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As a resident of Roseville, East Lindfield and Killara for the last 37 years I understand Ku-ring-gai and the Roseville Ward.

If you have any issues with council-related matters, feel free to reach out to us.

And for news on what’s happening at council follow me on Facebook or Instagram or see the articles below.

News

  • St Ives Orchid Fair
    by Sam
    The St Ives Orchid Fair is the best in Australia, with displays from local groups and vendors travelling from as far as WA and QLD to sell their plants. It is open this weekend at the St Ives Showgrounds. For more information visit 2024 Show Page
  • August 2024 Council Meeting
    by Sam
    At the August 2024 council meeting we resolved to: ๐Ÿ™‹โ€โ™€๏ธ Adopt a Prevention of Violence Against Women Action Plan, a first for Ku-ring-gai. ๐Ÿก Put on public exhibition for at least 28 days an updated Planning Agreement Policy. Planning Agreements are a legal agreement between a developer and a planning authority where planning controls are…
  • End of Council Term
    by Sam
    Thank you Ku-ring-gai for choosing us to serve you from 2022 to 2024. We just had our last official Ordinary Meeting of Council last night, and the Council will enter caretaker period from Friday 16 August through to the election on Saturday 14 September. Our General Manager David Marshall will be in charge during this…
  • Farewell Linda Scott
    by Sam
    Yesterday Councillors from across NSW said farewell to Councillor Linda Scott who has served both as the President of Local Government NSW and the Australian Local Government Association . What has impressed me all these years about Linda is that as the head of Local Government, she looks after the interest of all councils regardless…
  • Public Education Week
    by Sam
    Happy Friday Everyone! Itโ€™s Public Education Week so Iโ€™d like to thank all the awesome teachers, staff, parents and carers, community leaders and P&C associations who play an important role in educating us as well as our kids.
  • Gordon Library Refurbished
    by Sam
    I popped into the Gordon Library to pick up a book that my daughter has been keen to read. (She is currently into super heroes and super villains.) It was also great to see that the Children’s Corner, which was previously unavailable during the school holidays, is now refurbished and available for use.
  • Youth Advisory Committee
    by Sam
    At Ku-ring-gai we want to create opportunities for the youth to participate in policy and projects that matter to them, so we have started a Youth Advisory Committee. Applications are open til 13 September. If you know anyone who may be interested in participating, please check out the website. https://www.krg.nsw.gov.au/Council/Council-meetings/Committees-and-Panels/Youth-Advisory-Committee
  • Community Notification Process
    by Sam
    One thing that we are in the process of improving at Council is the way that we consult with or notify the community regarding proposed changes. An example of this is Traffic DAs where our staff will traditionally send a notification to nearby households (eg 10 or 20), and then make a recommendation based on…
  • Boundary x Archbold
    by Sam
    So we all know how bad the right turn from Archbold onto Boundary is during peak time. It’s a situation that annoys residents because it’s not acceptable to have to wait 20 minutes to get past just one traffic light. As Boundary Street is operated by the State Government (TfNSW), we’ve been bugging them on…
  • Congratulations Wellness in Motion
    by Sam
    Congratulations Jo and the entire team at Wellness in Motion Lindfield for winning the Fitness Service of the Year award. Jo proudly showed me her studio which caters to all with a range of personalised activities to help them stay healthy and/or recover from a prior issue, without having to face the competitive pressures that…
  • More EV Chargers on the way
    by Sam
