Tea, coffee and cakes were served at a number of council venues including Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Art Centre, The Ridge Gold Driving Range and the Sutherland & Caringbah Leisure Centres with money raised through donations, entry fees and other activities such as raffles.
Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre held their Biggest Morning Tea with a $5 entry fee going towards the fundraising event. Raffles and homemade goodies were also on offer. The Ridge Golf Driving Range celebrated “Biggest Morning Tees” all week. They ran happy hours where any size buckets of balls were half price, as well as serving tea, coffee and cakes.
Sutherland Leisure Centre has raised more than $20,000 over the last seven years at their Biggest Morning Tea events and they also celebrated for the week with a range of activities and challenges. They had Charity Fitness Challenges, a Spin Super Challenge and an Ultimate Boot Camp. This year, the centre included a monster raffle and a seniors stall. Some of the great prizes on offer were gym and swim memberships, dinner vouchers, gift baskets and swim equipment.
Caringbah Leisure Centre had no entry fee on the day of the morning tea, however a gold coin donation was requested for a cup of tea and a piece of cake. A raffle was also conducted to raise additional funds.
A number of council units such as the Environmental Services Division, Property, Finance, Health and Cultural Planning also participated.
Council’s Environmental Services Division hosted a morning tea auction, raising even more than last year’s total of $1,600. All the council units hosted morning tea events for staff to donate to the good cause, with early expectations being that the monies raised will surpass last year’s total.
Have your say. Click Here-> “Northies” at 5
Northies has been voted number 5 on ‘Best Bars For Sydney 2007’ list, according to www.bestdrinks.com.au. Already a mini celebrity attraction, with many of the local sporting identities frequenting the bar, this recognition is sure to increase patronage at the already very popular drinking hole.
As the only bar in southern Sydney to make it into the top ten and being awarded the ‘Best Value Bar’, Northies Licensee, Rob Stanley-Jones, hopes the “Shire icon” will make an even higher position next year.
Rob Stanley-Jones believes ‘loyalty and patrons maketh the bar’ and credits the award to them. www.bestdrinks.com.au said the bars were judged against strict criteria and the results were designed to help Sydneysiders decide which bars to try when they are out and about.
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Council and Education Department easing burden on our fields
Council is planning to go into partnership with the Education Department in order to ease the burden on playing fields in the Shire. Over the last 18 months, our playing fields have struggled due to the lack of rain, resultant water restrictions and grassless fields.
School playing fields are to be made available for community use and, with participation rates rising in all male and female sports, this step seems to be a necessary one in order to maintain safety and playing standards amongst participants.
Woolooware High School will be the first school to take part in the program starting in May/June this. Cronulla High School will commence participating in 2007/08 and Endeavour High School in 2008/09. Boys Town playing fields will undergo an upgrade in 2008/09 to take advantage of the vast area available there.
Have your say. Click Here-> Consolidation the best step forward
According to the Council’s draft budget and management plan, consolidation rather than expansion appears to be the plan for Sutherland Shire Council over the next 12 months
The council has allocated funds in the budget for the upgrading of existing services and infrastructure for all ages. Mayor David Redmond said prudent financial management and an approach to reform means the council is financially sound and allows them to do more with respect to infrastructure issues.
Major projects and programs will still go ahead as planned, however Mayor Redmond said the budget emphasises the need to maintain existing infrastructure.
The budget is on exhibition for residents and community groups to comment.
Mayor Redmond sees the exhibition as an important part of the consultative process and said he will review each submission that comes in from the community.
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Infringements in school zones to cost you more
The ‘No excuses, No Apologies’ safety blitz, conducted outside our schools before the April school holidays resulted in 97 fines. This alarming result has prompted the council to welcome the increases in penalties for traffic infringements in school zones.
Mayor David Redmond said the council does not apologise for enforcing infringements such as parking restrictions around schools, reminding motorists and parents that they are in place to protect our children.
For a full list of penalties and offences visit www.rta.nsw.gov.au
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Dean loves living in the Sutherland Shire. In fact he was born, raised and schooled in the Shire and currently lives with his
young family at Engadine. In his younger days he was an accomplished sportsperson and is still actively involved in local amateur
sports administration. Dean operates his own business in the area and is keen to support and promote the wider community in any
way he can with his new role. | 
