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Some Locals Oppose Proposed Amenities and Field Upgrade at Clovelly Crocs Home

Photo credit: Randwick City Council / .randwick.nsw.gov.au

The proposed upgrading of amenities and field at Burrows Park, the home ground of the Clovelly Crocs Junior Rugby League Club, has met strong opposition from some community members who have raised several concerns about the plans.

Burrows Park, its sports field, and associated amenities building, have been proposed to undergo an upgrade as the building is deemed old and non-compliant with current building codes.

The upgrade would also mean that the ground, which is currently smaller than the NRL standard size, will be extended by 10 metres to allow U13-aged teams and above to play games at Burrows Park.

Council is reported to have allocated $250,000 to investigate the project which is expected to cost about $4 million to deliver.

“This upgrade is essential to retaining and attracting participation in the local Rugby sporting codes and community-based sport, including continuing to grow female participation which has seen significant growth over the past 3 years,” the Clovelly Crocs statement last October 2022 reads.

It will also ensure the continued survival of both the Clovelly Crocodiles and Clovelly Eagles. The Clovelly Crocodiles have been based at Burrows Park since inception and with over 100 years of history in our local Clovelly community, this essential upgrade will ensure the success of the club for many more years to come.”

Just recently, though, the Crocs has reportedly abandoned the plans to have the sportsfield expanded following a strong opposition from some residents who raised several issues against the proposal. The club, however, would still support the ground re-turfing and upgrading the facilities at Burrows Park.

Some of those who oppose the proposal fear that the field becoming bigger would mean that it would be used by the Sydney Roosters.

Likewise, Friends of Burrows Park said that residents, as well as recreational users of the space including runners, dog walkers, bird watchers and beachgoers, are opposed to the idea. These groups are said to be concerned that the dog park would later be used as a parking area to accommodate the expected increase in the number of visitors.

Locals also fear that the project would impact their quiet enjoyment of their homes and the recreational space, given the noise and parking congestion the project would create.

Clovelly Eagles, which also uses the ground, is said to be opposed to the proposed upgrade as well.

In its announcement last October 2022, Council said that residents will be consulted about the proposal once a scope and concept have been developed.

Burrows Park Field Upgrade Now in Initial Design Investigation Phase

Photo credit: Randwick City Council / randwick.nsw.gov.au

An initial design investigation has been launched on the proposed amenities and field upgrade at Burrows Park in Clovelly, after the existing amenities building was found to be ‘old and non-compliant’ during a recent Council inspection.

Located immediately north of Clovelly Beach, Burrows Park Sportsfield features a football field, toilets block and picnic shelters.

Randwick City Council has deemed the existing amenities building as old and non-compliant with current building codes. Funding has been allocated to investigate upgrading the building for it to better meet the needs of local juniors utilising the field.

Although Council has announced the commencement of the initial design investigation on the proposed project. At this stage, no design brief or project scope has yet been confirmed.

Representatives from the junior sporting clubs that currently use the park were invited to a meeting organised by the Council to help better understand their needs and challenges, in preparation for design work and community consultation.

Some of the early feedback gathered from the meeting includes the concern that the sub-standard size of the playing field prevents children 13 years and older from playing rugby league, prompting them to seek other fields to play home games.

The possibility of providing a standard and compliant NRL-sized field to accommodate junior games for over 13s will now form part of the design brief investigation currently underway.

However, further investigation needs to be completed to determine whether this will be included or excluded from the final project scope.

Randwick City Council is encouraging interested residents to register at the Your Say Randwick website. Once the consultation has commenced, all subscribers will be notified and invited to participate.

Burrows Park is bounded to the east by an area of remnant vegetation and to the south by the cliff top at the edge of Clovelly Bay. Walkers and joggers frequent the park for their daily exercises which also features a free outdoor gym. It is also home to the Clovelly Bowling Club.

Pop-Up Pedal Park in Clovelly to stay Until October

The pop-up pedal park in Clovelly Beach will stay in place until the first of October 2021, nixing original plans to dismantle the facility at winter’s end. The extension will be a welcome reprieve for kids home schooling during the lockdown.

