15th August 2026. Edition One. In this edition:
President's Report,
What the Civic Trust did in July / August 2026,
Civic Trust Spring Walk, Ahimsa Event,
Native Plants sale, Epping Bridge Project,
Hannah Street Planter Box Watering Team,
2119 Community Groups,
M2RAG Update, St Johns Church,
Local Justice of the Peace,
Civic Trust Facebook page,
Monica Tudehope Newsletter,
Hornsby Shire Council's News Bulletin,
Parramatta Council's News Bulletin, Recent Development Applications.
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER Sunday August 23, Civic Trust Spring Walk, Beecroft and Cheltenham.
Saturday September 19, Ahimsa exhibition and event, 67 Cobran Road, Cheltenham.
Saturday September 19, Native Plants Sale, Ku-Ring-Gai Wildflower Garden.
President's Report Firstly, the Civic Trust is holding a Spring walk on Sunday August 23 from 2.00 to 3.30pm.
Everyone is welcome to join this walk which will focus on "2119 an alternate history".
Walk details are below.
I notice the new residential complex in Wongala Crescent is nearing
completion. It will be nice to get back to normality without the
inconvenience caused by the construction.
The complex will have a retail level that is likely to put further
pressure on many of the existing shops in our village centre, some of
which have been struggling as reflected by the number of shops that have
been vacant for some time. Perhaps the most affected are the shops in
Wongala Crescent adjacent to the new development. Retailing can be
a hard business.
I encourage you to shop locally and support our village shops which are
an essential part of the Beecroft and Cheltenham village.
Many of you may already know that the State Government has budgeted for
the long awaited installation of the traffic lights on the corner of
Beecroft Rd. and Kirkham St. Expect installation during the
2027-2028 financial year. Thanks to everyone in the our community and
our Hornsby Councillors, and State Government MPs who have been lobbying
hard and persistently for 30 years, ever since the Cheltenham Rd.
traffic lights were first installed.
What the Civic Trust did in July / August 2026 SPRING WALK PLANNED FOR - 23 AUGUST 2026 The
Civic Trust’s annual Spring Walk will be held on Sunday, 23 August
2026. The theme of the walk is “2119: an alternate history”.
Everyone is welcome to join the walk commencing at 2.00pm at the entrance to the pedestrian underpass on the Sutherland Rd side of Beecroft Railway Station. The walk
will be led by Rod Best, a noted historian with a fascinating knowledge
of the history of Beecroft and Cheltenham, of past residents and their
interesting homes, and notable developments in the area. The walk
includes some hills but will not enter the bush so ordinary walking
shoes will suffice. The duration of the walk will be about one and a
half hours and will conclude at the railway gardens on Wongala Crescent
around 3.30pm.
CONSULTATION ABOUT PROPOSED CHANGES ARISING FROM THE DRAFT HORNSBY COUNCIL HERITAGE STUDIES
Last month the Civic Trust drew your attention to the draft proposed changes detailed CLICK HERE.
The report has four focal points – archaeology, landscape, buildings,
and conservation areas. This report has been prepared over a
number of years and is now in the last few weeks of the consultation
stage with the Heritage Studies on exhibition until August 31
2026. A number of drop-in sessions to enable residents to speak to
Council staff have been conducted across the region and are now
concluded.
The President and Vice-President of the Trust each attended one of the
two recent drop-in sessions held in Beecroft at the Community
Centre. The sessions were well attended with residents
discussing their concerns and seeking further information from the
council representatives. The Mayor was also in attendance at one
of the sessions. Please note that submissions can continue to be
made up to 31 August 2026 - either by email or mail https://yoursay.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/draft-hornsby-heritage-studies
The overall long process is set out in the diagram below and is expected
to continue for another two years at least. Only the first three
green steps are nearly completed. BEECROFT ROAD & KIRKHAM STREET TRAFFIC LIGHTS GOOD NEWS! (EMAILED FROM COUNCILLOR NATHAN TILBURY)
"I am very pleased to inform you that Transport for NSW has announced
approved funding to install traffic lights at the intersection of
Beecroft Road & Kirkham Street.
This funding is on the back of the community campaign (actively
supported by the Civic Trust), that caused me to put forward a
successful motion at Council calling for a safety review in December
2024. In July 2025 Transport for NSW agreed, post review, that traffic
lights needed to be installed & the project would go in a pool of
other projects also approved but unfunded.
Council continued to lobby Transport for NSW to prioritise the project
for funding leading up to this recent announcement. Council's staff
will work with Transport for NSW on the design for the intersection's
improvement however, the project will be entirely funded & delivered
by Transport for NSW.
As you know, this upgrade has been discussed for over 3 decades and I am
extremely pleased we now have a result for the community. I would
like to thank the Trust for your active support. I also recognize the
community for their incredible patience with this issue. The
intersection in question has suffered 35 serious accidents in 15 years
resulting in 21 serious injuries. This is a long-awaited great win
for motorists (both local & passing through the area), pedestrians
& cyclists."