    In the coming months Council, alongside a range of Electric Vehicle charging providers, will be installing chargers across the LGA (some will be on a pay-to-use basis). Last week we ‘completed’ a set of chargers outside North Turramurra Golf Club with Exploren and there will be two more sets at Turramurra Library and the West…
  • Hornsby and Ku-ring-gai Mayoral Dinner for RFS
    by Sam
    Last month, Hornsby and Ku-ring-gai jointly held a dinner for our volunteers from the Hornsby/Ku-ring-gai Rural Fire Service, thanking them for their years of service in assisting our residents not just during bushfires but also other extreme weather events, and the education and preparations that lead up to it. We also had annual awards for…
  • Alston Way Roseville
    by Sam
    A few months ago we had multiple residents independently complain about the state of Alston Way, Roseville. It was repeatedly patched but always got worse again due to an underlying / structural issue. I raised the matter with Council staff and they said that although we didn’t have enough funds to address the matter straight…
  • Sydney Water Purified Recycled Water
    by Sam
    Earlier this week Nathan Tilbury – Deputy Mayor Hornsby Shire Council and I were invited to visit Sydney Waterโ€™s Purified Recycled Water (PRW) Discovery Centre where we learnt about what it is that we are doing to ensure there is water for the ever growing population. In recent years the focus has been on recycling…
  • Barry Fear – Cerebral Palsy Alliance
    by Sam
    At the July Citizenship Ceremony we had the privilege of having Barry Fear speak to the new citizens about what it means to be part of Australian Society. We really appreciated the time that he spent with us, though it was short and I asked if I could catch up with him afterwards. This week…
  • July Citizenship Ceremony
    by Sam
    Great to welcome 80 new citizens to Ku-ring-gai in July. Special thanks to Barry Fear for being our special guest and giving a speech on what it means to be Australian (more on that in the next post) as well as the Ku-ring-gai Ranger Guides for helping out. In attendance were also (in the photo…
  • Local Business of the Year Awards
    by Sam
    Glad to see so many of our local businesses win the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Local Business of the Year Awards. @bobbinheadbakery – Bakery / Cake Business of the year Wellness in Motion Lindfield – Fitness Service of the year Wahroonga Flower Shoppe – Florist of the year Kanak Kiran – Antiques, Arts, Crafts and Gifts of…
  • Ku-ring-gai Art Society Annual Art Awards
    by Sam
    Congratulations to Glenda Borg for her painting of a Scribbly Gum and winning the Silver Jubilee prize at the Ku ring gai Art Society 57th Annual Art Awards Exhibition. She said that it was a pleasant surprise and that she had no idea that she would win. I shared with her my reasons for choosing…
  • National Tree Day
    by Sam
    As part of National Tree Day, residents had the opportunity to plant 500 trees at St Ives Showgrounds. It was encouraging to see so many involved, young and old. In attendance were Crs Kay and Ward, and I know that Cr Smith and others also attended later in the day.
  • Flood Risk Committee
    by Sam
    Earlier this month our Council’s Flood Risk Management Committee explored the implications of different flood mapping methodologies on properties in our LGA. As context, each Council is required by the State to ensure that their flood areas are mapped and properties appropriately tagged as this impacts where residents can safely build as well as what…
  • Ku-ring-gai Rotary Changeover
    by Sam
    Last month at the Ku-ring-gai Rotary Changeover dinner, I joined Anthony Rigney from KYDS Youth Counselling and Elizabeth Lovell from Lifeline Harbour to Hawkesbury Sydney in (unexpectedly) receiving Honourary Memberships in recognition of the partnerships that our organisations have with the Rotary Club of Ku-ring-gai. Ku-ring-gai Rotary has actively been in service for over 60…
  • Paris Opening Ceremony
    by Sam
    What was your favourite part of the Paris Opening Ceremony? My kids liked the Minions the mostโ€ฆ we rewound and watched it five times!
