Skip navigation

Young Writers' Competition

I recognise the amazing students from my community who submitted their work to the Young Writers' Competition run by Northern Beaches Council. This year entries were received from students across 70 schools. A special round of applause goes to the six highly talented students who won their respective categories: Mia Bennett, Georgia Greenwell, Maya Gaffney, Moana Chujo, Alice Surace and Maya Reed. What an outstanding achievement. This year marks the sixteenth anniversary of the competition, which gives local students an amazing opportunity to showcase their creative talents to a panel of author judges. The theme of this year's competition was "Change". That is fitting for a world that never stands still. Writing is not just about words; it is about courage and imagination. I thank all the students who entered for sharing their voices. I know their families and teachers are very proud of them. Congratulations to all the participants. They should keep writing and dreaming, and they may just change the world. Right now, more than ever, we need creative thinking.

Continue Reading

Read More

Surf Rider Foundation

February 11, 2026

Today I congratulate the Adopt a Beach Team from Surfrider Foundation Northern Beaches on being named the 2026 Community Group of the Year by Northern Beaches Council. For 34 years the Surfrider Foundation has been protecting our coastlines. In 2025 the Northern Beaches branch launched...

Read more

John Balfour

February 10, 2026

I congratulate John Balfour on being named Northern Beaches Council Senior Citizen of the Year. This is an incredible and well-deserved honour. Like many, John started off as a cadet. He later took part in the Australian Army Reserves for 48 years and gave...

Read more