Westernnews 13april2018

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Western News PROUDLY INDEPENDENT

Friday, 13 April 2018

ISSUE 57

Check out our website www.wsnewsgroup.com

Honouring the brave Former Honorary Colonel of 1 Commando Regiment, the Hon Peter Collins OA QC at a previous Anzac Day ceremony in St Marys Read more in our Anzac Tribute inside.

Western News 13 April 2018 Issue 57

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Western News

Local politics gets heated over city deal

By Keegan Thomson

L

iberal Councillor Jess Diaz has challenged the Labor Party in Blacktown to step up and represent the region after Blacktown was left out of the Western Sydney City Deal (WSCD) but Labor Mayor and MP of Blacktown, Cr Stephen Bali says he is still fighting for the city.

In a statement to the media Cr Diaz has accused local representatives of the Labor Party of neglecting the people of Blacktown after the Council was left out of the WSCD. Cr Diaz says the “endless campaign” against an airport at Badgerys Creek was the tipping point that left Blacktown out of discussions with the federal and state governments.

“How can the state or the federal government bring Blacktown into the discussion table when local Labor, instead of pursuing the best interest of the majority, played politics with a “No Airport” campaign?” Cr Diaz said.

According to Cr Diaz local Labor politicians decided to bend to the will of small sections of voters in Blacktown while ignoring the good of the majority.

“Major initiatives and projects would always attract concerns and objections from sections of the community,” Cr Diaz said.

“In the name of representing the interest of sections of the community, Labor politicians forgot the general goodwill and the interest of the majority in pursuit of votes.”

› Free tennis

Blacktown Tennis Centre Stanhope is offering more holiday fun with their free Tennis Open Day on Sunday 22 April.

Bounce into the Tennis Centre between 9am and 5pm to enjoy free all day court hire. The day will also include free coaching between 9am and 12pm.

For further information on any of the above programs or to book please contact the appropriate centre or visit www.blacktown. nsw.gov.au

Cr Jess Diaz. Photo: Blacktown Council

Rejecting these claims outright Cr Stephen Bali, MP and Mayor of Blacktown, said Cr Diaz was “out of touch” with what the community was saying.

“Blacktown being left out of the WSCD has nothing to do with the airport protests,” Cr Bali said.

“Blue Mountains City Council has always

protested the airport and yet they’ve been included in the city deal.

“I’ve spoken to the Premier and the Minister for Infrastructure about why we’re not in it and it all falls to the Greater Sydney Commission,” he said.

The Greater Sydney Commission is a body set up to plan and organise Sydney’s growth across the coming decades. According to the Greater Sydney Commission Blacktown is now a part of Central Sydney, a city which includes Parramatta, the Hills Shire and Cumberland Council. The WSCD does not include these areas.

The Mayor of Blacktown said he is working with the Mayors of Parramatta, the Hills and Cumberland to try to leverage their own Central Sydney City Deal.

“I’ll welcome any discussions with anyone who wants to talk about a Central Sydney City Deal,” Cr Bali said.

“We’ve had a few fruitful discussions with the government and we’ve even been able to put forward our position to the Minister for Infrastructure and we’re very grateful to everyone who has been working with us.

“To make western Sydney successful you need a wholistic dialogue. The slicing and dicing of the infrastructure and development is not going to work so we need everyone in on the table,” he said.

In terms of Blacktown Council’s seat at the negotiating table on the WSCD, a spokesperson for the federal Minister for Infrastructure said Blacktown will be a part of a “planning partnership” with the city deal and the Council.

Blacktown students receive scholarships

F

ive students from across Blacktown have been awarded prestigious Jim Anderson Scholarships.

Blacktown City Mayor Stephen Bali MP said the scholarships named after the former Mayor of Blacktown City Council (1991 – 1995) are a fitting tribute to a man who gave many years’ service to the Blacktown community.

“The $5,000 scholarships will go a long way in assisting the students to meet the cost of full-time study,” Mayor Bali said.

“We’re pleased to know the NSW Department of Education is continuing

to provide funds for the Jim Anderson Scholarship.

“Blacktown City Council supports and values the education of our youth and future leaders.

“Education enables individuals to expand their knowledge, develop practical skills and experience, and increase their understanding of the world and society at large.”

Former students, Amanda Singh (Colyton High School), Muhammad Ghazanfar (St Marys Senior High School), Shawn Micallef (Wyndham College), Amilda Kasper (Rooty Hill High School) and Shweeta Naidu

(Chifley College Senior Campus) were awarded scholarships.

Shawn Micallef, Muhammad Ghazanfar, Mrs Kathleen Anderson, Amilda Kasper, Shweeta Naidu, Amanda Singh.

Deputy Mayor, Councillor Tony Bleasdale, Prue Car MP (Member for Londonderry), Shawn Micallef, Muhammad Ghazanfar, Mrs Kathleen Anderson, Amilda Kasper, Shweeta Naidu, Amanda Singh, Mrs Deb Summerhayes (Director Public Schools Education Penrith Network), Emma Husar MP (Member for Lindsay).

Western News

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asy Go Connect has received a donation from Riverstone Neighbourhood Centre to provide medical transport for local cancer patients.

EGC says a lack of funding for critical transport services for cancer patients has led to a partnership between Easy Go Connect and Riverstone Neighbourhood Centre.

Easy Go Connect, formerly known as Blacktown Community Transport, will use the $5,626 grant to transport cancer patients to receive life-saving treatment.

Fundraising by Riverstone locals

through the Riverstone Neighbour Centre has addressed the need to help cancer patients get to essential treatment appointments.

“This $5,626 is crucial to help people in the Riverstone area get to life-saving medical treatment,” Riverstone Neighbour Centre, Centre Manager, Angela Van Dyke said.

