WE ARE SHOCKED AND SADDENED BY THE MASSACRE AT BONDI BEACH AND EXTEND OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF THOSE KILLED OR INJURED AND ALL WHO ARE AFFECTED BY THIS TRAGEDY
Station Beach
CONTENTS
CHRISTMAS PARTY AND PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS
NEW PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT
NORTHERN BEACHES HOSPITAL
GOVERNOR PHILLIP PARK
E-BIKES
BEACH SAFETY
DAN MURPHY’S LIQUOR LICENCE APPLICATION, CAREEL BAY SHOPS
DEVELOPMENT AT 15 OCEAN ROAD, PALM BEACH
DID YOU KNOW?
THE DEEP NORTH
ST DAVID’S PALM BEACH CAROL SERVICE
MEMBERS’ SURVEY
DATES FOR YOUR 2026 DIARY
Our Christmas Party at Dunes was a great success and we hope everyone enjoyed it. The President, Professor West, gave his final address as President:
Good evening everyone,
I would like to begin by welcoming our special guests:
• Dr Sophie Scamps — Member for Mackellar
• Jacqui Scruby — Member for Pittwater
• Mayor Sue Heins — Northern Beaches Council
It is a privilege to have representatives here tonight from all three levels of government. Our Association greatly values our working relationship with our MPs and Council — we have had many productive meetings, and I genuinely believe that each of them holds the best interests of Pittwater at heart.
I would also like to acknowledge our Pittwater Councillors Miranda Korzy and Rowie Dillon.
Thank you both for your support and for attending our Monday morning coffee meetings. Your feedback, your involvement, and your availability to our community have been invaluable.
To the representatives of our local community groups — thank you for joining us.
We are fortunate to have such strong and passionate voices in Pittwater. These groups play a vital role in protecting what makes this place so special, and our relationship with them is one of the great strengths of our Association and community.
I would particularly like to acknowledge my old mate Peter Mayman — Peter and I worked closely together for many years, and it was always a pleasure.
To our two life members, Storm Jacklin and Susie Kennedy — thank you both.
Susie, you are a wealth of knowledge and history, and both your contributions over so many years has been extraordinary. To both of you, my sincere thanks.
It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as President of the PBWBA, however, the time has come for me to step down as President and hand over the reins.
It is wonderful to reflect that our Association celebrates its 107th anniversary this year — a legacy built through the commitment of countless presidents and committee members.
The extraordinary number of volunteer hours devoted to protecting Palm Beach & Whale Beach over more than a century is something to be proud of.
During our centenary year, our local members Rob Stokes and Jason Falinski each paid tribute to the Association in both Houses of Parliament. Our work and history are now recorded in Hansard — which is a remarkable achievement.
The purpose of our Association has always been clear:
To preserve the unique environment in which we live. Palm Beach and Whale Beach are precious places, and protecting them for future generations is our shared responsibility. Looking around us here at Governor Phillip Park, it is worth remembering that in the 1920s our Association successfully prevented its subdivision into residential lots. More recently, commercial development at Barrenjoey Headland was halted — preserving the jewel in the crown of Pittwater for the future.
It has been a very busy year, and it is pleasing to see progress across important local services, particularly the Northern Beaches Hospital. It is encouraging that the hospital has now been taken over by the government and will continue to treat both public and private patients. We must ensure that it provides full **Level 5 services**, with the long term goal of progressing to a **Level 6 hospital**, so that critical treatment is available here without residents needing to travel to Royal North Shore.
In particular, stroke care and clot busting treatment must be available at NBH for faster response and better outcomes. I thank our local members for their support in working toward achieving this.
This past year has been particularly busy with new NSW Government planning regulations. We worked hard — and successfully — to retain the status quo in Palm Beach & Whale Beach. All Whale Beach remains conservation areas and the great majority of Palm Beach.
This allows both suburbs to remain beautiful residential communities, while also welcoming visitors.