COST OF LIVING COMMUNITY FORUM WITH SERVICE NSW
Bindi Shah - Neha Mascarenhas - Monica Tudehope
MP. - Neil Maniar Bindi
Shah and Neil Maniar are committee members of the Civic Trust who
attended this community forum on Friday, 14 August 2026 at Boronia Grove
Community Centre in Epping. Monica Tudehope MP, Member for
Epping, hosted the forum held in conjunction with Service NSW. The
focus of the forum was to discuss and share ways to reduce the costs of
living. The guest speakers from Service NSW were Haseeb Gillani,
Central Manager, and Neha Mascarenhas, a cost of living
specialist.
Visit AHIMSA Day
bushwalks - exhibition - heritage bushwalk gear – bush learning – film showing
Saturday 19 September 2026 info@calli.com.auFor information & registration email
9.15 am - Walk from Thornleigh station to Ahimsa (6km/2hrs)
11.00 am - Short walk from Cheltenham station to Ahimsa
12.00 pm - Exhibition & picnic lunch at Ahimsa
2.00 – 3.30 pm - Short guided bushwalks around Ahimsa
4.00 – 5.30 pm - Afternoon tea & Marie Byles film (Cheltenham Rec Club)
Organised by Friends of Ahimsa with assistance from the National Trust
of Australia, Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust, & National Parks
Association
NATIVE PLANTS SALE - 19 SEPTEMBER 2026
North Shore Group ANNUAL PLANT SALE Saturday 19 September at CALEY’S PAVILION Ku-Ring-Gai Wildflower Garden 420 Mona Vale Rd St Ives 10am to 2pm
There
will be activities for kids while you browse the huge selection of
native plants for sale. Friendly APS NSG members can help you with your
selection.
Morning tea will be available.
For more information CLICK HERE
Epping Bridge Project The
Australian and NSW Governments are investing $220 million in funding to
replace Epping Bridge with a new, wider bridge aimed at easing
congestion, reducing travel times and improving road safety.
Contracts for this project have not yet been awarded and the project is
expected to take 5 years with many road and rail closure periods. CLICK HERE for a Transport for NSW.gov video detailing the project.
Hannah Street Planter Box Watering Team Early
on Sunday mornings, a small group of people including some members of
the Civic Trust can be seen with green watering cans diligently
scurrying about watering the Camellias growing in the large elegant pots
sited along both sides of Hannah Street shopping centre. Blanche Menadier, Ray Gerke, Lindy Gerke, Roslyn Phillips, Ross Walker.
The Camellias and their pots were very generously donated by Graham and
Sandra Ross. Their original plant nursery business was located in
HannahStreet, next to the old Beecroft Post Office building on the
corner with Beecroft Road.
Beecroft and Cheltenham Community Groups by Deridree Wallwork
May
I introduce myself. My name is Deirdree Wallwork, Clarissa Luxford and
I, and infrequently Brian Shirley are the faces of the BCCT
Facebook page.
We
try to attract your attention to people and events occurring in Hornsby
and Parramatta Shire Councils. We seem to be succeeding. The number of
those viewing our posts has increased significantly. We would appreciate
a comment in writing or an emoji to express your interest or otherwise.
Recently Brian Shirley requested an article for this month’s eNews. They were running low on content.
So
I decided to highlight the groups which operate in 2119. The response
to my query was immediate and almost overwhelming. (Except I am not
known for being overwhelmed.)
As
the request was of very short notice, I was getting something written
when there was a missive from BS saying that he really did have enough
now and would I like to postpone.
Hmmm.
Always willing to please, I started to comply but no need because I am
allowed to include one of the groups who answered straightaway.
The first of these was Shriya of Hannah’s Run Club. Here is what she says. "Hannah’s
Run Club Beecroft was started in November 2024 by myself, Shriya, with
the support of my brother, Prashant, owner of Hannah’s Beecroft.
I’ve
always enjoyed social running and being part of running groups. I
decided to start a run club that finished with coffee, not only to
motivate myself but also to encourage others to get out there and get
moving.
Over
the past 18 months, the run club has grown into something much more
special. It has become a genuine community where people of all ages—from
primary school children to older adults—come together every Friday
morning to run 3–5km before enjoying a chat over coffee, hot chocolate,
and some delicious pastries at Hannah’s Beecroft.
The
club has also hosted several She Runs the Night events over the past
year, bringing together women of all ages from our community for a fun
and social evening of running, followed by dinner and drinks. These
events have been incredibly well received and have highlighted the
desire people have to connect with others in their local community.
We’ve also been fortunate to receive support from a number of local
businesses, which has helped make these events possible.
