Picture by Anna Warr.Peter McLeod and Jarrod Costello did their best to downplay the Illawarra Rugby League grand final replay between their teams Western Suburbs Devils and Thirroul Butchers 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 areaContinueBoth coaches stressed that getting a first win was the priority after the Devils and Butchers opened their Harrigan Cup campaigns with losses to Collegians and De La Salle last week Wests head into the round two stoush with most players that helped the Devils down a gallant Thirroul Butchers 31-20 in the 2024 decider to secure their first Illawarra Rugby League premiership since 2018 have lost a lot of experienced campaigners with Costello banking on players from last year's premiership-winning U18 Butchers side stepping up to the plate in 2025 Two players from that team made their first-grade debuts last week with a further two set to play their first match for Thirroul's top team against the Devils Costello said he was excited to see Aaymon Fitzgibbon and Sione Afemui enter the Butchers' first-grade side "To have those guys come in first grade so early in the year and get their opportunities is really exciting for them and the club as a whole," the Butchers' coach said guys like Crosso [Hayden Croslnad] and Deitzi [Brad Deitz] and Tarje [Whitford] and those guys are really looking forward to playing with them tomorrow it's exciting from a club point of view to see that next crop of players coming through." Costello added that the Butchers would have to improve dramatically on their round one performance where they were beaten 30-12 by De La Salle to have any chance of beating the reigning premiers Our round one performance against De La Salle was average never really completed well enough to keep ourselves in the game," he said we're looking to improve our completion rate and staying in the grind for longer periods "We've got a young side that is a really fit and mobile side so we need to hold on to the footy tomorrow to give ourselves a chance." Wests coach Peter McLeod said it was always a challenging game against Thirroul It will be good to get on the field tomorrow after a disappointing result last week," he said the conditions were really tough last Thursday night against Collegians "Collegians just played to the conditions better than us But we weren't that far away; it went down to the last minute to decide the game so I suppose it would have been a good game to watch." Saturday's match has been moved from the Devils' home of Sid Parrish Park and will be played at Mount Kembla Oval instead "I don't think West has played a first great game at Mount Kembla Oval for about 35 years and it's always a good game against Thirroul Collegians will play the Corrimal Cougars at Collegians Sporting Complex and the Dapto Canaries will battle De La Salle at Dapto Showground Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure. 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 Specialists at Ramsay Clinic Thirroul have reportedly resigned against backdrop of larger shortage of psychiatrists across state In 2022 Ramsay Healthcare opened Australia’s first women’s-only hospital “dedicated” to trauma-related mental health issues in Wollongong But the facility run by Australia’s largest private hospital operator has since dropped the emphasis on care “dedicated” to trauma patients on its website, now describing itself as providing a range of “women’s mental health services”. Read moreIt is now a general female-only psychiatric unit which – like many other Ramsay facilities – has a public-private contract with NSW Health allowing it to take public patients who do not have access to public beds The changes to the hospital come against the backdrop of the mass resignation of New South Wales public-sector psychiatrists which has led to the state government asking Ramsay facilities to take public mental health patients. When Olivia* stayed in the facility for the first time in March 2024 to receive treatment for PTSD from childhood trauma she described the experience as “very helpful and I felt I gained a lot out of it” But when she returned in February to be admitted for the second stage of the program she says the experience left her “struggling more than I did before I was admitted” She was unaware that the clinic had begun accepting women detoxing from drugs and alcohol Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletter “For those such as myself whom have PTSD surrounding drugs and alcohol from childhood trauma this makes this a place that doesn’t fit my needs of feeling safe and less vulnerable [while] having treatment,” she said Olivia said there were a few patients detoxing there and she was “majorly triggered and abused” by one of them on the second-last day of her stay The state parliament has been told the change to the Thirroul clinic leaves NSW without a specialist inpatient trauma service for survivors of family violence and sexual assault Photograph: pocketlight/Getty ImagesWhen Olivia was sitting with a nurse completing her discharge paperwork this other patient demanded to speak with the nurse “but not in front of ‘that’ “I found myself highly in flight mode and before I knew it I was heading out the driveway walking towards the street and towards the train station This triggered the emotional flashbacks and lack of safety from the abuse my brother implemented on me in my younger years.” Ramsay said it was not previously aware of Olivia’s concerns but took them seriously and would welcome the opportunity to speak directly to her Olivia said while she understood women detoxing from substances needed support and help she was not sure she would seek help again from the clinic after the way things ended A psychiatrist and another staff member who resigned from Ramsay Clinic Thirroul told Guardian Australia the psychiatrists who began the venture and the team who wrote the program for the hospital have all since resigned Guardian Australia understands more than half of the patients admitted lately were under a drug and alcohol specialist as the trauma specialists had either already left or were planning to leave Rose Jackson, the NSW mental health minister, told the upper house on 27 March she was aware Ramsay Clinic Thirroul was no longer providing specialised trauma care and had reverted to a general women’s mental health facility in response to questions from Dr Amanda Cohn the NSW Greens’ spokesperson for mental health this was not a decision made by NSW Health Sign up to Afternoon Update: Election 2025 Free daily newsletterOur Australian afternoon update breaks down the key election campaign stories of the day telling you what’s happening and why it matters “I have received correspondence and representations in relation to not just the fact of that very specialised care not being available for those women any more but also some broader issues relating to the change that has occurred there,” the minister said Cohn told the parliament that the change to the Thirroul clinic left NSW without a specialist inpatient trauma service for survivors of family violence and sexual assault “One of the most important components of trauma‑sensitive or trauma-informed mental health care is continuity of care,” she said predictability and a long-term relationship so that people do not have fragmented care.” She added that mental healthcare in the state had become increasingly fragmented The NSW public sector has a longstanding shortages of psychiatrists with a pre-existing vacancy rate of more than a third of permanent staff specialist positions The NSW branch of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists wrote to the state government on 13 October 2023 detailing the workforce crisis with difficulties in recruitment After 16 months of negotiations with the government failed to reach a solution, the remaining public sector psychiatrists started resigning en masse in January in a dispute that remains before arbitration in the NSW industrial relations court. Read moreBefore the psychiatrists threatened resignation Ramsay Health Care Australia had been advocating for their available private hospital beds to be used to address unmet public demand In a submission to the NSW special commission of inquiry into healthcare funding dated October 2023 the chief policy officer for Ramsay wrote: “RHCA [Ramsay Health Care Australia] encourages governments to partner with the private system to support delivering essential services given the private system has the capital and workforce to address government dilemmas such as mental health and elective surgery demands.” A spokesperson for the Illawarra Shoalhaven local health district which provides public health services for the Wollongong area said the district had a longstanding agreement with the Ramsay clinic to be available to support the provision of non-acute mental health services if the need arose but that had not been required so far the NSW chair of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists said: “We are starting to see workforce shortages in private hospitals too which limits the ability of these hospitals to take on additional patients “These public-private partnerships are not only incredibly expensive for the taxpayer they are also unsustainable given the current workforce issues and we have serious safety concerns for patients and staff as these facilities are generally not equipped with the infrastructure and staffing to care for patients with high acuity needs.” A Ramsay Health Care spokesperson said: “Ramsay Clinic Thirroul is a women-only mental health facility specialising in trauma-informed care the clinic has supported women with complex PTSD often alongside other mental health or physical health conditions … “Ramsay Clinic Thirroul remains committed to providing high-quality respectful environment for women experiencing trauma.” Here’s what you want to do: ditch work early on a Friday snake down the scenic Lawrence Hargrave Drive and stop when you get to the corner of Thirroul’s Raymond Road You made a booking at Ciro’s when you earmarked your weekend (or night) away ask for the golden house vermouth – on the rocks – and study the menu family photos Blu Tacked to the wall – and the heartfelt vibe The room was warmed by the blaze in a blue-tiled Ferrara Forni oven Stay in the know with our