Blacktown News - December 2022

Cause for celebration at Westpoint Blacktown

THANKS BLACKTOWN

Our football legacy that challenged the world

WHO would have thought that the Captain of the Socceroos would come from Blacktown. While some doubted Matt Ryan had the talent to excel on the world stage, Blacktown City FC Head of Football, Mark Crittenden, did not and the rest is history. A junior at Blacktown City FC, at 14 Matt was at the crossroads but Coach Crittenden saw not only talent but drive and leadership qualities. As the Socceroo Goalie, Matt held Denmark scoreless last Thursday morning to propel Australia to the Round of 16. He was joined by four other Blacktown City Juniors, all five were on the pitch together in the second half of the Denmark qualifier. And although we lost to Argentina 2-1 to exit the competition, the quest for excellence will continue. More: page 30.

Matt

a Blacktown

Blacktown City Australia Day Awards

Nominate your local hero or superstar business for Council’s 2023 Australia Day Awards.

• Young Citizen of the Year

• Community Event of the Year Environmental Citizen of the Year.

These awards provide us with the opportunity to celebrate our community’s contributions and successes in areas such as education, health, fundraising, charitable and voluntary services, business, sport, arts, the environment or any other area that contributes to the advancement and wellbeing of the Blacktown City community.

Nominations will close at 5.30 pm on Friday 6 January 2023.

To find out more or nominate someone, visit blacktown.nsw.gov.au/ausdayawards.

Woodcroft Festival and Christmas Carols

Saturday 17 December from 2 pm to 8 pm

Woodcroft Oval, Burragorang Street, Woodcroft

The festival will feature a range of activities and entertainment for the whole family, including: food and market stalls, pizza eating competition, stage performances, rides and workshops. Join us for an exciting family day out with great company, great food and great fun!

Riverstone Swimming Centre’s 60th Birthday Party

Sunday 18 December from 9 am to 6 pm

Riverstone Swimming Centre, Corner of Market Street and Piccadilly Street, Riverstone

Join us as we celebrate Riverstone Swimming Centre’s 60th birthday with an action-packed day of fun in and out of the pools!

Enjoy free entry all day, with live music, pool and land inflatables, pool games and novelty races, petting zoo, face painting, giveaways, BBA, cake and much more!

Pip’s Safe Summer tips!

With the weather heating up, more families are heading to the pools and beach to cool off this summer season.

With more people in the water and out in the sun we all have to remember to be water and sun smart. Aqua Learn to Swim mascot, Pip the Penguin, shares their Safe Summer tips for all children and families to stay safe this summer.

Parents should always maintain active supervision of their children when in or around water. Active supervision at public pools means:

• Be Prepared: ensure you have everything you need before getting into the water, such as towels and dry clothes.

• Be Close: always be within arms’ reach of your child.

• All of Your Attention: focus all of your attention on your child and get into the pool and talk and play with them.

All of the Time: you should never leave your child alone in the water, nor should they be left in the care of an older child or with the assumption that your responsibility diminishes due to the presence of lifeguards.

Pip’s Safe Summer tips are available in comic strips, as well as multilanguage videos.

To view these, visit blacktown.nsw.gov.au/pip

Blacktown City Council acknowledges the Darug people as the traditional owners of the land on which Blacktown City was built.

Kidz Blitz School Holiday Program Summer 2022/2023

Monday 19 December from 7.30 am to 6.00 pm

Blacktown Aquatic Centre, Blacktown Leisure Centre Stanhope and Charlie Lowles Leisure Centre Emerton

Looking for fun in the School Holidays? Try Kidz Blitz!

Kidz Blitz is the most exciting thing kids aged 6 - 12 can do all holidays!

With scheduled itineraries full of engaging and exciting activities for your kids to enjoy every day the fun never ends at our Kidz Blitz school holiday program. Arts and crafts, pool games, sport, science, dancing are just some of the activities your kids will love!

For more information, and to view all of our upcoming events, visit blacktown.nsw.gov.au

WEXPO 2022 goes to NSW Parliament

The inaugural WEXPO 2022 was a great success showcasing businesses, keynote speakers, community lead ers’ forums and information sessions brought together at Blacktown Workers Club.

WEXPO created an opportunity for key speakers to take the ideas generated to NSW Parliament.

Stephen Bali MP State Member for Blacktown hosted five speakers who pre sented to Government representatives, Chris Minns MP NSW Labor Leader and many other parliamentarians about the needs, challenges and opportunities for the people of Western Sydney.

Professor Zlatko Skrbis, Australian Catholic University (ACU) Vice Chan cellor, said that lives can be improved with educational opportunities. Local students can complete their studies in Blacktown to become teachers, nurses, sports science, and nutritionists. They will work in the local area providing opportunities for the next generation.

Ray Messom, CEO of WentWest

primary health network spoke on the need for a social impact fund that provides funding in delivering health and social services to where it is needed. Whilst physical infrastructure is needed, there also needs to be a compliment of people-to-people services assisting mental health, family welfare and physi cal wellbeing.

Glen Maberly, Western Sydney Diabetes, identi fied diabetes as the silent scourge that can result in heart failure, dementia, blindness, cancer, and amputation. Diabetes is preventable in 80% of the cases and by improve one’s health, that will result in significant health improvements. One big idea is for the Western Sydney com munity to get behind a campaign to lose 2kg each.

Clement Meru, SydneyWest Multi cultural Services Manager spoke on the need for improved employment strate gies as many qualified refugees and new settlers are not able to maximum their professional knowledge in appropriate work.

Katherine Tocchini, of Novo Nordisk

Pharmaceuticals discussed a global cities program, Cities Changing Diabetes, and their desire to have a western Sydney council to be the first in Australia to sign up to the life changing initiative and improv ing health outcomes.

Scott Farlow MLC responded on behalf of the Government wel coming WEXPO participants and outlining the importance of western Sydney and the WestInv scheme.

Chris Minns MP responded on behalf of the NSW Labor saying “WEXPO brings together a diverse range of people – community lead ers, businesspeople, charities work ers, professionals and academics.

“The one thing they all have in common is their enthusiasm for western Sydney.

“The room was full of people with energy and ideas, and I look forward to working with them if NSW Labor is fortunate enough to form government next year.”

Support for taxi license holders

THE NSW Government has presented a final assistance package to NSW taxi license hold ers, offering the most generous assistance payments in Australia worth $905M. The extra cash injection will see the passenger service levy (PSL) increase by 20 cents to $1.20 (ex GST) and be extended to 2030. The package is more than double

the compensation offered by the Victorian Govern ment and more than nine times the package offered by the Queensland Government, says the Govern ment. This now takes the total assistance package, designed to help fully deregulate the industry, from $645M to $905M. The new package provides $150,000 for every Sydney metropolitan taxi license

holder with a cap of six plates. Each regional taxi plate will be paid between $40,000 and $195,000, with no cap on the number of plates. Should the final package not be accepted, legislation will not be introduced. A Government appointed review will then be launched to assess a compensation package, based on the existing passenger service levy.

First release SOLD OUT

Town Centre Living

Live at the Park

Oran Park has a new land release positioned less than 500m from the Town Centre!

O ran Park is constantly evolving, so now is the time to take advantage of everything this great community has to offer. Here’s what you can look forward to while living at the Park:

• A variety of schools and future tertiary institutions

• Multiple pre-school and day-care centres

• Pedestrian-friendly streets, creating easy access to amenities

• 160km of paths and cycleways for you to explore parklands, playgrounds and sporting fields

• An award-winning skate park and splash park which includes flying foxes, table tennis tables, basketball courts, a ninja warrior course and a parkour course

• Oran Park Library

• Meeting friends and family at Oran Park’s major shopping centre, The Podium

• New dining experiences at the Oran Park Hotel, Atura Hotel and food precincts within The Podium

• State-of-the-art Leisure Centre which houses a 50m indoor Olympic pool, gym, four basketball courts, sauna and more

• Jobs close to home within the Town Centre and nearby Western Sydney International Airport

• World class fiber optic networks with high-speed internet

• An integrated health hub for your wellbeing needs

• Good public transport with a current rotation of buses and a future train station

• A fresh new start in a masterplanned community

Don’t miss out on the opportunity of securing a lot close to the Town Centre.

Contact the Oran Park sales team on 9043 7500.

Scan to learn more or to register your interest.

WEXPO delegation meet Chris Minns.

Westpoint unveils new mall

WESTPOINT has unveiled its newly refurbished mall.

The improved centre fea ture new retailers including a new location and brand-new store for JB Hi-Fi and a new mega Cotton On plus Harris Scarfe.

It also comes with the introduction of 20 new specialty retailers, including Lorna Jane, Neverland, Oz Pop Culture and Plot, with many opening their doors for the first time in Blacktown.

After undergoing works for the past six months, the new mall has received

a complete face lift and will offer shoppers a new and improved shop ping experience. The project includes greenery, new flooring, ceilings, light ing, columns, and balustrade upgrades, creating a modern look.

“We’re so thrilled to be able to upgrade our centre and improve our offering, not just for theresidents of Blacktown and our immediate sur roundings, but for everyone in the wider Sydney region,” says Westpoint General Manager, Craig Brown.

“We expect these new brands will

prove popular with families and a youthful audience. We’ve worked hard to deliver these great new brands to Westpoint just in time for the Christ mas shopping season.”

“There is so much for shoppers to enjoy over the coming two weeks. It’s also a great time to take advantage of the exceptional deals and save some money by ticking a few items off your Christmas shopping lists early.”

More information can be found at www. westpoint.com.au.

Top students receive STEM awards

„ DALLAS SHERRINGHAM

ALMOST 40 Year-11 students from the Blacktown region have been awarded a Victor Chang School Science Award for their outstanding achievements in the field of science.

The bright young minds are being high lighted for their passion for STEM – sci ence, technology, engineering, and mathe matics – subjects that are increasingly out of favor with students across Australia.