But we must remain vigilant — our landscape requires constant protection.
We have also continued positive engagement with Northern Beaches Council and I would like to acknowledge Andrew Johnson, our community representative, for his ongoing commitment and attendance at our meetings.
To my committee — past and present — thank you. You have each contributed your time, passion and capability, and I could not have asked for a better group to work alongside.
My role has been made easier and more enjoyable because of you — and I look forward to continuing with you as a committee member.
I also want to take a moment to thank my family.
Anne and I have been very blessed with our three children and ten grandchildren. It is wonderful to have Catherine, Timothy , Deborah and her husband Steve here with us tonight.
I could not have done what I have without Anne — she has been beside me throughout, improving every speech and supporting every step of the way.
Next April we will celebrate our 60th wedding anniversary — thank you Anne, for everything.
Finally, to all our members — thank you for your continued support. I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Frank Bush, one of the two Vice-Presidents responded by paying tribute to Richard West’s ten very full and productive years where his passion for the area was always apparent and he maintained his fight to preserve its character. He recorded our gratitude for the President’s outstanding leadership and our thanks also to Anne West for her unfailing support.
On behalf of the Committee and members he announced that Professor West had been granted Life Membership of the Association and presented him with a framed certificate.
Jacqui Scruby then presented him with a framed copy of the Community Recognition Statement of his achievements which was recorded in Hansard.
There is an additional article in Pittwater on Line: https:/www.pittwateronlinenews.com/APROFESSOR-RICHARD-WEST-AM-FRCS-FRACS
FRANK BUSH AM FCG FGA
Our new President is Frank Bush one of the current Vice Presidents. He has been on the Committee for more than 8 years and is a member of the Northern Beaches Local Planning Panel. He is one of our main spokesmen on Planning matters, a major concern of our members, particularly at this time. He is a lawyer with experience in corporate finance and investment banking and had an international role in corporate governance.
NEW VICE PRESIDENT
Virginia Christensen will return to the position of Vice President.
NORTHERN BEACHES HOSPITAL
Northern Beaches Hospital
Since agreement was reached for Northern Beaches Hospital to move into public hands there have been discussions about the future of private services at the hospital. The Northern Sydney Local Health District will assume control on 29 April 2026 but the uncertainty about private care and whether private clinicians will remain at the hospital is causing major concern. There has been no announcement about the hospital’s operating model and very little is known about the Clinical Services Plan.
Although there have been criticisms of the hospital it is now considered that it is performing well when compared with other hospitals particularly with regard to surgical waiting lists where 99.8% of elective surgeries are performed on time. In Royal North Shore Hospital, for instance, only 77.5% of elective surgeries were performed on time in the September quarter.
Currently, public patients at Northern Beaches Hospital benefit considerably from the private surgery there. As well as the presence of private surgeons and their expertise, additional specialist equipment is also available. If Northern Beaches Hospital had to be run on the standard public hospital operating model it would be hard to replicate the current service. It is essential therefore that there is clarity about the model going forward. The current uncertainty risks the movement of private clinicians to other hospitals.
Northern Beaches Hospital is a Level 5 hospital at present, although without a fully equipped Stroke Unit which should be remedied. Considering it services 270,000 residents on the Northern Beaches we feel it should be upgraded to Level 6.
We have made the following submission to the Health Minister, Mr Ryan Park:
Dear Minister, Re: Northern Beaches Hospital (“NBH”) Palm Beach & Whale Beach Association, Inc. is a 107-year-old Community group with over 460 members and represents the interests of the residents, property owners and small businesses of Palm Beach and Whale Beach, in the Northern Beaches LGA.
On behalf of the Association, we thank you for recognising that the public/private model previously in place at NBH had failed and we applaud your decision to take over the NBH as a public hospital and to maintain its level 5 status with 500 beds.