free newsletter. The latest restaurants, must-see exhibitions, style trends, travel spots and more – curated by those who know. Our ordering was faultless, saved by the last-minute addition of the garlic bread. The charcoaled puffed-up beauty is a whopper, topped with a melty pool of butter (and meaty anchovies, should you wish). I took a bite, and actually laughed. “Stupid good,” I said with my mouth full. Ciro’s is owned by four mates: Joel Mucci, Michael Zubrecky, Liam Forsythe and Marko Bozic. “We’re all second generation,” Mucci tells me of their respective Italian, Ukrainian, Slovakian and Croatian backgrounds. “We kind of use all those cultural influences for how it feels – that European hospitality.” The group doesn’t have an extensive hospitality background, with everything they do guided by what they like and what they want to see in their area. And everyone brings something different. Mucci and Zubrecky were bakers, locking down the all-sourdough dough program. Bozic brings meaty experience from Whole Beast Butchery. Forsythe ditched his physio career in Sydney to work with his friends. “[Liam’s gone] from physio to just running a 250-pizza Friday night pass,” says Mucci. “Mike just in the heat of the oven doing five, six pizzas in one load; Marco running front of house – they haven’t done that. It’s just cool to see what’s possible. In terms of creativity, we just bounce of each other.” The Neapolitan pizzas are all winners: a flavour-packed margherita, a cheese jazzed up with garlicky honey, a bright green piselli pushing minty peas and pancetta. Shrooms Deluxe delivers sliced Swiss browns and a silky mushroom cream, held together by stretchy fior di latte and a smattering of parm; and there’s a fun take in the pan(cetta) and pineapple. Make sure you add the fermented chilli. Zubrecky’s green thumb keeps a pantry stocked with house-made ferments of “weird and wacky things from his garden”; while head chef Keelan Orrock’s tidy collection of plates support the pizzas – zucchini alla scapece starring when we visited. Hot ribbons of zucc straight off the chargrill are tossed in vinaigrette, then swirled into a bowl. Jewels of zested-up barberries, golden pine nuts and rough-chopped mint ride atop. My eyes bugged out at first bite, even better than the torn-up garlic bread. There’s a pasta too, and a Wagyu bresaola. And a cloud of tiramisu to finish. It’s clear that the team is all-in. “We’re always here. That quality or passion or fragility, it all shows. Cos we’re actually here. We’re very lucky in that sense … there’s that bouncing around and having time off and just sharing the load, which we really prioritise.” And there’s more to come: loaves of bread being developed, salumi hanging up to dry, wine fermenting. “Over in Europe they just do those things. We’re just trying to have fun, bring something to the area.” Knafeh, Charcoal Chicken and Rosewater Desserts: A Local’s Guide to Merrylands Where Chefs Eat: Peter Gilmore Really Knows Crows Nest, Willoughby and More First Look: At El Taco, Ex-Tradies Grill Hard-to-Find Mexican Street Snacks First Look: Berta’s Deli Knows “Everyone Loves a Sandwich” AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) left with Charlie Whistler in hospital after the rescue inset picture supplied.After a dramatic rescue effort that caused "pandemonium" on Thirroul Beach Charlie Whistler's friends and family say he is alive today for two reasons 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 areaContinueThey credit sheer luck - on several counts - as well as the efforts of surf lifesavers paramedics and his friends for saving the 17-year-old when he had a heart attack in the surf late on Saturday afternoon It was lucky the Thirroul teenager was surfing with his girlfriend Lucky they chose to go to the patrolled Thirroul Beach instead of their usual unpatrolled breaks And lucky Kyuss spotted his friend go underwater who had no previous known health conditions fainted and had a heart attack - although doctors aren't sure which happened first yet - while out in the water "I saw him dive off the front of his board and I thought he was acting a bit odd Kyuss and Indigo both thought Charlie was playing a prank at first "I was slapping him on the face going 'Charlie come on you can wake up now,' but he never woke up," Kyuss said Indigo remembers turning around and seeing Kyuss holding Charlie in a "life-saving position" so I had no idea what was going on behind me," she said "I turned around and he was unconscious .. the two managed to get Charlie back on his board and began moving towards the beach it was very difficult to get onto his board to keep him afloat," Kyuss said "I had multiple other surfers come over to me without me yelling out to them "It might have been very different if they weren't there as well." Charlie Whistler surfing at McCauley's Beach in April 2024 lifeguards arrived and began performing CPR "pretty much straight away." that's when he started foaming at the mouth because he'd obviously had water in his lungs," she said and then pretty much as soon as he got onto the beach they [the lifeguards] did a doctor ABCDE assessment and then they started CPR "It was all extremely confronting to see Charlie in that state but it was amazing to see Kyuss as his friend .. if Kyuss didn't see him I can't think of what possibly could have happened." Kyuss said saving he is "proud" he was able to stay calm and save his mate's life "I know that Charlie would have done the exact same thing for me," he said "It was more of my responsibility for me to do that for him I think I owed him to do that because I was in a situation where I was able to go get him "I do feel very lucky that I turned around at the right time and grabbed him before he went too far underwater." NSW Ambulance arrived at the beach with multiple paramedics, including intensive care paramedics and a medical team on board the Toll Rescue helicopter who attended to Charlie which was just an awful thing to listen to," Indigo said they put a cannula in his arm for morphine and stuff Charlie was taken to Wollongong Hospital in stable condition and has recovered well "I walked in there and I'll tell you he was very much back to being Charlie," Kyuss said "He seems to have not many issues going .. Steve Whistler arrived at the beach to see 12 paramedics around his son I've never seen anything like it," he said I think they'd had a call saying it was an expected fatality so they were coming presumably for crowd control "Then the air ambulance came and actually landed on the beach which everyone was massively surprised by because apparently they don't normally do that." Mr Whistler is extremely grateful Kyuss and Indigo were with his son in the surf "The crazy thing about the story is that they surf together "If Kyuss hadn't been with him he would be dead Mr Whistler was thanks the lifeguards and paramedics it hits home when you see it and think 'Oh yeah "But when you arrive at the beach and see that instant reaction and that incredible care going on for your own son "These guys should not be fighting for a pay rise." Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, covering business and entertainment most of the time. Got a tip? Send it to me at joel.ehsman@austcommunitymedia.com.au. He/Him Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. 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. Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. Love footy? 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Picture by Ben LangfordBoom gates have been installed at a popular car park in Thirroul with a new $10 daily fee introduced for parking that has for many decades been free 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 boom gates were installed at the Thirroul Plaza entrance on Monday morning with a giant sign advising people they can park for 90 minutes free The fees will apply 24 hours a day, aimed at the large number of cars parked there at night during shows at Anita's Theatre or by patrons of the adjacent Beaches Hotel Some locals have been venting anger about the move on Thirroul social media pages while others say the move is reasonable and 90 minutes free is enough Many have criticised the charges given how the car park is dilapidated with many large potholes among cracks in the surface they've got a nerve charging for parking with the state that car park's in," said one Thirroul Plaza co-owner Angelo Forte said the potholes were being fixed and he expected less traffic once the fees start "The potholes are being repaired and will be maintained as intended prior to the collaboration with Secure Parking," he told the Mercury "We believe the introduction of a managed carpark will reduce the number of vehicle movements and therefore help to preserve the carpark surface." had been filling the car park and making it hard for plaza tenants and customers "The Thirroul Plaza car park is a private car park intended for the primary use of the tenants and their customers," he said "Anita's Theatre and Beaches Hotel patrons in particular use this car park at various times causing much congestion to the intended users of the car park of Thirroul Plaza making it extremely difficult for the tenants of Thirroul Plaza to flourish "Locals parking all day to use the train service are inconveniencing the intended users from parking and using the Thirroul Plaza businesses." Some workers at the plaza will face the daily fee but Mr Forte said a "reasonable amount" of free parking will be provided for plaza tenants Some social media commenters say they will be doing their shopping at the Thirroul IGA or Bulli Woolworths supermarkets Others say 90 minutes of parking is plenty for shopping and they are not concerned or that the plaza owners should not have to provide free parking for other businesses A few suggested the move is payback for the Thirroul community not supporting Mr Forte's plans to redevelop the plaza That plan was rejected by the Land and Environment Court in October 2022. Consultation was conducted last year to help formulate a "master plan" for the plaza. despite the project appearing before a NSW government panel to fast-track approvals earlier this month 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 areaContinueAfter the 70-apartment proposal was rejected by the Land and Environment