Among the proud recipients was The Ponds High School's Upasana Jayswal.

Enrolments in science, technology, engi neering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects are continuing to fall or stagnate with less than 10% of Australian year 12 students now studying the highest level of maths.

It’s seen Australia drop in global rank ings for maths results from being in the top 10 in 2003 to 30th – a huge decline.

It is hoped this year’s awards which were given out at Blacktown's Civic Centre will help reverse this trend and inspire a future generation of scientists.

“Children are naturally curious, and we need to encourage students across the country to embrace science and understand just how important STEM skills can be in critical thinking, problem-solving and

17 November – 18 December

Simply spend $50 in participating stores for the chance to win a $50 Westpoint gift card plus go in the draw to win a $1,000 Christmas shopping spree.

Terms and conditions apply. Permit number TP/00086. Visit westpoint.com.au for details.

The new mall at Westpoint Blacktown.

Banks are out, online is in

„ DALLAS SHERRINGHAM

ONCE the bastions of Australian society, tradi tional banks are now ‘on the nose’ with customers according to new research.

The days when everyone knew their local bank manag er and it was one of the most prized jobs from Bondi to Blacktown are now over.

And our abandonment of loyalty means we are switch ing to online choices much quicker than anticipated.

Just released research shows that three in four Auss ie customers are losing trust in banks and would switch to less costly online financial services

The new research suggests that consumers have a limit to the level of interest rates, fees and charges they can take before they lose trust in their banking providers.

Nearly three quarters of Australians say they have lost at least some trust in banks based on high interest rates and fees and 74% would con sider switching their accounts, loans or transactions to more

affordable online services.

Money Transfer Compari son, a comparison website that enables Australian individuals and businesses to source the best money transfer rates, commissioned a survey of an independent panel of 1009 Australians to gauge whether high loan interest rates and fees have caused Australians to lose trust in the banks.

The survey found that 42% of respondents have lost trust in some bank services and 28 % have lost trust in traditional banks as the best platform for all their financial undertak ings.

A higher proportion at 75% of respondents are willing to switch their financial under takings to these non-tradition al services, when they believe their banks are charging too much.

Banks also charge wire fees of up to $40 for interna tional money transfers and often higher exchange rates than specialist online money transfer platforms. Missed payments on bank loans and credit cards, and overdrawn accounts, incur fees of up to $15.

Students receive STEM Awards

creativity,” Executive Director of the Victor Chang Cardiac Re search Institute Professor Jason Kovacic said.

“These budding scientists are already demonstrating in credible skills in the classroom that we hope will lead to a new generation of scientific leaders.

“It’s vital that we tackle this brain drain in Australia and demonstrate that a career in sci ence can be incredibly reward ing and help improve lives the world over.”

This year 39 students from the following schools were rec ognised for their achievements: St John XXIII Catholic College, Wyndham College, Mitchell High School, Richard Johnson Anglican School, St Andrews College, The Hills Sports High School, Tyndale Christian School, St John II Catholic Col lege, Evans High School, Nagle College, Toongabbie Christian College, Chifley College Senior Campus, East Hills Boys High, The Ponds High School, and Blacktown Girls High School.

Encouraging students

The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute with the sup port of Blacktown City Council wants to encourage students to embrace science and be inspired

to consider a fulfilling career in research.

“There has never been a more exciting time to study STEM with incredible advances taking place in robotics, genet ics, biomedicine, and artificial intelligence,” Professor Kovacic said.

Blacktown City Mayor Tony Bleasdale said the Victor Chang School Science Awards pre sented fantastic opportunities for local students to foster an

interest in science.

“I am very proud of all the students from schools in our City who work hard in science, and are setting the foundations to be part of the next genera tion of Australian researchers,” Mayor Bleasdale said.

The Victor Chang School Science Awards were established to celebrate young, gifted students excelling in science, honoring Dr Victor Chang’s legacy in fostering education.

Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute's Dr Osvaldo Contreras with The Ponds High School's Upasana Jayswal and Blacktown City Mayor Tony Bleasdale.

BLACKTOWN’S FUTURE BEGINS TODAY

It’s time we took control

„ VIEWPOINT | STEPHEN BALI

BLACKTOWN City has an opportunity to truly transform the future liveability of the Central Busi ness Districts (CBD).

Is there any oth er major commercial centre in Australia that has a projected population growth to reach over 600,000 by 2041, larger than the State of Tasmania, and yet no major CBD that rivals a Hobart, Canberra or Darwin.

Blacktown and Riverstone CBDs do not reflect the Darug Aboriginal heritage, our youthful population or multicultural diversity, in the talented City that we are.

It is time we aspire to what an exciting and futuristic City of Blacktown can be in 2041 and stop accepting piecemeal ap proaches to development and growth.

Looking at current planning and designs of emerging CBDs such as Parra matta, we see substantial investment by property developers and State Govern ment, delivering shiny high-rise buildings with tokenistic references to Aboriginal or local heritage.

Parramatta CBD in particular has a wind-tunnel effect of rows of closely packed skyscrapers without a real soul to define the city. Do we want this for Black town or Riverstone CBDs?

Can we do better? What can happen?

Both Riverstone and Blacktown CBDs have large areas of land ready for redevel opment. What we must avoid at all costs, is for developers turning up and buying out the area and delivering so-called environmentally sustainable buildings with office space and massive amounts of additional residents.

We need a people led design for an aspirational CBD facilitated by Council.

Riverstone is currently going through the rezoning process and waiting for NSW Government approval. This article will focus on Blacktown CBD but the same opportunities are possible for Riverstone.

Blacktown CBD is in a unique position where large areas of land is owned by a handful of organisations.

Warwick Lane is all owned by Black town Council. Diagram One outlines the potential Blacktown CBD development area outlined in red that covers the southern Blacktown CBD and consists of

approximately 45 acres that is owned by just five organisations.

95% of this southern CBD is owned by three landowners: Blacktown City, QIC and Blacktown Workers Club.

All landowners have a demonstrated record in community support and cor porate social responsibility. So why don’t they jointly design a futurist CBD for the benefit of residents?

We need leadership to drive a wonder ful legacy that will define Blacktown over the next century.

Mark McCrindle in his recent presen tation on the future of business and cities to the North West Business Chamber, cleverly noted that CBDs should be seen as Central Living Districts (CLD) that allow people to work, study, play and live.

What features could we include in a Blacktown Central Living District?

Imagine the ability to live, work, play and study in a safe, ecofriendly environ ment that is culturally sensitive to the Darug heritage.

• We consult with our world re nowned Darug artists to incorporate a culturally sensitive interpretation of Blacktown City’s Darug heritage.

• Accessibility friendly walkways with restaurants, clubs, cafes and health/ exercise hubs.

• Business incubation hubs resourced for the emerging entrepreneurs to succeed.

• Australian Catholic University providing multi-faculty course offerings needed for our growing community.

• Five storey underground cark park covering the 45-acre development thereby removing the need for surface roadways and replaced with

pedestrian friendly environment.

• An emerging arts precinct support ing film, radio, fine arts and perfor mance spaces.

• Smart Office commercial hubs which is sustainable, equipped with new technology hub; data and connectivity; neurodiverse spaces; allowing for flexibility and hybrid wok spaces attracting financial, law, medical and other high paid jobs into the CLM.

• Leading providers of private hospi tals; specialised surgical institutes; and assisted age care living.

• Quality living apartments providing opportunities for affordability, dis ability access and for key workers.

The current Blacktown design (Diagram Two) shows the unimagina tive piecemeal approach of selling of small sections of land to developers to maximise their profits at the cost of our community.

We can then truly become a 24/7 CLM that is safe, fun and futurist but only if our current land custodians work together and not take quick simplistic profits.

A quick search of the internet pro

vides a Rotterdam example (Diagram 3). Imagine what can be achieved if we put our collective minds together and support by leading town planners and designers.”

We need greater transparency and collaboration with the community by our Council leaders.

Let’s not waste this golden opportu nity by allowing a property developer to swoop in cherry picking the land to deliver high rise wind tunnels that may look shiny & new in the short-term but leave a legacy of an unsafe ugly environ ment in the future.

Today, we can seize the future. We need a collaborative approach led by Blacktown Council, supported by the State Government and in partnership with the landowners.

Let’s improve community consulta tion and develop a vision for our City that is inclusive, proud of our Darug heritage and providing our youth of the future to achieve their full potential.

Lift to aboriginal literacy levels

THE NSW Government has announced $1.5M funding toward the Literacy for Life Foundation (LFLF) to lift adult literacy levels in Aboriginal com munities across the State.

Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Ben Franklin said this funding would improve and drive tangible change for Aboriginal communities across NSW.

The funding will deliver the Aboriginal Adult Literacy Campaign, delivering community-led outcomes in line with local community needs and issues they’ve identified.

Literacy for Life Executive Director Jack Beetson said many of our adult students sign up to improve their reading and writing so they assist their chil dren’s education.

“This funding will make an enormous difference by lifting literacy levels in communities.”

The program per area usually involves classes of four days per week for two hours/day over six months. The course includes nutrition and civics units with opportunities in achieving the construc tion white card.

“I have been in contact with LFLF and they are keen to start a communi ty led initiative but State Liberal Government has ignored our area again,” said Mr Bali.

Stephen Bali, Blacktown Labor State Member, said unfortunately there is no funding for Blacktown City.

Stephen Bali MP is State Member for Blacktown and was a councillor on Blacktown City Council from 2004 to 2019 and Mayor of Blacktown City Council from 2014 to 2019.

Stephen Bali

Diagram One: Potential Blacktown CBD redevelopment area.

Diagram Two: Blacktown CBD stacked proposal.

Diagram Three: Rotterdam example.

Minister Ben Franklin.

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The warmth and support that is ingrained in the St Hedwig community endures today.