“Funding for this kind of transport is difficult to come by and we are glad that Easy Go Connect can provide this transport for our locals” Riverstone Neighbourhood Centre looked to Easy Go Connect to provide the transport service because they knew

they could get the job done. Unlike some other community transport organisations Easy Go Connect are not funded by the Department of Health to provide this type of transport, however in 2017 EGC provided 11029 patient transports to medical appointments and of those, 163 patient transports were specifically to oncology treatments. EGC does not specifically track other trips that might be pre- or post-treatment but are cancer treatment related.

Easy Go Connect, CEO, Ben Jackson said the number would likely be even higher.

Western News 13 April 2018 Issue 57

Donation will help local cancer patients

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“The number of cancer treatment related transports is likely to be much larger than the statistics tell us, because they are hidden in the stats for more general medical treatment,” he said.

“Easy Go Connect has no unmet demand for this type of transport either,” Mr Jackson said, “Everyone that has applied for help in this type of transport has received their trip”.

Riverstone Neighbourhood Centre and Easy Go Connect are delighted to have this valuable donation from local Riverstone residents to help local cancer patients.

Prue Car MP Member for Londonderry

Ph: 9833 1122 154 Queen Street, St Marys londonderry@parliament.nsw.gov.au

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Prospect

From the Editor’s Desk

By KeRRIE DAVIES

THIS month it’s time to salute our Anzac heroes who fought for our freedom, those who have fought in all other theatres of war and those who even today, are risking their lives for it.

It’s hard to imagine a greater sacrifice than to put your life on the line for your country.

It’s hard to imagine being the parent, spouse, sibling or child of someone who has made that sacrifice and lost their life in the process, or been wounded or left with emotional scars from battle.

Forego your sleep-in this Anzac Day and attend the Dawn Service at either Penrith or St Marys and let’s show our defence forces past and present that we can make a small sacrifice in order to show our appreciation for their enormous one.

Purchase a Legacy badge and anything else that is on offer - it all goes to helping those who gave up their freedom to ensure ours was protected.

I’ll be spending Anzac Day in the traditional way - Dawn Service, free brekkie at the RSL followed by a few beers and some two-up.

It doesn’t get much more dink-di than that, in fact I believe Anzac Day represents the most trueblue Aussie day on the calendar.

But between the beers and bets I’ll make sure I get a chance to seek out those proudly displaying their medals - for a chat, a pat on the back and buy them a beer if they feel inclined.

There’s no greater country in the world than Australia - and no better lifestyle than the Australian way - and our armed forces past and present are the greatest example of the Aussie mateship, courage and self-sacrifice that has made this country the envy of the world.

Lets celebrate our unique Aussie culture, maintain pride in our country and salute those responsible for it all this Anzac Day. Lest We Forget.

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lacktown has become the first NSW community to gain international accreditation as a “Safe Community”.

“Designation as a “Safe Community” by the Pan Pacific Safe Communities Network does not mean our community is free of crime and risk,” said Blacktown City Mayor, Stephen Bali MP. “It does mean Blacktown has the right systems and processes in place to address safety issues,” he said.

“For example, according to the latest Crime Statistics (December 2017), of the 14 most common crimes reported over the last five years, six were stable, five decreased and three increased.

“It is comforting that, in that time our population increased by around 30,000 people, the majority are in the “no change or decrease” category.

“The increases highlight that more work needs to be done across all levels of the community and Blacktown City Council will keep liaising with community organisations, government agencies and the police to create a safer city.”

The Pan Pacific Safe Communities Network (PPSCN) has accredited Blacktown as a “safe community”, in recognition of its many policies, strategies and community building initiatives, Mayor Bali said.

“There are another eight accredited communities in Australia and more nearly 100 more in New Zealand, the United States of America, and Canada.

“Today our message is clear,” he said: “Blacktown City Council is committed to working with the police and community groups to help create a safer city.

“Public safety is a state issue, and we look to the NSW Police service to control crime; but that does not mean local councils should simply say; ‘it’s someone else’s responsibility’,” he said.

“This accreditation shows that the strategies and policies implemented

by Blacktown City Council and its project partners to address community safety have been internationally recognised as being useful, successful, practical and worthwhile”.

David Bamford, Community Safety Committee, Mayor Stephen Bali MP, Meegan Brotherton, Executive Officer Australian Safe Communities Foundation and Superintendent Garry Merryweather with the accreditation agreement.

Background information Process of accreditation Through the Council’s Community Safety Advisory Committee, Blacktown City has been steadily working to accreditation as a Pan Pacific Safe Community for around eight years. We’ve not rushed this.

For us, the reality of being a safe community is far more significant than the recognition.

The Safe Communities model is an

internationally recognised, evidencebased best practice model for addressing community safety issues at the local level.

The underlying philosophy behind the framework is to prevent injuries in all areas, for all ages, in all environments and situations, invoking government, non-government and community sector support. Essential themes of the model are to reduce injury and promote safety and wellbeing for all citizens in a community.

The concept is characterised by the following core attributes: • community leadership and participation • program reach • priority setting • data/information analysis • program evaluation • communication and networking The Pan Pacific Safe Communities Network www.ppscn.org The Network was established by representatives from New Zealand,

United States of America, Australia and Canada. Collectively there are around 100 Accredited (PPSCN/ national) Safe Communities in New Zealand, United States of America, Australia and Canada.

The Network’s objectives are: • provide a forum for collaboration and knowledge sharing between Safe Communities within the Pan Pacific region.

• identify ways to strengthen the uptake of best-practice in injury prevention and safety promotion.

• prevent injuries and violence.

• identify ways to strengthen the lead roles for Safe Communities within the Pan Pacific region.

• work collaboratively with the Safe Community Network, the World Health Organization Department for Management of Non-communicable Disease, Disability, Violence and Injury Prevention (NVI) and any other relevant Safe Community Networks.

› Final construction beings on Nelson Grove A special ceremonial turning of the soil was held to mark and celebrate the start of construction for the final release apartments at Nelsons Grove Retirement Village.