  • Coles Development Balfour Street
    by Sam
    From time to time we receive complaints about the Coles development at Balfour Street Lindfield, primarily in relation to traffic delays that it causes on Balfour Street and perceived breaches of the conditions of consent which say “๐˜๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ ๐˜ด๐˜ข๐˜ง๐˜ฆ๐˜ต๐˜บ ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ข๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜บ, ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฐ ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ณ๐˜ถ๐˜ค๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ท๐˜ฆ๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ค๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฐ๐˜ท๐˜ฆ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ด ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ค๐˜ค๐˜ถ๐˜ณ ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ ๐˜‰๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ง๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ณ ๐˜š๐˜ต๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฆ๐˜ต ๐˜ฅ๐˜ถ๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ด๐˜ค๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฐ๐˜ญ ๐˜ฅ๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฑ-๐˜ฐ๐˜ง๐˜ง (8:00๐˜ข๐˜ฎ…
  • Ku-ring-gai Art Society Exhibition
    by Sam
    The Ku ring gai Art Society is currently hosting its 57th Annual Art Awards Exhibition at St Ives Shopping Village . The exhibition is open from now through to 4th August 2024 and displays works (for sale) from many of our local artists. As a sponsor, Ku-ring-gai Council has the opportunity to award the ‘Silver…
  • Welcome Here Project
    by Sam
    This month, residents had the opportunity to hear from and meet Benjamin Law, an Australian author who shared about his experiences with growing up as an immigrant in regional Queensland and then later coming out as gay. His book The Family Law was also adapted to TV for SBS. The event also doubled up as…
  • Pedestrian Pathway Wambool to Jersey
    by Sam
    At our May Public Forum, a young resident came and spoke about the dangerous pedestrian pathway connecting Wambool Street and Jersey Street, Turramurra. Fortunately in his case, Council already had plans to fix this pedestrian pathway and two months later you can see that it is much more pleasant to use, saving pedestrians a few…
  • July 2024 Council Meeting
    by Sam
    At the July 2024 council meeting we resolved to: ๐Ÿ˜๏ธ Identify suitable planning controls for dual occupancies, which are to be introduced by the State Government in Ku-ring-gai on 01 July 2025. [Councils without existing planning controls like minimum lot size have been given a one year to establish controls whereas most councils commenced this…
  • War Memorial Stolen
    by Sam
    ๐Ÿ˜ฑ It appears that sometime on Sunday night or Monday morning, someone stole half of the war memorial honour roll that commemorates 67 Turramurra residents who served our country, seven of whom died in battle. Anyone who has information about the theft is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or Hornsby Police.
  • NAIDOC Week at Southern Cross Care
    by Sam
    Earlier this month during NAIDOC Week I visited Southern Cross Care NSW & ACT in North Turramurra as they launched their Reflect stage Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). The RAP was advised by Brooke Prentis and we had a smoking ceremony and performances by Beatrice and family members. We also planted a Lemon Myrtle tree which…
  • Lifeline Book Fair
    by Sam
    Through til Sunday we have Sydneyโ€™s Biggest Book Fair, raising funds for Lifeline Harbour to Hawkesbury Sydney. Itโ€™s at the Great Hall at Knox Grammar School and there is nearby street parking as well as an under over overflow area. Great to see so many people here for a good cause, and it wouldnโ€™t have…
  • Bring Back the Bears
    by Sam
    Many of us grew up following the North Sydney Bears and it was a shame to see them fall off the top tier of competition in the late 90’s. I recently met with North Sydney Mayor Zoe Baker and Nathan Tilbury – Deputy Mayor Hornsby Shire Council to discuss the latest proposal to bring back…
  • NSW Announcement on Dual Occupancies
    by Sam
    The NSW Government has committed to delivering 377,000 well-located homes over five years – and it expects Ku-ring-gai to deliver its share of 7,600 in the same period. A critical element of delivering these targets is the government’s ‘Low- and Mid-Rise Housing’ (LMRH) Reforms. And over the weekend the government announced its approach by gradually…
  • KPO 40 Year Anniversary NSW Secondary Schools Concerto Competition
    by Sam
    Last night I was delighted to attend Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestraโ€™s 40 year anniversary NSW Secondary Schools Concerto Competition Finals. We have a lot of talented high school students and they each have promising careers ahead of them. I especially enjoyed the comraderie and support that they provided each other backstage. The competition results are available…
  • Inaugural Ku-ring-gai Kids Olympics
    by Sam
    When I first became Mayor I asked the staff what were we going to do support our athletes during the Paris Olympics. One of their ideas was Ku-ring-gai’s inaugural Kids Olympics, which we will be running these school holidays with other sporting groups. Our kids will have the opportunity to try out different sports like…
