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Two playgrounds in the City of Burnside are in the top five in the east, as voted by South Australians! Tusmore Park, featuring the popular wading pool, and Wombat Waterhole in the State Heritage listed Hazelwood Park were voted fourth and fifth in the East/Inner South/ Hills.

Tusmore Park is a tranquil park featuring mature trees, lawns and landscaped areas. The First Creek traverses through the park in winter. During the summer the covered unsupervised Toddler wading pool is a great place for children to play in.

Hazelwood Park is one of Burnside's major reserves. It is traversed by First Creek and includes natural stands of River Red Gum and SA Blue Gum. Some of the early plantings from the "Hazelwood" garden can be seen near Hawthorn Crescent, including a large Bunya Pine. A small war memorial is situated near the entrance to the George Bolton Swimming Centre Burnside, Adelaide's most picturesque swimming centre. Hazelwood Park has an extensive network of paths with seating, barbecues and playground equipment. The all-access playground caters for children of all ages and abilities, providing a diversity of physical, explorative, interactive and imaginative play opportunities.

Well done to the Depot and Asset management teams that maintain these beautiful parks and playgrounds.

Once a week more than 40 people gather in the Burnside Ballroom for 50 minutes of Mindful Meditation. The class is run by Sabine Toh, a local resident who gives her time to share her skills with others.

“I'm very passionate about seeing people shine their own brilliance and drop their limited beliefs and habits,” Sabine says.

With a background as a yoga teacher and a biologist (biochemistry/immunology) Sabine has studied quantum physics, Neuro-Linguistic Programming and hypnotherapy and is undertaking a PhD in breathing and sleep. She teaches meditation and balanced lifestyle techniques both in group sessions and one-on-one.

Sabine, 50, says we tend to program ourselves with statements like ‘I am always late’, ‘I am too old’ or ‘I can’t do that’.

“I teach people to change that. I have a smorgasbord of information and people pick what they want. I explain a combination of science and the ancient wisdom of the ages,” Sabine says. “I don’t preach – I teach.”

A key part of her session is deep breathing and self-awareness. “You have a unique life and you have to find the peace inside. There is so much information out there people get confused. I am passionate that the direct route to peace is within.”

Sabine welcomes anyone who wants to experience her unique teaching style. “The more the better,” she says. “More people means more energy – the circle is getting huge.”

Every class is different. “I have taught cancer patients to face their fear – of dying, of chemo, of having an MRI. I love seeing people happy and I have a lot of tools to help them.”

“People say to me ‘I feel so good - you have changed my life’. I feel uplifted and they keep coming back.”

One of her biggest challenges was teaching a class of high school boys how to deal with ‘study stress’. “I taught them to sit up straight, breath deeply and find their inner core. I convinced them they could be cool and confident at the same time, without slouching around. If I can teach them I can teach anyone!”

What do you like about living in Burnside?

I really appreciate the facilities at the Civic Centre. The things people can do is amazing. Tai Chi, cards, organic food – it’s free or cheap. Lots of activities for our treasured older people. It’s a beautiful space with free parking.

Thursdays 1.10 pm – 2 pm in the Burnside Ballroom $2 per person

Learn how easy it is to meditate, stretch and be mindful, using breathing to revitalise and also to de-stress.

Sabine is also available for public talks and in-house classes.

Volunteering is in John Carrangis’ blood. He has memories from the early 1950s when, as a child, he went collecting donations from his neighbours for the Crippled Children’s Down Every Street Appeal and Red Cross Calling. His mother, a widow of Greek background, was left to raise four boys on her own but was very involved with charities. “Despite her own difficult situation she was determined to help others,” says John. “That instilled in me a desire to help and contribute to the community.”

For 16 years John, 72, was convenor of the Rosefield (now Highgate) Men’s Breakfast Group. He still attends monthly but has pulled back from the organising. He helped to get the Rosefield Community Shed up and running at the Adelaide Showgrounds where he regularly provides pastoral care.

When his two adopted sons were at Glen Osmond Primary John invited their class mates to join a youth group to develop social skills, “We had movie nights, cooking classes and visited markets,” John says. “I got to know my sons’ friends and it gave the youth an outlet.”

