Welcome to our week in review for 2023.
Busways Announce Changes
From 27 January 2023, Region 7 (Busways) will be operating a temporary, adjusted timetable based on known bus driver availability. Busways claims this will provide a more predictable service for customers and reduce unplanned cancellations of services due to driver absences.
No school services will be affected.
A Busways Spokesperson provided the following statement to ITC:
“Several bus operators across Greater Sydney are making temporary service adjustments to deal with unprecedented driver shortages across the industry.
Driver shortages are being experienced across Australia and overseas.
The new timetable includes changes based on customer feedback and monitoring of travel and boarding patterns.
Two new weekday morning Route 120 services starting at North Willoughby will be introduced on 27 Jan 2023 to assist customers travelling to the CBD.
Three additional weekday morning peak Route 120 services starting at North Willoughby are planned to start by the end of February 2023.
Routes which will have full service restored under the new timetable are 203, 207, 251, 252, 254, 255, 261, 265 and 267.
Suspended services are focused on high-frequency route corridors and affect routes 115, 120, 288, 292, 500X, 501, 533, 545 and 550.
Buses may still be operating at reduced service levels on any given day due to unplanned driver absences. Please check the Trip Planner before you travel.
Busways is working with a scheduling expert engaged by Transport for NSW to work with operators on efficient timetable adjustments and we will continue to adjust timetables if required based on driver availability.
We are also working closely with Transport for NSW to ensure suspended services are reinstated as soon as possible.
Transport for NSW is working closely with all private bus operators, including Busways, on several strategies to address driver shortages including:
– recruiting bus drivers through depot open days, information stalls, providing bonuses and increased marketing and media.
– redesigning it’s shifts to improve operational efficiency and reduce the number of drivers required.
Transport for NSW is also running a bus driver recruitment campaign across the Sydney network.
We encourage anyone interested in becoming a driver to find out more at www.busdriver.au
There will be a Willoughby Depot Open Day on Saturday, 11 February.”
Warning – Ravens Still Attacking Windscreen Wipers in Cope Street Lane Cove
The Ravens are still attacking windscreen wipers around Cope Street (see our cover photo). Read our full story here.
Helen Street Lane Cove Shops to Be Redeveloped as a Boutique Apartment Building
For those of you that were holding out for some shops to reopen on Helen Street Lane Cove North, a development application has been lodged for a boutique apartment block. Although Lane Cove Council has advertised the DA, the Development Application and Statement of Environmental Effects have not yet been uploaded to their DA portal.
Attend a Workshop on Converting Council Chambers Into Dual Purpose Council Chambers and Performing Arts Space
Are you interested in Lane Cove having another performance space?
Perhaps you are part of group that performs or you have an interest in what is currently on offer?
Join Lane Cove Council at a workshop on 31 January 2023 to talk about the Council Chambers being used as a multi-use performance space and what might be required for this to occur and what your organisation would need in the space for you to want to use it.
Register now for the workshop.
This workshop follows a decision by Lane Cove Council at its meeting on 24 November 2022 to use Council Chambers as a performance space. Lane Cove Council wants to hear about the needs for use of this space. Involvement of anyone with an interest is welcome and local groups are encouraged to attend so Council can learn about their needs.
To ensure there is a mix of participants, we are asking that groups who may use this new space only send up to three representatives. The workshop will have an external facilitator.
Read the background here.
Public Health Alert – Increase in Gastroenteritis
People in NSW are encouraged to stay on alert for symptoms of gastroenteritis, with testing and hospital data showing a significant rise in cases in recent weeks across the state.
Rotavirus is one common cause of viral gastroenteritis and can be particularly severe in young children.
The latest testing data shows rotavirus notifications are at some of their highest levels of the last decade. In the first two weeks of 2023, 197 cases of rotavirus were identified, compared with about 40 cases during the same period usually.
Director of NSW Health’s One Health branch Keira Glasgow said reducing the spread of gastro before schools returned in the next few weeks is important.
“Last week, there were more than 2,250 presentations to NSW emergency departments with symptoms of gastroenteritis. Presentations were particularly high in children under five years old, and in children aged five to 16 years old,” Ms Glasgow said.
“The message to the community is clear – simple measures can help stop the spread of gastro. Maintaining good hand hygiene and keeping children at home when they are unwell will give us a good chance to slow the spread before February, when children will all be back together at school.”
Viruses are spread from the vomit or stool (faeces) of an infected person. This can occur when cleaning up body fluids, during person-to-person contact, sharing of contaminated objects and occasionally inhaling airborne particles when people vomit.
Viral gastroenteritis symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, abdominal pain, headache and muscle aches. They can take up to three days to develop and usually last between one or two days, and sometimes longer.
Advice for parents and caregivers includes:
Keep children experiencing gastroenteritis home from childcare services, vacation care and school. Children should not return until 48 hours have passed since their last symptom.
Wear gloves and a mask when cleaning up bodily fluids, including vomit.
Wash your hands thoroughly and regularly with soap and running water, particularly after changing nappies, assisting someone with diarrhoea and/or vomiting and before preparing food. Alcohol hand sanitiser is generally less effective than soap and water but can be used if these are not available.