  • Police Awards Ceremony
    by Sam
    Glad to attend the Ku-ring-gai and Hills Police Area Command 2024 Awards Ceremony, where 37 police officers and members of the public were recognised for their contributions to the community. This was my second time attending such a ceremony and it was encouraging to hear about the bravery of the officers and civilians who have…
  • Ku-ring-gai Artists at Abbotsleigh
    by Sam
    Last night as part of our Arts and Cultural Festival I attended the opening of a two week exhibit of Ku-ring-gai Artists at the Grace Cossington Smith Gallery at Abbotsleigh. On display are works by Eva Barry, Annarie Hildebrand and Alan Tracey. It was good to chat to each of them afterwards to understand what…
  • EV Test Drive
    by Sam
    As you know Ku-ring-gai aspires to reach Net Zero by 2040, and part of this involves encouraging residents to electrify their transport. We will be introducing more EV chargers in the coming months, and we also want to encourage residents to consider making their next car electric. The NRMA recently held an EV test drive…
  • Refugee Week
    by Sam
    As part of Refugee Week we listened to the stories of recent migrants as they shared about hardships in their homeland, their journeys to Australia, the challenges of getting refugee status, and their desire to be productive citizens in society. The event was held at Gordon Baptist and organised by various organisations under the umbrella…
  • Make Music Day
    by Sam
    Apparently it was Make Music Day today so we had a quartet from the Kuringai Youth Orchestra perform at the Lindfield Village Green from 3-4pm. I only found out about it this week so we werenโ€™t able to widely promote, and weโ€™ll make sure it has a greater profile next year. Councillor Barbara Ward and…
  • South Turramurra Girl Guides
    by Sam
    This week I joined โ€œHappy Helenโ€ to visit the South Turramurra Girl Guides . Helen helped the guides with a sewing lesson and I was there to talk about the role of government and civil service. Some questions included: What does council do? How big is Ku-ring-gai? Favourite part of being a councillor / mayor?…
  • Meet the Mayor – Bonjour Patisserie
    by Sam
    I am at Bonjour Patisserie for the next two hours, working on Council emails. Feel free to reach out and chat.
  • June Citizenship Ceremony
    by Sam
    ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บWe welcomed 65 or so new Australian Citizens last night. Itโ€™s great to have them join our wonderful country, and Iโ€™m also glad that weโ€™ve finally worked through our Covid-backlog (previously been doing 160 citizens each month).
  • June Council Meeting
    by Sam
    At last nightโ€™s council meeting we resolved to: ๐Ÿช†๐Ÿ€ Develop a multicultural inclusion plan and fund a multicultural festival (think of our well-attended Lunar New Year festival, but bigger). ๐Ÿ๐ŸMake amendments to the Canoon Road Recreation Area Plan of Management to make the site safer to use for under 9โ€™s and more accessible to all…
  • Low- and Mid-Rise Housing Forum
    by Sam
    Following considerable public interest as well as some confusion about the range of different housing policies and targets out there, the Council is running a series of community information sessions on the NSW Governmentโ€™s Low- and Mid-Rise Housing SEPP changes. The first session was held last night at Council chambers and it was well attended.…
  • Practical Solutions to reduce your Power Bill and Carbon Footprint
    by Sam
    As part of Ku-ring-gaiโ€™s inaugural Net Zero Communities Grant (funded by our Environmental Levy) we sponsored EnergyZE to hold a community event where like-minded people shared tips on how reducing our carbon footprint. Presentations were made by: Dr Kate Wilson, a St Ives resident who previously worked as Executive Director for Climate Change and Sustainability…
  • Country Connection Exhibition
    by Sam
    On Friday night we attended the opening of Judith Franklinโ€™s โ€œCountry Connectionโ€ exhibition at the Ku-ring-gai Art Centre. Through Art, Judith expresses her culture and life experiences through a range of traditional and contemporary mediums. Her exhibit goes on through to 28 June on weekdays and some of her work is also up for sale.…
  • AEC Proposed Redistribution
    by Sam
    Last year, the Australian Electoral Commission said that electoral boundaries had to be redrawn – with NSW losing one seat to WA – to ensure approximately equal representation across Australia (178,000 residents per electorate). The upcoming โ€˜redistributionโ€™ triggered really strange proposals from political parties and political aspirants. Each party looked to maximise their own chances…
  • Been a quiet week
    by Sam
    I havenโ€™t been active on social media this week because we have multiple sick family members. What started as a restful long weekend up the coast (my first break since January) ended up being a trip to and long wait at Gosford Hospital ED for the little one, and Iโ€™ve had to be more hands…
  • Pure Brew Gordon
    by Sam
    Last month my wife and I had a quiet morning at Pure Brew Co. Gordon. It’s a great place to stop for a drink or a meal, or to study. They even had the UNSW and USYD academic timetables posted on the wall… I’m glad that I’m finished with all that study!