Call 1300 191 472 to arrange an appointment and view our display apartment, or visit sthedwigvillage.com.au to find out more.

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Come home to St Hedwig Retirement Village and discover the secret to your perfect retirement.

Discover a rich history and a culture of caring at St Hedwig Retirement Village

Rouse Hill hospital confirmed

THE master plan for Rouse Hill’s new $300M hospital has been released by the NSW Government.

The fast growing Rouse Hill commu nity will benefit from a wide range of new health services when the hospital is complet ed.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the new hospital on the corner of Commercial Rd and Windsor Rd, Rouse Hill would include emergency services, inpatient and outpatient services that will be designed to take advan tage of digital innovations in healthcare.

“The new hospital will be specifically de signed and built to embrace advanced digital technology and innovative models of care to bring world-class care right into the home,” Mr Hazzard said.

These innovative models include:

One Health urgent and emergency care that means a co-located emergency department, urgent care centre and general practitioner services with access to pathology, pharmacy and medical imaging services.

• One Health short stay care medical assessment services (up to 48 hours) for patients requiring further investigation, stabilization and direction to an appro priate care pathway.

• InTouch Care which will provide digital healthcare connectivity across all settings including the hospital, the community and in the home.

• Prehabiliation, Rehabilitation and Life style Medicine which delivers therapy, education and interventions that sup port management of chronic conditions

and improving health outcomes.

Member for Riverstone Kevin Conolly said the selected site and Master Plan for the new hospital campus ensured convenient and easy access to hospital services for the community.

“The Master Plan for the new hospital shows the building’s location on the hospital campus and how it relates to parking zones, public transport, access roads and other retail and community services. It also identifies future clinical expansion zones,” Mr Conolly said.

Member for Castle Hill Ray Williams said the State Significant Development Applica tion (SSDA) had also been lodged.

“The SSDA will allow enabling works to start onsite such as installing road access and in-ground services including water, electrici ty and gas,” Mr Williams said.

The new hospital will include:

• inTouchCare.

• Urgent and Emergency Care. Day Surgery Unit.

• Adult & Paediatric Short Stay.

Ambulatory & Outpatient Care which includes Women’s Health, Ante/Post Natal Care, Cancer Care, Renal Dialysis, Mental Health, Infusion Centre and Paediatrics

• Prehabilitation, Rehabilitation & Life style Medicine Service.

• Multi-storey car park.

The new Rouse Hill Hospital will com plement Blacktown and Mt Druitt Hospitals and Westmead Hospital to ensure compre hensive health care throughout the north west.

Western Sydney has benefited from the recent $700M Blacktown and Mount Druitt Hospitals Expansion Project which included a new emergency department, women’s and newborn health services, intensive care unit, operating theatres, and psychiatric emergen cy care service.

Western Sydney Local Health District will work in partnership with Health Infra structure on the next phases of the project with the aim of commencing construction on the project in early 2023.

Taking action on data breaches

NSW is one step closer to becoming the first state or territory in Australia to have a mandatory no tification scheme for its government agencies to respond to personal data breaches.

The NSW Government’s Privacy and Personal In formation Protection Amendment Bill 2022 had passed the Legislative Assembly.

Attorney General Mark Speakman said the bill ful

fils the Government’s 2020 commitment to introduce a mandatory notification of data breaches scheme to strengthen privacy protections for the citizens of NSW.

“This bill is the product of extensive consultation and consideration,” Mr Speakman said.

“This consultation has resulted in a carefully considered scheme that will affect the operations of hundreds of NSW public sector agencies, including

principal government departments, statutory bodies, local councils and universities.

Every day, the people of NSW offer their person al information to government agencies, which is a significant undertaking of trust. In return, the govern ment has a responsibility to effectively and proactively protect and respect that personal information in a way that is workable and practical for those agencies.

Nutritious meals suitable for healthy ageing

No minimum orders or lock in contracts

Local and seasonal menu’s Peace of mind for family members knowing a friendly Volunteer checks in on their loved ones Nutritional needs of clients are considered prior to commencement of meal service

Speak to your Home Care Package Provider about receiving Meals on Wheels

If you are transitioning from the Commonwealth Home Support Programme to a Home Care Package you can request continuation of meals

Official confirmation of Rouse Hill Hospital

Solutions for employability

„ DALLAS SHERRINGHAM

GREATER Blacktown is seen as a hotpoint in the struggle of skilled migrants and refugees facing an uphill battle to secure work in the community.

The migrants and refugees are being locked out of the job market, facing policy and funding barriers and discrimination by employers, according to new research from the Australian Catholic University.

ACU’s Stakeholder Engaged Scholar ship Unit (SESU), carried out an evalua tion of SydWest Multicultural Services - a leading employability organisation that works with recently arrived migrants and refugees in Western Sydney.

The report found SydWest had out performed national standards, delivering successful employability course work pro grams, innovation and partnerships that profoundly assisted the majority of recent migrants and refugees.

However, report author Dr Haydn Aarons said a key challenge facing agen cies like SydWest was how to help highly skilled and highly credentialled migrants and refugees.

“This stands out as a significant cur rent and ongoing challenge to settlement and ongoing prosperity,” Dr Aarons said.

“There are really complex, systemic issues that make it extremely difficult for skilled migrants and refugees to resume their careers in Australia.

“Entry into certain professions in Aus tralia is often subject to strict government and industry regulation, often requiring substantial retraining at significant cost, which can create insurmountable barriers for recently arrived migrants and refugees.

“English language teaching for high skilled and high-credentialled migrants and refugees is also an issue, with little or no access to professional vocation or technical English related to professional occupations.”

Dr Aarons said these issues were having an impact on the mental health of highly skilled migrants and refugees.

“Settlement problems associated with employability for high skilled and high credentialled clients extend into poor mental health, anxiety, and depression,” Dr Aarons said.

“The downward shift in social mobil ity and accompanying loss of class and status through loss of profession creates a real turmoil around family and gender roles within culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

Can be a trigger for reforms

“This can be a trigger for various forms of family disfunction such as do mestic violence.”

SydWest Multicultural Services CEO Elfa Moraitakis said highly skilled refu gees and migrants faced significant levels of unemployment and underemployment, despite massive labor shortages.

“In partnership with ACU, this research project and final report is an important step in identifying solutions to increase the employability of individuals from refugee and migrant communities, and enhance their chances of securing employment in alignment with their work experience and overseas qualifica tions,” Ms Moraitakis said.

“It makes practical sense to take advantage of the skills that our refugee and migrant communities bring, espe cially as NSW is experiencing skill and

labor shortages due to international travel restrictions imposed by the pandemic.

“There is a communal lack of under standing when it comes to the capabilities and skills of migrants and refugees.

“Many of our clients are locked out of potential employment due to having little or no experience in an occupation in Australia, despite having the necessary qualifications and experience, sometimes many years of experience in their home countries.

“We also see barriers when it comes to employers’ expectations on how job applications and resumes are constructed and amended to accommodate Australian cultural conditions.”

Dr Aarons said the report made sever al recommendations, including the estab lishment of a formal network with a range of local partners with the specific focus of employment for migrants and refugees.

It also recommended partnering and developing plans with universities and technical colleges to develop bridging pro grams, professional trainee or work place ments, specialist English programs, and other related occupational infrastructure, could enhance the settlement process for these clients.

“The emergence, growing importance, and central role of agencies such as Sy dWest in the settlement journeys of many recently arrived peoples, represents how crucial agency services are in aiding inte gration, including economic participation through employment, into contemporary Australian society,” he said.

“Despite the complexities and challenges of contemporary settlement, recently arrived refugees and migrants make outstanding economic, social, and cultural contributions to nation building,

Inmates nail it for DV victims

INMATES at Parklea Correctional Centre have nailed it again, putting their trade skills into ac tion by creating a wooden safe house to help raise awareness and promote discussion about domestic violence.

The concept, developed in partnership with Blacktown City Council as part of its annual Knit Bomb Project, uses visually vibrant statements to say “no” to family and domestic violence.

Last year the council asked for a tea pot and two cups and saucers to be created to symbolise having a cuppa to start a conversation. This year they re quested a small home made from timber to repre sent a safe house.

Correctional officers supervised three inmates who work in the prison’s cabinet shop to construct the house, which measures 1.5 metres by 1.2 metres and has a 600mm pitched roof and chimney.

The impressive house was then “knit bombed” by the talented members of the Black town Library Knitting Group, overseen by Blacktown City Council’s Women’s Advisory Committee, who had knitted or crocheted squares in various co lours and sizes and sewn them together.

It will be on display at the Village Green until mid-De cember, next to Blacktown City Council Chambers. Other items, such as trees, light poles, posts, and benches around the area, have also been “knit bombed” to mark 16 days of activism against violence in November.

economic growth, and to community development.”

Employability is a key issue in resettling

The report, Migrating from Settlement to Prosperity, presents the results of an evaluation study of SydWest’s employabil ity programs and services.

SydWest Multicultural Services is a leading organisation for cultural diversity issues, responding to community needs and opportunities, located and active in four key locations in outer Western Syd ney, principally Blacktown, New South Wales.

Australian Catholic University’s Stakeholder Engagement Scholarship Unit provides scholarly expertise and research assistance communities experiencing disadvantage or marginalisation.

Employability is one of the key set tlement criteria established by State and Federal government for recently arrived refugees and migrants.

The evaluation comes at a time of growing need for programs and services aiding the economic participation of migrants and refugees in outer Western Sydney.

Blacktown LGA nearly doubles the state rate for language diversity at home, has risen over 10%t in language diversi ty in the home since 2011, is on average per person five years younger,] and has a higher rate of younger people with families.

As communities such as Blacktown and Mount Druitt continue to grow in terms of population and economic activ ity, so too do demand for skills in rele vant industries and occupations in these communities..