As a volunteer with Anglicare SA John helped organise an annual 3-course dinner for more than 70 people who were “doing it tough”. He has also been a mentor with the Kairos Prison Ministry which visits inmates at Mobilong Prison. “We run a three and a half day course to help the men to encourage trust and to make good choices (when they are released). We then follow up each week for 6 months as they settle back in to the community.” John gains satisfaction seeing the inmates ready for release and knowing Kairos has made a difference.

Over the years John has worked with country Councils on health, building and planning. He spent some years with the SA Health Department working in health promotions and education on infectious diseases and vaccination.

A keen gardener and cyclist, John believes mindfulness and motivation are the keys to a happy life. “My principal motivation is ‘Bloom where you are planted’,” he says. “Make the most of your situation and always seek to improve it.”

For the past 10 years John has been a member of Blaze Aid, a group of volunteers who step in after bushfires to repair and replace damaged fences. He has assisted in bushfire fence recovery at Wirrabara and the Pinery bushfire (Roseworthy area). “We all have a few handyman skills and between us we get the job done,” he says. He has also assisted Goyder CounciI implementing a health and wellbeing program for residents of small towns affected by declines in population and services.

Father of two adopted sons and a ‘miracle’ daughter and grandfather of three, John is also full time carer for his wife Margaret. The family regularly holds community gatherings in their Beaumont Street for neighbours. “It is just a casual get together every year,” John says. “But it helps keep us connected.”

And if his days were not already full he has started campaigning both state and local government protesting their proposal to allow note receptors in poker machines. “Where is our moral compass?” he says. “Is it time local government stepped up?”

With his long history of community service it is no surprise that John was recently awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the General Division in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

New planning reforms will change the way development applications are lodged and assessed. This new system forms the rules that will govern all future development.

This new legislation introduces the biggest changes to the South Australian Planning System in 25 years and will affect how development policy is formed and amended and how development applications are lodged, assessed, approved and publicly notified in the future. It will include changes to which types of development will trigger notification to neighbouring property owners, residents and other community members, and when they have legal appeal rights. It may also have sweeping impacts on the look and feel of our suburbs and, potentially, property values.

Most importantly, the new Code will become the State's single planning rule book for assessing all development applications, removing the existing Council specific Development Plans. This means that Council’s current Development Plan will be revoked by July 2020, at which time current zoning will be replaced with a single state-wide planning and design code. Council is lobbying the State Government for better heritage protection and hopes the community can help by having a say on the new Code.

In early May 2019, the State Planning Commission released its proposals for neighbourhood change and its proposed approach for transitioning heritage and character policy from current development plans into the Planning and Design Code.

Currently Council has Historic Conservation Zones (HCZ) in our Development Plan. They are areas that have valued historic buildings with particular historic character and are sought-after areas to buy residential property. Contributory Items are buildings within the HCZ that make a positive contribution to the heritage value and desired character of the area.

Property values in Burnside’s HCZ traditionally perform well. Removal of these buildings will result in the loss of our City’s valued heritage and will significantly change the character of an area and thus potentially threaten property values. Less protection for heritage could change the look and feel of those suburbs such as Rose Park, Eastwood and Toorak Gardens, potentially reducing the value of properties in these areas.

And this is no different in suburbs that do not have heritage protection. The proposed new planning system could change our City’s landscape and the cost being the residential character of your street or suburb, potentially affecting your general sense of community as well as the bottom line of property values.

Council is lobbying the State Government for better heritage protection and hopes the community can help by having a say on the new Code.

Council has presented the Minister for Planning, the Hon. Stephan Knoll, with a Statement of Intent to convert our current Heritage Conservation Zone policy areas into nine ‘Local Heritage Places’ through a Development Amendment Process. This approach will better recognise and protect the important value that these heritage places have for our community

While the State Government has indicated that the intent of the new draft code is similar, it is not identical, to what Burnside currently has in place.

As the draft code stands now you could start to see tree removals, increased subdivisions, increased traffic, parking congestion and larger buildings. Notwithstanding potential limited rights of appeal.

Council will continue to lobby the State Government to protect our residential character, built heritage and trees.

For more information and to find out how to have your say visit engage.burnside

Wattle Park couple James and Wendy Muir fulfilled a dream in October of last year when they travelled to France to complete a two-week Artist-in-Residence fellowship on writing and art. They produced a book, Orquevaux Mindfulness, from their time in France, with words by James and paintings by Wendy.

