South Hurstville residents now have this restaurant right at their door the family-owned and operated bakery in Bankstown has expanded its legacy to a new postcode opening not only for breakfast and lunch but for lengthy dinners Culture makes a big visual statement in the design - with limestone imported interior features from Lebanon and a Saj Station where diners can watch the art of traditional bread-making Customers can observe the experts craft traditional saj bread through a viewing window Saj is an unleavened flatbread cooked on a cast iron dome known for being much lighter than typical mannoush dough "This isn't just a restaurant- it's a reflection of our culture and our passion for sharing real Lebanese food with the community," owner Jason Tarraf said "We're keeping a tradition alive in a space that feels just as special as the food itself." "We have a deep love for the art of mannoush and pizza making," Jason said "It's a love that has passed down my family and that we feel passionate about delivering to everyone who dines with us." To appeal to younger generations, Jason uses social media platforms like TikTok to showcase the bakery's food and vibrant culture Known as the 'The Manoush Man' on the popular platform Jason has gained viral status through entertaining skits featuring his mum and Tayta (grandmother) and collaborating with well-known TikTokers "Social media has allowed us to really make things our own - to put a new personality on things and appeal to a younger audience," he said grandsons and granddaughters of the generations that moved here from Lebanon." St George and Sutherland Shire Leader reporter covering education, health and general community news. Email: ekolimar@theleader.com.au Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy A woman has been found dead inside a car on a busy street in Sydney's south with her handbag left lying on top of the vehicle Emergency services were called to Durham Street in Hurstville about 16km south of Sydney's CBD at 5.15pm on Tuesday following reports of a concern for welfare was found dead in the front passenger seat Police are treating her death as suspicious and have established a crime scene. Authorities have not yet released the woman's identity or any other details. Anyone with information is urged to contact police as inquiries continue. Major terror attack 'was just HOURS away' before it was foiled by the special forces and police:... Victim of acid attack 'plotted by his ex-partner who teamed up with a gang' dies in hospital six... We are trapped in unsellable newbuild homes after a £52m dual carriageway was built on our... Pub is forced to pay family £75,000 after wrongly accusing them of 'dine and dash' over £150... 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No one seems to have shared their thoughts on this topic yetLeave a comment so your voice will be heard first. {{message}} Revelop has swooped on a near new strata titled shopping centre after a significantly more valuable deal to Centuria managed Primewest fell through The East Quarter Village at Hurstville is costing about $30 million – a six per cent fully let market yield Melbourne based Fridcorp is the seller; the asset covers the ground level of a $700m residential based mixed-use village and another 1500 approved as part of the East Quarter masterplan The deal comes nearly three years since Primewest entered negotiations to buy the then-unbuilt complex for $41.5m – a 4.77pc yield Hurstville is about 17 kilometres south west of Sydney’s CBD on a 13 year lease (story continues below) the asset also contains 20 specialty stores which Revelop The property also includes 66 at-grade car parks and 200 in a basement population growth in Hurstville has outperformed metropolitan Sydney with forecasts predicting consistent year on year growth well into the future” Revelop co-founder and managing director we reported the Parramatta based investor and developer outlaid $39.75m for the Kirrawee Shopping Centre – about 10 kilometres south west of Hurstville Also surrounded by significant new high density residential some with electric vehicle charging stations Subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of this page A former property analyst and print journalist Marc is the publisher of realestatesource.com.au Forgot your password? You will receive mail with link to set new password Back to login co-owner of Australia's oldest Italian eatery Roma Pizza Restaurant at South Hurstville which celebrated its 65th anniversary on March 19 Saverio runs the restaurant with his mother brother Nicola and sisters Cheti and Vicky The Roma Pizza Restaurant was opened in Hurstville in 1960 by Antonio Criniti Antonio came to Australia in the 1950s from the town of Santa Caterina in Calabria The Roma started as a milk bar at 173a Forest Road Hurstville but when the cinema opened across the road Antonio changed his business to an Italian restaurant as there were no others in the area The Roma became a success and Antonio eventually handed it Fortunato Frank joined the business and then Assunta's husband They moved to their present location at 66a Connells Point Road "Mum saw the shop was for lease and secured it for only $5," Saverio said "When she went to the real estate agent she opened her wallet and had only $5 and said so don't release it.' Mum is very convincing when she wants to be." opposite the Kings Head Tavern in Connells Point Road was the perfect location for business "The first thing Mum did was introduce the $2 mini pizza which was very popular," Saverio said The night we opened we had to take the phone off the hook because of the demand." We were about to close when a guy walked in and introduced himself as Rick People in the pub heard him laughing and followed him into the restaurant It turned into a party and we ended up trading until 1am Assunta wanted to simplify the cuisine and bring back the Southern Italian recipes "The most common ingredient is the Roma tomato," Saverio said "The tomato is the bloodline of our cuisine in everything we do We began to follow the seasons and let nature dictate the menu." As the business grew so did the restaurant the restaurant expanded to 16 seats and then took over the premises next door and now has 55 seats "We were the first ones to bring out the potato pizza with artichokes also a popular ingredient in Southern Italy "This is very similar to how we were eating back in Italy," Saverio said "We began to move away from mass production farming and to support the local growers particularly the growers from the south coast "The farmer has a lot of the credit for putting the flavour in the ingredients." The Roma Pizza Restaurant team have supported their local community making free meals for the isolated elderly during the COVID pandemic and doing online cooking courses for children The restaurant has sponsored the Connells Point Rovers soccer club for 30 years and Saverio was a coach there for several years "The kids I coached when they were 14 are now bringing their kids into the restaurant We have been very blessed in this community who have supported us for so long We are seeing the third generation of families coming into our restaurant," Saverio said "People who want to open an Italian restaurant come to us for advice The secret is to have a supportive family environment You don't get many businesses where the siblings are still talking to each other after 34 years of working together "The secret to a successful restaurant is that it shouldn't feel any different if someone walks into your home or into your restaurant." Assunta added," I've had a lot of satisfaction and freedom to be working here and to be supported by the community and where the clients have become good family friends." For news tips contact me at jgainsford@theleader.com.au Picture: Chris LaneThe Motorsport Shop in South Hurstville will shut its doors on Wednesday The shop has been a tenant at No 13 Connells Point Road since 1997 and before that in No 7 and No 9 before that when it all started in 1991 Co-owner Patrick Wedes said rental increases had led him and his wife Deb to make the difficult decision to close the shop however they will keep their website running with online sales while they figure out what to do next "We considered moving and looked at alternatives and it's a better option to pack up and go and revisit the thought of going back onto a commercial property again or perhaps building the online business even more," Mr Wedes said The shop was sometimes known as The Racing Shop or The F1 Shop The Wedes sold rare memorabilia for Ayrton Senna of Brazil visiting Formula One drivers like Mark Webber and Sir Jack Brabham items from the Making of the 1959 Jack Brabham Helmet replica Patrick Wedes with daughter Myanna and wife Deb with some of the stock still to be sold at their South Hurstville Motorsport Shop Picture: Chris Lane"Sony Corporation was sourcing Ayrton Senna official merchandise from the shop for their Japanese Online Shopping Service," Mr Wedes said "We've helped a lot of people go overseas and work in the sport and we've enjoyed building a very unique business here in South Hurstvile after all those years as well as some custom-made cabinets and shop fittings Mr Wedes said he will miss the customers the most "We've had young boys and girls going past here on the bus going to school who now come in here with their own children," he said the generations and being able to share the good fun and experiences of Formula 1 - we will miss that relationships with families and the community Picture: Georges River CouncilGeorges River Council's South Hurstville Kindergarten has achieved national recognition for providing high quality children's health care South Hurstville Kindergarten received an overall rating of "Exceeding National Quality Standard" as assessed by the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) The Council's Early Learning Centres are assessed by ACECQA and measured against the National Quality Standards and Educational and Care Regulations In a Mayoral Minute at Monday's council meeting mayor Kevin Greene congratulated the team at South Hurstville Kindergarten for achieving an overall rating of 'Exceeding Industry Standards' in Council's first early childhood assessment and rating for 2021 "I'm particularly delighted to report that the staff were specifically commended for their exceptional focus on children's health and safety as well as providing strong leadership," Cr Greene said "This rating reflects the excellent relationships the Educators have forged within the local community with initiatives such as the Street Library and with Connells Point Public School St Mark's Pre-School and Mary Andrews Aged Care Facility "South Hurstville Kindergarten recently carried out a pilot program with NSW Health to screen children's speech in order to support early intervention for the children attending the centre," Cr Greene said. and I cannot think of a more fitting way to mark the success of the Kindergarten than by receiving this rating "I commend the staff in George River Council's Early Learning Services for the important role they play in nurturing children as they develop into confident and civic-minded citizens of the future." The council congratulated the South Hurstville Kindergarten team The 'Exceeding Industry Standards' rating will be included in all promotional material for South Hurstville Kindergarten Picture by Chris LaneSouth Hurstville's Aunty Beryl Van Oploo has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the King's Birthday Honours for service to the Indigenous community She is well-known in Redfern through her work at the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence where she is Aboriginal culture elder in residence In her career she has trained almost 4,000 young people in her community in hospitality and helped them find employment Her mother passed away when Beryl was aged 12 "I have been cooking for a large family since I was ten," she said I got a job with the Sisters of Mercy in Surry Hills who had started a pre-school for Aboriginal children and they needed a cook," she said "We would take the young kids to the beach on the weekends I decided to train as a teacher and was one of the first Aboriginal teachers at TAFE I studied nutrition and and became a chef." Beryl decided to start her own catering company and