Unbelievable feud breaks out over VERY trivial footpath matter in ritzy suburb
Advertisement-plastered bus stops have caused some of Australia's most well-off residents to melt down.
Locals in Sydney 's Rose Bay have exploded at their council for installing more than 30 new bus stop shelters around the suburb.
The shelters in themselves don't seem to be the problem, however, rather locals have taken issue with the 'giant advertising screen' featured on the side of each one.
The large advertisements detract from the natural beauty of the suburb's promenade, argued Deanna Mastellone on Facebook.
'It is absolutely ridiculous. Woollahra Council placing this giant advertising screen outside the Wintergarden, blocking this very busy footpath which is enjoyed by so many,' she said.
But Woollahra Council defended its decision to place the money-spinning ads across every bus shelter in the district.
A spokesperson for the council said the revenue it raised from these ads helps pay for vital services that assist the entire community.
The eye-sores incited a lively debate online where locals offered various takes on the matter.
Ms Mastellone vowed to have the issue 'corrected' and had a particular problem with the fact that nobody in Rose Bay was even consulted prior to the rollout.
'It is an absolute disgrace Woollahra Council has signed up for 39 advertising bus shelters with zero community consultation,' she wrote.
'Such an ugly blight on our magnificent Rose Bay Promenade.
'This will be corrected, this is so very wrong.'
Ms Mastellone compared her suburb to others in the city's east like Balmoral Beach, which has no bus shelter ads, and Mosman Council which has 22.
Before installing its ads Mosman Council at least 'engaged with the entire community', Ms Mastellone said.
The ticked-off local even filed a complaint with Woollahra Council's Audit, Risk and Innovation external committee in her quest to have the shelters' ads removed.
'I am not against bus shelters, we must protect and preserve our streetscape and ensure all the community is engaged in the placement of them,' she wrote.
Those who chimed into the debate had mixed opinions with some agreeing, but others claiming Ms Mastellone was making a fuss over nothing.
'Rain protection and advertising revenue to keep your council rates lower. What's the issue?' one said.
'Perhaps think of the seniors waiting for a bus who appreciate having somewhere to sit while they wait,' another wrote.
Those who did agree with Ms Mastellone found even more reasons to complain.
'No proper access for wheelchairs and mobility aids to pass by and no alerts for vision-impaired members of the community to safely navigate around,' one said.
'These are disgusting eyesores around Rose Bay, I agree,' a second agreed.
But despite all the upraor, Woollahra Council said the shelters were here to stay.
'They provide excellent shelter and shade for commuters,' a spokesperson told Yahoo News.
'Each site was assessed to ensure the shelters were placed safely and appropriately and notifications were issued to nearby residents and businesses, providing opportunity for feedback.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- The Guardian
Israel launches strikes on Iran; rescue teams comb Air India crash site; and Julianne Moore's new role
Welcome, readers, to the Afternoon Update. Australia's foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, says the government is 'alarmed' by Israel's attacks on Iran, warning the escalation risks further destabilising the region. Israel launched strikes on Iran aimed at 'dozens' of targets including its nuclear facilities, military commanders and scientists, claiming it took unilateral action because Tehran had begun to build nuclear warheads. Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said the attack, dubbed Rising Lion, was aimed at 'rolling back the Iranian threat to Israel's very survival', adding that it would take 'many days'. Iranian state media said the head of the Revolutionary Guard, Gen Hossein Salami, and the army chief of staff, Maj Gen Mohammad Bagheri, had been killed in the strikes, as well as two scientists whom it named as Fereydoun Abbasi and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi. An Iranian security source told the Reuters news agency 'the response to the Israeli attack will be harsh and decisive'. Israeli media reported that Iran has launched 100 drones towards Israel. Follow our live coverage here. Trump illegally deployed national guard troops to California, judge rules Wilkie accuses Labor and Coalition of drinking Aukus 'Kool-Aid' as crossbenchers rally for 'transparent' inquiry Man dies two weeks after arrest in Adelaide as police investigate incident as death in custody Olympian Heath Ryan suspended by Equestrian Australia for allegedly whipping horse Explosion in Sydney apartment blows out brick wall and damages adjoining units Rescue teams with sniffer dogs were combing the crash site of a London-bound Air India passenger jet that ploughed into a residential area of Ahmedabad, killing at least 265 people on board and on the ground. One man aboard the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner – carrying 242 passengers and crew – miraculously survived Thursday's crash, which left the aircraft's tail jutting out of the second floor of a hostel for medical staff from a nearby hospital. Follow updates here. 