KEEP CONNECTED ”I love being able to make such a stressful situation a little bit less stressful for people.‟ JÜƛōơ ®ĺƊƤƇōƊ͟ īĺƉƇƬ r º ŵĺƒƛƮŚƥ÷Ƙ Read her story on page 8
Back to Events P4 Our skateboarding champion P6 Woman of the Year's inspirational story P10 Mentoring our future swim champions P12
Edition 1: Autumn 2022
Mayoral Message
Dear Resident
Quý vị thân mến;
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Viếng trang mạng cbcity.gov.nsw.au
緸㖧 cbcity.gov.nsw.au
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Welcome to the latest edition of your community newsletter, Keep Connected. We’re bringing you the latest updates from Council and what we are delivering for our community. With the worst of the pandemic behind us (hopefully), this edition highlights how our City is getting back to normal. You’ll hear stories from some of our community’s incredible residents, like the personal story of a local SES volunteer who helped in the March storms and flooding, an Olympic skateboarding champion, proud business owner and more. Recently, the State Government announced our City was eligible for nearly $35 million in funding. And, with the potential of getting millions more, under the Government’s $5 billion WestInvest program. This funding is real and has been made possible by the sale of WestConnex, and a commitment to deliver transformational projects across 15 Local Government Areas in Sydney’s west and south west…
Γεια σας
areas like ours, which were heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. While details have not yet been provided, I can tell you the intention of the funding is to improve local communities through revitalised high streets, improved community facilities, better local traffic flow and active transport links. We are now preparing a list of potential projects which could be funded through these grants so that together we can get a better outcome for our community. In the coming months, I look forward to sharing with you the amazing things this money will be invested in. In the meantime though, please sit down with your favourite cuppa and read some of the great local community stories in this newsletter.
Sincerely Clr Khal Asfour MAYOR
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Επισκεφτείτε cbcity.gov.nsw.au
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Back to Events
It’s a month of festivities and nowhere in Sydney has got this except Lakemba.
īĖƓƇƨ ƩīƊÜ
Caption: C Ca ap pttiio on n::
QÜŔƏ ²ƵƔĖƮĉ żÜƓ hƇƮĉƍơƮĉ
Try something new this Ramadan This Ramadan come and experience the food and festivities, learn more about our unique local businesses that have kept the festival buzzing over the years. Lakemba’s Island Dreams Cafe has been tantalising local tastebuds for almost 30 years. Owner Alimah Bilda said Ramadan was always an important time for her business and customers. “Ramadan is a very special month… A holy month and one of the pillars of Islam,” Alimah says. “During this time, we fast for a month and break fast with our families. “The atmosphere at Haldon Street during Ramadan is amazing. It’s a month of festivities and nowhere in Sydney has got this except Lakemba. “If you don't come, then you're missing out big time!”
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Alimah and her family come from the Cocos Keeling Islands, which forms part of Australia’s northern islands. Her restaurant specialises in traditional island cuisine, often cooking over a woodfire. “Being the only Christmas/Cocos Island cafe in Sydney is already quite unique,” Alimah says. “The influences of my food from both islands makes it quite different. “I remember one time… a customer from Malaysia came and ate, afterwards she said, ‘your food is like Malaysian but there’s something different, it’s quite unique and very nice’.”
More exciting events are just around the corner, visit cb.city/Events
What's On
Campsie streets come alive 21-22 May Introducing the Campsie Street Festival! Held from 11am-7pm on 21 and 22 May, this event will feature live music, dance performances, roving bands, performance artists, and alfresco dining. This event is proudly funded by the NSW Government’s The Festival of Place. For more information, visit cb.city/WhatsOn
Nightly until 1 May (dependant on moon) One of Sydney’s most popular and culturally diverse events, Ramadan Nights Lakemba returns. This celebration of culture, sees Lakemba’s Haldon Street transformed into a vibrant global food bazaar from dusk to dawn. Each evening, there is a smorgasbord of food vendors and stallholders. This is the ideal place for your family and friends to experience foods from around the world, and for many Muslims to break their fast. This Ramadan there’s only one place to experience a camel burger, knafeh, Malay food and Arabic coffee. Visit cb.city/Ramadan
HIJÜƌƋƨ òƥƙƳ÷ōƚ
Bankstown Bites is back! 30 July Food lovers get your taste buds ready, because Bankstown Bites Food Festival is back! Discover the diverse and exciting flavours of Canterbury-Bankstown, by booking a guided food tour, visit one of the many food stalls, or simply sit back and learn how to prepare a new dish at one of our cooking demonstrations. The event will also feature activities and rides for the kids and live entertainment. For more, visit cb.city/BankstownBites
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Our Community
Our skateboarding champion ıÜƘ 4ƇƤƩò You might have rolled through one of our great skate parks, but did you know that skateboarding is now an Olympic sport? Olympic qualifying skateboarder and Greenacre local Amar Hadid is changing the face of skateboarding for our City. The 23-year-old took up skateboarding eight years ago and has since competed in championships across the globe, receiving the world’s first scholarship for skateboarding from the University of Sydney. “My cousin liked to skate and being close in age to him and being a girl, I wanted to show him how it was done,” Amar says. “So, I picked up a skateboard and learnt my first tricks watching YouTube videos. “The feeling when I learnt a new trick stuck with me – it felt incredible when I landed the trick I had been trying over and over and my hard work paid off.” But Amar’s not only putting Canterbury-Bankstown on the radar as a place where champion skateboarders are made… as a female, Muslim skateboarder, she’s inspiring young women across the nation to pursue their dreams.