The milestone was marked by an official SOD Turning on the development site, which is being developed by Lendlease in conjunction with PBS Building, followed by a breakfast on the outdoor patio of the Nelsons Grove Community Centre.

As many as thirty members of the community joined in on the celebrations including people who have signed on to move into the retirement community once it is completed. Many people joined in on celebrating the growth of the community.

Western News 13 April 2018 Issue 57

Blacktown gains safe city accreditation

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Western News 13 April 2018 Issue 57

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Western News

Classrooms upgraded at Norwest Christian College

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tudents and staff at Norwest Christian College in Western Sydney will have full use of a newly refurbished primary school precinct thanks to funding from the Turnbull Government.

Liberal Senator for Western Sydney, Marise Payne officially opened the new facilities in Riverstone recently on behalf of the Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham.

“It was great to visit Norwest Christian College and see the new learning areas firsthand and the impact they will have on students’ learning potential,” Senator Payne said.

The Turnbull Government provided $700,000 in funding from the Capital Grants Program, which provides funding for non-government schools to improve capital infrastructure where they otherwise may not have access to sufficient capital resources.

Senator Payne said students and the whole school

› Man dies after crash

community would benefit from these new facilities.

“These new learning spaces take into account the latest in educational research and will see students learn more effectively,” Senator Payne said.

The Senator said the Turnbull Government’s school reforms will deliver needs-based funding to ensure students who need the most support get the most support, as quickly as possible.

Independent schools in New South Wales will also benefit from increased funding under these arrangements. Funding for independent schools in NSW is estimated to grow from $1.4 billion in 2017 to $1.5 billion in 2018, $1.8 billion in 2021 and $2.4 billion in 2027. This represents an average per student increase of 4.8 percent each year over the next four years.

“We’re delivering the real Gonski needs-based funding that Labor distorted with 27 special

arrangements with states and territories and sectors,” Senator Payne said.

Minister Birmingham said the Government’s recurrent funding growth will be tied to a range of evidence-based initiatives to support students by focussing on outcomes in literacy, numeracy and STEM subjects, helping lift teacher quality and better preparing our children for life after school.

“While buildings alone do not make a great school, I hope students and staff will enjoy learning and be inspired by these new facilities,” Minister Birmingham said.

“The Australian Government is committed to improving the quality of our schools and equipping students with the skills they need to succeed in an increasingly competitive world.”

For more information on the Quality Schools reform package visit: www.education.gov.au/qualityschools

Multi-million dollar road upgrade

A MAN has died following single-vehicle crash in Kellyville.

On Tuesday morning emergency services were called following reports of a car had crashed into a tree.

On arrival officers found a man, believed to be aged in his 70s, with serious injuries.

He was treated at the scene and witnesses performed CPR, however the man died a short time later.

Officers are investigating the circumstances. Initial inquirers suggest the man may have suffered a medical episode.

› Police officer glassed A police officer was glassed at Emerton last weekend.

On Sunday morning, April 8, an officer stopped his vehicle after he saw two men fighting.

When the officer attempted to intervene, a third man hit him on the head with a glass bottle.

The officer was taken to Nepean Hospital in a stable condition.

The three men fled after the incident and a large search of the area was conducted.

Police are urging anyone with information in relation to this incident to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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lacktown City Council has begun a $33 million upgrade to widen Hambledon Road between Stanhope Parkway and Schofields Road, Schofields.

Mayor of Blacktown City Stephen Bali MP said the upgrade is a representation of how Council is focused on ensuring our roads will cater to our growing community.

“Hambledon Road will be upgraded

by Blacktown City Council from a two-lane rural road to a four-lane major urban road,” Mayor Bali said.

“Hambledon Road is a high capacity urban road and its reconstruction and widening is essential to improving access within the Alex Avenue

Precinct to Schofields Railway Station, Schofields Road and local schools.”

“Once completed the new road will act as a regional road network helping to move people through our roads, cater to future growth, improve traffic conditions and unlock land for housing development.”

The upgrade was made possible after Blacktown City Council successfully lobbied the NSW Government for a $58.5 million grant to upgrade Hambledon Road and widen Boundary Road and McCulloch Street, between Schofields Road and Riverstone Road, Riverstone.

“I’m pleased the Government’s Restart NSW Fund agreed with our

proposal to improve our infrastructure and cater to our growing population in the City’s northwest,” Mayor Bali said.

The Hambledon Road project is expected to be completed by the end of 2019.

Upgrades to the Boundary Road/ McCulloch Street project is scheduled to begin in May 2018 with a completion date expected by December 2020.

Construction begins on Hambledon Road. Junior Director Christopher Carey, Project Engineer Thet Swe, Councillor Chris Quilkey, Mayor of Blacktown City Stephen Bali MP, Senior Contract Engineer Stephen Painter, Councillor Moninder Singh, Senior Supervisor Bart Martinovic.

Western News

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ichelle Rowland is collecting for the Share the Dignity ‘Dignity Drive’ campaign again in 2018, until the end of April.

Share the Dignity began in 2015 and is an Australian campaign to collect personal sanitary items for women experiencing hardship and fleeing domestic violence.

This year, Share the Dignity reports that there are over 85,000 women and girls in need of help. Local donations from Greenway will help Share the Dignity reach these women and girls in need.

Michelle Rowland’s office in Seven Hills will act as a drop off point for the ‘Dignity Drive’ throughout April and will be accepting donations of women’s sanitary items.

“I am proud to be collecting for women in need again this year as part of the Share the Dignity campaign”, Federal Member for Greenway, Michelle Rowland said.

“Share the Dignity is an example of how one idea can grow and make a big difference in the community.

“All women and girls deserve to have dignity and access to basic healthcare items and the ‘Dignity Drive’ helps to provide this to those women doing it the hardest”, Ms Rowland said.