Governor Paul Baker said staff and inmates were pleased the council had again invited them to be involved in this important community part nership and social awareness campaign.

Blacktown City Mayor, Tony Bleasdale OAM, said Council was proud to partner with Parklea Correctional Cen tre to make a colourful public statement against domestic and family violence.

“Sadly, in Blacktown City, women and children continue to suffer at the hands of family members or current or former partners,” Mayor Bleasdale said.

The wooden safe house.

FOR SCHOOLS

Planning your child’s education

APPLICATIONS for selective school placement are held annually.

Do you have a child who is currently in Year 5? Does your child demonstrate some or all the following: Intense curiosity.

• Learns new ideas or skills quickly and easily.

• Displays a good memory.

• Asks complex questions.

• Is creative

• Enjoys thinking in complex ways.

• Requires fewer repetitions when learning new things.

• Becomes intensely focused in their area of interest or passion.

Your child may benefit in being a stu dent at a NSW Department of Education selective high school.

Selective high schools are part of the NSW public education system. A selec tive high school can provide your child with an education designed to stimulate their intellect, support their develop ment and mix with other like-minded students.

Applications can be done easily by accessing the Online Application Form via the website.

There are 47 selective high schools across NSW which form part of the pub lic education system. You can find a com plete list of all the NSW selective high schools including a map at this website.

Should you have an enquiry about the application process you can contact our friendly team via email ssu@det. nsw.edu.au or telephone: 1300 880 367.

General enrolment information

Many NSW Government schools have specific local enrolment areas. The designated intake areas are determined by the Department of Education. These schools ensure that there are enough places for students who reside in their local enrolment area.

PATRICIAN BROTHERS’

Although preferable, designated local schools may not always be the closest public school to your home. Schools work with their local communi ty to provide advice on public transport availability.

The Enrolment of Students in NSW Government Schools policy sets out the entitlements and requirements for enrolment. Additional information for parents is available to explain recent changes to the enrolment policy.

Use School Finder to find your local NSW Government school. The school principal can help with enrolment in quiries throughout the year.

Out-of-area enrolment

Schools may accept enrolments from outside their designated area if places are available. Such applications are sub ject to department policies.

Contact the school for further infor mation. If the school can accommodate

out-of-area enrolments, the school will advise you of any non-local enrolment selection criteria.

If the demand for local enrolment exceeds the number of places available, out-of-area enrolments will not be available.

The department collects information to ensure a smooth enrolment process.

More information at: education.nsw.gov.au/publicschools/going-to-a-public-school/enrolment

future for our children. As an educator and principal, I live by the value.

Blacktown North Public School has a long tradition of providing a solid foundation for student learning based on explicit teaching practices and a strong student welfare and community involvement focus.

Blacktown North Public School provides:

· A warm, caring educational environment: students, staff, parents and the community work together to provide the best possible education.

· Students with opportunities and encouragement to develop to their full potential academically, socially, emotionally, culturally and physically

· A model for acceptable behaviour — students are expected to be safe, responsible, respectful learners.

· OOSH facility (Before & After school care)

· Quality programs to suit individual students

· Large, well-presented grounds including playing fields, environmental area and vegetable garden, basketball court games area.

· A pleasant environment where children and parents are welcomed.

· Bollywood dancing, Choir, Garden Club, Hip-hop, Ballroom dancing, Drumming

· Soccer, cricket & T-ball inter-school competition

I know your time here will be both happy and productive, giving your child the right start to a bright future.

GOVERNMENT DELIVERS FOR WESTERN SYDNEY

For me - this is PERSONAL

„ MICHELLE ROWLAND

WESTERN Sydney has always been my home. I grew up in Lalor Park, attended St Berna dette’s and played netball at the local Blacktown courts.

That’s why representing Greenway isn’t just political for me – it's personal.

I’ve witnessed decades of neglect and unfair treatment to our region, like when the NSW Liberal Government unfairly sub jected us to the harshest lockdowns last year.

But with the greatest representa tion of Western Sydney in our Federal Cabinet to date, Western Sydney voices are being heard and the Albanese Gov ernment is delivering for our region through the 2022 Budget.

Better Local Living Plan

As Western Sydney continues to grow, with suburbs like Riverstone in my electorate expected to grow by 318% by 2040, we are working to ensure families have sufficient local infrastructure near where they live.

This is where the Greenway Better Local Living Plan comes in. It’s a plan designed by Greenway families, for Gre enway families.

Our commitments, as promised prior to the election, include:

New and upgraded play spaces across Schofields, Tallawong, Riverstone and Grantham Farm.

Fencing to make existing play spaces safer in the areas of Parklea, Seven Hills, Lalor Park, Quakers Hill and Kings Langley.

A new and exciting community wa ter play area in Schofields for those hot Summer days.

• And district scale walking trails in Lalor Park, Quakers Hill and Grantham Farm to help better connect residents into local active transport networks.

As a mum of two young girls my self, I understand that parents want to provide the very best opportunities for their children.

And these commitments are about improving the overall quality of life for families in Greenway.

Northwest Sydney Roads

Another commitment designed to do just that, is the Northwest Sydney Roads Package.

You don’t have to live in Riverstone to know just how bad congestion is along Northwest Roads like Bandon Road.

The people of Northwest Sydney spend an average of three days of every year commuting.

That’s why the Albanese Government has committed $75M to finalise plan ning and commence initial construction of Bandon and Richmond Road in the Northwest Growth Corridor.

We are also taking the politics out of infrastructure planning in Western Sydney by establishing an expert panel to look at the region’s needs.

This is an important long-term proj ect for the people of Northwest Sydney. It will create local jobs and improve quality of life for residents who have been crying out for action by the NSW Government for about a decade.

Other Budget 202223 Commitments

This Budget also makes commitments to support Western Sydney jobs, boost skills, and assist with cost-of-living pres sures, including:

• 180,000 places for fee-free TAFE and vocational education places;

• Making childcare cheaper for mil lions of Australians;

• An investment pipeline of $120B in transport infrastructure;

• Expanding paid parental leave; More funding and more staff to slash the visa backlog; and

• Improving our disaster resilience and preparedness.

This Government is creating a better future for all, and I look forward to keep ing Greenway constituents updated as we deliver on these commitments.

Michelle Rowland is Minister for Communications Federal Member for Greenway. Visit: www. michellerowland.com.au

Western Sydney - land of opportunity.

NEW RECORD FOR MADE IN THE WEST

Our own film festival shines

„ ALEX HON AND MISTY MCPHAIL

MADE in the West Film Festival celebrated their 11th annual red carpet gala event on Saturday, November 26 at Event Cinemas in Liverpool.

A record-breaking 320-strong audi ence attended on the night to support local filmmakers and celebrate the West ern Sydney film community.

Hosted by Still Searchin’ Produc tions, Made in the West showcases short film content independently produced in Western Sydney, including all genres such as comedy, drama, sci-fi, horror, animation, web series and music videos.

All films feature cast members, crew members or film locations from Western Sydney.

“The atmosphere at the festival this year was absolutely electric with so many people in the house and all the action on the red carpet,” says artistic director Ross Page.

“The films this year were outstand ing and we’re so pleased to see so many new filmmakers and upcoming artists included in the festival line-up.”

This year’s official selection fea tured 19 short films that were judged by a panel of 10 industry professionals, including renowned Bankstown-born actor Bryan Brown, ABC presenter Sunil Badami and local film director Michael Budd.

Kamil Domaradzki took home the ‘Best in the West’ trophy for the film Leopard, Katrina Lay won ‘Best Student Film’ for Baby Dole, and Ashley Dawes was awarded ‘Best Music Video’ for Only One. There were also 9 individual cat egory awards for outstanding achieve ment awarded throughout the night.

At the end of the show, the audience cast their votes for the highly coveted Audience Choice Award, won by WSU student filmmaker Pamela Manos for Hello My Name Is Mother Nature.

The festival attracts hundreds of filmmakers and fans from around the greater Sydney region to celebrate and network with other creatives while watching the cutting edge screen con tent made by emerging artists from the western suburbs.

The prize pool for this year’s festival was valued at over $10,000 thanks to the generosity of local businesses and festival sponsors Still Searchin’ Productions and The Pagey Train podcast, Western Sydney University, Luke Walker Produc tions, Sydney Prop Studios, Creative Plus Business, Irierootsini Photography, Mil lion Masters, AFTRS, Arts and Cultural Exchange (ACE), the Australian Writers’ Guild and Australian Production Design Guild.

Made in the West Film Festival will be screening online throughout Decem ber and January via a new on-demand content platform that welcomes a world wide audience for Western Sydney films.

“We’re excited to be sharing the festival experience on demand this year with our new online platform – online

screenings are a great way for local festi vals like ours to reach a wider audience,” says general manager Misty McPhail.

“Hybrid digital and live streamed events have become more popular since 2020 and it's important to continue making this local content accessible to audiences across our region in particular, as well as across Australia.”

The online festival includes all 19 finalist short films in a 3-hour movie marathon with red carpet highlights and filmmaker interviews during intermis sions – perfect for anyone who wants to experience the excitement of Made in the West Film Festival from home.

More information can be found at www. madeinthewest.com.au Photo credits: Lexy Potts, Nataly Thomson, Liam Dealtry, Aaron Tully

2022 MADE IN THE WEST AWARD WINNERS

MAJOR AWARDS

• Best Music Video: Only One: Ashli by Ashley Dawes

• Runner-up: I Don’t Get You: Parti cles by Luke Walker

• Best Student Film: Baby Dole by Katrina Lay

• Runner-up: Arco’s World by Kasey Medeiros

• Best in the West: Leopard by Kamil Domaradzki

• Runner-up: Yannis by James Elazzi

• Audience Choice Award Hello My Name is Mother Nature by Pamela Manos

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

• Best Director: Kamil Domaradzki and Ali Zoghi for Leopard

• Best Screenplay: Kamil Doma radzki for Leopard

• Best Editor: Sharon Mani for Seen

• Best Sound Design: Jarad Avnell for Bogan Moths

• Best Production Design: Katrina Lay for Baby Dole

• Best Original Score: Emma Green hill and Ali Zoghi for Leopard

• Best Lead Actor: Will Bartolo for Yannis

• Best Supporting Actor: Tyson Ibrahim for Leopard

Scenes from the 2023

gala event.