  • Fixing up our Carparks and Laneways
    by Sam
    We are in the process of fixing up some of our asphalt carparks and laneways. If there are any standouts, just let us know and I’ll pass the information onto our staff for their consideration / prioritisation.
  • Tiny Forest
    by Sam
    On 16 June, we are scheduled to plant trees at the West Pymble Village Green as part of a scientific and educational initiative on climate adaptation. This Tiny Forest will cover 5% of the site, and towards the edge. More information is available on Council’s website. https://www.krg.nsw.gov.au/tinyforest Reflecting on the overall comms leading up to…
  • Bedtime Stories
    by Sam
    I’m glad that last night’s council meeting didn’t go too long. I was able to make it home for storytime.
  • Northside Radio 99.3
    by Sam
    Popped by Northside Radio 99.3 to speak to Richard Bell. I enjoyed the relaxed pace of the program.
  • NSW Housing Reforms Update
    by Sam
    There are three separate State-led housing reforms that will lead to Ku-ring-gai’s population doubling within a few decades. But we currently have residents out there (unintentionally or intentionally) mixing up the names of the reforms, mixing up suburb names, and mixing up the targets and durations so as to achieve their own political goals. So…
  • EV Charger in Roseville
    by Sam
    Two months ago I was talking about how this state gov advertising sign that double up as an EV Charger was limited in use due to the charging cable being too short. Well the provider (Jolt) has fixed that now and as you can see, the cable is long enough to plug in. It charged…
  • Zeny Edwards
    by Sam
    Great to have Dr Zeny Edwards OAM as guest speaker earlier this week at an event hosted by Council and the Ku-ring-gai Historical Society. Zeny Edwards was previously the president of the National Trust and a Chair of the UN Women NSW Chapter. She has made various contributions to heritage, peacekeeping, and other social cohesion…
  • May Citizenship Ceremony
    by Sam
    Always glad to have friends become Australian Citizens. ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ This month we also had special contributions from the SES, East Lindfield Guides, as well as Cr Ward and Lennon.
