sustain life. Mitochondria take in sugars and proteins from the food we eat and produce energy called ATP that our bodies use to function properly. Mitochondrial disease (mito) is a debilitating and potentially fatal disease that reduces the ability of the mitochondria to produce this energy. When the mitochondria are not working properly, cells begin to die until eventually whole organ systems fail and the patient's life itself is compromised.

The Mito Foundation was founded in 2009 by Pittwater residents Doug and Margie Lingard, their friends, and experts in the field of mitochondrial disease (mito). 

Front Page Issue 640

Week Three March 2025 (March 10 - 16)

Pictures: 2025 NSW Surf Life Saving Championships: Masters Report + Results

Aquatics Double celebration for two long-serving Marine Rescue Cottage Point volunteers

Parliamentary inquiry into Safety and Quality of Northern Beaches Hospital Services Announced

It's a 'Bit Sharky' out there: 5 Tagged Bull Sharks Pinged at North Narrabeen on Same Day - Bull Shark spotted at Bayview + some historical insights into Sharks in the estuary and along our beaches

Bus Problems set to Ease: Repaired Buses returning to Service in April - New Buses slated for local routes by end of 2025

Warriewood Community Centre Build: March 2025 Update by Joe Mills

Ethan Hrnjak announced as Greens’ federal candidate for Mackellar 2025

Park Bench Philosophers: Yes, it’s a terrible idea to pick up or interfere with wild animals – especially baby wombats. Here’s why + How to report abuse of Wildlife or help injured wildlife

Environment It's a 'Bit Sharky' out there: 5 Tagged Bull Sharks Pinged at North Narrabeen on Same Day - Bull Shark spotted at Bayview, Wildlife protection at the heart of road technology trials, Just Two Trees, Council's Draft Tree Management Policy Open for Feedback until March 30, Australia’s Eucalypt of the Year 2025: The Travel Edition voting opens, World-first analysis of seabirds who’ve eaten plastic reveals slow insidious health impacts, Kultarrs are tiny, cryptic creatures that only come out at night. Scientists are finally learning how they live, Tonnes of microplastics infiltrate Australia’s agricultural soils each year, Luxury hiking developments look picture-perfect but could stop everyday Australians from accessing national parks,  Not just bees and butterflies: beetles and other brilliant bugs are nature’s unsung pollinators, Plants struggled for millions of years after Earth’s worst climate catastrophe – new study, How North Sea tanker collision could affect one of Britain’s most important coastlines, Sustainability ideals are often crushed by corporate demands. Here’s how businesses can let them flourish, The end of capitalism – or the end of civilisation? The choice could be that stark, The ‘sustainable’ cod in your shopping basket may be no such thing – new study reveals mislabelling, What’s that microplastic? Advances in machine learning are making identifying plastics in the environment more reliable, Beloved beaches were washed offshore by Cyclone Alfred – but most of this sand will return, Australia’s superb lyrebirds ‘farm’ the forest floor to increase their prey – a behaviour rarely seen in nature, Butterflies declined by 22% in just 2 decades across the US – there are ways you can help save them, America’s clean air rules boost health and the economy − what EPA’s new deregulation plans ignore, Recycle batteries at JBH Mona Vale and Avalon, ‘1080 pest management’, Closed areas: Major works in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Please Remember to leave water out for wildlife on hot days, Reporting Dogs Offleash - Dog Attacks to Council: how to, Plastic Bread Ties For Wheelchairs: Mona Vale drop-off point, Volunteers for Barrenjoey Lighthouse Tours needed, Stay Safe From Mosquitoes, Mountain Bike Incidents On Public Land: Survey, Report fox sightings, marine wildlife rescue group on the Central Coast, Watch out - shorebirds about, Possums In Your Roof?: do the right thing, Aviaries + Possum Release Sites Needed, Bushcare in Pittwater: where and when, Friends Of Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment Activities, Gardens and Environment Groups and Organisations in Pittwater, Ringtail Posses, Pittwater Reserves: histories + Walks, Birds, + 

Inbox News What can you do if your child is being bullied?, Beloved beaches were washed offshore by Cyclone Alfred – but most of this sand will return, How ocean giants are born: tracking the long-distance impact and danger of extreme swells, Fresh fruit down junk food up: our modelling suggests Australians’ diets will get worse by 2030, First wind then rain; Next come the mozzies – here’s how to reduce your risk of bites and infections, Labor is promising a national food security strategy – but there’s no mention of Australians who are going hungry, Woolly mice are a first step to resurrecting mammoths but there’s a very long way to go, Fighting fungal nail infections: simple steps for healthier toenails, A late start then a big boom: why it took until 1975 for Australians to finally watch TV in colour, Earth’s oldest impact crater was just found in Australia – exactly where geologists hoped it would be, Retailers will soon need a licence to sell cigarettes. But more is needed to control the illegal trade, 5 years since COVID was declared a pandemic; we’re still poorly prepared for the next one, Profile of the Week Judith Friezer - 90 years young!, Payday super a win for all Australians: COTA Australia, Consulting on payday super draft legislation, Bookoccino Carpark Polis: 2025 Election, Modest Age Pension rise as some scrimp to survive, Independent MPs are elected for a reason – hung parliaments may be precisely what voters want, New research highlights social impacts of COVID five years since pandemic declared, Two of the best ways to respond to people with dementia who think they are in a different time or place, Newspapers cannot justify running Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots ads as freedom of speech, Saturn now has 274 moons – but exactly what makes something a moon remains unclear, AvPals Term 1 2025, Seniors Festival 2025: Local events, Education Minister wishes 380,000 students good luck as NAPLAN testing starts, Manly Warringah Sapphires Claim 2025 HeartKids Cup, Pittwater's Early Aviators Among First Australians to Fly: + Some Early Stuntwomen, Opportunities: Youth Week creative arts competition: ACYP + NSW Youth Week 2025: Local Events + NSW YAC + 2025 Game Changer Challenge + Learner drivers benefit as more resources become available online + NSW History Awards 2025 + NSW Training Awards + Racing for a Cause: Manly Inflatable Boat Race 2025, Word Of The Week: Ball, Friday essay: Miles Franklin’s other brilliant career – her year as an undercover servant, The rate of sports betting has surged more than 57% – and younger people are betting more, Fragments of a million-year-old face found in Spain shed new light on ancient human migrations, Philly Roller Derby league turns 20 - here’s how the sport skated its way to feminism, anti-racism and queer liberation, 3D printing will help space pioneers make homes, tools and other stuff they need to colonise the Moon and Mars, Formula One drivers face temperatures up to 50°C. High tech racing suits help keep them cool, How the color of St. Patrick’s Day went from blue to green, Three memorable ways the COVID pandemic shaped Black music – five years on

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Week Two March 2025 (March 3 - 9)

Profile of the Week  Pittwater Women of the Year 2025: Lisbeth Lawsen - Simone Allan + 2025 Manly Local Woman of the Year: Melissa Burgess 

History:  Max Dupain of Newport: Pittwater Photographer 

Pictures: The Zonta Club of the Northern Beaches: Celebrating 50 years of Action in 2025 - The Zonta Northern Beaches Annual Women's Day Breakfast photos by Michael Mannington OAM, Zonta Club of Northern Beaches and others!

