Parramatta Times - May 2022

ISSUE 22 | MAY 2022

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ParramattA T I M E S ELECTION COVERAGE: Round up of candidates for Parramatta: 10

Flexible hours a farce for dads: 4

Hotel experience at new hospital: 3

BARCA IN PARRA Soccer super club comes to Parramatta

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ET ready Parramatta! Socceroos legend Brett Emerton says La Liga super-club FC Barcelona will unleash “future football superstars” when they take on the A-Leagues All Stars at Accor Stadium, for one night only, Wednesday May 25.

Emerton said that not only is Barcelona’s first time visit historic it’s also a “fantastic opportunity” for the football community in Sydney and the whole of Australia to witness one of the world’s best teams live in action. More: page 30.

MARIA KOVACIC LIBERAL FOR PARRAMATTA

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ISSUE 22 | May 2022

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NEW PRIVATE HOSPITAL FOR PARRAMATTA CBD

Giving patients the hotel experience ARRAMATTA will have a new private hospital in the heart of the CBD which will provide a “hotel type” experience for its patients.

Architecture firm FJMT has won a design excellence competition for the Royal Parramatta Private Hospital.

The firm’s winning design for Royal Parramatta at 41-43 Hunter Street will incorporate the existing heritage house on the site.

The retention of the red brick facade – characteristic of the early architecture of the region – and its redeployment throughout the proposed building is a key element the design.

It will be 24 storeys high with 120 beds which will help alleviate the region’s healthcare shortfall.

“Our initial estimates show that there is about a 3000-bed shortage and even with new, similar projects planned at Blacktown and Westmead, there is still a lot of demand that needs to be met,” Chief executive of developer ICC Group Harold Dakin told ArchitectureAU magazine.

Government Architect NSW and City of Parramatta Council held a national design excellence competition in 2021 and the winning design was selected by an independent jury.

Royal Parramatta Private Hospital will be the region’s first private hospital, located next to Parramatta Square.

This will make it a centrally located healthcare facility for the residents of Parramatta and surrounding neighborhoods.

The 1400sqm space will include a ground floor cafe, outdoor dining spaces and views of the city overlooking St Johns Anglican Cathedral.

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It will include six operating theatre suites, day surgery units and pre-admission medical clinics.

Designs also include opportunities for teaching and research facilities for undergraduate and postgraduate medical training.

Pending state government approval, construction on the hospital will begin next year, with completion expected for 2025.

Private Hospital Demand Study Globally, with increased pressure on existing healthcare services and limited resources available, there has been a growing interest in developing models of care to facilitate a seamless transition at the acute care to primary care interface.

They provide supervised overnight accommodation for self-caring, low acuity patients who require some acute hospital services, but are not acute enough to require 24 hours inpatient care.

The benefits of patient hotels include:

• Providing high quality patient care in a setting which feels less like a hospital and more of a hotel, adding to patient comfort and expediting discharge.

• These hotels are usually located in close geographic proximity to the hospitals, enabling higher level of surveillance and monitoring if the need arises.

• Provide facilities for a family member or carer as required.

For more information visit the Royal Parramatta Private Hospital website.

Ready for occupation in August 2022

Artist impression of the project.

Lifestyle

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ISSUE 22 | May 2022

Flexible working hours are still a farce for Aussie dads  DALLAS SHERINGHAM F you are one of those dads who is stuck at work every day for hours on end when the family really needs you, then you are one of the 99% who are similarly tied down by work.

And bosses don’t help, with 98% of organisations not setting targets to improve men's participation in flexible work.

It seems workplace culture and masculine norms are keeping fathers from asking for flexible working hours, including paid parental leave and it is harming family life and careers according to an expert.

University of South Australia researcher Dr Ashlee Borgkvist has been researching exactly why dads don’t apply for their entitlements.

Investigating barriers and facilitators for men to access and use flexible work arrangements, she found that many fathers felt pressure from their organisations not to use flexibility for family reasons, with this sentiment also echoed across society.

In fact, Australia has one of the lowest rates of fathers taking paid parental leave with fewer than one in every hundred recipients being a man.

Dr Borgkvist said the low uptake of formal flexible working arrangements by Australian fathers was primarily due to a perceived and quite often objective, lack of support from workplace managers and colleagues alike.

“Workplace flexibility is typically accepted as an option for mothers, but when it comes to dads, flexibility is unlikely to be as readily accepted – and in some cases not even considered,” Dr Borgkvist said.

“Workplace and societal norms play a big role in the lack of flexibility for dads, with many men feeling pressure to conform to stereotypical concepts of the male ‘breadwinner’ – they’re applauded for earning the dollars to support their family but frowned upon if they consider flexibility to do the same.

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Dads need to prove their connectivity to their job “Concerningly, many new fathers feel they need to prove their commitment to the job by purposely avoiding flexibility, or in some instances, taking on more hours when they become a new father. They may also take on more hours because they are feeling financial pressures.”

Dr Borgkvist said while Australia’s national Paid Parental Leave scheme was gender neutral and so could be used by mums or dads, the stigma of asking for flexibility, along with the need for mothers to utilise the whole Paid Parental Leave period, was limiting it’s uptake by dads.

“This can have a flow on effect where dads don’t feel like they should be using

flexibility as their children grow either.”

“Some fathers are trying to be more flexible – say, for example, by coming into work late after dropping the kids at school – but they’re also very aware of the need to visibly minimise their time away from paid work.

“Of course, this can depend on the workplace, but even where workplaces have flexibility policies there is often an unspoken, or cultural, discouragement of dads taking time away from work for family reasons,” Dr Borgkvist said.

“So, while the desire and need for flexible work hours is there, it’s being squashed by restrictive workplace cultures. As you can imagine, these ideas around flexible work also have impacts for how women who use flexibility are perceived within workplaces.”

SECTIONS News .................................

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Geoff Lee ..........................

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Directory ...........................

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Seniors Living ...................

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Travel ................................

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Local entertainment Watch locally made films. Stay up to date on infrastructure.

Watch profiles of regional leaders. www.netwerx.tv

ISSUE 22 | May 2022

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PARRAMATTA OFFICE SELLS FOR A PREMIUM

Prime CBD site fetches $87M HE Australian Unity Diversified Property Fund has offloaded its Parramatta office asset for $87.251M, as the fund works towards repositioning its portfolio.

The $615M fund sold the 7352sqm eight-storey office building at 20 Smith Street at a premium of circa 4.5% against its book value as at December 2021, after exchanging binding contracts on 26 April.

“The sale of 20 Smith St Parramatta increases the Fund’s weighted average lease expiry to 8.4 years from 7.5 years with sale proceeds ultimately being used to fund the two key development projects through to completion,” said Jonathon Senior, fund manager for the Australian Unity Diversified Property Fund.

This most recent disposal follows the fund’s sale of a Victorian industrial property at 19 Corporate Avenue in Rowville, completed in December 2021 for $27.85M at a 26% premium against book value.

Senior added that both sales reflect the effective management strategy of the port-

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folio, in line with the fund’s re-positioning strategy to recycle capital into development projects at neighbourhood shopping centres in Blackburn, Victoria and Busselton, Western Australia.

Following the sales, investors will receive a special distribution on 30 June 2022, on top of the fund’s regular income distribution payment.

Meanwhile, Australian Unity Office Fund (ASX:AOF) have that announced that Property NSW (PNSW) would not renew its lease as the major tenant of the fund’s 10 Valentine Avenue asset in Parramatta.

The current lease term is due to expire on 30 June 2022, though from July 1 PNSW have requested to hold-over for up to three of the building’s 14 levels, while vacating the balance.

As a result of these changes at the asset, AOF has commissioned an independent valuation for its 2-10 Valentine Avenue asset, resulting in a revised valuation of $120.55 million, a decline of $28.95M since December 31.

Looking at redevelopment strategies Sitting in the centre of the Parramatta CBD and adjacent to the Parramatta Bus and Railway Interchange, the asset comprises more than 16,000sqm of lettable area at the 10 Valentine Avenue building.

Additionally, on the same title is the six-level connected freestanding carpark at 2 Valentine Avenue.

AOF is now looking into repositioning and development strategies for the island site, including developing the two properties into one campus style office with more than 4,000sqm office space; developing 2 Valentine Avenue into a 28,000sqm 24-level office tower; and the underway development application to expand 10 Valentine Avenue’s lettable area to 20,000sqm.

The repositioning of 10 Valentine Avenue would potentially see a new façade at the asset, allowing for floorplates to be increased to circa 1,500sqm.

Despite changes to asset values, AOF has reaffirmed its FY22 funds from oper-

ations guidance of 18.0 18.5 cents per unit and distribution guidance of 15.2 cents per unit.

This comes after Australian Unity’s Healthcare Property Trust announced plans to develop a new $150M private hospital and health hub in Brisbane, beginning with the The Matilda Meadowbrook Private Hospital.

Next step in Parramatta Light Rail project ITY of Parramatta Lord Mayor Cr Donna Davis has welcomed plans to seek the community’s input on the preferred route and stops for Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2 and says now is the time for the NSW Government to commit to building the project.

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“It’s important that the community get their say on where the second stage of the Parramatta Light Rail should be built, so this is a step in the right direction,” Cr Davis said.

“With so many people relying on public transport to get to or from work, school or

study, I encourage everyone to share their feedback and have their voices heard on this vital piece of infrastructure.

“City of Parramatta Council has long advocated for a light rail network that includes the communities in Sydney Olympic Park, Wentworth Point and Melrose Park,

which are in desperate need of better transport connections.”

Cr Davis said Council estimates up to 29,000 new homes will be built along the proposed Stage 2 route over the next 15 years, including at Camellia – a key riverside precinct on the doorstep of the Parramatta CBD.

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ISSUE 22 | May 2022

OFFICE IS THE PLACE FOR CREATIVITY: STUDY

We’re all zoomed out…  DALLAS SHERRINGHAM OUNCING ideas off each in an office environment is more creative than working from home on Zoom according to a new study.

While many employees argue that working from home is more productive, when comes to brainstorming, the office environment is better.

The study by Columbia University found that working from home via Zoom was bad for brainstorming and leads to fewer creative ideas than in-person meetings.

Researchers put 1500 people into pairs over either a video call or in-person. Face to face meetings.

They found face-to-face pairs produced more creative ideas than the virtual pairs.

However, video call pairs were no less effective at selecting the best idea.

It is claimed the findings could help inform and refine the design of remote work policies.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of employees were required to work from home and collaborate virtually using videoconferencing technologies such as Zoom.

The study suggests this shift away from in-person interactions could also have a negative effect on people's employees creative contributions.

However, when selecting which idea to pursue, video call pairs were no less effective.

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The authors of the study suggest that video calls focus communication on a screen, narrowing people’s focus and hindering the broad, expansive process of idea generation.