Children will be able to safely play outdoors and have fun at the pedal park as it continues to be accessible until 5 Oct 2021. According to Randwick City Mayor Danny Said, keeping the facilities in place will “help lighten people’s burden” during this pandemic.

“Council has looked for additional ways for residents to make use of our outdoor spaces,” the mayor said.

“The pop-up pedal parks have proven to be a popular and effective way for kids to get outside, burn off some energy in a safe environment and feel like life is a little bit normal again.

“It was a no-brainer to keep them open for longer than was originally planned. The positive feedback we’ve received from the community tells us that this is a valued initiative that brings relief and happiness to many families.”

Since beachside car parks closed during the lockdown, Council installed temporary bike tracks for the kids on the site. The first pop-up pedal park was opened and trialled in May 2020, whilst another facility was installed at the Chifley Reserve.

The pedal parks were subsequently brought back in June 2021, following a Council vote to make this a regular winter offering. This year ramps, rails, and tunnels were added to provide additional skill-building opportunities for junior cyclists, skaters, and scooter users.

Meanwhile, residents may continue to provide feedback about the pedal parks to Council.

Make Your Home Stylish With Pieces From This Clovelly Store

Photo credit: Duke and D HOME/Facebook

With many choosing to remain indoors because of the current public health crisis, it doesn’t come as a surprise that people are more inspired to redecorate their places. To make the process easier, it helps to have a one-stop shop where they can buy all their home decor essentials.

Read: Why This Clovelly Mum Keeps Her Kids In Early Education Despite the Pandemic

In Sydney, one of the best places to shop for home decors is Duke and D Home. Located in Clovelly, Duke and D HOME is a delightful store filled with unique homewares and furniture to redecorate your home. They offer everything from thoughtfully sourced handmade creations by local artisans and illustrators; to an eclectic mix of contemporary interiors and unique finds from abroad.

Here you can find a range of pots and planters, as well as faux greenery. They also have linen, cotton, corduroy, feather filled, and outdoor cushions. There are vinyl floor mats which are colourful and come in a range of patterns and sizes.

To bring a decorative and personal touch to your home, they have scented candles and to organize better, hampers and storage baskets which come in various textures and sizes. On a slightly higher budget, you can even pick up some of their cowhide stools, metal side tables, armchairs, and bench seats.

Some of the items at the store (Photo credit: Duke and D HOME/Facebook)

Scented soy candles (Photo credit: Duke and D HOME/Facebook)

Decors (Photo credit: Duke and D HOME/Facebook)

Aside from home decors, Duke and D HOME is offering wonderful gift ideas such as jewellery, body products, crystal candles, and greeting cards. If you’re not sure where to start, you can browse their collection via Instagram @dukeanddhome or through their Facebook page. For gifts, they can post nationwide. Simply send them a message for sales and postage information.

As part of safety measures, Duke and D HOME requests customers to wear a mask and use their QR code when visiting the store.

Clovelly Surf Club Added as New Micro Wedding Venue for NSW Registry

How would you like to get married at the Clovelly Surf Club? The exclusive yet budget-friendly micro-wedding service provided by the NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages can make that possible!

NSW Registrar Amanda Ianna said that they have partnered with a few special wedding venues in Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong for couples to enjoy and afford their dream wedding. Their service covers four themes: city, coast, heritage, and country. The package includes a range of add-ons that couples may customise based on their preference and budget.

Weddings to be held at the Clovelly Surf Club fall under the coastal package, which the Registry opened in May 2021. Couples may now book the venue if they are getting married between October 2021 to January 2022.

Other venues included in the package are the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb, Pullman Grand Circular Quay, the Old Clare at Chippendale, Vaucluse House, and the Chinese Garden of Friendship in Darling Harbour.

Ms Ianna said that over 2,500 couples availed themselves of the NSW Registry’s micro wedding services in 2020, which also gave brides and grooms a selection of wedding vendors like photographers, caterers, and florists. The Registry also takes care of the legal requirements, including the notice of intention to marry and the standard wedding certificate.

An average wedding in Sydney may set back couples at least $40,000 but this micro wedding service gives them a chance to have their dream wedding on a more intimate scale. This practical solution also allows the newly-married couple to start their life together with a healthy financial status.

