Weekly Wrap: Shire residents help Dylan to Australian Idol win

Shire residents celebrated this week when ex-Port Hacking High School student Dylan Wright won Australian Idol 2024. The young father, 31, who made his living performing, and painting houses, lives in the northern rivers of NSW, but grew up in the shire, and had huge support from his fans right back where it all started.

Continuing the good news theme, a 13-year-old boy has been praised for his part in rescuing a group of people with disability and their carers after two party boats became stuck in the mud in Oyster Bay when the tide dropped. Finn O'Keeffe and another local resident Jeremy used kayaks to ferry the 12-15 people - adults and children - to safety, including wading through waist-high, thick mud while pulling the craft part of the way.

A man-made oyster reef constructed near the airport runways in Botany Bay nine months ago is showing signs of success with a huge increase in fish species observed. More than 3600 tonnes of rock was deposited on to the floor of the bay to create 23 individual reef patches over three hectares, equivalent in size to two football fields.

Readers can still support the fundraiser by Cronulla lifeguard Harry Came whose March 28 epic swim at Caringbah Pool raised money for mental health charity, ReachOut Australia.

Have a happy Easter.

Kind regards,

Damien Madigan, Editor