  • Gordon Library
    by Sam
    My daughter’s at the point now where she loves to read storybooks, but I’m hoping to broaden her knowledge with non-fiction as well. I borrowed a few books from the Gordon Library last night and although I had forgotten to bring my physical library card, I was fortunate to login to the library app and…
  • NSW Government Short Term Housing Targets
    by Sam
    The NSW Government has just released its housing targets for each council to strive for in the coming 5 year period. For Ku-ring-gai it means 7,600 homes in the 5 years to 30 June 2029. https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/policy-and-legislation/housing/housing-targets Under the stateโ€™s transport oriented and low- and mid-rise housing provisions, Ku-ring-gai can theoretically meet those targets. The supply…
  • LGNSW Meeting with the Ministers
    by Sam
    We joined other LGNSW councils this morning in meeting with the Minister for Housing and the Minister for Planning. Most of the questions were around the delivery of social and affordable housing. They said that today, the Premier will be announcing each LGA’s share of the five-year 377,000 housing target. I can’t comment on it…
  • Street Tree Planting
    by Sam
    As part of the street tree planting initiative in Roseville, Council held an event on the weekend where we discussed the importance of trees and shared ideas on how to keep Ku-ring-gai Green. I was joined by Councillor Alec Taylor and Councillor Barbara Ward. Council was also giving away tree saplings, and I was invited…
  • Happi Burger Lindfield
    by Sam
    It’s International Burger Day so I visited Happi Burger Lindfield for their lunch special. Even at 11am it had good patronage from the Coles construction workers across the road. The burger was quite intense! Worth checking out if that’s your kind of thing, though I’d also say take it in moderation along with regular diet…
  • St Ives Agricultural Show 2024
    by Sam
    Earlier this month I attended the St Ives Agricultural Show with Councillor Martin Smith and Councillor Kim Wheatley . We looked at the winning entries for this year’s competition. In particular we enjoyed Ethan’s junior entry for novelty cake. It was a well attended event with plenty of rides and food stalls. The St Ives…
  • Walangari Sand Painting
    by Sam
    As part of the annual Gai-mariagal Festival, we had Aboriginal elder and artist Walangari Karntawarra create a traditional sand painting at the Lindfield Village Green. He shared about his culture and local kids got involved with creating the artwork, which continues to be on display and apparently lasts until it rains. I was joined by…
  • Meet Dylan from Lendecon
    by Sam
    Meet Dylan from Lendecon. He has identified a problem where we tend to buy equipment and use it once or twice while it sits inactive over 99% of the time. How good would it be if instead of owning the equipment (and committing to the embodied energy / resource used), we can search a directory…
  • eBike Adventures
    by Sam
  • Chemical Cleanup
    by Sam
    Chemical CleanOut is on again tomorrow at the St Ives Showgrounds. For more information, visit. https://www.krg.nsw.gov.au/Community/Waste-and-recycling/Hazardous-and-problem-waste/Chemical-CleanOut
  • Event at Bancroft Park
    by Sam
    Free sausages and coffee at Bancroft Park Roseville til 12pm. Sorry I should have promoted this earlier but it has been a busy week.
  • Visiting 2nd/3rd Lindfield Cub Scouts
    by Sam
    Earlier this week I visited the 2nd/3rd Lindfield Cub Scouts where they asked about Local Government, my role as Mayor, and about my own time as a Cub Scout in the 90’s. Some questions include: – What does Council do? – Which day does the garbage get collected? – Favourite part as Mayor? – Least…
  • ANZAC Day at St Martins Killara
    by Sam
    Yesterday, Councillor Simon Lennon and I presented wreaths on behalf of the community at Living Hope Anglican (St Martin’s Killara). It was also good to see the memorial created for Killara residents who gave their lives for our freedom, and hear from the personal experience of residents who had been affected by war. This morning…
  • Thank You Volunteers
    by Sam
    This week, Council held a free movie screening of Fall Guy at the Roseville Cinemas for all of our volunteers who give up their time to support the community, whether it be to respond to extreme weather events, provide care for our elderly and youth, look after our financially or domestically vulnerable, or care for…
  • Meet the Mayor – Psycho Chicken Roseville
    by Sam
    I’m at my favourite chicken store for the next 2 hours if anyone wants to talk to me. If there’s extra customers over lunchtime then I’ll move to a nearby bench.
  • Wear it Orange Wednesday
    by Sam
    Yesterday was Wear It Orange Wednesday, a national day to thank the tens of thousands of volunteers who serve the community through storms, floods, road crashes, and other first responder incidents. These guys are the true heroes as they freely do it out of genuine care for the community.
  • Transport Oriented Development Parliamentary Inquiry
    by Sam
    Yesterday I was invited to visit Parliament House to deliver an opening statement then answer questions at the Transport Oriented Development Parliamentary Inquiry. Although it was not a perfect process, it was encouraging to see this aspect of democracy at work and Iโ€™m glad that we had the opportunity to share our experience of recent…
  • Lindfield Fun Run
    by Sam
    Great weather and an enjoyable run with over 2,000 participating in the Lindfield Fun Run this year, raising funds for KYDS Youth Development Service and Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter.