now runs the Yaama Barrgay Pty Limited "I decided to take my training out to our community because there's no way they would go to an institution and it has worked," she said "Over the years I've got about 4,000 of them jobs on the trains and a few of them have become chefs providing for the next generation and giving them stepping stones We give them an opportunity to do a course so they have employment and a better quality of life." Beryl also runs a nutrition program with young mums and bubs and a cooking program with the City of Sydney for old men so they can learn to cook for themselves seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren Her husband Andrew of 56 years passed away two weeks ago "We both worked two jobs to educate our children," she said "I say in the classroom if you have an education If I see one of our mob get employment and go on their own journey and get a better quality of life "I see it happening now with younger people and older people If we all work together the steps become bigger." Civic Video is offloading its former store in Sydney’s South Hurstville for about $12 million with the next owners likely to build apartments on the site The two adjoining properties at 850-858 King Georges Road include the 1157-square-metre former Civic Video store and a 360-square-metre retail property The properties are both owned by Gaidra Pty Ltd It is understood the group is selling the site after holding it for about 30 years as it is considered a non-core asset to the group What the future apartment complex would look like The combined 2025-square-metre site has development approval for a mixed-use project comprising 57 apartments three retail units and three levels of basement car parking across two buildings reaching six and seven storeys high The two buildings will yield 4907 square metres of gross floor area Development costs are estimated to be about $20.4 million Domain Group records show Civic Video bought the premises for $1.31 million in 1990 but as business for video rental shops began to decline in the past 10 years the company leased out its floor space to other retail tenants including a Subway The smaller shop was purchased for $1.15 million in 2012 The former Civic Video South Hurstville closed in mid 2016 marking the end of a long history for the premises in the film sector The site includes the former Civic Video store and a smaller shop next door the art deco building was originally the Paramount Theatre a major cinema with a seating capacity of more than 1000 operated at the time by the Western Suburbs Cinema Ltd It was acquired by cinema chain Hoyts in 1950 It is one of a handful of former cinema buildings in the city’s St George area; some including the Kogarah Mecca have been demolished for apartments and others are still standing said the “well-known” property’s location on King Georges Road was likely to appeal to developers “South Hurstville is a thriving area in South Sydney and it has positively benefited from the recent rejuvenation of neighbouring Hurstville,” he said “There is strong demand for retail units in the area along with an under supply of new residential apartments and the DA for 850-858 King Georges Road provides a highly desirable mix of both.” Co-agent Demi Carigliano said the development site was close to public transport Westfield Hurstville shopping centre and open recreational spaces Sydney commercial real estate Melbourne commercial real estate Brisbane commercial real estate Adelaide commercial real estate Perth commercial real estate Canberra commercial real estate Darwin commercial real estate Hobart commercial real estate NSW properties for sale VIC properties for sale QLD properties for sale SA properties for sale WA properties for sale ACT properties for sale NT properties for sale TAS properties for sale NSW properties for lease VIC properties for lease QLD properties for lease SA properties for lease WA properties for lease ACT properties for lease NT properties for lease TAS properties for lease Rural & Farming for sale in NSW Rural & Farming for sale in VIC Rural & Farming for sale in QLD Rural & Farming for sale in SA Rural & Farming for sale in WA Rural & Farming for sale in NT Rural & Farming for sale in TAS Rural & Farming for sale in ACT Sydney Toowoomba City Surry Hills Melbourne Dandenong Brisbane Morton Vale Noosaville John VeageThe Land and Environment Court has rejected a proposed mosque at South Hurstville A development application for the mosque at 849 King Georges Road was submitted last year and includes three levels of basement parking for 31 cars and a two- to three-storey building with a traditional dome occupying the third level It would include a separate men’s and women’s prayer area as well as a kitchen and classrooms An appeal against Kogarah Council was lodged in the Land and Environment Court after the council failed to make a decision within the legislated 40 day period The applicant put forward a number of amendments including removing a pedestrian entry proposed from Tavistock Road and offering to change the hours of operation However a conciliation conference between the applicant council and residents failed to resolve the matter The project was fiercely opposed by two local community groups- the South Hurstville Residents Association and South Hurstville Action Group – who raised concerns about parking More than 2,000 individual and some 800 form letters opposing the development were put in against the original proposal Hundreds of people turned out to voice their opposition during an onsite hearing of the Land and Environment Court in August. On Monday Commissioner Jenny Smithson rejected the appeal too close to residential dwellings and therefore too constrained to be able to satisfactorily operate for its intended purpose both for future worshippers using it and those who reside near it,’’ she said my decision is not based on the quantum of opposition to this development but rather the merits of the concerns raised in terms of the unsuitability of this site for the use proposed I am of the view that there is nothing the applicant can reasonably do which would make the proposed development approvable in terms of reasonable impacts on its neighbours and still enable the mosque to operate as would be intended for its worshippers.’’ Howard Baron from the South Hurstville Residents Association said he was quietly confident after the Commissioner deliberated on the decision for three months it’s been a tough year for everyone involved,’’ he said ‘’We met at the local RSL for a few celebratory drinks afterwards but I think they’ll do something bigger later on.’’ Residents spent money and time fighting the proposal including commissioning up to 20 expert reports Mr Baron said the win set a precedent for other community groups ‘’The response has been amazing for locals and for residents from other suburbs,’’ he said ‘’We want the government to reflect on this and stop politicians sitting on their hands.’’ The group recently met with Georges River Council Administrator John Rayner to ask for changes to the development control plans that would see places of worship moved away from residential streets and into industrial sites they want similar changes at the state and federal levels The legal representatives for the applicant have been contacted for comment the club will have a new front entry and lobby administration and staff area and loading dock will be substantially increased to improve operation and management of the club The first floor will be extended at the north-west side of the clubhouse towards Connells Point Road and will accommodate a new lounge bar outdoor gaming terrace and two external terraces New escalators will connect the ground floor and first floor areas The interior of the ground floor and first floor of the club will be fully refurbished The club has also built a new Anzac Memorial adjacent to Connells Point Road Simon Mikkelsen said plans are now in place to create a stunning new recreational hub for the community right in the heart of South Hurstville "Obviously with our most recent lockdown things are in flux however all approvals are now in place and we do hope to commence preliminary work as early as possible in 2022," Mr Mikkelsen said "I really believe every Pinnacle member should be excited about the great new changes that will make our Club the premier entertainment venue in South Hurstville," he said "The new club will be drenched in natural light cocktail lounge and more places for people to meet friends and family This will create the perfect recreational place for all current and new members "All this state-of-the-art design doesn't mean everything is new run by Nader and Michael remains but it will now have the space and flexibility to provide an even better dining experience for members and guests "Gaming facilities will be bigger and better employing the latest in new technology A new outdoor gaming area with terrace will be established on the first floor along with a brand new contemporary gaming and sports bar to be located on ground level "This bold $12 million renewal project would not have been possible without the support of members and the elected Board," Mr Mikkelsen said "A lot of people speak about member loyalty but here at South Hurstville it has been clearly demonstrated by our members "When we reopened after the first lockdown we were overwhelmed by their support People told us that this was their community hub and that they'd really missed coming here during the lockdown." This Hurstville home at 14 Neirbo Ave is the most expensive home to have sold in the suburb in nearly four years Sydney’s sizzling property market and soaring buyer confidence is continuing to see sellers walk away with higher sale prices than anticipated has seen its market go from strength to strength after it recorded its best result in nearly four years The Neirbo Ave property sold under auction conditions to an upsizing family for $2.7m They edged out nine other parties on the day for the keys to no The home was in a heritage conservation zone CoreLogic reports the sale price of the six-bedroom Californian bungalow was the highest amount paid in the suburb since 2017 when the current $2.8m suburb record was set by 19 Orange St the most expensive home to have recently sold in Hurstville was in June with the $2.625m sale of 66 Donald Street McGrath South Hurstville agent Aaron Bird said the sale price was unexpected “After having nearly 200 groups inspect the house throughout the campaign we felt anything was possible at auction,” he said The Hurstville record was set in 2018 by 19 Orange St Mr Bird added buyers were attracted to the home due to its tasteful character charm and renovation “Having the granny flat and a lovely pool area just helped it appeal to a variety of buyers,” he said the six-bedroom house had turpentine floors soaring ornate ceilings and a gas kitchen with fossilised limestone benchtops The auction took place in front of about 100 people who witnessed rapid fire bidding after proceedings kicked off at $2.2m The $2.7m sale price was achieved in just 12 bids third parties have written and supplied the content and we are not responsible for it completeness or reliability of the information nor do we accept any liability or responsibility arising in any way from omissions or errors contained in the content We do not recommend sponsored lenders or loan products and we cannot introduce you to sponsored lenders We strongly recommend that you obtain independent advice before you act on the content realestate.com.au is owned and operated by ASX-listed REA Group Ltd (REA:ASX) © REA Group Ltd. By accessing or using our platform, you agree to our Terms of Use. Picture: Chris Lane Where will the children read This is the question posed by South Hurstville mother of two will lose access to their local library after Georges River Council's culture committee supported a proposal to cut the opening hours at South Hurstville and Oatley libraries "Council's so-called 'harmonisation' proposal will result in the opening hours at Oatley and South Hurstville libraries being cut drastically by 11 hours per week," Karina told the November 14 meeting of council's Community and Culture Committee "This equates to a whopping 33 per cent and also means that there will be no after school opening hours at all for three days a week