The face-to-face pairs produced more ideas and more creative ideas, compared to the virtual pairs At the beginning of the idea generation task, ideas generated by in-person and virtual pairs were similarly connected to past ideas generated by each pair.

Forward flow of ideas However, by the 11th idea, the ideas generated by in-person pairs began to exhibit significantly more forward flow compared to those of virtual pairs To investigate how using video calls may affect the generation of collaborative ideas, the researchers recruited 490 people across five national sites of a telecom infrastructure company.

The participants were randomly paired, either face-to-face or via video call and asked to create product ideas for an hour, before choosing one to submit as a future product innovation for the company.

The engineers who worked on the task virtually generated an average of 7.43 in the hour, while those in in-person pairs generated an average of 8.58 ideas. This pattern was replicated at all five sites.

“There are many important advantages to working from home (WFH) and virtual interaction more generally, such as access to a larger talent pool, less commute time and increased employee flexibility,”

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Professor Melanie Brucks, co-author of the paper, told media.

“There are also many potential disadvantages to WFH, perhaps most importantly, less community.

“This paper only documents a cognitive disadvantage of videoconferencing when it comes to idea generation and our findings are just one additional factor for employers to consider when determining the extent to which their office will be remote.

“That being said, the future of work is hybrid and we should be strategic about

which tasks we do when working in-person versus remotely. “'Our findings suggest that you should consider specifically prioritising idea generation during in-person time.”

NOTE: In the experiment, half of the pairs worked together in person and the other half worked together in separate, identical rooms using videoconferencing. The pairs in the virtual condition interacted with a real-time video of their partner’s face displayed on a 15inch retina-display screen with no self-view.

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ISSUE 22 | May 2022

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ISSUE 22 | May 2022

What the Federal Govt should Federal seat of Parramatta is up for Grabs, State Member Dr Geoff  DR GEOFF LEE HE federal election campaign has focused attention on Parramatta and its future needs.

The Prime Minister has paid multiple visits to our area during this campaign, which tells me that the long-held Labor seat of Parramatta is up for grabs.

As the state MP for Parramatta, I’m proud of what the NSW Government has already delivered for our area, including Parramatta Light Rail, CommBank Stadium, upgrades to Westmead Hospital and Westmead Children's Hospital, North Parramatta Heritage Precinct, Telopea’s redevelopment, the state’s first vertical high school Arthur Phillip High School and bringing 10,000 public servants to Parramatta CBD. While the NSW Government has delivered a lot for Parramatta, I believe there is an imperative for the next Federal Government to also contribute to Parramatta’s transformation in three key areas.

For any city to be a great place to live, it essentially needs three things, being housing, jobs, and transport to get people from their homes to their jobs.

Parramatta Light Rail stage 1 will open in 2023, providing an economic spine connecting Westmead, Parramatta CBD and Carlingford.

Anyone who has seen its progress, with 98% of tracks already laid and streetscapes enhanced, will know how incredibly transformative this $2.4 billion project will be.

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“

As it stands now, we are heading backwards in terms of equity which means there will be fewer opportunities for kids in western Sydney to go to university.”

It will change the way people live and work in Parramatta, connecting homes to workplaces and removing congestion off our roads.

Everyone acknowledges that the next stage, Parramatta Light Rail stage 2, is essential to expand the network and connect major developments and economic centres in western Sydney.

There is incredible growth happening in the area, with 10,000 homes proposed for Melrose Park, 5,000 for Wentworth Point and another 2,000 for Carter Street precinct.

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Westmead Health Precinct.

They’ve acknowledged the challenge The state government has acknowledged the challenge of funding such a large-scale project when we are already stretched because of the pandemic and the ensuing escalation in construction costs.

The Premier has already publicly indicated that major projects will face longer timeframes than initially expected pre-pandemic.

I believe the Federal government should help deliver this project because it’s a real stretch for the NSW government to solely fund major infrastructure projects when we are already delivering $110B in infrastructure across the state.

I’d also like to see the next Federal Government, whoever they may be, expand the number of Commonwealth Supported places in Western Sydney so that more students can attend university.

Currently, the number of CSPs funded by the Commonwealth is not keeping up with projected growth in our region.

Access to tertiary education is essential to providing everybody the opportunity for economic advancement.

As it stands now, we are heading backwards in terms of equity which means there will be fewer opportunities for kids in western Sydney to go to university.

Continued on page 9

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ISSUE 22 | May 2022

do for Parramatta

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SIVE

Lee share his views on the Federal priorities for Parramatta.

Dr Geoff Lee.

Continued from page 8 Universities can’t expand their footprint in Parramatta without the Commonwealth Government’s support.

I’d also like to see the Commonwealth support the commercialization of innovations in health at Westmead.

Westmead is the largest biomedical precinct in Australia, with huge research capabilities located in the Children's Medical Research Institute and Westmead Millennium Institute, among others.

There is enormous potential here for the commercialization of research.

For instance, the NSW government is looking to partner with industry in estab-

Parramatta Light Rail.

lishing Australia’s first commercial-scale viral vector manufacturing facility at Westmead.

This facility will ensure Australians have faster access to next-generation medical treatments that will save and improve lives.

For Parramatta, it will create high value, knowledge-intensive jobs of the future which will complement the existing biomedical capabilities of the Westmead precinct.

I welcome any commitments to Parramatta made by the next Federal government but believe the areas I’ve just outlined should be among their biggest priorities.

Dr Geoff Lee is State Member for Parramatta.

Connect: parramatta@parliament.nsw.gov.au

Western Sydney University in Parramatta.

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Luxury hotel planned for Parramatta P ARRAMATTA will boast a luxury fivestar Intercontinental hotel by a plan by Holdmark Property 2025 if Group is approved. The Sydney-ba sed developer has filed d plans with Parramatta Council for a dual tower ower developme develop nt, one of which

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Parramatta Olympian faces her toughest test

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ARRAMATTA’S four-time Olympian Melissa Wu has well and truly dived in end as a contestant on the deep the blockbuster SAS Australia Show on Channel 7 and And the Olympic diver 7plus. won’t be letting her diminutive takes on a hot field of sporting size stand in her way as she and celebrity contestant s in the top rating program. all, she won four Commonw After ealth Games gold medals and was full of determinat all-new sneak peek of the 2022 season of SAS ion in an Australia, which started Channel 7 and 7plus. More on February 21 on page 6.

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Federal Election 2022

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ISSUE 22 | May 2022

Candidates for Parramatta N May 21, Parramatta voters will be faced with a ballot paper of 8 candidates for the House of Representatives.

In order on the ballot paper, they are: Rohan Laxmanalal Animal Justice Party

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Maria Kovacic Liberal Party of Australia Heather Freeman Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Liza Tazewell Liberal Democratic Party Julian Fayad United Australia Party Phil Bradley The Greens

Andrew Charlton Australian Labor Party Steve Christou Independent We present short profiles on all, except Laxmanalal and Freemen who did not provide contact details.

AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY - ANDREW CHARLTON

Strong plans for the future S an economist, business owner and former economic advisor to Kevin Rudd Andrew believes he has the experience to deliver a strong plan for the future of Parramatta.

Andrew’s plan is to drive investment in our schools and hospitals, support businesses to create more secure and well-paying local jobs, and extend opportunity to all.

“With the cost of everything going up, it’s getting harder for people to get ahead – no matter how hard they work,” he said.

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“That’s we have to help take the pressure off by making child care cheaper, investing in local roads and infrastructure, and backing small businesses to create more secure jobs.”

As the father of three young children, Andrew believes we need a government that has strong plans for the future.

Andrew has worked at the United Nations, and at the London School of Economics and Oxford University.

He went to work for the new Labor

Government in 2007, where he was Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s senior economics advisor.

While in Government, Andrew was appointed Australia’s senior official to the G20 Leaders Summits and helped coordinate the government’s response to the GFC–and our approach on climate change, where he represented the Prime Minister at the United Nations Climate Conference.

Andrew went on to start his own business and has written two books.

THE GREENS – PHIL BRADLEY

The only Green candidate ARRAMATTA Council’s only Greens councillor Phil Bradley is making climate change his main issue, considering the high temperatures experienced in the Western Suburbs.

As he has done on Council, Phil will continue to enthusiastically promote Greens’ policies, such as the need to achieve 100 percent renewable energy by 2030, provide energy efficiency savings, reduce extreme urban heat and minimise waste. ““Days per year hotter than 40 C in

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Western Sydney are predicted to rise tenfold in our children’s lifetime “ Phil also will push for equitable policies on homelessness and affordable housing.

“We must address the realities of so many people in Parramatta suffering distress due to housing costs. The Greens support improved renters’ rights and much greater funding for public and social housing.”

Phil Bradley has lived in the Parramatta area with his partner Annie Nielsen for 27

years and has two daughters. He has been a civil engineer, TAFE teacher and Teachers Federation officer.

He has run for local, state and federal government several times and is now the Parramatta City’s first Greens councillor. Phil Bradley has received a National Volunteer Award for long term community involvement in Parramatta Climate Action Network, Reconciliation for Western Sydney, Parramatta Female Factory group and bush regeneration.

UNITED AUSTRALIA PARTY – JULIAN FAYAD

“Not impacted by tyranny” ULIAN has lived in Guildford and Granville all his life, his parents Lebanese-born.

He was raised with four siblings and is father to two young children.

“This has been the key and primary motivation to run for the seat of Parramatta – to protect and fight for the freedoms for our future generations,” he said.

Julian has served the community already for a number of years as a Justice of Peace.

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He has been corresponding with and pressuring politicians throughout the pandemic over the unfair treatment of western Sydney at all levels of government.

He believes he is well-versed in local and national issues, and vows to fight to see that future generations are ”not impacted by tyranny”.

Julian runs multiple successful finance and technology businesses within Parramatta that are built around supporting small businesses and everyday Australians.

“I oppose mandatory vaccinations, and I am pro-informed consent. I am pro-early treatment and I am very well read in scientific journals discussing treatments, early prevention, vaccine efficacy and adverse effects.” Julian said.

“I am morally and ethically incorruptible and that scares the elite.”

The United Australia Party was founded by businessman and former federal politician Clive Palmer, appealing to people who are against mandatory COVID vaccination.

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Federal Election 2022

ISSUE 22 | May 2022

LIBERAL PARTY – MARIA KOVACIC

Understanding community aspirations ARIA has run a successful mortgage and finance business for 16 years, while she and her husband Glenn raised their now adult children, and sits on the board of the Franchise Council of Australia.

She has been an active member of the Parramatta community, as the co-founder of Western Sydney Women and Western Sydney Executive Women, member of the Committee for Western Sydney, NRLW Advisory Committee member, and a member

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of the steering committee for Parramatta Eels’ Women@Eels.

