Category: Life as a Councillor

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 and exercise.

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 show runs each year on the third weekend of May so we’ll see you there again 17-18 May 2025.

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 Councillors Simon Lennon, Barbara Ward, Alec Taylor, and Christine Kay (from left to right in picture).

Ku-ring-gai will also be hold other events as part of the Gai-mariagal Festival.

Gordon Library is offering a free screening of the film Lionel Rose on 5 June about the extraordinary rise and fall of Australia’s first indigenous boxing world champion.

The Country Connections exhibition at Ku-ring-gai Art Centre between 14 and 28 June features the work of Darkinjung artist Judith Franklin, who will also host two dot painting workshops at the Centre.

Mudgee-based Indigiearth catering company presents a unique dining experience on 15 June with owner and Ngemba Weilwan woman Sharon Winsor. Along with Australian native food prepared with modern techniques and traditional methods you can enjoy authentic entertainment, musical and cultural storytelling.

For more information visit https://www.gai-mariagal-festival.com.au/events-2024.html

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 and borrow from one another?

He has setup a platform to enable this and you can find it at https://www.lendecon.com.au

Sun May 26, 2024 07:07 AM

Free sausages and coffee at Bancroft Park Roseville til 12pm. Sorry I should have promoted this earlier but it has been a busy week.

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 favourite part as Mayor? – Do I enjoy flying? – Favourite activity as a Cub Scout? – What is Damper? – Did I have a woggle? – How can the scouts serve the community?

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 I will be attending services at Roseville, Wahroonga and Turramurra.

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 our environment.

While in Roseville I also stopped by at my favourite bakery for a Steak, Chilli Mexican Pie.

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.

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.

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 I’m glad that we had the opportunity to share our experience of recent events.

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.

Dinner time pickup at 888 Korean Fried Chicken, Gordon.

Last week I visited the Men’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 afterwards to enjoy what they’ve cooked.

It’s a great way for the men to become independent or to provide for loved ones, while also building up a sense of community.

At Ku-ring-gai they meet on Thursdays in Lindfield and Fridays in Turramurra. For more information, contact info.kg@menskitchen.org.au

Earlier this year, the Men’s Kitchen were the recipients of the Mayor’s Award for an Outstanding Contribution by a Community Group.

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…

Café Lyon Lindfield Chem Pro Chemist Ciao Down DiJones Lindfield Gelatiamo Jeeves Dry Cleaners Lindfield Print @lindfield_specialty_butcher My Sewing Supplies Ogalo Lindfield Stone Real Estate Swimart Lindfield

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 was keen on discussing the unanimous vote on legal action. But on hindsight, I think I should have drawn more attention to our other unanimous vote to explore alternate scenarios for each of the TOD precincts. I did talk about it in most interviews, but I guess that’s not what the media is interested in portraying (with wordcount).

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 very conscious of sharing the road with cars, and overall safety. Because I’m not moving quickly, I sometimes pull over to let cars pass.

4. Our roads are great for cars but some are not so good for cyclists. Need good wheels and suspension.

5. It takes a lot longer to get to places, but if you have the time it’s a great way to check out the neighbourhood.

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.

I’m at the Marian Street Cafe for the next two hours if anyone wants to talk to me.

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.

🇦🇺Welcoming our newest citizens😀

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.

Bubs was fine with me carrying her again, so that was a bonus.

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 month and the final round interview will be later this week. [The candidates are all fantastic and I’d be happy to work with any of them.]

D. After the final interviews, the ten councillors will likely resolve to make an offer to one of the candidates (subject to final negotiations on duration, package, etc.).

E. We probably won’t be able to announce the new General Manager until next week. Please be patient.

The recruitment process has taken up some of my time in recent weeks, but I’ve spent a larger chunk of it on housing policy.

Encouraged to see the schoolchildren’s participation and handmade memorials to the fallen at the ANZAC service on Sunday. Lest we forget.

Come get your lemonade and herbs. 1 Edmund Street West Lindfield. All proceeds go to our entrepreneurial kids. Person who spends the most gets a Pokémon card.

It’s over!

