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All The Exciting Events At The Coogee Beach Rd Street Fiesta

The Coogee Beach Road street fiesta is a FREE event where everyone is welcome… pets included! Here are some of the things to look forward to in this exciting street party.

Read: Piece of Local History: Randwick General Cemetery and the Notable People Buried Here

Live Entertainment

Full of fun and dancing with a Latino theme, the event will provide entertainment that includes performances from roving artists, performers and DJs.

Enjoy the sultry sounds of Cuba, Brazil and Latin America mixed with some new and emerging songwriters and acoustic performances.

DJ Fasmwa will provide the music, there will be capoeira, Brazilian drumming and dancers, reggae music by Kool Vibration and Club Havana will close the night with their Latino beats.

Family fun zone

Children are welcome to come and join in the fun. There will also be a kid’s zone where you can have some fun with your little ones. Aside from an area for kids, there will also be an area provided for pets.

Delicious food and drinks

Other local businesses will be offering their regular menus. Plus, there will be dining zones and seating so that you can enjoy something to eat and drink.

There will also be temporary licenced areas at selected locations. The responsible service of alcohol will be practiced.

Save the Date!

What	Coogee Beach Road street fiesta
Where	Coogee Bay Road (between Brook Street and Arden Street)
When	Saturday 4 June 2022

The Coogee Beach Road street fiesta is part of NSW’s ‘Your Street, Your Party’ series that are taking place across Sydney in May and June.

The event is brought by Investment NSW and the Randwick City Council. For more details about the event, visit investment.nsw.gov.au.

Coogee To Take Part In Single-use Plastic Ban

Coogee has been named as the sixth most sustainable suburb in Sydney, in terms of environmental concern based on the latest insights of Research Data Alliance (RDA).

Read: Wylie’s Baths in Coogee Now Solar-Powered!

As one of its commitments towards sustainability, the suburb will be taking part in the implementation of the NSW-wide ban on single-use plastic items, starting Wednesday, 1 June 2022.

plastic ban — Photo credit: NSW Government

The single-use plastic items that will be banned in NSW include:

Lightweight plastic bags (From June 2022)

From November 2022:

Single-use plastic straws, stirrers and cutlery
Single-use plastic bowls and plates
Expanded polystyrene food service items
Single-use plastic cotton buds and microbeads in certain personal care products

Based on the Plastics and Circular Economy Act 2021, businesses will no longer be able to supply these items and customers will no longer be able to receive them, including when buying takeaway food.

The legislation was developed based on input from over 16,000 individuals, with around 98 per cent supporting the phase-out of single-use plastics.

plastic earbuds — Photo credit: moritz320/Pixabay

Plastic packaging and single-use plastic items make up 60 per cent of all litter in NSW. According to the State Government, these bans will prevent nearly 2.7 billion plastic items from entering the coastal, marine and bushland environments of NSW over the next 20 years.

Consumers are being encouraged to use alternatives, such as a reusable shopping bag when going out or a paper bag instead of lightweight plastic bags and wooden cutlery instead of the plastic ones.

reusable cuttlery — Photo credit: NSW Government

Meanwhile, RDA’s Human Motivations and Sustainability Survey suggests that there are three different approaches to sustainability–environmental concern, sustainable purchases, and sustainability actions.

Environmental concern is the belief that climate change is the most important threat we face today and that protecting the environment is more important than creating jobs.

The top five suburbs on the list are Bondi Beach, Bondi, North Bondi, Forest Lodge, and Clovelly.

The RDA Research highlighted that this feeling is tied to having “Most Environmentally Friendly” as a key buying driver and these individuals are prepared to pay extra for products that don’t harm the environment.

Coogee Surf Life Saving Club Holds Inaugural RunSwim Coogee Aquathlon

Coogee Surf Life Saving Club is launching RunSwim Coogee Aquathlon, a new sporting event that aims to help with the acquisition and maintenance of lifesaving equipment and promote physical fitness.

On Sunday, 1st May 2022, RunSwim Coogee Aquathlon will begin at 7:00 a.m., combining multiple runs and swims from Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk, as well as along Clovelly Bay, Gordons Bay, and Coogee Bay.

START TIME	EVENT CATEGORY
07:30am	Elite (those who run 5km under 20min)
07:35am	Competitors who run 5km in 21 – 25min
07:45am	Competitors who run 5km in 26 – 30min
07:55am	Competitors who run 5km in 31 – 35min
08:05am	Competitors who run 5km in 36 – 40min
08:15am	Competitors who run 5km in 41 – 45min

So far, more than 400 have already signed up for this exciting challenge and fundraiser whilst more are expected to join on the day of the event. Those new to the event are advised to wear good running shoes, which they can choose to remove once they enter Coogee Beach.