Outdoor Gym Upgrades Ongoing at Varna Park in Clovelly

Have you been to Varna Park in Clovelly in recent weeks? You may have noticed busy workers building a new workout space near the section with shaded trees as Waverley Council has responded to the community’s needs for an outdoor gym.

The new facility will be the seventh outdoor gym within the Council’s jurisdiction. It will be set up with a chest press, an elliptical trainer, lat pulldown, cardio equipment, exercise bike, and strength and stretching exercises.

A Council spokesperson said that this has been most requested by the community, who want to use a free gym than a commercial option, especially for the older residents. Thus, studies and consultations were undertaken between October 2019 to January 2020 to assess the feasibility of the project.

Following the consultations, Council started with the upgrades on Varna Park in February 2021 and it’s scheduled to finish by May 2021.

The project will also entail the following improvements:

Installation of natural and imaginative play spaces
New park furniture and bins
New fitness station and rubber softfall
Turf improvement works

The upgrades on Varna Park have been moving forward despite criticisms that spending on an outdoor gym might not be worth the cost as only a small number of locals actually use the facilities.

Whilst workout spaces have become the trend in Sydney, it has yet to help with people’s fitness routines in a significant way as only about 17 percent of Australians perform sufficient physical exercises regularly, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Common Dolphin at Risk According to New Flinders University Study

A study conducted by researchers at Flinders University has revealed that the common dolphin, which populates the waters of Clovelly and other suburbs by the Pacific Ocean, is at risk.

Though the population of the common dolphin remains high, it has the potential to decline given recent trends in their behavior. According to the research performed by researchers from Flinders University, this potential decline has been attributed to the dolphins’ frequent interactions with fisheries, which could often prove fatal to them fishermen and fishing equipment have the potential to cause them great, if not mortal harm.

These dolphins, which are illegal to hunt as per the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, likely accidentally injured themselves on fishing lines and nets or by getting too close to large fishing boats.

Common dolphins play an important role in marine ecosystems, acting as ecology indicators due to their status as top-level predators. If numerous dolphins are found sick, diseased, or injured then it is likely that certain issues need to be addressed — whether its water pollution, overfishing, or industrial or residential runoff.

[Read]

Researchers at Flinders University have given new guidelines to fisheries after concluding their study, which spanned over 1500 sq km stretching from the southern and east coast of Australia to Tasmania and New Zealand. Fisheries are warned to minimise their interactions with dolphins in the future, and these guidelines are also expected to assist with the conservation of marine ecosystems.

Why This Clovelly Mum Keeps Her Kids In Early Education Despite the Pandemic

A few kids attending the Clovelly Child Care Centre on Arden Street are moving up the preschool group for this latest school term. However, a drop in preschool enrolments in New South Wales have had government officials concerned as parents shift to a work-from-home set up amidst the pandemic.

Clovelly mum Odette Grabinski is one of the thousands of parents who have transitioned to working from home but she’s still sending her young children to the Clovelly Child Care Centre to prepare them for actual schooling.

Ms Grabinski has a 3-year-old son in the preschool group and a younger child in the early education program. She believes that enlisting her kids at the centre will help with their social development and stabilise a structure that will build their confidence.

Besides the learning and the child-minding, a preschool or childcare environment will give her kids a new social setting where they could develop life skills.

The centre receives support from the Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits Commission, which helps out children of unemployed adults, people with a disability or chronic illness, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, migrants and refugees and financially disadvantaged parents.

Clovelly Child Care Centre also honors the free preschool grant extended to families with children attending a community preschool, which was launched at the height of the pandemic crisis in April 2020.

The NSW Government has set aside $120 million to fund the free preschool program, which has been extended until the end of 2021.

“This is a $120 million investment in our future, which will remove a layer of financial pressure for many families during this uncertain time. It will also help support more than 7,400 early childhood educators and teachers in their vital roles,” Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said. “This could save families more than $2000 per-year per-child and will ease the cost of living pressures and help balance work and family life.”

Photo Credit: Clovelly Child Care Centre

However, attendance in early education facilities has dwindled in 2020, especially between March to June. The first school term for 2021 also saw a two percent drop in enrolment compared to last year, completely reversing the trend that usually sees preschool enrolments increasing.