Soon after they returned home they saw an advertisement for Council’s Fund My Place project in the local paper. Fund My Place was a pilot project in 2018/19, aimed at bringing people together to transform a public space in their neighbourhood.

They formed the idea of combining James’ writing skills, his interest in mindfulness and Wendy’s art to produce postcards to be available in Bell Yett Reserve right opposite their home in Wattle Park.

“Each month we plan to produce a postcard with an original artwork image of Bell Yett Reserve and a brief mindfulness reflection linked to the image,” says Wendy.

September’s postcard shows an image depicting ‘The last light of winter’ with a reflection to ‘Slow Down’.

James says he wanted to add to people’s enjoyment of the reserve. “It’s about community building,” he says. “This area is absolutely beautiful.”

The project enhances the experience of people visiting Bell Yett and strengthens their connection.

“We want it to foster a stronger sense of identity with the Reserve and the neighbourhood generally’” says James.

From the front room of their house they can see the entrance and the small box in which the cards are placed. “It’s fun watching people walk in and check it out,” says Wendy.

More than 50 cards have already been taken and they are hoping the take-up will be about 200 a month. The Fund My Place grant covers the cost of printing, the box, art materials and signage.

The project is dedicated to the memory of Colin Pryor, a resident of Wattle Park for more than 50 years. “Colin was a true gentleman and loved his local community,” says James. “Over the years he walked his various dogs in Bell Yett and enjoyed it immensely.”

Other successful applicants were Preethi Kotera and Susila Palani.

After writing a story about the new electric-powered East Waste truck, our intrepid reporter was invited for a ride on the regular rubbish collection.

"It is a beautiful spring morning and I meet Bill, my driver, in L’Estrange Street Glenside. “Hop in,” he says and I move to the driver’s side door (it has dual drive) and hop up two steps into the cabin of an East Waste truck.

Bill has been with East Waste for 11 years and has his routes memorised. Today he is collecting the residual (red lid) bins in Glenunga and Frewville. On board cameras show the contents of the bin being emptied and I am surprised at the high number of bins containing a small amount. I ask Bill why people don’t leave the bin for the following week or even share a neighbour’s bin. “Some people don’t like to do that,” he says.

Approximately 1,100 bins are picked up and emptied on Bill’s round and each one costs money. If residents reduced the amount of rubbish going into their red bin and only put them out when close to full it would save money. I note at least a dozen bins which contain only one small bag of rubbish and two of those are next door to each other!

The constant sound is of the diesel engine – the actual pickup doesn’t make a lot of noise (except for heavy objects mistakenly placed in the red bin such as bricks). When East Waste takes delivery of their new electric-powered truck later this year Bill says it will be a big change. “Today’s round is pretty flat,” he says. “But when I do Beaumont and Stonyfell the hills cause the engine to be a lot louder.” The electric truck won’t make any noise so people won’t hear it coming. I joke that a lot of people rely on the noise of the truck to rush their bin out at the last minute.

Travelling down a side street we see a dad and his two young boys on the footpath, fascinated by the approaching truck. Bill tells me the family is there every week and as we pass I wave to them. Bill often sees children on the streets watching the truck go past.

The truck is full of technology including front and rear cameras, sensors and bin counters. Every individual bin has a Radio Frequency Identification which the computer can read. If a bin has rubbish around it because it is too full or animals have scavenged in it (not all lids are closed as they should be) the driver can take a photo which is sent direct to the depot. That way if a resident complains, East Waste can show the rubbish was there before pick up. Bill gets a message that a bin was missed on a Frewville street but the owner admits he put it out late. Bill will go back and collect it the next day.

After an hour of cruising the streets I return to the office with a much better understanding and appreciation of the rubbish pick up. Thanks Bill!”

Jenny Barrett, Corporate Communications Advisor, City of Burnside

Artin Arjomandi has achieved a lot in his 18 years. He has twice participated in Youth Parliament, sponsored by the City of Burnside. He held the role of President of the Legislative Council and was shortlisted for Governor!

Youth Parliament is designed to give young people between the ages of 16 and 25 a chance to be heard at the highest levels of State Government on a wide range of issues relevant to young people's lives. Next year he plans to return as one of the organisers of the event, run by the YMCA.

