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Rose Bay Beach: Exercise Caution Before Swimming

Photo Credit: Woollahra Municipal Council

Following recent stormwater pollution, Beach Watch NSW has lowered Rose Bay Beach’s pollution level to “Pollution possible.” Residents are still urged to exercise caution before swimming.

Although the water quality generally allows swimming, certain groups—such as young children, the elderly, or those with health concerns—may face higher risks.

Residents, especially vulnerable groups, should carefully assess current conditions before swimming at Rose Bay Beach. Beach Watch NSW emphasises the importance of discretion and taking necessary safety measures, closely monitoring the situation.

For the latest water quality updates and safety guidelines, Rose Bay residents are encouraged to regularly check the Beach Watch NSW website.

The organisation remains committed to ensuring the well-being of all beach goers through continual monitoring of Rose Bay Beach conditions.

Published 30-December-2023

Kambala Triumphs in NAPLAN: A Tale of Excellence in Rose Bay

The corridors of Kambala School in Rose Bay are abuzz with excitement as the results of this year’s NAPLAN assessments illuminate the academic landscape. The students have showcased exceptional proficiency in literacy and numeracy, achieving scores that place them well among the highest.

With 957 students spanning from Kindergarten to Year 12, Kambala prides itself on its intimate learning environment, boasting a commendable student-to-teacher ratio of 1 to 9.

For the Year 5 NAPLAN results, students from Kambala achieved an average of 562. The rest of the results are as follow:

Reading	567
Writing	555
Spelling	553
Grammar	576
Numeracy	560

At the helm of this journey to academic excellence is Ms. Jane Danvers, the esteemed Principal of Kambala School. With over two decades of dedicated service to the Australian educational community, Ms. Danvers has steered Kambala towards this remarkable achievement. Her unwavering commitment to educational excellence has been a guiding light for the school.

Meanwhile, both private and public schools in New South Wales have left their mark in the recent NAPLAN. Apart from Kambala, institutions like Abbotsleigh in Wahroonga and Newington in Stanmore have consistently outperformed other schools in reading, writing, spelling, grammar, and numeracy. On the public school front, Kellyville Public, Earlwood Public, and Cranebrook High have emerged as top performers in Sydney.

Recent studies have shown that there are only slight differences in NAPLAN scores between private, Catholic, and public schools. These differences largely vanish when considering a student’s family background.

But the school that has rose to the challenge is Fairfield Heights Public School. Approximately 40 per cent of its 740 students have a refugee background, 70 per cent come from the lowest socio-economic backgrounds, and 93 per cent do not speak English at home.

The school’s structured approach, with traditional classrooms and regular assessments, has led to an absence of significant discipline issues. Like the educational system in Singapore, teachers receive a year-long curriculum program and follow a regimented timetable that prioritizes reading and numeracy.

Published 18-Dec-2023

Nestlé Volunteers Lead the Way in Rose Bay Cleanup on World Clean Up Day

On World Clean Up Day, Nestlé volunteers hailing from their Head Office in Sydney sprang into action, donning gloves and dedicating their time to tidying up various sites within the local community. Their focus for this initiative centred around Rose Bay harbourside, part of a broader nationwide endeavour supported by Clean Up Australia.

Nestlé’s vision is that none of its packaging, including plastics, ends up in landfill, in oceans, lakes and rivers. Rolling up their sleeves and supporting World Clean Up Day was a tangible way employees could get involved and support the ambition to achieve a waste-free future.

Nestlé Head of Sustainability Amanda Robertson said, “Days like this provide an important hands-on experience for the team, where we can come together, get outdoors and make a meaningful impact in our local area.

“We want to inspire our people to be conscious of the effects of waste on our environment and there’s no better place to start than in our local community.

“Our goal for World Clean Up Day was simple: to leave our local community cleaner than we found it. And we certainly have. A big thank you to all the Nestlé volunteers who came out, we wouldn’t have been successful without them.”

Nestle World Clean Up Day Rose Bay — Photo Credit: Supplied

Nestlé has announced several commitments to help achieve its vision of a waste-free future, including reducing its use of virgin plastic by a third by 2025 and introducing more recycled content in its packaging.

