Welcome to our week in review and it was a very colourful week in the Lane Cove LGA.
Lauren Kerjan Wins Gold in Turin
Lane Cove local Lauren Kerjan has won GOLD in her Intermediate Super G event at the Special Olympics in Turin, Italy. Lauren came first in her final with a run time of 51.67 seconds.
The Super G is an alpine skiing speed event that requires precision skills to navigate a series of flagged gates as you try to make it down the course as quickly as possible.
The Special Olympics have been held in Turin this past week. Lauren also competed in the Intermediate Giant Slalom, placing fourth in her final with a time of 1:26.180 as well as 7th in her Intermediate Slalom final.
Learn more about Lauren in our article.
Congratulations Lauren!
Happy Holi
On Friday, 14th March 2025, Lane Cove had a very colourful celebration of Holi.
Holi, famously known as the Festival of Colors, is a vibrant Hindu celebration observed on the last full moon of the lunar month of Phalguna, typically falling in March. This ancient festival marks the end of winter (in the northern hemisphere) and celebrates the victory of good over evil.
On the evening before Holi, communities light bonfires to bid farewell to winter. People gather at temples to sing, dance, and enjoy lively music. The excitement peaks on Holi day itself when people throw gulal—vivid colored powders and water—at everyone around them. Each color carries a special significance: red symbolizes love, blue represents the Hindu god Krishna, and green signifies new beginnings.
Over 800 people attended The Canopy in Lane Cove to celebrate. Masala Kitchen was one of the event’s sponsors and served 150 plates of delicious food. The crowd was entertained by traditional dances performed by local students Advit, Aarna, Aashvi, Veeranya, Shanaya, and Akshara, as well as a stunning performance from the Ruchi Sanghi Dance Company.
Then, with a DJ supplying the party tunes, attendees threw 40 Kgs worth of colours all over each other and danced the rest of the evening away.
Sources close to ITC report that the process of extracting the colours from clothes, accessories and hair is a work in progress…and that the wait for next year’s festivities has already begun. Happy Holi!
Sydney Swans Visit The Canopy
On Tuesday, 18 March 20025, Sydney Swans players Will Green and Matty Roberts visited Lane Cove to meet fans and help with a mini skills session at The Canopy. Fans of all ages turned out to say hello, get an autograph and kick a Sherrin around.
The visit was part of the Swan’s outreach with local AFL clubs. Lane Cove’s club is The Lane Cove Cats. The club offers the Auskick program for 5 – 7 year olds, and fields female and male teams in a junior AFL competition from Under 7s through to under 17s.
Cabling Cowboys: Zoom Session Q&A On Ombudsman Complaints Process
Following reporting by In The Cove and advocacy by the Member for Bennelong Jerome Laxale and Federal Communications Minister Michelle Rowland, there is now a federal investigation underway into the havoc caused by cabling contractors around Lane Cove.
The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman is investigating Xenith IG Australia Pty Ltd (formerly Fibre Path Pty Ltd) and taking submissions from affected residents and businesses.
To assist residents to understand the process, their rights and how to make submissions, Jerome Laxale is hosting a zoom Q&A session.
Zoom Details
Date: Tuesday, April 8
Time: 7:30 – 8:30 PM (Australia/Sydney)
RSVP: register here
To find out more about this issue, see In The Cove’s in depth reports;
Part 1 December 2024 – Who Regulates the Activities of Data Cabling Companies?
Part 2 January 2025 – Who is to blame for Lane Cove’s damage and when will it be fixed
Part 3 February 2025 – A Federal Investigation Has Been Instigated
Low & Mid Rise Housing Information sessions
New state government policies to increase low and mid-rise housing reforms are sparking significant discussion across the lower north shore. As councils and residents grapple with the implications, information sessions are being organised to clarify the changes and address community concerns.
Both Lane Cove and Willoughby City Council have organised information sessions to assist their residents in navigating these changes. Our readers who live on the Mowbray Road Public School side might live in Lane Cove North or North Lane Cove; however, they fall within the Willoughby City Council.
Many of our readers also live in St Leonards South, within the Lane Cove Council Area.
The Willoughby Council session was held earlier this week
The Lane Cove Council session has sold out for in-person attendance. However, it will be live-streamed.
The Lane Cove Toy Library Part of the Pilot Program Promoting Inclusivity
In 2024, Toy Libraries Australia started a project funded by the Australian Government through the Strong and Resilient Communities (SARC) — Inclusive Communities Grant Program to provide people with disabilities access to meaningful work experience in 20 pilot site toy libraries across Australia and The Lane Cove Toy Library was one of them.
Each Tuesday, fabulous volunteers from Luz All Abilities and their wonderful carers attend the Lane Cove Toy Library and help with a variety of essential Toy Library Tasks (such as cleaning, checking all the toy parts and numbering each toy part). The programme has been such a success that we have been able to open up the library on a trial basis on Tuesdays between 1 and 3 pm to accept loans and returns.
On Wednesdays, volunteers from Omnia Inclusive Employment Solutions come to the Toy Library to pack our click-and-collect orders for Thursdays and Saturdays. They are doing a great job finding toys that are mislabeled or have the wrong number (mea culpa, ITC, as most of the mistakes are mine, as ITC is the Set-Up Coordinator for The Lane Cove Toy Library).
A HUGE thank you to Lane Cove Local Karen Neville who has led the project at The Lane Cove Toy Library. The Toy Library could not exist without its amazing volunteers, the support of the Lane Cove Council and our councillors and the Toy Library Association.