“Years ago, I began my own business to ensure financial security for my children,” Maria said.

“It was tough trying to balance the demands of a small business and family but I persevered and used the lessons that I had learned to help others through the Franchise Council of Australia and Hills Community Aid. “As a daughter of migrants, I under-

stand the challenges and aspirations of this community. My parents fled communism for a better life in Australia, and taught me the values that have helped me throughout my life “Sydney’s west has some very unique characteristics, and so do the people who make it their home. If elected, I will be a strong advocate for this community – helping to deliver infrastructure, amenities and support for small businesses and local families.”

LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY – LIZA TAZEWELL

Proud daughter of immigrant parents IZA Tazewell (nee Pranjic/Suroprajitno) grew up in Guildford, the proud daughter of immigrant parents.

“I was raised in a family that taught the important values of compassion, hard work and the tenacity required to achieve your dreams, the foundations on which I built a successful career as a director in banking in Australia, U.K and Asia, and responsible for leading Risk, Surveillance, Financial Crimes and Market Operations teams,” Lisa said.

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Whilet living in Asia, Lisa established a not-for-profit skills training school for survivors of human trafficking, by empowering young women through teaching viable skills resulting in employment opportunities.

“As a small business owner in Parramatta providing design and building renovation services, I witnessed the devastating impact of the government’s COVID-19 response on hard-working Australians, notably

those deemed ‘non-essential’,” Liza said..

“This compelled me to get involved in politics and provide an alternative voice for the electorate of Parramatta.

The collusion of the major parties has dismantled any trust we had in our government. We need a balance of power, and this led me to join the LibDems in 2021; a principles-based party who could be trusted to support our individual human rights.”

INDEPENDENT–STEVE CHRISTOU

Steve understands the community ORMERT mayor of Cumberland Council, Steve believes that only a local can truly understand and represent the interests of the community.

“I have decided to run to give the electorate of Parramatta a real alternative outside of the two major political parties,” he said.

“For way too long the Parramatta electorate has been taken for granted by political opportunists who have not delivered

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any outcomes for the local community. The locals feel they are being used as a vehicle to elevate big egos into Government, with no real commitment to community interests and needs.”

Steve, while Mayor, often spoke out against the harsh lockdowns people in his area endured.

“During COVID, our community endured extended lockdowns, restrictions, curfews, extra police and the deployment of

the army to our streets. Tens of thousands of people were unable to go to work. They were unable to pay their mortgage, rent, bills, or put food on the table to feed their children. Businesses and residents who have not recovered from the lockdowns were now facing the flooding crisis.

“The response by our elected leaders has been catastrophic to our local community because we are simply not on their radar.”

Get the digital edition of the Parramatta Times www.parramattatimes.com.au x www.facebook.com/ParramattaTimes/

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BusinesS

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ISSUE 22 | May 2022

BEST PERFORMERS ARE BUILDERS, NOT OPERATORS

Key finding of a study of ENTREPRENEUR SUCCESS  CHRIS GOLIS N interesting post called Here are the personality traits of the self-made millionaire recently appeared in my mailbox.

The blog describes a German study that compared two groups of people: rich defined as having a net worth > 1 million euro and non-rich with a net worth < 800,000 euro.

They also categorised participants as “self-made” if their wealth came primarily from self-employment or entrepreneurship; “inheritor” if their wealth came from gifts or inheritances; or “mixed” if they fell somewhere in the middle.

All the groups were given a Five-Factor personality test, plus another test that measured your propensity for risk-taking.

The self-made rich participants (by definition successful entrepreneurs) were more risk-tolerant, and were more open, extraverted and conscientious, but less neurotic.

In my book “The Humm Handbook: Lifting Your Level of Emotional Intelligence” there is a chapter on leadership that defines and discusses the three necessary core emotional drives of the successful leader.

For those familiar with the Humm, great leaders have high H, M and P drives.

President Bill Clinton is a good example of such a personality.

One innovation I introduced in my 23 years as a venture capitalist was to obtain a psychographic profile of our prospective entrepreneurs. Initially we were seeking mini-Bill Clintons. Unfortunately, over time we discovered that while these people are great at running large organisations, they were poor entrepreneurs.

We had forgotten that critical piece of Australian advice: “A good builder of a mine is rarely a good operator of one”.

On the other hand, when we looked at the profiles of entrepreneurs who had generated the best returns for our VC funds, we discovered that we were seeking the wrong people. Our best performers were builders rather than operators.

A

They saw building a business as an engineering project and were very task focussed. They wanted to build a business and then sell it.

The process was all consuming and they spent a lot of time planning the next steps and closely monitoring the progress. They were extremely task orientated and focused on the technical details.

They were into planning and compulsively reading everything they could about a project. Their passion ignited the rest of their team.

High hustler drive We had not picked this factor as being necessary; we were very wrong. Our successful entrepreneurs all had a high Engineer trait.

The other common factor was a high Hustler drive. These people were shrewd with people and shrewd with money. They knew it was important to build a team of people in order to get the job done, not just an exercise in team building.

If there were individuals who had joined them at the start but had reached their level of competence, the successful entrepreneurs were able to either keep them in their former positions and temper their expectations or be ruthless enough to fire them.

The other interesting discovery was that the successful entrepreneurs had a high level of numeracy.

To be successful, entrepreneurs need to be good communicators and everyone we tested had a high verbal IQ. However, the successful entrepreneurs also had a high level of numeracy.

Again, we thought we could compensate for the poor numerical IQ of what we thought were outstanding prospects by hiring a good CFO. We were wrong again. In nearly every case a business led by a CEO with a poor understanding of numbers performed below expectations.

Unless the entrepreneur has an understanding of the numbers, he or she never

has the intense understanding necessary on how the business actually generates cash.

The blog that started this post itself begins with the famous quote “Let me tell you about the very rich,” wrote F. Scott Fitzgerald in The Rich Boy. “They are different from you and me.”

With regard to successful entrepreneurs, they certainly are.

I still believe a model of temperament like the 7MTF is the secret to lifting your emotional intelligence. If you want to quickly lift your EQ consider doing my practical emotional intelligence courses.

Do the basic 7MTF course for an investment of A$25 and 5 hours of your time and you will dramatically increase your EQ competency in days.

This article was first published on LinkedIn on 23 April 2022. Chris Golis is a psychologist and an expert in emotional intelligence and success coaching. Visit: www. www. emotionalintelligencecourse.com

Self-storage industry is booming HE self-storage industry is experiencing an unprecedented building boom fuelled by a growth in apartment style living.

Combined with escalating property prices, the demand for self- storage and mini warehousing is a great investment which will continue for many years to come.

Smart Space storage units and mini-warehouses are in a modern, state-ofthe art facility that has been designed with your comfort, convenience and security in mind.

With an entry point price of $145,000, it provides a great opportunity to invest in commercial real estate with minimal outlay.

With many small and online businesses operating from home, Smart Space provides an affordable storage and mini-warehouse solution.

This secure facility is the ideal space

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Smart Space offers a range of a solutions.

solution for tradespeople, business and homeowners to store tools, archived files, stock, furniture and personal items.

Smart Space is also appealing to hobby enthusiasts or anyone wishing to securely store their boat, water-sport equipment, caravan or extra vehicles.

Key investment benefits include: • Affordable purchase price.

• Net rental returns of approximately 7% with high capital growth.

• Low outgoings compared to residential property.

• High demand with low vacancy rates

• Low maintenance with minimal upkeep..

Construction is well underway with completion due in April 2022. For further information, please contact Yal Kaya on 0421 664 666.

PROPERTY SHOWCASE PARRAMATTA

13

ISSUE 22 | May 2022

Got something to share? Send your property tips to info@parramattatimes.com.au

AMAZON OPENS ROBOTICS FULFILMENT CENTRE

Largest warehouse ever built -COMMERCE giant Amazon has officially opened its first robotics fulfilment centre in western Sydney – the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere and at 200,000 sqm the largest warehouse ever built in Australia.

With a federal election announcement imminent, Prime Minister Scott Morrison was on hand to cut the ribbon alongside NSW Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney, Stuart Ayres.

The Kemps Creek facility, located within Goodman Group’s Oakdale West Industrial Estate, will create more than 1,500 jobs.

Floor space across the four-level building is equal to the land size of Taronga Zoo or 24 rugby league fields, and can house up to 20 million of the smaller items sold on Amazon.com.au including jewellery, books, electronics, pantry items and toys.

It is Amazon’s second fulfilment in western Sydney, and sixth in Australia.

Robotic drives move pods of inventory to employees, reducing the time and effort that would otherwise be required to stow items for sale or pick them for new customer orders. They also allow up to 40% more items to be stowed, allowing for increased product selection.

“The opening of our first robotics fulfilment centre is a huge milestone for Amazon Australia, marking our continuous

growth and investment in this country,” said Craig Fuller, director of operations, Amazon Australia.

Since launching down under in 2017, more than 11,000 Australian businesses are selling through Amazon, and have sold more than 25 million units across its Australian and international stores in the past year.

Amazon last month announced it would open its first dedicated Australian sorting centre in Melbourne’s northern suburb of Craigieburn, which will be able to process 300,000 parcels every day.

That 15,600 sqm centre will be built in the Amaroo Business Park, further extending Amazon’s relationship with Goodman.

The ASX-listed industrial and logistics giant considers Amazon its biggest customer and has also delivered Amazon a fulfilment centre in Brisbane.

The Craigieburn centre will be Amazon’s fifth facility in Melbourne, where the company made its Australian debut with a 24,000 sqm warehouse in Dandenong South.

The pandemic has turbo-charged the growth of online shopping in Australia.

Online sales accounted for 9.2% of all sales at the beginning of 2020, and now make up 14.7%, according to NAB.

E

SOURCE: Australian Property Journal.

Prime Minister Scoltt Morrison visits the new facility.

HOW TO WIN THE WEST WESTERN SYDNEY MEDIA ALLIANCE BUSINESS | LIFESTYLE

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LO OUR CA CI L PA TY PE ’S R

MARCH 2022 | EDITION 130 APRIL 2021 Edition 120

TRUSTED LOCAL NEWS

Voice of Australia’s most progressive city

BUY NOW PAY LATER How Aussies are taking to the new plan: 2

BUSINESS SURVEY

CHARITY SUPPORT

Why finding staff is the biggest concern: 5

Our favourite charities in two years of COVID: 10

POWERHOUSE Parramatta CEO Lisa Havilah is more interested in the flood of excitement over the controversial $920M project than any flood-waters that may lap at its riverside approach. After the recent devastating rains that saw Parramatta River break its banks between the ferry wharf and the site of the museum, Ms Havilah is adamant that the building and its exhibits will not be affected.