at these branches and no morning access for babies and toddlers two days a week "This will effectively make the libraries practically inaccessible to many children who are the libraries' core users," Karina said This includes her children who both love reading "Adam is in year 2 but is reading at year 5 level," Karina said "Ashleigh enjoys books by Ahn Do and also reading about dogs They both absolutely love our local library at South Hurstville and we visit there often," she said "Both Oatley and South Hurstville libraries were closed for more than 12 months due to COVID - way longer than most other libraries were closed due to lockdowns When Georges River Council finally re-opened the libraries it immediately cut the opening hours for all branches without any explanation or community consultation These COVID cuts still remain in place today the opening hours for both South Hurstville and Oatley were previously cut by 10 hours per week This equated to a 23 per cent reduction for both And now council has cut them by a further 11 hours a week Council also criticizes the size and range in these libraries but this is irrelevant and baseless because all items can easily be reserved and transferred between branches a qualified teacher-librarian at Georges River high schools said limiting the hours at South Hurstville Library is potentially on the road to closure in the future "Our students need a safe place to visit after school Many young people do not have the ability to study at home nor do they have quiet space or even internet access," she said The council's report said,"Recognising the low utilisation of Oatley and South Hurstville libraries these locations will open for half days only: four mornings per week to accommodate the established programming and two afternoons per week into the evening to accommodate customer appetite for after school and after work opportunities." Kathryn Landsberry asked for a deferral of the item to the full council meeting for discussion "Libraries are a service that councils need to be providing to the community To reduce the hours is a totally backward step But Cr Sam Elmir spoke against deferral and moved that the original motion for the harmonisation of hours This is merely a reduction to suit the hours by which they're being used And that has clearly shown these libraries are being used predominantly in the morning Some of the statistics we have seen is there's one person per hour attending at those libraries I don't see how its justified to see these libraries continuing to operate in those later hours," he said "The libraries are remaining open and they are remaining open for the critical times that they are being used by our community The numbers don't stack up for keeping longer trading hours." Cr Landsberry's motion for deferral was lost Councillors voted for the libraries' hours to be reduced 5:4 Voting against the reduction in hours were Ashvini Ambihaipahar Covering Georges River Council, Bayside Council and general news. For news tips contact me at jgainsford@theleader.com.au South Hurstville is a trip down memory lane A SOUTH HURSTVILLE time capsule sold to a developer for $1.05 million — $50,000 above reserve The real estate,com.au ad for the three-bedroom deceased estate at 29 Rickard Road said it all: “Step Back In Time 1948: A time when legends were created; the first Holden car was released; Max Walker was born; This house was built!” It was a “warm and long-cherished home” still with its original 1948 kitchen and impressive Art Deco period features and formal dining rooms were all in the same style But nostalgia doesn’t count for much these days — buyers were also invited to “bring your sledgehammer” which looks exactly the same as the day it was built who LJ Hooker’s Alex Lumsden had never met before he turned up at the auction beat the others with two $50,000 knockout bids A back yard perfect for a game of footy … or a duplex The bidding had started with $10,000 and $20,000 offers and was down to $1000s when the local developer made his move He will squeeze a duplex onto the 692 sqm block Police said the 20-year-old South Hurstville man who returned a positive roadside breath test allegedly threatened a resident who confronted him about the incident A man will face court after he allegedly crashed into 10 parked cars whilst intoxicated in Sydney's south overnight at around 11:35pm on Saturday night following reports of a multi-vehicle crash The 20-year-old driver is accused of threatening a resident who confronted him after he allegedly crashed into 10 parked and unattended cars on the street Stream more local news live & on demand with Flash. 25+ news channels in 1 place. 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Offer ends 31 October, 2022 which returned a positive reading before he was arrested and taken to Kogarah Police Station Police said a subsequent breath analysis returned a reading of 0.138 The 20-year-old was charged with mid-range drink driving stalk/intimidate intend fear physical harm and his license was suspended immediately He is due to appear at Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday May 10 Music is playing a central role in St Mark's Centenary celebrations hopefully reconnecting old friends of the church and connecting with new The official Centenary event will be held on Sunday August 4 with a Choral Eucharist led by the Angilcan Archbishop of Sydney A Centenary Evensong will be held on Friday Other musical celebrations for St Mark's Centenary have included a HymnFest last February and a Centenary Concert of Music Through the Decades "St Mark's is distinguished by its style of worship and musical tradition," Georges River Council mayor Kevin Greene said last week in an official Mayoral Minute congratulating the current Rector the Reverend Peter Greenwood and the St Mark's Church parish on their Centenary milestone St Mark's has grown to be a centre of community life ANZAC and Remembrance Day commemoration services The church has even held Meet the Candidates forums during election campaigns St Mark's is well-known for its unique Anzac ecumenical service which embraces not only the parish but the RSL and other communities particularly the New Zealand RSL and the Australian Turkish community to represent all those who fought at Gallipoli St Mark's was born the year after Gallipoli when the Anglican community of South Hurstville met at 7 Joffre Street Meetings were held here between 1916 and 1919 under the leadership of the Reverend Dixon Hudson The first St Mark's Church of England was located at 4 The Mall South Hurstville and was dedicated on August 2 took services until a permanent curate was appointed The Reverend William Alexander Abraham Brice JP served as the first vicar of St Mark's 1934 from 1953 As the population of South Hurstville and surrounds grew it became clear that the small original church at 4 The Mall would not be sufficient for the future demands of the St Mark's community Land at the corner of The Mall and Grosvenor Road was purchased in 1944 and earmarked for a new church South Hurstville gained full parish status in 1954 under the leadership of The Reverend Noel Delbridge In 1956 a campaign was launched at St Mark's to raise funds for building a larger church this campaign came to fruition with the dedication of the new church building The first St Mark's Church was sold to Kogarah Municipal Council and the building today houses South Hurstville Pre-school at 10 The Mall was built and dedicated in 1969 As well as housing St Mark's Pre-School Kindergarten in the lower floor the upper level is used extensively by community and church groups through the week The Reverend Peter Greenwood commenced at St Mark's in 2014 and sees the 100th anniversary as a way of people renewing their relationship with the church "We are trying to reconnect with those people who may have lost connection to the church," Mr Greenwood said "We like to have a community connection through music "We have established a partnership with the St George Chamber Orchestra who will be performing concerts at S Mark's four times a year," he said "The orchestra will be performing a concert to celebrate St Mark's centenary on August 18." One of the former parishioners of St Mark's is returning to sing in the choir as part of the Centenary celebrations the retiree age group who are a very strong community group," Mr Greenwood said "We are trying to rebuild connections with families through music classes," he said "We have music classes for 0 to five-year-olds at our St Mark's Preschool which turns 50 years old next year." The main objective is to bring people together united in music and faith "With people nowadays there is a misconception that the church is disconnected from the community and is not relevant," Mr Greenwood said "But I want to say that St Mark's is the opposite Our goal is to be a light in the world around us." A teen missing from South Hurstville has been located safe and well at Hurstville Police Station at about 11.20am on April 13 Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a teenager missing from South Hurstville was dropped off at a high school in Blakehurst When she failed to return home to South Hurstville and could not be contacted officers attached to St George Police Area Command were notified yesterday (Monday 11 April 2022) and commenced inquiries into her whereabouts Police and family hold concerns for Lucy's welfare due to her age Lucy is described as Pacific Islander/Maori appearance She was last seen wearing a school uniform consisting of yellow shirt brown and yellow plaid skirt and blue 'Nike' shoes She is known to frequent the Hurstville town centre and surrounds Anyone with information on Lucy's whereabouts is urged to contact St George police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au Information is treated in strict confidence The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media page the long-time owners of the Kings Head Tavern have sold the pub for $27 million.The Kings Head Tavern in South Hurstville has been sold for $27 million The hotel has been purchased by the Redcape Hotel Group Redcape has also sold the Royal Hotel Granville for $51 million Purchasers of the Royal Hotel were the vendors of the Kings Head Tavern Both sales were brokered by JLL Hotels and Hospitality group's John Musca who said the Kings Head Tavern is one of the most coveted hotels to have changed hands in Sydney this year The Kings Head Tavern includes 27 gaming machines Occupying a prominent 1,334 square metre corner position on King Georges Road the property also offers future multi-level mixed-use development potential "After years of unsolicited buyer approaches the long-time owners sought JLL's assistance to facilitate the sale," Mr Musca said The Redcape Hotel Group owns and operates 32 community-focused venues three accommodation venues and The Australian Brewery the Allawah Hotel sold to Justin Hemmes' Merivale Group for a reported $34 million The Allawah Hotel was sold by the White and Partners which bought into the hotel in September It was previously purchased by the Feros family's JDA Hotels in 2007 which kept an ownership stake and continued to manage the hotel This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The Weekly SOURCE is published by DCM Media This is probably not the page you’re looking for All articles from our website & appThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxInteractive Crosswords Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueThe woman was swimming about 20 metres off Little Congwong Beach Fisheries experts said a juvenile shark of between 2.7 and 3.2 metres in length was responsible, based on photos of the wounds It was the first shark attack in Botany Bay in decades, and came exactly 12 months after a shark was filmed cruising close to shore at Brighton-Le-Sands (see video below) Bayside Council mayor Bill  Saravinovski issued a warning for swimmers in Botany Bay to stay inside netted enclosures The woman suffered deep lacerations and puncture marks to her left leg and foot and was bleeding heavily as she made her way to shore and was assisted by fishermen She received first aid on the beach until ambulance paramedics arrived and treated her before she was taken to St George Hospital in a stable condition told Fairfax Media she was glad she had completed first