Pip Kiernan, Chair of Clean Up Australia said, “Cleaning up our environment is a fantastic reminder that every action, no matter how small, can make a big difference. When we take time to connect with the environment and clean it up, we become more conscious of our environmental footprint.

“The efforts made by the Nestlé team help us to reach more sites, pick up more litter, and make more of a difference across Australia,” she said.

World Clean Up Day unites countries, communities and volunteers across the world for clean-up exercises, promoting the need for proper management of waste and raising global awareness and action for a cleaner planet.

Published 25-Sept-2023

Royal Sydney Golf Club Seeks Modifications to Its Approved $17M Transformation Project to Expedite Construction

Photo Credit: The Royal Sydney Golf Club / www.rsgc.com.au/

Royal Sydney Golf Club in Rose Bay has submitted an application to Woollahra Council seeking modifications to the approved construction hours, expediting the completion of its planned $17 million upgrades for the 18-hole golf course.

Submitted in early August 2023, Royal Sydney Golf Club’s application aims to secure approval for machine excavation activities to commence earlier in the day, stating the distinctive nature of the site and the project.

Their submitted documents state that the Royal Sydney Golf Club (RSGC) has a site area of over 58 hectares, which is considered one of the most extensive privately owned landholdings in Sydney. And the sheer expanse of the site coupled with the presence of public roads and the abundant vegetation around its borders, already provides a substantial physical separation between the ongoing activities within the premises and the neighbouring properties.

The document further stated the approved plans involve the ‘renovation and landscape rehabilitation’ of the existing golf course at RSGC. This means they will be working on the ground, making the landscape better, and upgrading the water systems for irrigation and stormwater infrastructure. Hence, the redevelopment won’t include other things like piling, piering, or cutting through rocks, which are common on regular building sites.

RSGC stated that current approved conditions allow construction activities to take place between 7 am and 5 pm on weekdays and between 7 am and 1 pm on Saturdays. Part of the currently approved construction hours, however, prevent certain activities from commencing before 9 am on weekdays and Saturdays, and after 4 pm on weekdays.

The application, thus, seeks to modify that condition by deleting reference to ‘machine excavation’ as a work activity that needs to take place before 9 am (weekdays and Saturdays) and after 4 pm (weekdays).

One of the reasons stated in the application document is to expedite the timing of construction which will benefit both RSGC and the surrounding community because the duration of impacts associated with the construction works will be reduced.

The $17 million upgrade was initially proposed in 2019 and it encompasses the enhancements to be undertaken on the 5900-strong Royal Sydney Golf Club’s greens, fairways and bunkers. It, however, met strong opposition from the local community who raised concerns about the proposed removal of almost 600 established trees.

Whilst the proposed project was refused by the Council in early 2022, the Land & Environment Court upheld the elite club’s appeal in December of the same year and gave it the green light to move forward. The approved plans will increase the total number of almost 1,600 trees onsite along with other mitigating measures.

Published 28-August-2023

St George Church Rose Bay Disputes Heritage Site Designation Proposal

The St George Church in Rose Bay has voiced its disagreement with a proposal to designate the building as a heritage site.

Read: South Head Now Included In State Heritage Register

The President of the Parish Committee, Spero Raissis, expressed concerns that the plan by the Woollahra Council to protect the religious building through heritage listing would have negative consequences for its congregation.

Mr Raissis emphasised that the church community, which is thriving and expanding, is already facing challenges in its current location. He believes such a listing would make it significantly more difficult for the church to undertake necessary expansions to the existing building.

Heritage Listing Proposal

In 2022, Council prepared a heritage study of places of worship in the city, which included St George Church, Rose Bay.

Photo credit: St George Church Rose Bay /Google Maps

The report suggests that “the Greek Orthodox church meets the criteria for local heritage listing based on its historical and aesthetic qualities, its association with Greek migrant communities in the area following WW1, as well as being a rare example of a Greek Orthodox church that is also a war memorial.”