Final assignment handed in for my final course at uni (Development and Planning Law).

In the last few days, our baby has started to cry whenever anyone other than mum picks her up. I know I’ve been away a while, but I need to somehow get her used to me again.

Tried the Chicken and Veg pie at Pottery Green Bakers Turramurra. For anyone interested, they had a sign saying that they’re hiring.

This month I’ve had six uni students approach me with interview requests regarding the Transport Oriented Development Program. They are aspiring journalists or legal practitioners, and I wish them all the best with their assignments and future careers. I’ve got an assignment due this Sunday as well, and fortunately it’s on the same topic. There’s a few citizenship and ANZAC ceremonies to attend also, so it will be a busy week.

Another day of work while the kids are having school holiday fun. Enjoying the fresh air though!

The ACT is a really beautiful place and since 2020 their electricity has come from 100% renewable sources. Having said that their ecological footprint was estimated at 9x their land size, in other words, there’s much further to go before they are considered self sustainable.

Visiting the Australian War Memorial and explaining to the kids the role that their great grandparents played in protecting our way of life.

It’s the school holidays and while the kids are having fun at Questacon, I’m stuck at the hotel doing work.

It’s not too bad a place for an office.

Early morning bike ride. Great to see others up and early as well.. I notice so much more about a suburb when travelling by foot or bike (rather than car).

For years I thought the light rail project was a waste of money because buses had more flexibility in taking people from Point A to Point B, and I’m sure the project was hugely disruptive to local businesses. But now that it’s all done, I think the outcome isn’t too bad either. The footpaths have been widened and it encourages more pedestrian traffic in the local area.

In the future, perhaps such projects can be implemented without such a significant cost. I’m thinking trackless trams and autonomous buses.

I was also reminiscing the days when I used to work on George Street. At that time, you could take eight trips in a week on your Opal card to unlock free travel. Every few hours on a Monday or Tuesday, I’d go out for a walk and catch the bus one stop as it’s cheaper to ride one stop than to pay for Killara Wynyard. I’d have free travel unlocked before my Tuesday trip home. Those days sadly did not last when they changed the rules, and the annual cost of going to work jumped up hundreds of dollars.

Meet Jack. He is a street vendor for The Big Issue Australia and I was particularly drawn to the Bluey edition, which narrates the rise of Australia’s favourite kids show.

This week’s edition also covers the challenges of Youth Homelessness, with over 28,000 young people aged 12 to 24 who do not have a home to live and face structural and financial challenges with accessing community housing.

There’s also an article on residents who commit their lives to saving local wildlife such as grey-headed flying foxes, lapwings, bare-nosed wombats, ducks and eastern grey kangaroos.

You can get your copy from vendors like Jack across the Sydney CBD. This photo was taken right outside Wynyard on George Street.

Each year Council runs a community grants program for equipment, outreach services and cultural activities.

One of last year’s recipients was St Swithun’s Anglican Church Pymble who used the funds to purchase gym / exercise equipment. It was good to see it put to good use and freely available to the public.

On Saturday I was invited to join the Turramurra Trotters as they celebrated their 50th Anniversary.

This group was initially setup by residents to train for the City2Surf and it remains a key objective, but it has also been a great channel for community connection. On their records have been 1,970 participants and over 71,000 times recorded. They now offer different running / walking / cycling groups to cater for everyone.

The group meets at 6:30am on Saturdays near Kiplings, and they tend to have coffee afterwards. I joined the walking group and had a great chat with local residents while also enjoying the scenes of Turramurra.

What’s your favourite TV show? I like to watch ‘Nailed It!’ on Netflix with the kids. In this show, amateur bakers are asked to replicate masterpieces in a compressed period of time, and with the promise of winning $10,000. It’s a great example of what happens when something is rushed, poorly planned, and without the right person for the job. Other examples in the link below. https://people.com/food/best-baking-fails-netflix-nailed-it/

Today’s theme has been the Scouts movement and its influence on leaders in formative years. Here’s pictures of when I first became a Cub Scout. For many migrant families, academic achievement is perceived as a means of success in a new country and that was the focus of my life, however, the Scout movement was also a great way to hang out with local kids, develop practical skills and character, and form a greater appreciation of our natural environment.