aid training Ms Draper was supervising her son's youth group paddling in the shallows when she spotted a man struggling to lift a woman out of the water she and another leader of the group ran to help “We saw red in the water… I thought that didn’t look good,” Ms Draper said “My friend Alison wrapped a towel around [the woman’s] foot and did a chair lift to carry her out of the water,” she said “It wasn’t until I sat her on the sand that I realised her leg Using two bandages from a first aid kit she had brought for the youth group Ms Draper wrapped the woman’s leg down to her ankle before using a towel to bandage the woman’s foot The woman’s foot had been “serrated” near the ankle and gashed “open” at the bottom “[Blood] was seeping through the bandages and onto me … But I was just trying to keep her calm taking some nice deep breaths,” Ms Draper said The group elevated the injured woman's leg with other beachgoers offering up their towels as emergency bandages while waiting for paramedics to arrive Senior shark biologist at the Department of Primary Industries, Dr Vic Peddemors but the victim was in a stable condition and underwent surgery the injuries were caused by a Great White Shark, between 2.7 and 3.2 metres long but as they got larger they start including turtles and marine mammals like dolphins and seals in their diet while Great White Shark bites on Sydney beaches were fairly unusual because of the meshing program an incident at Bondi a couple of years resulted in serious injury He said it highlighted the danger of swimming at dawn and dusk which was a feeding time for some species of sharks Randwick Mayor Lindsay Shurey said the victim was “”lucky not to have lost her leg...and survive” The council closed beaches in the area after the attack and helicopters combed the area on Saturday looking for the shark Today's top stories curated by our news team Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters Get the latest property and development news here Find out what's happening in local business tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert Your digital replica of Today's Paper Test your skills with interactive crosswords Transactions at the branch have declined by more than 35 per cent over the past five years “Many of our customers are already using the other branches close by as well as using our mobile online and phone banking services instead of visiting the branch Customers will also be able to complete personal and business banking transactions such as withdrawals deposits and bill payments including passbook accounts during normal business hours at the local Australia Post outlet locate on Connells Point Road.” Mortdale and Kogarah branches are all less than 3km away Australia Post South Hurstville branch owner Tom Hu said the departure of the bank could see a drop-off of trade for other local businesses “Banks normally attract a lot of people,” he said. “It’s the last bank in the area Some bank customers may come to us but it will probably mean less customers for the local shops.” Mr Hu said he visited the branch a couple of times a week but would probably now have to go to Hurstville He said businesses had accepted the news and there was no talk of starting a petition calling on the bank to reverse its decision “The decision has been made at had office,” he said. “I don’t think a petition would change their mind.” Oregano Bakery’s Moe Zaiter said his business uses the South Hurstville branch of the bank every day We will need to find another branch,” he said Billy Li said he visits the bank branch twice a week “It means we will have to travel a lot further Now we will have to go to Westfield which will be hard for parking,” he said The Commonwealth Bank has been approached for comment There's not a dome or prayer tower in sight - but a string of rugby league legends are this week celebrating winning their fight to build a new 'mega mosque' in Sydney's south Sonny Bill Williams Anthony Mundine and Hazem El Masri all threw their weight behind the campaign for the Hurstville mosque in a suburban Carlton backstreet The original plan was thrown out by the Georges River Council after a furious backlash from more than 2,000 locals, but it has now been approved by NSW Land and Environmental Court after the opposition was branded 'racist' by Williams. The building will be housed in an abandoned nursing home which will be gutted to create a series of male and female prayer and community rooms over two floors. But the mosque is set to keep a modernised version of its current existing basic structure - without adding any traditional style prayer towers or decorative domes. Nearby neighbours fear a dramatic increase in noise and traffic from the mosque, which even its backers admit will serve up to 20,000 local Muslims in the area. Council planning chiefs estimated it would need at least 97 car park spaces to cope with the demand - based on just one car for every 10 visitors - but the approved plans only have room for 27 cars. The imams behind the plan bought the former Botanic Gardens nursing home on Botany Street and a neighbouring property to demolish for additional parking and access. Plans for an external rear combined prayer room on the 1,988sqm site were scrapped to create four more parking spaces, which proved enough to green light the project. Surry Hills-based Fuse Architects have worked pro bono on the design, which will see the repurposed nursing home transformed. The ground floor will feature rooms for male ablutions and shoe storage with a large male prayer room, hidden from street view by a new soundproof perimeter fence. The first floor has four separate male and female community rooms for youths and seniors and a female prayer room, as well as toilets, female ablutions and a kitchenette. The building also has a small studio apartment for a permanent resident at the centre of the development, which features a large bright atrium at its heart. As well as regular, frequent prayer meetings, it will also be used for weddings, funerals, religious education sessions and counselling services. The local Islamic community is now fundraising to pay for the building works, with a large dinner and auction last week hoping to raise a substantial contribution. Sonny Bill Williams was the guest of honour for the dinner and asked for donations, along with Mundine and El Masri, in a series of videos last month. 'As a proud Muslim in this area, this is something that I’ve been looking forward to for a very long time,' he admitted. 'It’s been a roller coaster ride to get this Masjid up and running, maybe four or five years. 'Either way you look at it, it's been a beautiful process.' Locals may disagree. They launched a bitter campaign to try to stop the development but were branded racists for opposing it. They lined their street with placards protesting against the mosque, but mystery men were caught on CCTV ripping down the signs in the dead of night. Williams posted a photograph on Instagram of him sitting among protest signs with the caption: 'Racism is well and truly alive in Botany St, Carlton Sydney.' Williams, 37, added: 'God willing we'll be praying 365 DAYS, 5 TIMES A DAY at our new Masjid very soon. May the most high eradicate racism from our society.' The former Canterbury Bulldogs and All Blacks hero lives in the area with his South African-born former model wife Alana, 29, and their three young children, Imaan, 6, Aisha, 4, and Zaid, 3. The Kiwi converted to Islam in 2009 while playing in France, and his wife, mother and brother have also since converted too.  'There are thousands of Muslim families in the area, and we don't have a place we can go to worship,' Williams said. 'Unfortunately this is fear mongering. 'The Muslim community has been here in the Carlton area since 1950s and has never had a mosque.'  Residents in the area insisted their opposition had nothing to do with race or religion, but was to avoid a deadly increase of traffic.  The road is already a notorious accident blackspot with at least one fatality, and locals say the mosque - which they claim could attract 2,000 people - will make it even worse. 'I lost my son here, and I've been crying ever since,' resident Rakina, whose child died after being hit by a car in the area, told Nine's A Current Affair last year.  'It's just totally wrong. I don't want any more mothers crying like me.' Another resident, Diane, added: 'It doesn't belong here. This is a residential area and nothing more. '[The campaign] is very much based on a technical argument [about traffic and zoning]. 'But the amount of hostility that we've seen, people are now refusing to come out because they're scared.' A dozen locals submitted objections to the NSW Land and Environment Court to oppose the project, listing 26 grounds for their objection The Land and Environment Court approved the revised plans for the project after hearing there was sufficient on-street parking on Botany Road to cope with demand, while soundproofing measures would minimise the impact on neighbours. Worshippers will also need to register for a parking space, with a strict limit on numbers, electronically counted and recorded by the mosque, and the council able to demand spot checks as required. The proposal will result in loss of privacy for surrounding residential dwellings; The acoustic impacts of the proposal will disturb neighbours; The proposal will increase activity in the residential neighbourhood; The proposal is an overdevelopment of the site; The development is inconsistent with a low density residential character and this is reflected in the prohibition of Places of Public Worship in the R2 zone under the new Local Environmental Plan; The site is unsuitable for the development; The development does not provide the required number of car parking spaces onsite; Cars associated with the use of the development will be parked on surrounding streets; There will be vehicles leaving the site after 10pm; There will be queues of cars during special events and Ramadan, blocking access to Ethel Lane; The visitor numbers are an underestimation of the capacity of the development; The Plan of Management cannot be enforced; Clarification is needed regarding the proposed crowd control measures associated with the development; The residents should not be required to report breaches of the conditions of consent to the Council; The amended proposal does not ameliorate the concerns of the objectors; The development is likely to be intensified in the future; The Council had ignored the wishes of the local residents; The value of properties proximate to the development will decrease; The increased vehicular traffic around the development will pose a safety risk to school children; The new Local Environmental Plan should be considered as the development is prohibited under the new plan; The trial period will occur after the development has been constructed; The fence along Xenia Avenue must be an acoustic fence; The planned prayer session clash with sports afternoons and school dismissal; The current configuration of the driveway only allows for a single car to enter or exit; There is no room for a small rigid vehicle to turn around; and Car parking spaces should be 2.6m wide instead of 2.5m wide. Neigbours at war with Sonny Bill Williams over his new mega mosqueCommenting on this article has endedNewest{{#isModerationStatus}}{{moderationStatus}} A development application was last year submitted for the site on King Georges Road near Tavistock Street The mosque would comprise three levels of basement parking for 31 cars The ground floor would contain a men’s prayer area while the women’s area would be on the second floor where there would also be a kitchen and classrooms That has concerned residents who say the mosque would increase traffic problems the operating hours would be disruptive and that a building of this kind was unsuitable for a quiet residential area council officers and the applicant had the chance to have their say during an onsite meeting but no compromise has been able to be met During a mention on May 6 a three-day hearing was set down for August 22 That will include an on-site meeting on the first day Hurstville is the administrative centre for the St George region and boasts a thriving business and retail district radiating north from the train station to Queens Road and The Avenue “It’s the commercial