If you would like to volunteer, please get in touch, (the toy library has some amazing volunteers who are ex-librarians and retired teachers).
Locals Help Out With Hands on India
Riverview chiropractor Eric Conti and Nicola Conti from Be.U Natural in Lane Cove have just returned from volunteering in Siliguri, West Bengal with Hands on India.
Hands on India is a not-for-profit charity organisation powered by volunteers. The charity was founded and run by chiropractors and non-chiropractors to support communities in West Bengal through women’s empowerment, childhood education and basic health education and support.
Household Bin Reconciliation
Beginning this week until mid-April, Lane Cove Council (LCC) contractors will be checking all the garbage, recycling, and green bins at every house and apartment in the area. They want to make sure they know how many bins everyone has and if they’re in good shape.
In The Cove often receives reports of suspicious activity around bins on private property, so LCC wanted to let people know that the bin reconciliation project is being undertaken by approved contractors – in other words be alert, not alarmed.
Council is doing this work to keep track of how many of each type of bin there are, so they can make garbage collection more efficient and plan for future waste management. Funding has been received from the NSW EPA under their Joint Procurement Fund for Lane Cove and Hunters Hill Councils to jointly undertake these activities to work towards implementation of a food organics service.
Workers from a company called Know Waste, hired by the Council, will be going around and counting the bins. They’ll start early, around 5:00 AM on collection days, so they can check the bins right before they’re emptied. The Council appreciates everyone’s help and is working to make their services better.
If you have any questions, you can call the Council on 9911 3555.
Northwood Rd/River Road West Upgrades
Lane Cove Council is undertaking three projects this year to boost safety and access in the Northwood and River Road area.
The initiatives include redesigning the Northwood/River Road intersection, installing traffic lights at the entry to the new sport and recreation centre, and building pedestrian stairs to Fleming Street. See here for more information.
NSW Now Offering Free RSV Immunization for Newborns
From this week NSW Health is offering free respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunization for all newborns, significantly expanding protection against the serious illness. The move, announced by the NSW Government, aims to reduce hospitalisations, with an estimated 1,150 babies under six months avoiding hospitalisation each year.
This initiative, using nirsevimab, complements the existing free RSV vaccination for pregnant women. Maternal RSV vaccination (Abrysvo) is available for women between 28 and 36 weeks of pregnancy, providing protection to their babies for the first five months of life.
The free nirsevimab immunisation will be offered to:
- Infants at birth not protected by maternal RSV vaccination.
- Infants at birth with certain medical conditions that place them at highest risk of serious RSV disease, regardless of maternal vaccination status.
- Children up to 24 months of age with certain medical conditions.
Nirsevimab will be administered to eligible newborns before hospital discharge.
RSV is a common respiratory virus that can lead to severe illness in young children, particularly those under one year old. Health Minister Ryan Park emphasized the importance of this dual approach in protecting newborns, while Chief Paediatrician Dr. Helen Goodwin highlighted the safety and effectiveness of nirsevimab.
Pottery Green Bakers Reopens
Last week we let you know that Pottery Green Bakers was temporarily closed for a renovation. They are back open this week, and everything is looking very bright and even more welcoming than before. Pop in for a coffee or a meal and check it out.
Weaving Stories Short Film Festival & Project Displays
Council has been working on the Weaving Climate Stories project where community members have participated in activities designed to bring people together to increase connection. The project has involved community workshops, art projects and storytelling through film making.
The free film festival, “Lane Cove Weaving Climate Stories,” is set to captivate audiences with powerful short films focusing on climate change, created by local filmmakers. The event, marking the culmination of the Lane Cove Weaving Climate Stories project, will be hosted by popular Australian television personality Luke Carroll (Play School).
Arrive from 4:00pm, to explore interactive stalls hosted by Lane Cove Council teams, sustainability groups, and local organizations, offering information and activities related to climate action. The community art piece created by Dr. Virginia Keft and participants from the Weaving & Yarning workshops, symbolising cultural and environmental connections, will also be on display.
When: Saturday 22nd March
Time: 4 pm – 9 pm. Film screenings from 6 pm
Where: The Canopy
How: Free, registrations encouraged
Local Sports
Lane Cove Cricket Club junior sides wrapped up their season on the weekend, bringing some silverware home. Special mention goes to the Under 10s side, the first team in that age group to bring home the trophy in 24 years. Well done, everyone!
Police Operation Waratah 3
Officers attached to Police Transport Command commenced Operation Waratah 3 in March 2025 following the success of previous operations. Operation Waratah 3 focuses on targeting offenders involved in assaults and sexual touching incidents across the transport network, including trains, buses and the Metro.
Police released an image of a man they wanted to speak to about an incident on the Metro between Crows Nest and Barangaroo. The Crows Nest Station is frequently used by Lane Cove Locals.
NSW Police have advised the following:
About 8 am on Monday 3 February 2025, a report was made to police following reports of a sexual touching on the Metro between Crows Nest and Barangaroo. Police were told a 36-year-old woman was allegedly sexually touched by an unknown man on the Metro.
Following inquiries, officers attached to Parramatta Police Transport Command arrested a 48-year-old man at a home on Brown Street, Chatswood, about 1.45pm on Friday 14 March 2025). He was taken to Chatswood Police Station and charged with sexually touch another person without consent and given conditional bail to appear before the Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday 8 April 2025.
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