Saltwater Veterans in Hansa Worlds on Pittwater: Let’s Support Our Girls!

Aquatics Marine Rescue NSW Women in Flood Rescue leadership seminar

Urgent Care Clinic for Dee Why + What Services are Available 24/7 at Mona Vale Hospital UCC: Reminder + Tribute to Eileen Gordon Unveiled

NSW Government's Low and Mid-rise Housing policy – Exemptions for Avalon, Newport, Palm Beach: Residents Associations Responses

Local MP's Call for Funding to fix Narrabeen Athletics Track: Federal Budget scheduled for March 25

Old Barrenjoey Road Water Main Renewal: March 3 2025 Update from Sydney Water - Construction starting on Monday 10 March 2025

Park Bench Philosophers CSIRO science ship has students sailing into future careers

DIY Ideas Reducing Ticks in Your Garden (Autumn 2025): Garden care, Plants that Repel, What to Wear Outdoors

Environment Sydney to lead the charge on climate action with Climate Action Week Sydney 2025: Shifting to optimism and action - runs March 10-16 with heaps of Free and Online events, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has been taken to court over 11 threatened species; Here’s why, Just Two Trees, Council's Draft Tree Management Policy Opens for Feedback: closes March 30, Australia’s Eucalypt of the Year 2025: The Travel Edition voting opens, Back from the brink: Lord Howe woodhen population surges, Innovative technology installed in Menindee to restore native fish passages, Hot frogs and sizzling salamanders: climate change is pushing amphibians to their limits, Weakening currents in the Atlantic may mean a wetter northern Australia and drier New Zealand, DNA detectives in Antarctica: probing 6,000 years of penguin poo for clues to the past, Fires used to terrify city residents; New research suggests climate change could see this fear return, Why can’t I sleep? 4 ways climate change could be keeping you up at night and what you can do about it, The atmosphere is getting better at cleaning itself – but that’s not all good news, NZ hopes to store carbon in marine ecosystems – but some are so degraded they’re already a source of emissions, Toxic Town offers a stark warning on environmental rollbacks, Melting Antarctic ice will slow the world’s strongest ocean current – and the global consequences are profound, Submarine cables keep the world connected. They can also help us study climate change, Delhi: how weather patterns and faraway mountains made this the world’s most polluted megacity, ‘1080 pest management’, Closed areas: Major works in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Please Remember to leave water out for wildlife on hot days, Reporting Dogs Offleash - Dog Attacks to Council: how to, Plastic Bread Ties For Wheelchairs: Mona Vale drop-off point, Volunteers for Barrenjoey Lighthouse Tours needed, Stay Safe From Mosquitoes, Mountain Bike Incidents On Public Land: Survey, Report fox sightings, marine wildlife rescue group on the Central Coast, Watch out - shorebirds about, Possums In Your Roof?: do the right thing, Aviaries + Possum Release Sites Needed, Bushcare in Pittwater: where and when, Friends Of Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment Activities, Gardens and Environment Groups and Organisations in Pittwater, Ringtail Posses, Pittwater Reserves: histories + Walks, Birds, +

Inbox News New free virtual health service opens to all of Sydney, Eating disorders don’t just affect teen girls. The risk may go up around pregnancy and menopause too, I’m a medical forensic examiner. Here’s what people can expect from a health response after a sexual assault, Alcohol and gambling firms donate to political parties multiple times. And new rules won’t stop them, Nangs are popular with young people. But are they aware of the serious harms of nitrous oxide?, Without change, half of Australian kids and adolescents will be overweight or obese by 2050, We looked at what supermarkets in 97 countries are doing to our waistlines. Here’s what we found, Microsoft cuts data centre plans and hikes prices in push to make users carry AI costs, Head lice are getting harder to kill. Here’s how to break the nit cycle, Schools agreement provides NSW $4.8 billion extra for public schools over a decade, Misinformation on refugees and migrants is rife during elections. We found 6 ways it spreads – and how to stop it, Women’s annual salaries are narrowing the gap. But men still out-earn women by an average $547 a week, A quantum computing startup says it is already making millions of light-powered chips, Reform authority a must for a sustainable private health system: AMA, ABHS March 2025 Meeting, Woody Point Yacht Club 2025 AGM, Onshore manufacturing to secure supply of IV fluids, NSW Government enables delivery of new MS Plus centre, Increase to the Home Care Package subsidy, Have your say: Remaking the retirement villages Regulation, Nominate a Volunteer Today: 2025 Awards, Have your say: Restrictive practices legislative framework, Wilma's Secret to Be Launched this April, Digital Luddites are rising; They want to democratise tech, not destroy it, When patients are harmed in hospital issues aren’t always fixed to avoid it happening again, The female explorers who braved the wilderness but were overlooked by the history books, Just having a pet doesn’t help mental health – but pet-owners with secure relationships with their pets are less depressed, AvPals Term 1 2025, Seniors Festival 2025: Local events, Winner of the 2025 NAWIC NSW Executive Women’s Leadership Scholarship: Nicole Waterman, CSIRO science ship has students sailing into future careers, A Day in the Life: Marine Area Command - NSW Police Force, History this Issue: the Prospector Powder Hulk at Towler’s Bay, Opportunities: NSW Youth Advisory Council + 2025 Game Changer Challenge + Learner drivers benefit as more resources become available online   + NSW History Awards 2025: Submissions are now open + NSW Training Awards: 2025 entries are now open + Racing for a Cause: Manly Inflatable Boat Race 2025, School Leavers Support, Word Of The Week: Challenge, What can you do if you’ve started uni and you don’t like it?, Sick of pie charts for your uni, school or work projects? Here are 5 other options, The female explorers who braved the wilderness but were overlooked by the history books, Why you should revisit the classics even if you were turned off them at school, Democracy’s bad eggs: corruption, pork-barrelling and abuses of power, ‘High agency’: what the science says about the latest tech buzzword, Bill Gates’ origin story describes a life of privilege, exposing the DNA of some of the tech industry’s problems, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has been taken to court over 11 threatened species; Here’s why, ‘I can’t be friends with the machine’: what audio artists working in games think of AI, Who is Sean Baker, the indie filmmaker behind Oscar sweeper Anora?, ‘Ghosts of the radio universe’: astronomers have discovered a slew of faint circular objects

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Week One March 2025 (February 24 - March 2)

Happy 100th Birthday Avalon Beach SLSC!