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said that it’s understandable for families to consider homeschooling during this uncertain period but she also reminded parents of the proven benefits of early education.

Apart from developing social and communication skills, children attending these centres can be properly monitored and referred to speech pathologists and occupational therapists. The children also gain access to health screenings from NSW Health.

Bundock Park Playground Upgrade Expected in 2021

Following community consultations and a public exhibition in 2020, the construction of the proposed Bundock Park Playground upgrade at Eastbourne Avenue will be underway this year. Randwick City Council will soon confirm the start date of civic works that will move the new playground a few metres off its current location.

The Bundock Park Playground upgrades will include new equipment for the children, such as a slide, a basket swing, wooden play equipment with rope ladders and monkey bar hooks to climb. Most of this will be made of wood to be safer for toddlers to enjoy.

The proposed plan also has provisions for the grown-ups, who will be accompanying their kids at the play area. There will be more shade and seating for the comfort of the adults whilst the new location, slightly to the west of the old playground, will take advantage of the beauty of the surrounding bushes and shrubs.

Bundock Park Playground is just across Clovelly Beach. It’s surrounded by plenty of amenities like external showers, BBQ and picnic shelters, and a cafe for dining and lounging in between meals and swimming.

For enquiries and other comments about this planned upgrade, email council@randwick.nsw.gov.au or phone the project manager at 9093 6934.

Clovelly Bowling Club Ranked as 2020’s #1 Bowls Club in NSW

Clovelly Bowling Club ranked as the best bowls club in NSW and the third-best across the country in a recently concluded survey for the Wotif 2020 Uniquely Aussie Awards. The bowls club is one of only three from the NSW to make it on the list.

Built around the 1940s, the Clovelly Bowling Club‘s biggest draw that’s hard to beat is its gorgeous and picturesque 180-degree view of the Pacific Ocean.

“It’s an absolutely stunning world-class view,” Brian Bagshaw, the president of the bowlo said.

The drinks served at the bar are very competitive and comes with a selection of beers, wines, spirits and mixers. The bar is licensed to operate until 10:0 p.m.

Members usually come around the bowlo for some games and drinks, whilst some fire up the self-service BBQ to grill meat to share among themselves.

Photo Credit: Osvaldo Picon Viega/Google Maps

Here’s the complete ranking of the Top 10 Best Bowls Club in Australia:

WINNER: Merthyr Bowls Club, New Farm, QLD
2 – Chermside Bowls Club, Chermside, QLD
3 – Clovelly Bowling Club, Clovelly, NSW
4 – Broadbeach Bowls Club, Broadbeach, QLD
5 – Moama Bowling Club, Moama, NSW
6 – The Greens North Sydney, North Sydney, NSW
7 – Mooloolaba Bowls Club, Mooloolaba, QLD
8 – Burleigh Heads Bowls Club, Burleigh Heads, QLD
9 – Torquay Bowls Club, Torquay, VIC
10 – Club Kawana, Wurtulla, QLD

According to Wotif Managing Director Daniel Finch, more locals are relearning to love their community bowls club amid the pandemic restrictions at bars and restaurants. These community hubs received thousands of votes in Wotiff’s yearly survey, proving that bowls clubs deserve to be in the spotlight.

The travel website conducted a survey to encourage domestic travel across the country. Wotif learned that 70 percent of Australians are looking forward to taking a road trip to discover local gems whilst 90 percent believe that everyone should do their bit to save the tourism industry and small business.

“An excellent bowling club. Excellent view. Located along the coastal walk between Bronte and Clovelly. Friendly staff. Very clean. Lawn bowls and barefoot bowls available here. Bar service here. No bistro – but they sell meat pies and some other food over the counter. COVID-safe policies have been implanted here. Extremely large air-conditioned ballroom – perfect to hire for any function – the ballroom has its own kitchen. #clovelly”
Brenden Wood, Google Reviews

“Lovely little bowlo with great views out over the ocean. Go there for a cheap beer or a bite to eat, and try to catch the monthly Starfish musical gigs.”
Simon Proudman, Google Reviews

“What a great place. Amazing views, great value for money and most of all the people working here provided us great service and even took the time to give us a quick bowling lesson.”
Jamie Haffey, Google Reviews