hub of the south,” says Ray White Hurstville agent Michael Curtis “It’s certainly a growing area – everywhere you look there are high-rises being built and it offers all the amenities to handle it There are two big shopping centres: a five-level Westfield home to three supermarkets and a cinema; and Hurstville Central a marketplace on the concourse above the station And there are plenty of options for dining out You can find everything from congee to homemade youtiao to excellent Cantonese yum cha or a celebratory seafood banquet Chinese food is ubiquitous but it’s not the only option – a walk through the town centre will take you past Greek acting co-ordinator of cultural services at Georges River Council Bellevue Hill: Why this eastern suburbs hotspot is one of Sydney’s most in-demand Lilyfield: The riverfront suburb attracting out-of-area families to the inner west Mona Vale: The coastal suburb offering an idyllic northern beaches lifestyle “Hurstville has that diversity and mix of different cultures,” she says “The largest ethnic group in the area is Chinese followed by Nepalese and the main shopping strips have a wide variety of shops Baddeley says the cuisines loved by the locals are celebrated at the night markets held along Forest Road in summer and at the Chinese Lunar New Year festivities What many people don’t know is that alongside its commercial and foodie credentials Hurstville also has strong sporting and artistic communities The locals can regularly be found at the aquatic centre and cricket training facility on the suburb’s western boundary at Hurstville Oval or at one of the nearby golf clubs For cultural and artistic treasures look no further than the Hurstville Museum & Gallery where Baddeley has been curator for the last few years Operating from one of the suburb’s heritage buildings in MacMahon Street the museum showcases the history of the Georges River region while the gallery has a diverse program of changing exhibitions with programs for all ages including after-hours tours artist events and a public art initiative which has given some local facades and street furniture a new lease of life Hurstville is a target for couples starting families “It’s known as a starting point for a lot of young families because of the popular primary school and because it’s also somewhat affordable and has all the services you need,” he says Older two-bedroom units start from around $550,000 with new two-bedders from $850,000 Free-standing homes start from $1.3 million with larger blocks of 500 square metres or more fetching between $1.5 million and $3.5 million this full-brick apartment comes with a large a separate study and a north-east facing balcony PRD Nationwide Hurstville’s Mele Gong is selling the home with a guide of $950,000. This contemporary three-storey home has space for a larger family to spread out two kitchens and balconies adjoining five of the six bedrooms Ray White Hurstville’s Lijing Yan is selling the home with a guide between $2.8 million-$3 million. The information on this website is intended to be of a general nature only and doesn't consider your objectives, financial situation or needs. where we are privileged to live and operate The intensity of the blaze was revealed in a video shown by 7 News and a photo on Twitter The driver of the white van was fortunate to escape without injury after the fire broke out about 6am while a Fire and Rescue NSW crew fought the fire "We knocked the (van) fire down with foam that covered the fuel to stop it reigniting," NSW Fire & Rescue spokesman Norman Buckley told AAP on Thursday While the van was completely destroyed in the blaze NSW Ambulance said the driver was able to quickly escape unharmed King Georges Road was closed in both directions after the fire Hurstville Fire Station commander Greg Purvis told the Leader it was a risky situation “There is the explosion risk with an LPG van but the bigger risk is that it was in a petrol station,” he said “We had to set up the exclusion zone and closed the main road due to safety.” but with no confirmed transport route to their new campus Picture: John VeageAnxious parents worried that their children will be stranded without travel to their new school say they have been left in the dark Their dilemma is that year 6 pupils who finish primary school at St Declan's Penshurst this year have no confirmed transport route to their new campus Marist Catholic College South Hurstville is a new site being constructed as a middle school for year 7 and 8 students and will enable an increase in total enrolments with the existing Marist Penshurst campus Lisa Fosse's daughter will be part of the first year 7 class to attend the new school "She is very excited to attend this state-of-the-art school," she said "But back when she did orientation nearly a year and a half ago we were told that a bus service would take kids from Penshurst Now the campus is near completion and we don't know what's going on at some stage I will have three children in three separate feeder schools at once - including Marist Penshurst They all start school at 9am and although most days I feel like a superwoman this will be near impossible to get to all three different drop-offs "It is causing some major concern and stress for parents We hope to get this resolved before our kids start this new chapter in their schooling lives." Marist Penshurst principal Raymond Martin stated that the college had been "working for some time" to achieve clarity on the issue of transport between campuses the Parents & Friends Association formed a transport committee group to gather enrolment information It conducted research on the location of students enrolled for 2020 and the data was shared with Punchbowl Bus Company to explore options of an expanded existing route that would provide access to the new campus Mr Martin met with Oatley MP Mark Coure and Banks MP David Coleman to seek support from both members who made representations to the bus company on the college's behalf Sydney Catholic Schools also formed a South Hurstville steering committee to oversee the development of the campus has had the issue of transport as an "ongoing agenda item" "Parents' concerns are still being considered by Sydney Catholic Schools," he said "Despite these efforts the college cannot provide clarification on any additional services other than the existing public transport options at this point in time "It is acknowledged that these current arrangements may not be convenient for some families the college will continue to achieve the best outcome for those families where transport is a significant issue." He says the college will communicate details regarding transport arrangements when these have been clarified and resolved A spokesman for Punchbowl Bus Company says it is working with Transport NSW to accommodate the travel needs of the new South Hurstville campus Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time First published in The Sydney Morning Herald on February 19 The view from Middle Australia on leaders and issues How Gallipoli St thinks it will decide who wins was named in the wake of that terrible defeat in World War I — and since then this steep hill has been at the centre of many fierce political battles Quaint 60-year-old timber houses sit adjacent to old red brick and modern blond brick veneers An occasional two-storey Italianate home brings a touch of nouveau riche to the street’s middle-class respectability Its people come from a mixture of ethnic backgrounds their occupations and social interests are diverse which is in the middle of the highly marginal seat of Barton A swing of only 0.5 per cent (256 voters) will see it slip from the Liberals The Herald interviewed 39 residents of the street this week in the first of three pre-election surveys of the street to assess the mood of Middle Australia pensioners and a political science student Most are well aware of the power of their vote They’re just around the corner from the Woniora Rd Public School polling booth where the vote in 1980 was Liberal 354 Our survey showed the result is far from clear one voted Democrat and one couldn’t remember Most of the others said they made up their minds before the election was called or soon after the intense campaigning or the heavy advertising did express concern about the “big spending” policies of Labor The personality cult clearly dominates the thinking of a high proportion of voters — and a majority saw Bob Hawke’s leadership of Labor as a plus for the party Indeed Bob Hawke’s leadership is the key factor in persuading one couple “Hayden was too wishy-washy,” said one woman some Labor voters are sorry that Hayden was toppled “I would have preferred Hayden to lead the party,” said Cas Aarts Many voters also mentioned that Hawke was “untested” and “unproven,” but there was a very high degree of dislike of Malcolm Fraser Yet also a grudging admiration and respect for him as a leader Asked what they thought were the most important issues Only six mentioned unemployment without being prompted and those who did tended to be mainly struggling families Five also mentioned job security and 10 said economic recovery Inflation was offered by only one person as a key issue Social welfare and health issues came up infrequently—two women mentioned reform of medical care and benefits as vital The political science student mentioned poverty as the key issue The Liberal Party’s TV commercials came under strong criticism from more than half the residents The two advertisements mentioned were the one showing prominent sportspeople and the one saying the Hawke campaign is a replay of the Whitlam show described the advertisements as “dirty politics.” The sportspeople ad — showing Lisa Forrest Tracy Wickham and Robert de Castella at the Commonwealth Games—aroused even more anger It’s as if he’s trying to have their reputations rub off on him I think it’s terrible,” said an 18-year-old university student who plans to vote Labor few people volunteered a comment about Labor’s TV commercials suggesting that they have been perhaps less than memorable “We’re Not Waiting for the World” has mystified a large number of the residents of Gallipoli Street It doesn’t make sense,” said Michelle Armstrong Des and Doris Quinn are middle-aged swinging voters who after flirting with Labor in 1972 This time they plan to return to Labor — and for them Bob Hawke’s leadership was the deciding factor Apart from Mr Hawke’s personal attractiveness they both believe he understands “the workers”’— Des and Doris point to Australia’s economic problems as reason for putting the Liberal Party out of office has not had much work in the last few years But the way the country is now it’s impossible to vote for him She believes many of the country’s economic problems are caused by a flood of cheap imports from Asia as well as too many immigrants Swinging voters Des and Doris Quinn.Credit: Gerrit Alan Fokkema a 24-year-old nurse who rents an old brick house She didn’t vote in 1980 because she was in England but thinks she will change to Liberal this time “I’m not politically inclined and I want to see what the parties have to offer but I think Fraser has run the economy adequately “The main thing is to get economic viability back again “He’s going to spend a lot of money and I don’t know where it’s all coming from but I think the Liberals are the best of a bad bunch.” he’s desperately trying to build up a business as a fencing contractor He can see reasons for voting both Liberal and Labor and says he will make up his mind a week or so before the election It may come down to his perception of the leaders “Getting the economy going again is the basis of everything “I’m tending towards the Liberals but I’d quite like to give the others a chance to prove themselves voted Labor in 1980 but described himself as a swinging voter but thinks he may somewhat unenthusiastically vote for Labor “I’m not so worried about Hawke’s spending promises — because I can’t decide if they can be paid for or not — and I’m quite willing to be bribed by tax cuts and so forth.” He thinks Fraser is a tired man and there is a dullness about his campaign — it doesn’t have much bounce.” He’d be happier if Bill Hayden were leader of the Labor Party “Bob Hawke presents himself as the saviour but he may turn out to be a saviour with feet of clay.” “in the political sphere motives are