Last week I learnt that Dick Smith was a former Roseville Chase resident and member of 1st East Roseville Scouts.

During his formative years a Rover Adviser Tony Balthasar created opportunities for Dick and left a real impression, contributing to the person he is today. After Tony’s passing, Dick setup a fund for the Balthasar Award which has given similar opportunities for 27 other Rovers.

We listened to its final recipient, William Wade, as he shared about his cave diving course and expedition to Mexico.

Matt Cross – Member for Davidson also gave a speech of support, and it was a good night all round.

Yesterday I was keen to check out Vertical Espresso in South Turramurra.

Table order was via QR code and online payment. The food was fantastic and the place was packed.

I suspect part of the busyness was due to the power outage which affected most of South Turramurra. People gotta eat.

🏐 Visited Canoon Road on the opening day of Netball. Usually I turn up and have tea, but this time was more hands on.

⚡️ Because of the local power outage, the electronic locks to the toilets and change rooms were not functioning and I had to ask council staff to come with a key, which they did within an hour.

📦 We also talked about the storage situation (currently a container) and ideas for how to improve it going forward.

Ku-Ring-Gai Netball Association

There are over 3,000 households in Ku-ring-gai without power right now. If you want to know the estimated time for power restoration, visit the Ausgrid website. https://www.ausgrid.com.au/Outages/Current-Outages

Yesterday I visited the Lifeline Harbour to Hawkesbury Sydney Lindfield Book Depot where residents drop off their books and a team of volunteers sorts through them for resale.

The work of these volunteers goes towards funding crisis support, suicide prevention, support groups, counselling and emergency relief. By giving these books a second (or fifth) life, they are also promoting re-use and reducing the waste that otherwise would go to pulp or landfill.

If you want to support the cause, you can buy a selection of second hand books at their store at 328 Pacific Highway Lindfield or you can wait til they have their big book fair held 18-21 July at Knox Grammar School.

For more information, visit their website. https://lifelineh2hsydney.org.au

Long weekend breakfast at The Fox Cafe, Wahroonga.

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” – 1 Peter 3:18

This Easter I was invited to an 8am service at Corpus Christi Catholic Church followed by 11am at my own church St Barnabas Anglican Church East Roseville.

Both churches celebrated Jesus’ death and resurrection, and what it means for us today.

🇦🇺This month we welcomed 162 new citizens from 29 countries to our LGA. It’s always good to see the smile on their faces!

Special thanks go to: – the Ku-ring-gai Ranger Guides for their involvement – guest speaker Kevin Hao (Youth Citizen of the Year) for encouraging our residents to participate in volunteering – Matt Cross – Member for Davidson for his welcome speech, and – Cr Barbara Ward for leading the affirmation.

Last week I visited St Ives Park Public School for National Ride2School Day. Families were encouraged to ride to school instead of drive, and the kids were keen to show off their bikes and scooters.

The event aims to demonstrate that active transport is fun, healthy, and good for the environment.

This morning we had the Bobbin Head Cycle Classic with 2,500 riders, organised by local Rotary clubs and raising funds for Lifeline Harbour to Hawkesbury Sydney , KYDS Youth Development Service , Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter , Mentoring Men, Hornsby Connect and other local charities.

Events like this could not be organised without the help of volunteers and I thank the 450 who helped out today.

I normally volunteer as a marshall at these events, directing cyclists on which direction to ride next But this time as Mayor I decided to visit the oval where cyclists hang out before and after. I popped by at the Loving Living Ku-ring-gai stand with Cr Barbara Ward and made a smoothie with cycle power. I visited the Triple H 100.1 FM and Radio Northern Beaches booth to have a chat on the radio. And I tried out an electric cargo bike… more on that in a subsequent post.