Artin recently joined the City of Burnside’s Youth Action Committee. As the eldest in the group he sees his role as a mentor. “Most of them are still in high school and they have not quite decided their goal,” he says. In his first year at Flinders University Artin is studying physiotherapy but his real love is medicine. Although he achieved an ATAR of 99.55 (after bonus points), at Glenunga International High School, he did not qualify for medicine and is considering moving interstate to study in his chosen field. “It is a difficult decision,” he says. “I am very close to my family so moving would be a huge change for me.”

His commitment to community and youth includes membership of United Nations Youth Australia, a national youth-led not for profit that aims to build the people’s awareness of the United Nations through the education and empowerment of young Australians. Operated by volunteers aged 24 and under, it is part of the global network of United Nations Youth Associations.

He also works part time at his former school, tutoring students with learning difficulties and holds down a part time job at KFC. In his limited spare time he enjoys rock climbing.

“I am very focused on community and helping,” he says. “That’s why I want to do medicine but I am also intent on improving health outcomes for regional areas.” Artin was shocked at statistics that show the poorer people are, the worse their health outcomes. “Also if you have a close link to Aboriginal heritage or live far from a capital city your health outcomes worsen dramatically,” he says. If he chooses not to pursue medicine his career plans include completing his physiotherapy degree and working in a practice or completing a PhD and working in public health.

Asked for his message to young adults he is full of enthusiasm. “Set goals slightly out of your reach then reach for them,” he says. Artin’s philosophy is ‘Think big!’ “Just go for it,” he says. “You are better off asking ‘did I do that well?’ than ‘What if?’”

Buddy Ng started learning Tai Chi in Hong Kong, at the age of 20, inspired by his mother who was a Tai Chi Master. “She passed away two years ago,” says Buddy “She used to run Tai Chi classes on the banks of the River Torrens every morning.”

The retired electronic technician had taught privately to friends but decided to share his teaching more broadly. “By chance I met Tricia (Foster-Jones) at Glenunga Hub and asked if there were opportunities for me.” Buddy, 67, started a class there on Monday mornings and it became so popular he started another Fit and Fab course at the Civic Centre which incorporates Tai Chi.

His classes focus on strength and balance which improve health. “One of the dangers for older people is falls, so I help with that.”

Tai Chi is the number one exercise for fall prevention. “The weight transfers from one leg to another and the gentle relaxed movements can keep you loose and mobile into old age,” says Buddy. “The focus is to relax, become more loose, calm and sensitive.”

Toward the end of the classes Buddy uses meditation and breathing to music. Most people in his class are women in their 60s and 70s but anyone is welcome (once they have a clearance from their doctor).

Buddy runs his classes as a volunteer and receives no payment. “I like to give back to society,” says Buddy “And I like to introduce others to Tai Chi and help improve their health and balance.”

An accomplished singer and member of a Cantonese Opera, he recently performed live on Peter Goers ABC evening show.

In December this year East Waste will commission South Australia’s first fully electric-powered waste collection truck.

The new truck will replace a diesel-powered truck and, with zero emissions, remove from our suburban streets the polluting equivalent of 20 vehicles generating 63 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.

Shane Drury is a Team Leader with East Waste and manages 40 drivers. He is excited about the new truck and says it will change the whole driving experience. “It will be completely silent,” he says. “You won’t hear it coming and it will turn heads in the street.”

The current trucks use half a tank of diesel each day. “If we can get rid of that we’ve got to be doing the environment some good,” Shane says.

Travelling around the eastern suburbs Shane says Burnside residents are generally good about placing out the right bin on the right day. But he says there is always room for improvement in what goes in each bin. “One bin can contaminate a whole load,” he says. “Our cameras pick up what is being tipped into the truck but if I spot something like a gas cylinder I can’t stop it.” It is then the task of the sorters at waste centres to remove contamination.

Shane says if everyone “did the right thing” it would reduce waste to landfill and the costs associated with that.

The electric-powered truck is the first in a fleet replacement program. It is valued around $550,000, which is $150,000 more than a diesel version but the extra investment will return financial savings along with a raft of environmental benefits.

East Waste estimate the new electric truck will save in excess of $220,000 over the seven-year life of a diesel truck. Even with the additional $150,000 purchase price, that is a $70,000 net saving.