unscrupulous and dominated by pressure groups and it takes an utter bastard to see through the other bastards who are trying to manipulate you.” But he is unhappy about the way Fraser has handled the economy and feels there is a lot of psychology involved in restoring the economy “I think Hawke might be more likely to engender confidence than Fraser to talk up the economy which is what needs to be done.” “I have never forgiven Fraser for what he did to Whitlam in 1975.” An immigrant couple who both described themselves as swingers said they voted Liberal in 1980 but were undecided how to vote this time “I think Fraser has run the economy adequately.” Marina Booth “We don’t take much interest in politics,” said the husband I don’t think Labor can do much about the economy because it’s not a strong party “Fraser is the best man because he is a capitalist and he works for business His wife said: “I don’t see how Labor can change anything — it’s a world-wide recession said he could not remember whom he voted for in 1980 Luigi said that he would decide his vote on the day While Luigi refused to say which party he favoured he sounded a note of caution about Labor: “You know what happened the last time when Labor got in.” A middle-aged man who also declined to be named said: “This is a beauty of a seat where the politicians really have to work for your vote I like to boast that my vote really counts.” but i would not say whom he gave his second preference to This election’s a line-ball between them.” voted Labor in 1980 but doesn’t know how she will vote this time who I think is sarcastic and condescending and I think Hawke is more in touch with people at the grass roots level she said she usually voted for the local candidate who most appealed to her — and Gary Punch was named in the wake of that terrible defeat in World War I \\u2014 and since then this steep hill has been at the centre of many fierce political battles An occasional two-storey Italianate home brings a touch of nouveau riche to the street\\u2019s middle-class respectability They\\u2019re just around the corner from the Woniora Rd Public School polling booth where the vote in 1980 was Liberal 354 one voted Democrat and one couldn\\u2019t remember did express concern about the \\u201Cbig spending\\u201D policies of Labor The personality cult clearly dominates the thinking of a high proportion of voters \\u2014 and a majority saw Bob Hawke\\u2019s leadership of Labor as a plus for the party Indeed Bob Hawke\\u2019s leadership is the key factor in persuading one couple \\u201CHayden was too wishy-washy,\\u201D said one woman \\u201CI would have preferred Hayden to lead the party,\\u201D said Cas Aarts Many voters also mentioned that Hawke was \\u201Cuntested\\u201D and \\u201Cunproven,\\u201D but there was a very high degree of dislike of Malcolm Fraser Social welfare and health issues came up infrequently\\u2014two women mentioned reform of medical care and benefits as vital The Liberal Party\\u2019s TV commercials came under strong criticism from more than half the residents \\u201CIt\\u2019s dirty pool,\\u201D said Mr Aarts described the advertisements as \\u201Cdirty politics.\\u201D The sportspeople ad \\u2014 showing Lisa Forrest Tracy Wickham and Robert de Castella at the Commonwealth Games\\u2014aroused even more anger \\u201CFraser\\u2019s manipulating the sportspeople It\\u2019s as if he\\u2019s trying to have their reputations rub off on him I think it\\u2019s terrible,\\u201D said an 18-year-old university student who plans to vote Labor few people volunteered a comment about Labor\\u2019s TV commercials \\u201CWe\\u2019re Not Waiting for the World\\u201D has mystified a large number of the residents of Gallipoli Street It doesn\\u2019t make sense,\\u201D said Michelle Armstrong This time they plan to return to Labor \\u2014 and for them Bob Hawke\\u2019s leadership was the deciding factor Apart from Mr Hawke\\u2019s personal attractiveness they both believe he understands \\u201Cthe workers\\u201D\\u2019\\u2014 Des and Doris point to Australia\\u2019s economic problems as reason for putting the Liberal Party out of office they won\\u2019t have jobs for three years.\\u201D Doris said: \\u201CI like Fraser personally But the way the country is now it\\u2019s impossible to vote for him he\\u2019s a panelbeater out of work.\\u201D She believes many of the country\\u2019s economic problems are caused by a flood of cheap imports from Asia as well as too many immigrants She didn\\u2019t vote in 1980 because she was in England but thinks she will change to Liberal this time \\u201CI\\u2019m not politically inclined and I want to see what the parties have to offer \\u201CThe main thing is to get economic viability back again \\u201CHe\\u2019s going to spend a lot of money and I don\\u2019t know where it\\u2019s all coming from but I think the Liberals are the best of a bad bunch.\\u201D he\\u2019s desperately trying to build up a business as a fencing contractor who appeared to him \\u201Cblatantly arrogant.\\u201D \\u201CGetting the economy going again is the basis of everything \\u201CI\\u2019m tending towards the Liberals but I\\u2019d quite like to give the others a chance to prove themselves \\u201CI\\u2019m not so worried about Hawke\\u2019s spending promises \\u2014 because I can\\u2019t decide if they can be paid for or not \\u2014 and I\\u2019m quite willing to be bribed by tax cuts and so forth.\\u201D He thinks Fraser is a tired man and there is a dullness about his campaign \\u2014 it doesn\\u2019t have much bounce.\\u201D He\\u2019d be happier if Bill Hayden were leader of the Labor Party \\u201CBob Hawke presents himself as the saviour but he may turn out to be a saviour with feet of clay.\\u201D He \\u201Creluctantly admires\\u201D Fraser because \\u201Cin the political sphere motives are unscrupulous and dominated by pressure groups and it takes an utter bastard to see through the other bastards who are trying to manipulate you.\\u201D \\u201CI think Hawke might be more likely to engender confidence than Fraser to talk up the economy which is what needs to be done.\\u201D \\u201CI have never forgiven Fraser for what he did to Whitlam in 1975.\\u201D \\u201CWe don\\u2019t take much interest in politics,\\u201D said the husband I don\\u2019t think Labor can do much about the economy because it\\u2019s not a strong party \\u201CFraser is the best man because he is a capitalist and he works for business His wife said: \\u201CI don\\u2019t see how Labor can change anything \\u2014 it\\u2019s a world-wide recession he sounded a note of caution about Labor: \\u201CYou know what happened the last time when Labor got in.\\u201D said: \\u201CThis is a beauty of a seat where the politicians really have to work for your vote I like to boast that my vote really counts.\\u201D \\u201CI think Hawke and Fraser are both smart This election\\u2019s a line-ball between them.\\u201D voted Labor in 1980 but doesn\\u2019t know how she will vote this time she said she usually voted for the local candidate who most appealed to her \\u2014 and Gary Punch Gordon Blair is hoping to contact as many of the descendants of the WWI diggers listed on the Hurstville war memorial Picture: Simon BennettThe RSL is attempting to trace descendants of the World War I diggers listed on the Hurstville War Memorial They will be invited to attend a commemoration service to be held in May to mark the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the war memorial in Forest Road South Hurstville RSL Sub-branch honorary secretary Gordon Blair is hoping to contact as many of the descendants as possiible of those WWI diggers listed on the memorial "We believe there are about 178 World War I soldiers listed on the memorial who all had a tie to the Hurstville area," Mr Blair said "They either went to school here or were locally employed It is important that they are remembered as we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the memorial "We believe it is important that their descendants are included They will be invited to the commemoration ceremony and the reception afterwards "We have photographs of the World War I diggers listed on the Hurstville memorial and these will be enlarged and framed and presented to the families as part of the ceremony." Mr Blair has been researching the background of the Hurstville war memorial "At the time it was built in 1922 there weren't many memorials in NSW," he said "The memorial cost one-thousand pounds and it was raised from the proceeds of a town fair held in Forest Road in February 1920 "A lot of towns erected memorials and this is one of many This one honours the memory of those local men and boys of Hurstville who went to fight in World War I." 100 years to the day at the Hurstville war memorial was dedicated by the then Governor of NSW People who can assist Mr Blair or who is interested in attending the ceremony can email Gordon Blair at: south-hurstvillesb@rslnsw.org.au A 45-year-old man is in a critical condition in hospital after his car crashed through a median strip hit oncoming traffic and burst into flames in South Hurstville early on Sunday morning Charles Williamson was driving his vintage Mazda Capella on King Georges Road at about 6am when the car crossed into the southbound lane and collided with two other cars The Mazda immediately ignited and bystanders rushed to pull Mr Williamson from the burning wreck Anthony Musumeci said he narrowly avoided being hit by Mr Williamson's car I was looking at his headlights," Mr Musumeci told Nine News "I don’t know how I managed to avoid it." The Mazda clipped Mr Musumeci's boat but he was otherwise unharmed and attempted to free Mr Williamson he could not get Mr Williamson out of the car because it was too hot Bystanders work to hose down Charles Williamson's burning Mazda on King Georges Road.Credit: Nine News "My shoes and everything started catching on fire After Mr Williamson had been in the burning car for about five minutes he was pulled free by bystanders "The onlookers did an exceptional job," NSW Police Chief Inspector Leonard Jones said "Without their efforts [Mr Williamson] certainly would've been deceased already." The drivers of the other two cars were not injured in the crash but were taken to hospital for mandatory testing Mr Williamson was taken first to St George Hospital and then to Royal North Shore Later in the afternoon two men died in car crashes elsewhere in NSW Three cars were involved in a crash at Nerong A male driver died and another driver remained trapped in their car on Sunday afternoon while a child who had been a passenger in one of the cars was taken to hospital with serious injuries one man died in a head-on collision and three others were injured The Monaro Highway was closed for about six hours Anthony Musumeci said he narrowly avoided being hit by Mr Williamson's car I was looking at his headlights,\\\" Mr Musumeci told Nine News \\\"I don\\u2019t know how I managed to avoid it.\\\" The Mazda clipped Mr Musumeci's boat but he was otherwise unharmed and attempted to free Mr Williamson \\\"My shoes and everything started catching on fire \\\"The onlookers did an exceptional job,\\\" NSW Police Chief Inspector Leonard Jones said \\\"Without their efforts [Mr Williamson] certainly would've been deceased already.