Kuring-gai Rotary Ku-ring-gai Rotary Community Network Rotary Club of St Ives, NSW – District 9685 Rotary Club of Turramurra Rotary Club of Wahroonga Rotary Club of Upper Northern Beaches

𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗹 𝗗𝗮𝘆 Earlier today, we joined the Korean Community in celebrating Hangul Day. Hangul is the ‘Alphabet’ of the Korean Language invented almost 600 years ago by King Sejong the Great. We had singing, dancing, drums, and talks celebrating the Korean culture and the opportunities we have together here for a multicultural life here in Australia.

As a person of Chinese decent, I genuinely appreciate Hangul because the alphabet is so easy to pickup (whereas Chinese is difficult to learn with over 50,000 words). It is this simple means of communication, along with its community-driven self-sufficiency and education program (called the 𝘚𝘢𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘶𝘭 𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘨) which helped the Koreans develop from a struggling agricultural country back in the 1960’s to the extremely advanced industrialised nation that it is today.

In Ku-ring-gai, 2.5% of our population is made up of residents of Korean decent. We welcome people of all nationalities to contribute to our multicultural society today, and look forward to further opportunities where we can share and learn from each other.

We thank the Korean Deputy Consul General Ms Deuk Shin along with the support of Ms Kim who came to support the event. We also give thanks to Deputy Mayor of Ku-ring-gai, Cr Christine Kay , Councillor Barbara Ward, and Cr Simon Lennon for their support.

We were checking out some of the issues across Ku-ring-gai on Monday and stopped by at Twenty74 at the North Turramurra shops for lunch. They have friendly service and a good range of food.

Special thanks to The Bush Tele for promoting the work of KYDS Youth Development Service. KYDS is a unique mental health service for our young people and its continued success depends on your support. To make a tax-deductible donation please visit https://bit.ly/kyds-kindful-buy-a-counselling-session

And to read the April edition of The Bush Tele (including my short article on EVs) visit www.thebushtele.com.au

In the coming months there will be further talk about economic sanctions, boycotts, lethal aid, armed conflict, and war. And I can’t help but notice that in both our printed and social media there appears to be people out there who are (consciously or subconsciously) promoting a universal hatred of anything and anyone Russian. While I understand the sentiment, I think it may be taking it too far.

The actions of a leader do not necessarily infer anything about the values of the people they seek to represent. If ScoMo holds up a lump of coal in parliament, would you want the International Community to think that all Australians are the same? If our Premier, Mayor, or even I as your lowly councillor do something silly, do you think that we therefore speak and act on behalf of all of you?

Yes the people of Ukraine need our support and yes there is a time and place for appropriate economic sanctions, but I also hope that we can still treat Russian and Belarusian people here in Ku-ring-gai with respect and not make assumptions about their values. They are probably just ordinary people like you and I, hoping to live a harmonious life here in Australia without people giving them a hard time about things that they may or may not agree with. I know I’ve personally been given a hard time on occasion for my appearance, country of birth (a British Colony), or for false rumours that other petty people in politics or in the community have raised and it’s quite disrespectful, painful, and not fun at all. So I hope that we can reach out to other residents and treat them with respect rather than just make assumptions about their values.

This week we had councillors across NSW meet to exchange ideas, discuss policy, and agree on State and Federal advocacy matters. Key themes were financial sustainability, climate change and resilience, housing stress, domestic violence, reconciliation, and the impact of recent economic developments to the delivery of council services.

I was encouraged to see eight Ku-ring-gai Councillors engaged and attending the conference this time around (usually there’s only 2 or 3 of us). Hopefully we will bring some ideas back to benefit our residents here in Ku-ring-gai.

With the increased availability of RATs and the return to school, I found this ABC article helpful in explaining false negatives (sensitivity) and false positives (specificity).

The TGA also recently published a list that suggests that some RATs are not as good at picking up Delta and/or Omicron than others. It leads to confusing situations such as two weeks ago when I was consistently getting a positive result from one brand but getting negative results from another brand and from the PCR. As a precaution I isolated from the rest of my family and the world for a week, and things got pretty lonely in my room though it was nice to have family meals over Zoom.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-27/how-accurate-rapid-antigen-test-more-looking-for-lines/100782662

https://www.tga.gov.au/post-market-review-antigen-and-rapid-antigen-tests

It was great to see 135 residents from 27 countries become Australian Citizens today. This is a great nation to be part of.

