Category: Life as a Councillor

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.

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

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.

It’s amazing what Mayors are asked to do. Yesterday, I was given “nine bags of weed as evidence” of invasive growth on Tryon Road, Lindfield. The concerned resident even labelled each type of weed. Asparagus Fern, Clover, Dandelion, Ivy, Madeira Vine, Okra, Onion Weed, Turkey Rhubarb, and ‘Various’. p.s. I didn’t open the bags, and handed all nine over to a council officer.

Wed Apr 10, 2024 07:07 AM

When I want a pothole fixed, I usually email council staff and it’s done within days. But this time I tried reporting via the council website to see if ordinary requests get the same treatment, and I was pleasantly surprised by the result! I reported two holes (Killara and Roseville) on the weekend and both were fixed by Monday afternoon! 😊😊😊

The process of reporting via the website wasn’t completely smooth. It was a bit clunky and embarrassing to be honest and I think there’s scope to improve the user experience. I’ll pass the feedback onto the website team, and I’ll also share a video this afternoon to show you how easy (or hard) it was for me to do it from start to finish.

I’m keen to improve the user experience of Council’s systems, phonelines, and processes so if you ever have any constructive feedback feel free to reach out to me.

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

Quiet week, had the chance to make my 25th blood donation. I’d encourage everyone to give it a go. @Australian Red Cross Lifeblood

Long weekend breakfast at The Fox Cafe, Wahroonga.

The developers encircled, and this person said NO! This isn’t an April Fools’ joke, it’s happening in Sydney as we speak.

The real joke is the 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩 of the Transport Oriented Development SEPP.

To deliver 1.2 million homes in 5 years, Australia is initially bottlenecked not by supply but by construction capacity. We need a 30-50% increase in construction workers to make it happen. But they have not planned for this increase.

I’m fully supportive of providing more homes near transport hubs, but it needs to be a carefully planned approach which involves community consultation.

The State Government’s proposal of rushing a SEPP in 4 months does not meet community expectations. Given our construction bottlenecks, a responsible approach would be to allow councils 18-24 months to properly plan for where the density should go, as well as the infrastructure and amenities to support.

I want to provide the future residents of NSW with a great place to live. But jamming in homes then retrofitting amenities and infrastructure does not give future residents what they deserve.

Happy April Fools’ Day.

“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.

We’d love you to join us and explore the meaning of Easter at St Barnabas Anglican Church East Roseville.

Church services are Friday 29 March 10am and Sunday 31 March 9am and 11am. A kids program (which I’m involved with) is also available at the 10am and 11am services.

Hope to see you there and if you plan to come, drop me a message so that we can catch up before or after.

This morning at Acron Oval we welcome 850 participants in the Bare Creek Trail Run. We have 43% of participants from outside the LGA and it’s a fantastic opportunity to check out the beautiful trails in Ku-ring-gai.

I had the joy of ringing the cowbell for the 20km and 12km runs.

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

I was recently invited to guest speak at Barra Brui Probus Club where I spoke 45 mins on: 🏡 the National Housing Accord and its target of delivering 1.2 million well located homes in 5 years 🎯 the achievability of NSW’s share of 377,000 homes by 2029 📄 key provisions of the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act including strategic planning, LEPs, DCPs, SEPPs, and infrastructure contributions 🏃‍♀️ the implications of uplifting Ku-ring-gai’s dwellings from 46,000 to 100,000+ without any commitment for planning or infrastructure funding

We then opened up for Q&A where residents shared their concerns about the impacts on congestion, parking, amenities, and general quality of life.

I said that I hoped council will proceed with establishing an alternate LEP / DCP that better addresses liveability and diverse dwellings without taking the one-size-fits-all approach.

I was complimented for speaking without notes and not having any grey hair. But by the time these housing policies are implemented, I will probably have a few!

☘️☘️☘️Good luck to the kids from Cox Academy of Irish Dance as they head off to Glasgow for the Irish Dancing world championships.

I was joined by Cr Simon Lennon and Councillor Alec Taylor to watch their performance at Anglicare Gordon Quarter earlier this week.