\\\" one man died in a head-on collision\\u00A0and three others were injured The RSL Club used to be part of the social fabric a place to go for a special occasion or a cheap meal when mum or dad couldn't be bothered cooking or for a few quick drinks after work Many are now fighting for their financial futures due to a combination of falling patronage demographic changes and competition from modern alternative entertainment options South Hurstville RSL Club in HurstvilleCredit: Dominic Lorrimer/Fairfax Media But where many see an outdated and tired business model and board members heavy with age property developers see large Take the current saga surrounding South Hurstville RSL and Hurstville RSL South Hurstville RSL Club in Hurstville Credit: Dominic Lorrimer/Fairfax Media South Hurstville RSL is a financially strong club with an upward trajectory Hurstville RSL on the other hand been in the red for the past few years declining revenues and dwindling net assets both have voted in favour of an amalgamation However those decisions are being challenged by a group called "The Friends of Hurstville" who prefer a plan for a mixed use redevelopment being put forward by property developer Will McDonald of Skye Pacific Properties Pty Ltd Mr McDonald leads a consortium that includes Parkview Constructions and Dickson Rothschild Architects Hurstville RSL Club in HurstvilleCredit: Dominic Lorrimer/Fairfax Media The chairman of the pro-development Friends of Hurstville group said a meeting held at Hursville RSL on August 10 (to vote on the decision to amalgamate) was a "farce" and that some members of Chinese background were unhappy Mr Mason couldn't confirm any actual numbers as he is not a member of Hurstville RSL He was issued a membership card when he applied but said he then had his application refused at the board level Mr Mason did confirm there were about 120 people all of which he said wanted to vote at the meeting at a lunch meeting of the Friends of Hurstville group which was paid for by the property group led by Mr McDonald refute Mr Mason's and Mr McDonald's claims and say that all votes have been conducted correctly and have been validated by a separate NSW Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing (OLGR) investigation "Everything has been done by the book to allow both clubs' members' wishes to proceed," Mr Mikkelsen said Mr Bell said Hurstville RSL has looked over and rejected a number of property development proposals submitted for their site because the board considered they did not have the members' best interests at heart and risked rendering the RSL insolvent "Our only and best chance of surviving as a community club is by joining with South Hurstville RSL," Mr Bell said "Club members should realise that if the developer gets control of this club it will be closed for up to two years and may never reopen." The NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority has adjourned their decision on the amalgamation to assess the claims made by the warring factions Mr Bell feels this gives the development proposal an unfair advantage "We now need the Minister Troy Grant to instruct ILGA to support the wishes of both clubs' real members and not a bunch that are more than happy to see another RSL disappear in this Anzac centenary year," he said The ILGA said it deferred its decision on December 17 "so it could receive further detailed submissions about claims it received questioning whether the correct steps had been followed in the merger process" Two highly publicised property development deals where financially stricken clubs have been "rescued" by property developers are the proposed Balmain / Rozelle Village development deal and the Souths on Chalmers development deal. Souths on Chalmers was put into administration and then closed, with significant debts, and Balmain Leagues have borrowed millions for lead time costs (to continue operating at a temporary venue) and still have no formal resolution. The RSL Club used to be part of the social fabric, a place to go for a special occasion or a cheap meal when mum or dad couldn't be bothered cooking or for a few quick drinks after work. Many are now fighting for their financial futures due to a combination of falling patronage, outdated facilities, demographic changes and competition from modern alternative entertainment options. But where many see an outdated and tired business model and board members heavy with age property developers see large, well-located freehold sites, ideal for residential redevelopment. Take the current saga surrounding South Hurstville RSL and Hurstville RSL. South Hurstville RSL is a financially strong club with an upward trajectory. Hurstville RSL on the other hand been in the red for the past few years, with growing losses, declining revenues and dwindling net assets. As a result, both have voted in favour of an amalgamation . However those decisions are being challenged by a group called \\\"The Friends of Hurstville\\\", who prefer a plan for a mixed use redevelopment being put forward by property developer Will McDonald of Skye Pacific Properties Pty Ltd. Mr McDonald leads a consortium that includes Parkview Constructions and Dickson Rothschild Architects. The chairman of the pro-development Friends of Hurstville group, Ed Mason, said a meeting held at Hursville RSL on August 10 (to vote on the decision to amalgamate) was a \\\"farce\\\" and that some members of Chinese background were unhappy. When asked specifically about the vote, Mr Mason couldn't confirm any actual numbers as he is not a member of Hurstville RSL. He was issued a membership card when he applied but said he then had his application refused at the board level. Mr Mason did confirm there were about 120 people, all of which he said wanted to vote at the meeting, at a lunch meeting of the Friends of Hurstville group which was paid for by the property group led by Mr McDonald. Hurstville RSL general manager Rod Bell, and the CEO of South Hurstville RSL, Simon Mikkelsen, refute Mr Mason's and Mr McDonald's claims and say that all votes have been conducted correctly and have been validated by a separate NSW Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing (OLGR) investigation. \\\"Everything has been done by the book to allow both clubs' members' wishes to proceed,\\\" Mr Mikkelsen said. Mr Bell said Hurstville RSL has looked over and rejected a number of property development proposals submitted for their site because the board considered they did not have the members' best interests at heart and risked rendering the RSL insolvent. \\\"Our only and best chance of surviving as a community club is by joining with South Hurstville RSL,\\\" Mr Bell said. \\\"Club members should realise that if the developer gets control of this club it will be closed for up to two years and may never reopen.\\\" The NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority has adjourned their decision on the amalgamation to assess the claims made by the warring factions. Mr Bell feels this gives the development proposal an unfair advantage. \\\"We now need the Minister Troy Grant to instruct ILGA to support the wishes of both clubs' real members and not a bunch that are more than happy to see another RSL disappear in this Anzac centenary year,\\\" he said. The ILGA said it deferred its decision on December 17 \\\"so it could receive further detailed submissions about claims it received questioning whether the correct steps had been followed in the merger process\\\". Two highly publicised property development deals where financially stricken clubs have been \\\"rescued\\\" by property developers are the proposed and the . The Australian Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry NSW chairman Mohamed Hage received the Multicultural Community Medal for Economic Participation from Premier Gladys Berejiklian at the annual Premier’s Harmony Dinner View +2 PhotosAustralian Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry NSW chairman received the Multicultural Community Medal for Economic Participation.Mr Hage was singled out for using “his strategic vision and extensive networks to strengthen trade and investment between NSW and the Gulf Corporation Council region including the United Arab Emirates Mr Hage has played a vital role in promoting bilateral trade and investment opportunities for companies looking to access NSW products and services.  His commitment has helped to show that NSW is an attractive investment destination.  He was presented with his medal NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and internet entrepreneur a volunteer organisation that established a solidarity walk confronting racism and discrimination has received top honours at the 2017 Premier’s Harmony Dinner Premier Gladys Berejiklian presented the Stepan Kerkyasharian AO Harmony Award to the Moving Forward Together Association at an event at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse “The Moving Forward Together Association is run by volunteers who devote their lives to promoting fairness and the annual Harmony Walk brings people from all walks of life together in spirit of unity and solidarity,” Ms Berejiklian said “I also congratulate all recipients of tonight’s Multicultural Community Medals for their dedicated work towards making our society more peaceful Chair of the Association and Founder of the Harmony Walk Ernie Friedlandler OAM is a Holocaust survivor who received an Order of Australia medal in 2006 for leading projects to confront racism Minister for Multiculturalism Ray Williams said the Premier’s Harmony Dinner is a celebration of NSW’s cultural diversity “The medallists recognised tonight are truly remarkable They are the faces of the often unsung and humble work of members of our community,” Mr Williams said “This event showcases the very best of our society coming together.” Naked Fish owner Bill Mandillis heard a scream before he saw a car plough through the front of his South Hurstville fish and chip shop on Sunday was leaving a parking spot at 11.40am when she accelerated sharply and hit a woman walking through the Connells Point Road car park The car then crashed into a stationary van was taken to St George Hospital for mandatory blood testing and treatment of a minor head injury Hurstville firefighters set up an exclusion zone and worked with Kogarah Council engineers to secure the site Mr Mandillis said it was extremely lucky no-one else had been injured ‘‘We only realised what was happening when we hard a scream outside ‘‘One of our customers was sitting by the wall The shopfront and supporting roof beam was damaged ‘‘We have the insurance assessors coming out so that will give us more of an indication of how long we will be out It’ll probably be two or three weeks,’’ Mr Mandillis said.  A car has crashed into a fish and chip shop after colliding with a pedestrian in South Hursvtille The vehicle was being driven by a 90-year-old woman when it hit the Naked Fish business on Connells Point Road about 11:45am.  Her car had first hit a female pedestrian and her car before it ploughed into the shop.  the pedestrian and a female passenger in the second car were all taken to St George Hospital with minor injuries.  The shop has major structural damage and police are investigating.  Read more: http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/06/21/12/25/car-crashes-into-fish-and-chip-shop-in-sydney-s-south Prepare to have dreams of sweet and spicy doughy swirls that are dripping in sticky cinnamon syrup these scrolls are worthy of every heavenly word you've ever read about them You may have seen them in cafes across Sydney: huge pudgy scrolls covered in a blanket of icing sugar Hidden within are layers of buttery dough and a secret spice mix that only Tony Jabbour these signature scrolls came about as a result of a rough start to a pizza business Oregano Bakery was a Lebanese pizza store — but boredom led to sugar cravings so Tony started making his favourite sweet and the family-run business is distributing its famous scrolls to over 300 cafes across Sydney The humble bakery in South Hurstville is bright People venture far and wide for their dough fix Everything is made on the premises with passion and dedication is the face of the shop; her energetic and friendly demeanour ensures all customers enjoy every minute (and every crumb) Their son Jayden is head barista and executes a fine espresso; Sonia's brother looks after all the marketing and business aspects; and daughter Jasmine is also behind the scenes taking care of the social media pages to keep the mouths drooling It's not just the cinnamon scrolls that sell out at Oregano Bakery: mocha cookies and cream and banoffee are also dropping jaws syrupy goodness swirled into each crevasse they really are moist morsels of joy worth cradling Despite the scrolls stealing the limelight the core of the bakery is still all about the pizza The za'atar wrap is deliciously filled with mint and the simple za'atar pizza with cheese is our pick of the lot Further consideration should also be extended to the meat pizza with lean minced lamb and also the veggie pizza it's refreshing that family sentiment is at the core of it all the Jabbours preferred to stay true to their heart keep their business local and maintain that artisan spirit They absolutely love making people happy with food and their generosity and warmth are what make the experience of Oregano Bakery so special Take time to get