Profile of the Week:  The Better Cities Initiative: Mona Vale public forum on housing and development 

Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby calls on Minns government to shelve Low to Mid-Rise Housing until the bus crisis - Mona Vale Road are fixed 

IPART Consult on NBC SRV Now Open - Closes March 17

Expanded mental health services for young people at Brookvale: Design-Services Consultation With Community Now Open 

NSW Pet Laws (dog and cat regulations) go under the microscope - Have your say until May 4

Pictures: Purple Poppy Day 2025: Flag of the Republic of Türkiye raised at Simpson Memorial of Narrabeen War Veterans - Pittwater RSL Honours All Animals who Served or Serve still in Moving Tribute

Aquatics: New data from Surf Life Saving Australia shows increased drowning risk on public holidays: Summer Coastal Drowning Report 2024-2025

Lime Cordiale Tees for Green Music Australia + Green Venue Program - Free Workshops this month

Water Main renewal on Old Barrenjoey Road, Avalon Beach to Commence this March

Just Two Trees (the Great Ruskin Row): Council's Draft Tree Management Policy Opens for Feedback - Closes March 30

Park Bench Philosophers Minns Government must act to fix our rivers: NCC + Sample of Previous PON Reports 2019 to 2024

Light at the end of Sydney’s secret train tunnels: St James Historical Walking Tour to commence later this year

Inbox News NSW records first death of person with Japanese encephalitis since 2022, NSW Government to put handbrake on hidden fees from parking apps., Climate change could make more turtles female – but some are starting to adapt, It’s the biggest Egyptian tomb discovery in a century. Who was Thutmose II?, How the Victorians started the modern health obsession with collagen, A 380-million-year-old fossil ‘fish’ from Scotland has been discovered in Australia, Falling vaccination rates put children at risk of preventable diseases; Governments need a new strategy to boost uptake, There’s an outbreak of melioidosis in north Queensland; Here’s what to know about this deadly ‘mud bug’, Studies of Parkinson’s disease have long overlooked Pacific populations – our work shows why that must change, ‘It’s disgusting that they can get away with this’: here’s how eviction can affect tenants’ lives, Scientists have discovered a 3 billion-year-old beach buried on Mars, Calling 000 for help in an emergency doesn’t work in parts of Australia – but a new plan could change that, Multiple warnings and huge fines are not stopping super funds, insurers and banks overcharging customers, 2025 Theo Batten Youth Art Award Winners announced, Light at the end of Sydney’s secret train tunnels, NSW marine life – the importance of seaweed, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo Feeding time, Performance-Arts Centre at Narrabeen Sports High School Mooted, Ingleside Riders Group: Autumn Obstacle Course, Racing for a Cause: Manly Inflatable Boat Race 2025, NSW Training Awards: 2025 entries are now open, Premier’s Anzac Memorial Scholarship tour applications Now open, School Leavers Support, Word Of The Week: Munificent, Which type of note-taking is better for learning: laptop or pen and paper?, Whales sing when they’ve had a good meal – new research, Quantum navigation could transform how we travel. So what is it, and how does it work?, NASA’s new telescope will create the ‘most colourful’ map of the cosmos ever made, Remembering Roberta Flack, a spellbinding virtuoso of musical interpretation, What do young people want to see in politics? More than 20,000 pieces of their writing hold some answers, 500 years ago, German peasants revolted – but their faith that the Protestant Reformation stood for freedom was dashed by Martin Luther and the nobility, Tomb of Egyptian pharaoh is first found in Luxor since Tutankhamun – here’s how we know who lay inside, Five tips to find what really brings you joy outside of work, How to be happy with what you have – and avoid the trap of comparison, Joan Lindsay published Picnic at Hanging Rock at 71. Her writing life presents its own mysteries, Microsoft just claimed a quantum breakthrough. A quantum physicist explains what it means, Seniors call for Private Health review as premiums rise, Have your say: Remaking the retirement villages Regulation - closes March 12, NSA releases policies ahead of Federal Election, Can Wearable Technology Be Used to Prevent Falls in Older People in Clinical Settings?, Do Older Drivers Trust Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems?, Have your say: Restrictive practices legislative framework, Creating a more accessible Australia, Having an x-ray to diagnose knee arthritis might make you more likely to consider potentially unnecessary surgery, Bipartisan agreement on investment in Medicare acknowledges critical importance of general practice: AMA, Strengthening Medicare will provide crucial cost of living relief for older Australians, Your super fund is invested in private markets. What are they and why has ASIC raised concerns?, Electronic muscle stimulators are supposed to boost blood flow to your legs – here’s what the evidence says, Dutton hints he’ll sack 36,000 public servants; Voters deserve to know what services will be affected, Australia could make it easier for consumers to fight back against anti-competitive behaviour; Here’s how, Seniors Week event at MVSLSC