  • 888 Korean Fried Chicken, Gordon
    by Sam
    Dinner time pickup at 888 Korean Fried Chicken, Gordon.
  • Roseville Tree Planting Initiative
    by Sam
    ๐ŸŒณ๐ŸŒณ๐ŸŒณ At Council we recognise the role that trees play in keeping our suburbs cool and fresh while also providing a home for our wildlife. On my way to work, I met these sub-contractors who have been planting trees the last few days. They said that the trees were generally well received by the majority…
  • New Footpath – West Pymble
    by Sam
  • Men’s Kitchen Turramurra
    by Sam
    Last week I visited the Menโ€™s Kitchen, where their aim is to teach men how to cook. A typical session involves 10 men and 3 instructors. The men choose what they want to cook from a recipe book and purchase the ingredients beforehand. The instructors provide guidance on the day and then they sit together…
  • Heritage Conservation Areas – A thing of the past
    by Sam
    I want to make it clear that I have no problem with 6 storey buildings. People gotta live somewhere and I welcome them. But what I have a problem with is the state government claiming that heritage controls will be respected, because in practice they cannot. In the Transport Oriented Development (TOD) program documentation it…
  • Mothers Day 2024
    by Sam
    Happy Mothers Day! Check out our Mothers Day portraits from students at Lindfield Public, Holy Family Primary, and Reddam. The competition is organised by the Lindfield Chamber of Commerce and the portraits hosted by… Cafรฉ Lyon Lindfield Chem Pro Chemist Ciao Down DiJones Lindfield Gelatiamo Jeeves Dry Cleaners Lindfield Print @lindfield_specialty_butcher My Sewing Supplies Ogalo…
  • Community Grants
    by Sam
    ๐—Ÿ๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ธ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ณ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—บ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜๐˜† ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ด๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป? Ku-ring-gaiโ€™s annual grants program is open for applications. Categories include: ๐ŸกHeritage (closing 13 May) ๐Ÿ”‹Net Zero (closing 17 May) ๐ŸŒณEnvironmental Conservation (closing 17 May) ๐Ÿ“…Events and festivals (closing 13 May) ๐ŸŽญArts and Culture (closing 7 June) ๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐ŸซCommunity Development (closing 7 June) ๐Ÿ‘Small Equipment (closing 7 June) For more info…
  • Media Day
    by Sam
    I had four radio, two newspaper, and two television interviews yesterday. The way it usually works is they ask a bunch of questions and then you only get quoted for a few seconds (TV) or a few sentences (print). So the full message never goes out unless there’s a really smart pre-prepared soundbite. The media…
  • eBike Trial – Initial Thoughts
    by Sam
    My first thoughts on this eight week eBike trial. 1. It makes the hills easy to climb. I would struggle with Tryon, Nelson and Culworth on my push bike but the e-bike makes it effortless. 2. I wish it had indicator signals. Using arms to signal left and right turn is a pain. 3. Still…
  • 345 Pacific Highway scheduled for KLPP
    by Sam
    The Planning Proposal for 345 Pacific Highway will be decided by the Ku-ring-gai Local Planning Panel on Monday 20 May, 12:30pm. I havenโ€™t had time to read through the reports but on page 35 the recommendation appears to suggest a reduced height of 12 storeys and FSR of 3.5:1. My own concern regarding Pacific Highway…
  • Density Scenarios and Legal Action
    by Sam
    So council just met and voted unanimously to proceed with legal action as well as to explore different density scenarios for our four Transport Oriented Development precincts. I understand that there are some residents concerned about the cost of legal action but let me assure you, the benefits far outweigh the cost. In the last…
  • Matt Cross MP
    by Sam
    Wishing my good friend a speedy recovery. He has been a great representative for our people, and before his time in parliament I have enjoyed my chats with him at the blood donation clinic. In the interim, any State queries are covered by other MPs who are familiar with our local area.