Happy to attend the grand opening of Little Gumnuts Early Learning Group in West Pymble. This family business has substantially improved the interior of the building and the centre has the best outdoor playspace that I’ve seen in Ku-ring-gai.

Local residents looking for a 7:30am-6pm option for their 2+ year olds should give this place a visit, particularly if their children don’t have regular access to a backyard. I was very jelly as I wished my kids had this when growing up.

Glad to join local residents and Rotary Club of Wahroonga at today’s Clean Up Australia event.

I had a good time talking to a local resident Phil, and it’s amazing how much rubbish there is when you look for it… especially at the village carpark!

For the next 3 weeks the Grace Cossington Smith Gallery is exhibiting the HSC artworks of students from the Upper North Shore.

The schools include: Abbotsleigh Asquith Boys’ High School, Asquith Girls’ High School, Barker College Brigidine College St Ives Cheltenham Girls’ High, Cherrybrook Technology High School, Hornsby Girls’ High School, Killara High School Knox Grammar School Loreto Normanhurst, Masada College Normanhurst Boys’ High School, Northolm Grammar School, Pymble Ladies’ College Ravenswood School for Girls – Official Site St. Ives High School St Leo’s Catholic College and Turramurra High School.

I enjoyed meeting the students and parents at this weekend’s opening day.

The gallery is open Tues-Sat 10am-5pm until 23 March 2024.

🎉🎉🎉Glad to be involved in the pledging of another 160 new Australian Citizens yesterday.🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺

🔥🔥🔥Excited to get my limited edition Charizard EBWorld membership card today!

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is also coming out tomorrow, and the kids are keen to see me play more of “the Cloud Game”. Curious to see if Aerith will escape her fate.

Chase is on the case

🐱🐱🐱Ku-ring-gai recently ran a competition to encourage people to keep pets safe indoors. Here are the winners.

Tamara, West Pymble Lauren, Roseville Maegen, Roseville Justin, Lindfield Allison, Gordon Ben, Lindfield Rebecca, West Pymble Catherine, Gordon Helen, St Ives Carole, Wahroonga

Glad to see so many people come to welcome the Lunar New Year with the Qing Fong Lion Dance Team at St Ives.

The event also featured the CASS Performance Group, Qing Fong Dragon Dance team, multiple food and game stalls, and was supported by @Multicultural NSW .

We were joined by councillors (from left to right) Cr Simon Lennon Deputy Mayor of Ku-ring-gai, Cr Christine Kay Councillor Martin Smith Councillor Kim Wheatley and Councillor Barbara Ward.

My kids enjoyed playing the duck game and talking to other residents while waiting in the face painting line.

Loving the new nautical theme at The Runaway Spoon, Lindfield.

🏮🏮🏮Wishing you all a Happy Year of the Dragon🐲🐲🐲

🐉🐉🐉 Lion Dancing is a common part of the festivities and we will have it at the St Ives Village Green, Friday 16 Feb 5pm

However lions aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. When I first introduced my daughter to this particular lion at Causeway Bay, she wasn’t too impressed.

We have a range of Lunar New Year activities this fortnight to bring on the Year of the Dragon. The main event is our Lunar New Year food market at the St Ives Village Green, Friday 16 February at 5pm. We also have artwork exhibitions, folk dance performances, calligraphy workshops, storytime for children, tai-chi sessions, dessert-making, and other activities which you can read about on our website https://www.krg.nsw.gov.au/Things-to-do/Events-and-festivals/Lunar-New-Year

I popped by to visit the 1st Turramurra Scout Group today and present a certificate of appreciation for their participation at a recent citizenship ceremony.

The scouts movement is close to my heart because I used to be involved in the 90’s. If it wasn’t for scouts, I wouldn’t have as much appreciation for the outdoors and for community service.

In Australia we are blessed to have a great public hospital system. We’d like to thank Jen, Kim, Julia, Camellia, Brie, Kirsten, Tracy, Olivia, Mary, and all the other midwives, doctors, and hospitality staff at the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital for their care (Hornsby Hospital , Northern Sydney Local Health District ).

