The devastation wrought by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred in Northern NSW and Queensland is a powerful reminder of the importance of being prepared for natural disasters. Our thoughts are with those communities through the clean-up and recovery.

While all of us need to be prepared for the worst, some of the more vulnerable in our community may face additional risk if they haven’t planned what to do when the unexpected happens.

Through a grant from the Sydney North Health Network, we are offering free workshops to help people create a personal emergency plan tailored to individual needs and circumstances, providing the confidence to face any emergency situation.

Find out more and register for one of the three workshops in April. Carers and support people are also encouraged to attend.

The 2025 Seniors Festival is on until the end of March and packed with interesting event and activities. Come down to Dee Why RSL today from 10.30am for the Seniors Connect Festival and find out about the many local groups and activities for seniors. Or coming up you can join a nature walk, take on the surf, play some social scrabble, do a dance class, get support with digital technology, explore your family history or even try your hand at Chinese calligraphy. Most events are free and there are different choices every day.

Harmony Week is next week and it’s a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the rich diversity that makes the Northern Beaches so special. Almost 1 in 3 people here were born overseas, and 1 in 2 have at least one parent born abroad.

This year’s Harmony Week events have been co-created by local community leaders – 14 incredible individuals who have brought their heritage, perspective and traditions to life through this program.

The celebrations begin this Sunday with the Story of Us Intercultural Fair in Narrabeen, featuring vibrant cultural performances of song and dance, powerful storytelling and stalls to explore. I hope to see you there.

Finally, you may have seen work progressing on a number of infrastructure projects across the area. New playgrounds are under construction at Dee Why Beach and Frenchs Forest's Brick Pit Reserve and a smaller playground at Merrilee Reserve. The new community centre at Warriewood and the Warringah Recreation Centre at North Manly are progressing and works have begun on a section of the Coast Walk at Newport. New beach access stairs have just been completed off Collaroy Beach Carpark, the Taylors Point Wharf upgrade is done, a new small playground at Donegal Reserve, Killarney Heights is now open for fun, and road and footpath upgrades continue across the Northern Beaches.

Have a good weekend,

Mayor Sue Heins