History of St George Church, Rose Bay

The plan to construct a Parish Church in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs was initiated in early 1956. Through the combined efforts of around 100 families, the construction of the current sacred building was finished by early 1962.

It was designed by prominent architects Fowell, Mansfield & Maclurcan, who also designed a large number of churches in Sydney and wider NSW. The church was dedicated on 24 November 1962, to honour those who served in the First and Second World Wars.

Read: Recent Rose Bay Upgrades Gave These Forgotten Laneways a New Lease on Life

Located at 90-92 Newcastle Street, Rose Bay, the war memorial church is of brick construction and features a bell tower and three decorative arches over the entrance doors.

Photo credit: St George Church Rose Bay/Facebook

Since its establishment, the Greek Orthodox Parish of St George has viewed itself as an essential component of Australian culture.

It has strived to meet various needs, including incorporating English into prayers and worship, introducing Orthodox literature in English, and recognizing the wider mission of Orthodoxy in Australian society.

At present, the parish has over 2,000 Orthodox Christians and warmly welcomes all visitors.

Published 4-July-2023

Recent Rose Bay Upgrades Gave These Forgotten Laneways a New Lease on Life

Photo credit: Steven Siewert - Woollahra Municipal Council / woollahra.nsw.gov.au

Laneways and car parks in Rose Bay have just received a much-needed makeover thanks to the “Streets as Shared Spaces” program that funded this transformation project and gave these otherwise forgotten spots a new lease on life.

Woollahra Municipal Council has announced that it has completed several temporary activations in the Rose Bay Centre over the summer which gave forgotten laneways and car parks a fresh lick of paint, new murals, plants and seating.

The project was made possible through funding from the NSW Government’s Streets as Shared Spaces program. The award-winning $15 million program was launched in May 2022 as a pilot to enable improvement across the state with temporary interventions and pop-ups that allowed councils, the community and stakeholders to trial innovative ideas that test and build the case for more permanent changes.

Under the program, Councils get grants of up to $500,000 to help them deliver trial programs that test permanent changes that are aimed at strengthening the amenity, accessibility and economic vitality of a high street and surrounding area through a place-based approach.

Look at their before and after photos and see the wonderful transformation that made these spots unrecognisable today.

Collins Lane

Recent Rose Bay Upgrades Gave These Forgotten Laneways a New Lease on Life — Collins Lane: before and after the makeover | Steven Siewert – Woollahra Municipal Council / woollahra.nsw.gov.au

Thanks to artist Alice McAuliffe’s “Concept Carpet”, this laneway is now a vibrant spot with bright colours, inviting festoon lights and lush greens everywhere you look.

Percival Lane

Sharon Billinge’s giant artworks called Beach, Bark and Banksias gave Percival Lane an updated look. The artwork pays homage to Rose Bay’s famous dog beach and its native flora.

Wilberforce Avenue carpark

Wilberforce Avenue car park’s concrete walls are now unrecognisable, in a good way, of course, thanks to Claire Foxton’s artwork Boowambillee (Shark Island) which is inspired by the Boowambillee (Shark Island), the roughly shark-shaped island surrounded by the waters of Rose Bay.

The mural also features Rani, the first Sydney to Hobart yacht race winner who launched from Boowambillee/Shark Island on Boxing Day 1945.

Collins Avenue Parklet

You might also notice a new parklet (temporary seating area) located at Collins Avenue opposite Percival Park. The parklet is now ready for locals and visitors to enjoy where they can sit down and rest after a day at the beach or enjoy a nice, warm coffee from one of the many cafes in the area.

Percival Park

Percival Park also received a glow-up with a new garden installed by IndigiGrow, festoon lighting and colourful bollards.

Council invites you to take these short surveys and let them know what you think about these projects.

Published 19-March-2023

South Head Now Included In State Heritage Register

A masterplan which aims to conserve natural landmarks across Rose Bay, Vaucluse and Watsons Bay has led to the addition of South Head to the State Heritage Register.