Bub is healthy and Mum is in a good state. The kids love their baby sister.

Glad to visit the Little Leo’s Early Learning and Preschool Grand Opening in Killara on the weekend, where there were over 450 in attendance. I was joined by Cr Simon Lennon in cutting the ribbon for this family business.

Coming from a community preschool background myself, I was impressed (in fact jealous) of the wide range of new equipment and resources, both inside and outside the classroom, at these facilities. It’s worth checking out if you are looking for an early learning 7am to 6pm option and I wish the family business all the best.

🌸🌸🌸Vale Judith Rutherford AM🌸🌸🌸

It’s sad to hear of Judith’s passing last week. Judith served at Willoughby City Council for 26 years and was the first councillor that I spoke to in 2017 when figuring out whether to get involved in politics. She was a good sounding board in my early years as well as a faithful member of our local church.

Judith’s funeral service will be held at St Barnabas Roseville East on Wednesday 31 January, 1:30pm.

🇺🇸My Aunt and Uncle from🗽New York are in 🦘 Australia for a few months. They enjoyed yesterday’s 🇦🇺 citizenship ceremony and I asked them whether there was anything that surprised them.

As Americans, they found it strange that in Australia we have two versions of the pledge whereas in the USA they are one nation under God 🇺🇸.

They also noticed that in Australia we pay much more respect and give prominence to our indigenous people. In the United States they would not have had someone like Uncle Brendan provide a Welcome to Country followed by a fifteen minute performance and lesson on indigenous culture by the Koomurri Aboriginal Dance Troupe.

In our car trip home we had a discussion about the commonalities and differences of our countries, as well as steps taken towards or against giving people opportunity. It’s always helpful to have an outside view when assessing our own situation.

They also loved the performances from the Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra and the Australian Girls’ Choir.

And they love the three Brush Turkeys 🦃🦃🦃 that frequent my parents’ yard in Roseville.

🇦🇺🇦🇺Ku-ring-gai’s Largest Citizenship Ceremony To Date🇦🇺🇦🇺 Today we celebrated 246 new Australian Citizens from 36 countries. It was an exciting time for everyone to celebrate this moment on our national day.

We also recognised the work of local volunteers and presented the 2024 Ku-ring-gai Local Citizen Awards. Depicted in the photo from left to right are:

Jemma Wlasichuk – Environmental Citizen of the Year – In recognition of her work at shed eleven in repurposing furniture and keeping waste out of our landfill.

Michele Bell – Citizen of the Year – In recognition for her contribution to the Ku-ring-gai Neighbourhood Centre which provides a range of social support services for the elderly and disabled.

Men’s Kitchen – Community Group of the Year – For their services in helping elderly people improve their cooking skills while providing a network for social support.

Kevin Hao – Young Citizen of the Year – For his involvement in inspiring young people to volunteer their time to social and environmental causes through Youth 4 Difference, a student organisation.

🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺Australia Day Activities🎳🏊🎇 Three things you can consider for tomorrow’s public holiday.

1. Barefoot Bowls at West Pymble Bicentennial Club. Call 9498 3135 for more info.

2. Pool Party at the Ku-ring-gai Fitness and Aquatic Centre. Gold Coin Entry.

3. Summer Fair at the St Ives Showgrounds. $2 Entry for food trucks, animal farms, carnival games, movie night, circus and fireworks.

School holiday lunch at Dukes Green Cafe, right before the rain. ⛈️

🇦🇺New Australian Citizens🇦🇺 We look forward to meeting over 200 new Australian Citizens next week at our Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony.

Pictured here are Kai and Lana, dressed in traditional wear from their home country of Kazakhstan. I wish I had brought my girls because I think they would have enjoyed playing together with their (grand)children. We’ll be glad to celebrate their special day.

🩸Blood donations save lives🩸 I’ve donated whole blood over twenty times and today I agreed to donate plasma instead. Plasma is basically blood without the red blood cells.

Plasma is more complex to get because it takes a while to filter out the blood cells and replace the plasma with saline, but it has a range of life saving purposes. Because the blood cells aren’t taken, donors can typically donate again after two weeks instead of the usual three months.