Court in 2023 the developer started a process of community consultation to rework its plans But the developer has been grilled by "deeply concerned" Thirroul residents after the project appeared on the Housing Delivery Authority (HDA) fast-track pathway this month At the Thirroul Village Committee meeting last Sunday, development manager Louis Goulimis was told taking the accelerated pathway "would be a breach of the community's trust on the project and a loss of goodwill" He told the meeting the company was genuine about consultation and it would continue The HDA was established to speed up the approval of large-scale residential developments to ease the state's housing supply and affordability crisis Briefing notes from the HDA's first meeting on February 7 showed the Thirroul Plaza development had been submitted as part of the expression of interest (EOI) process The Housing Delivery Authority's criteria for consideration from its web page.Questions were raised about whether the developer was seeking a way around the court decision But the Thirroul Plaza and its development manager told the Mercury they had just been exploring all its options and was not trying to sidestep the court decision absolutely," a statement from Solid Void's Mr Goulimis and site owner Angelo Forte said "We are exploring and navigating the options available to us through the varying planning pathways the big ideas survey and the court findings play a critical role in redeveloping the land and we maintain the relevance and transparency in communicating this "We are simply investigating all options available to us." They said the community consultation will continue a point also made on Sunday when Mr Goulimis met with the Thirroul Village Committee to talk about the issue "The process with community consultation we have committed to and stand by does not change as it is a requirement even under the HDA process from what we understand (if it is even considered)," Mr Goulimis and Mr Forte said "The EOI does not require a plan or design it is merely and expression of interest on this newly created pathway by the government "The EOI was explored to understand this planning pathway It is a simple questionnaire online with limited detail required After the Thirroul Village Committee acting president Elliot Stein new plans had not been devised but it would contain fewer apartments than in the version refused by the court "The development manager stated that there were no new plans for the development of the plaza and that the expression of interest only represented a 'high level summary' of the new development," he said "It was stated this would contain a number of units 'clearly less than what was previously rejected'." The development manager shared that any development would contain zero social housing and that any affordable housing would be very minimal as part of the Plaza The HDA had asked for expressions of interest from developers with projects that can be delivered quickly and are compliant with planning laws while delivering "high-yield" and affordable housing The HDA deferred a decision on the Thiroul project seeking further information from the developer, represented by Gyde Consulting. 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 popular event is designed to revive all things rock'n'roll Click on the gallery below to scroll through all the pictures the event attracts some fabulous 50s attire as patrons compete to be the best dressed competitor the winner - who sported a turquoise a-line dress and fuschia accessories - gave the name Lady Dior Amour pointy glasses and silk flower fascinators or bandanas - with some carrying pretty fantastic bird-shaped bags the guys donned their best retro bowling shirts vintage car show and retro clothing markets had the car park rocking while bands played inside to allow for plenty of dancing Picture by Anna WarrFor the extended Potter family of Thirroul Christmas Day 2024 will be very different - one tinged with sadness but with the green shoots of new traditions already poking through Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueOn Saturday the family gathered en masse at the Redman Avenue house that has served as Potter HQ for seven decades But no longer among the 60-plus throng were the glue of the family - Joyce and Bob Potter Pictured right are their parents Joyce and Bob Pictures suppliedThe family's much-loved matriarch She spent the years after Bob's death at Redman Avenue "When we were growing up it was the busiest house on the street there wasn't a day when someone wouldn't call mum or pop by." grandchildren and 22 of their great grandkids caught up for one final blast before new owners take possession in January The wrench is a sizeable and emotional one "Having anything in the family for so long is really quite amazing but it's not just that it's been our home for so long," Kerrie where Thirroul's Potter family lived and thrived Photo submitted "It's what it represents - it was everything to us "Every Christmas was spent there - and pretty much everyone came The menu took days to prepare - pork, chicken, turkey plus all the accompaniments, baked pumpkin, potatoes and, of course, the gravy "When Tony's Chicken Shop came along, mum made an exception there and we got a delivery on Christmas Eve, but the gravy was always a day-long operation. And we never ran out no matter how many people came," Kerrie said. In true grandma-style the menu was always extended to make sure everyone enjoyed their favourites. More photos from the Potter family archives. Pictures submittedAnd while that was a Joyce-inspired, Joyce-maintained military operation, it wasn't the only full-on family day of celebration. Add Joyce and Bob's birthdays in July and March, plus Mother's and Father's Day and the joint was jumping pretty regularly, Kerrie said. "Of course once the grandkids came along, the events only got bigger and bigger." By way of background, Bob worked at Lysaghts back in the day and Joyce, who spent a year working at the Illawarra Mercury, was a hairdresser. Their first encounter could not have been any more romantic. "My dad was a drummer in the Scottish pipe band and that's where mum and dad first met," Kerrie said. "They went to a dance and my beautiful dad said to my beautiful mum 'save the last dance for me' and she did. "He walked her home and the rest is history. And that became their special song throughout their lives." Motherhood in 50s put the brakes on Joyce's hairdressing career, but that didn't mean she didn't sharpen her skills, cutting not just the family's hair but most of the neighbourhood's, too. Extra accommodation attached to the original cottage meant not only tenants were common but as the Potter kids married, they had their own slice of "independent living" built in. Joyce and Bob Potter in their earlier years. Pictures supplied"Oh, we all had a turn in the flat," Kerrie said. "For all of $15 a week." The Potters' dedication to treating their kids equitably was resolute. Bob made sure his kids, then actually adults, didn't miss out on handy new kitchen appliances. "I remember him getting six sandwich makers and six microwaves and sharing them out," Kerrie reminisced. The house, set way back from the street and still with its front yard swing-set, has hosted more games of cricket and slip-and-slides than Kerrie cares to remember. "We'll work it out, but we plan on getting together every December 14 because that's what Mum and Dad would want," Kerrie said. Picture by Anna WarrThirroul's Sole Obsession will officially shut up shop at the end of this month after more than 20 years of business 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 shoe store will shut its doors on February 28, 2025, one year later than originally expected Sole Obsession owner Elizabeth Dignam has worked at the store since 2001 and said it was "just not worth it anymore" "It's just time to retire and the landlord's family basically wanted it for a chicken shop so the rents have gone up ridiculously," she said "It's hard enough to sort of cover the rent as it is now The Wollongong City Council accepted a $300,000 development application for an internal shop fit-out on January 30 and will include works on the existing mezzanine and signage The store has the "biggest supply of Crocs in the Illawarra" Picture by Anna WarrChanging face of ThirroulSole Obsession advertises itself as having "the biggest supply of Crocs in the Illawarra" and Ms Dignam said she has "taken in excess of probably $1 million worth of Crocs over the years" and because they're in a beachside area a lot of people would come for them," she said "I really appreciate the people that have come in .. I've made a lot of friendships and that's one thing that I will miss "People still drop in all the time and say 'Hello,' and over the years they were in primary school when they came in here Ms Dignam said Thirroul had changed from the "little town" it used to be and there were horse paddocks on the way to school," she said "You notice that different people don't say hello to each other as much anymore as they used to and it's just kind of different." Picture by Adam McLeanOne man has been taken to Wollongong Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation after a house fire in Thirroul Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueEmergency crews were called to Arunta Drive at 12.40pm on Friday A female occupant escaped uninjured and two dogs were both unharmed "Flames came into the house and she said it spread quickly," Mr Yew said "That's why it's very important to have a fire safety home escape plan and working smoke detectors." two crews initially responded before calling for a further four fire trucks after seeing smoke in the distance Man taken to hospital as dozens of firefighters battle Thirroul house fireThe smoke plume was visible from the Wollongong CBD more than 13 kilometres away "Crews were faced with protecting exposure (preventing the fire spreading) and we had to determine whether the occupant was able to get out of the house safely or not," Mr Yew said "We determined that pretty early on and then we just focused on protecting exposure." At the time of writing the cause of the fire was "undetermined" with the Fire Investigation and Research Unit working on the cause of the blaze These are