“I know it can be intimidating learning a new skill in a sport considered male dominated, but we are resilient out here in CBCity,” Amar says.
The skate parks we have in Canterbury-Bankstown are great for beginners and getting the ball rolling. “I think you will also be pleasantly surprised by the community skateboarding has to offer; it is much more encouraging than most think. So, get out there, put in the hard yakka and have fun with it! “I hope that through my skateboarding, young women and men will realise that with the right drive, determination and persistence they can find empowerment through roller sports to achieve anything.” Amar also represents us as CBCity’s 2022 Australia Day Ambassador. Congratulations Amar, we cannot wait to cheer you on in your future grind!
To find out more about our parks and facilities, visit cb.city/Parks
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New synthetic fields at Rudd Park We’ve invested more than $3.6 million in upgrading Rudd Park, with new synthetic fields, lighting and turf. The grounds are home to the Canterbury District Soccer Football Association and is one of two synthetic fields in our City. To learn more about other Council projects, visit cb.city/Projects
Want to learn a new trick? Did you know, there are five fantastic skate parks in Canterbury-Bankstown where you can practise your skills and become a pro, just like Amar! Our skate parks are also great for rollerblading, BMX riding and skateboarding too.
đ÷Ɖƫ ƕƵŚ ƚƨĖŔ ƔƋƷ Ŷơƚ÷Ʋ ŚƇƔƫ ıŞƘƇƬ ëƟ ƲĺòƋ ªƯƓưŚĺƔ Ƈƴ ÷IJƔƋƴŚ hơƘƫ͟ kĖŵƋƘƷƯĺòͤ
What is a Council asset? Did you know that Canterbury-Bankstown owns $3.2 billion worth of assets? An asset is everything that Council owns or manages, like our roads, bridges, footpaths, buildings, facilities, parks and sporting fields.
• Carysfield Park – Johnston Road, Bass Hill
View our innovative interactive Asset Management Strategy online to see how we plan to fund and service these in the next 10 years. Including:
• Amour Park – Marco Avenue, Revesby
• Current state of Council assets including
• Roberts Park – Waterloo Road, Greenacre • Goondah Reserve – Goondah and Gundaroo Streets, Villawood • Riverwood – Salt Pan Creek Wetlands, Riverwood
roads, drains, buildings and parks; • The plan to fund and service these assets; and • Current challenges in resourcing assets.
Learn more and view the strategy at cb.city/AssetManagement
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Local Heroes
We’ve seen areas that haven’t gone under water before go under.
JÜƛōơ ®ĺƊƤƇōƊ
Our community’s local heroes From fallen trees, blocked gutters or the City quite literally going underwater, the State Emergency Services (SES) are always here to help. During the recent floods that devastated many across our community, the local SES volunteers have assisted local residents get out of some scary situations.
During the severe storms and flooding, the SES volunteers were hard at work to keep our locals safe. Laura was a friendly face to her neighbours in Milperra when she, with her fellow volunteers, went door knocking to spread the news of potential evacuations. She was also busy providing sandbags to locals, fixing leaking roofs, clearing gutters, and announcing evacuations over loudspeakers. But Laura does a lot more than help with storms and floods, sometimes knocking on someone’s door at the right time can be a godsend for locals. “When we were outdoor knocking the other day, I was able to assist someone who thought their father was having a stroke,” she says. Laura ran a stroke assessment, and called the resident's local GP (who happened to also be her GP too).