Read: Rose Bay Uniting Church and Wesley Hall Redevelopment Upheld Pending Heritage Listing Proposal Determination

South Head, which has been a national park since 1977, is considered as one of the most historic and spectacular places across the city.

Popular among locals and visitors alike for its picture-perfect views of the ocean, the park is home to historically and technically significant buildings and ruins including the Hornby Lighthouse and the archaeological remains of important water policing structures.

Minister for Heritage James Griffin said heritage listing the park will ensure future generations can experience and learn about a place that helped shape NSW.

“With its soaring sandstone cliffs, much loved beaches and green open spaces, South Head is one of the most outstandingly beautiful parts of Sydney,” Mr Griffin said in a media release.

“Listing the South Head Cultural Landscape on the State Heritage Register acknowledges the diverse and important stories of this place, which deserve recognition because they helped shape NSW as we know it today.”

The State Heritage Listing includes the South Head precincts of Sydney Harbour National Park, Hornby Lighthouse, Camp Cove Beach and the rock shelf that surrounds them.

Member for Vaucluse Gabrielle Upton said the exceptionally high number of public submissions received in support of the heritage listing shows the importance of the palce and its value to the people of NSW.

“This has been a long journey and worth every bit of effort together with my community. South Head is a place of unique and international cultural, environmental and historical significance. It holds a special place in our hearts for its exceptional natural beauty with deep ties to our local and indigenous history,” Ms Upton said.

Photo credit: David Sweitzer/Google Maps

“As the heritage gateway to Sydney Harbour, South Head marked the entrance to Port Jackson for ships and served as a landmark for early European settlers’ arrival into the Harbour. Prior to that, it was an important place for Aboriginal people, including for fishing, art and other rituals.

Its addition to the heritage listing comes amidst the ongoing masterplan, which is currently being finalised by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Read: New Rose Bay Promenade Cycleway to Commence Construction Soon!

The draft masterplan will give more opportunities to enhance cultural and natural attributes and improve accessibility and amenity for locals and visitors alike.

Woollahra Sailing Club Voices Concerns Over Proposed Upgrades For Lyne Park

Rose Bay’s sailing club, the Woollahra Sailing Club, has expressed its concerns about losing its boat rigging and storage space if plans to upgrade Lyne Park Playground materialise.

Read: Enjoy Mouthwatering Freshly-Prepared Fish and Chips at Fish Cove in Rose Bay

Woollahra Sailing Club, located next to Lyne Park, has written in its website that Council’s plans to renew the park will dramatically reduce their rigging area.

“We are a very active community multisport club. We are one of the most active Sailing & Paddling clubs in the country on a very small lot of land. We already have significant space constraints. Any reduction in space will mean a reduction in community activity,” Ross Barratt, general manager at Woollahra Sailing Club stated.

Lyne Park (Photo credit: J Ly/Google Maps)

The group believes losing half of their rigging area would make it impossible to host the events and programs they currently run, hoping that Council will amend their proposal.

Plans for Lyne Park Playground

Draft concept plan (Photo credit: Woollahra Council)

Lyne Park Playground renewal includes traditional play equipment as well as new unstructured nature and water play experiences, such as a:

Double flying fox
Four-bay swing with seven types of swings suitable for a variety of ages and abilities
Sensory walkway
Zero-depth water play zone with pump, trough and runnels
Nature play area for older children with quarry blocks, boulders, slacklines, balancing and monkey bars

Designed by industry-leading playground designers, Fiona Robbé Landscape Architects, it also includes supporting features, such as an accessible water fountain, accessible picnic tables, back and arm rest seats, and inclusive toilet amenities.

Following community consultation, Woollahra Council has voted to proceed with the design development and construction phases in December 2022.

Photo credit: Sara Piccinelli/Google Maps

Council has also reported to the Finance, Community & Services Committee who considers financial, budget and work issues, and issues relating to services for people.

In an update from the club, they stated that the Finance, Community & Services Committee agreed to recommend to the General Committee of Council that the playground proposal proceeds largely unchanged.

Read: Fortis Expands Boutique Residential Development in Rose Bay

This means that the draft concept plans will be endorsed subject to minor amendments, after the club has voiced its concerns.