LINES

FULL STORY PAGE 10

Here’s how business traditions will change

RETAIL BOUNCES BACK -T HE ecommerce craze shows no signs of abating with a new generation of young entrepreneurs

swapping traditional jobs for selling everything Фf^ ÌÓ æ â î î±Ë æ ® þ Ì î® îÓó©® æî ÓÌ EÓÿ â î ±Å âæ ® þ â þ Å î® æÓÅóî±ÓÌæ Ì from pet food to high end clothing online. They â Óâ ¨Óâ w æî âÌ ^ą Ì ąФæ У â± Âæ Ì ËÓâî âФ æóßßÓâî Ë æóâ æ Ì ¨Óâ î® ±Ì óæîâą ÓóÌ are part of the revolution which has seen a large proâ î ±Å ±Ì óæîâąϻ óî î®±æ æ îÓâ ® æ ßâÓó Â î®±æ ą â Ì ąÓÌ Ϻ portion of Aussies continue to earn a living from home, relocate out of cities and take precautions to reduce ®±æîÓâą Ó¨ ÓóÌ ±Ì©  ¨âÓË î® ® â æî Ó¨ î±Ë æϺ FULL STORY PAGE 5 their risk of viral infections. There will be some blurring between what we wear to bed or lounge around in at

TALE OF TWO POOLS SAS CHALLENGE A Parramatta Olympian THIS EDITION

INSIDE

Special S ttribute tto local b business w winners

AUTO: SsangYong's mid-life update: 30 BUSINESS: Retailers reveal solutions: 34 TRENDS: Is love passing you by?: 36

home de and what we wear out. The forecasts come from si in Davie Fogarty, Founder and CEO of Davie Group, the

fast-growing company behind brands The Oodie, Calming Blankets and Pupnaps. More page 20.

Westmead Hospital’s new clinical tower oepns: 2

New suburb named BradÀeld

Govy ofÀcially names high tech city at Aerotropolis: 6

Minister pushing for more women on Parramatta Council: 3

BEST GIFT SINCE THE OPERA HOUSE

BLURRED

World class health care

WWW.PARRAMATTATIMES.COM.AU

ISSUE 9 | April 2021

Family business in COVID

How many leveraged patience capital during COVID: 12

How hope really works

Feature on the Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal: 15

SALOVS: How hope really happens: 19

FTER a few hot summers rather than refurbish it. After a bit of for swimmers who æ óĖ îÿ Ì W ââ Ë îî ÓóÌ ±Å loved Parramatta and and the NSW Government on who w ÌîÿÓâî®þ±ÅÅ ßÓÓÅæ Ì æóđ â would pay for its replacement, an during their closures, relief is on the agreement was reached on funding way. Just a day apart, the refurbished for the state-of-the-art aquatic Wentworthville pool opened and centre. And in Wentworthville, a î® Ĝâæî æÓ ÿ æ îóâÌ ÓÌ î® concerted community campaign and ARRAMATTA’S four-time Olympian Melissa Wu has well and truly dived in the deep end as aParramatta contestant onAquatic the blockbuster SAS Show on Channel 7 andthe 7plus. spectacular theAustralia Cumberland Council, saved And the Olympic diver won’t diminutive stand in her way While as she Centre.

Both communities havebe letting her beloved poolsize with an upgrade. takeswithout on a hot field of sporting andthe celebrity contestants the top rating program.

After been a pool since 2017, Parramattainresidents wait two years all, she won four Commonwealth Games goldfor medals wasthey full ofare determination Parramatta Memorial Pool demolished theirand pool, welcome toin an peek of the 2022 season of SASdive Australia, which started on February 21 on toall-new makesneak way for Bankwest Stadium to Wenty.

Channel 7 and 7plus. More page 6. and the previous Holroyd Council FULL STORY PAGE 6 wanting to close the tired Wenty pool

faces her toughest test

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ISSUE 12 MARCH 2022 LO|CA

NEW

TRUSTED LOCAL NEWS

Issue 1 | April 2021

PROPERTY RTY UPDATEE

GAME TIME

MICHELLE ROWLAND

Inside the bank of mum and dad: 16

Blacktown FC is B ready to go: 31

How Afghan women typify our diversity: 18

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VITAL youth service in Blacktown is set to close after missing out on important State Government funding. The Blacktown Youth Support Association’s Youth HQ program helps young people at risk - those who have

been in trouble with the law or those who may be headed that way. But the service was told at the end of last year by the Department of Communities and Justice that they had missed out on funding, in favour of more “targeted” youth

programs. A letter from the Minister for Families and Communities Gareth Ward suggested that the BYSA seeks funding from other government departments such as education and sport.

FULL STORY 10

WELCOME to the Blacktown NEWS

Grant owes his life to mate Echo W ELCOME to Blacktown's NEW LOCAL media The News will be distributed across 110 strategic disAs one of the state’s fastest growing cities, Blacktown voice, The Blacktown News (BN). tribution points in the LGA. has undergone a signiĜcant transformation.

The Blacktown News is the much-anticipated It's population is set to rise from 400,000 to 540,000 Published in digital and print editions the Blacktown Hews has amedia great reason to be inseparable And we all know the healing newRANT newspaper and digital brand that residents by 2036. power of an animal, a News ođers maximum impact other. for targeted advertising covers Blacktown local news written by experi-Echo The Blacktown News is the printThe and digital media opportunities and reach to Blacktown's popula- never fromLGA hiswith best mate and savior, the Maltese powerdiverse that should be underestimated. heartenced journalists. resource that connects residents and visitors to the city’s tion.

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You see, Echo saved heoffell warming story in late December when Grant was The Blacktown News is Blacktown's ONLY printedGrant’s life diverse community, its progress, business opportunities Withwhen a mission championing community and begins newspaper and is independently managed and lifestyle. business the BN is a proud media partner of theCOVID-19 into a diabetic owned comaand and when Grant wasissues, admitted diagnosed with and other underlying health locally by a management team that has been working in We value your feedback. Go to www.greaterblackGreater Blacktown Chamber of Commerce, the Blacktown More: page 6. to Blacktown each issuesFC.at the hospital.townnews.com.au Blacktown for almosthospital, 20 years. the pair were lost without to share your story.

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C VID

ISSUE 22 | May 2022

A GUIDE TO

Living with

Self-protection tips and strategies

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For the latest expert advice on living with COVID see our full magazine at: www. issuu.com/communitybroadcastnetwork/docs/lwc_magazine or click on the link at www.accessnews.com.au

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Senior's LivinG

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ISSUE 22 | May 2022

VAST UNTAPPED POTENTIAL

Working pensioners an election issue  DALLAS SHERRINGHAM KILLS starved Australia has a vast untapped workforce called ‘Pensioners’ who are itching to make more money as the cost of living skyrockets, With more than 50% of the population over 50, the senior vote will decide the May 24 Federal Election and millions of Pensioners keen to earn more money by staying in the workforce will decide who takes the reins in Canberra.

As it stands, a pensioner can earn up to $480 a fortnight before they are start losing 50% of their Pension.

This means only 14.2% of Australians 65 and over are in the workforce compared to 24.7% in the more liberal New Zealand.

National Seniors Australia said the Age Pension income test punished older Australians who need to work.

It is advocating the Government should exempt employment income from the income test for Pensioners with limited means.

“With key sectors such as home care, hospitality, agriculture and tourism struggling to attract and retain qualified staff, we need to tap Australia’s large resource of mature workers,” a NSA spokesperson said.

“However, for every $1 work income over $480 per fortnight, a Pensioners lose 50 cents of their fortnightly Pension, “With Pension income also taxable, many question why they should bother working.

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“The situation is acute among Pensioners with limited resources because they can only work one day per week without penalty.

“The present income test penalizes those with the most to gain from ongoing workforce participation.”

By comparison, in New Zealand,

Pensioners are not penalized for earning additional income. If Australia had a participation rate of over 65s similar to New Zealand, it would result in an additional 450,000 workers.

National Seniors have launched a petition and started a Fairness in Retirement campaign to let Pensioners work.

It would be particularly beneficial to women who are being left struggling by the death of a partner, divorce or inadequate superannuation. Being able to work provide social and emotional benefits from ongoing workforce engagement and removes having to deal with the struggling Centrelink.

The National Seniors spokesman said encouraging workforce participation would address workforce shortages and Pensioners earning additional income would pay additional income tax, offsetting additional Pension cuts.

For example, a fulltime working single pensioner who earns $75,000 in addition to their $25,000 Pension, would pay $25,000 in tax.

Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association police manager Paul Versteege said a review of social security payments was needed “It should have the aim of ensuring that social welfare recipients, for us importantly Aged Pensioners, don’t live below the poverty line.”

For businesses struggling to find staff, particularly in the skilled and hospitality sectors, the switch to a more progressive pension system would be a huge benefit.

Development

ISSUE 22 | May 2022

17

PHIVE during construction.

PARRAMATTA’S SIGNATURE BUILDING

PHIVE, a symbol of transformation YDNEY has the Opera House, Paris has the Eiffel Tower, New York has the Empire State Building, and soon Parramatta will have Phive.

With its vibrant red and orange roof now installed, the iconic new – and instantly recognisable – community, cultural and civic building in the heart of Parramatta’s CBD is rapidly taking shape and nearing completion.

Designed by a team led by internationally acclaimed and award-winning French architect Manuelle Gautraud, Phive (5 Parramatta Square) is Gautrand’s first Australian commission.

The $136M community facility joins her prestigious international designs including Citroën’s Flagship Showroom on the Champs-Elysées in Paris and Louis Vuitton Maison in Seoul, South Korea.

“Phive is the centrepiece of Parramatta Square’s $2.7B transformation – a landmark addition placing Parramatta on the world stage,” City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Cr Donna Davis said.

“It will be a state-of-the-art community and cultural centre for everyone to come together, chat, learn and be inspired.

“We were delighted to welcome Ms Gautrand to Parramatta earlier this month as our vision for Phive becomes reality. In a few short months, it will be unveiled as the pièce de résistance for our City and will represent and serve our vibrant and growing community.”

As part of its cutting-edge design, Phive boasts a unique smart mixed-mode ventilation system that allows its giant louvres to respond to weather conditions, including heat, wind and humidity. The

book-sorting machine, self-checkout kiosks and self-return library shelves alongside smart furniture with in-built power and data charging points for visitors.

More than 549 unique tessellated façade panels in five vibrant colours across the roof, along with a programmable digital lighting system, create a unique and striking building.

Phive will feature:

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Parramatta Lord Mayor, Donna Davis and a representative from Manuelle Gautraud architectural firm, Manuelle Gautraud with the PHIVE in the background.

louvres automatically open and fill the building with fresh air and natural light as needed.

Phive was designed by a team comprising Ms Gautrand’s French firm and Australian firms DesignInc and Lacoste+Stevenson, represented by Richard Does and Thierry Lacoste. The design won an international Design Excellence competition in 2016.