For more information please contact Michelle Rowland’s office on 9671 4780. To drop off donations, including sanitary items, pads and tampons, please visit Michelle Rowland’s office at 230 Prospect Highway, Seven Hills.

assaulted

A man will appear in court after assaulting a police officer following a vehicle stop in Kellyville last week.

About 9.40pm on Friday 6 April, officers attached to The Hills Police Area Command stopped a red Holden Utility on Horatio Avenue, Kellyville.

Officers spoke with the male driver, aged 38, searched the vehicle and seized an amount of cash and a substance believed to be prohibited drugs.

Police will allege the man then punched an officer in the face before fleeing the scene on foot.

The Senior Constable did not require medical attention.

With assistance from the Dog Unit, the man was arrested a short distance away.

He was taken to Castle Hill Police Station where he was charged with assault officer in execution of duty and deal with proceeds of crime.

The man was granted conditional bail and will appear at Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday 2 May 2018.

Western News 13 April 2018 Issue 57

Share the Dignity campaign now running › Officer

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anzac TRIBUTE Western News 13 April 2018 Issue 57

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Blacktown to open new Anzac Memorial

By Keegan Thomson

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ETERANS and former service personnel from the Blacktown RSL subbranch will open a brand new memorial on Anzac Day morning.

The new memorial will feature special mentions of all of the conflicts Australia has been involved in as well as a special mention to those who served and died in conflict who came from the Blacktown area.

John O’Brian from the Blacktown RSL subbranch said he was very glad to be able to open the new memorial in time for Anzac Day 2018.

“It will be a great memorial and it will be Blacktown’s main memorial for all to come to and reflect on our part in world conflicts,” Mr O’Brian said.

Included in the new memorial will be an armoured personnel carrier, a leopard tank, an artillery piece and a full sized and mounted black hawk helicopter.

Another special feature of the new memorial will be the prominence of women’s support networks throughout the war. Mr O’Brian said there will be special mention of the women

Blacktown’s current war memorial. Photo: Google.

who served in the defence forces as well as the women who protected the Australian way of life through groups like the Australian Women’s Land Army.

One unique and somber addition to Blacktown’s war memorial is the ashes of three World War One soldiers who are interred at the memorial.

The ashes sit with the names of local soldiers who fought and died in the

“The ANZAC spirit was born on the shores of Gallipoli on the 25th of April 1915.

We honour the sacrifices of the ANZACS, who fought for our freedoms and values that day.

We also pay tribute to all men and women who have served or are serving in the Australian Armed Forces.

For those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in service, we will remember.

Lest we forget.”

Prue Car MP Member for Londonderry Ph: 9833 1122 londonderry@parliament.nsw.gov.au

Great War. Mr O’Brian said it is important to commemorate Anzac Day because there are people who don’t understand the full breadth of what Anzac means.

“Blacktown is a very multicultural place with lots of people from different backgrounds settling to call the region their home,” Mr O’Brian said.

“It is important that we use Anzac Day to educated and show new

Australians and young people what Anzac is about. They don’t often know the history of the sacrifices of Australian service personnel and Anzac Day can help people learn.”

This year’s Blacktown RSL subbranch ceremony will take place at the current Blacktown RSL club.

A dawn service march will take place from 5:00 with the mustering of anyone wishing to march taking place from 4:30 am on Anzac Day morning.

The march will be followed by an official dawn service at the RSL club.

The team at the subbranch said there will be presentations from local community groups, local politicians, guest speakers from branches of the defence force as well as a presentation from the RSL subbranch President.

In a show of how strong the Anzac bond is between Australia and New Zealand, both Advance Australia Fair and the New Zealand national anthem God Defend New Zealand will be sung at the ceremony.

After the ceremony there will be a breakfast held in the club with light entertainment across the day.

Anzac Day 2018 reflects on the centenary anniversary of the ending of the Great War, World War One.

anzac TRIBUTE A traditional service with a difference

A

NZAC Day is always a moment where we pause and reflect on the past often through a traditional ceremony and dawn service. On Anzac Day 2018 the team at the St Marys RSL sub-branch will put on a traditionally focused Anzac Day memorial with a diverse flavour.

Across the dawn service ceremony there will be a traditional Maori HAKA rendition, something that energised crowds at last year’s commemorations, and a large proportion of female representatives of the defence forces, local businesses and the RSL sub-branch. There will mainly be a large female cohort laying wreaths, as representatives of local groups, and reciting poems and prayers across the event.

Tony Fryer, Honorary Secretary of the St Marys RSL sub-branch, said it is important to show “societal changes” at times like Anzac Day. “We want to do a traditional service with some modern changes to reflect the societal changes within Australia,” Mr Fryer said.

“We want to include as many people in our event as we can because at the end of the day Australia has a diverse military background.”

This year Major Jaymi Matthews will do a special presentation during the Sunday community Service at Victoria Park on 22nd April, and she will again participate greatly in the Dawn Service on 25th April.

Maj. Matthews is a local St Clair woman who was one of the first in her Corps to be on active frontline duty in an overseas conflict. It is fair to say the team at the St Marys RSL sub-Branch are particularly proud of her.

Throughout the ceremony there will be subtle references to the By The Left campaign, an initiative that

aims to broaden the public perception of veterans to include the women who have fought in war zones and served in our defence forces.

“By the Left is an education program to make Australians aware that women have earned the right to display their own justly awarded medals in pride of place on the left chest,” Mr Fryer said.

He said there are people who still discriminate against women for wearing their own medals on the left side of their chest.

“Unfortunately, some people in our society haven’t caught up with all this and for them, they think that such women are not entitled to wear the medals; that they must be wearing their Dad’s or brother’s or husband’s

medals. On occasion, some people have been very unkind to these women with such false accusations,” Mr Fryer said.

“So, if you see a lady wearing medals on the left, be assured she has done good service for your country,” he said.

