As a resident of Roseville, East Lindfield and Killara for the last 38 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

  • New Park in Gordon
    by Sam
    We need to deliver more open space to support the growing population in Gordon. Pictured at the top is a new open space at the top of Dumaresq Street, which council had resolved to deliver last year. We’re giving time for the grass to establish and we expect it to open later this week. Pictured…
  • Low- and Mid-Rise Housing Part 2
    by Sam
    The State Government has announced today its Low- and Mid-Rise Housing Part 2 provisions. What this means for Ku-ring-gai is that within 800m of Wahroonga, Turramurra, Pymble, Gordon, Killara, Lindfield and Roseville Station as well as St Ives Shopping Village, 3-storey townhouses and manor houses can be built in R2 zones, and 6-storey apartments can…
  • Lunar New Year of the Snake
    by Sam
    Scenes from the Lunar New Year of the Snake night markets at St Ives last week.
  • Perth Avenue Kerb and Guttering
    by Sam
    This morning I was excited to check out the new kerb and guttering at Perth Avenue East Lindfield, which residents had been requesting since last decade. The kerb and guttering was delivered at the cost of $773,500 as part of Council?s $9.1m Road Rehabilitation Program this financial year. Other large projects this year include retaining…
  • TOD Scenario Feedback
    by Sam
    Some residents may know that I was not personally satisfied with any of the four new TOD scenarios put forward by Council last year. Each scenario had significant flaws – a symptom of the incredibly short timeframe given for preparing them – but it was necessary for us to act quickly to prevent the costly…
  • Development Applications (Part 2)
    by Sam
    Thanks everyone for your feedback yesterday on the Development Application Average Assessment Days chart. Some of it was constructive, while some of it was less so, but regardless I’ve made some adjustments to further the discussion. The first chart shows both the average assessment days (in green), the number of applications received (in grey), and…
  • Development Applications (Part 1)
    by Sam
    One of the top three priorities that I had set at the start of my 12 months as Mayor was to streamline the Development Assessment process so that homeowners could have greater certainty about when they can move back in. This was formalised as part of the General Manager’s performance agreement for FY25 (after resistance…
  • Holiday Break
    by Sam
    We took some time out in January to visit Japan. Highlights included: – One week stay with our Japanese missionary friend – Visiting 7 Pokemon Centres / Stores – Mt Fuji on a clear day – Visiting the new Fantasy Springs at Tokyo DisneySea and going on Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey There’s a few…
  • Australia Day Citizenship 2025
    by Sam
    Glad to see so many become Australian Citizens on our national day.
  • Happy New Year!
    by Sam
    Wishing you all a Happy New Year! Here’s a snippet of the East Lindfield Fireworks.
  • Roseville Park
    by Sam
    My assistant and I stopped by at Roseville Park after checking out a footpath issue nearby.
  • Chanukkah on the Green
    by Sam
    This week we were joined by Julian Leeser MP, cr_christine_kay and Councillor Robert Samuel – Willoughby at our annual Chanukkah at the St Ives Village Green. There were all sort of festivities including fireworks to celebrate the Jewish people?s freedom from oppression in 2nd Century BC. Chabad North Shore
  • Avoid the Heat at Gordon Library
    by Sam
    For those braving the heat in Sydney, please know that our libraries are still open (as is the pool). Today I visited Gordon Library to get work done and borrow some books. We also have our Christmas Tree and Nativity Scene (which we’ve been lobbying to get the last two years). Ku-ring-gai Library
  • Chanukah at Council Chambers
    by Sam
    Each year at council chambers we hold a Chanukah ceremony and for the second year running we also have a Menorah displayed outside. We do this as a symbol of our ongoing friendship and support of the Jewish community here on the North Shore. Chanukah is an annual festival commemorating Israel’s freedom from oppression in…
  • Year 12 Results
    by Sam
    For Year 12 students receiving their results today, it?s important to remember that this one number doesn?t control the rest of your life. There are other ways to get where you need to go, and a rewarding career doesn?t necessarily have to come from attending university either. I?m happy to meet up and chat if…
  • TOD Housing Scenarios – One Sleep To Go
    by Sam
    ONE SLEEP TO GO before feedback on future housing scenarios officially closes. This is with regard to the NSW Government?s imposition of 22,500 new dwellings within 400m of Roseville, Lindfield, Killara and Gordon Station. Please let us know whether you?d prefer to do it by demolishing the entire precinct with six storey homes, or by…
  • Benefits and Risks of AI in Decision Making
    by Sam
    AI presents an enormous opportunity for us to work more quickly and create value. I’ve been using it on and off and find that while it is not always entirely accurate, it does help with giving us a good starting point. On this particular occasion, I’ve been looking at GB11 of our December Council meeting…
  • New Footpaths
    by Sam
    The kids and I visited Santa?s new footpath at Crown Street earlier this week. Our latest new footpaths are Allambie Ave East Lindfield, Grayling Road West Pymble, Collins Road St Ives and Crown Street Pymble. We are also open to requests for new footpaths though please note that this is limited by budget and the…
  • Tree of Joy