Ms Gautrand is internationally renowned for her exceptional designs and was the winner of the acclaimed 2017 European Prize for Architecture.

Constructed by Australian group Built, the building extends over the original, heritage-listed Parramatta Town Hall, creating a modern interface with Parramatta’s rich history. The building’s suite of smart tech features includes an automated library

• A world-class public library at the forefront of technology, offering an extensive book collection, digital resources, 24/7 book return facility and dedicated study areas; • Discovery Space and cultural heritage displays, and an Aboriginal Keeping Place for the storage and care of local Indigenous cultural objects; • Heritage research services providing community access to Council's cultural collection, archives and cultural heritage programs; • Ground-floor foyer (the 'Urban Living Room') with concierge, visitor information, Council customer services and a cafe, as well as spaces for live performances and cultural activities; • Community collaboration and creative spaces where the public can create, experiment, study, work, meet, exercise, play, and engage with purpose-built maker and wellness spaces; • New state-of-the-art City of Parramatta Council Chambers.

Phive is scheduled to open in mid2022.

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ISSUE 22 | May 2022

with COMMUNITY MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTRE

DIVERSE VOICES IN OUR NEWSFEED

Stories of multicultural Australia  PRISCELLA MABOR OMMUNITY Migrant Resource Centre’s CEO Melissa Monteiro sits as Chairperson of The Settlement Council of Australia ( SCOA ) the peak body for all settlement related programs across the country.

SCOA provides a cohesive voice and strategic guidance, across all programs involved with the resettlement of refugees and migrants into Australia.

SCOA recently launched the Stories of Multicultural Australia National Campaign.

Diversity across the media landscape is under the spotlight more than ever this year. When news breaks overseas or locally that involves any multicultural community, there is an imperative to provide coverage, insight, context and increasingly hourly content online.

But how much of that coverage involves the communities involved and how adequately are they trained and have the tools to navigate news cycles, media interviews and live coverage.

Ukraine is just one example where a humanitarian crisis on a large scale involves an immediate uptick in suddenly sourcing and interviewing week in and week out, members of the Ukranian community who balance media releases with late night zoom interviews.

I was lucky enough to talk to SCOA CEO, Sandra Wright. “Stories of Multicultural Australia is designed to train the next generation of diverse storytellers for media commentary, and to help them shape the conversation on multicultural affairs in news media. We decided to launch it on Harmony Day as a way to make a meaningful and practical contribution to multiculturalism and the elimination of racial discrimination on this day.”

When community members are approached for interviews, without prior training there can be wider impacts.

Sandra Wright.

“Engaging with media is tricky at the best of times. Without prior training for anyone, it can be difficult to craft a story, own the narrative, and understand the media landscape and norms. For

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people with experiences of marginalisation, and especially experiences of trauma, engagement in media around their experiences can also be re-traumatising.

“All of this can lead to migrant and refugee stories being misrepresented and told in ways that create distress to the individual. Training ensures individuals know how to steer the narrative so that they have agency over their story, and are prioritising their mental health needs.”

Farzana Farzana is CMRC’s Northern Region Program Manager and has volunteered for a number of years with ethno-specific associations supporting the Afghan Hazara community.

“With the recent humanitarian crisis in my own country, there has been many media requests to myself and the entire Afghan Hazara community. It is so important that migrant voices are heard and especially from women, who see things differently to men.

I get worried that an interview with a journalist will involve tricky questions, and maybe I cannot answer them or I will give a wrong answer or say the opposite of what I mean.”

Narayan Dhimal, CMRC’s Housing Officer, has worked closely within his Bhutanese Association for many years. Unlike Afghanistan, the Kingdom of Bhutan is a small country with a low profile, small population and one that gets immersed within the Subcontinent group of countries.

I was wondering how Narayan has navigated his own identify as a Bhutanese Australian in any interview he has had.

“Ever since I arrived to Australia in 2008, every single person asks- which part of India are you from. Some people even start speaking Hindi or Urdu to me.”

Narayan and his community are often pursuing media coverage, as they do not fit into the usual newsworthy category, outside of its strong record on the Gross Happiness Index and as the birthplace of monestries and temples.

“On occasion when SBS does contact us, we always direct the journalist to our Public Relations Officer of our Association and they make all decisions about the most appropriate person to conduct the interview.“ SCOA’s media training will commence this year, and many communities have expressed interest in registering.

Their campaign nicely dovetails with a number of related issues such as racism, social inclusion and national security concerns.

Sandra explains, “Having diverse representation in media stories, and national narratives that reflect the breadth and depth of perspectives in our population is an indication that we have a healthy multicultural society. The absence of it sounds a warning for social cohesion, racism and national security issues. All these issues have at their root the marginalisation and exclusion of groups of people.”

The next time you look at your newsfeed, switch on the TV or radio, please consider how many diverse views are you hearing from multicultural voices.

Diversity should never start and finish with SBS, all media outlets have a responsibility to present and hear the same multicultural voices as we see on our streets every day.

Priscella Mabor is Inclusion Strategy & Innovations Manager at the Community Migrant Resource Centre. www.cmrc.com.au

Community Migrant Resource Centre (CMRC) is a not-for-profit, charitable organisation established in 1996.

CMRC is a leader in the provision of specialised support services to newly arrived migrants, refugees and humanitarian entrants.

CMRC works within a community capacity building framework to encourage individuals and multicultural communities to identify and address their own issues.

It works in collaborative partnerships with a great number of agencies to provide services which have both an immediate and long term benefit for the community.

CMRC employs over 60 full time, part-time and casual multi-lingual staff.

Paramatta office Level 4, 1 Horwood Place Parramatta, NSW 2150 Ph: (02) 9687 9901 Monday – Friday: 9AM – 5PM

The Hills office

Community Hub Castle Towers Level 3, 6-14 Castle Street, Castle Hill, NSW 2154 Northern Region office

Shop 3030 Top Ryde City CNR Devlin And Blaxland Rd RYDE NSW 2112

FitnesS

ISSUE 22 | May 2022

19

REAL REASON YOU LOST WEIGHT

You engaged calorie deficit You started intermittent fasting.

 ADAM SIMPSON

You started eating food in a smaller time period throughout the day, which meant that you ate less food in total.

Which then put yourself in a calorie deficit.

T can be very easy to get caught up in the hype of a new diet or nutrition protocol.

There are confusing messages everywhere about why the next diet is the latest and greatest thing to solve your weight loss issue. However, there is no miracle.

There is only one way to lose weight and that is to be in a calorie deficit (burning more calories than you consume). In saying that, there are many “diets” or nutrition protocols that you can use to get into a calorie deficit.

I have my own personal views on better options, but in reality, the best diet is the one that you can actually stick to long term.

So, before you jump onto another fad diet.

Try to understand what the diet is doing to help you get into a calorie deficit and then ask yourself is this something you can do consistently for a long period of time.

Below are some common examples of diets / nutrition protocols that I often see people doing and the reason why that may lead to a result.

I

You replaced 1-2 meals per day with a meal replacement shake.

By replacing those meals, it meant that two meals were approximately 200-300 calories, which was less than what you were previously consuming. In turn, you put yourself in a calorie deficit.

You started doing “Keto”

You cut out bread, rice and pasta from your diet.

(Cutting Carbohydrates) You removed a large portion of things you over ate in your diet, therefore put yourself in a calorie deficit.

You quit chocolate and sugar.

You removed a large portion of things you over ate in your diet, therefore put yourself in a calorie deficit.

You quit alcohol.

You started taking a fat burner.

You removed a calorie dense beverage from your diet that you previously over consumed, therefore put yourself in a calorie deficit.

Eating bread, pasta, rice, chocolate, sugar and drinking alcohol didn't cause you to gain weight. Over consuming them did!

You started training and became more careful with what you were eating, therefore put yourself in a calorie deficit.

You did the 5:2 diet.

You started eating less 2 days per week, therefore put yourself in a calorie deficit.

You removed a large portion of things you over ate (carbohydrates) from your diet, followed a strict meal plan and were much more mindful of what you were eating. Which then put yourself into a calorie deficit.

I stated above there are many different ways to get yourself into a calorie deficit.

If you understand what each diet is trying to achieve and how it works. You can combine different aspects of each to make sure that you don’t overconsume on calories.

I hope this has been helpful, if you have any questions or need help devising a strategy that may work for you. Feel free to email me at adam@repetitionspt.com. au and I’ll be happy to help you out in any way I can.

Adam Simpson is lead trainer and founder at Repetitions Group fitness and Personal Training.

Visit: www.repetitionspt.com.au

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Crosswords/Games Solutions page 29

ISSUE 22 | May 2022

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Little jerks 5. Head downtown?

10. Help in a holdup 14. Balming target 15. Beyond partner 16. Screenplay direction 17. T-bone region 18. Medical research goals 19. Every family has one 20. Illuminated 23. Holiday follower?

24. Skiier's challenge 25. Unlike a litterbug 27. Palindromic windmill part 30. End of two state names 33. Scratch, say 36. Better copy?

38. Bahrain bread 39. Passed with ease 41. Genetic info carrier 42. Arboreal abode 43. Things to rattle 45. Fishtail, e.g.

47. Daydreamer's limit?

48. Fit to be fare 50. Killed, as a dragon 53. Tux accessory 54. Prepare for hanging 57. Wrestling area 59. Serving as a diplomat 64. Beer selections 66. Hindu grouping 67. Tat-tat intro 68. Folk facts 69. Pagoda roofing 70. Black cat, some think 71. It may come before "we forget" 72. Failed as a sentry 73. Bird's perch, perhaps

DOWN 1. Chaucer bit 2. They may be clicked on 3. Flu symptom 4. Grad-to-be 5. Bushwhacker's tool 6. Go to the edge of 7. The good olde days 8. Cooking place 9. Transmit anew 10. Back on a battleship 11. Crooners, often 12. Creation location 13. "High School Musical" extra 21. Main mail drop (abbr.)

22. Disconnected, as a phone line 26. Like siblings 28. Chances in Vegas 29. Roller Derby milieus 31. Checklist item 32. Pretentiously stylish 33. Attack deterrent 34. Military sch.

35. Enrolls 37. Barbary ape's lack 40. The red 44. Inner city concern 46. Most absurd 49. Official orders 51. Emotion of the miffed 52. Long and thin 55. Sight from Biscayne Bay 56. Gourmand 57. Shoppers' site 58. Ubiquitous lily relative 60. Place for some polish 61. "Cast Away" setting 62. Manual component 63. A driver may change one 65. Firm or fixed

ISSUE 22 | May 2022

CommenT with Geoff Lee MP

21

Next stop for light rail planning

Artist impressions of the Parramatta Light Rail.