With significantly fewer moving parts than a conventional engine, the new truck is likely to last longer than the seven years of conventional trucks. Maintenance costs will also be reduced by at least two-thirds.

East Waste will install a 30kw solar system at its Ottaway depot to provide renewable energy to charge the truck’s batteries every day.

East Waste is a subsidiary of the Cities of Burnside, Campbelltown, Mitcham, Norwood, Payneham & St Peters and Prospect, the Town of Walkerville and the Adelaide Hills Council.

Sam is an energetic 12-year-old who loves to swim, play chess and guitar, read and spend time with his friends. He is also a small business owner and entrepreneur. At the age of nine Sam decided to start his own business, making popcorn. He started it because he had grown tired of eating the same old flavoured popcorn that left a sugary, over-sweet taste in his mouth.

“I decided to try and make my own natural, fresh and delicious popcorn,” Sam says. “I started cooking in a pot on the stove and experimented with different flavours.”

Sam’s parents, Sean and Sally, supported him but made him sit down and draw up a list of all the things he had to do. “He had to do a food handling course, get insurance and an ABN,” says Sean. “We made him do a business plan and stressed that he had to design a website, packaging and arrange delivery.”

Sean and Sally made sure Sam did everything for himself. “We wanted to teach him about responsibility and accountability,” Sean says. After a lot of trial and error Sam developed what he thought was the best handmade gourmet popcorn on the market.

He started selling Sam’s Popcorn to friends and family and then got a big break when the City of Burnside offered to stock it at the Regal Theatre. “The Council was the first to really support Sam,” Sean says. “They saw a story about Sam in the Messenger paper and approached us.” Now people buy popcorn for the movie then buy more on the way out. A lot of movie goers have become regular customers.

Sam’s business has thrived and he supplies his primary school, Send a Gourmet Basket and Office Select. He recently used some of his profits to buy a second hand air popper machine. “The first time I used it, it set on fire!” Sam says. Apparently the thermostat was broken and it over heated. He is still working on getting the flavours right as the machine cooks the popcorn differently.

The family moved out of their Dernancourt home to Wayville and dedicated most of the house to Sam’s kitchen and storage. He cooks almost every day and does deliveries after school with Sally as his driver. When orders started flooding in Sam’s handwritten journal couldn’t keep up so Sally stepped in and took over the accounts side.

And he has become somewhat of a celebrity at school. “The Year 3 kids call out to me in the yard ‘Hi Sam’s Popcorn!’” he says. “And a group of Year 4 girls called me from their slumber party wanting some popcorn.” That was when Sean took over Sam’s mobile phone. “We try not to interfere at all,” says Sean. “But sometimes he needs our help.” Like the time he went online at the Tax Office to get a Tax File Number. When he entered his date of birth the program refused to accept it. “We got on the phone and explained and the staff member couldn’t believe it,” says Sean. “They had never had an application from a 10-year-old.”

Sam does not pay himself a wage and donates much of his profits to the Childhood Cancer Association as part of the Kids4Kids fundraising program.

He has had quite a bit of media coverage and has won awards. He was winner of the 7 News Young Achievers Awards (Leadership Category) for 2019 and recently visited Government House to help launch childhood Cancer Awareness Month. He is also the South Australian Ambassador for the Fred Hollow's Foundation after winning the Fred Hollow's Humanity Award in November last year.

In June this year Sam was guest speaker at the Asia Pacific Autism Conference ‘Thriving with Autism’ in Singapore. Sam says his autism is a benefit to his work. “A lot of people think of it as an obstacle but I don’t.” But he did struggle with one aspect – getting the labels straight on the packages. “The labels were slightly crooked and I couldn’t bear that,” he says. But as with all aspects of his business venture Sam persevered and found a solution.

As for his future, he starts high school next year at the Adelaide Botanic High School in the city and wants to study science and biology. He also has plans for a factory and retail outlet and hopes to get his produce into supermarkets. “I need to perfect some new flavours so I have a wide range,” he says. He is trying out apple and has plans for strawberry, lemon, blueberry and grape.

When asked if he used any of his profits for a personal treat he responds “I think the treat for me is people’s reaction to eating my popcorn.” Sam says the vacuum packed bags have a shelf life of 6 months but once opened “They are gone in five minutes! My popcorn is really good.”