Environment Measuring the true value of Australia’s natural environment: National Ecosystem Accounts, National Ecosystem Accounts, experimental estimates: ABS, New report slaps an official price tag on Australia’s precious natural assets, Just Two Trees, Council's Draft Tree Management Policy Opens for Feedback, Clean Up Australia Day; local sites, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo Feeding time, Australia’s Eucalypt of the Year 2025: The Travel Edition voting opens, MAG&M stages Signs in the Sand, ‘1080 pest management’, Closed areas: Major works in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Please Remember to leave water out for wildlife on hot days, Reporting Dogs Offleash - Dog Attacks to Council, Remember Gus the Groper?, World Heritage values threatened by delays to the Great Koala National Park, Join the flock: help protect threatened birds by becoming a citizen scientist, Whales sing when they’ve had a good meal – new research, Presumed extinct, this desert rat-kangaroo may still be alive in hiding; New analysis reveals its delicate diet, Minns Government must act to fix our rivers: NCC, $10.5 million for water use monitors across NSW Murray-Darling, New Recreational Fishing Trust Advisory Council to oversee expenditure on recreational fishing funds, Threatened native Trout Cod recovery underway with innovative fish breeding & stocking, ACCC authorises major supermarkets to continue cooperation on soft plastics recycling, NSW supports new long-duration storage projects to boost reliability of the energy system, Emergency action to save native fish at risk of extinction, Government funded Antarctic voyage to depart: Denman Glacier Research, Statement: Bureau of Meteorology CEO and Director of Meteorology, A powerful force is stopping the Indian Ocean from cooling itself – spelling more danger for Ningaloo, The promise of green iron, steel and ammonia is keeping the green hydrogen dream alive, Farmers, investors, miners and parents: how unconventional climate advocates can reach new audiences, Want a side of CO₂ with that? Better food labels help us choose more climate-friendly foods, Nose-to-tail mining: how making sand from ore could solve a looming crisis, Intense heat changes our biology and can make us age significantly faster: study, New report skewers Coalition’s contentious nuclear plan – and reignites Australia’s energy debate, Pittwater Reserves: histories + Notes + Pictorial Walks, Plastic Bread Ties For Wheelchairs: Mona Vale drop-off point, Volunteers for Barrenjoey Lighthouse Tours needed, Stay Safe From Mosquitoes, Mountain Bike Incidents On Public Land: Survey, Report fox sightings, marine wildlife rescue group on the Central Coast, Watch out - shorebirds about, Possums In Your Roof?: do the right thing, Aviaries + Possum Release Sites Needed, Bushcare in Pittwater: where and when, Friends Of Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment Activities, Gardens and Environment Groups and Organisations in Pittwater, Ringtail Posses, Pittwater Reserves: histories + Walks, Birds, + 

Avalon Quilters 'The Sum of Us' Raffle Quilt for Mito Foundation

The Avalon Quilters have an amazing raffle quilt they have made to raise funds for the Mito Foundation. 

The quilt, appropriately named “The Sum Of Us”, was made last year by Avalon Quilter’s 25 members. It is completely handmade and totals over 4500 one-inch pieces, then finished off with hand quilting.

Details show the personal and colourful choices made by Avalon Quilters for each piece, underlining the title of this beautiful quilt.

Raffle tickets at $2 each, are available from members, who meet in the Uniting Church at Avalon every Thursday, 10-2.30,  at Patchwork on Pittwater at Mona Vale, and Avalon Fabrics and Craft, in Avalon Parade. 

The raffle will be drawn at Easter.

All tickets sales will go to the Mito Foundation, which Avalon Quilters have been supporting for over a decade through making raffle quilts. 

The Mito Foundation supports people affected by mitochondrial disease (mito), funds essential research into the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cures of mitochondrial disorders, and increases awareness and education about mito. 

Mitochondria are the power houses of the cell providing the body with over 90% of the energy it needs to sustain life. Mitochondria take in sugars and proteins from the food we eat and produce energy called ATP that our bodies use to function properly. Mitochondrial disease (mito) is a debilitating and potentially fatal disease that reduces the ability of the mitochondria to produce this energy. When the mitochondria are not working properly, cells begin to die until eventually whole organ systems fail and the patient's life itself is compromised.

The Mito Foundation was founded in 2009 by Pittwater residents Doug and Margie Lingard, their friends, and experts in the field of mitochondrial disease (mito). 

Front Page Issue 640

Pictures:  The Zonta Club of the Northern Beaches: Celebrating 50 years of Action in 2025 - The Zonta Northern Beaches Annual Women's Day Breakfast photos by Michael Mannington OAM, Zonta Club of Northern Beaches and others!

Saltwater Veterans in Hansa Worlds on Pittwater: Let’s Support Our Girls!

Aquatics Marine Rescue NSW Women in Flood Rescue leadership seminar

Urgent Care Clinic for Dee Why + What Services are Available 24/7 at Mona Vale Hospital UCC: Reminder + Tribute to Eileen Gordon Unveiled

NSW Government's Low and Mid-rise Housing policy – Exemptions for Avalon, Newport, Palm Beach: Residents Associations Responses

Local MP's Call for Funding to fix Narrabeen Athletics Track: Federal Budget scheduled for March 25

Old Barrenjoey Road Water Main Renewal: March 3 2025 Update from Sydney Water - Construction starting on Monday 10 March 2025

Park Bench Philosophers CSIRO science ship has students sailing into future careers

DIY Ideas Reducing Ticks in Your Garden: Garden care, Plants that Repel, What to Wear Outdoors

Environment Sydney to lead the charge on climate action with Climate Action Week Sydney 2025: Shifting to optimism and action - runs March 10-16 with heaps of Free and Online events, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has been taken to court over 11 threatened species; Here’s why, Just Two Trees, Council's Draft Tree Management Policy Opens for Feedback: closes March 30, Australia’s Eucalypt of the Year 2025: The Travel Edition voting opens, Back from the brink: Lord Howe woodhen population surges, Innovative technology installed in Menindee to restore native fish passages, Hot frogs and sizzling salamanders: climate change is pushing amphibians to their limits, Weakening currents in the Atlantic may mean a wetter northern Australia and drier New Zealand, DNA detectives in Antarctica: probing 6,000 years of penguin poo for clues to the past, Fires used to terrify city residents; New research suggests climate change could see this fear return, Why can’t I sleep? 4 ways climate change could be keeping you up at night and what you can do about it, The atmosphere is getting better at cleaning itself – but that’s not all good news, NZ hopes to store carbon in marine ecosystems – but some are so degraded they’re already a source of emissions, Toxic Town offers a stark warning on environmental rollbacks, Melting Antarctic ice will slow the world’s strongest ocean current – and the global consequences are profound, Submarine cables keep the world connected. They can also help us study climate change, Delhi: how weather patterns and faraway mountains made this the world’s most polluted megacity, ‘1080 pest management’, Closed areas: Major works in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Please Remember to leave water out for wildlife on hot days, Reporting Dogs Offleash - Dog Attacks to Council: how to, Plastic Bread Ties For Wheelchairs: Mona Vale drop-off point, Volunteers for Barrenjoey Lighthouse Tours needed, Stay Safe From Mosquitoes, Mountain Bike Incidents On Public Land: Survey, Report fox sightings, marine wildlife rescue group on the Central Coast, Watch out - shorebirds about, Possums In Your Roof?: do the right thing, Aviaries + Possum Release Sites Needed, Bushcare in Pittwater: where and when, Friends Of Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment Activities, Gardens and Environment Groups and Organisations in Pittwater, Ringtail Posses, Pittwater Reserves: histories + Walks, Birds, +