Laura Goddard has lived in Milperra for more than 20 years and has volunteered for different organisations all her life. “I decided to join the SES mid last year because I live in a flood area and I love being able to make such a stressful situation a little bit less stressful for people,” Laura says.
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“Thankfully the resident turned out to be okay. While first aid is not our primary job, we help out in any way we can.” We cannot thank the teams at the Bankstown and Canterbury SES Units enough for being the local heroes our community can call on! If you need help during storms and floods, always call the SES who are happy to assist. If it is a life-threatening emergency, call 000.
Clean & Green
kĖìƎƇƲò HĺīƕƊƺƩ÷Ĥ
Planting new ideas The cooler months might be the perfect time to stay indoors and snuggle up with a hot drink, but that’s not stopping these Bushcare volunteers from getting out in nature and doing their bit for the environment. For local artist, Kim Chau, CBCity’s Bushcare program is an opportunity to inspire her botanical masterpieces. When out on Bushcare expeditions, Kim hunts for exquisite plants and animals that she can replicate in her botanical drawings and sculptures. She’s created intricate hand-made lemon myrtle cards, painted macadenias with water colour, and even built a 3D cockatoo by paper.
HĖı ªƎƇƵ
Sometimes you bump into something magnificent you would only see in the bush!
Sydney Royal Easter show multi-award winner and Georges Hall local, Richard Kolodziej, has been volunteering with Bushcare for more than 20 years. “I’m constantly learning at Bushcare, it keeps me young at heart,” Richard says. The gardening and plant identification skills that Richard learns at Bushcare have informed his impressive collection of cactus’ and succulents, which brought him home six first place awards at last year’s Sydney Royal Easter show. Richard’s top tip for gardening during winter is to use the extra time to make changes to your garden.
“Use the time when growing slows down to do some more pruning and essential maintenance.” Volunteers are currently needed across 17 different Bushcare sites to help remove weeds, plant native vegetation and maintain wetlands. View the sites on our online interactive map at cb.city/Bushcare, you might even discover one right around the corner from you!
All Council facilities are now powered by solar CBCity has gone green, with all Councilowned facilities and streetlights in Canterbury-Bankstown to be powered by renewable solar energy. We've finalised a new contract with Australian solar provider, ZEN Energy, which will increase Council’s renewable energy supply from 20 per cent to 100 per cent. The renewable energy will be supplied from solar farms in Moree, Hillston and Nevertire Solar. It means that when you visit any of our libraries, pools, sportsgrounds or community halls, you are using a facility that is powered by renewable electricity. 99
Arts & Culture
Amani tells her story We’ve got so many incredible locals with different stories to share. Let’s take a moment to recognise Chester Hill local and 2020 Woman of the Year for Bankstown, Amani Haydar, who is truly making a difference in our community and beyond. Since the loss of her mother to domestic violence and her father's conviction, Amani has used her legal and creative skills to address violence against women. She is a face of advocacy in the community, pushing for legal reform on issues from homicide sentencing procedures, to paid parental leave for pregnant women affected by violence. Amani turned to expressing herself through writing as a form of therapy, since featuring multiple works in ABC News Online, SBS Voices, Arab Australian Other and Sweatshop Women. “I started my writing journey as a form of therapy and recovery and that really evolved because I really became interested in the power of storytelling,” Amani says. And now Amani is sharing her story with the world in her memoir The Mother Wound. The memoir tells the story of Amani’s own trauma and the personal and political dimensions of domestic violence.
It can be really empowering hearing stories from peoples own lived experiences. Amani was featured alongside 16 other MuslimAustralian writers at the Sydney Muslim Writers festival in February. “This was the first Sydney Muslim Writers Festival, an opportunity to explore how culture and religious identity can be part of the writing practice.”
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ıÜƔƏ 4ơƹòÜƘ
Refugee artists exhibition 21 May-25 June CBCity is home to refugee communities from all around the world, adding a variety of cultures, languages and abilities to our richly diverse City. That’s why we proudly celebrate Refugee Week (19-25 June 2022). This year, Bankstown Arts Centre is collaborating with Settlement Services International (SSI), providing an Arts and Culture’s Creative Pathways program providing support to newly arrived artists who are looking to take their work to the next level. This group exhibition titled Second Chance showcases a collection works by artists who have come through the Creative Pathways program and endeavored to continue pursuing their passion for creating art since arriving in Australia. The incredible line up of artists include Anmar Saleem, Feryal Mohammad, Elham Marvi, Shiva Dadvar, Silva Hambarsoom, Zuhair Youkhanna and the Lakemba-based Rohingya Women's Group led by Sajeda Bahadurmia. You can also join us at the Bankstown Arts Centre for Homelands Bankstown on Saturday 25 June, a unique opportunity to experience the rich diversity of refugee communities through music, dance and visual arts.