  • Flu Vaccinations
    by Sam
    Meet Zac from the team at West Pymble Pharmacy and Pymble Pharmacy . They provide walk-in flu vaccinations on most weekdays, just call up in advance to confirm his availability. It cost me $25 but for residents over 65 it is free.
  • The Trolley Problem
    by Sam
    For those familiar with ‘The Trolley Problem’ then this is my summary of the dilemma that faces all councillors tomorrow night. We do it one way and get criticised. We do it another way and also get criticised. Critics from both sides don’t understand the complexity of the situation. As for how the trolley got…
  • Thoughts on eBikes
    by Sam
    ๐—ก๐—ผ ๐—œโ€™๐—บ ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜ ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฒ ๐—ฎ๐—ป ๐—จ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—˜๐—ฎ๐˜๐˜€ ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜† ๐—ฑ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ. Iโ€™ve been researching electric cargo bikes with the intention of taking my kids on school runs and doing other fun stuff. Bikes give you some exercise, take up a lot less space than a car, and are cheaper to run. But theyโ€™re not THAT cheap.…
  • Marian Street Theatre
    by Sam
    Of the Killara residents I met yesterday, NSW Housing Policy was the main topic but Marian Street Theatre was mentioned as well. Council currently has an approved Development Application to renew and expand the theatre. The 2018 community-led price estimate was $10m, but an experienced quantity sureyor has priced it at $24m. This is for…
  • Bunnings BBQ for KYDS
    by Sam
    Thanks Bunnings Pymble for inviting KYDS Youth Development Service to run the inaugural sausage sizzle. All proceeds went to supporting young people with mental health services. You can find out more at www.kyds.org.au
  • Meet the Mayor – Marian Street Killara
    by Sam
    I’m at the Marian Street Cafe for the next two hours if anyone wants to talk to me.
  • Second Meeting with the Planning Minister
    by Sam
    I first wrote to the Planning Minister in November requesting a meeting to discuss housing. This he arranged for mid-February and later postponed to end-February. It took over three months to get the meeting, but at least he’s more responsive than the Transport Minister (crickets). At the February meeting I asked for 12 months to…
  • NSW Labor is Building the Plane while Flying It
    by Sam
    ๐—ก๐—ฆ๐—ช ๐—Ÿ๐—ฎ๐—ฏ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—•๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฃ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฒ ๐˜„๐—ต๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฒ ๐—™๐—น๐˜†๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—œ๐˜ You may have read in the papers that ๐—–๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—น ๐˜„๐—ถ๐—น๐—น ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐˜„๐—ต๐—ฒ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ธ๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ ๐—š๐—ผ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ป๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐˜. This is not a decision that should be taken lightly, however, I believe that it is necessary in the interest of future and current residents. The…
  • Meeting the Korean Community
    by Sam
    Yesterday we were joined by a group of Korean residents who came to learn about Australia’s three levels of government, Ku-ring-gai’s specific responsbilities and services, as well as the ways they can contribute to Ku-ring-gai’s policies and decision making. Glad to meet so many engaged residents.
  • New General Manager – David Marshall
    by Sam
    Iโ€™m pleased to announce that Council has appointed our Acting General Manager David Marshall as Ku-ring-gaiโ€™s next General Manager. During his seven months in the acting role, he has led a range of process improvements. We conducted a customer service audit which led to improvements to our training, procedures and systems that will lead to…
  • Welcoming our Newest Citizens
    by Sam
    ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บWelcoming our newest citizens๐Ÿ˜€
  • SILK Dining, St Ives
    by Sam
    To celebrate the end of uni, the kids wanted Deep Fried Ice Cream so we went to SILK Dining at St Ives Shopping Village. The food is pretty amazing and generously portioned – much better than what you could get in Chatswood – and it was quite a peaceful experience on an early Monday night.…
  • General Manager Recruitment Update
    by Sam
    Morning all! We have had some queries about the General Manager recruitment process so I can say the following. A. We had the help of an independent, experienced and well-priced external recruitment firm. B. We had a large number of job applications, including several strong candidates. C. We had a first round of interviews last…