Inbox News New free virtual health service opens to all of Sydney, Eating disorders don’t just affect teen girls. The risk may go up around pregnancy and menopause too, I’m a medical forensic examiner. Here’s what people can expect from a health response after a sexual assault, Alcohol and gambling firms donate to political parties multiple times. And new rules won’t stop them, Nangs are popular with young people. But are they aware of the serious harms of nitrous oxide?, Without change, half of Australian kids and adolescents will be overweight or obese by 2050, We looked at what supermarkets in 97 countries are doing to our waistlines. Here’s what we found, Microsoft cuts data centre plans and hikes prices in push to make users carry AI costs, Head lice are getting harder to kill. Here’s how to break the nit cycle, Schools agreement provides NSW $4.8 billion extra for public schools over a decade, Misinformation on refugees and migrants is rife during elections. We found 6 ways it spreads – and how to stop it, Women’s annual salaries are narrowing the gap. But men still out-earn women by an average $547 a week, A quantum computing startup says it is already making millions of light-powered chips, Reform authority a must for a sustainable private health system: AMA, ABHS March 2025 Meeting, Woody Point Yacht Club 2025 AGM, Onshore manufacturing to secure supply of IV fluids, NSW Government enables delivery of new MS Plus centre, Increase to the Home Care Package subsidy, Have your say: Remaking the retirement villages Regulation, Nominate a Volunteer Today: 2025 Awards, Have your say: Restrictive practices legislative framework, Wilma's Secret to Be Launched this April, Digital Luddites are rising; They want to democratise tech, not destroy it, When patients are harmed in hospital issues aren’t always fixed to avoid it happening again, The female explorers who braved the wilderness but were overlooked by the history books, Just having a pet doesn’t help mental health – but pet-owners with secure relationships with their pets are less depressed, AvPals Term 1 2025, Seniors Festival 2025: Local events, Winner of the 2025 NAWIC NSW Executive Women’s Leadership Scholarship: Nicole Waterman, CSIRO science ship has students sailing into future careers, A Day in the Life: Marine Area Command - NSW Police Force, History this Issue: the Prospector Powder Hulk at Towler’s Bay, Opportunities: NSW Youth Advisory Council + 2025 Game Changer Challenge + Learner drivers benefit as more resources become available online   + NSW History Awards 2025: Submissions are now open + NSW Training Awards: 2025 entries are now open + Racing for a Cause: Manly Inflatable Boat Race 2025, School Leavers Support, Word Of The Week: Challenge, What can you do if you’ve started uni and you don’t like it?, Sick of pie charts for your uni, school or work projects? Here are 5 other options, The female explorers who braved the wilderness but were overlooked by the history books, Why you should revisit the classics even if you were turned off them at school, Democracy’s bad eggs: corruption, pork-barrelling and abuses of power, ‘High agency’: what the science says about the latest tech buzzword, Bill Gates’ origin story describes a life of privilege, exposing the DNA of some of the tech industry’s problems, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has been taken to court over 11 threatened species; Here’s why, ‘I can’t be friends with the machine’: what audio artists working in games think of AI, Who is Sean Baker, the indie filmmaker behind Oscar sweeper Anora?, ‘Ghosts of the radio universe’: astronomers have discovered a slew of faint circular objects

____________________

Week One March 2025 (February 24 - March 2)

Happy 100th Birthday Avalon Beach SLSC!

Profile of the Week:  The Better Cities Initiative: Mona Vale public forum on housing and development 

Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby calls on Minns government to shelve Low to Mid-Rise Housing until the bus crisis - Mona Vale Road are fixed 

IPART Consult on NBC SRV Now Open - Closes March 17

Expanded mental health services for young people at Brookvale: Design-Services Consultation With Community Now Open 

NSW Pet Laws (dog and cat regulations) go under the microscope - Have your say until May 4

Pictures: Purple Poppy Day 2025: Flag of the Republic of Türkiye raised at Simpson Memorial of Narrabeen War Veterans - Pittwater RSL Honours All Animals who Served or Serve still in Moving Tribute

Aquatics: New data from Surf Life Saving Australia shows increased drowning risk on public holidays: Summer Coastal Drowning Report 2024-2025

Lime Cordiale Tees for Green Music Australia + Green Venue Program - Free Workshops this month

Water Main renewal on Old Barrenjoey Road, Avalon Beach to Commence this March

Just Two Trees (the Great Ruskin Row): Council's Draft Tree Management Policy Opens for Feedback - Closes March 30

Park Bench Philosophers Minns Government must act to fix our rivers: NCC + Sample of Previous PON Reports 2019 to 2024

Light at the end of Sydney’s secret train tunnels: St James Historical Walking Tour to commence later this year