Alcohol and Other Drug Concerns Support for people with

Alcohol and other drugs often start as an escapism for many people, yet addiction can create more problems than the ones they are covering up. The damage caused by addiction can affect the individual, their family, friends and the wider community.

The Western Sydney Primary Health Network supports service providers in Western Sydney to make sure that AOD services are accessible to as many people as possible, paying special attention to vulnerable and marginalised groups.

AOD Videos

9 Living with Alcohol Dependency is a series of videos featuring Western Sydney community members sharing their experiences about receiving AOD treatment, lifestyle changes and advice on staying alcohol-free. These videos are available on YouTube at bit.ly/AODvideos 9 Getting Help with Alcohol and Other Drug Dependence is an animated video designed to help community members find their way from AOD dependence towards a happy and healthy future. The video is available in English, Arabic, Dari, Farsi and Tamil at bit.ly/gettinghelpAOD

Youth Off The Streets

Young people with alcohol and drug concerns are often alienated from their community and family, and without support and guidance, it can be even harder for them to reach out and get help. Youth Off The Streets (YOTS) is a community organisation that supports young people dealing with alcohol and other drug dependencies, trauma or homelessness.

The YOTS team encourage young people to talk about what they are experiencing, set personal goals, and realise that they deserve a better, AOD-free future. After the initial assessment, the team work with each young person on the root causes of their AOD use, including any previous trauma. They then connect the young person with other providers to ensure they have ongoing support.

Young people are open to change and possibilities. The work we do with them is hard because they make positive gains and then often have to go home to challenges. It’s about helping them understand that their past doesn’t define where they’re going.

- AOD Counsellor for Youth Off The Streets.

We Help Ourselves - Eli’s Story

We Help Ourselves (WHOS) run therapeutic programs for those recovering from alcohol and other drug dependencies.

The Opioid Substitution To Abstinence Residential (OSTAR) program is a live-in program designed to help people reduce their drug use using a Therapeutic Community model. Clients receive drug reduction treatment and counselling and attend workshops to develop the skills needed to live a drug-free life.

Eli* is a 66-year-old man with a history of drug and alcohol misuse which was impacting his health and wellbeing. Eli was living with depression and was also struggling to master the three flights of stairs out of his apartment.

Eli participated in the Therapeutic Community program and received treatment to help with his alcohol, cannabis and heroin addictions. Since joining OSTAR, a multi-disciplinary team of staff have supported Eli, including social workers who advocated for him to apply for a housing transfer to a ground floor flat. The team have connected Eli to other support services and helped him rebuild a relationship with his mum and other family members to expand his social network. He has had access to other allied health professionals, and there has been a marked improvement in his physical and mental health. Eli’s positive attitude and commitment to the program have helped him to achieve a better quality of life for himself.

*Name has been changed to protect the identity of this client

Healthy Western Sydney is delivered by WentWest, the Western Sydney Primary Health Network.

Solutions page 23

ACROSS 1. Point on the earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake

6.

The man who invented the cube that became a world hit, Hungari an designer, Erno ...

New York World Series baseball team

China's ... Zedong

West African republic with Conakry as its capital and chief Atlantic port

Sweet sparkling wine from the Piedmont area of northern Italy

Soviet statesman, ... Gorbachev

Wave-riding

Geothermal springs

BINARY

London

monument that stands close to the site of the Tyburn gallows, ... Arch

An ancient Greek one would have competed naked!

English racing town or sort of salts used as a purgative

Florida swamp region

World champion ice dancers, Jayne ... and Christopher Dean

Paris boulevard leading to the Arc de Triomphe, Champs ...

Cricket scores

Dutch word for 'farmers' used to

Each square in the puzzle may contain either 0 or 1

1. No more than two adjacent squares may contain the same digit, ie you cannot have three adjacent squares in a row or column of the same digit.

ACROSS

1. Pirates Of The Caribbean actor, ... Depp (6) 3. Ashton Kutcher replaced Charlie Sheen in the hit comedy, Two ... Men (3,1,4) 8. Brothers & Sisters actress, ... Flockhart (7) 10. Gordon Ramsay cooking competition show, Hell's ... (7) 12. Lana Del Rey's album, ... To Die (4) 13. Soccer star, ... Beckham (5) 14. Pop power ballad by Beyoncé from her I Am... Sasha Fierce album (4) 17. Dallas Buyers Club actor, Jared ... (4) 18. J Edgar and Fair Game actress, Naomi ... (5) 20. Shia LaBeouf action thriller, ... Eye (5) 22. The Chronicles Of Narnia siblings, Peter, Susan, Edmund and ... (4) 25. Sitcom starring Jason Lee as a man who believes in karma, My ... Is Earl (4) 26. Remake of a Wes Craven horror, A

Nightmare ... Street (2,3) 29. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' daughter (4) 32. The Matrix actor, Hugo ... (7) 33. Pop star sisters, Kylie & Dannii ... (7) 34. Savages actor, John ... (8) 35. The Black Eyed Peas singer and solo artist (6)

DOWN

1. Grace Of Monaco and The King's Speech actor, Derek ... (6) 2. Russell Crowe's character in A Beautiful Mind, John ... (4) 4. Thirteen actress who plays Rosalie in the Twilight films, ... Reed (5) 5. Movie and computer game, Grand Theft ... (4) 6. Fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Pink with lead single So What (8) 7. Actress who provides the voice for

Gloria in the Madagascar films, ... Pinkett Smith (4) 9. CSI: Miami actress, Eva ... (2,3) 11. Angelina Jolie plays Mariane Pearl in the biopic, A Mighty ... (5) 15. Adam Sandler voices Dracula in ... Transylvania (5)

16. Whitney Houston song, ... Always Love You (1,4)

19. Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel bringing-up-baby comedy, Life As ... (2,4,2)

21. Clash Of The Titans actress, ... Arterton (5) 23. TV presenter and model, Alexa ... (5) 24. Brazilian supermodel, ... Bündchen (6) 27. Colin Farrell vampire horror comedy, Fright ... (5)

28. Fred Durst's band, ... Bizkit (4) 30. Lindsay Lohan's nickname (4) 31. Fairy tale drama series, ... Upon A Time (4)

TraveL

DAY TRIPPER’S HIDDEN HAWKESBURY GEM

From New York to Brooklyn

„ DALLAS SHERRINGHAM

BROOKLYN on the Hawkesbury River is a hidden gem with a fascinating history most travelers bypass as they head north on the M1.

This little port and growing residen tial area has a lot to offer the day tripper looking for new experiences. It’s major at traction is the famous Riverboat Postman cruise that draws busloads daily.

Heritage buildings, an interesting shopping centre and good picnic spots are all framed by the literally thousands of pleasure boats now moored at Brooklyn.

It is less than an hour from Parramat ta, or you can take the train.

The town provides a range of ame nities and activities, while maintaining a quiet village atmosphere. Brooklyn provides convenient access for Western Sydney residents and day trippers to the Hawkesbury River and Pittwater water ways for boating, swimming and fishing and to Ku-ring-gai Chase and Muogamar ra National Parks for bushwalking and scenic views

And it has close links with another Brooklyn in faraway New York.

In January 1886, the Union Bridge Company from New York was awarded the contract to build a railway bridge across the Hawkesbury River.

The American roots of the bridge are reflected in the name given to the con

struction camp, which was named after the 1883 Brooklyn suspension bridge.

The Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge was the final link in the Eastern seaboard rail network and was a major engineering feat at the time of its con struction. "Hawkesbury River" was the original platform name when the station opened in 1887 but names varied over the following 20 years with the names "Flat Rock", "Brooklyn" and "Hawkesbury" all being used until the final change in 1906 to Hawkesbury River.

Ferry queues

Peat's Ferry Post Office opened in 1874 and was renamed Brooklyn in 1888.

Brooklyn is positioned at the northern end of the Cowan Bank, a scenic stretch of steep railway track on a 1 in 40 grade. The line drops 200m from the ridgetop near Cowan to almost water level, passing through four tunnels in the process.

Prior to electrification and diesel locomotives, Brooklyn was a staging post for trains heading south to Sydney with "push up" or bank engines being attached to the rear of steam trains here for extra assistance on the 8km climb to Cowan.

Early road traffic was conveyed across the river by George Peat's ferry and prior to the first road bridge being completed there were two vehicular ferries in oper ation, the "Frances Peat" and the "George Peat".

The new concrete road laid down between Hornsby and Gosford had been completed by 1930 and the increased traffic was beyond the capacity of the ferries. Long queues formed on holiday weekends as vehicles awaited their turn.

Work began on the first road bridge in 1938 and it opened in 1945. The width

and

ed problems. The total distance to be covered was nearly 800m metres, but an embankment of fill was built out from the northern side, and the actual bridge spans only covered 580 m.

This was supplemented by a second road bridge, a six-lane concrete construc tion that was completed in 1973 as part of the Sydney to Newcastle freeway.

Riyal visit

In 1901 the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George V and Queen Mary, while in Australia for the inaugural open ing of federal parliament, anchored their yacht the "Ophir" in Cowan Creek and boarded the paddle wheel steamboat the "General Gordon" for a tour of the lower Hawkesbury.

A small obelisk unveiled in 1939, adja cent to the railway station and the avenue of tall palms in McKell Park, commem orates the discovery and naming of the Hawkesbury River by Governor Phillip in 1789.

depth of the river between Kangaroo Point and Mooney Mooney present

Attractions of Brooklyn.