Our members have a vital interest in the future of the Northern Beaches Hospital. It is the only Level 5 hospital in this LGA, which is the third largest LGA in Sydney by population, with over 270,000 residents, and the seventh largest in terms of area. The population will grow quite rapidly because of already foreshadowed mid-to-high rise development at Warringah Mall, Brookvale, North Narrabeen, Ingleside and Mona Vale.
The hospital is 27.5 kilometres from Palm Beach and it can take an hour to drive from Palm Beach to the hospital. The nearest level 6 referral hospital is Royal North Shore, which is over 40 kilometres away.
The population of Northern Beaches LGA has an above average number of people aged 75 and over, compared to the rest of New South Wales.
The principal concerns of our members are:
1) Retain Level 5 rating and Upgrade to Level 6
The Northern Beaches Public Hospital (“NBPH”) should retain a Level 5 rating and over time be upgraded to Level 6, so that patients do not need to be transferred to the Royal North Shore Hospital (40 kilometres away) for Level 6 treatment. This distance to access level 6 services is completely unacceptable for a major population centre of Sydney. Northern beaches residents are, accordingly, receiving substandard medical care and are exposed to unnecessary medical risk.
2) Urgent upgrade of Stroke Unit to actually provide Level 5 service
The current Stroke unit needs to be urgently remediated and upgraded to actually provide Level 5 service.
A Level 5 Hospital is required to provide assessment of Stroke patients and thrombotic treatment. NBH is currently graded as Level 5 under the NSW Health Guide to the Role Delineation of Clinical Services; however, it does not provide 24-hour stroke assessment or thrombotic treatment. It is therefore not fulfilling its Level 5 requirements.
To be fully assessed and access thrombotic treatment patients are currently taken to Royal North Shore Hospital, 40 kilometres from Palm Beach, or transferred to Royal North Shore Hospital from NBH, an additional 13 kilometre trip.
There is a “Golden Hour” for stroke victims, the quicker the treatment the better the outcome if thrombolysis is indicated. Literally every minute is critical and the extra time to obtain care for Northern Beaches residents increases the risk of long term damage and puts their lives at risk.
Stroke patients having to go to the Royal North Shore Hospital to be fully assessed and receive thrombotic treatment is not acceptable and the service needs to be urgently fixed. Northern Beaches residents deserve better access to this critical care.
3) Locate manned Ambulance Bases in Northern Beaches and include access to stroke ambulances
There are many issues in the Northern Beaches in relation to response times for ambulances and we believe it is necessary, in order to properly serve our community, for more fully equipped and manned ambulances to be permanently located at ambulance stations in the Northern Beaches, including in Avalon. In addition, we believe there should be fully equipped stroke ambulances available in the Northern Beaches.
4) Elective Surgeons and other specialists appointed to Northern Beaches Public Hospital, able to provide public and private services
NBH is staffed by excellent surgeons and physicians and our Association members have been very satisfied with their treatment.
We have unconfirmed reports that many specialists are resigning. When NBPH is up and running as a fully functioning public hospital, it is critical that excellent surgeons and physicians are formally appointed to the public hospital so their services are retained and available to our community as public and private patients.
Pittwater Ward, the most northerly of the five in our LGA, has a very high level of health fund membership – around 70% of the Pittwater population. We do not have the comparable figures for the other wards but it would be significantly higher than the average in Sydney. So there is a considerable built-in demand for private patient services.
A failure to appoint and retain excellent specialists who can incorporate private health services into their practices at NBPH would mean significantly greater risk for Northern Beaches patients needing high level care and considerably increased travelling distances to receive that care.
5) Cardiac Cath Lab should be retained in its current form
The Cardiac Cath Lab at NBH is run by cardiologists and treats both private and public patients and our members have experienced excellent treatment. We believe this service should continue as a privately run service on site at the NBPH in order to retain and attract excellent cardiologists. There is a precedent for this model – the Eastern Heart Clinic – which is a private interventional cardiology hospital co-located with the Prince of Wales Hospital at Randwick. It is run by private cardiologists and treats public and private patients.