Inbox News NSW records first death of person with Japanese encephalitis since 2022, NSW Government to put handbrake on hidden fees from parking apps., Climate change could make more turtles female – but some are starting to adapt, It’s the biggest Egyptian tomb discovery in a century. Who was Thutmose II?, How the Victorians started the modern health obsession with collagen, A 380-million-year-old fossil ‘fish’ from Scotland has been discovered in Australia, Falling vaccination rates put children at risk of preventable diseases; Governments need a new strategy to boost uptake, There’s an outbreak of melioidosis in north Queensland; Here’s what to know about this deadly ‘mud bug’, Studies of Parkinson’s disease have long overlooked Pacific populations – our work shows why that must change, ‘It’s disgusting that they can get away with this’: here’s how eviction can affect tenants’ lives, Scientists have discovered a 3 billion-year-old beach buried on Mars, Calling 000 for help in an emergency doesn’t work in parts of Australia – but a new plan could change that, Multiple warnings and huge fines are not stopping super funds, insurers and banks overcharging customers, 2025 Theo Batten Youth Art Award Winners announced, Light at the end of Sydney’s secret train tunnels, NSW marine life – the importance of seaweed, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo Feeding time, Performance-Arts Centre at Narrabeen Sports High School Mooted, Ingleside Riders Group: Autumn Obstacle Course, Racing for a Cause: Manly Inflatable Boat Race 2025, NSW Training Awards: 2025 entries are now open, Premier’s Anzac Memorial Scholarship tour applications Now open, School Leavers Support, Word Of The Week: Munificent, Which type of note-taking is better for learning: laptop or pen and paper?, Whales sing when they’ve had a good meal – new research, Quantum navigation could transform how we travel. So what is it, and how does it work?, NASA’s new telescope will create the ‘most colourful’ map of the cosmos ever made, Remembering Roberta Flack, a spellbinding virtuoso of musical interpretation, What do young people want to see in politics? More than 20,000 pieces of their writing hold some answers, 500 years ago, German peasants revolted – but their faith that the Protestant Reformation stood for freedom was dashed by Martin Luther and the nobility, Tomb of Egyptian pharaoh is first found in Luxor since Tutankhamun – here’s how we know who lay inside, Five tips to find what really brings you joy outside of work, How to be happy with what you have – and avoid the trap of comparison, Joan Lindsay published Picnic at Hanging Rock at 71. Her writing life presents its own mysteries, Microsoft just claimed a quantum breakthrough. A quantum physicist explains what it means, Seniors call for Private Health review as premiums rise, Have your say: Remaking the retirement villages Regulation - closes March 12, NSA releases policies ahead of Federal Election, Can Wearable Technology Be Used to Prevent Falls in Older People in Clinical Settings?, Do Older Drivers Trust Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems?, Have your say: Restrictive practices legislative framework, Creating a more accessible Australia, Having an x-ray to diagnose knee arthritis might make you more likely to consider potentially unnecessary surgery, Bipartisan agreement on investment in Medicare acknowledges critical importance of general practice: AMA, Strengthening Medicare will provide crucial cost of living relief for older Australians, Your super fund is invested in private markets. What are they and why has ASIC raised concerns?, Electronic muscle stimulators are supposed to boost blood flow to your legs – here’s what the evidence says, Dutton hints he’ll sack 36,000 public servants; Voters deserve to know what services will be affected, Australia could make it easier for consumers to fight back against anti-competitive behaviour; Here’s how, Seniors Week event at MVSLSC

Environment Measuring the true value of Australia’s natural environment: National Ecosystem Accounts, National Ecosystem Accounts, experimental estimates: ABS, New report slaps an official price tag on Australia’s precious natural assets, Just Two Trees, Council's Draft Tree Management Policy Opens for Feedback, Clean Up Australia Day; local sites, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo Feeding time, Australia’s Eucalypt of the Year 2025: The Travel Edition voting opens, MAG&M stages Signs in the Sand, ‘1080 pest management’, Closed areas: Major works in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Please Remember to leave water out for wildlife on hot days, Reporting Dogs Offleash - Dog Attacks to Council, Remember Gus the Groper?, World Heritage values threatened by delays to the Great Koala National Park, Join the flock: help protect threatened birds by becoming a citizen scientist, Whales sing when they’ve had a good meal – new research, Presumed extinct, this desert rat-kangaroo may still be alive in hiding; New analysis reveals its delicate diet, Minns Government must act to fix our rivers: NCC, $10.5 million for water use monitors across NSW Murray-Darling, New Recreational Fishing Trust Advisory Council to oversee expenditure on recreational fishing funds, Threatened native Trout Cod recovery underway with innovative fish breeding & stocking, ACCC authorises major supermarkets to continue cooperation on soft plastics recycling, NSW supports new long-duration storage projects to boost reliability of the energy system, Emergency action to save native fish at risk of extinction, Government funded Antarctic voyage to depart: Denman Glacier Research, Statement: Bureau of Meteorology CEO and Director of Meteorology, A powerful force is stopping the Indian Ocean from cooling itself – spelling more danger for Ningaloo, The promise of green iron, steel and ammonia is keeping the green hydrogen dream alive, Farmers, investors, miners and parents: how unconventional climate advocates can reach new audiences, Want a side of CO₂ with that? Better food labels help us choose more climate-friendly foods, Nose-to-tail mining: how making sand from ore could solve a looming crisis, Intense heat changes our biology and can make us age significantly faster: study, New report skewers Coalition’s contentious nuclear plan – and reignites Australia’s energy debate, Pittwater Reserves: histories + Notes + Pictorial Walks, Plastic Bread Ties For Wheelchairs: Mona Vale drop-off point, Volunteers for Barrenjoey Lighthouse Tours needed, Stay Safe From Mosquitoes, Mountain Bike Incidents On Public Land: Survey, Report fox sightings, marine wildlife rescue group on the Central Coast, Watch out - shorebirds about, Possums In Your Roof?: do the right thing, Aviaries + Possum Release Sites Needed, Bushcare in Pittwater: where and when, Friends Of Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment Activities, Gardens and Environment Groups and Organisations in Pittwater, Ringtail Posses, Pittwater Reserves: histories + Walks, Birds, + 

Avalon Quilters 'The Sum of Us' Raffle Quilt for Mito Foundation

The Avalon Quilters have an amazing raffle quilt they have made to raise funds for the Mito Foundation. 

The quilt, appropriately named “The Sum Of Us”, was made last year by Avalon Quilter’s 25 members. It is completely handmade and totals over 4500 one-inch pieces, then finished off with hand quilting.

Details show the personal and colourful choices made by Avalon Quilters for each piece, underlining the title of this beautiful quilt.

Raffle tickets at $2 each, are available from members, who meet in the Uniting Church at Avalon every Thursday, 10-2.30,  at Patchwork on Pittwater at Mona Vale, and Avalon Fabrics and Craft, in Avalon Parade. 

The raffle will be drawn at Easter.

All tickets sales will go to the Mito Foundation, which Avalon Quilters have been supporting for over a decade through making raffle quilts. 

The Mito Foundation supports people affected by mitochondrial disease (mito), funds essential research into the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cures of mitochondrial disorders, and increases awareness and education about mito. 

Mitochondria are the power houses of the cell providing the body with over 90% of the energy it needs to sustain life. Mitochondria take in sugars and proteins from the food we eat and produce energy called ATP that our bodies use to function properly. Mitochondrial disease (mito) is a debilitating and potentially fatal disease that reduces the ability of the mitochondria to produce this energy. When the mitochondria are not working properly, cells begin to die until eventually whole organ systems fail and the patient's life itself is compromised.

The Mito Foundation was founded in 2009 by Pittwater residents Doug and Margie Lingard, their friends, and experts in the field of mitochondrial disease (mito). 