FitnesS

GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT WEIGHT LOSS 50 tips to save calories

„ ADAM SIMPSON

WHEN it comes to weight loss, total calories consumed is what truly matters. If you are con suming less calories than you are burning you will lose body fat. Below are 50 ways that you can reduce the total calories that you consume.

These are just practical suggestions on where I see people over consume without realising. Have a read through and see which of these examples you could imple ment into your daily routine.

1. When you fill up for petrol stop buying yourself a chocolate or lollies to go with it.

2. Switch from regular Coke to Coke zero.

3. Choose Mustard over Mayonnaise.

4. Go for an open cut sandwich and take off the top slice of bread.

5. Swap your sour cream for Greek yoghurt.

6. Choose the extra lean cut mince.

7. Use olive oil spray over free pouring your oil.

8. Choose grilled fish over fried.

9. If you get takeaway order the water to have water with your meal.

10. Drink white wine over red.

11. Choose red pasta sauces over white.

12. Cut off the fatty bits over your read meat.

13. Have a Paddle Pop instead of a

Magnum.

14. If you want something sweet go for a Zooper Dooper..

15. Greek Yoghurt and Berries over ice cream for dessert

16. Choose Fresh Fruit over Dried.

17. Cottage Cheese over Brie Cheese. 18. Eat off a smaller plate to control your portion sizes. 19. Stop drinking so many calories. 20. Don't eat dessert every day of the week.

21. Choose the smaller size Chocolate bars or thin Dark Chocolate blocks over the large Milk Chocolate blocks. 22. Eat foods high in protein to keep you full.

23. Read the label and choose a lower calorie bread. 24. Reduce the sugar you add to your tea and coffee. 25. Eat your veggies firs.t 26. Eat your food more slowly. 27. When you order at the pub, choose the mash and veg over the chips. 28. Stop ordering large meals at McDon ald’s and just get the regular. 29. Stop eating "kids treats" and have a protein shake as a snack instead. 30. Choose the mini dessert options. 31. Read the food labels and make the lower calorie choice. 32. Choose the thin crust pizza. 33. Drink the lower calorie beers. 34. Drink Seltzers instead of cocktails. 35. Stop eating when you are no longer

hungry and not when you are absolutely full.

36. Be aware that low fat or no fat op tions are not always lowest in calories. 37. Don't keep sugary drinks at home 38. Be mindful of the total calories in your "healthy juices". 39. Make veggie smoothies over juices. 40. Don't over load your salad with dressings.

41. Choose lower calorie nuts like al monds over macadamias'. 42. Don't eat the whole avocado, a por tion size would be the size of your thumb. 43. A portion size of carbohydrates is roughly what would fit in your cupped hand.

44. Stop eating the big bag of chips, if you must eat them choose the individual size bags and stop at one. 45. Eat more seafood and reduce your red meat consumption. 46. Eat less of the skin on your BBQ chicken.

47. Choose the lower calorie wraps over Lebanese bread.

48. Choose a light butter they are often half the calories.

49. Choose the baked potato over wedg es.

50. Have your protein shake with water and not milk.

Lunch Ideas!!

Often, I get asked for ideas on what people can eat while they are out during the day or just want a good lunch option. I have put together some lower calorie, high protein nutritious lunch options that you can go with when you are out and about or on the run. Remember to adjust portion sizes depending on your overall activity level and goals.

Out and About Options:

1. Subway Sandwich with Turkey and Salads

6 Inch - 263 Calories and 17.2 grams of protein.

Foot Long - 526 Calories and 34.4 grams of protein.

2. Subway Sandwich with Roast Beef and Salads

6 Inch - 267 Calories and 16.6 grams of protein.

Foot Long - 534 Calories and 33.4 grams of protein.

trainer and founder at Repetitions Group fitness and Personal Training. Visit: www.repetitionspt.com.au

Adam Simpson is lead

Thin crust pizza.

Blacktown Council lets the dogs (and cats) out of Huntingwood

THE Huntingwood East site of Western Sydney Cats and Dogs has entered the market, as plans for Australia’s first custom-built animal rehoming centre go ahead.

The 46,164sqm prominent corner development site at 415 Flushcombe Road boasts 327 metres of street frontage to Great Western Highway, in addition to frontages to both Flushcombe Road and Oatley Close.

Zoned IN1 General Industrial within a key Western Sydney industrial precinct, the site includes DA approval for two lots at a time where demand is sky-high for industrial and logistics space.

Ray Trimboli and Michael Wall from Savills have been appointed by Black town City Council to sell the former animal holding facility via an expressions of interest campaign.

“The site represents a rare opportu nity for developers and owner-occupiers to acquire an industrial zoned greenfield site within the M7 Motorway. Hunting wood is one of the most centrally located industrial precincts in the Sydney mar ket with immediate access to its major road networks,” said Trimboli, director of industrial and logistics at Savills.

“We’ve seen occupiers increasingly look to optimise their fulfilment models, either because they are increasing their stock holdings to mitigate supply chain risk or to develop shorter delivery time frames to maximise their operational efficiency.”

The site offers connections to West ern Sydney’s arterial road network and interstate B- double transport routes and exposure to approximately 34,000 vehicles each day on the Great Western Highway.

“This has intensified the demand for areas with linkages to Sydney’s orbital network, in turn keeping vacancy at record low,” added Trimboli.

Wall noted that the vacancy rate for investment grade stock above 3,000sqm is currently sitting below 1% in Western Sydney.

“This shift in demand is up against constrained supply, despite an uptick in the development pipeline, resulting in a 28-30% rental growth rate on assets in the last 12 months. In fact, the combi nation of intense competition for few availabilities and no significant supply

relief has seen growth rates jump well above their long run average of about 3.3%,” added Wall.

“This substantial rental growth, alongside a shortage of existing options and record preleasing commitment on new builds, has also resulted in a notable increase in interest from major groups to own their facilities.”

The property has become avail able after the Blacktown City Council

announced plans to move the existing animals held at the facility to a new and improved $30 million state-of- the-art Animal Rehoming Centre at 20 Owen Street in Glendenning.

The new facility will include a cat tery, dog kennels, adoption condos and kennels, surgical spaces and more.

The expressions of interest campaign for 415 Flushcombe Road is scheduled to close 16 November 2022.

Aerotropolis land ready for take off

AROUND 200 acres of prime land is up for sale with price expec tations of $70M, in the largest property to ever come to mar ket in the rapidly developing West ern Sydney Aerotropolis precinct.

Offering investors an unprece dented opportunity between Lud denham Village and the western pocket of the airport, 2215 The Northern Road has recently been largely rezoned to Agribusiness.

The strategically positioned Luddenham site, around 42km west of the Sydney CBD, offers flexibility for multiple uses through its zoning, including pharmaceutical manufac turing, logistics and freight, com mercial, retail and warehouse.

Thomas Mosca and Nick Este phen from Colliers have been exclu sively appointed to list the property via an international expressions of interest campaign.

“I don’t think a property with as much potential has ever been

offered to the market. This is 200 acres of land adjoining Sydney’s only 24-hour international airport. It’s a blank canvas,” Mosca said.

“The Western Sydney Airport is charging towards its deadline of 2026 with construction of the first runway and terminal almost com plete.”

Earlier this year, the Aerotropo lis Planning Package was finalised adding amendments to boost invest ments in the future Western Sydney International Airport’s employment precincts, which will see more than 100,000 jobs and 11,400 jobs gener ated at the circa 65,000-hectares of land.

“Opportunities like this are seldom seen and with the region’s growth al ready evident, there’s no better time to invest into Western Sydney,” conclud ed Estephen.

The expressions of interest cam paign for 2215 The Northern Road closed on November 24, 2022.

The Huntingwood site.

Ambitiously priced LDV Mifa MPV has

160kW 2.0-litre petrol, lots of standard kit

„ MATT BROGAN AND HAITHAM RAZAGUI

LDV’s futuristically styled, three-vari ant Mifa people mover range is now available in Australia from $53,990 plus on-road costs and topping out at $72,990 + ORC for seven-seat versions, while eight-seaters will arrive early next year.

The Mifa’s entry and flagship prices are both higher than those of major competitors including the Kia Carnival ($47,480-$67,580 + ORC), Hyundai Staria ($48,500-$66,500 + ORC) and Volkswa gen Caddy Maxi (from $48,140-$54,640 + ORC) – all before on-road costs.

LDV’s ambitious pricing for the Mifa pitches it against TDI340 versions of the VW Caravelle and Multivan ($66,490$75,490 + ORC) as well as the Toyota Granvia ($65,250-$75,950 + ORC).

According to LDV, the Mifa has been designed from the ground up with space, comfort and convenience in mind, while also bringing a comprehensive range of safety features to the segment.

The Mifa range begins with the entry-spec Mode from $53,990 + ORC, followed by the mid-tier Executive from $63,990 + ORC and top-shelf Luxe from $72,990 + ORC.

Alongside the driver, passenger, side and full-length curtain airbags, every Mifa variant is equipped with auton omous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, anti-lock brakes, stability control and emergency brake assist, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning and lane keep assist, fatigue remind er and attention assist, LED adaptive headlights with auto high beam assist, auto hold, rear collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and a speed assist system.

Executive and Luxe grades get front and rear parking sensors plus a 360-de gree camera and adaptive headlights with auto high beam system whereas the entry level Mode has rear sensors, a reversing camera and fixed-beam dusk-sensing LEDs.

The mid-and top-spec variants also get leather-trimmed steering wheels, au

to-dimming rearview mirrors, 220-volt power outlet, rear privacy glass and dual pane sunroof that are absent from the base grade.

Over the Mode, Executive and Luxe grades have electric sliding side doors and a powered tailgate, heated auto-fold ing door mirrors, one-touch front win dow switches, rain-sensing wipers and cabin air purification. All have multizone climate control.

