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New funding plans for tackling asbestos Marine Discovery Centre swims away BY DANIEL PAPERNY with State Government legislation, stipulates the BY SOPHIA MORRIS vacant, Council has put out a tender for a three- Waverley Councillor Miriam Guttman-Jones has measurement of 10 square metres as the minimum The Marine Discovery Centre at Bondi month lease of the venue. This will be reviewed called for a review of Waverley’s asbestos policy amid asbestos area for Council policy to apply. Pavilion has closed after almost five years in next year, when it is hoped a permanent tenant increasing fears over the health hazards posed by But Ms Guttman-Jones said the policy should operation. is found. Waverley councillors will be briefed on asbestos in building materials. address the safe handling of asbestos by reducing As a not-for-profit organisation, the centre the applications at the next Council meeting. In June this year, asbestos removal trucks were the 10-square metre minimum requirement and was introduced in 2002 to educate people about Lenore Kulakauskas from Friends of Bondi found parked outside Bondi Public School, raising ensuring any handling of asbestos was performed by the diversity of ocean life surrounding Sydney’s Pavilion said a new tenant will revive the Bondi concerns over the school community’s exposure to professional licensed operators. eastern beaches. Pavilion. the dangerous fibres. “I have real issues with the 10 square metres,” Over the past 11 years, the venue catered for “I would like to see a business like Ms Guttman-Jones, who served for 22 years she said. “We don’t know just how much [damage] school excursions with up to 30,000 children. Aquabumps [Bondi Photography] there, as Director of Nursing at the Eastern Suburbs asbestos can cause. All we do know is that once it gets Since 2009, it has operated as fully-fledged because I think that would be fabulous for the Endoscopy Clinic in Bondi Junction, said asbestos into your system, it can lie dormant for many years.” organisation with a dedicated space at Bondi visitors who come to the pavilion,” she said. can pose serious health risks in the long-term such as Councillor Dominic Wy Kanak echoed the Pavilion, allowing visitors to experience a replica Bondi Pavilion is set to undergo an mesothelioma and lung cancer. sentiments, arguing Council should increase licence of a Bondi dive site, and providing education on overhaul as part of Council’s Bondi Plan of “Mesothelioma has touched me personally,” she checks on hired professionals and clamp down on the value of protecting the ocean. Management, which sets out a 10-year vision said. “I had my cousin’s husband, Morris Grinszpan, regulatory breaches. Will Jones, the centre’s Managing Director, for the management of Bondi Beach, Park and die three years ago from the disease. “The present State Government legislation said rising administration costs and declining Pavilion. “His loss is palpable ... [and] the possibility of hampers what some councils wish to do to provide visitor numbers caused the centre’s closure. “Part of the plan is to looking at the pavilion, getting mesothelioma, it’s not just about the person, better maximised standard protection for our “We were getting about 6-7,000 visitors a looking at the spaces there and seeing how we it’s the families who are left to deal with the grief.” community,” he said. year, which just wasn’t sustainable,” he said. should use that,” Ms Betts said. Council launched its asbestos policy in July, Waverley Mayor Sally Betts said asbestos is Mr Jones said although the venue had 1,200 setting out guidelines for Council’s role in managing estimated to be found in one in three Australian paying members, their support was not enough asbestos, together with the development application homes. to keep the centre sustainable, despite a rent process for buildings containing the hazardous fibres. subsidy from Waverley Council. The Waverley Asbestos Policy, in accordance “We have many beautiful older homes in Waverley and as part of Asbestos Awareness Month “The support from Council was extremely [in November], we are asking everyone to just be generous, but it still wasn’t enough to make aware of how to identify and safely dispose of unsafe ends meet,” he said. asbestos,” Ms Betts said. “The good news is that Council still wants “What we need to do is make sure that everyone to us to [proceed] with the school excursion who is going to renovate is aware of the guidelines. program.” We do not want anyone to be harmed by asbestos.” Waverley Mayor Sally Betts said by continuing to support the work of the centre, Last Thursday, the State Government announced Council will meet its obligations under its $3 million towards a new Householders’ Asbestos Environmental Action Plan to provide education