The process wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be, and I wish I had done it earlier. The main issue is just having 1.5 hours to follow through the entire process.

Before and after the blood donation they feed and hydrate you nice and well to ensure that you can pick up and get back to your other activities.

If you have any questions about the process please feel free to reach out. Perhaps we can donate blood together next time at Australian Red Cross Lifeblood Chatswood.

The holiday break has been a great time to hang out locally and chill with family. It’s such a contrast to November and December when I spent most nights out and was unable to see the children or put them to bed.

Earlier this week, we spent an evening cycling and playing at Queen Elizabeth Reserve before watching the friendly team at Pizza Master West Lindfield create our pizzas.

🔻🌳❓ Yesterday an SMH article stated that Ku-ring-gai had an 8.20% reduction in urban canopy over three years from 2019 (52.01%) to 2022 (43.81%). Some people have asked me to comment, so I will say the following.

𝟭. 𝗪𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁.

I wouldn’t be surprised by a small decrease but an 8.20% reduction over three years is a LOT and I have not seen this scale of loss on the ground. Remember that these statistics are estimates so if there are changes to underlying assumptions or data sources, or an error in modelling, then it can lead to a wild swing. Our council staff are looking into the details to further understand what has driven the swing.

Though even if the 2022 statistics are correct, Ku-ring-gai still has the greatest coverage out of the Sydney Metro councils with Hornsby as a close #2 at 42.47%.

𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱.

And there is scope to improve.

In November 2023 Council resolved to increase resourcing on education, establish a hotline, and provide 7-day week coverage of tree investigations. But having more people on the ground can only go so far, in part because the on-the-spot fines of $3,000 for individuals and $6,000 for corporations are hardly a deterrent. Councils have lobbied the State Government to update Schedule 5 of its Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation to support greater on-the-spot penalties, but to date there has been no change.

Councils also have the option to commence legal proceedings against an offender which in theory acts as a greater deterrent with fines of up to $1.1m for corporations and up to $220,000 for individuals. But in reality, this rarely occurs because there is a higher burden of proof and most councils do not have the extensive resources to investigate and litigate. A tree may be poisoned but unless council is able to prove who poisoned it, there’s nobody to pursue.

𝟯. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘃𝗲𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱.

The owner may have obtained a tree permit from council (refer to Part 13 of Council’s Development Control Plans). Part 13 also provides exemptions for tree and vegetation works, such as when removing dead wood, removing tree branches within 0.5m of electrical wires, removing branches overhanging a residence, and the removal of weed species.

The owner may also have exemption from the State Government under its 10/50 Vegetation Clearing Scheme, which allows people living in bushfire prone areas to clear trees within 10m of their homes and vegetation within 50m of their homes.

The owner may have permission as part of a DA consent. Usually these come with requirements for replacement planting elsewhere on site but the replacement trees take time to grow.

Extreme weather events may also lead to reduction in tree canopy. In November 2019 we had extreme weather causing trees to fall and triggering multi-day blackouts. While new trees are planted to replace the old ones, these take time to grow.

𝟰. 𝗨𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲.

If you look at Ku-ring-gai, many of the current low density residential homes sit on 800-1,200 sqm of land with the more established plots capable of supporting over a dozen trees of various sizes. But as the population increases, governments face the dilemma of building out (and clearing lots of trees in the process) or building up in established areas (which involves clearing a smaller number of trees per person).

In the coming months, the entire state will see changes in State law that allow more homes to be established on smaller plots of land. If you look at page 42 of the proposed changes (which includes more homes everywhere with dual occupancy as the minimum uplift), the tree canopy targets and tree planting rates are quite low compared to what we currently have in Ku-ring-gai.

https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-12/eie-changes-to-create-low-and-mid-rise-housing.pdf#page=42

𝟱. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁?

From a council perspective, we are increasing resources to improve education and investigate tree crimes, however this will not entirely prevent people from conducting illegal activity.