Council also presented Citizen of the year awards to five of our residents / groups.

Easy Care Gardening was recognised for their outstanding contribution to the community bay assisting housebound, elderly and vulnerable residents.

Yoel Hyman was recognised for his contributions to the community through RFS, Killara Brigade, and other community forums.

Jen Stokes was recognised for her contribution to the environment through @kuringgaiboomerangbags and the West Pymble Community Garden.

Oliver Conolly was recognised as young environmental citizen of the year for raising awareness of Ku-ring-gai’s vulnerable bird populations.

And our dear friend Helen Jarvis was awarded citizen of the year for her contribution to KYDS Youth Development Service during this difficult time of the pandemic when our young people and their families are in need of support more than ever. I have personally witnessed how she selflessly gives her time and money to the welfare of our people.

Sharing some photos from our recent break in Country NSW (and ACT). It was good to have some time off with family; as a councillor it’s very rare to be able to focus 100% on them.

Also went to check out some of the regional EV chargers. As a general trend the Tesla ones are paid, fast and very reliable whereas the NRMA ones were decent speed but slower, with some of the EV drivers that I spoke to (including myself) experiencing reliability issues with them from time to time. We counted 35 electric vehicles over 11 days and across six sites.

I’m keen to see what we can do to encourage uptake in Ku-ring-gai by introducing a charging network, however want to first do research into what our neighbouring councils are doing and how they are finding the experience so far (as each seems to have gone with a different networking provider).

I’m back in Sydney after a holiday through regional NSW. Was surprised to see some of our supermarket shelves so bare, and to see the fairy lights at the soon-to-open Lindfield Village Green.

The councillors will be sworn in tomorrow night, and that’s when we will officially commence our jobs. There’s a list of things to catch up on, so I’m looking forward to sorting through it.

We visited St Ives Shopping Village to have a quick lunch, charge up the car for free (25% in 71 minutes), and visit the seasonal attractions.

There is the Community Tree of Joy run by St Ives Rotary where we are encouraged to pick up a card from the tree, purchase a gift for the person in need, wrap it up, and return to Rotary for distribution. It’s something worth doing if you are in the area.

This year there is also an art exhibition to celebrate the International Day of People with Disability. The Gallery is located on the ramp in the middle immediately above the EV chargers, and the art is on display from today through to 21 January 2022. Worth checking out if you dare to brave the shops at this time of year.

Despite yesterday’s rain forecast we had a pleasant day and the annual Chanukah on the Green organised by @ChabadNS went ahead.

Chanukah is an eight day religious festival where the Jewish people celebrate their victory over the armies of Antiochus Epiphanes IV during 2nd Century BC. (Some people believe that this was foretold in the book of Daniel.)

We got to see the lighting of the Menorah (candle) as well as a range of other shows and dancing.

Two other councillors chose to attend this event. St Ives Ward Councillor Christine Kay and Gordon Ward Councillor Peter Kelly. Their regular support for the Jewish Community is appreciated.

We had delicious lunch at Elementary Cafe Lindfield today and loved the floral arrangements. It was also encouraging to see council staff hard at work at the council carpark addressing some tree branch issues that we had reported just yesterday afternoon.

Enjoying a quiet night at Topping Plus Pizza Lindfield, our favourite pizza shop in Sydney. For those who want a job, they are also hiring drivers.

This month I shared about Life as a First Term Councillor in the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Post. Text below.

I’m thankful to the residents of Roseville and Lindfield for electing me in 2017 and I encourage newcomers to run for council.

While those who get elected will hit the ground running, they will rarely possess all the skills required to fulfill their duties, skills such as finance, law, planning, infrastructure, environment, waste services, and heritage. In early years, great reliance is placed on council officers who have more experience, and sometimes mistakes are made.

Fortunately, the peak body (Local Government NSW) offers optional training and networking events to share best practice with other councillors and general managers. Not many councillors take on these opportunities for professional development, however they have helped me become more effective in listening to the community, challenging project assumptions, and delivering for ratepayers.