    by Sam
    Seeking your help with bringing Christmas Joy to our seniors. Each year since 1999, the Rotary Club of St Ives, NSW – District 9685 helps the community meet the Christmas gift requests of our nursing home residents. My two older kids and I visited the tree last night to read the requests and select someone…
  • Quick Update
    by Sam
    Some residents have noticed that my social media activity has dropped off in recent weeks, and have been asking how I’ve been. Yes I’m ok but have been preoccupied with other priorities – explanation below. First of all we’re currently dealing with some family medical/health issues and what that means is that it has been…
  • Christmas Carols at St Barnabas
    by Sam
    Come join us for Christmas Carols at St Barnabas Roseville. Saturday 7th December 5-8pm with food stalls, face painting, craft, jumping castle, carols and a Christmas message. We also have Christmas services on Sunday 22nd December and Wednesday 25th December.
  • Fundraising for Guides
    by Sam
    Join us at Chatswood Bunnings – Fundraising for East Lindfield Guides
  • Mural at Lindfield Village Green
    by Sam
    Check out our new mural at the Lindfield Village Green carpark entrance, next to the bike hoops. Looks quite cheerful!
  • Seeking Your Input – CSP and TOD
    by Sam
    Council is seeking your input to two items, both of which have an enormous impact on the future of our LGA. The first is our Community Strategic Plan (CSP) which sets the aspirations of Council from now through to 2034. It?s important that we get diverse input into the CSP because it is what council…
  • Remembrance Day
    by Sam
    Remembering those who gave up their lives so that we can enjoy our freedoms in Australia today. Encouraged by the attendance of those who served as well as the attendance of our future generations. Lest we forget. [I also laid a wreath on behalf of Matt Cross MP.]
  • November 2024 Council Agenda
    by Sam
    The expansion of St Ives Shopping Village on council owned land (GB12) is on the November 2024 council meeting agenda. As is the selection of 15 youth for our Youth Advisory Committee (GB2), which is an election commitment. And the Planning Proposal for 47 Highfield Road and 47a Highfield Lane (GB13). More information can be…
  • TOD Alternate Scenarios
    by Sam
    Last night council resolved to bring the TOD Scenarios out for public exhibition. Members of the public will have the opportunity to have their say about which scenarios they like, which scenarios they don’t like, and why. The scenarios and the consultation material is being fine-tuned before the public exhibition formally starts in early/mid November.…
  • I do not apologise for fulfilling election promises
    by Sam
    Recently I have seen inaccurate comments on my Facebook page claiming that Council?s move to put Transport Oriented Development scenarios out for public exhibition was sudden, secretive and without explanation. These comments are highly disrespectful, defamatory, and far from the truth and I will address these claims below. There has been no secret whatsoever that…
  • Extraordinary Meeting of Council re: Alternate TOD Scenarios
    by Sam
    Several residents have enquired about tomorrow’s extraordinary meeting so I write to explain my position. The urgency to act has been forced upon by the State Government, which imposed the default TOD policy onto our f our suburbs in May 2024. We already have developers preparing development applications that will permanently change the character of…
  • Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
    by Sam
    Electric vehicle charging infrastructure has supplanted housing as the most divisive topic this week. On Ku-ring-gai Living there are so many residents for or against! My comments as follows. 1 Public charging infrastructure will help us collectively move towards Net Zero 2040 or earlier. While Council requires new apartments to be built with the electrical…
  • Alternate TOD Scenarios
    by Sam
    Council staff have prepared alternate scenarios to provide the 20,000+ dwelling uplift in the TOD precincts of Roseville, Lindfield, Killara and Gordon. These scenarios are designed to mitigate the negative impacts to environment, heritage, urban canopy and town centre vitalisation that the TOD in its original form unfairly forces upon Ku-ring-gai. Next Wednesday Council will…
  • LVG Commuter Parking Changes
    by Sam
    BEWARE AND READ THE FINEPRINT before you enter the Lindfield Village Green commuter carpark. They recently added the boom gates and linked access to opal / credit / debit card taps. But what they haven’t promoted clearly (and hidden in the fine print) is that any credit or debit card linked to the commuter travel…
  • October 2024 Council Meeting
    by Sam
    We had our first Ordinary Meeting of Council last night. It was good to see our new councillors and new mayor settled in. Key decisions were: ? Support to display the Menorah and celebrate Chanukah festivities at council chambers, plus opening up the site to celebrate other religious and cultural occasions. ? Exploring funding opportunities…
  • Social Media Policy
    by Sam
    Hi Everyone, I recently received an email from a concerned resident claiming that one of the comments posted on my social media profile is defamatory. Technically I don?t think the comments were actually defamatory but the emotions and sentiments have the same effect and these human impacts matter. Back in 2021, there was a High…
  • Sustainable Futures Day
    by Sam
    Come visit us at the Sustainable Futures Day, with stalls on various topics like electrification, composting, waste reduction and active transport available til 3pm. Cameron Park Turramurra.