If you are dissatisfied with the situation, consider lobbying the State Government for change. To be effective deterrents, the penalties for on-the-spot fines need to increase. You may also want to provide the State Government with feedback on its proposed changes to the housing system (see page 5 of the link above). In the coming weeks and as residents return from holidays, council will provide more information on the proposed changes and public feedback process.

Great to see so many at council chambers to celebrate Chanukah – the most I’ve seen to date.

Chabad North Shore Alister Henskens MP Matt Cross – Member for Davidson Masada College The North Shore Synagogue Kehillat Masada

Santa asked me whether I had been naughty or nice this year.

Glad to join the community at the Thomas Carlyle Christmas party.

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 you want someone to listen to you or to kick ideas around.

If you know a Year 12 student who is feeling down, please give them the support that they need.

It was great to attend the Ku-ring-gai High School Presentation Day to hear of the accomplishments of our local students. I was joined by Matt Cross – Member for Davidson in handing out the Student Representative Council Awards.

☀️🔥🌡️ 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝟰𝟮°𝗖 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆!!! It’s a great opportunity to check out our 50m pool at the Ku-ring-gai Fitness and Aquatic Centre . After undergoing repairs, it reopens today with the addition of a mobility hoist to make it more accessible for all.

Congratulations to Isabella, McKayla, Mayurie, Romani, Nicolas, Liam, Meera and Katja for being our winners of the Speaking 4 the Planet initiative. Our local students created written and visual work advocating for sustainable practices, and I encouraged them to think about how they can make an effective but also equitable impact in the years ahead.

You can watch their amazing work here https://www.krg.nsw.gov.au/Environment/Sustainable-living/Smart-schools/Speaking-4-the-Planet

Glad to see Chanukah this year supported by all three levels of government. We had a fantastic night at the St Ives Village Green, well attended by an inclusive, welcoming and diverse community. My kids also enjoyed meeting the team at Community Health Support and taking part in the games, rides, face painting and fireworks.

Julian Leeser MP Matt Cross – Member for Davidson Deputy Mayor of Ku-ring-gai, Cr Christine Kay Councillor Martin Smith Councillor Kim Wheatley Cr Simon Lennon Cr Barbara Ward Councillor Robert Samuel – Willoughby Chabad North Shore

Visited the Roseville College Prize Giving Ceremonies yesterday. It was particularly cool to see those that I had previously taught at Sunday School and other local church programs get recognised for their achievements.

Thanks to everyone who contributed food and gift items to the Mayor’s Christmas Appeal. Yesterday I joined Gordon Ward Councillors Simon Lennon and Barbara Ward in packing and distributing hampers for Lifeline Harbour to Hawkesbury Sydney at Gordon Baptist Church. The hampers went to a range of causes such as the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter .

Congratulations Sophia for being the 17th recipient of Abbotsleigh’s Mayor of Ku-ring-gai Award, recognising her excellence in leadership.

I attended Speech Day yesterday and it was great to see so many young people equipped to create a better future.

It was encouraging to visit the Barker College Junior School celebration today to hear of the children’s accomplishments as well as their contribution to providing education to indigenous groups through their Darkinjung, Ngarralingayil and Dhupuma Schools.

Popped into the Wahroonga Village Fair, organised by volunteers from the Rotary Club of Wahroonga . The event was opened by Bagpipe and Drums from Knox Grammar School and a welcome to country from Peter Kirkwood OAM. I visited the balloon stall organised by girls from Abbotsleigh as well as Melissa from the Tiamo Baby stall.

Thanks to all the volunteers from Rotary for organising this. Funds raised go towards Rotary Club projects. There’s a lot more going on and I’d encourage residents to check it out today. (I had to dash off to the next event.)

I was excited to attend the Kuringai Youth Orchestra Christmas concert, held at my old school St Ives Preparatory School. We heard Christmas classics such as The Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky and Anderson’s Christmas Festival. It was encouraging to see our young people make use of the facilities nearly thirty years after my time in the same hall playing in the school orchestra.

I was also invited to do the raffle draw with all funds going towards KYDS Youth Development Service.

Come visit the KYDS Youth Development Service fundraiser at Pymble Bunnings. The Barbeque and Christmas stall is open til 4pm.