Like any new starter it took time to familiarise with the council’s systems, processes and organisational culture. Ku-ring-gai residents should be proud of our road maintenance, financial reporting, and waste collection. However, I’ve also come to realise that other services can be better, and I hope that next year we will have councillors who take their civic duties seriously and seek to change the status quo.

I encourage all residents to think carefully before they vote. You want new blood to bring in fresh ideas. You also want to retain capable experienced councillors for stability as it takes a few years to skill up and contribute meaningfully. But beware of those with long tenures; long tenures may affect a person’s capacity to exercise independent judgement.

For more information visit https://roseville.online

With the NSW Government EV incentives we thought we’d give it a go. There have been pain points for early adoption, but our kids love the car. Five things that we’ve learnt so far.

The car is amazing – The base model Tesla is quiet with responsive acceleration and zero tailpipe emissions.

Charging the car at home can be slow – if you charge from a regular power point it charges 2-3% per hour and a full charge over 30 hours.

Faster charging in Australian homes might not always be possible – Most Australian homes have a single phase power connection and a faster charger may take up to half the capacity, leaving little room for other appliances like air con, cooktop, fridge, computer, etc. Overloading the connection may cause the circuit breaker to trip or blow a switch (permanently), depending on the configuration. We installed a 32amp industrial outlet at home to enable faster charging.

It’s hard for apartment dwellers – Body corp may not agree to running extension cables or sharing common power. Many councils now require new apartments to provide EV-related electrical conduits in their carpark design, but it doesn’t help those in pre-existing apartments.

‘Range Anxiety’ is real – Cars are less efficient at high speed. Our vehicle can theoretically travel 480km on a single charge at 90km/h but the range drops to 380km at 110km/h. Certain regional trips will be difficult before widescale charging infrastructure rollout.

I took a break today to donate blood and I encourage everyone to consider doing the same. Each blood donation saves up to three lives and our nearest clinic is conveniently located in Chatswood next to the railway station. For more information visit

https://www.lifeblood.com.au/blood

This morning at 11am we will pause to reflect on the sacrifices that our war veterans and other support teams have made to protect the freedoms of future generations.

There is a memorial service at the Roseville Club which will be attended by members of the community. Due to COVID restrictions and rain, the numbers will be limited but you can watch the livestream in the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/events/2114351825383127/

Earlier in the week I had to meet local residents regarding a traffic issue. Figured that I would go out for a scoot as it’s better for my health and for the planet .

What I learnt was that some of our footpaths are great for walking but not for scooting. Some of our roads are the preferred option during the day but other roads are not ideal for vehicles with small wheels. Places with steeps hills aren’t fun. More planning is required to select the optimal route.

Today I joined Cr Kelly, Cr Kay, and 23 other councillors across NSW in accepting our certificates for completing the UTS Executive Certificate for Elected Members.

The four day course was fantastic and I’d encourage all incoming councillors to complete it after settling 18-24 months into the role. Through this course I met councillors from across NSW. We shared about what’s happening at our councils including what works well and what could be better.

The assessments were extremely relevant and helped me better understand the governance framework within which Local Government operates. It gave me ideas of how we can improve things at Ku-ring-gai, and I hope that next council term we will have a majority of councillors who are receptive to making things better rather than maintaining the status quo.

At the annual award ceremony it was also good to hear about the other councils and projects that made it into the finalist list. There are some ideas that we can borrow at Ku-ring-gai, and when the relevant news article is released by LGNSW I will share the link below.

Which house would you say has the most impressive Halloween decorations this year?

I’d say Archbold Road but I haven’t been everywhere this week. My favourite is the spoonville at Tryon Road though.

10 weeks ago our first dose vaccination rate was less than 50% and I was one of the first under 40’s to opt for AstraZeneca.

Today and we are over 90% first dose, nearly 70% second. Looking forward to greater freedoms.

We enjoyed the sights and sounds of this bushwalk over the weekend. Stretching through the suburbs of Roseville Chase, East Lindfield and Lindfield, this is a great way to get exercise and experience nature within our LGA. It’s also amazing to see how many people were on the track; we came across a few dozen whereas pre-pandemic it would have been less than a dozen.