What’s on Bryan Brown Theatre We're excited to bring you a star-studded list of upcoming shows. Kick off your Sunday shoes with Footloose, learn about the heritage of Lebanon, join us for a musical fiesta and more! Footloose the Musical presented by the Bankstown Theatre Company
Bach to Broadway ft. Lisa Lombardo and Paul Cincotta Tuesday 10 May, 10am
Sunday 1 May, 2pm Friday 6 May, 8pm Saturday 7 May, 2pm Saturday 7 May, 8pm Sunday 8 May, 2pm
Cedars of Lebanon Folkloric Group 45th Anniversary Concert Saturday 11 June, 8pm
Musical Fiesta ft. Chris Gable and Grace Rizzo Tuesday 14 June, 10am
For more information, visit BryanBrownTheatre.com.au
Bankstown Arts Centre Trees can tell stories too 16 July-28 August
JƯŞƏƙƥ hđĺƚƕ Ƣż rıĖƚƨ -ĺŶƒƋƲʹ
You might know the tradition of tying a note to a tree and making a wish, but have you ever wondered where these folklores come from? The idea of a wishing tree dates back thousands of years. Sydney-based artist Louise Fowler-Smith, otherwise known as the Tree Venerator, learnt all about this in her 10 years of field research in India. A range of works from the Tree Veneration Society, including photos, sculptures, painting and printmaking will be on display at the Bankstown Arts Centre’s Arboreal Narratives 2022: Tree Stories exhibition.
For more on these exhibitions and to find out what's on at the Bankstown Arts Centre, visit cb.city/ArtsCentre
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Leisure
HÜƏ ¹Ưë÷ƘƴŔƕƔ
Mentoring future champions Our Swim School program has been preparing local young stars to be champions in the water since 2011. The 16-year-old national open water champion, Kai Robertson, learnt to swim at Roselands Leisure and Aquatic Centre from the age of four.
My instructors made learning to swim really easy and fun, and over time I begun working harder to get to where I am now. Kai progressed through the stages of CBCity’s mini squads into Harlee Elite, who he now trains with at Max Parker Leisure and Aquatic Centre. There’s not a day that Kai misses training. He rises before the sun and starts his day with a session
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at 5am. Through his dedication, Kai took home gold in the seven and a half kilometre and the five kilometre freestyle at the national open water championships in Adelaide. "When I was going through the stages of learning to swim... I always wanted to reach the top and finally getting there is hard to believe, it's surreal!" Kai is now on his way to represent Australia at the Junior World Championships off the coast of East Africa in September. Good luck Kai! CBCity will be cheering you on! CBSwim will teach kids a skill for life. With a little help from our team of qualified swimming instructors, we might even see them compete in the Olympics one day! For more information, visit cb.city/CBSwim or call your closest Leisure and Aquatic Centre.
Start working on your summer body Image Winter is the perfect time to get fit and healthy, and our friendly team at CBfit are here to help! Join one (or all) of our group fitness classes at our Leisure and Aquatic Centre's to achieve your goals and have fun while doing it. There is a range of classes to choose from including Body Pump, Zumba, Yoga and more. View the y timetable and prices online at cb.city/CBFit
Local squad members perform swimmingly A group of elite swimmers who train at our Leisure and Aquatic Centres have dominated in the pool across the country. The Harlee Elite squad members brought home 25 medals at the recent State NSW Summer Championships. Head Coach Alex Clarke said the team brought home eight gold, nine silver and eight bronze medals, as well as 30 top 10 performances in the state.
I knew they would do well, but their performance exceeded my expectations. "It was also fitting that we crowned three national champions [one of them being Kai] at the national open water championships in Adelaide and I’m looking forward to what they do in the future.” Alex praised Council staff and said the amenities provided ensured his coaches and squad members enjoyed the best possible training conditions.
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A new Leisure and Aquatic Centre is coming soon We're excited to announce that we are another step closer to the upgrade of the Canterbury Leisure and Aquatic Centre. We hope construction of the new centre will begin in late 2022 and be complete in mid-2024. While we're closed, we’ll be offering Canterbury members access to our other Leisure and Aquatic Centres and will update you further soon. To stay up to date on the project, visit cb.city/LeisureNews
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Community Services
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Classes get an A+ for friendship When David Liu moved to Australia from China, he was overjoyed to reunite with family. Despite this, life in Bankstown was challenging, as David only spoke Mandarin.