Currently there are around a dozen female members of the St Marys RSL sub-Branch who have either fought in wars or served in the Australian defence force. That number is expected to grow over the coming years because of the increased number of women who have served in contemporary wars.

Already there has been an increase in female veterans joining the St Marys RSL sub-Branch who’ve been in combat or support roles during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

Because of the changing gender balance within the defence force it is important to show female representation during times such as Anzac Day, Mr Fryer said.

“It is slowly being understood and accepted, with the younger people accepting it on a wider level, but we’re still slowly changing minds,” he said.

Western News 13 April 2018 Issue 57

By Keegan Thomson

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I encourage everyone to take the opportunity on Anzac Day to honour the memories of those who have served our country in the past and to give thanks for those who are on active service in various parts of the world today.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old, Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them.

Lest We Forget

“At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we shall remember them, Lest we forget!”

Kevin CONOLLY MP State Member for Riverstone Phone: 8883 3499

www.kevinconollymp.com.au

Western News 13 April 2018 Issue 57

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local columnists

Western News

Mexico’s Massive City

The Pyramid of the Sun

Lucha Libre

Trotsky Memorial

By BEN CRANNEY

Mexico City is a seriously big place.

I used to think that it was strange that governments estimated the number of citizens they had instead of being definitive. Then I visited Mexico City.

You couldn’t even count the number of people on the footpath in the main squares on a normal day, let alone during the Day of the Dead, or the festival of the Lady of Guadalupe, when tens of thousands of people make the pilgrimage to her basilica, many crawling for hours to show their faith. Trying to count every one of the reported 25 million people would be impossible.

Basilica de Guadalupe

For such a large city, each of my visits to the Plaza of Three Cultures have been surprisingly quiet. Perhaps that’s a reflection of the pain in the area, being the location of a government sponsored massacre of students in the 60s. Or perhaps it’s also an older pain, as the Plaza is also the home of a colonial church from the 1600s, and a number of Aztec ruins left from the pre-Colombian city that previously stood here. The conquistadores described this Aztec city as the most beautiful in the world. An engineering feat, it was a city of canals and grand buildings, built over the top of drained and rebuilt marshland. But there is not much left of it.

If ruins are your thing, and even if they aren’t, down the road is Teotihuacan, the remains of a massive city of some 125,000 people from over 1500 years ago. At its peak, it was in the top 6 most populous cities in the world. But the really special things are the pyramids, including the Pyramid of the Sun, which is the third biggest in the world. A climb to the top of it or the smaller Pyramid of the Moon gives fantastic views across the

largely intact city.

Sample the tequilas and mezcals in the Roma district. Get lost in the crowds of wrestling fans at the Lucha Libre, where overweight, but still very athletic (at least for a few minutes) middle-aged men warm up the ring for WWE standard professionals.

Find some solitude in the art galleries

and museums, including visit Frida Kahlo’s house before ducking around the corner to Leon Trotsky’s house, where he hid from Stalin in exile.

And then catch a bus to just about anywhere else in the country for what I promise will be an amazing experience. I’ll share a few more with you another time.

The Unintentional Medium By Suzi Samuel Trust In my last column, I talked about the difficulty we sometimes have in believing what we are told during a reading. When we are having problems, although we are often desperate to get an answer, it can be very hard to trust in what the medium or clairvoyant is telling us. In fact, my favourite saying to those who doubt is always, “I told you so!”

One of my happiest instances of this since I came to live in Australia involved a beautiful girl who ran a local boutique. She and her husband had one little girl born with the help of IVF and they really wanted another baby, but didn’t know if they could go through all the emotional and financial upheaval again. When I did the reading for her, I thought I could see a baby, but never being one to give false hope, I told her that the decision would be taken away from her. A few months later I went to the shop which was quite busy that day. She grabbed hold of me, hoicked me off into one of the changing rooms and said, “Do not react!” Well, I was a little startled but then she told me that against all the odds she was pregnant. The baby was a beautiful little girl and I am delighted to say that she has since had a third child. I have never been so happy to say “I told you so.”

As mediums we have to have unqualified trust in what is being given to us. This is not easy, especially when someone is in a state of denial. At the beginning of a reading, I always ask that the

client will give me a yes or no to show me that I am picking up for them. There is nothing worse than going to some mad old woman who tells you a load of rubbish for half an hour and then says, “Hope I helped you dear.” Well, no actually. So, if what I say doesn’t relate or if I feel I am not picking up that easily, I will reshuffle the cards. Generally similar or even the same cards come up but that is just reinforcing what is going on.

It has only happened to me once that the client was in total denial. In that instance I had three reshuffles and the same thing was coming through although the lady in question swore blind that she could not relate to what I was saying. As you can imagine, at

the time this was rather disconcerting so, as always in times of doubt, I called my friend and incredible clairvoyant, Angelina. She soon put me straight, telling me that I must just trust the information that is coming through from Spirit, not that easy when the client is insisting that you are totally wrong.

Maybe I was, but I don’t think so.

One of the most difficult readings I ever did was for the mother of one of my regular clients in London.

She had come down from the North of England to visit her daughter and had booked a session with me.

Now my readings last for at least an hour and for the whole of that time, Mum did not even twitch a whisker. She remained totally still and silent. Now I don’t want information as I prefer to rely on Gran & Co, but I have never been faced with such an inscrutable Sphinx. At first I got a bit flummoxed but then I realised that I had to trust and so passed on what Gran was telling me. At the end of the hour, the Sphinx broke into a broad smile and thanked me profusely for a very informative reading. Phew!

So dear readers, the lesson here is not only for you to trust in us, but in our turn we must trust in the information given to us by Spirit. After all, at this time of year we have just celebrated the biggest example of faith in life after death.

Hope you all had a great Easter.

The Unintentional Medium is available online or from any good book store.

Western News

local news

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or one very lucky St Marys Rugby League Club Member, the Easter Bunny delivered a whole lot more than eggs this Easter!