At council it’s important that we make decisions that align with the needs of all of our residents.

This morning I had the pleasure of joining councillors and staff across NSW to discuss how we can improve our community & stakeholder engagement. Our group shared insights which I hope to apply to future initiatives.

It’s good to support local. On this occasion we ordered online at Money King Thai (Lindfield) and picked up 30 mins later. Very quiet, very safe, and consistently delicious food.

Enjoying a lollipop after my first jab. Like many other under 40’s, I’ve had to consider whether to follow ATAGI advice and wait for Pfizer or to just get AstraZeneca now. I’ve had conversations about the risks vs benefits and decided that in my particular case, it’s best to get vaccinated given that we are about to enter an election campaign. I’d imagine that other front line workers such as teachers and taxi drivers may be considering the same.

The Roseville Vaccination Centre has plenty of next day timeslots for those who want to get vaccinated with AZ, and the process was relatively quick (14 minutes). I’d encourage everyone to consider when they should get vaccinated (and get AZ if you are over 60) because the sooner that we are all vaccinated, the sooner Australia can return to normal.

If I experience any side effects such as aches, pains, or increased internet speeds I will let you know in the coming days.

To all those who are about to enter lockdown, I wish you well. Many school holiday plans cast aside and much restlessness at home.

If you have any symptoms, please get tested as we need the data to protect the public. I had to get a test earlier this afternoon at Killara, the queue went all the way back to Nelson Road but at least it was all done in the comfort of my car. All up it took about twenty minutes which was a real surprise.

I believe it’s important for councillors to invest in professional development so that they can better serve the community. These last two years I’ve been completing an MBA at my own expense and was recently selected to go on MBA Exchange at Oxford. It’s a shame that international borders are closed because I miss out on the travel and networking experience, but I know that what I’ve learnt regarding land use, valuations, emerging trends, as well as the role of debt and risks with large scale developments will be of use when it comes to building our community hubs in Lindfield, Turramurra and Gordon.

Thanks to AGSM at UNSW Business School for giving me this opportunity.

Come visit the Lindfield shops and check out what our kids have drawn for Mother’s Day. The competition is organised each year by the Lindfield Chamber of Commerce.

We had a rare night out without the kids at Mangiasti? in Roseville Chase. We sat at the bard and watched out food get cooked. The food and atmosphere was great. We used a Dine and Discover voucher as well. Definitely worth checking out.

Today many of us gathered to remember over 100,000 Australians who died in armed conflict and the many others who returned, often with physical or mental scars that impacted their families. It is because of these sacrifices that we can live here today.

I caught up with the netball community this morning. An emerging theme in this year’s discussions has been the chllange of encouraging immigrant families to participate in local sports, and having been a migrant in the 80’s and 90’s I was happy to offer some insights. I look forward to contributing to this space in the coming years.

Good to take a break after a hectic week.

I joined over 1,200 runners this morning as we jogged through the hilly streets of Lindfield and Roseville. It was a great opportunity to catch up with people in the community and raise funds for KYDS Youth Development Service. Special thanks to those who donated to my run with just over $500 raised.

KYDS is a Northern Sydney charity that provides mental health and other preventative services to our young people, confidentially and free of charge. (I also happen to be on its board.)

The quarantine year of 2020 saw a huge increase in demand for their services, with over 5,400 counselling sessions delivered to our young people (up from 3,300 in the prior year). The wait list is also growing, meaning that young people may have to wait a few months before getting their first service.

The funding situation has become very challenging this upcoming year so if you would like to know how you can offer support (time or money) please reach out and we can discuss.

If you’re looking for an outdoor activity with young children, check out the Bilby Trail in St Ives. We went to see it recently and learnt about our local plants and wildlife.

https://www.krg.nsw.gov.au/Things-to-do/Whats-on/Free-Easter-Bilby-trail

Each year over 2,000 cyclists and 400 volunteers participate in this fundraising event. Organised by our local Rotary groups, it raises over $200,000 for Lifeline and other local charities.

This year I’m volunteering at this lonely outpost in St Ives. It’s been fun watching cyclists come by (and planes fly overhead).