  • Heritage Items as Part of a Consolidated Development (Part 2)
    by Sam
    On Tuesday I seem to have sparked some interest / controversy by sharing an example of how a heritage item can be incorporated as part of a larger development site, with the heritage item?s land used to provide uplift elsewhere on site. My Tuesday post was not an endorsement of the TOD controls. In fact…
  • Storytime at Ku-ring-gai Library
    by Sam
    Since I’m currently under-employed, I’ve had free time to do things like visit Storytime at Ku-ring-gai Library. Weekly sessions are held at Lindifeld, Gordon, St Ives and Turramurra Library and they cater for different age groups (0-12 months, 1-3 years, 3-5 years). The session I attended had 4 bubs and their parents, and we read…
  • Report on the TOD Parliamentary Inquiry
    by Sam
    Released today is the Report on the Parliamentary Inquiry into the Development of the Transport Oriented Program In the chair?s forward it was noted that the TOD program and its planning rules were selected in an opaque process with inadequate consultation, and that its one-size-fits-all approach is not well enough designed to stimulate appropriate housing…
  • Heritage Items as Part of a Consolidated Development (Part 1)
    by Sam
    Is development possible within a TOD precinct when there is a heritage item? Last week while shopping at ALDI, I checked out the Chatswood Community Nursing Home and Hospital at 256 Victoria Avenue. It is listed as a heritage item and is known for its history as well as its representation of the Arts &…
  • Commuter Bike Parking
    by Sam
    The government provides bike parking at each train station to encourage people to cycle instead of drive to the train. On Friday I thought I’d look around the three southern train stations to see how well the uptake has been. I was surprised to find that Killara was the most popular location, even though it…
  • Nominations for Citizen of the Year
    by Sam
    Nominations are open for Ku-ring-gai’s 2025 Local Citizen of the Year Awards, and you can recognise someone for their awesome contribution to our community by putting their name forward. Award categories include ? Citizen of the Year (25 Years +) ? Young Citizen of the Year (16-25 Years) ? Environmental Citizen of the Year (Individual,…
  • Fri Oct 11, 2024 07:07 AM
    by Sam
    According to the SMH and ABS, with my degrees in Software Engineering and Accounting I should live in Parramatta! Or East Lindfield… Basically they’re saying Accountants make the largest group in most of our suburbs at Ku-ring-gai, with Sales Assistants dominating St Ives and North Turramurra, and Sales and Marketing Managers in West Pymble. It’s…
  • October 2024 Council Agenda
    by Sam
    On the agenda for the October 2024 Council Meeting are: 261 Mona Vale Road (GB14) – Whether to reclassify this from community to operational land, a move that may lead to more flexible long term use of the site. 1192 Pacific Highway (GB15) – Whether to reclassify this from community to operational land, a move…
  • New Mayor and Deputy Mayor!
    by Sam
    Congrats to Ku-ring-gai’s new Mayor Christine Kay and Deputy Mayor Kim Wheatley. I have worked closely with both of them these last few years and I can confidently say that Ku-ring-gai is in good hands.
  • Everglades House
    by Sam
    This week it?s a trip to the Blue Mountains including Everglades House & Garden. We are sworn in to Council tonight and the work begins in earnest under a new team. After these school holidays I will also need to find a day job or start a business, and am just pondering next steps.
  • Evie Charging Stations
    by Sam
    It cost us ~$40 to drive to, within and from Batemans Bay. The best charging option was provided by Evie Networks who provided four 75kW fast chargers at the local shopping centre (which happens to be owned by Local Gov Super). For reference, charging from a powerpoint is 2kW and the chargers at Lindfield Village…
  • Week Off
    by Sam
    We enjoyed the week off at Batemans Bay before our councillor swearing in on Tuesday night.