ESTERN Sydney locals and stakeholders are invited to have their say on the Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2 preferred route and 15 stop locations from Camellia to Sydney Olympic Park, as the Business Case for the project nears completion.

Minister for Transport and Veterans David Elliott said the early engagement was part of the project’s ongoing planning work which feeds into the design, Environmental Impact Statement and Final Business Case.

“We want to ensure Stage 2 of the Parramatta Light Rail meets the transport needs of the rapidly growing and diverse residential, business and entertainment hub in Western Sydney,” Mr Elliott said.

Minister for Corrections and Member for Parramatta Geoff Lee said this was a key opportunity for the community to have their say.

“This process ensures community feedback is considered before the formal Environmental Impact Statement process occurs.

“Site investigation work, including the mapping of utilities such as water mains, electricity and gas, and geotechnical investigations begins Monday and will form part of the Final Business Case,” Mr Lee said.

The new map confirms the preferred Stage 2 route will travel south of the Parramatta River through Camellia, which will support up to 10,000 new homes and 14,500 jobs in the proposed Camellia-Rosehill Precinct, before crossing the river to Rydalmere.

Federal Candidate for Parramatta Maria Kovacic said this project will give the people of Western Sydney a voice to ensure the right connection was in place to support future residential and commercial growth opportunities, major attractions, and precincts.

“I encourage my local community to have their say as the final design will be based on feedback to ensure this fantastic project supports the growth of the Greater Parramatta and Olympic Peninsula,” Ms Kovacic said.

Stage 2 of the Parramatta Light Rail project will connect to the future Metro West and heavy rail in Parramatta and Sydney Olympic Park, and ferry services at Rydalmere and Wentworth Point.

The consultation period is open from Monday 2 May to Sunday 26 June 2022. Visit the Stage 2 Parramatta Light Rail Virtual Engagement Room to access the ‘Have your say’ survey.

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Read the digital edition of the Times anytime anywhere www.parramattatimes.com.au

GEOFF LEE Del ivering for 11 , 3

Geoff LEE MP

Member for Parramatta 02 9891 4722

parramatta@parliament.nsw.gov.au

Ground Floor, 96 George Street, Parramatta NSW 2150 Authorised by Geoff Lee MP, Ground Floor, 96 George Street, Parramatta NSW 2150. Funded using parliamentary entitlements.

TraveL

22

ISSUE 22 | May 2022

VIRGIN VOYAGES HEADS DOWN UNDER

With adults-only cruise format  DALLAS SHERRINGHAM IRGIN Voyages will bring its successful “adults only” cruise format to Australia in 2023.

The new cruise line is aimed at today’s sophisticated passengers-or Sailors- who enjoy combining adventure, relaxation and action during the day with a great night life.

Virgin Voyages is Richard Branson’s award-winning cruise line that hit the high seas in 2021 is now setting its sights on Australia and New Zealand, plans make its new home port in Melbourne in 2023.

Resilient Lady, the newest ship in Virgin Voyages’ four-ship fleet will be inviting Aussie adults to experience the glamor and unmatched service and experience synonymous with the Virgin brand.

Resilient Lady will make her way on a 44-night trans-continental voyage, giving Aussies the chance to sail the high seas from Athens to Sydney in style. After this epic journey home, the ship will arrive at Station Pier in Port Melbourne, Victoria.

Fellow Australian and Virgin Voyages’ President and Chief Experience Officer Nirmal Saverimuttu said: “Australia and New Zealand are without question the most beautiful countries in the world and we know that these destinations, paired with the Virgin Voyages experience, will make it the most incredible holiday for our clients.”

“The Virgin brand is known and adored by Australians and New Zealanders and we are committed to delivering a holiday experience you will love and memories that will last a lifetime.”

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Exclusively Adult Voyages Exclusively adult, the voyages will take a ‘superyacht style’ that have been imagined by a creative collective of the world’s most renowned interior designers and travel to destinations across Australia including Hobart and Burnie, along with Sydney.

New Zealand itineraries feature port stops in Picton, Napier, Tauranga, Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin.

Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson described it as an exciting milestone for the brand.

“Australia has a very special place in my heart and we can’t wait for Australians and New Zealanders to meet our Resilient Lady and experience all that she has to offer in true Virgin style,” Sir Richard said.

“For more than 50 years, Virgin companies have been innovating and making industries better for our customers. Virgin Voyages is very much charting its own path, offering a fresh perspective on cruise travel with all the elements of the Virgin experience that people love.”

Ranging from 2 to 14 nights with a mix of itineraries, Sailors will experi-

ence Michelin starred chef-driven culinary offerings at six signature restaurants and more than 14 other eateries (all included). HIIT and bungee classes are on offer as well as festival-style entertainment.

Resilient Lady will sail through Australia and New Zealand from December 11 2023 to March 27 2024. Reservations are now open, and Sailors can save up to 30% off voyage fares.

For bookings or for more information on the unique itineraries, go to www.VirginVoyages.com.

ABOUT VIRGIN VOYAGES Virgin Voyages is a new lifestyle travel brand focused on delivering irresistible cruise vacations. Scarlet Lady and Valiant Lady–the first and second ships in the fleet–were designed to reflect a yacht’s sleek luxury, offering the intimate, elevated experience of a boutique hotel at sea.

Featuring spaces designed by some of the top names in contemporary interiors, the Lady Ships are exclusively adult, a sanctuary at sea for the 18+ traveller.

A dose of Vitamin Sea is naturally intertwined across the entire ship, with

well-being, relaxation and rejuvenation at the forefront. The fleet sails to 100 of the world's most incredible destinations with 25+ unique itineraries across four continents.

Each sailing offers alluring entertainment and Michelin-inspired menus served across 20+ world-class eateries.

With a modern twist on luxury, coupled with discerning design, Virgin Voyages offers excellent value for its Sailors, including food, essential drinks, WiFi and group fitness classes, all covered in the voyage fare.

ISSUE 22 | May 2022

AutO

23

with JOHN MELLOR

Audi launches Q5 35 TDI variants theoretical range of over 1400km  MATT BROGAN UDI Australia has expanded its Q5 medium SUV range with the introduction of the ultra-efficient 35 TDI Limited Edition variant.

Priced from $68,350 (plus on-road costs), the new entry point to the Q5 range offers a theoretical single-tank driving range of over 1400km. What’s more, Audi Australia says that (also newly introduced) Sport Limited Edition variants offer a significant price advantage when compared with their Sport siblings, with some items – such as the panoramic sunroof and phone box light – omitted due to restricted availability.

The Sport Limited Edition variants do, however, receive a generous number of standard inclusions, such as 20-inch Audi Sport alloy wheels in a 10-Y-spoke design (35 TDI variants), privacy glass, as well as a colour LED interior ambient lighting package. The 21-inch Audi Sport 5-arm polygon design alloy wheels are available optionally from $1250.

The Q5 35 TDI Limited Edition, which can be considered a “launch version”, is powered by a mild-hybrid variant of its 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine (120kW/370Nm) thqt drives the Audi’s front wheels via a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The new variant is said to dispatch the 0-100km/h dash in 9.0 seconds. Importantly, its fuel consumption is rated at just 4.8 litres per 100km on the combined ADR 81/02 cycle.

Externally, the Q5 35 TDI Limited Edition features LED headlights, daytime running lights and taillights, as well as cornering and all-weather lights. Audi convenience key, electric tailgate with gesture control, heated side mirrors, heated washers, heated windscreen and aluminium-finish roof rails are also included.

Inside, the model benefits from leather-appointed upholstery, electrically adjust-

A

able front seats (with four-way lumbar support), leather-trimmed multifunction steering wheel (with shift paddles and hands-on detection), tri-zone climate control, an auto-dimming frameless rear-view mirror, 40:20:40 split-fold rear seats and floor mats front and rear.

On the infotainment front, the Q5 35 TDI is equipped with a 7.0-inch high-resolution instrument display, Audi’s 10.1-inch MMI navigation plus system with Audi connect plus, Apple CarPlay (wireless) and Android Auto (wired) connectivity, digital

radio reception (DAB+), an eight-speaker/100W audio system, and dual USB outlets front and rear.

Like all Q5 variants, the 35 TDI features numerous standard safety and driver-assistance technologies, such as Audi pre sense city with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) including pedestrian detection, Audi pre sense rear and -basic, active land assist and lane change (blind spot) warning, exit warning, rear cross-traffic assist, cruise control with speed-limiter function, high-beam assist, Audi parking system plus with rear camera, hold assist, hill descent control, tyre-pressure sensors, Audi drive select and eight airbags.

Like all Audi vehicles, the Q5 35 TDI is backed by a five-year warranty. Five-year

service plans are available for purchase at any time during the first 12 months of ownership and are priced from $3140.

“The Q5 35 TDI offers a new entry point to our most popular SUV model, the iconic Audi Q5,” said Audi Australia general manager of marketing, Nick Reid.

“With the introduction of this model and the curation of our two Sport Limited Edition models, we are ensuring that we are bringing the most attractive vehicles possible to the premium market at this time.

“Beyond the current Limited Edition offer, we expect that the 35 TDI model will occupy a permanent position in the Q5 range.”

The new Q5 35 TDI Limited Edition and Q5 Sport Limited Edition variants are available from Audi dealers now.

2022 Audi Q5 pricing*: 35 TDI Limited Edition (a) 40 TDI quattro S tronic (a) 45 TFSI quattro S tronic (a) 40 TDI Sport Limited Edition (a) 40 TDI quattro S tronic Sport (a) 45 TFSI Sport Limited Edition (a) 45 TFSI quattro S tronic Sport (a) 50 TDI quattro tiptronic S-line (a) SQ5 3.0 TDI quattro (a)

$68,350 (new variant) $72,700 $73,800 $77,600 (new variant) $78,700 $79,400 (new variant) $80,800 $94,900 $110,400

2022 Audi Q5 Sportback pricing*: 40 TDI quattro S line (a) 45 TFSI quattro S line (a) SQ5 3.0 TDI quattro (a)

$82,800 $90,800 $116,400 *Pricing excludes on-road costs.

FilM

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ISSUE 22 | May 2022

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – 3 Stars An underwhelming and largely unambitious take on the multiverse, that throws opts for jump scares and cameos rather than character development and fresh takes.

TTENDING the wedding of his former flame Christine (Rachel McAdams), Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is wrenched into an inter-dimensional conflict when he has to save America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) from a being sent to steal her power.

You see, Chavez can travel the multiverse at will, and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) wants that power for herself to travel to a universe in which her children are alive. While Strange, Wong (Benedict Wong) and others try and stop her in our universe, they are all no match for her witchcraft, ultimately leading to Chavez and Strange making a journey across universes to find a mystical book of power, encountering multiple Doctor Strange’s along the way, as well as a few surprises.