Front Page Issue 640

Week Two March 2025 (March 3 - 9)

NSW Government's Low and Mid-rise Housing policy – Exemptions for Avalon, Newport, Palm Beach: Residents Associations Responses

Old Barrenjoey Road Water Main Renewal: March 3 2025 Update from Sydney Water - Construction starting on Monday 10 March 2025

Week One March 2025 (February 24 - March 2)

Happy 100th Birthday Avalon Beach SLSC!

Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby calls on Minns government to shelve Low to Mid-Rise Housing until the bus crisis - Mona Vale Road are fixed 

IPART Consult on NBC SRV Now Open - Closes March 17

Expanded mental health services for young people at Brookvale: Design-Services Consultation With Community Now Open 

NSW Pet Laws (dog and cat regulations) go under the microscope - Have your say until May 4

Pictures: Purple Poppy Day 2025: Flag of the Republic of Türkiye raised at Simpson Memorial of Narrabeen War Veterans - Pittwater RSL Honours All Animals who Served or Serve still in Moving Tribute

Aquatics: New data from Surf Life Saving Australia shows increased drowning risk on public holidays: Summer Coastal Drowning Report 2024-2025

Lime Cordiale Tees for Green Music Australia + Green Venue Program - Free Workshops this month

Water Main renewal on Old Barrenjoey Road, Avalon Beach to Commence this March

Just Two Trees (the Great Ruskin Row): Council's Draft Tree Management Policy Opens for Feedback - Closes March 30

Park Bench Philosophers Minns Government must act to fix our rivers: NCC + Sample of Previous PON Reports 2019 to 2024

Light at the end of Sydney’s secret train tunnels: St James Historical Walking Tour to commence later this year

Environment Measuring the true value of Australia’s natural environment: National Ecosystem Accounts, National Ecosystem Accounts, experimental estimates: ABS, New report slaps an official price tag on Australia’s precious natural assets, Just Two Trees, Council's Draft Tree Management Policy Opens for Feedback, Clean Up Australia Day; local sites, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo Feeding time, Australia’s Eucalypt of the Year 2025: The Travel Edition voting opens, MAG&M stages Signs in the Sand, ‘1080 pest management’, Closed areas: Major works in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Please Remember to leave water out for wildlife on hot days, Reporting Dogs Offleash - Dog Attacks to Council, NSW’s State Fish, the Eastern Blue Groper, will continue being protected, Sydney's koala population: a Catch-22, World Heritage values threatened by delays to the Great Koala National Park, Join the flock: help protect threatened birds by becoming a citizen scientist, Whales sing when they’ve had a good meal – new research, Presumed extinct, this desert rat-kangaroo may still be alive in hiding; New analysis reveals its delicate diet, Minns Government must act to fix our rivers: NCC, $10.5 million for water use monitors across NSW Murray-Darling, New Recreational Fishing Trust Advisory Council to oversee expenditure on recreational fishing funds, Threatened native Trout Cod recovery underway with innovative fish breeding & stocking, ACCC authorises major supermarkets to continue cooperation on soft plastics recycling, NSW supports new long-duration storage projects to boost reliability of the energy system, Emergency action to save native fish at risk of extinction, Government funded Antarctic voyage to depart: Denman Glacier Research, Statement: Bureau of Meteorology CEO and Director of Meteorology, A powerful force is stopping the Indian Ocean from cooling itself – spelling more danger for Ningaloo, The promise of green iron, steel and ammonia is keeping the green hydrogen dream alive, Farmers, investors, miners and parents: how unconventional climate advocates can reach new audiences, Want a side of CO₂ with that? Better food labels help us choose more climate-friendly foods, Nose-to-tail mining: how making sand from ore could solve a looming crisis, Intense heat changes our biology and can make us age significantly faster: study, New report skewers Coalition’s contentious nuclear plan – and reignites Australia’s energy debate, Pittwater Reserves: histories + Notes + Pictorial Walks, Plastic Bread Ties For Wheelchairs: Mona Vale drop-off point, Volunteers for Barrenjoey Lighthouse Tours needed, Stay Safe From Mosquitoes, Mountain Bike Incidents On Public Land: Survey, Report fox sightings, marine wildlife rescue group on the Central Coast, Watch out - shorebirds about, Possums In Your Roof?: do the right thing, Aviaries + Possum Release Sites Needed, Bushcare in Pittwater: where and when, Friends Of Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment Activities, Gardens and Environment Groups and Organisations in Pittwater, Ringtail Posses, Pittwater Reserves: histories + Walks, Birds, + 

Inbox News NSW records first death of person with Japanese encephalitis since 2022, NSW Government to put handbrake on hidden fees from parking apps., Climate change could make more turtles female – but some are starting to adapt, It’s the biggest Egyptian tomb discovery in a century. Who was Thutmose II?, How the Victorians started the modern health obsession with collagen, A 380-million-year-old fossil ‘fish’ from Scotland has been discovered in Australia, Falling vaccination rates put children at risk of preventable diseases; Governments need a new strategy to boost uptake, There’s an outbreak of melioidosis in north Queensland; Here’s what to know about this deadly ‘mud bug’, Studies of Parkinson’s disease have long overlooked Pacific populations – our work shows why that must change, ‘It’s disgusting that they can get away with this’: here’s how eviction can affect tenants’ lives, Scientists have discovered a 3 billion-year-old beach buried on Mars, Calling 000 for help in an emergency doesn’t work in parts of Australia – but a new plan could change that, Multiple warnings and huge fines are not stopping super funds, insurers and banks overcharging customers, Seniors call for Private Health review as premiums rise, Have your say: Remaking the retirement villages Regulation - closes March 12, NSA releases policies ahead of Federal Election, Can Wearable Technology Be Used to Prevent Falls in Older People in Clinical Settings?, Do Older Drivers Trust Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems?, Have your say: Restrictive practices legislative framework, Creating a more accessible Australia, Having an x-ray to diagnose knee arthritis might make you more likely to consider potentially unnecessary surgery, Bipartisan agreement on investment in Medicare acknowledges critical importance of general practice: AMA, Strengthening Medicare will provide crucial cost of living relief for older Australians, Your super fund is invested in private markets. What are they and why has ASIC raised concerns?, Electronic muscle stimulators are supposed to boost blood flow to your legs – here’s what the evidence says, Dutton hints he’ll sack 36,000 public servants; Voters deserve to know what services will be affected, Australia could make it easier for consumers to fight back against anti-competitive behaviour; Here’s how, 2025 Theo Batten Youth Art Award Winners announced, Light at the end of Sydney’s secret train tunnels, NSW marine life – the importance of seaweed, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo Feeding time, Performance-Arts Centre at Narrabeen Sports High School Mooted, Ingleside Riders Group: Autumn Obstacle Course, Racing for a Cause: Manly Inflatable Boat Race 2025, NSW Training Awards: 2025 entries are now open, Premier’s Anzac Memorial Scholarship tour applications Now open, School Leavers Support, Word Of The Week: Munificent, Which type of note-taking is better for learning: laptop or pen and paper?, Whales sing when they’ve had a good meal – new research, Quantum navigation could transform how we travel. So what is it, and how does it work?, NASA’s new telescope will create the ‘most colourful’ map of the cosmos ever made, Remembering Roberta Flack, a spellbinding virtuoso of musical interpretation, What do young people want to see in politics? More than 20,000 pieces of their writing hold some answers, 500 years ago, German peasants revolted – but their faith that the Protestant Reformation stood for freedom was dashed by Martin Luther and the nobility, Tomb of Egyptian pharaoh is first found in Luxor since Tutankhamun – here’s how we know who lay inside, Five tips to find what really brings you joy outside of work, How to be happy with what you have – and avoid the trap of comparison, Joan Lindsay published Picnic at Hanging Rock at 71. Her writing life presents its own mysteries, Microsoft just claimed a quantum breakthrough. A quantum physicist explains what it means