Dual Names for our Wards
“I used to come to Bankstown Library to read newspapers and then found out about the English Conversation Groups,” David says. “I wanted to learn English to be able to communicate with Government offices and also with people in the community.”
The Darug and Eora people have been living in the Canterbury-Bankstown area thousands of years before European Settlement.
He has achieved this and more!
The English group is very useful, fantastic in fact. They helped me a lot to learn English – and to make new friends. Renata Rekiel, the library’s programs coordinator agrees with David that the English Conversation Groups have a social role as much as a learning one. “People are meeting with others whose level of English is very similar, so there is no fear or barrier when they talk – mistakes don’t matter, and they build a strong connection,” Renata says. David smiles broadly when he talks about his new abilities in English and his new friends. The group has made a big difference to his life. “Life is more convenient and more happy,” David says.
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To join an English Conversation Group, call 9707 5533 or visit cb.city/LearningEnglish
Reminders of their lifestyle dating back 3,000 years can still be found along the Georges River, Cooks River and other areas, including rock paintings and axe grinding grooves. To acknowledge this rich history, our five Council Wards have been given an Aboriginal term chosen in consultation with local Elders and then by a resident vote. The names are shown here on our map above. The move is part of our Reconciliation Action Plan to recognise the culture and heritage of Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The new names inspired our younger residents in a recent colouring competition for kids, judged by members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) reference group. “It is so important for local councils and communities to acknowledge and embrace local Indigenous culture and learn from Aboriginal people who ho have walked this land d for thousands of years,”” says Anna Certoma.
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Darani
BANKSTOWN
Bura
BASS HILL
Clr George Zakhia (LIB) George.Zakhia@ cbcity.nsw.gov.au 0433 336 886
Clr Chris Cahill (ALP) Christopher.Cahill@ cbcity.nsw.gov.au 0407 948 684
Clr Rachelle Harika (ALP) Rachelle.Harika@ cbcity.nsw.gov.au 0418 859 353
Clr Charlie Ishac (LIB) Charlie.Ishac@ cbcity.nsw.gov.au 0498 141 149
Budjar
CANTERBURY
Clr Bilal El-Hayek (ALP) - Deputy Mayor Bilal.El-Hayek@ cbcity.nsw.gov.au 0410 111 161
Clr Barbara Coorey (IND) Barbara.Coorey@ cbcity.nsw.gov.au 0407 964 484
Clr Jessie Nguyen (LIB) Jessie.Nguyen@ cbcity.nsw.gov.au 0412 634 656
Clr Clare Raffan (ALP) Clare.Raffan@ cbcity.nsw.gov.au 0499 790 033
Bunya
REVESBY ROSELANDS
Clr Khal Asfour (ALP) - Mayor Mayor@ cbcity.nsw.gov.au 9707 9523
Clr Charbel Abouraad (LIB) Charbel.Abouraad@ cbcity.nsw.gov.au 0407 949 168
Clr Linda Downey (ALP) Linda.Downey@ cbcity.nsw.gov.au 0408 243 886
Clr David Walsh (ALP) David.Walsh@ cbcity.nsw.gov.au 0408 740 120
Bunmarra
Meet your new Councillors
Clr Sazeda Akter (LIB) Sazeda.Akter@ cbcity.nsw.gov.au 0407 910 858
Clr Khodr (Karl) Saleh OAM (ALP) Karl.Saleh@ cbcity.nsw.gov.au 0408 221 559
Clr Bhadra Waiba (ALP) Bhadra.Waiba@ cbcity.nsw.gov.au 0408 021 321
Not sure which councillor to speak to? Find out which ward you live in online at cb.city/Wards
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Bankstown Arts Centre 9707 5400 Belmore Youth & Resource Centre 9718 9848 Bryan Brown Theatre & Function Centre 9707 9404 Customer Service 9707 9000 Leisure & Aquatic Centres Birrong Canterbury Max Parker Roselands Wran
9644 8300 9789 9303 9771 2148 9789 9302 9726 2283
Library & Knowledge Centres Bankstown Campsie Chester Hill Earlwood Greenacre Lakemba Padstow Panania Riverwood
9707 9708 9789 9423 9707 9740 9789 9417 9707 9744 9789 9419 9707 9747 9707 9737 9789 9416
Morris Iemma Indoor Sports Centre (MIISC) 9153 0441 To view this newsletter or past issues online, visit cb.city/Newsletter This publication is printed on Revive 100% recycled paper.
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