If you can’t make it but want to support the cause, visit https://kyds.kindful.com/

Earlier this month I attended a range of events connected to Diwali, which is a South Asian festivity that celebrates the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil.

To be honest, I had limited knowledge about this tradition until quite recently and as far as I know many of the Ku-ring-gai celebrations connected to this event were first started in 2022.

I’m glad to have taken part and look forward to seeing each of these events (organised in chronological order by Ku-ring-gai Council, AASHA and SHARE SMR) scaling up in the future.

It’s the time of the year where we attend (and handout at) annual awards presentations. Yesterday I was at Brigidine College St Ives and it struck me how (compared to my own school in the 90’s) there was a very strong culture of nurturing each individual student as well as the promotion of social justice initiatives. It’s a great option for our local students here at Ku-ring-gai.

Something exciting is coming in the next 24 hours!

☔️It’s a bit wet right now but we have Australia’s largest obstacle course this weekend at St Ives Showgrounds. ☀️Sunny tomorrow!

https://www.tuffnutterz.com/tuffnutterznsw-act

🎉🇦🇺🦘Glad to meet 136 new Australian Citizens yesterday.

Congratulations to our Deputy Mayor of Ku-ring-gai, Cr Christine Kay for getting elected to the Board of Local Government NSW for a period of two years.

Christine has shown an eagerness to engage with Mayors, Councillors, and General Managers across the state to understand the challenges that the sector faces and bring lessons back to Ku-ring-gai. She has already performed a similar role at ALGWA NSW to promote diverse participation in Local Government and I am sure she will do a great job of advocating for our interests at our state industry body.

🌺 Lest We Forget Today our kids had their first experience of laying poppies. My wife and I explained the significance of these poppies, including the sacrifice that their great grandfathers and other Ku-ring-gai residents made to protect our peace.

Tomorrow we remember the actions of the many who served both at home and abroad to protect the freedoms that we enjoy here in Australia. I know that many of our children do not have a concept of war as we have been fortunate to enjoy a period of peace. However, I do want my children to know the sacrifices made by their two great grandparents, one of whom is featured here. Ken served in World War II as an anti-submariner and towards the end of the war he took command of the corvette HMAS Lismore before settling down in East Lindfield. I’ll be sharing more about Ken and others like him at our Remembrance Day ceremony tomorrow at Roseville Memorial Park, 10:40am. See you there, and Lest We Forget.

Good to see so many people attend the Wahroonga Food + Wine Festival on Sunday, which is an event that council sponsors each year.

I was joined by Councillor Martin Smith, Councillor Kim Wheatley and Councillor Cedric Spencer (pictured in the top left image from left to right) at the Ku-ring-gai Council stall to meet the residents and answer their queries. Nearby at the rotunda we had local bands playing all day.

It was also good to meet the volunteers Antonia, Vanessa and Darius (pictured in the bottom left image from left to right) from St John’s Ambulance. At the midpoint of the day, they said that things had fortunately been non-eventful despite the heat.

It was a a privilege to have Captain Ben de Leon from the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Support Rural Fire Brigade speak with our new citizens earlier this week. Ben migrated to Australia over fifty years ago. In his heartfelt speech he encouraged everyone to embrace our home and give back to the community.

This week I attended the launch of Greener for Business, a free and simple initiative aimed at helping businesses reduce their carbon footprint.

The event was a joint initiative between the Better Business Partnership (Ku-ring-gai Council, North Sydney Council and Willoughby City Council ) and the startup Greener (and its partners Origin Energy , National Australia Bank and the appliances retailer Winning Group).

It was encouraging to hear from a diverse range of likeminded people, each sharing ideas on how we can help businesses and the wider community meet our climate-related international obligations. Also speaking at the event was Kylea Tink for North Sydney .

For more information type “Green for Business” in any search engine.

Earlier this week I visited the Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra along with Cr Simon Lennon at the Ku-ring-gai Town Hall. It was good to hear about their plans for the coming year while also forming an understanding of the benefits and space requirements of a community-run professional level orchestra. Their next performance will be at St Ives on Sunday 19th November. For more information, check out their website or social media.