Avalon Quilters 'The Sum of Us' Raffle Quilt for Mito Foundation

The Avalon Quilters have an amazing raffle quilt they have made to raise funds for the Mito Foundation. 

The quilt, appropriately named “The Sum Of Us”, was made last year by Avalon Quilter’s 25 members. It is completely handmade and totals over 4500 one-inch pieces, then finished off with hand quilting.

Details show the personal and colourful choices made by Avalon Quilters for each piece, underlining the title of this beautiful quilt.

Raffle tickets at $2 each, are available from members, who meet in the Uniting Church at Avalon every Thursday, 10-2.30,  at Patchwork on Pittwater at Mona Vale, and Avalon Fabrics and Craft, in Avalon Parade. 

The raffle will be drawn at Easter.

All tickets sales will go to the Mito Foundation, which Avalon Quilters have been supporting for over a decade through making raffle quilts. 

The Mito Foundation supports people affected by mitochondrial disease (mito), funds essential research into the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cures of mitochondrial disorders, and increases awareness and education about mito. 

Mitochondria are the power houses of the cell providing the body with over 90% of the energy it needs to sustain life. Mitochondria take in sugars and proteins from the food we eat and produce energy called ATP that our bodies use to function properly. Mitochondrial disease (mito) is a debilitating and potentially fatal disease that reduces the ability of the mitochondria to produce this energy. When the mitochondria are not working properly, cells begin to die until eventually whole organ systems fail and the patient's life itself is compromised.

The Mito Foundation was founded in 2009 by Pittwater residents Doug and Margie Lingard, their friends, and experts in the field of mitochondrial disease (mito). 

At its meeting on 28 January 2025 Northern Beaches Council passed a motion to apply to the Independent Pricing & Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) for a Special Rate Variation.

The Councillors could only vote for or against Option 3 although four options were set out in the Have Your Say documents which were presented to residents by way of consultation and giving them opportunity to express their opinions. Option 3 will allow, by the end of three years, an increase of 39% on residential and business rates. This includes the IPART component which would automatically apply if no vote were taken by Councillors.

On Tuesday February 25 2025 IPART Chair Carmel Donnelly said the Tribunal is now seeking community feedback on applications from Federation, Gunnedah Shire, Northern Beaches, North Sydney, Shoalhaven City and Upper Hunter Shire councils. Gunnedah Shire and North Sydney councils had also applied for minimum rate increases.

“Community feedback is an important part of the Tribunal’s assessment of special variation applications,” Ms Donnelly said.

"We encourage affected ratepayers and community members to fill out the survey on the IPART website or lodge a submission in relation to any of the applications we’ve received.”

IPART sets a rate peg annually for each of the 128 councils in NSW which caps each council’s increase in the income they collect from ordinary rates. For 2025-26, the core rate pegs range from 3.6% to 5.1% across NSW. 72 of the 128 councils also received an additional allowance to reflect an adjusted population factor of up to 3.8%.

In general, the councils that have applied this year have indicated they are applying for a special variation to improve financial sustainability and to maintain their current service levels, IPART states.

Ms Donnelly said “IPART must assess Special Variation applications against criteria set by the Office of Local Government (OLG). Councils can only apply to IPART for a Special Variation if the elected councillors pass a resolution to go ahead with the application.”

As set out in the OLG assessment criteria, IPART will consider whether councils have:

• demonstrated the need for the additional income
• provided evidence that the community is aware of the need for and extent of the proposed rate rise
• established that the impact on affected ratepayers is reasonable
• exhibited, approved and adopted relevant planning documents
• explained and quantified the council’s productivity improvements and cost containment strategies.

IPART may also consider other relevant matters.

All Special Variation applications for 2025-26 are available for review on the IPART website, along with a short survey and information about how to lodge a submission. IPART will accept feedback on Special Variation applications until 11:59pm on Monday 17 March 2025.

The documents lodged by the  Northern Beaches council are available to view at: www.ipart.nsw.gov.au/node/1726

To fill out the IPART Survey or lodge a submission, go to: www.ipart.nsw.gov.au/Special-Variations-and-Minimum-Rates-2025-26 - and click on the 'Have Your Say' link, then choose 'Northern Beaches Council' from the dropdown menu.

IPART's Fact Sheet explains more about how to make a submission on a special variation application. It also explains some factors that are outside IPART’s remit in assessing applications but have been common concerns of ratepayers.

You can also subscribe to receive email updates about the Special Variations process for 2025-26 subscribe here.

IPART does not hold public hearings when assessing council applications for special rate variations (SRVs). 

IPART can wholly or partially approve or not approve a council’s application.

IPART will release the final decisions on Special Variation and Minimum Rate increase applications by May/June 2025.

Previous reports:

• Outraged Pittwater Community Fights To Stop Rising Costs Of Failed Merger; Renews Call To Reinstate Pittwater Council
• Northern Beaches Council Passes Motion to Apply for a Permanent 40% Increase in Rates
• Rates Variations Options 1 to 4 Prompt ‘Option 5’: Reinstate Pittwater Council