Disposal Scheme set for trial next year. The scheme on environmental issues. will waive the waste levy on asbestos and reduce tip “We’ve got some very high targets for our fees in selected council areas for 12 months. environment,” she said. “We will continue the Next Thursday, Council will hold a Blue school programs, and if there are programs Lamington Drive in Oxford St Mall to help raise of value, Council might just pick up those awareness about the need to handle and dispose of programs themselves and run them.” asbestos safely, as part of Asbestos Awareness this Asbestos can cause lung cancer and mesothelioma With the space occupied by the centre now The Marine Discovery Centre at Bondi Pavilion month. “Non-Waverley residents Council takes the Green light frequently use the roads on which many of the schools are located,” for Bondi she said. Published fortnightly and distributed to Bondi Beach, Bondi, initiative on compost Maria Hardy, Principal of Bondi Bondi Junction, Dover Heights, Waverley, Tamarama, BY PAUL GREGOIRE a move which could see local cafes Beach Public Clovelly, Randwick, Rose Bay, Coogee and Maroubra. Waverley Council has teamed reducing waste and expenses. Beach Public School, said she is BY MYLES STEDMAN Distribution enquiries call 9212 5677. Published by the up with sustainability expert “We’re starting off at the Bondi thrilled about the introduction of Bondi Beach Public School will flashing lights and that the safety of Alternative Media Group of Australia. While every effort is Michael Mobbs to implement a Pavilion,” Waverley Mayor Sally receive a new set of flashing lights the children was pivotal. made to ensure accuracy of content, The Bondi View takes new compost initiative. Betts said. “The various operators no responsibility for inadvertent errors or omissions. Mr Mobbs from Sustainable in a bid to provide extra road safety “Motorists are often unaware at the pavilion and all the events for children. they are in a school zone and the ABN 48 135 222 169 Projects said the initiative will use a we hold there generate about 600 new machine to reduce food waste Waverley Mayor Sally Betts new flashing lights will help keep Group Publisher: kilograms of waste per day. Lawrence Gibbons to a tenth of its size overnight. praised the initiative, and said road our children safe when coming to Group Manager: “Then we are talking to Chris Peken “It will be about the size of a safety and traffic were ongoing and from school,” she said. Group Editor: businesses along Campbell Pde and Marcus Braid large fridge,” he said. “They’ll put issues in Waverley. The move aims Justin Bonsey of the Bondi Beach Bondi View Editor: suggesting they might want to put Daniel Paperny their food waste in there and the to ensure improved road conditions Responsible Runners said crossing Editors: Triana O’Keefe and Adam Hunt machine will turn it into compost. their food waste there. For them it by slowing motorists down around roads in the area can be dangerous, Contributors: Sophia Morris, Paul Gregoire, Myles “It uses a mixture of heat and means that the cost of their waste the children. especially for pedestrians. Stedman, Tom Neale, Joshua Tassell and Virat Nehru algae, and it turns food waste into removal will reduce.” “I think the increase is essential,” “The more flashing lights we Arts Editor: Leigh Livingstone compost in 24 hours. You can get Councillor Ingrid Strewe Ms Betts said. “We really support have, the more people will get used Contributing Arts Editor: Emma Salkild a ton of food waste and it becomes welcomed the initiative but having flashing lights at all our to them … which could slow traffic Live Music Editor: Sharon Ye just 100 kilos.” expressed concerns the compost schools if we can have that.” down,” he said. Dining Editor: Jackie McMillan After the compost is produced, it unit uses a considerable volume of Ms Betts said road safety was Mr Bonsey said motorists Advertising Managers: David Sullivan, is taken out to a farm where it will energy. paramount with Council “one needed to take greater caution Toni Martelli, Robert Tuitama and Debra O’Kane be used as fertiliser. “The composting unit is a good of the most densely populated when driving in order to avoid Design: Joanna Grace “The compost will be taken out idea; the only drawback is the high councils” in Australia. dangerous incidents and prevent Publisher’s Assistant: Deeksha Chopra Member for Vaucluse Gabrielle pedestrians from being harmed. to a farm at Picton and it will be energy use, but this is balanced by Distribution Manager: Danish Ali Upton echoed the used instead of oil and gas-based the reduction in landfill fees for any Cover Photo: Joanna Kelly - Lifesavers at Bondi Beach fertilisers to grow soil and to sentiments, placing her commercial user,” she said.

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