available by emailing: syndication@austcommunitymedia.com.auMr Yew estimated crews would be working on the fire for a few more hours to "put out the hot spots in the house" The full extent of damage was yet to be revealed the roof of the dwelling had partially collapsed On Tuesday, firefighters were called out to a shop in Unanderra which has gone up in flames and on Thursday, a vacuum cleaner caused another fire in Thirroul Picture suppliedPlans for a tree-storey 10-apartment block in Thirroul have sparked vigorous debate about whether higher-density development in expensive suburbs should be seen as helping fix the housing crisis 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 proposal is open for exhibition at Wollongong City Council detailing plans to demolish two houses and 19 trees to build the apartments on 5 and 7 George St The developer says the height and density of the block is allowed within the R3 medium density zoning of the site Artist's impressions suggest the facade would be covered with vegetation with a community garden out the front on George St But traffic will be a concern, given the site is near the Ryan's Hotel and one of Thirroul's worst congested intersections Prominent higher-density housing advocate Phill Balding drew more than 300 comments to his post on a Thirroul social media group saying it "would be good to get some young people to support more much-needed housing" "I would like to see hundreds more well located buildings like this in Thirroul to add to the apartment stock that is in dire shortage for smaller families and renters like me," he wrote in a submission to the council "They are in strong demand given high prices right next to town and neat the train and bus to reduce car trips Other commenters were quick to point out that apartments in Thirroul one of the Illawarra's most expensive suburbs were never likely to be affordable to young people first home buyers or families who are being squeezed by property price rises "Homes will turn to units which will turn to apartments greenery disappears and then the community is gone," said one but they won't be affordable and it'll just add to the destruction of the soul of this area." Another said he was surprised by the scale of the proposal Traffic is obviously an issue also since you can't turn out of George St most mornings without a lengthy wait," they said Many local posters made a similar point about better roads needed before the population expands. "I agree more housing is needed but I don't think any more approvals should be granted until the infrastructure is upgraded," said one. "Another road (or two) in and out of Thirroul and beyond is needed and should be a priority." Another person said public transport was the answer to congestion. "There have been three-storey apartment blocks in Thirroul for 40 years," he said. The site is owned by a consortium of people based in Sydney, held through a series of trusts and holding companies. The plans seek to remove 19 trees, including two tree ferns, many of which stand between the two houses presently on the blocks. The proposal is on exhibition until January 20. Thirroul.Revised plans for Thirroul's Macauley Lodge care centre - closed since August 2022 - are back with Wollongong City Council Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueThe McCauley Lodge Residential Care Service in Tasman Parade was closed in August last year by owner Fresh Hope Care The explanation was given that the site was going to be redeveloped and so the residents could no longer live there The plan for the site would see the demolition of the 35-bed Macauley Lodge and the construction of a two and three-storey building with 18 independent living units and basement parking for 24 vehicles A separate development application from Fresh Hope Care aims to build a further 20 independent living units on the other side of Tasman Parade A look at the streetscape of what is proposed for the site of Macauley Lodge at Thirroul.Land and Environment Court proceedings were lodged by the developer after a deemed refusal from the council plans to revise the original application came together Those changes include the removal of a rooftop swimming pool relocating it to ground level as well as extra landscaping to enhance privacy for residents The floor to floor height of the multi-storey dwelling has been increased from 2.95 metres to 3.1 metres while maintaining the overall height compliance The spacing between some of the dwellings has been doubled to six metres The apartment layouts on both sites have been updated to meet the council's Apartment Design Guide in terms of storage requirements Due to a lack of public transport to and from the town centre 500 metres away taking resident on a loop of the Thirroul CBD to visit services like shops Development application for both sites on Tasman Parade are on public exhibition until September 27 I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading. Picture by Rob PeetThe electrification pilot of a "whole suburb" that finally won funding after years of determination from a northern Illawarra community was officially launched in front of a crowd of hundreds at the weekend Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinue"It's kind of a world first," Dr Saul Griffiths an Austinmer engineer and founder of Rewiring Australia who has led the push to "electrify everything" said at Anita's Theatre on Sunday "We know we need to respond really rapidly (to climate change) and we know that about half of the emissions in the world come from what we do in our home lives Electrify 2515 member Laura Scalafiotti at Sunday's pilot launch which she said has been "two and a half years in the making" and we know we can eliminate all of those emissions with just a few purchasing decisions and powering it with renewable energy "But no one's ever done that as a community." The Electrify 2515 movement in the northern suburbs celebrated and launched their pilot scheme at Anita's Theatre in Thirroul after the Federal Government in October announced $5.4 million to fund it Up to 500 households in the 2515 postcode can now apply for between $5000 and $10,000 in subsidies to change their household appliances from gas to electricity to help rid households of fossil fuels air conditioners and home batteries to store rooftop solar Solar panels and electric vehicles are not included in the scheme a 2024 Australian of the Year nominee for NSW said he "couldn't be prouder" of the community for pushing for the pilot and said it was an opportunity to "call bluff on the climate deniers" "We're going to make it work in this community We're going to prove that the grid gets more reliable and more resilient Hundreds gathered at Anita's Theatre for the Electrify 2515 pilot launch Picture by Rob Peet"And we're going to show that all happens while we also lower the cost of living and the cost of energy." Dr Griffiths said residents could save $3000 to $5000 per year by putting solar panels on their roof One reason for the 2515 trial is to assess how an increasingly electrified suburb can interact with the electricity grid Eandeavour CEO Guy Chalkley told the Mercury in October the grid could handle the 500 households and there would be benefits from insights gained into household power usage Picture by Robert PeetDreams of back-to-back premierships at Thomas Gibson Park are well and truly on following Thirroul's 29-4 victory over De La Salle in Illawarra Rugby League's preliminary final on Saturday A first half hat-trick from centre Nelson Sharp along with another masterclass from Thirroul's ever-present five-eight Jarrod Boyle set Jarrod Costello's team up for victory The Butchers went into the half-time break 24-0 up and whilst De La Salle showed plenty of resistance in the second half Thirroul will now go into the decider against Wests next week not only looking to defend their crown but claim a historic feat by becoming the first Butchers team to claim back-to-back premierships Thirroul centre Sharp watched his beloved Butchers beat Collegians in the 2023 decider on the WIN Stadium hill after a stint away from his boyhood club Thirroul coach Costello told Sharp he wanted him back on board for 2024 View +21 PhotosClick on this photo to see all the action from De La Salle vs Thirroul Pictures by Robert PeetAfter claiming a first half hat-trick in a preliminary final Sharp said he knew for certain he made the right call coming back to where it all started He heaped plenty of praise on not only his coach and 'Jacko' (Costello) put a big emphasis on going back to back," Sharp said and it kind of brings a tear to my eye because this club means the world to me Being 'Boyley's' [Jarrod Boyle's] last year that was a big goal to send him out on a high He's a legend of the comp and we wanted to thank him this year "I had Jacko and a few boys in my ear [last season] and Boyley walked me through pre-season and really took me under his wing and showed me what it's like to be a first grader I was getting dropped and I was kicking stones Boyley really talked to me and I can't thank him enough he's an absolute legend of the club and the comp." Costello's Butchers looked like a team on a mission in the first half at Collegians Sports Complex racing out to a 24-0 lead before the break thanks to a hat-trick from Sharp as well as another try from Tarje Whitford De La Salle struggled with completions in the first half but came out much better in the second and got their reward through Esafe Hema as well as a field goal in the dying embers from Bradley Deitz capped off a remarkable showing from Thirroul Thirroul will now take on Wests in the decider "Jacko's been saying that we haven't deserved anything [yet] and we'll look to give Wests a run for their money." Illawarra Mercury sports journalist. Feel free to get in touch jordan.warren@austcommunitymedia.com.au. Picture by Systems ArchitectsA three-storey apartment block with a trellis on the front where vines will grow could be built opposite Ryan's Hotel in Thirroul "The current built context in George Street is low-rise and the development will be the first apartment building in the street," the application's statement of environmental effects said "The intention is to make it a positive example of what medium-density housing can be." The development would feature