Exclusive to the Luxe are 64-colour ambient lighting, genuine leather uphol

stery, eight-way driver’s seat adjustment with memory and front-seat heating, cooling and massage functions, while the Mode has manual adjustment and the Executive has eight-way electric adjust ment for the driver and four-way electric adjustment for the front passenger. Executive and Luxe also have four-way lumbar support adjustment for both front seats.

In the second row, manually adjust able seats are in the Mode, the Executive has four-way adjustment with four-way lumbar support control and the Luxe has captain’s chairs with heating, cooling, massage and recline functions as well as extendable footrests. All variants have a manually reclining and sliding third-row bench as well as ISOFIX and top tether anchors for three child seats.

Every variant has a 7.0-inch digital instrument panel and a 12.3-inch info tainment array wutg wired Apple Car Play connectivity. A six-speaker sound system is fitted to the Mode, the Exec utive gets eight speakers and the Luxe twelve. Only the latter two get wireless mobile charging Wheel choices extend to 18- or 19-

inch alloys in varying designs according to grade.

The Mifa is offered in a range of five colours: Metal Black, Pearl White, Dynas ty Red, Mica Blue and Concrete Grey, the latter with an accented black roof.

LDV backs the Mifa with a sev en-year/200,000km warranty and five-year/130,000km roadside assistance program with service intervals are set at 12 months or 10,000km (whichever comes first).

All Mifa variants are powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine delivering 160kW and 360Nm, equipped as standard with an Aisin-sourced eight-speed automatic driving the front wheels. The WLTP Combined cycle fuel consumption figure for the range is quot ed at 9.3 litres per 100km.

“The all-new LDV MIFA is a glimpse into the future,” said LDV general man ager Dinesh Cinnappa.

“Who said the practical people mover couldn’t look cool? With its revolutionary design, next-level passenger comfort and convenience, and impressive levels of standard safety equipment, the all-new MIFA has advanced the people mover game significantly.

“The all-new MIFA is set to shake-up its segment thanks to its sleek exterior styling, the latest safety and technology features, and room for up to seven pas sengers to travel in comfort and style no matter how far the journey.”

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - 3 Stars

Messy, overstuffed and without the same cohesive vision as the original, this sequel coasts by on memories of the first film, and touching tributes to Chadwick Boseman.

„ JACOB RICHARDSON

THE death of King T’Challa (Chad wick Boseman) throws the geopolitical sphere into disarray. While Shuri (Leticia Wright) retreats into herself and her technology, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) fronts the UN accusing the na tions of the world of increasingly brazen attempts at securing Vibranium from Wakanda.

Little does she know that there’s another party concerned about these at tempts; the centuries hidden aquatic race of Atlanteans, led by the superpowered Namor (Tenoch Huerta). Shuri’s initial attempts at diplomacy are scuppered after a violent incursion and tragedy. Now, Shuri must find a way to resurrect the Black Panther and protect her people - and she might just lose herself in the process.

Directed once again by Ryan Coogler, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was always going to have to overcome the tragic passing of the man who made Black Panther what it is today, Chadwick Boseman. The film bookends itself with touching tributes to the late actor, and indeed winds T’Challa and Boseman’s presence throughout.

There’s also some great acting on display here. Huerta is spectacular as Namor, and indeed the entire meso american sub-aquatic species is rendered in beautiful interpretation, stunningly realized without a shred of fear to shoot ing endless underwater scenes. It’s a bold vision for the comic book character, but

one that comes off extremely well.

Then there’s the action. Despite a briefly brilliant fight scene on a bridge with series standout Okoye (Danai Guri ra), and occasional flashes of iconic work with Namor, the rest of the CGI-heavy battle sequences feel flat, dull and frank ly more than a little disappointing.

The final battle suffers from Water world-esque ocean action issues, and relies way too heavily on CGI suits, flying around and poorly choreographed set pieces.

Script-wise too there is a distinctly underwhelming feeling. For a 2-hour 41 minute film, it’s shocking how much here is just completely irrelevant. The original Black Panther had broadly sweeping emotional beats that felt taut, and paid off. Here, those beats are more ethereal, less formed.

It would be trite to blame all of the issues of this movie on the passing of the original lead. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever does great work in building up Namor and his people. But

The Menu - 5 Stars

it loses so much of what gave the first film an identity. And while you could easily make the case that Wakanda Forever is much better than a lot of the superhero fare we’ve had in the last few years, it also doesn’t even come close to holding a candle to the original.

Reviews by Jacob Richardson Creative Director | Film Focus www.filmfocusau.com

Delectable satire melds the salivating cinematography of Chef’s Table with the thrill of

Midsommar and the satirical comedy stylings of Bodies, Bodies, Bodies.

„ JACOB RICHARDSON

TYLER (Nicholas Hoult) is a food snob, who takes Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) to a super exclusive restaurant on an is land. The degustation experience doesn’t appeal to Margot, but it does to the chef-obsessed Tyler, along with the array of wealthy diners along with them - food critic Lillian (Janet McTeer), a fading movie star (John Leguizamo), wealthy older couple Richard (Reed Birney) and Anne (Judith Light) and finance bro trio Bryce (Rob Yang), Soren (Arturo Castro) and Dave (Mark St. Cyr).

They are excited to be entertained culinarily by famed Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes), but the Chef has something else in mind for the group. That is, at least, until he discovers that Margot was never meant to be there - a spanner in his otherwise flawless plans for the mur derous evening.

Directed by Mark Mylod (of Succes sion fame), The Menu is a beautifully poised, perfectly positioned piece of sat ire for the Chef’s Table generation. It’s an

eviscerating, eat-the-rich take on haute cuisine, that also frequently lambasts so cial media, cuisine and tech bro culture.

Frequently laugh out loud funny, but also shocking, surprising, beautifully performed, action-filled and thrilling, this plays as the perfect combination of a disparate array of ingredients that have so often been put together with less efficacy and taste in recent years.

The movie frequently has you howl ing with laughter - not just from the impossibly good dialogue, but even from the spot on menu descriptions on screen, or the sheer ludicrousness of it all.

On a performance level, we’re looking at a Michelin star treat here. Anya-Taylor Joy is fantastic as the main protagonist, and her dining and acting partner Nich olas Hoult is pitch perfect as the whiny,

chef-obsessed social media hound.

Ralph Fiennes, however, steals the show with a truly wonderful perfor mance. His slightest nuanced gesture or facial tick conveys so much, and he seems to be having an absolute blast with this slightly absurdist role.

The film chugs along nicely at a wellpaced 1 hour and 47 minutes. There isn’t an ounce of this movie that you would drop without losing something fun, wit ty, shocking or essential. There are a few plot threads that perhaps are dropped, or at least don’t make complete sense.

But this is absurdist satire, couched in a gorgeous meal and stunning food cine matography - the odd narrative misstep must be forgiven.

At the end of the day, The Menu is a fully satisfying dish from a satirical messaging perspective, from a comedy perspective, and most importantly from an entertainment perspective.

Reviews by Jacob Richardson Creative Director | Film Focus www.filmfocusau.com

„

Mental Health

ACTION THE ONLY WAY THROUGH FEAR

Unnatural has become normal

MINDSET | MARCUS WHEAN

FEAR is a primary emotion. It is psy chological and physiological. We know all too well when in a state of fear.

Almost everything we do is in some way based in and/or around fear. This is very much normal and is the case because our brains are wired that way –to inhibit us out of safety, to look out for danger, to protect us from threats.

Fear is a necessary emotion for sur vival. When we were living in amongst the wilderness and wildness of nature it makes sense to have a brain that is wired more for fear and to be on the lookout always for danger.

Our ancient ancestors worked with their fears, had to conquer them and ‘do’ anyway regardless of fears. Why, because if they didn’t, they wouldn’t eat or find shelter.

Fast forward to modern times, our technological advances over the millen nia and last hundred or so years have been exponential.

We have more comforts of living but in the name of seeking more comfortable lives we have not actually gotten any fear-less. Our brains have not evolved at the pace of technology.

Nowadays, it could be argued, that because our lives are more safe, we are actually more afraid. Our fears are not now of wild beasts or other tribes attacking.

Now, our fears are “does he/she really like me”?; “what do people think of me”?; “what if I don’t, or do…”?; “that person didn’t like my post, they don’t like me”?; “what if…what if….what if….”?

What is happening now is our brains are ‘fear-sensitive’, there’s more anxiety and stress prevalent. Our technologies and busy lives have created a pervasive stress and anxiety not too shy of being a pandemic. What is unnatural has be come normal.

We experience anxiety, fear etc and all the above in our minds as thought and in our bodies as heart racing, sweat ing, nausea, insomnia, headaches, mem ory loss, trembling just to name a few. So often our psychology around fear are thoughts of uncertainties and all the ‘what ifs’. These are often irrational

thoughts based in some rationale i.e. even every lie has truth in it.

In my experience rethinking and rationalising the perceived threats can help but fundamentally the truth is often we can’t solve a problem with the same thing that created it.

People often know their fears and anxieties are irrational. So, changing them is often hard at best and people get even more frustrated or even depressed knowing they are certain the fears with thoughts and can’t change them with rethinking alone.

Dissolve fear with action

The way through fears, how to resolve and ideally dissolve them is via action. Action always neutralises fears because it is the direct confrontation

with and observation of and experience that provides ultimately contradictory evidence in real-time terms; moreover, the physiological reaction is neutralised through experience not thought.

The active part we play when con fronting fears is based in psychological theory called operant conditioning. That means our direct involvement be haviourally with a stimulus and essen tially ‘what we do’ that reinforces a new response.

So too, if we keep avoiding threats and fears we stay anxious and afraid. If we confront and ‘do’ differently re our approach to fears and threats we condi tion a new response, we could call this courage, bravery, confidence or other wise it’s a good feeling when we confront the world, our fears etc in real time the

direct experience itself because ‘real ised’ when it’s thinking alone it’s merely theoretical.