Directed by Sam Raimi, Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness is a frustratingly unambitious and empty sequel to the most mind-bending hero in Marvel’s pantheon. Frustrating because the first Doctor Strange film was so inventive, exciting and visually spectacular.

Here, we’re thrown straight into the action, with Chavez and a pony-tailed Strange in another universe fighting some crazy CGI monster, which is followed by (a) a wedding of a character the Strange in our minds has long outgrown and (b) yet another CGI hurl-fest on the streets of New York.

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After a quick exposition dump, Strange is off to visit Wanda, who pretty much immediately reveals she is behind it all. Then rapidly to the himalayas, for more undefined magic battles, before we jet across the multiverse with our leading duo as they hunt for a solution.

The first half to two-thirds of this movie are paint-by-numbers Marvel; just jumps between big CGI fight scenes with no excitement, involvement or agency. It’s the sort of montage-y filler that makes you detest the formulaic superhero film, and long for greater creativity.

That said, the back half to one-third of the picture provide some highlights that are exciting, fresh and new. We get introduced to the Illuminati, an Avengers-style

peacekeeping force from another universe, that includes some exciting, crowd pleasing surprises. We get a brutal fight between the Illuminati and Scarlet Witch (albeit, one heavily reminiscent of one done better in the tv show Invincible). Most impressive is a mystical fight between two Strange’s, with weaponised music notes matching a harmonic battle in our eardrums. It’s the sort of inventive action the first Strange film introduced into the universe, and brings a welcome sense of relief–here is the creativity, mind-boggling action we expected!

Raimi exerts his horror loving presence increasingly throughout the runtime of the film, with the number of scary creatures, demonic possessions and jump scares

increasing as the piece goes forward. The issue is that everything in this movie, aside from one brief fight sequence, feels like a check box exercise.

Scarlet Witch popping out from the darkness with overlayed Wilhelm scream?

Check. Bad ass line delivered by McAdams with barely any explanation, build up or payoff ? Check. Endless on the nose dialogue that makes no sense but sounds good, like “We’re going to save America”? Check.

By the end of the film, you just feel exhausted; exhausted by the endless exercise in bar-clearing that this film is. At some point, this formulaic approach to movie making has to be stopped. Sure, Raimi adds some of his scares, but because they are so shoehorned into this formula, they too feel cliche and formulaic.

They should have used Chavez’s multiverse travelling powers to find a universe where this sequel was actually interesting, rather than a hodgepodge of done before, and done before better, ideas.

Ultimately, this is a film that will have you leaving the cinema longing for a less disappointing Doctor Strange; one that isn’t quite so exhaustingly, frustratingly boring.

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

The Northman – 4 Stars A haunting, homoerotic Shakespearean tragedy couched in the Viking era, that is as bloody as it is weird, beautiful and engaging.

HEN King Aurvandil (Ethan Hawke) is brutally murdered by his brother Fjolnir (Claes Bang) in a play for his kingdom, the young Prince Amleth (Oscar Novak as the young version, Alexander Skarsgard as the older) flees for his life.

His mother Gudrun (Nicole Kidman) and usurper-uncle believe he is dead, and indeed he grows up letting them believe that; becoming a fearsome, mammoth warrior for another clan under an assumed identity. When he takes a village in the Birch Forest, however, a vision of a Seeress compels him to track down Fjolnir, and extract his revenge.

Along for the ride is Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy), a young woman from the village whose allyship with Amleth eventually turns to love.

Directed by Robert Eggers, of The Lighthouse fame, The Northman sees another truly unique vision realized, albeit now with added budgetary boons.

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As a story, this closely mimics some of the plot threads of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, with a usurper uncle and an all-consuming desire for revenge from the wronged heir (indeed, Amleth sounds quite a bit like Hamlet when spoken in the film).

However, there’s just enough difference to make this feel unique, and to throw you off the scent a little bit.

Eggers vision is beautifully and wondrously weird at times, with gorgeous sequences showing off classic visual elements of Norse mythology.

It can get odd, strange and confronting, and sequences where Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe bark rabidly at the younger Amleth, or where an old seer speaks through the skull of Dafoe’s court jester make you recoil almost as much as the most violent, bloody scenes in the film.

Nevertheless, it’s this sense of out there visual identity, a sort of swing-for-the-fences mentality, that defines Eggers work, and this film; no punches are pulled, and that’s a good thing.

Skarsgard and Taylor-Joy are both endlessly watchable, with roles in this piece that give them a great deal of range to play with. Skarsgard’s hulking physique, and his switch between fearless warrior, ragefilled revengaholic, besotted man, and the mewling whimpering son of a spurning mother is effortless, and beautiful to behold. Taylor-Joy has less screen time, but makes an indelible impact, whether she is the conniving spy in Fjolnir’s camp or

the heartbroken mother-to-be on a ship to England.

The supporting cast is uniformly strong, with Claes Bang making a particularly stoic, regal impression as Fjolnir.

The Northman is the sort of swords and sandals epic we need for our time, and it’s interesting to reflect on the glut of quality historical content we’ve had access to of late. Between The Tragedy of Macbeth, The Green Knight and this film, one thing is clear; films of this ilk need space to breathe, need latitude to take mammoth creative leaps, need a clear tone, and most of all need to look breathtakingly beautiful and strange.

The Northman is no different, and its’ gorgeous use of sets, both natural and manmade, is only one of the reasons you should seek this piece out.

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

ISSUE 22 | May 2022

EntertainmenT

25

LIGHTS ON FOR LATE-NIGHT CULTURE

Funding for local experiences ARRAMATTA residents and visitors are set for spectacular nights out, as eight Western Sydney arts and culture organisations keep their lights on – and the entertainment flowing with a series of late-night programs and events.

The NSW Government has committed over $1M to expand the Culture Up Late initiative to Western Sydney and support eight local arts and cultural organisations to keep their doors open late.

Minister for Tourism and Sport and Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said broadening the scope of this program is a key priority of the NSW Government to boost the revitalisation of the state’s economy.

“Western Sydney has some of the most iconic and state-of-the-art cultural venues in the world and we want to make them as accessible as possible,” Mr Ayres said.

“Keeping their doors open later will let more people engage with art and culture when and how they want. It will also create more jobs and attract visitors keen to enjoy the best our city and state has to offer.”

Minister for the Arts Ben Franklin said that Western Sydney is home to an innovative and vibrant arts and culture sector, and the expansion of the initiative will see that local businesses, visitors, and residents benefit from an increase in arts and cultural experiences.

“We know arts and culture are key economic drivers for NSW and this targeted support for Western Sydney’s cultural institutions will go a long way in helping bring our CBDs back to life and encouraging people to spend a fun and safe night out and about with their friends and families,” Mr Franklin said.

“Culture Up Late: Western Sydney gives locals and visitors more opportunities to enjoy all that our wonderful arts and cultural organisations have to offer, from exhibitions, to events, live music, food trucks and film screenings. There really is something for everyone.”

NSW 24-Hour Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues said: “The initiative delivers on the NSW Government's 24-Hour Economy commitment to extend and promote opening hours for cultural institutions.

“Trialling late opening of cultural venues offers Sydneysiders and visitors alike a more diverse night-time offering,” Mr Rodrigues said.

“It is so encouraging to see this initiative now expanding across Greater Sydney, following success at our much-loved institutions in inner Sydney.”

Bankstown Arts Centre, Blacktown Arts, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Casula Powerhouse, Granville Arts Centre, Penrith Performing and Visual Arts, City of Parramatta Council, and Rouse Hill Estate are participating in Culture Up Late: Western Sydney.

Check participating organisations’ websites for individual hours and specific programming. Culture Up Late: Western Sydney will run until June 2022 and is one of the many NSW Government CBD revitalisation initiatives designed to support businesses, jobs and boost Sydney’s cultural life.

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Parramatta night life has much to offer.

Mental Health

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ISSUE 22 | May 2022

BETTER MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

The POWER of good sleep  MINDSET | MARCUS WHEAN E always hear that you “gotta get your 8 hours of sleep”. But in actual fact, what we have to get, is the right amount of sleep for us to feel rested, alert and focussed.

The eight hours thing comes from medical marketing in the USA in the 1980’s. Yes, it’s true that most of us need around eight hours sleep, but it’s unhelpful to think it’s the be-all and end-all.

It's about quality not quantity. Quality sleep is integral to health. Our bodies can fail and even die sooner from lack of sleep than from lack of food and water. It would seem sleep is pretty important. It is also a huge predictor and precipitant to mental ill-health.

We know that stress and depression can be both caused by, and worsened by, poor sleep. Sleep quality is a big indicator and symptom of stress. Stress impacts sleep.

Impacted sleep can lead to mental and physical health conditions.

With sleep being such an important part of good overall health, why is it that so many of us struggle with it? I for one have struggled with my sleep at times. It can also be so confusing and frustrating to have sleep difficulties especially if and when we are leading busy lives and end up tired – we go to bed feeling tired yet hit the pillow and our minds decide it’s time to think on

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overdrive and try-as-we-might, sleep just ain’t happening.

Here’s some points to understand about sleep and some tips to help. This is what I follow and what I suggest with my clients.

Firstly, we sleep in phases; usually around 75-90 minutes in length and there are different phases over the course of normal sleep period.

Basically, more REM sleep then more deep sleep. Deep sleep is where the most restful gains are made but REM is also important.

So, ideally we want to have at least around five phases, which is equal to around 6.25 to 7.5 hours sleep minimum.

We can gauge how good the sleep has been by our alertness, energy and focus levels.

Also, there’s two main sleeper types – morning types and evening types. This means where are you most alert/awake? In the morning and thus likely to sleep and wake earlier.

Or in the evening and feel more alert and active in the afternoon/evening and go to bed later. The challenge we have is matching our body’s clocks with our social clocks EG work and school start times.

If you need to align your body with your social clock, then it’s best to reset it from the time you want to wake up. It usually doesn’t help or work to try and go to sleep earlier just to get your 8 hours so you can be up earlier.

Go to bed when you normally do or nat-

urally fall asleep and get up at the desired time. You may be tired for the first few days or weeks, but your body clock will reset in time. You must also be consistent with your sleep onset and wake up times. If you like a sleep-in on the weekends try not to sleep in or stay up later than 1-2 hours past your normal time.

If you stay up or wake up past 2 hours from your normal time you run the risk of resetting your body clock and have sleep difficulties.

Here's some good simple practices to follow to help ensure regular restful sleep: 1. Only go to bed/sleep when you feel ‘sleepy’ i.e. like you could sleep.

Don’t go to bed because you think you ‘should’ – because you gotta get your eight hours.

2. Don’t be in bed longer than half an hour if not asleep. Get up, do something relaxing or quiet like listen to quiet music, journal, or read a book. Then retry once you feel sleepy.