'This is not just an environmental imperative. It's an economic imperative, and we have some great opportunities with our solar and wind resources in Australia to actually become global leaders in that space' – Liberal senator Maria Kovacic. Kovacic has said Coalition MPs should stop questioning climate change science and instead fully embrace emissions policies to deliver net zero by 2050, warning that Australia's environment and economy are at risk. Sign up to Afternoon Update Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion New data shows a 25% spike in the number of people leaving Australia for short-term foreign trips, while the country also appears to have become an increasingly popular destination for foreign tourists. About 641,000 visitors arrived in Australia in April 2025 for short-term trips, up 8.1% from the previous April. Julianne Moore has played some mothers in her time. Her latest screen mum is in the jangling new thriller Echo Valley. She has a lot of heavy lifting to do as Kate, a morally compromised rancher whose farm is falling apart, along with her life. Ahead of her new film – in which she fights, dives and wrangles horses – the Oscar-winning actor discusses sunburn, age-gaps and hanging from helicopters. Today's starter word is: VIC. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply. Enjoying the Afternoon Update? Then you'll love our Morning Mail newsletter. Sign up here to start the day with a curated breakdown of the key stories you need to know, and complete your daily news roundup. And follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland.
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Grim government warning for Aussies to steer clear of Middle East warzone amid fears of a nuclear apocalypse
The Australian government has issued a chilling new warning for Aussies headed to Israel after it launched its raid on Iran and the ongoing conflict in Gaza and Lebanon. In a statement published on Friday on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's (DFAT) Smart Traveller website, officials advised people to rethink their travel plans. 'Reconsider your need to travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories overall due to the volatile security situation, armed conflict, civil unrest and terrorism,' it warned. Former Australian Ambassador to Israel, Liberal senator Dave Sharma backed the upgraded official warning in light of the latest attacks. 'I'd urge all Australians to pay close attention and heed the updated travel advice,' he told Daily Mail Australia. The updated travel alert follows the pre-emptive Israeli strike on Iran, targeting military and nuclear facilities, amid claims Iran was just days away from developing nuclear weapons. Israel's military says it had killed three top Iranian military leaders in an overnight operation. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has vowed retaliation, warning Israel it 'must expect severe punishment'. In response, Israel has declared a national state of emergency. Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Israeli citizens to brace for potential drone and missile attacks from Iran 'in the immediate future.' Schools and most workplaces across Israel were ordered shut on Friday. DFAT reiterated its advice on Friday afternoon. 'We continue to advise reconsider your need to travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories overall due to the volatile security situation, armed conflict, civil unrest and terrorism,' the alert read. 'We continue to advise do not travel to Gaza and areas near the border with Gaza, border areas with Lebanon and the West Bank (excluding East Jerusalem). 'If you're in Israel, you should reconsider whether you need to remain and, if not, depart when it's safe to do so.' Smart Traveller also warned of ongoing threats, including missile and rocket fire in parts of Israel, and urged Australians not to travel to border areas with Lebanon. 'In an attack or other armed conflict, you should take shelter, follow the advice of local authorities and monitor local media and public safety information updates through the National Emergency Portal (accessible in Israel only),' the alert said. 'Terror attacks can occur anywhere at any time, including by lone actors. Be alert to personal safety risks. 'There continues to be a high threat of military and terrorist attacks against Israel and Israeli interests across the region. The security situation could deteriorate quickly, with little or no notice. 'This has resulted and may continue to result in airspace closures, flight cancellations, diversions, and other travel disruptions.' Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has called for calm, over fears tensions will boil over. 'Australia is alarmed by the escalation between Israel and Iran,' Wong said. 'This risks further destabilising a region that is already volatile. 'We call on all parties to refrain from actions and rhetoric that would further exacerbate tensions. We all understand the need, the threat of Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program. 'It represents a threat to international peace and security and we urge the parties to prioritise dialogue and diplomacy.' Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Michaelia Cash echoed Wong's comments, saying the Coalition was 'concerned'. She urged all Australians in the region to follow official advice. 'We expect the Government to prioritise the safety of Australian personnel and their families,' Cash said. Cash also called on Iran to stop funding terror groups. 'We also call on Iran to stop its sponsorship of terrorism, including backing Hamas and Hezbollah,' she said. 'Iran must also guarantee that it will not pursue or acquire nuclear weapons.' Israel's ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, said the latest military action against Iran is aimed at halting the regime's advancing nuclear ambitions. 'A nuclear-armed Iran poses an existential threat to the State of Israel and a grave danger to regional and global stability,' Maimon said. Maimon warned that Iran's actions and intentions go far beyond its borders. 'The regime's expansionist ideology, its support for terrorist proxies across the Middle East and its growing arsenal of long-range missiles demand urgent action.' Late Friday afternoon Israeli military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Deffrin revealed new details about the attack. He said that some 200 Israeli fighter jets had participated in the operation, striking around 100 targets. Deffrin said the attacks would continue.