“For the first swim in Clovelly, this is just a short 200m swim and as you enter and exit at different ends of the bay, you need to swim with shoes on,” Coogee SLSC stated.

“This is followed by a short 400m run to the dive ramp in Gordons Bay for the 2nd swim and it is here that you will still need shoes as there are many rocks to walk over before you start this swim.

“Then when you exit the water at the beach end, you will have 1 last run leg to the northern end of Coogee Beach and therefore this 1km run would be wearing your wet shoes.

RunSwim Coogee Aquathlon — Photo Credit: Coogee Surf Life Saving Club/Facebook

“However, when you enter Coogee Beach at the northern end, you have the choice of removing your shoes before you start the final 1km swim. After crossing the finish in the centre of the beach, you will need to make your way over to the northern end to then collect your shoes and please note, we do not take responsibility for your shoes at this location.”

Coogee SLSC will also have marshals in place across the entire course, and detour route to provide a safe environment for the public and competitors alike.

Per Coogee SLSC, “No less than 80 surf lifesaving volunteers will be on the course and at every key location to keep competitors on the correct route along with water safety in all 3 bays to include board paddlers and rescue boats.”

Parts of the public spaces will be temporarily closed, as approved by the Council, to give way to the participants. Specifically, sections of the corner of Major & Moore Streets, Gordons Bay through to the Clovelly Carpark will be inaccessible from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Instead, a detour will be in place on Moore Street, Beach Street, Battery Street and Melrose Parade.

Alison Road in Coogee Now On the Road to Recovery

Work will soon begin on a section of Alison Road in Coogee, to address cracking and stripping and will include fixing sunken and dilapidated sections of kerb and gutter.

The project, part of the Roads to Recovery program, will entail heavy patching on the pavement and the reconstruction of dilapidated areas, including displaced footpath slabs.

Work on this project is expected to be completed in mid-2022.

The Roads to Recovery Program aims to support ongoing improvements and maintenance of national local road infrastructure assets, such as Alison Road, for safer access to commuters.

“Roads to Recovery Program allocations for the councils in each jurisdiction are determined on the basis of the recommendations of the Local Government Grants Commissions in each state and the Northern Territory for the roads component of the Financial Assistance Grants” the Federal Government stated.

“Under the Roads to Recovery Program, direct funding to local councils is distributed according to a formula based on population and road length set by the Local Government Grants Commissions in each state and the Northern Territory. Each council’s Roads to Recovery allocation is fixed for the life of the Program.”

Since 2013, Randwick City Council’s public roads have achieved a “very strong” rating from the Division of Local Government and have remained among the top three councils in Sydney with good roads, footpaths, buildings, and drains.

[Update: Cancelled] Coogee Island Challenge for Autumn 2022 is On!

Editor’s note: The event has been cancelled due to the weather. Please read the statement from the organisers.

Coogee Island Challenge, the bi-annual ocean swim at Coogee Beach, is on once again! Mounted by the Coogee Surf Life Saving Club, this event has been running for more than 20 years and continues to attract more participants to raise more funds each year.

As with the previous challenges, this year’s swim, to be held on Sunday, 10 April 2022, will be divided into three: 800m Junior Dash for 8 to 12-year-old kids, 1km swim across the bay, and the 2.4km swim around Wedding Cake Island.

“There’s nothing quite like swimming around Wedding Cake Island and crossing the finish line after conquering the sometimes challenging ocean conditions off Coogee Beach.”

TIME	EVENT
7:30 a.m.	Registration (Late registration fees will apply)
8:30 a.m.	800m Junior Dash (10-12 years of age)
9:15 a.m.	1km Splash n Dash (min age 13 yrs)
10:00 a.m.	2.4km Coogee Island Challenge (min age 13 yrs)

Participants, staff, and volunteers are expected to be fully vaccinated. There are over 200 volunteer surf lifesavers to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants.

“We have a significant number of surf rescue assets on the water and in the air, both from surf lifesaving and the Randwick Council lifeguards, which includes multiple rescue boats and jet skis along with the Westpac Rescue Helicopter on call. This is backed up with a large number of surf lifesavers on the water throughout the course.”

Coogee Honours Pandemic’s Unsung Heroes Through Art

Despite the threat of COVID-19 in their daily lives, there are individuals who showed tremendous effort to keep society going during the pandemic. Coogee is honouring these are the unsung heroes in banners all around town.