The Club Member, a 68 year-old Grandmother from Berkshire Park now has plenty of reasons to celebrate after her life-changing 10-number Keno win on the Easter long weekend. A Member of Saints since 2009, the winner was visiting the Club while her husband was away, and whilst she always had a feeling she would win big one day, never in her wildest dreams did she think she would be going home a multi-millionaire on the last Saturday in March!

When asked how she selected her numbers, our lucky winner said that she always uses her own unique pairing method, when one number comes up, she’s almost certain that the next one will – and on Saturday night, it certainly did, giving her 10 out of 10 numbers to win the 10 Number Jackpot of $2,735,523!

Rick Alderton, her favourite Keno operator at the Club said the air was electric once the staff received notification from Keno that someone had won 2.7 million. “We didn’t know if the winning ticket holder was still at the Club or had left for the evening” he recalled. “Once we discovered who it was that had won such a huge amount, we couldn’t have been more thrilled. She is such a lovely

Jarrod Glass, Saints Keno operator who sold the winning ticket, celebrating the huge win!

lady, always incredibly positive and happy and we always have a great chat when she comes in for a visit at the Club” he added.

“Her first phone call of course was to her husband, and whilst she was absolutely delighted, she was very calm – I think we were all more shocked than she was!”

After calling the winner to congratulate her on her fantastic win, Cathy Rowley, the Club’s Marketing Manager echoed Rick’s comments saying “What a wonderful lady. She is possibly one of the most positive and lovely winners we’ve ever had”. Asked how she intends to spend her big win, this regular visitor to St Marys Rugby League Club said she’ll use her winnings to invest for the future, adding that she feels incredibly blessed to now be stress free of any money concerns.

“I think this makes our third Keno multimillionaire at Saints” added Cathy, “but it’s lovely to have one of our Members become the first multi-millionaire for 2018”.

With one of the best Keno facilities available, offering 4 selling outlets, multiple screens and highly trained Keno operators, St Marys Rugby League Club has paid out millions in Keno payouts to its Members and visitors. This 10 Number Jackpot win along with the many other jackpot wins at the club guarantees that Saints continues to be one of the “Top 10” Keno venues in NSW.

Blacktown Show wraps up for 2018

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LTHOUGH the crowds were down possibly due to the extreme heat, the people who attended this year’s Blacktown Show would not have been disappointed.

As usual the children’s favourite during the day drew the largest crowds, Rhonda Hall from All Animals, Animal Farm Nursery was always jam packed with children, feeding brushing or simply patting them.

At the Big Top, the kids were entertained by Professor Wallace’s Puppet Theatre, the oldest continuous performing act in Australia and Tony’s Magic Show voted number one favourite kids activity in New South Wales in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

In the true spirit of an agricultural show all the things one would expect to see were there. The arts and craft, cooking, horticulture, poultry, birds, photography, blacksmithing demonstrations, working dog demonstrations, dog high jump and of course woodchopping.

There was a mass of entertainment on the Optus Stage with martial arts demonstrations, dance schools and participation from several multicultural groups. The Maori Cultural Group, the Bolivian Dance Group, Tribal Drum, African Drums performed by the Girl at Blacktown Girls High. Blacktown Community

Band and a demonstration from UFC Gym. Saturday night’s stage attraction was Elvis in concert featuring David Cazalet, in a performance that would have made the King proud.

In centre ring ARD’s FMX (Freestyle Moto X) had the crowd on the edge of their seats, as they performed their Dare Devil Motorcycle Stunts and of course the Blacktown City Council fireworks spectacular which opened up the skies at Blacktown on Saturday night.

On Sunday was the ute muster,

car show and vintage trucks display which was a huge success and was followed by the charity auction for the Cancer Council.

The highlight of this year’s show was the Search for a Star Talent Quest. With approximately 30 entries, the judges had to select 8 finalists but there was so much talent they decided to settle on 9.

The judges were Ross Hutchison, whose credentials speak for themselves. He was the choreographer and dancer for Australian Bandstand and worked as choreographer and

dance for overseas artist such as Benny Hill and Liza Minnelli and Wayne Willmington MD of Vintage FM Radio. Mr Willmington is a very experienced judge of numerous Talent Quests and very good at spotting talent.

Both these gentlemen stated that this was the best Talent Quest they have ever adjudicated at with so much talent in one competition.

Winners on the day were first placed contestant Arena McClellan, second place went to Emily Nkomo and third went to Omar Maayah.

Western News 13 April 2018 Issue 57

Local Nanna cracks keno jackpot at Saints

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WESTERN HISTORY

Marmalade for the Troops, 1914

Western News 13 April 2018 Issue 57

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By Jack Brooks Blacktown and District Historical Society Inc

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ngland declared war on Germany on 4th August 1914, and Australia quickly followed. Within a month, the orchardists of Seven Hills, Baulkham Hills, Kellyville and Dural were assisting the war effort. They freely contributed fruit to be manufactured into marmalade for the troops going to the front. The idea of presenting jam to the Defence Department originated with Mrs Perry of Baulkham Hills. She passed her idea on to the Committee of the Patriotic League, who in turn took up the matter with enthusiasm. Mrs Perry personally supervised the whole proceeding.

The whole jam making session appears to have been completed, in the open air, in one day. Two old photographs in The Cumberland Argus dated September 5, 1914, show men, women and at least one child amongst an array of large drums, buckets and tins of various sizes. The women dressed in long dresses, long sleeve blouses and large hats and can be seen stirring various ingredients in the large drums and buckets with long wooden stirrers. Men can be seen lifting the larger receptacles and pouring out the contents. With the men dressed in long trousers, long sleeved shirts, ties and waistcoats, it all looked very formal from a modern day perspective.

