May 20 - 26, 2018: Issue 360

Avalon Youth Hub: The Door is OPEN

On Avalon Beach, if someone is having trouble with the riptides, are exhausted from treading water for way too long, feeling like they are about to sink and have no voice left to call out with, they raise their hand and someone comes to their rescue, stops them from drowning.

Now facing that beautiful arc of sand  another form of exhale, relax and be safe has opened to meet those other ‘seasons’ everyone finds themselves in, at some stage during their life and lift them up and out, too – to a same safe place.

On Friday afternoon, to officially open the Avalon Youth Hub, an event was held at the Avalon Annexe building. The office itself is at the front of the Av. Rec. Centre. 

The annexe was packed. The mood was buoyant – a sense of finally taking one step forward meant this was a celebration. 

The Mission: To connect young people and their community to support services
The Vision: A strong northern beaches community that can find help when needed

The Avalon Youth Hub aims to be a safe space for young people, their families and support persons. A go-to for help with a range of concerns in respect to a young person, not just in times of crises.

This could involve general feelings of confusion or family conflicts, homelessness, Drug and Alcohol issues, school issues, police matters, mental health or simply coming in to ask for advice.

Opening hours, out of opening hours, contact details, and more HERE 

Pittwater Residents Present Demerger Petition To Office Of Local Government: Tumbarumba Experience Likely To Repeated And Met Again And Again

Pittwater colours at Macquarie street on Tuesday - photo by Michael Mannington, Volunteer Photography
In February 2018, on 'Valentines Day', Tumbarumba residents presented a petition to the office of the NSW Government Minister for Local Govt.,  The Hon. Gabriellle Upton, to reinstate the former Tumbarumba Shire Council along its original boundaries in accordance with provisions of the Local Government Act 1993 (Sec 218E). Some 660 signatures had been gathered of the forcibly merged Tumburumba Shire Council, where the 2016 census showed the population of the town and surrounding area to be 1,862 people.

Under the Local Government Act 1993 - SECT 218E (Division 2B What must be done before areas can be amalgamated or their boundaries altered?)

Who may initiate a proposal?
(1) A proposal may be made by the Minister or it may be made to the Minister by a council affected by the proposal or by an appropriate minimum number of electors.
(2) An appropriate minimum number of electors is:
(a) if a proposal applies to the whole of one or more areas, 250 of the enrolled electors for each area or 10 per cent of them, whichever is the greater, or
(b) if a proposal applies to part only of an area, 250 of the enrolled electors for that part or 10 per cent of them, whichever is the lesser.

In late April the Tumbarumba residents received a response that they had not gathered enough signatures, at close to 60% of their former area, and required more than the minimum 10% of Tumbarumba residents they set out to secure as now they had been merged into an area with a population of approximately 14,953. The (a) is now applied - as per the May 12th, 2016 'May Day'.

Tumbarumba are at present collecting the 'more' required signatures, after which, they will head back into town.

On Tuesday May 15th, a similar tide of residents flowed out of Pittwater and into Macquarie street to present their own petition on the same grounds - with 3000 signatures this time - where (a) is likely to be their answer too, only now they are part of a 266,344 (ABS Estimated Resident Population 2017) 'whole'. 

As the chants of 'not going away and not backing down' are clearly discernible there too you may run into them at next weekend's Eat Manly Festival.... or in the once greened avenues of Dee Why, as much as throughout Pittwater.

Politicians not currently incumbent, in promising a binding referendum of the former Pittwater Local Government Area on its demerger, may have a sense of boundaries that apply 'or (b)' if the coin flips over in March 2019.

An update from the Protect Pittwater Association runs HERE 

Sydney Wildlife's Waratah Park Rehabilitation Centre:

5 Years In The Making - A Celebration

Rehabilitation - 5 Years In The Making

By Joan Reid - Volunteer Macropod co-ordinator
To celebrate 5 years of the "Rehabilitating Wallabies and Other Native Wildlife" project, we thought we would share with you how far we have come since the beginning.  We really wouldn’t be able to do what we do without your generosity.

Since we began back in April 2013, we have received a whopping 333 donations totaling $17,009.  We can't thank you all enough as even the smallest donations help.


You have helped Spike the Echidna

As the donations came in, it enabled us to purchase building materials and, over time, expand the number of enclosures in the facility allowing us to take in more animals for rehabilitation.  We started off the facility with one rehabilitation area for macropods, which has now doubled in size and includes a padded quarantine room and a small-enclosed area for injured animals needing daily treatment making it easier to handle them.  Over the last 5 years, we have built an additional 8 enclosures allowing us to take in larger quantities and varieties of species.  

Autumn In Pittwater: 2018

Local Flora for Local Fauna now flowering; Eucalyptus robusta Sm. Swamp Mahogany - photo by A J Guesdon
Local Flora for Local Fauna now flowering; Corymbia maculata (syn. Eucalyptus maculata), commonly known as spotted gum
- photo by A J Guesdon

Pittwater Online News is Published Every Sunday Morning: 8 a.m. 

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