  • Hassall Park St Ives
    by Sam
    Tour of our latest playground at Hassall Park, St Ives.
  • Election Results
    by Sam
    Preferences were distributed today and the Ku-ring-gai Councillors for 2024-2028 are Comenarra: Matthew Devlin and Jeff Pettett Gordon: Barbara Ward and Indu Balachandran Roseville: Sam Ngai and Alec Taylor St Ives: Martin Smith and Christine Kay Wahroonga: Cedric Spencer and Kim Wheatley The Mayor will be separately elected by the ten councillors on Tuesday 8th…
  • Waste Diversion to Landfill
    by Sam
    Sydney is projected to run out of inert landfill by 2028, making it important to reduce the waste we generate. At Ku-ring-gai, 61% of our waste is diverted from landfill and the EPA has set an 80% target for all councils by 2030. One third of our red bin (by weight) is comprised of food…
  • Post Election Update
    by Sam
    It’s been a quiet period where former Councillors are taking time off to rest while the election results slowly trickle in. I’ve taken some time off…. We had a church camp where one of our kids picked up gastro and the last few days have been resting at home. Another kid joined girl guides and…
  • Depart Exhibition – Ian Fleming
    by Sam
    Last night I visited Depart gallery at 350 Pacific Highway Lindfield for the opening of an exhibition featuring Ian Fleming’s work. Ian works primarily in oil, depicting the Australian Landscape. It’s well worth a visit, and you may perhaps even consider purchasing.
  • Thank You
    by Sam
    I?d like to thank the residents of Roseville Ward for asking me to serve them as a councillor for a third term. It was an incredibly hectic three weeks and this election campaign would not have been possible without the support of volunteers. We appreciate all of you who were willing to dedicate time to…
  • Depart Gallery Lindfield
    by Sam
    Last month we visited Depart gallery at 350 Pacific Highway Lindfield, where artworks are on for display and sale. I liked the bold colours and works. Tomorrow on election day they are introducing the works of Ian Fleming from 5-8pm. Please consider going. Depending on how the election booth packup process is going, I may…
  • General Manager’s Performance Agreement FY25
    by Sam
    My parting gift as Mayor – The General Manager’s Performance Agreement FY25 In my first six years as a Councillor, the General Manager?s performance management process was always a debacle. The Mayor of the day would set the GM?s performance metrics at some undisclosed date, and then at the end of the 12 month period…
  • Friendly Candidates at Gordon Prepoll
    by Sam
    Come say hello to your friendly candidates and volunteers at Gordon Library prepoll. We are here til 8pm this Thursday.
  • Top Issues Raised
    by Sam
    So how will we pay for that? We’ve been talking to residents at Roseville and Lindfield train station and their top issues (apart from development) have been 1. Proactive management of council owned trees (dead branches, roots causing problems) 2. Footpaths and road bottlenecks 3. Provision of playgrounds and toilets in town centres We know…
  • Group A
    by Sam
    At each election there are candidates who are lucky enough to be drawn out as Group A. They may not necessarily agree on everything, but they are each keen to represent your concerns in their own way. I?ve been fortunate enough to get into Group A twice out of three times. Wishing all candidates the…
  • “This afternoon I saw a bird get hit and we held it till it stoped breathing”
    by Sam
    The office of the Mayor often gets letters from residents with their concerns. Given the sheer volume of correspondence, our assistant often co-ordinates a response with council staff and the Mayor just signs the letter (after sense-checking the content). On this particular occasion I received a handwritten letter with ‘Please Write Back!’ and I thought…
  • KNA and Golden Bakehouse
    by Sam
    Yesterday before pre-poll I popped over at Ku-Ring-Gai Netball Association for their 10 and 11 year old Grand Finals presentations. After that I had breakfast at the Golden Bakehouse – arguably some of the best pies in Ku-ring-gai! Council also happens to be doing Spring Flowers at South Turramurra this year so it was especially…
  • Gordon Library Prepoll
    by Sam
    Come meet your friendly Roseville and Gordon Ward candidates here at Gordon Library prepoll. We are here today, plus Monday to Friday next week, For the candidates reading, I?d also like to promote the importance of using sunscreen if you?re out here all day. I didn?t used to have freckles on my nose but after…
  • Ku-ring-gai High School Leadership Induction
    by Sam
    Saying thank you to the 2024 leadership team at Ku-ring-gai High School, and welcoming the new team for 2025. I got to hand out some awards (but don’?’t have any photos on me, it’s a bit hard to take a selfie during an awards ceremony).