When the marmalade was ready, it was poured carefully into tin canisters and glass jars. Albert Horwood undertook the soldering of canisters, assisted by Bert Cook and Mr Mills. That was surely a tedious job! The ladies who assisted in keeping “the pot boiling” were Mrs Briggs, Brien, Murrell, Horwood and Burton. Misses Best, Perry and Pearce also assisted. Three men, Mr Mills Snr, Stutchberry and Murrell provided muscle power.

Upwards of a ton of marmalade was made, tinned and despatched. The sale of surplus material (firewood, sugar and fruit) amounted to about £10, which went to the Patriotic Fund, as did the money from the sale of surplus marmalade. The following firms contributed to the successful operation : Colonial Sugar Company for 10 cwt of A1 sugar, Richard Hughes and Co for 1

gross of 10 pound canisters, James Robertson and Co for 1 gross of seven pound canisters, Lyon and Milling for 1 gross glass jars, Harvey and Co for solder for the tins, Miss McEwen for covers for the jars, Messers Jenner and Best for firewood. Mr Woodyatt, the carrier, transported the one ton of tinned marmalade to its prearranged destination.

A neat label adorned each tin, printed by The Cumberland Argus, stating the contents came “with best wishes from Baulkham Hills, Castle Hill, Kellyville, Seven Hills, Dural etc, NSW Australia.”

One wonders if those tins of marmalade from the Hills District reached Gallipoli, France or Palestine, or were the contents savoured by the young soldiers as they sailed to their individual fates.

A few weeks after the patriotic efforts of the local orchardists, a public meeting of Seven Hills citizens took place to open a patriotic fund. The President was George Best, the Honorary Secretary J Eager and the Treasurer T G Mayes. Nine gentleman and five ladies formed the committee. A fund was opened and £17.5.0 was paid in and promised. Patriotic songs were sung by Mr T Davies of the Davies Quartette Parramatta and Miss Newis was the accompanist. Money poured in and a patriotic concert and dance was held at the Blacktown School of Arts early in October 1914. Blacktown, it was stated, “is determined to do its part in raising money for the soldiers.”

Villages and towns throughout the country opened patriotic funds and official lists, showing donations, regularly appeared in newspapers.

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BEFORE

AFTER

Western News

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Are you paying more on your home loan?

any home loan customers don’t know if they are paying too much on their mortgages. Even with a surge in smaller lenders offering home loans at less than 4.00%, thousands of Aussies still aren’t being rewarded by their banks with home loan rate cuts.

Are there any motives keeping the big banks from passing on these rate cuts to you?

Simply your bank expects you to stay with them, even if there are better deals out there.

The banks know and understand that you’re time poor and have better things to do than running around comparing home loan rates and reading fine print. In the end, for most people, it seems like a difficult process and easier to stay put.

If you the customer don’t take the time to review your situation, the banks are happy to keep your business as it is.

Why would they offer a customer 4.00%, if they’ll stay with the bank at 4.5%, right?

It’s a financial decision and they’d be costing themselves hundreds of millions of dollars with little to no return if they reviewed your loan.

I’m not saying that banks don’t pass on rate cuts at all. They often do however they generally only pass on a lesser amount and not the full cut to the rate to existing customers. This is make it appear as though they are looking after you.

But, for a bank to actually grow its loan book, it needs to do more than just hold onto existing customers. It needs to bring in new ones. And the best way to compete with the other banks for

new customers is to offer the lowest rates.

So what happens? The low rates tend to go to new customers and existing customers lose out.

Some banks may even go as far as to cover the switching costs involved in changing lender to bring on new clients.

The most expensive mistake borrowers can make is sticking with their lender for too long.

Refinancing is really quite simple and the process can provide substantial savings.

If you’ve had the same home loan product or not has a review for over 12 months and you want to see if you can get a better deal, now’s the time!

Compare current home loans on the market and see if you could save by speaking with Alex Soncini from Wealthwiz on 0419 6001 77 to sort out your finances.

@wealthwiz

#wealthwizau

WealthWiz Wealth Management Suite 3, 47-51 Richmond Rd, Blacktown Call 8004 6655 | www.wealthwiz.com.au

13 Western News 13 April 2018 Issue 57

Alex Soncini

REAL ESTATE

WORD SEARCH

Western News 13 April 2018 Issue 57

Western News

SUDOKU: EASY

ENTERTAINMENT

14

baby ALERT AWAKE BLANKET BODYSUIT BOOSTER SEAT BOTTLE BOWL CAR SEAT CARRIER COLIC CREAM CRIB CRYING

DADDY DIAPER DROOL FEED FORMULA GIGGLE GRIN HIGHCHAIR HOODIE INFANT INNOCENT JUMPER LAUGH

LULLABY MILK MOBILE MOMMY MONITOR NURSERY ONESIE PACIFIER PARENTS PLAY POWDER RASH RATTLE

SOLUTION: 30 March RUBBER DUCK SIPPY CUP SKIN CARE SLEEP SMALL SMILE SPOON STROLLER SWING TEDDY BEAR TEETHER TIRED WIPES

INSTRUCTIONS Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9 with no duplicates

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Shackles (7) 5 Without ceasing (7) 9 Trademark or

signature (9) 10 Long metal nail (5) 11 Tedious (7) 12 City in Washington

state (7) 13 Estimate (9) 15 Whips (5) 17 A small picture

inserted within

another (5) 19 Unsteady in gait (9) 22 Frolic (7) 25 Affective (7) 26 Stitched (5) 27 Crooks (9) 28 Female siblings (7) 29 Funeral cars (7)

solution 30/3/18

down 1 Preventing (7) 2 Not thinness (9) 3 Punches of sweetened milk

and eggs (7) 4 Whipping boy (9) 5 An attribute of a people or era (5) 6 Female (7) 7 Poet T.S. _____ (5) 8 Searchers (7) 14 Frisky or flirtatious (9) 16 Not reproductions (9) 17 Asserts (7) 18 Pretentious talk (7) 20 Strange or rare objects (7) 21 Suppositions (7) 23 Caterwauls (5) 24 Strikes with the feet (5)

Western News

SPORT

By CONNER LOWE

B

lacktown City will be frustrated after being held to a 1-1 draw at Lily’s Football Centre on Saturday after conceding in the 91st minute.