Read: Amenities Upgrades Planned at Dunningham Reserve in Coogee

The banners, which feature doctors, nurses, paramedics, police, health care workers, cleaners and the humble council worker, are a testament to the resilience and commitment of the workers who have kept the community together throughout the pandemic.

They were painted by local artist Sandra Cipriotti who released her project called The Fabric of Society in collaboration with Randwick City Council.

Covid heroes honoured in Coogeehttps://t.co/rhillp8S2x
— Randwick Council (@RandwickCouncil) March 17, 2022

Mayor Dylan Parker said the artworks mark the tremendous efforts of all those who have worked throughout the COVID pandemic.

Artist Sandra Cipriotti said the artwork is about paying tribute.

“The Fabric of Society is a colourful tribute to the thousands of nameless heroes whose bravery and resilience has underpinned our response to the pandemic.

“I think everyone can relate to the homage to the persistence of life which is what the Aussie spirit is all about,” she said.

The project was funded through the Council’s Community Creative Investment Program, which aims to support the growth of creativity within Randwick City by funding a range of projects, programs and activities that provide opportunities for individual creative practitioners, groups or organisations to connect communities and showcase creative arts and culture within the city.

The banners will be up in Coogee until 3 April 2022.

Workers’ compensation for COVID-19

NSW has amended its workers compensation laws to specifically address Covid-19. Under the Workers Compensation Act, those who contracted Covid-19 at work can claim workers’ compensation.

It applies to a long list of industries, particularly those that cannot possibly be done at home, such as the health sector, police and emergency services, ambulance officers, educational institutions, including pre-schools, schools and tertiary institutions, cleaning industry, and those who work in restaurants and cafes.

Wylie’s Baths in Coogee Now Solar-Powered!

Wylie’s Baths in Coogee, one of Sydney’s oldest and most beautiful ocean tidal pools, now has a new solar powered system, allowing the facility to significantly reduce its CO2 emissions and overall carbon footprint.

The installation of 35 12.25-kW panels will provide Wylie’s Baths’ visitors with clean green energy that is equivalent to the reduction of about five cars on the road. It will also save the facility some $5,000 per year in utility bills.

The Coogee tidal pool solar project is an offshoot of the Solar My Suburb initiative which has the full support of the various Councils in Randwick, Waverley, and Woollahra.

Solar My Suburb is open to any organisation providing community services within the Eastern Suburbs such as sport clubs, RSL clubs, bowling clubs, synagogues, hospitals, churches, charities and other community organisations with a ‘not for profit’ status. These organisations may be assisted in securing government incentives and grants to fund the cost of their solar systems. The assessment process takes 6 to 12 months.

Those who join the program will also get the following benefits:

Get free expert advice valued at over $6,000
Save money on energy bills
Access to cheaper green energy
Reduce your organisations’ carbon footprint
Demonstrate leadership to members, patrons, and community

Additionally, Eastern Suburbs locals may also check the Council’s specific initiatives to get solar power in homes or businesses:

Randwick Council	Sustainability Rebates Program
Waverley Council	Solar My Strata Program
Woollahra Council	Apartment & Strata Energy Savings Program

It comes as the Councils commit to run 100 per cent solar energy in many of its operating public sites through a deal brokered by Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (SSROC) with ZEN Energy. The agreement will commence by 1 July 2022 until 2026.

“This is a landmark energy deal for local government. As electricity usage makes up about 60% of our total greenhouse gas emissions, this is a significant step in reducing our emissions as we transition to net zero emissions,” Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker said.

“It shows the collective power of local government to work together to deliver real savings and sustainability benefits for our communities.

“It also delivers on our goal of procuring 100% renewable energy three years ahead of our target date.”

Coogee Pedestrian Crossing Upgrades to Focus on Schoolchildren’s Safety

Accidents will be prevented and lives will be saved as some 29 locations near school areas, including four sites in Coogee, have received funding for pedestrian crossing upgrades to improve the children’s safety on the streets.

Construction for these pedestrian crossing upgrades has started in 2021 with Howard Street, near Lee Street in Coogee, receiving the project’s first completed new raised pedestrian (wombat) crossing. This will benefit the children attending Coogee Public School, Randwick Girls High School, and Brigidine College.

Per Randwick City Council, wombat crossings are like zebra crossings but are built upon a raised platform so motorists can reduce the speed of their vehicles whilst traversing the crossing. Studies prove that wombat crossings substantially lower the potential for fatal or serious injuries to pedestrians.