6) Review of existing services
Other services provided at NBH need to be reviewed, particularly Major Trauma, Neurosurgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery, mental health (particularly for adolescents) and the operation of the Emergency Unit, to ensure compliance with the Guide to the Role Delineation of Clinical Services.
We would be grateful if these views could be considered in your deliberations.
Yours truly,
A/Professor Richard West AM BS(Syd) FRCS(Eng) FRACS – Immediate Past President
Frank Bush AM FGA FCG – President Palm Beach & Whale Beach Association Palm Beach & Whale Beach Assoc.
GOVERNOR PHILLIP PARK
At the beginning of summer, Governor Phillip Park is preparing for hordes of visitors. It is all the more distressing that two aspects affecting residents’ and visitors’ use of the Park are decidedly unwelcoming.
Trees which are barricaded by entirely unnecessary wooden fences prevent people sitting close to them even when they are desperate for shade.
We have made many requests to the Council to have them removed. They were necessary when the trees were small saplings but that stage has long passed. We have been assured many times that they are about to be removed. We still wait …
It is also acknowledged that the toilet facilities in the Park are inadequate. Each year temporary unsightly toilets are hired and installed at rate payers’ expense and then removed at the end of summer. We NEED a new toilet block and hope that this will be forthcoming in the foreshadowed improvements. However, the new Plan of Management has taken so long to develop, let alone implement, that the Community believe that the Council does not acknowledge or really understand the importance of the Park to both residents and visitors.
E-BIKES
Bikes outside Avalon Community Centre
There is more and more concern about the dangers caused by E-Bikes and scooters. Injuries and even fatalities are becoming more frequent. NSW Ambulance figures have revealed that numbers have just about doubled this year with 580 patients recorded last year and more than 1100 by November this year. ‘Fat bikes’ with throttles and powerful motors are capable of speeds well above the 25kph limit and trauma specialists are reporting significant head and facial fractures, particularly in children and especially when they are not wearing helmets. These bikes can cost up to $4,000 each and with 500 watts of power can speed up to 60kph. They are often ridden on paths and through shopping areas where pedestrians are extremely vulnerable. Parents have a responsibility to ensure that their offspring know the rules, wear helmets, have bikes which are legal and are made aware of the dangers.
The Premier has announced that new regulations are being introduced lowering the maximum battery power from 500 watts to 250 watts which will bring NSW into line with other states and reduce the top speed to 30kph. At the federal level, imported bikes will have to conform to European standards by the end of this year which will bring in the 250 watt limit nationally. Schools have recognised the dangers and some are banning or restricting fat bikes on school property. Education of young riders is imperative. There is a case for licensing e-bikes which would make bike riders more accountable and the Opposition is also calling for their registration to address poor rider behaviour.
This is the glorious poinciana tree in Iluka Road which we believe should be protected on the Iconic Tree Register when it is created.
BEACH SAFETY
The State Government has announced a $2.5m. boost to safety on NSW beaches by strengthening the shark mitigation program and increasing the existing budget of $21.4m. More shark surveillance drones will be supplied to surf clubs through Surfing NSW and these are in operation one week earlier in the season than usual, from 13 December, and extended to the end of March 2026. Fifty beaches are covered by Surf Life Saving NSW’s shark drone program including Palm Beach.
There are 37 tagged shark listening stations on the NSW coast with at least one station in every coastal local government area for year round coverage. Sharks are tagged with acoustic transmitters which can be fin mounted or implanted. Satellite tags can also be used which are attached externally and transmit location data via satellite. When a tagged shark is detected by the station (range is normally 500m) the receiver detects the unique acoustic ping and an alert is sent to the SharkSmart app (Shark-Management-In-Real-Time). There is a listening station at Palm Beach and to get the alerts download the SharkSmart app which is free on the App Store.