In short, always take action to dis solve your fears, always! Rethinking can help but only so much.

We must find courage to act and face our fears and experience directly, that we need not be afraid because being afraid helps us with surviving but inhib its us thriving and truly living freely and happily the way we all want and deserve to.

Marcus Whelan is a Registered Psychologist and Mental Fitness Coachwith 10+ years’ experience in private practice. He holds undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in psychology and education. Visit: www.marcuswhelanpsychology. com.au

Privacy

legal obligations are very important in terms of protecting a business owner’s interests

KATHERINE HAWES

FOR one, it ensures that you place a disclaimer on the limit and coverage of your liability in case something goes wrong.

Second, it allows you to fully dictate what you are as a company and what you do. Finally, it is the first legal defense that you have in terms of lawsuits.

With the recent GDPR developments, a lot of business owners are now asking this one question: What should my web site’s terms and conditions say so I can stay protected for a long time?

The answer is not in just one thing. Your terms and conditions should reflect much more than just what is dictated. It should be flexible and ever changing. It should always adapt to the governing law and whatever law has jurisdiction over the business.

For full protection, it must include and say the following items:

ƒ Who is covered by the Terms and Conditions of Use? Your websites

Terms should provide who is cov ered by it. In Australian law, this would include the users, customers, and the subscribers of the website.

a. It should cover your customers because it offers protection of the business in case of liability and in

case problems should arise.

b. It should also cover your visitors, users, and subscribers to protect you from any person who would try to copy the content of your website. Plagia rism is a very serious matter.

ƒ Your terms and con ditions should show a governing law. A governing law is the general law that would cover the business and in case there is a problem with the prod uct or service you offer. Generally, the governing law is the place of registration of the business. It is advisable to only apply other laws, including international law, when the business has already grown to scale.

ƒ You should also provide whatever is required by law. For Australian businesses, the Australian Con sumer Law should provides that the following items must be in the terms and conditions:

a. A statement that you comply and follow the Australian Consumer Law;

b. A statement on how the company is going to detail with product defects and when it would need to do a re fund, some repair, or when replace ment becomes necessary; c. A statement explaining information about your guarantee; and d. The details of your warranty. ƒ Other details that are necessary to be placed on your terms and condi tions are the following:

ƒ For those who are selling a product, it is important to provide details of the products, the expected delivery times, the terms of payment, and the kinds of payment that the com pany would accept.

a. A cancellation policy should also be

provided.

b. If the company offers a subscrip tion, the terms and conditions of such subscription should be includ ed here.

ƒ The privacy of your clients is also important as well as other legalities should be in this document, they are the following:

a. Limitation of your liability as a company.

b. Notification that you are using data collection policies compliant with the requirements of your country and compliant with the require ments of international law when it comes to data privacy.

c. A warning on plagiarism and liabil ity for copying.

d. All other Terms that are required of you.

Now that you know the items that should be include in your company’s Terms and Conditions, it is important to always be updated with all of the latest requirements of your government and governing law.

Your Terms and Conditions should be the most flexible part of your website just so you can protect yourself with any kind of liability.

Katherine Hawes is principal at www.digitalagelawyers.com

Blacktown Rules! A football factory that helped produce five World Cup Socceroos

BLACKTOWN City FC continues to be one of the National Premier League powerhouse clubs following the news that five Socceroos squad members including Mathew Ryan, Aaron Mooy, Mitchell Duke, Milos Degenek and Keanu Baccus have all been gearing up to take part in the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup in Qatar.

All five came through the Junior ranks of Blacktown City, which has long been regarded as one of Australia’s top developmental clubs. In the historic win over Tunisia, Ryan, Mooy and Mitch Duke were instrumental in the victory.

Along with the five players men tioned, you can also add in Socceroos goalkeeper coach John Crawley and the influence on the Socceroos from a Blacktown City perspective is enormous. Crawley, is an ex-Demons junior, who also captained and coached the team at senior level.

“I do not believe there would be an other semi-professional club in the world at this very moment that helped con tribute 20% of a national team make-up” said Blacktown City Executive Chairman, Bob Turner.

Huge credit for this success goes to current 1st grade head coach, Mark Crit tenden, who has overseen many of these up-and-coming youngsters during his tenure at the club.

“Mark has set the culture of Black town City as one that not only wins but

is committed to the development of young players”, said Turner.

“He has a disciplined and old school approach that has stamped Blacktown City’s authority as one of Australia’s pre mier football production lines,” Turner added.

Mark Crittenden, first became involved with Blacktown City nearly 20 years ago when his son joined their under-11s team, which he coached.

He slowly worked his way up the hierarchy, serving as senior boss for the past decade and, for the past three, the club’s head of football as well.

In the case of Matt Ryan, Socceroo

Something about him that I liked

“He was on the verge of being let go,” said Crittenden. “We won the under-14s competition, and I was then given the under-15s the year after. The club was considering whether to retain him, basically due to the fact he was probably quite small for a keeper in those days. I’ve always been someone that goes with his gut feel, and there’s something about him that I really liked. I remember just

saying, ‘Look, I want to give him another go”, Crittenden added. The rest is history.

Set to celebrate 70 years of football existence in 2023, there is much to be ex cited about at Blacktown City who hope to see more success stories continue from its Seven Hills precinct.

To celebrate their 70-year milestone, Blacktown City has designed a new logo for the coming season. The team is now in full training with the defence of their 2022 NSW Championship foremost in the mind of Coach Crittenden.

In other big news for the club, leading goal scorer, Travis Major, will be taking on an additional role with the club to become their full time Operations Manager.

Scoring his 100th goal for the club in this year’s Championship game, Major will combine both playing and adminis tration in 2023.

The club took over full operational control of its home stadium (recently re named Blacktown City Sports Stadium) late last year and the task ahead for Ma jor is to maximise full use of the facility.

Blacktown City FC will continue to build on its reputation and service to the community it represents.

Recently, team sponsor Next Door organised a training session for the Blacktown City Youth men at North Curl Curl Surf Club. It was a great opportuni ty for the boys from the west to venture surfside!

Captain and the 75-cap goalkeeper who plays for Danish side FC Copenhagen, he genuinely wouldn’t be where he is today without Blacktown City and in particular Coach Crittenden.

AQUATIC CENTRES TAKE OUT TOP HONORS Seven award wins in 2022

BLACKTOWN City Council’s aquatic and leisure centres have once again been recognised for its outstanding service to its local community.

As 2022 draws to a close, the teams at Blacktown Leisure Centre Stanhope, Blacktown Aquatic Centre, Charlie Low les Leisure Centre Emerton, Riverstone Swimming Centre and Mount Druitt Swimming Centre have been collectively recognised with seven awards during the calendar year.

The team at Charlie Lowles Leisure Centre Emerton was flying high as it won the Mount Druitt/St Marys Local Business award for ‘Outstanding Fitness Services’.

Mount Druitt Swimming Centre also made the final list, as did the Kidz Blitz Holiday Program for “Outstanding Specialised Business” and Aqua Learn to Swim for its ‘Outstanding Education Service’.

Council was also awarded the 2022 Aquatic and Recreation Institute’s ‘Children’s Program Award’ for the Kidz Blitz program – a fun and interactive school holiday program for children aged 6 to 12 years at Blacktown Leisure Cen tre Stanhope, Blacktown Aquatic Centre and Charlie Lowles Leisure Centre Emerton.

Parents who enrol their children in the program find it is an affordable, fun and active way for their children to spend their school holidays. Daily ac tivities provide education al, sporting and creative opportunities and caters for lots of different interests. There is even an active swimming component built into each day of the program.

Blacktown Aquatic Centre was front and centre on the awards scene this year, as a finalist in the Aquatic & Recreation Institute’s Facility of the Year and at the AUSactive National Awards program for Multi-Service Business of the Year.

Aqua Learn to Swim teacher, Ta nia Sheehan, took out the National AUSTSWIM Teacher of Adult award and fitness instructor, Marlee King, was a

finalist in the Aqua Professional of the Year award.

And capping off a stellar year for Council’s venues, Blacktown Leisure Centre Stanhope was recognised for its ongoing relationship with the Northwest Disability Services, receiving the 2022 John & Pam Slattery Exceptional Con tribution award, for “consistently being supportive of participants and staff in the swimming programs”.

The Still Standing Program is a light exercise program to help reduce the risk of falling over.

Falling can be very dangerous as we get older, and the Still Standing Program aims to reduce the risk of falling and associated hospitalisation. This program helps you complete low intensity (light) exercise whilst under the supervision of an Accredited Exercise Physiologist. The exercises completed during the classes include:

Exercises to build leg strength.

Balance exercises to improve balance.

Mobility exercises to improve how you move.

Reflex exercises to help sharpen the mind.

Still Standing Program is free and includes:

Initial assessment with Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP) plus home exercise program designed by AEP with free exercise bands

12-week supervised group exercise program with AEP to be completed over maximum 16 weeks.

and coffee provided after each class

Final assessment with AEP after completion of the program.

Representatives from the Charlie Lowles Leisure Centre Emerton team- Karen Stuart, Steven Tripney and Laura Adair.

Belinda Mcatear and Kate Costin from Blacktown Leisure Centre, Stanhope with the John & Pam Slattery Exceptional Contribution Award.

Nyree Parkin, Lachlan Lawless and Sarah Ryan with the 2022 ARI NSW Children’s Program Award.

Workers Blacktown is bringing you a place to enjoy life while staying connected to your Blacktown community, your local sports, your family and friends.

Exclusively for over 55’s and located next to Workers Sports Club, Parkside Lifestyle Community is planned to commence early 2023.

To receive progress updates and an invitation to events, express your interest at parksidelifestyle.com.au

Image is for illustrative purposes only. J006714