your scroll fix and visit the Jabbours — if not for the precious moment with your cinnamon scroll The Best Bakeries in Sydney for 2023 PASSION FOR FOOD: The Roma Pizza restaurant team in the kitchen where dishes are prepared with love At Roma Pizza Restaurant in South Hurstville it's all about fresh A family business since 1960 it started life as a milk bar on the other side of town and gradually evolved into an eatery with a reputation for serving traditional Italian cuisine Managing director Saverio Russo said his parents took over in 1984 "having arrived fresh from Italy" their diners came to love their food and supported their business by returning with their families over and again The restaurant made the move to South Hurstville when development changed the flow of traffic along Forest Road "By moving to South Hurstville it provided a fresh outlook and we really enjoyed the warmth of our customers which we are still fortunate to experience today," Mr Russo said "The region has a strong community feel which is great for a little business like ours The locals are supportive and get what we are bringing to their family." www.roma.pizza The restaurant serves Southern Italian food (Cucina Povera) and uses seasonal produce grown by three dedicated organic farmers "The flavour begins at the farm and not the recipe," Mr Russo said "When you can leave a tomato to ripen on the plant - and not in the box - that's when the magic happens." Another exciting development for the restaurant has been the creation of their own organic Australian-made passata "The passata - which is the tomato sauce - is the lifeblood of Southern Italian cuisine," Mr Russo said "When you get this right you have replicated what people in Calabria did many moons ago before the aid of preservatives to keep the food alive "I believe our health today is predominantly because of how we grow our food as we do not concentrate on how quick a meal can be cooked or keeping the costs down by buying lots of imported ingredients we simply enjoy cooking and we let our passion dictate our direction Roma Pizza Restaurant is at 66 Connells Point Road South Hurstville hits the right notes as a connected but tranquil suburb in St George The suburb offers a laid-back lifestyle with easy access to Carss Bush Park Georges River National Park and river waterways It’s also situated to take advantage of local shopping commercial centres in Hurstville and Sydney City Cure Cafe owner Christian Passas loves the mix of people in the area and the convenience of its location “It’s close to the city and it’s easy to go down south – it’s a great midway point,” he says “Some of the homes here are over 100 years old and still owned by the same families Carss Park is a beautiful place to go and the markets there are great.” Highly regarded public and private schools are a boon for families Blakehurst High and Marist College all an easy walk St George Hospital is 10 minutes away by car in the neighbouring suburb of Kogarah Amenities are abundant next door in Hurstville; express trains from Hurstville station reach Central in 18 minutes Westfield Hurstville has 250 outlets including dining and a multi-screen cinema It’s not hard to see why people choose to settle in the suburb or why it attracts visitors from across Sydney on the weekends There are also many Sydney foodie institutions including Oregano Bakery where you can pick up fig and almond scrolls to enjoy in the sun have a family picnic in the Georges River National Park or paddle along the Georges River You can meet a friend for lunch at one of the many culinary options in Hurstville and then take the train to the CBD to shop or see an exhibition There’s also the Hurstville Foodies and Farmers Market that you can visit each Thursday night As one of St George’s quiet achievers, South Hurstville is attracting families and professionals. Its latest residential development, Allen & George designed to foster a life of well-being and convenience complemented by the South Hurstville lifestyle Affordable pricing starts from $580,000 for a one-bedroom $695,000 for a two-bedroom and $1.45 million for a three-bedroom penthouse “Our buyers are a great mix of young couples, young families, and right-sizers,” says Laver Residential Projects director James Lampropoulos. “They appreciate the quality and larger floor plans on offer at Allen & George and want the convenience and amenity of living centrally while still feeling they’re part of the neighbourhood.” South Hurstville is known for its village-type atmosphere, and everything you need is right on your doorstep. It’s a short walk to the fruit market, supermarket, cafes, RSL, shops and services, and counts the local library as a next-door neighbour. It’s 1.5 kilometres from Westfield Hurstville and Hurstville Station, with direct connections to the airport, Sydney CBD, Sutherland Shire and the South Coast, as well as being close to the M5. Located on Allen St, the development features two buildings consisting of 57 apartments, with many of the apartments having panoramic views. An expansive, landscaped, residents-only garden and barbecue area with an attached community room separates the buildings. “Another big selling point has been that most of the apartments come with two car spaces which is a rarity in Sydney … with most households now owning more than one car it is becoming an invaluable asset,” Lampropoulos says. Regardless of where you currently live, if you’re looking to make a change or simply get away for the weekend, South Hurstville is worth exploring. The former Paramount Theatre – once owned by Hoyts and later the South Hurstville RSL then Civic Video – and a neighbouring retail property are selling to an offshore developer for $12 million Colliers’ Trent Gallagher and Adam Bodon Civic Video acquired it for $1.31m in 1990 occupying until five years ago (story continues below) In May, Greater Union banked $25.5m from a five-level office which replaced the 1930s Vogue Theatre A fortnight ago, Paddington’s Verona Theatre – built in the mid-1990s incorporating a historic warehouse – was listed with c$30m price hopes 18 search lights and two reinforced steel gates this house in Hurstville is more like a fortress The otherwise-unremarkable single-storey redbrick on a quiet suburban street has locals and passers-by alike scratching their heads wondering why anyone would need so much security Alex and Julie Saikaly bought the 770 square metre property on Australia Street almost 26 years ago and their reason for over-the-top security is nothing sinister 'People in this neighbourhood are thieves so we don't trust them,' Ms Saikaly told Daily Mail Australia 'This is our home and we don't want to move the whole set up is more than a third of the $160,000 the couple paid for their house in 1991 and took more than a month to install The cameras cover every possible angle and can even see next door's driveway lights and steel gates there are electric roller shutters on the garage and windows and bars on the doors to ensure no one has any chance of making it inside Even their two trailers parked on the street outside are fulled locked down chained together and secured with two heavy steel chains each bolted into thick rings somehow embedded into the concrete gutter Sydney Security Specialist managing director Michael Brilley said 24 security cameras for a single-storey home was 'probably overkill' 'You just need to cover all of the external perimeter so you’ve got enough coverage so that every door and window is covered,' he told the Daily Telegraph. It comes as a survey by Crime Stoppers shows 40 per cent of Australians have been burgled, only four per cent while they were away on holiday and none per cent while they were still in the house.  Couple covers their house in 24 security to keep thieves awayCommenting on this article has endedNewest{{#isModerationStatus}}{{moderationStatus}} There are reports of people trapped.  All southbound lanes and one northbound lane are closed Motorists are advised to avoid the area and diversions are in place ending a 57-year tradition at Greenacre Road the members will now move their patronage to Peakhurst Bowling Club Club Hurstville chief executive Karen Rook said that they had to merge because they could not afford to stay on at the premises even after selling the site to the Catholic Education Office last year "People are sad because they are losing their watering hole but the business couldn't survive with just a handful of locals," Ms Rook said It is not clear if the lingerie-clad waitresses which gave a special zing to Club Hurstville Sports on Saturday nights which affiliated with a number of other clubs to become Club Hurstville Sports had tried to make a go of it but changing times and attitudes were against it About two years ago the directors of Club Hurstville Sports tried to move to the old Blakehurst Bowling Club which had gone into liquidation in 2010 But despite expecting almost $8 million from the sale of their property Kogarah Council would not agree to let them use the Merriman Place The council claimed the community did not want the former Blakehurst site to be used as a registered club again preferring only the restaurant and cafe there Some members blamed the council for the sale because it had rejected plans designed to help the club stay afloat Ms Rook said the merged clubs would work together with a new board and most likely a new name Catholic Education Office spokesman Mark Rix said the office was looking at a few options but no decision had yet been made.  Mr Rix said there was a high demand for Catholic education in the expanding Hurstville area so an education facility was a likely use for the site Is this the end of an era for registered clubs?  Picture: John VeageHundreds of people swamped Tavistock Street in South Hurstville on Monday armed with ‘no’ flyers to show their opposition against a proposed mosque went to the site at 849 King Georges Road as part of an onsite hearing of the Land and Environment Court It is part of a three-day hearing before Commissioner Jenny Smithson A development application for the mosque was submitted last year and includes three levels of basement parking for 31 cars be visually intrusive and the operating hours would be disruptive and not suitable for a quiet residential area people were well behaved as they listened to five speakers speak against the proposal spoke at the hearing and said the opposition had nothing to do with religion ‘’Although I respect the right to freedom of religion or belief this does not extend to establishing a place of worship in an inappropriate location,’’ he said ‘’Residents have also had to contend with being accused of intolerance and racism by social media sites supporting the DA This accusation is not true and is aimed at detracting from amenity rights of residents.’’ A second resident who lives next door to the site said the proposal was appalling He raised concerns about the level of noise and the increasing traffic ‘’It is already a narrow corner and I’ve noticed a number of accidents already,’’ he said ‘’This will only exacerbate the problem.’’ speaking on behalf of the South Hurstville Residents Association and the South Hurstville Action Group said the quality of the submissions against the proposal showed the residents had done their homework ‘’Good planning is not about the amount of submissions and objections,’’ he said ‘’It’s about the quality and rigor of those submissions I think the two groups have produced very rigorous submissions ‘’The bottom line is that it’s the wrong location A representative for the applicant did not speak at the hearing The two groups had also been pushing for an updated plan of management to be released publicly At the closing of Monday’s hearing it was announced that plan would be given to residents and Georges River Council later that day Mr Daintry said he was disappointed it had taken that long ‘’I am disappointed with the behaviour of the applicant,’’ he said ‘’The plan of management should have been lodged with the development application ‘’It’s very unfair that the residents and council only have 24 hours to respond.’’ The rest of the hearing will be heard at the Land and Environment Court in Sydney Warning signs were later erected at several locations told Fairfax Media reporter Sarah Muller she was glad she had completed first aid training