Surf Life Saving Australia’s Coastal Safety Report 2025 has again named the Northern Beaches LGA as one of the ‘black spots’ for coastal deaths with 11 fatalities, one more than last year. There were 6 drownings with rock fishing, diving, boating and shark attacks accounting for the other 5.
DAN MURPHY’S LIQUOR LICENCE APPLICATION CAREEL BAY SHOPS
Notification has now been received of an application for a liquor licence by Dan Murphy’s for the development at 1-3 Careel Head Road, Avalon Beach (currently the location of Oliver’s Pies and Cranzgots). As there are already several retail liquor outlets in close proximity to the proposed development we believe adding yet another is not in the best interests of the Community. More importantly, we believe having a child care centre located in the same building as a huge liquor store is completely unacceptable. We will be preparing a submission but the closing date for submissions is not far away – 15 January 2026. We urge members who are concerned to put in a submission as soon as possible. Details of the application can be found on:
https://lngnoticeboard.onegov.nsw.gov.au/searchresult/details/APP-0015360276
If you wish to make a submission or comment you can do so to Liquor and Gaming NSW within 30 days of the notice which is by 15 January 2026. Telephone 1300 024 720 (Mon-Fri 9am-4pm) or email: contact.us@liquorandgaming.nsw.gov.au
A Development Application has also been made to the Council for the establishment of a Liquor Store at 1-3 Careel Head Road, Avalon Beach. DA2024/1091 – A submission can also be made to the Council.
DEVELOPMENT AT 15 OCEAN ROAD, PALM BEACH
In spite of substantial objections and refusal by both the Council and the Local Planning Panel, the Land & Environment Court approved the development application for 15 Ocean Road, Palm Beach (next to The Palladium). We do not feel that due process was followed and have made a submission to The Ombudsman to examine the process. You can read our submission here. The owners of The Palladium have also appealed to The Ombudsman.
DID YOU KNOW?
Australia has some of the most sparsely populated cities in the world. A study by the United Nations Population Division has ranked all the world’s cities with more than one million people. Perth was ranked at 510th out of 510 cities with fewer than 2000 people per square kilometre. Brisbane was the seventh lowest. Sydney and Melbourne, Australia’s densest cities, were among the 40th lowest density cities, less crowded than Los Angeles. Mumbai in India was ranked the most crowded with 27,000 people per square kilometre.
THE DEEP NORTH
The Deep North festival from 5th to 7th December was a wonderfully ambitious project and enjoyed by many. It was amazingly diverse and we hope it proved of real benefit to the businesses in Avalon and will return next year as was originally envisaged. If so, it will prove to be a highlight of the spring season.
The Town Tent
CHRISTMAS AT ST DAVID’S, PALM BEACH
St. David’s Anglican Church, Palm Beach, will be holding a Christmas Eve Carol Service at 8 pm. There will now be no service at St. David’s on Christmas Day.
MEMBERS’ SURVEY
All members should have received a copy of our Survey either electronically or having picked up a hard copy. After a great deal of thought we have asked quite a number of questions because it will help us considerably to know what you think on a number of matters. Can we ask for your forbearance to print a copy off and then spend time to complete it. We will be taking a great deal of notice of what you say and it will help us represent your views in the best way we possibly can. Please email the Secretary at info@pbwba.org.au if you need a copy or did not receive the original email.
Please post completed surveys to PBWBA PO Box 2 Palm Beach 2108 or alternatively they can be handed in to Palm Beach Cellars & Deli who have kindly agreed to collect them for us. Or you can download it here.
OTHER DATES FOR YOUR DIARY IN 2026
Next Coffee Morning– Tuesday 3 February, 10.30 am at the Pacific Club
Next Committee Meeting – Monday 9 February, 7pm at the Pacific Club
Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns and thoughts.
Email: info@pbwba.org.au
or the President, Frank Bush 0412 105 509