extensive landscaping including what appears to be a cage-like feature across the street front that would allow vines to grow across it "The long low form of the development framed by the green ends and roof reference the cliffs and treed slopes of the escarpment the atrium like being under a canopy on one of the many walks through with the water feature signifying water courses and providing a refreshing soundscape," the statement of environmental effects said The breakdown of apartments is four three-bedroom units four two-bedders and two units with one bedroom Basement parking for 16 cars will also be a feature as will a rooftop terrace "The development promotes housing diversity through a mix of apartment sizes and types," the statement of environmental effects said "This diversity supports social inclusivity and caters to various demographic groups from young professionals to families and downsizers Communal spaces are designed to foster social interaction creating a sense of community within the building." The application claimed the extra vehicle movements from the apartment complex will not affect nearby intersections "It is expected that George Street and the local road network has sufficient capacity to accommodate the increased vehicular movements," the application stated it is envisaged that the nearby intersections will not be compromised given the existing level of service for these intersections is capable of being maintained post-development." The development application is on public exhibition until December 17 Newsletters & AlertsView allDaily Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueAndie's Restaurant has thrown open its doors in a "soft opening" to a lucky few ahead of the eatery's official opening on Thursday Andie's head chef Owen Thomson, of Rookie Eatery and Bar Padre fame, will be serving up everything from steaks, to local fish, grazing plates and oysters shucked to order. Andie's Thirroul under construction at the Beach Motel in Thirroul. Picture by Anna Warr"We will be doing our interpretation of Mediterranean/European cuisine with chargrilled proteins like a 600g bone-in ribeye and local fish," Andie's drinks program manager Lou Dare said. "There's plenty of small plates to build into a grazing style menu, the chefs are making pasta and bread in-house daily as well." To quench your thirst, there's a wine list of 30 top drops available, including local region producers, with plenty of 'by the glass' options. For the cocktail lover, Mr Dare said there's a list that aims to "make the best of seasonal Australian produce". For the beer lover, there's tap and canned options available. Nadine Morton covers emergency services and breaking news for the Illawarra Mercury. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at nadine.morton@austcommunitymedia.com.au Picture by Ben LangfordReview: Dirty Three Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueAnita's Theatre Writing about music is like dancing about architecture, someone said. Most likely it was comedian Martin Mull but it's variously attributed to Elvis Costello Quote historians can argue about the source, but it's standing there like a freeway sign when I start my attempt at reviewing the Dirty Three's gig last night at Anita's Theatre Thirroul Last night Australia's greatest band rocked the socks off Anita's Theatre in Thirroul and gave at least two generations of music lovers a show that transcended the mortal coil First: the show was recorded and after engineering the band plans to release it later this year those who weren't: I recommend this recording over this review I've seen and loved more than my share of live music Cold Chisel and Patty Smith to the Breeders I've seen Yothu Yindi on the red dirt of their home country at Gulkula Sonic Youth on the edge of the San Francisco Bay Gillian Welch in a village hall in country Vic Time will tell how the memory settles things Dirty Three play Anita's Theatre, Thirroul, June 19, 2024. Picture by Ben LangfordIt had been a while. Last time I saw the Dirty Three was at the Woonona-Bulli RSL in 1998 With support from the Paradise Motel and thick curtains in a deep red it's still firm in living colour in my memory when many things that have happened since are not It was before he started growing his beard before he formed a musical marriage with Nick Cave his violin run through distortion pedals and providing the melodic lead as well as (often) the bass line owning the space where the vocals would be if this were another band he'd sweated through his jacket within about four songs and spat theatrically off to the side when he felt like it playing rhythm guitar with a delicate half-plucking style that produces soundscapes as well as notes If there's a finer drummer than Jim White I have yet to see them locked eye-to-eye with Ellis as the violinist mounted a hardbox near his drums daring each other to do another series of rolls as happy in the sparse quiet moments as in the wild crescendos we came to see Picture by Ben LangfordYou get the sense White could play all day and forever and if that was the soundtrack to the world it would be just fine There's no point in a critique of the music other than to say this is Australia's greatest band playing like they're ecstatic to be back together The Dirty Three's first shows in five years this 10-date tour of Australia included Thirroul as the only non-major city other than Byron Bay They must have fond memories of our beaches Who's to begrudge him a few words in what was, other than a few consonant-less notes into the microphone, a completely instrumental set (this is the Dirty Three). And given the stories punctuate Ellis delivering 10-15-minute furies, the wordy bits have always been a minute to rest and regather for the next series of explosions. Words to have a rest by; no need for them in the music. And no need for any more of them here, other than to say long live the Dirty Three, and if I never see them play again, at least I saw them last night, delivering music as great as it gets anywhere, anytime. Amy Boatwright and Andrew Juskiw with their business award the night before Main picture by Adam McLeanLess than 12 hours after a Thirroul restaurant crew celebrated their business award win its owners are thankful their winning eatery didn't burn to the ground 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 team from Boveda had been up late celebrating on Tuesday July 16 after they won the coveted Outstanding Restaurant category a mere 12 months after they'd opened their doors They were having a well-earned sleep-in the following morning when they got a call - "Your restaurant is on fire!" It was about 9am on Wednesday, and only a few hours after they'd won big at the Illawarra South Coast Local Business Awards, held at the Fraternity Club a well-timed delivery and a whole lot of luck saved their beloved Mexican restaurant and he was busy steaming milk for a cappuccino when a delivery guy burst inside The burnt areas inside Boveda restaurant at Thirroul on Wednesday Pictures supplied"He's the fruit and veg delivery guy who was delivering next door He came in and said 'does anyone have a phone there's smoke billowing from next door'," he said Mr Barrett, who just happens to be a retained (on call) firefighter at Thirroul Fire Station His next move: run 100 metres up the street to the fire station jump in the truck and race back to the burning restaurant black smoke was billowing from the restaurant and firefighters from Bulli were also pulling up Click on the photo to see more pictures from the fire View +9 PhotosWearing oxygen cylinders and face masks to keep them safe from the smoke Amid the smoke and soot they found a candle had accidentally been left burning and it had ignited a fire that threatened to destroy the award-winning restaurant "It was very close to being something more serious," Mr Barrett said Amy Boatwright and Andrew Juskiw with their business award on Tuesday Picture via Instagram @bovedathirroulMr Pearson is still in shock at the fire in his beloved restaurant and can't believe this team went from such a high to almost losing everything within about 12 hours "It's definitely been a see-saw couple of hours," he said Mr Pearson said he and his co-owners are so very grateful the delivery guy came at the right time and Mr Barrett from the cafe next door was able to help fight the fire Fire and Rescue NSW Bulli Station Officer Paul Campbell was among the firefighters who extinguished the blaze "We believe the candle was left on overnight," he said "There will be a fairly significant clean up Boveda is insured and while the team is working hard to clean up the mess he's not sure when it will reopen Anyone with a booking is urged to keep checking the restaurant's social media pages for updates Mr Pearson praised the tight-knit Thirroul business and residential community. "There's a lot of local support and people love getting behind local businesses in Thirroul," he said. Fire and Rescue NSW Bulli Station Officer Paul Cambell said it was a really good example of how the service's on-call firefighters operate. They work regular jobs while being on-call for emergencies in their local area. Thirroul Fire Station is among a number of Illawarra region stations that operate this way. Others include Balgownie, Coledale, Corrimal, Helensburgh, Kiama, Scarborough and Unanderra. original members Ed Kuepper and Ivor Hay will be on the road playing songs from their early albums.Going back and listening to your early stuff can be an unpleasant process for some bands That wasn't the case for Ed Kuepper when he was working on four-album box set of The Saints' (I'm) Stranded album which includes a remastering of the legendary 1977 debut as well as a demo mix of the record it meant Kuepper having to go back and listen to his younger self - which was okay by him "I've always been sort of at ease with that early material "A lot of people do records in their early years and they kind of feel embarrassed about them probably because they're still sort of developing "With The Saints I think we hit the ground running in a lot of ways and those records still stand up To tie in with the November release of the box set Kuepper and original drummer Ivor Hay are going out on the road under the name The Saints '73-'78 playing songs from (I'm) Stranded as well as 1978's Eternally Yours and Prehistoric Sounds Also in the band are The Sunnyboys' Peter Oxley Bad Seed Mick Harvey and Mudhoney's Mark Arm The response was good enough to sell out shows in Sydney Melbourne and Brisbane and also see extra dates added including one at Anita's Theatre in Thirroul "We weren't sure [about the shows] because it's a really tough touring time," he said "There are so many bands out there touring we were seriously looking at maybe postponing it We started fairly cautiously with seven shows to see how it would go and I think it's sort of doubled." The band had a dose of extraordinarily good timing with the release of their first single - the title track from (I'm) Stranded was released in late 1976 right at the start of punk in the UK This band from Brisbane had beaten the likes of The Sex Pistols and The Clash to vinyl with some calling (I'm) Stranded the first ever punk single In a time before music streaming it was impossible to be up to date with the new sounds coming out of the UK So Kuepper doesn't really know how the band's sound managed to fit in quite nicely with this new movement called punk "It wasn't like we had any kind of inkling about what was going on in the world," he said The sounds are sort of here in your head and that's what you want to try and create so it's a constant striving for something that you're not quite hearing anywhere else a couple of years after The Saints started was beneficial for us "We didn't ever call ourselves a punk band or anything because it was sort of like a UK invention in a lot of ways And we'd been doing what we were doing for quite some time prior to that then we probably would not have been as fortunate as we were to be able to record those three albums." The Saints '73-'78 perform at Anita's Theatre Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueClassy five-eighth Jarrod Boyle was the architect of the Butchers commanding 32-18 elimination final win having a hand in all seven tries scored by the home side Thirroul could have won by much more had they not missed five of their seven conversion attempts most of which were easier to miss than get In saying that Jarrod Costello's team never looked like losing after racing to a 18-0 halftime lead on the back of four tries laid on by the mercurial playmaker Boyle In a game played in summer-type conditions the Butchers were just as ruthless early in the second half as Boyle continued to have his way setting up three more tries for Thirroul to take the home side to a 32-0 lead with less than 20 minutes to play Last season's beaten grand finalists Collegians found some late joy with tries to Samuel McCann with Damon New slotting all three conversion attempts with that man Boyle at the heart of everything good the Butchers did with five of the seven tries scored by Thirroul resulting from a sumptuous Boyle kick The first try of the game came after only four minutes when the usually safe Collegians fullback Alec Reid spilled a towering Boyle bomb allowing Thirroul winger Bryden Rutledge to scoop up the ball and dive over for the first of his two tries for the match this time putting through a lovely grubber for prop Kristian Williams to score his first of two tries for the match He wasn't done for the half throwing a lovely short pass for hard-working backrower Toby Huxley to crash over late in the first half Huxley added a second early in the second half with Boyle again instrumental throwing the last pass for the workhorse to dive over for his second of the match Boyle though played down his brilliance post-match saying the Butchers middles created all the space for him to do all his magic Hayden Crosland and Tyrell Fuimaono almost unstoppable at times There was no rest for Collies defence with Jarrod Costello then bringing on just as damaging forwards in Sione Afemui and Kaleb Hocking with the latter doing well midway through the second half to skip past Reid and score a try which bought the house down "Look our middles laid the platform and I was kicking on the front foot all day then none of those tries come," Boyle said "I can only be as good as the momentum we've got before the kick and the boys dominated today They just made a platform and we just kept on steam rolling them We went in with a game plan to match their middles who have been the pinnacle of the competition for the last 10 years or so "We knew that if we could get a good 20 minutes from our middles no one could match our bench Our bench is the difference in this competition." The talented half's assessment was spot on on Saturday with Afemui and Hocking devastating when they came on midway through the first and again in the second stanza Boyle added the fact the Butchers were all healthy and firing added to the team's belief they were more than capable of going back-to-back "We've always had belief we have what it takes to win another grand final "It's a long grind and it's been a difficult season but we've put ourselves in a good spot to go all the way "We will rest up and see who we play but whoever it is The Butchers journey to another title will see them play the loser of Sunday's major qualifying final between minor premiers De La Salle and Wests Devils at Forshaw Oval Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueEmotional coach ecstatic after Wests down Thirroul in Illawarra Rugby League deciderAn emotional Peter McLeod struggled to hold back the tears after watching his Western Suburbs Devils secure their first Illawarra Rugby League premiership since 2018 The Devils won their first grand final in six years after downing a gallant Thirroul Butchers on Sunday tat WIN Stadium The McLeod-coached Wests fought back from 12-0 down to secure a 31-20 grand final victory much to the joy of their thousands of fans at WIN Stadium The victory for McLeod's chargers denied Thrroul the opportunity of breaking a club 150-year record of winning back-to-back grand finals Instead the Butchers can take solace from almost winning a title from fourth-spot two years running Near misses in the recent past - such as a loss in the 2023 semi-final against Thirroul and a defeat in the 2022 grand final against Collegians - inspired Wests to secure a thrilling grand final win An emotional McLeod struggled to fight back the tears after the game "This means so much to a lot of guys," the Wests coach said "A lot of blokes have been here a long time that really deserve that I think six unanswered tries or five unanswered tries Thirroul started like a house on fire and quickly jumped out to a 12-0 lead after just 14 minutes of play View +16 PhotosPictures by Adam McLeanButchers legend Jarrod Boyle had a hand in his team's first try after halfback Tarje Whitford was on hand to score after regathering Boyle's brilliant grubber into the in-goal Josh Martin duly converted to see Thirroul lead 6-0 Five minutes later the Butchers doubled their lead when second-rower Toby Huxley barged over under the posts Wests had been starved of possession at that point but slowly fought their way back into the contest The Devils though lost the services of lock Levi Pascoe who limped off midway through the first half with a leg injury His replacement Dylan Lauri though made an almost instant impression when he broke free in the Butchers' 20 metre zone and despite the best efforts of Thirroul fullback Dane Courtney With time almost running out in the opening 40 minutes the Devils did well to score their second try of the match They were presented the opportunity after a Thirroul error forced a scrum. From the resulting scrum Chisholm ran across field before hooking up with his winger Jy Hitchcook who ran across to the other side and after a few pair of hands the ball found the other flying winger Colby Pellow who dove in to score wide in the right corner Western Suburbs players celebrate scoring a try in their grand final win over Thirroul Butchers at WIN Stadium on Sunday Picture by Adam McLeanThis was the final play of the half with the Butchers heading to the halftime break with a slight 12-10 advantage "I just thought if we could get our fair share of possession they're done well and I've led in grand finals too and been run down so we just needed to get our fair share of possession "And then we had to ice it and there was a few big plays by some big players there that did I can't single any of them really but I thought Dylan Lauri changed the game when he came on It was the Devils which started the brighter in the second half and took their first lead of the game when Hitchcock scored in the 44th minute The Peter McLeod-coached side then dominated and could have conceivably extended their lead but Hitchcock to pass inside to a flying Chisholm who had an open tryline Momentum then shifted slightly as ill-discipline costs Wests The last infringement was 10 metres away from their line and in front of the posts allowing Martin to kick the penalty goal and level proceedings at 14-all with just over 30 minutes to play Wests talented young five-eighth Kade Reed though gave the advantage back to the Devils in the 61st with a brilliant piece of play which saw him grubber though and regather the ball to score under the posts Chisholm added the two see Wests skip to a 20-14 lead A limping George Jennings then crossed for the Devils fifth try of the match which was converted by Chisholm to extend the Devils lead to 12 points with 14 minutes to play The Butchers refused to lie down though with Bradly Deitz try again reducing the deficit to only six-points with 8.50 minutes on the clock Inspirational Wests half Chisholm though then cooly slotted a field-goal with just under five minutes left to see the Devils up 27-20 Dylan Palmer-Quigg iced the win with a try in the dying stages much to the pleasure of player-of-the-match Dane Chisholm "We came in having won five on the trot I think but just to grind that one out was fantastic "It was the toughest 25 minutes that first 25 minutes the boys just stuck with it and then we ended up scoring a few tries and applied a bit of scoreboard pressure and I think our middles and especially our bench done an amazing job "Thirroul did a great job but we hung tough and got the win we've got the double so I expect a party at Parrish Park tonight." Picture suppliedForget worrying about the threats of artificial intelligence it's