It’s
been exciting to watch the run club grow into what it is today. Even on
the coldest winter mornings, we typically have more than 20 people
turning up at 6:30am to move together and start their day on a positive
note.
We
always love welcoming new runners, regardless of their experience or
pace, because at the end of the day, the run club is about supporting
one another, staying motivated, and having a good time.
M2RAG August 2026 Update(M2 Residents Action Group) By Ray Gerke
Coordinator M2 Resident Action Group
I have asked the members of the M2RAG if they have noticed any reduction
in the number of hoons on the M2 of a nighttime since the cost of fuel
has gone up so much?? Early feedback is
“yes”. I am still working on research into the noise
cameras that can detect hoons and capture their licence details.
On the matter of the resurfacing of the M2 I have investigated the
proposed resurfacing (resheeting) of the M2 and I believe it will reduce
the current noise levels. How much? Well, it is hard to
tell but it might be significant enough for you to notice the
difference!! I say “might”. I will be asking for
feedback from members after the work is done. I still don’t
know exactly when the work will be done but the noise while they are
doing the work near you will be significant at night. Once I
know when they are proposing to do the nightwork I will let you all
know via the M2RAG newsletter.
Here is an extract from a large document called
“Transport for NSW M2 Pavement Resheeting - Stages 2, 3 and 4
Minor works review of environmental factors - September 2025“
The document says -
"The current OGA surface on the M2 Motorway has experienced widespread
reflective cracking and deterioration over time. Previous resheeting
with new OGA resulted in cracking shortly after placement, quickly
reducing noise performance and customer experience. The proposal follows
the successful trial of Stage 1 in Financial Year 2024, where
approximately 24% of the motorway was resurfaced with SMA in 9 trial
sections to mitigate reflective cracking and improve customer
experience. The trial resulted in positive customer experience feedback.
The Stage 1 trial also resulted in improvements in measured noise
outcomes from the SMA in comparison to the current OGA surface. This was
demonstrated by tyre-pavement noise measurements undertaken along
sections of pavement before and after the resheeting. The noise
assessment (M2 Motorway RONDA Pavement Measurements, Renzo Tonin &
Associates, 5 December 2024) provided in Appendix A. This assessment
concluded that "The measurements indicate that the acoustic performance
of the nominated segments of road improved by up to 7.3 dB(A) and 4.7
dB(A) in the eastbound and westbound carriageways respectively,
following the resheeting of the pavement".
This is good news for M2RAG members once the work is done.
Remember I will be asking for feedback on the noise after the work is
done.
St. Johns Anglican Church The church has welcomed Jeremy Morris as the new rector of St. Johns.
St Johns would also like to acknowledge the Beecroft Cheltenham
community who generously contributed 138 boxes of groceries to a St
Johns initiated food drive for Anglicare outside Woolworths at the
beginning of August.
Civic Trust Membership Subscriptions If
you have lived in Beecroft Cheltenham for any length of time, you would
have seen many changes. While change is inevitable, the Trust will
continue to be the voice of our local community.
It is only because we have the strength of numbers that we are able to influence change. Annual membership for 2026 is only $20.
To join the Trust. CLICK HERE.
Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust eNews The
Trust publishes this monthly eNews newsletter. If you would like
to receive this newsletter on a regular basis, please CLICK HERE to subscribe to the eNews.
Local Justice of the Peace Timothy Abrams, can be contacted on 0417 662 405
Dr. Penelope Crossley, can be contacted on 0449 232 474.
Civic Trust Facebook page
Every now and then the Trust’s Facebook Page usually writes up achievements of local and interesting people who live in the area of postcode 2119.
The Facebook page also highlights weekly happenings and items of
interest for residents in the Hornsby Shire and Parramatta area.
Monica Tudehope MP. July / August Newsletter. The Trust's policy is that we will publish submitted newsletters from any of our elected representatives. CLICK HERE
Hornsby Shire Council's August News Bulletin Can be viewed CLICK HERE
City of Parramatta's August News Bulletin Can be viewed CLICK HERE
Recent Development Applications The
Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust's web site now has links to recently
submitted Development Applications in the 2119 postcode area for both
Hornsby and Parramatta Shire Councils. This page will be updated
with every eNews publication. CLICK HERE To access them.
Objections to Development Applications and other correspondence with council can be viewed CLICK HERE
Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust eNews.
The
eNews has become our main method for disseminating information to the
community. We already send the eNews to many of our residents. We
encourage residents who receive the eNews to tell their neighbours and
friends and suggest they too subscribe. The eNews letter is
available to all who subscribe. Trust Membership is not a
requirement.
The eNews archives are available CLICK HERE. To subscribe to the eNews: CLICK HERE.
There is an active Civic Trust Facebook page; to view it CLICK HERE.
The Trust will assist any resident regardless of their membership status.