3. Bed is for sleeping not for phones, worrying, thinking and not sleeping. We don’t want to develop a negative association with bed and not being asleep.

4. When you want to go to bed and feel sleepy, start to calm and relax – setup a sleep routine. TV off,

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6.

7.

8.

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phone away, darken your house and room.

Do a bit of journaling before bed to dump your thoughts getting them out of your head.

Listen to relaxing music, do a meditation before bed.

Try not to maintain these old beliefs about getting eight hours.

Listen to your body and tune into what you need as a minimum in terms of hours and what works best in terms of sleep onset and wakeup times.

Keep your bedroom dark, no phones, lights or even clocks. If you wake prematurely try not to check phones and time as these can trigger mild stress reactions.

Keep fluids and food intake to a minimum at least an hour before bed to prevent unnecessary waking to use the toilet.

If problem persists see your GP and ask their advice or make an appointment to see a psychologist with experience with sleep disorders.

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

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attA ParTrIaMmE S NEWS D LOCAL

TRUSTE

| MAY 2022 ISSUE 22

ELECTION COVERAGE:of Round up s for candidate a: 10 Parramatt

Hotel experience at new hospital: 3

Flexible houys a farce for dads: 4

TOWN N I A C R A B rramatta mes to Pa per club co Soccer su Emerton nd Brett “future eroos lege unleash tta! Socc elona will A-Leagues All Parrama b FC Barc ET ready super-clu take on the ay May 25. says La Liga rstars” when they , Wednesd supe night only football , for one Stadium at Accor

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ISSUE 22 | May 2022

Technical solutions via zoom, and ready when you need it.

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ENTERTAINMENT MAMMA Mia! It's coming to Parramatta Riverside: 25

TECHNOLOGY The new local Zombie app that's combating youth anxiety: 8

| FEBR ISSUE 19

Davis Lord Mayor Donna CEO Brett Newman, Mayor Sameer Pandey. and deputy Lord

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The iron road to Parramatta and the bushranger threat: 15

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LABOR WAVE

women on Council Record number of sed as elected unoppo Donna Davis was , another Labor ABOR councillor tta. Sameer Pandey of deputy Lord Mayor of Parrama unopposed to the position s council elected councillor, was served on the previou councillors had Lord Mayor. Both

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ISSUE 22 | May 2022

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIIsgpnCck4

ISSUE 22 | May 2022

Games Solutions

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TrendS

WEST CRAZY OVER ONLINE SHOPPING

We’re staying home to buy  DALLAS SHERRINGHAM HE home shopping fans in Western Sydney are expected to become the nation’s leading online buyers soon.

Parcel delivery volumes are a good barometer of online shopping volumes and several suburbs in the west are tipped to lead the growth in deliveries.

North Kellyville 185%, Edmondson Park 95%, Leppington 85%, Denham Court 81%, Gregory Hills 81% and The Ponds 79% are all in the national top 10 for predicted growth.

The figures were released by leading delivery service CP and reflect the way the pandemic and lockdowns have dramatically changed the shopping experience in the west.

CP delivers more than 20 million parcels a year to online shoppers throughout Australia for retailers such as Myer, Target and Forever New.

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Since early 2020, CP experienced a continuing growth in parcel volumes and in the 2021 December quarter, CP received 30% more parcels than in the 2020 December quarter.

CP’s Chief Transformation Officer Jessica Ip released the figures recently.

“Even with Australia relaxing pandemic restrictions, our own volumes indicate that, for many, online shopping was a behavior formed during restrictions and will remain.”

Top suburbs named “Research shows that in 2021, 68% of Australians shopped online for non-essentials. Even after the pandemic, 50% plan to use online as their main shopping channel, up from 32% pre-pandemic, while 50% intend to shop in-store, down from 68% pre-pandemic,” Jessica said.

The top 10 suburbs for online shopping in Australia in 2021 were mostly from

Melbourne, but will change dramatically this year Based on 2021 parcel delivery volumes, Jessica was able to forecast this year’s top 10 suburbs for online goods purchases.

“With Melbourne living through 109 days of lockdown in 2021, it’s no surprise that its suburbs made up eight of the top 10.”

“Interestingly, Western Sydney suburbs dominate the 10 highest growth areas for online shopping, where parcel volumes have soared by up to 200% in the last year.

“CP forecasts that online shopping growth from these suburbs will continue to dominate other suburbs.

“The demographics that dominate the list are high-income earners, aspirational and many of these suburbs have new estates and large houses.”

She said the weekly household income in suburbs such as North Kellyville,

Edmondson Park, Gregory Hills and The Ponds, well exceeded Australia’s median household income of $1438.

“Most of the suburbs represented in these rankings are in NSW and Victoria, which experienced restrictions and lockdowns for at least half of 2021.”

The 10 Australian suburbs that will see the biggest growth in online shopping.

1. Clyde North (3978) (200% increase in volumes) 2. North Kellyville (2155) (185% increase) 3. Fountain Gate (3805) (184%) 4. Eastgardens (2036) (146%) 5. Belconnen (2617) (99%) 6. Edmondson Park (2174) (95%) 7. Leppington (2179) (87%) 8. Denham Court (2565) (81%) 9. Gregory Hills (2557) (81%) 10. The Ponds (2769) (79%)

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ISSUE 22 | May 2022

SUPERCLUB FC BARCELONA COMES TO TOWN

Future superstars unleashed ET ready Parramatta! Socceroos legend Brett Emerton says La Liga super-club FC Barcelona will unleash “future football superstars” when they take on the A-Leagues All Stars at Accor Stadium, for one night only, Wednesday May 25.

Emerton said that not only is Barcelona’s first time visit historic it’s also a “fantastic opportunity” for the football community in Sydney and the whole of Australia to witness one of the world’s best teams live in action.

Emerton, a former Marconi Stallion who captained Sydney FC in the inaugural Sydney derby with Western Sydney Wanderers in 2012 at Parramatta Stadium, said FC Barcelona’s next generation of players – including emerging stars Pedri, Puig, Fati and Nico Gonzalez–are “some of the most exciting young footballers in the world”.

“I’m really excited to see Barcelona come here. Their achievements are outstanding and they've produced some of the best players in the world. So not only will we see Barca’s established stars, we're going to see players who will be watched for many years to come,” Emerton said.

Barcelona will be heading Down Under after a hard-fought season in Spain, but Emerton believes the All Stars will have their work cut out to contain the Spanish giants.

“I think Barcelona will have too much quality. I know they're at the end of their season, but as professional footballers you always want to win so they will come here to play, and play well, and get the result,” Emerton said.

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In a coup for the home side, however, Emerton’s former team-mate at Blackburn Rovers, Dwight Yorke, has been named Head Coach of the A-Leagues All Stars.

Yorke was the A-League’s original superstar, playing a key role in the competition’s launch in 2005 when he signed for

glamour club Sydney FC. Fifteen years after his final A-League appearance – when he won the Joe Marston Medal for player of the match in the 2006 grand final–Yorke is excited to again be involved in football Down Under.

“I loved playing in the A-League at its

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inception and cannot wait to be back in front of the fans in Sydney,” Yorke said.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase some of the A-League’s best men’s talent against one of the world’s biggest Continued on page 31

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ISSUE 22 | May 2022

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Super team FC Barcelona.

Continued from page 30 clubs and it is an honour to be welcomed back to Australia for this role.”

Emerton said that having played in Australia himself, Yorke understands Australian football’s elite players.

“I couldn't think of anyone better suited to manage the team. He brings a wealth of experience; the players can learn a lot from him. As a footballer he was very intelligent and I know that as a team-mate I learned a lot from him,” Emerton said.

Football fans heading to the Barca blockbuster have kicked an early goal with Transport for NSW confirming that all match tickets will include travel on public transport to and from Accor Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park.

Jordan Kerry, Business Development Manager for VenuesLive, advised that tickets are selling fast.

”There’s been an overwhelmingly positive response to the Barca in Sydney game and a big crowd is guaranteed on May 25.

“The majority of remaining tickets are priced to attract families and keen followers of the game. It was our intention to keep this game as affordable as possible and over 60 per cent of all remaining tickets are priced under $79 with tickets starting from just $29,” Kerry said.

Kick-off is scheduled for 8pm. Prematch entertainment begins at 7:15pm.

For a premium game-day experience fans should plan their trip, get moving early and leave plenty of time for getting into Accor Stadium. Fans can plan their trip using the Transport for NSW Trip Planner.

Tickets and event information at www. barcainsydney.com.au.

Registration of Interest Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessment Parramatta Park Trust (Level 7,10 Valentine Ave, Parramatta NSW 2150, (02) 9895 7500) is undertaking Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessments for proposed developments in Parramatta Park, Pitt & Macquarie Sts, Parramatta (Lot 7054 DP1074335 & Crown Plan 80-3000). The proposed developments comprise installation of irrigation systems in the East Paddocks Precinct and in Old Kings Oval. These works may result in applications for Aboriginal Heritage Impact Permits (AHIP) under s90 of the National Parks & Wildlife Act 1974. The purpose of community consultation with Aboriginal people is to assist the proposed applicant in the preparation of an AHIP application and to assist the Secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet in their consideration and determination of the application.

We are inviting Aboriginal people who hold cultural knowledge relevant to the determining the significance of Aboriginal object(s) and/or place(s) in the area of the proposed development to register an interest in the project. If you would like to register your interest, please provide name of group/individual, nominated contact person and contact details. We are required to provide details of all Registered Aboriginal Parties to Heritage NSW and the Local Aboriginal Land Council, unless otherwise advised. Please advise us in writing in you do not wish your details to be released.

If you would like to register your interest in this project, please respond by 20th May 2022. Registrations can be sent to C/O Coast History & Heritage, 15/1112 McEvoy Street, Alexandria NSW 2015 or admin@coasthistory.com.au. For any inquiries call 1800 450 995.

SUCCESSFUL BLOOD DONATION Drive in Australia

Due to the ongoing pandemic, there has been a shortage of blood supply on a global level. With this in mind, Dr. Shri Nanasaheb DharPDGKLNDUL 3UDWKLVWKDQ 1RQ 3UR¿W Organisation) Revdanda, India organised a successful blood donation drive in Australia through “Australian Red Cross” Centres in two cities– Sydney and Melbourne. In Sydney, the campaign ran over a week from March 27 to April 3, 2022 which received overwhelming response from local residents. Parramatta, NSW Deputy Mayor–Sameer Pandey graced the occasion with his presence at Parramatta Centre in Sydney

on March 27. Total 64 donors donated blood and /or plasma and 192 lives save. The Prathisthan (Foundation) organised this drive with a view to create social awareness amongst people to play their part in giving back to the community and serve the mission of Humanity.

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ISSUE 22 | May 2022

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