artificial stupidity you should be more worried about 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 areaContinueThis simple premise will be pondered, poked and laughed at when Ben Elton comes to the Illawarra during a national tour in 2025 The British comedian, actor and author is on his way to Australia for a nine-date tour, which includes swinging by Anita's Theatre on March 28 While some people say artificial intelligence is an existential threat set to challenge the very existence of humans and make their life meaningless Picture by Trevor LeightonAI is not the greatest threat that we face "We need signs to tell us to step off escalators we elect gibbering fools to lead us and now we've invented artificial intelligence which is actually going to replace us," he said "I've spent 45 years in comedy exploring the outer limits of human idiocy and my mission has never been more timely Tickets are on sale for the Authentic Stupidity Tour at 9am on Tuesday Pre-sale tickets for Live Nation members are on sale at 10am on Monday To book visit benelton.live. Picture by Anthony TurnerA heavily pregnant woman was rescued from a rip and lifesavers were dramatically pulled from the ocean amid a search for a missing swimmer after a shark was spotted nearby during a hectic long weekend on the beaches Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueMany thousands of people flocked to the coast during the warm weather with dozens getting into difficulty and needing help while a 65-year-old man drowned at Pambula Beach on the Far South Coast on Monday Emergency services were called to Bulli Beach at 3.30pm on Monday following a report of a possible missing swimmer "A member of the public saw someone swimming off the back of the rockpools and turned around and then they couldn't see them again," Surf Life Saving Illawarra's Anthony Turner said air and sea search was commenced by lifesavers and lifeguards on jet skis and inflatable rescue boats for over one hour." Suddenly the rescue helicopter spotted a shark swimming less than 100 metres away from lifesavers in the water Lifesavers were pulled in from the water and only those on boats allowed to continue searching The search was called off after an hour when nobody was found and no missing person report was received was a four-person incident at Thirroul Beach about 3pm on Saturday and two children were in distress at the unpatrolled northern end of the beach They were rescued by members of the public and given oxygen therapy by lifeguards and lifesavers lifesavers conducted a mass rescue of seven people at Austinmer Beach after they became stuck in a flash rip and were swept 150 metres out to sea a rock fisher who was not wearing a lifejacket was washed into the ocean at Hill 60 in Port Kembla He was rescued by Pork Kembla lifesavers in an inflatable rescue boat lifesavers and paramedics provided first aid to a male teenager with a suspected spinal injury Austinmer and Thirroul lifesavers were involved in mass rescues returning multiple people to shore safely on rescue boards inflatable rescue boats and jet skis," Mr Turner said "Austinmer lifesavers carried out a number of first aid cases including a female falling injuring her lower back a teenager falling at the rock pool resulting in a head injury there were 22 rescues over the long weekend An estimated 10,200 people flocked to those beaches over the three days there were 64 rescues at beaches from Stanwell Park to Windang and we had a bunch of rips and a lot of people visiting who don't have experience or surf skills," Kiama Surf Club's Ben George said Dozens of people were treated for blue bottle stings across the long weekend Windang lifesavers responded to a boat drifting with no power at Windang The vessel and its male occupant were towed to the boat ramp Mr Turner urged people to only swim at patrolled beaches and to download the Beachsafe app for beach safety information. Picture by Anna WarrA Thirroul intersection will get the lion's share of $3.6 million in NSW government funding for Wollongong roads "With $202 million to target and improve safety on roads in our regional areas lives will be saved," Regional Transport and Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said "These upgrades will make our roads safer for all road users and this investment will go a long way towards achieving the goal of ensuring everyone gets home safely every time to their loved ones "The projects under this program vary in size but the really important thing they have in common is that they will all improve the safety of the people driving on them." Four Wollongong projects have been funded, with $2.4 million going to the Raymond Road-Lawrence Hargrave Drive intersection at Thirroul for the construction of a raised safety platform A Transport for NSW spokesperson said the project aimed to "enhance the safety for pedestrians and motorists" "The intersection on Lawrence Hargrave Drive at Raymond Road in Thirroul exhibits a high pedestrian and traffic volume activity due to a number of schools with pedestrians often travelling to and from the nearby train station," the spokesperson said A raised safety platform would create a slight ramp on the approaches to the intersection not dissimilar to a wombat crossing which features a raised ramp heading into a zebra crossing $666,000 will go towards safety improvements at the Corrimal-Crown street intersection "This will include developing plans to install a raised safety platform throughout the existing signalised intersection to reduce the speeds of vehicles travelling through the intersection and raise the awareness of drivers to the high pedestrian numbers in the area," the spokeswoman said A stretch of the Appin Road at Cataract will get $300,000 to help planning for safety improvements "which will include a full containment safety barrier along Appin Road from around three kilometres north of the M1 to the existing median separation located east of the Wollongong/Wollondilly LGA boundary" The fourth project to land funding is work on safety improvements along Bourke Street between the Princes Highway and Cliff Road a route safety review is proposed to study the existing and future crash trends along Bourke Street and look at locations to improve pedestrian safety and upgrade conflict points between vehicles we've just launched a new site and most of our old links have changed Top image: House being moved across the Point Street railway bridge at Bulli From the collections of Wollongong City Libraries and the Illawarra Historical Society We show our respect and acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Dharawal Country and extend that respect to other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People (02) 4227 7414 Library hours and locations Wollongong City Libraries is a service of Wollongong City Council Picture by Adam McLeanThe streets of Thirroul are embedded into Hedley Privett's DNA so too is the suburb's fire station and trucks Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueFor 47 years he's responded to thousands of calls for help from his community and in the process has saved lives and livelihoods Taking off his firefighting gear and hanging up his helmet for the final time has been a hard decision but The 65-year-old has lived a couple of doors up from the first station his whole life he reminisced during his recent retirement celebration Fire and Rescue NSW Thirroul Captain Hedley Privett stands in front of the station's photo board of memories on August 1, 2024. Picture by Adam McLeanHis links to the station date back to when he was a primary schooler "I'd been coming down for a number of years opening the doors to the old station and answering the phone," he said In those days the station's doors weren't locked and when he heard the siren on top of the station ringing to alert firefighters of an emergency he'd rush down and open the garage doors for them so they could get the fire trucks out quicker The firefighters were so grateful they'd invite him to their Christmas dinners to say thanks Hedley joined the station in an official capacity Firefighters Garth Swann, Sian Crinis, Captain Hedley Privett, Chris Kubara, Lachlan Pritchard and Mark Maher at Thirroul Fire Station ahead of its open day celebrations on May 13, 2019. Picture by Adam McLeanWhile some Fire and Rescue NSW stations are manned 24 hours a day work regular jobs and get paged to attend emergency call outs he worked as a primary school teacher during the day and was a paid firefighter at night and on the weekends House fires and car accidents are always challenging incidents He's also been deployed to his fair share of bushfires over the years and his biggest structure fire was Thirroul Leagues Club in 1977 and it burnt the auditorium and part of the club down "It was a large area on fire in a building it was an auditorium probably the size of two or three houses." Decades of experience means he doesn't get nervous or scared during emergencies "You take these things in your stride and that's what you're trained for Some people are running out and you're going in," he said He's been called to lots of accidents on Bulli Pass but thankfully during his time he's also rescued cats and birds The strangest job he attended was two dogs stuck behind a wall in a garage The year before his retirement, Captain Privett helped organise Thirroul Fire Station's 100th birthday with a barbecue and awards ceremony. Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Zone Commander Illawarra Peter Church (front left) and Thirroul Fire Station Captain Hedley Privett (front right) with other Thirroul firefighters during the station's 100th birthday celebrations in June 2023. Picture by Adam McLeanThe biggest change during his almost 50 years in the job has been technology. When he started firefighters used an old Bedford truck with the gear consisting of not much more than a standpipe, a few hoses and a wooden ladder you had to assemble for each use. Captain Privett said modern personal protective gear is keeping firefighters much safer, and these days thermal imaging cameras, gas detectors and drones are commonplace at emergency calls. His job as a teacher was much harder than being a firefighter, he laughs, and now that he's retired from both the grandfather to 16 children has a lot planned. He's received an offer to become a volunteer firefighter with the NSW Rural Fire Service, but he's politely declined so he can work on his house, walk his dog more often, and get back into his racing pigeons. "I'm hoping to get back into it a bit more than I have been," he said of his love of the racing birds. He's also looking forward to a bit of rest and won't miss the late-night call outs, but he will miss the friendships. Pictures suppliedEmma Watkins has been everywhere in Australia as Emma Memma Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueAcross to Perth and down to Hobart and Launceston plus everywhere in between But, bringing the Boop and Twirl tour to Thirroul is a homecoming of sorts for Watkins who lives "up the hill" in Robertson "It feels even more relaxed in a way," she said "I think to be able to do performances close to home .. where you'll see people in the shops and they're like 'When are you going to come to perform here?' and so you feel like you're finally coming home to perform for your family." The Boop and Twirl tour will perform two shows on Sunday the second time Emma Memma has performed in Thirroul "I think we can already feel the excitement because people have come the first year and now they're bringing along friends." Since last performing in Thirroul, Watkins has released a new Emma Memma album "I think people had been waiting for more songs "We always want to make sure that we do our best and give out new songs and dances that people really like." So far the reception to the new songs has been very positive according to Watkins and seeing audiences react to them has been exciting "For people to sing and dance to them for the first time is something really special and I think that surprise is what people have waited for this year." Watkins hopes people "love the new songs" and says one of the most "gorgeous" parts of the show is being tagged on social media after the show "When people post photos or videos of their children but generally when they go home," Watkins said "So many of our little audience which is preschool focused they end up performing it to their families "So we receive heaps of tags afterwards where the children are re-performing the show after the show or a week later or a month later and those kinds of performances are just lovely." Part of Boop and Twirl will be finding the best Dance Dad in Thirroul "We have a new song in the show called Dance Dad and it's a moment for all the dads to show us their dance moves," Watkins said "We give all the dads different words like a challenge so we might say a flamingo and then we have to dance like it "Then we actually award the best dance dad with a hat One of the things Watkins is passionate about is incorporating Australian Sign Language into the show "Our whole Emma Memma show is an authentic integration of sign language "We want to give children and their families multiple ways to enjoy the show and also receive the information." Childhood friends who were deaf inspired Watkins as she so wanted to communicate with them "Fifteen years being children's entertainment .. and I realised that so much of my life wasn't accessible to the people that I was friends with." The desire to improve accessibility led to Watkins completing her PhD in philosophy where her research was focused on integrating sign language creatively something she hopes will help parents and children alike "The reality is 95 per cent of deaf children that are born in the world .. they're born to hearing parents," Watkins said we don't yet have a national curriculum where it's compulsory for every school to learn sign language." Watkins says she thinks often about what would happen if people were in an accident and English is not part of their vocabulary "So that essentially has been the pursuit of Emma Memma to try and integrate more visual language in everything that we so there are more avenues for people to take in the information." Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueThe Butchers leapfrogged Collegians into second spot on for and against after a clinical 36-4 win over the Dogs at Thomas Gibson Park Thirroul and Collegians are now on 16 competition points who were comprehensively beaten 34-6 by the visiting Western Suburbs Devils at Captain Cook Oval on Saturday Wests are now in fourth-spot with 14 points though the Devils and De La Salle have a game in hand to play on the other four clubs who have each played 13 games The Mercury was at Thomas Gibson Park to watch the home side Thirroul put on a clinic against the outclassed Collies. The Butchers never looked like losing after heading to the halftime sheds with a 20-nil lead Thirroul actually led 36-0 late in the game and looked like they would keep the visitors scoreless only for substitute back Toby Rumble to pick up a loose ball and run 80 metres untouched to score a try with just three minutes remaining Thirroul coach Jarrod Costello said that was one of the Butchers best performances all season "Really happy with that but actually a little disappointed to concede that last try where our kick-chase was poor but apart from that I thought we were really good today Costello was spot on with the Butchers racing to a 6-0 lead after just six minutes courtesy of a try to Hayden Crosland which was converted by Josh Martin Thirroul centre Jye Patterson then crossed for his first of two tries for the match before clever five-eighth Jarrod Doyle also scored his first of two tries for the match to guide the home side to a 20-0 halftime lead Thirroul "It really was a great performance by us," Costello said "The conditions weren't great last week but we felt like we let ourselves down against Wests "We pride ourselves on winning out here at Thirroul so the guys were determined to play well and get the start right and sort of be more dominant through the middle The coach added the win was extra pleasing considering how close the competition is "Every win is important and it's tight so we had to get that one done today I'm really pleased with the guys' efforts but we need to back that up We have got Dapto two weeks in a row and they're really close to us on the table "We've got a big couple of weeks coming up so we'll enjoy this but take those positives and build on it next week." Having picked up five from a possible six points in their three home games against De La Salle Thirroul is now looking to win away from home before returning to play the Canaries at Thomas Gibson Park in two weeks time "We wanted six points out of six but we ended up with five but we're really happy with the guys' efforts," Costello said "Jarrod Boyle was really good and it was probably the best game Brad Dietz has played for us so far "I thought Tyrell [Fuimaono] was outstanding in the middle and [Jye] Patterson was also really good We had a lot of real key contributors across the park Meantime Dapto Canaries beat Corrimal Cougars 44-22 in the other round 13 fixture on Saturday at Dapto Showground left and Lilly Pollard at the Good for the Gong event at Thirroul Picture by Joel EhsmanGood for the Gong has hosted an event in Thirroul to discuss why offshore wind could be good for the local economy and environment Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueThe Thirroul Community Centre car park was out of space as members of the community arrived at the event which hosted screenings of the films Great Ocean Love and Walanbaa Ngiiyani | Stronger Together The screenings came the day after the closure of the Senate Inquiry on the Offshore Wind Consultation Process but the event wasn't designed around the inquiry according to Bulli local Sophia Walter "I think the Senate inquiry is an opportunity to draw attention to the way that disinformation really thwarted consultation in our community," she said "I think the consultation process was reasonable here but I do think that opponents sought to make it really hard for the community to hear the facts." 14,200 public submissions were received during the public consultation on the offshore wind plan Ms Walter said she wanted the community to celebrate offshore wind as a good thing for nature "It's a really good thing for our community in terms of benefits that it will bring "I think sometimes there's a bit of a squeaky minority that are against the offshore wind proposal "We've talked to thousands of people in the community and we're finding that almost everyone we talk to is either really supportive of offshore wind or they don't have a strong view about it." a panel discussed why offshore win could be good for the community if held to high standards Lily Pollard who is featured in Great Ocean Love is a local professional bodyboarder who says she considers herself "an environmental advocate" "I think the idea of anti-wind is quite intimidating but I think it's important that we have these conversations," she said "I think in the end everyone cares about the environment on both sides and we're trying to work out a solution for energy that has the least impact "I'm a yes for offshore wind but a cautious yes because I think it is important it is done properly with feasibility studies." Ms Pollard said seeing so many members of the community showing up on a "beautiful sunny day" was great "People are open to hearing stories and hearing ideas and hearing the facts come together and have a discussion and figure it out." Joining Ms Pollard on the panel was Michelle Voyer from the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security and local university student Anna Feldtmann the president of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition at the University of Wollongong Ms Feldtmann says every action can help the climate "What you do in the climate space doesn't have to be anything big or significant," she said "Everyday things like recycling or joining local groups and supporting movements that align with yourself climate jobs or just any of the campaigns going on right now." Seeing the strong community response was "empowering" for Ms Feldtmann "Very encouraging to keep on going because there's people that also fight with me and have my back at the same time," she said "I hope people realise how connected all these things are We have to protect our species and nature all together "I think it's very important to know that there's someone else there."