Completed, Howard Street
Photo Credit: RCC

Three more pedestrian crossing upgrades are expected for the below sites in Coogee for the rest of 2022, whilst other upgrades are also underway in Randwick, Maroubra, and Clovelly:

WHERE	SCHOOL
Oberon Street & Higgs Street	Coogee Public School Rainbow Public School Randwick Boy’s High School Randwick Girl’s High School
Rainbow Street (at Ellen Street and Hendy Avenue)	Coogee Public School
Bream Street (at Mount Street)	Coogee Public School

Concept Plan for Rainbow Street
Photo Credit: RCC

Randwick City Council received a $4.375M grant under the Federal Stimulus Road Safety Program School Zones Project to ensure that these upgrades are completed.

Per the Federal Government: “The Road Safety Program is delivering lifesaving road safety treatments on rural and regional roads and providing better protection for vulnerable road users like cyclists and pedestrians in urban areas who will see greater protections through road safety upgrades to include traffic calming, separated cycle-ways, and the installation of raised pedestrian crossings.”

Amenities Upgrades Planned at Dunningham Reserve in Coogee

Plans are underway to upgrade the amenities at the Dunningham Reserve in Coogee, particularly at the lower promenade by the Coogee Beach, where a temporary toilet was installed nearly a decade ago.

Randwick City Council is planning to build a new unisex toilet to replace the temporary installation from 2013, which does not have a wheelchair or pram access. The temporary toilets were replacements as well for the older toilet block demolished in 2009.

The planned building will be a modular, pre-fabricated design that will reduce the time and cost of construction.

Aside from the construction of a new and more accessible toilet, the Council is also planning to include a communal hand wash basin and replace the overhead powerlines with a permanent power connection in the area. A sandstone retaining wall will also be added to create level access to the new amenities.

Council is asking the public for feedback to further improve the plans for the upgrades. The consultation will be open until Sunday, 6 March 2022.

Have Your Say

Post consultation, locals may also send in their comments and suggestions about the Dunningham Reserve upgrades to council@randwick.nsw.gov.au or to 30 Frances Street, Randwick 2031.

Located at the northern headland of Coogee Beach, the Dunningham Reserve offers a spectacular view of the ocean, making it a popular destination for recreation and exercise. The park’s facilities also include picnic shelters and drinking fountains.

Within reserve was the site of the former Giles Gym, which was demolished in 2000. It now serves as a memorial site for the Bali bombing in 2002 and the Dolphin Point memorial for members of the Coogee Dolphins Football Club who died in the bombing.

Locals Concerned About ‘Unrestricted’ Trailer Parking In Coogee

Photo credit: Lisa Fotios/Pexels

Trailer parking in Coogee has caused some tension among residents and boat and truck owners who park their trailers and caravans on the streets for extended periods of time.

Read: Amendments Addressing Community Issues Asked from Coogee Bay Hotel Redevelopment

Based on NSW Parking Regulations, trailers such as boat trailers, box trailers, and caravans may be parked at any location, provided that there are no signposted or statutory parking controls at that location.

However, some trailers and caravan owners have been parking their trailers on the streets for extended periods, to the ire of some homeowners.

In a Facebook group called Coogee Local Loop, one trailer owner has expressed his disappointment and frustration after seeing the slashed tyres of his vehicle. The trailer owner said someone cut the tail lights on almost every trailer on the street, after seeing around six trailers with the same problem.

“Assume a neighbour angry about trailer parking being allowed on the street as one told us off while we came to move ours,” said the trailer owner, who can no longer move his trailer until he has it repaired.

Whilst some residents have agreed that it’s rude to slash someone’s tyres just because they are parking their vehicles on the street for too long, there are some who agreed trailer owners should have parked their vehicles in front of their own place in the first place.

“The simplest solution is for all owners of boats, trailers, caravans etc, is to park their vehicles on the street in front of their own premises and monitor for security. Alternately for the marine craft owners, approach the Maritime Authority and hire a mooring on a local waterway,” shared one resident.

Meanwhile, the incident has already been reported to the authorities.

With regard to trailers being parked on public spaces, NSW Labor MP for Coogee, Marjorie O’Neil understands that parking is an ongoing issue for everyone and that they are already working with the community to discuss trailer parking in Coogee and settle the issue.

Whilst registered trailers are allowed to be parked on the streets, she thinks the solution is for these vehicles to only park for a short amount of time, so vehicle owners have to move their trailer or their boat at least periodically.