Dispute Over Approved $17M Redevelopment Of Royal Sydney Golf Club

The $17-million redevelopment of the Royal Sydney Golf Club in Rose Bay has received the stamp of approval of the NSW Land and Environment Court, amidst public outcries from residents who are concerned about the removal of hundreds of trees in the Club.

Read: Rose Bay Uniting Church and Wesley Hall Redevelopment Upheld Pending Heritage Listing Proposal Determination

The controversial approval comes three years after a three-year battle between Royal Sydney Golf Club and residents, who fought hard against plans to cut down around 595 mature trees as part of the proposal.

Members of Save the Trees, one of the community groups that opposed the plans, gathered outside the course less than 24 hours before the Land and Environment Court made the decision. But it turned out the residents lost the battle to save the trees.

“We fought a good fight. We forced them to reduce the number of trees being massacred and increased the diversity of them but we were unable to stop these out of touch people who only care about their golf and not the environment or the wider community. Shame on them,” Save the Trees wrote on social media.

Woollahra Councillor Nicola Grieve also expressed her disappointment with the plans, describing it as a “tree massacre brought by an elite private Golf Club out of touch with the world and a broken planning system.”

Plans

The extensive renovation of the 18-hole golf course at the club involves site works, service upgrades, tree removal and replacement planting.

In response to the locals’ environmental concerns, the club argued in their proposal they have formulated a comprehensive plan to address the shortcomings whilst “creating a resilient, sustainable landscape fostering an enhanced golf environment while restoring the environment to benefit endemic flora and fauna.”

This includes replacing and supplementing the removed trees by planting 1,888 new trees, as well as shrubs, sedges, and native grasses in three years.

The club also mentioned in the planning documents that the proposal seeks to remove 595 of the overall 2,696 trees on site and of which 11 are ‘high value (2 percent), 512 are ‘medium value’ (86 percent), and 72 are ‘low value’ (12 percent).

“Trees proposed to be removed have been thoroughly assessed and justified through detailed analysis focussed on removing trees of non-endemic species, trees detrimental to the long-term sustainability of the course, or being at end of life or a safety risk to the community,” RSGC stated.

Read: Fortis Expands Boutique Residential Development in Rose Bay

The DA plans and documents can be viewed at Woollahra City Council’s DA tracking tool, with the reference 402/2019.

New Rose Bay Promenade Cycleway to Commence Construction Soon!

Photo Credit: Woollahra Council / yoursay.woollahra.nsw.gov.au

DId you know that Stage 3 of the New South Head Road (Double Bay to Rose Bay) Cycleway Project is set to commence in April 2022?

To be constructed in three stages, the 2.4km cycleway project will run along New South Head Road, between William Street in Double Bay and Norwich Road in Rose Bay.

The New South Head Road alignment, or Route A2, provides cyclists access between Vaucluse and Rushcutters Bay making it a critical east-west cycling connection within Woollahra.

Its primary section situated between Double Bay and Rose Bay, however, lacks protected on-road bike pathways or off-road alternatives that will separate the cyclist from vehicle traffic, resulting in a number of cyclist fatalities and near misses that occurred along this route in recent years. Hence, a new cycleway is being constructed to enhance safety along New South Head Road.

The construction of the bi-directional cycleway along the Rose Bay Promenade involved the widening of the footpath to accommodate the new shared pedestrian and cycle path.

New Rose Bay Promenade Cycleway to Commence Construction Soon — Separated bi-directional cycleway along Rose Bay Promenade | Photo Credit: Woollahra Council / yoursay.woollahra.nsw.gov.au

However, Stage 3 of the construction, which was originally slated June 2021, was delayed in consideration of the potential impact of construction works on the growing number of pedestrians who flock to the promenade. Proceeding with the construction at the time would cause pedestrians to cross the road in order to navigate around the works.

The project will cost approximately $1.25M and will be jointly funded by the Woollahra Council and Transport for NSW. TFNSW awarded the Council $1M as part of its 2018/19 Active Transport Grant Funding Program.