Immediately and thoroughly clean contaminated surfaces with hot, soapy water and then disinfect the area using a household disinfectant. If possible, disinfect with a freshly made sodium hypochlorite (bleach) solution, prepared according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Immediately remove and wash clothing or linen that may be contaminated with stool or vomit (use hot water and detergent).
Immunisation to prevent rotavirus infection is recommended and part of the childhood immunisation schedule. Immunisation is free for children under six months of age. The vaccine is given as two oral doses, at six weeks and four months of age, with completion of the course by 24 weeks of age.
The main treatment for viral gastroenteritis is to rest and drink plenty of fluids. Most people recover without complications but more urgent care may need to be sought for infants, people with suppressed immune systems, and the elderly, who may experience more serious illness.
E-Waste is Currently Not Being Accepted at the Community Recycling Centre
The Community Recycling Centre (CRC) in Artarmon is currently unable to accept e-waste for disposal. You can continue to drop off other items. The CRC is open Monday, Tuesday and Friday, 8:00am – 2:00pm, and Saturday – Sunday: 8:00am – 4:00pm.
Arnies Recon will pick up items from Longueville on 24 Jan 2023. Book here.
Read more about Arnies Recon here.
Lane Cove Sport
Cricket
Rugby Union
Lane Cove Rugby Union Club would like you to know about the opportunities in 2023. They have Senior Rugby, Colts U/21 and Women’s 7’s.
Colts Rugby
The club is rebuilding its colts group with the assistance of The Diddy, playing as the Diddy Colts and benefitting from associated Diddy sponsorship, membership and support.
Women’s Rugby
This season introduces two new programs to encourage new players into rugby and better support the more experienced and those already in rugby. The season commences with the SportsFit program, the free 5-week pre-season fitness program being run by Fitrev on the bottom green of the Diddy for Lan Cove Rugby that also caters for all sports-minded women 17+ probably living on the lower north shore of Sydney simply keen to build their fitness in preparation for their 2023 sporting season.
The season then moves into the special Try Rugby Program catering for both those new to Rugby who may be interested or those with rugby experience SportsFit spots are limited.
Colts and Seniors
The club plans to engage Sam Wykes of Waratah and Sunwolves fame to run his special “ Rugby reconnect “ program of skills based training for all current and former rugby players particularly those not progressing much beyond school or district junior rugby.
FREE preseason fitness Program in February 2023
Sports-playing women 17+ of the Lane Cove district are invited to join a free pe-season fitness program being run by Lane Cove Rugby on the greens of the Diddy through February 2023.
It would interest those keen to build their fitness in preparation for their 2023 sporting season.
The Program consists of 5 weekly Tuesday evening sessions from 6.30 to 7.30 commencing on Tuesday 31st January 2023 and finishing on Tuesday 28th February 2023 and run by Fitrev at The Diddy Cnr River Road West & Kenneth Streety Longueville Sydney.
Fitness Revelation is a well-known fitness studio located at the Diddy, and the program is free due to the sponsorship of the Lane Cove Rugby Union women’s rugby group.
Places are limited to the first 30 applicants.
Contact: Bella.: 0466 111 165. Email: [email protected].
Info: www.lanecoverugby.com
Summer School Holiday Guide
School Holiday activities are here! Check out our list of local activities that will keep your kids happy and entertained during the long …. long…. long summer break!
Be careful, as these activities will book out fast!
Activities such as:
📌Sailing
📌Multi Sports
📌Disco and Dance
📌Arts and Craft
📌Swim Camps
📌 Tennis
📌Martial Arts
📌School Readiness
Read more here.
Week in Review Sponsor – That Boat Guy
That Boat Guy
Lane Cove locals Jason and Sally-Ann are the owners of a business called That Boat Guy. They have relocated their workshop to the Lane Cove West Business Park and recently held a party to celebrate opening the workshop. Check out their boat dog in HI-Vis (when he is on the water, the boat dog has a doggie lifejacket)!!
The business might be called That Boat Guy, but they fix anything 12v, which includes car audio, 4WD accessories, caravan wiring, trailers and more.
Jason has over 30 plus years of fishing and boating experience and will do pre-purchase inspections for boats. He also has a CertV in workplace training and assessment and provides tuition for those new to boating – including launching/retrieving/docking.
Check out their website at www.thatboatguy.com.au
Their workshop is located at 3/31-33 Chaplin Drive Lane Cove West Business Park. You can call Jason on 0460 639 796 if you need to discuss anything 12V!!!!!
Help Support Local and Independent News
You can support us in three ways:
- Become an ITC reader sponsor – Feel free to be a reader sponsor if you have enjoyed our local news coverage and would like to be an ITC reader sponsor. You can sponsor us with a monthly sponsorship fee. We have reader sponsors who sponsor us for $5.00 a month and some who sponsor us for $100 a year – no amount is too small or too big. Thank you so much to the people who have already supported us via our press Patreon account. Help Us Here.
- Buy the ITC team a coffee – We now have a team, and they need to be paid – buy the ITC team a coffee (or two) and that will help us pay their wages and shout then a coffee Buy a Coffee here.
- Do you own a Lane Cove Business or a Lane Cove resident who owns a business, you can advertise with ITC – our packages start from a $30 monthly fee (for a 12-month commitment). Email us here for our rates card.