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- The Guardian
Sydney Muslim cleric revels in being ‘deliberately provocative' and must be restrained by law, court hears
A Muslim cleric accused of a series of antisemitic slurs during lectures at a Sydney prayer centre must be restrained by law from making similar statements in the future because he has refused to apologise and revels in being 'deliberately provocative and inflammatory', the federal court has been told. Wissam Haddad – whose legal first name is William but who is also known as Abu Ousayd – is being sued by two senior members of Australia's peak Jewish body, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), over a series of lectures he gave in Bankstown in November 2023 – subsequently broadcast online – in which he is alleged to have maligned Jewish people. Haddad allegedly breached section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, which prohibits offensive behaviour based on race or ethnic origin. In his speeches, he quoted from the Qur'an and hadith, and described Jewish people as 'mischievous', 'treacherous' and 'vile'. His defence has argued the lectures were given for an educational purpose, and that they could not be found to have breached section 18C because they were not public, but rather addressed to a private Muslim audience. Peter Braham SC, appearing for senior ECAJ members Peter Wertheim and Robert Goot, argued in closing submissions the court had the power to, and must, impose a restraint on Haddad making further incendiary speeches. Braham argued Haddad had continued to post antisemitic tropes online after the case had been filed before the court. 'He plainly will – unless restrained – continue to do it, unconcerned by the seriousness of these proceedings or the offence … he knew he had caused,' Braham told Justice Angus Stewart. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Braham said other speeches made subsequently had been designed to 'taunt' Christians, Hindus and Muslims, using language and tropes that were 'deliberately provocative and inflammatory'. 'If you look at his conduct over time, it's quite plain he does mean to cause offence,' Braham said. He said a court-mandated apology would not suffice: 'An ordered apology's a useless thing. 'He should be ordered to not repeat the conduct.' The ECAJ applicants, Wertheim and Goot, are seeking an injunction that Haddad's five offending sermons be removed from the internet, and an order that he refrain from publishing similar speeches in future. They are also seeking publication of a 'corrective notice' on Haddad's prayer centre's social media pages, and to be awarded the legal costs of bringing their action. They have not sought damages or compensation. Andrew Boe, appearing for Haddad, said the claim against Haddad must fail at the first hurdle, because it was not a public speech, but rather a private address. 'He was directing his speeches at his own people.' Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Boe said the fact Haddad knew the lectures were to be subsequently uploaded online did not change their essential character: that they were intended for a Muslim audience of his followers and congregants. 'He knew it was being recorded and he understood … that the recordings were to be placed on two specific sites associated with the centre, so that those who may have an interest – within his community – would be able to access those recordings.' Boe argued members of Australia's Jewish community – including those who have brought the court action – were only made aware of the speeches through the reportage of the lectures in the mainstream media. Boe earlier told the court it was unlikely a Jewish person would have discovered the speeches, to then be offended by them, if the recordings had not been amplified by mainstream media. 'It would be analogous to a person of a prudish sensitivity seeking out pornography on the web and then complaining about being offended by it,' Boe told the court. Boe argued there must be room, in a democratic society, for 'the confronting, the challenging, even the shocking'. He said Haddad's speeches – in particular those titled The Jews of Al Madina – were concerned with historical events recorded in Islamic scripture, and his interpretations. Earlier this week, Haddad posted a video online, telling followers he did not accept the authority of Australia's secular courts. 'We disbelieve in these courts, these are the houses of the Taghut,' he said, using an Islamic concept that describes the worship of anyone or anything other than Allah. In modern contexts, the term is used to dismiss a non-Muslim power as anti-Islamic, tyrannical, or illegitimate. Closing submissions continue. The hearing is expected to conclude on Friday.