  • Missing our Brochure?
    by Sam
    Hi Roseville and Lindfield Ward (and slightly beyond). For some reason our brochure hasn?t arrived to all letterboxes yet so if you are missing it, can you please let us know? We can do a separate drop for you. If you want an electronic copy please visit https://roseville.online/
  • Donating Blood Saves Lives
    by Sam
    I was planning to donate plasma today but ended up donating whole blood as they said they were desperately short of it. Not sure if that’s a good idea right before an election, but we’ll make it work somehow. If you are a healthy adult I encourage you to visit the Red Cross at Chatswood…
  • Spring Flowers
    by Sam
    Spring Flowers at Roseville and South Turramurra. Each year the council provides Spring Flowers to two suburbs. The Roseville pots are decorated by students from Roseville Public School, and will later be re-used for our Christmas.
  • Proposal for an Interim IHO
    by Sam
    In July 2024 Council resolved to request an interim heritage order for the 23 Heritage Conservation Areas impacted by Transport Oriented Development. It was declared carried with all Councillors in support except for Cr Spencer. I could understand and sympathise with the perspective of both sides of the argument, though on this particular occasion I…
  • West Pymble Venturers
    by Sam
    Last night I visited the West Pymble Venturers where the theme was ‘Mayor for a Night’ and ‘Venturer for a Night’. The Venturers started by asking questions about what could be done at Council and why. Can we hold more concerts at Bicentennial Park? Install more bubblers? Remove Speed Humps on Livingstone? Create more pedestrian…
  • Should Council hand over control to non-local consultants and lobbyists?
    by Sam
    I have just hosted a citizenship ceremony where we welcomed 80 new Australian Citizens. I?m then off to West Pymble Venturers to talk about community service. However across the road there is an event which, on the surface, is regarding the role of community participation in planning. I was invited to attend and at a…
  • Election Details
    by Sam
    Council Elections are on 14 September 2024. Voting is compulsory. Which Council and Ward am I in?https://elections.nsw.gov.au/elections/find-my-electorate Who are my ward candidates? (Click on ‘See candidates’ for more detail) https://elections.nsw.gov.au/elections/local-government-elections/2024-nsw-local-government-elections/candidates?area=Ku-ring-gai What do they stand for? (Keep a lookout for your mailbox, or wait for candidates to provide content in the link below. Note that the…
  • Lookout for our brochure!
    by Sam
    Election brochure popping in Roseville and Lindfield letterboxes over the coming weeks. The election is Saturday 14 September. After reading through it, a family member said that it was ‘very dry’. ? I guess we’ve been quite measured with what we commit to. There are ambitious but realistic goals, and we’d rather that than saying…
  • Arsonist at Lindfield?
    by Sam
    For the second time this month, we have had an arsonist light up an air conditioning unit at Lindfield Library. This time the damage was more extensive, resulting in smell and soot within the library and KYDS being shut down for a few days. It’s not cool. We are escalating security monitoring / police presence…
  • How Good is the Metro?
    by Sam
    I caught the metro on Tuesday to attend a farewell dinner. It was pretty cool, shaved about 5 minutes off from travel time and frees up some capacity for the North Shore Line. They haven’t changed the North Shore Line train schedules though. So on Wednesday when returning home from work, I wasn’t paying attention…
  • ‘The Curse’
    by Sam
    Yesterday I joined councillors from across Sydney to attend a community event in the city. At this event, the well meaning organisers gave us ‘the curse’…. A bottle of wine! Each councillor handles these things differently. I normally decline gifts but in this particular context it was very rude to reject the gift so I…
  • Is St Ives part of the Northern Beaches?
    by Sam
    Yesterday my name was mentioned in one of the media outlets with regard to the proposed Federal boundaries redistribution process so I want to make it completely clear as to why my name was mentioned and how I was involved. Last week on Monday 12th August I was contacted both by Paul Fletcher Liberal MP…
  • Graduation Day
    by Sam
    Glad to graduate today after six years part time studying Master of Laws in Environmental Law and Sustainable Development, and Master of Business Administration at UNSW. I started the journey because I wanted to better serve you in Local Government, and I have learnt a lot along the way. I have appreciated the insights into…
  • Nominations Stuff-up
    by Sam
    So a few people have asked whether anyone at Ku-ring-gai has been impacted by the election nominations stuff-up but as far as I know, everyone that intended to nominate at Ku-ring-gai has nominated. I do feel for the 140+ candidates who missed out – it’s frustrating to be let down by internal policies and procedures.…
  • 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…