Blacktown looked as if they had closed the game out only for Dylan Macallister to rescue a point for the away side in their round five clash.

The home side were on their way to their fourth win in five games, only for the current NPL champions to find a way to equalise after Blacktown missed countless opportunities to win the game in the closing stages.

Blacktown had not registered a point in their last three encounters with Manly United and this match looked as though it could end in another Manly win.

Manly United started the game well with striker Marley Peterson having multiple chances to put the visitors up coming as close to the underside of the post after a great header. But It was Mitch Mallia who returned from international duty with Malta to start the game against Manly who opened the scoring for the home side.

Mitch went on a great run and was able to squeeze the ball past the United goalkeeper from a tight angle to open his scoring account for the season.

There was great build up play from the home and finished of expertly from a

player high on confidence from his selection for his national team.

Throughout the second half the home side had chance after chance to kill the game off with Yianni Spyrakis coming the closest with his shot hitting the post, with the rebound only to be hit over the cross bar by Mason Versi.

All the chances proved costly for Blacktown City who conceded after failing to clear the ball from multiple corners with Macallister able to find

the back of the net late in the game.

Blacktown City have now fallen to third on the ladder after the 1-1 draw with Manly, allowing APIA Leichardt Tigers and Sydney Olympic to leap frog them in the table.

Luke Roodenburg, the Blacktown City assistant coach said he was disappointed they couldn’t hold on for the win.

“It was a battle in the end with two good teams, we’re disappointed

especially with those chances at the end and we should’ve done a bit better with them,” he said.

“The only way they troubled us was with long balls and set pieces, we know that’s what they had come here for.

“In the end its two very good teams who always have a battle. Manly are a good team, they’re very well coached that’s what we knew we were going to get.”

Two Quakers Hill schools to share their space Quakers Hill residents will now have access to more playgrounds, ovals and sports courts as part of the NSW Government’s Share Our Space Program.

Member for Riverstone Kevin Conolly has announced that following a successful trial over summer, Hambledon Public School and Quakers Hill Public School will open their gates these school holidays to allow everyone in the community to enjoy their playgrounds, sports courts and ovals.

“This is great news for families in Quakers Hill and surrounding areas as it not only will give parents and children access to more open green space, but also provide them with more options for school holiday activities,” Mr Conolly said.

The $30 million Share Our Space Program follows Monday’s $120 million commitment by the NSW Government to secure strategic open spaces for public use and to build more than 200 new and improved playgrounds.

The announcements form part of the NSW Government’s new $290 million Open Spaces and Green Sydney package.

“Participating schools will also receive a boost, with a $5,000 grant that they can use to help upgrade their facilities for community and school use. That’s a win/win for both the Quakers Hill community and the 2 schools” Mr Conolly said.

The playgrounds will be open from 8am to 6pm, 7 days a week, from 16 to 27 April 2018.

Blacktown International Sportspark Sydney to host 2018 AFL Diversity Championships

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lacktown City is delighted to host more than 300 teenagers from every state and territory of Australia this month for the 2018 AFL Diversity Championships.

Hosted at Blacktown International Sportspark Sydney, on the traditional lands of the Darug people, the event will run from Saturday 14 April – Thursday 19 April 2018.

Mayor of Blacktown City, Councillor Stephen Bali is ecstatic that Blacktown has again been selected to host the prestigious event. “It is fantastic to have each state represented in both Indigenous and multicultural sides, and I’m delighted that such a significant event will take place right here in Blacktown.”

“The diversity of Blacktown City’s people is our greatest asset. We have the largest urban population of Indigenous people in Australia and we proudly celebrate our cultural diversity: we have 188

different birthplaces and 182 different languages spoken in our City, said Mayor Bali.

Blacktown City Council will host the annual Diversity Championships until 2020. The Championships will feature over 300 young Indigenous and multicultural AFL players across 14 teams representing all States and Territories.

Currently in its fifth year, the AFL National Diversity Championships has been developed to provide a supported talented player pathway that compliments the NAB AFL Under-16 Championships and exposes Indigenous and multicultural players, coaches, umpires, doctors, and trainers to an elite AFL Program environment.

The championships are not just about sport; they also allow opportunities to learn about culture, identity and personal development. It’s a chance for players to share their stories and create support

networks to aid their football development. The Diversity Championships reflect the current cultural landscape of Australia.

“Blacktown is proud to be a sporting city, and we aim to support athletes from grassroots all the way through to the elite level, added Mayor Bali.

“Blacktown International Sportspark Sydney is an Olympic legacy venue which Blacktown City Council operates to help foster the development of tomorrow’s best sporting talent.

“The fields you are playing on have hosted a variety of high quality AFL competitions, including matches from the inaugural season 2017 AFL Women’s competition , 7 years of AFL preseason matches and Under 16 & 18 National Championships and, in 2012, an AFL premiership game between GWS and West Coast.

“I encourage the community to head to the Sportspark and support the future stars of AFL.”

Western News 13 April 2018 Issue 57

Battle between two great teams ends in disappointment

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Western News Friday, 13 April 2018

SPORT

Wanderers win against Spartans in the NPL 2

By CONNER LOWE

T

he Western S y d n e y Wa n d e r e r s recorded their third consecutive in the NPL 2 on Sunday afternoon after a convincing 3-0 win over Blacktown Spartans.

Early goals from Lachlan Scott and Abraham Majok sent the Red & Black on their way before another strike from Majok in the second half rounded off the scoring.

The Wanderers signalled their intentions early on with the Spartans defence scrambling to clear the ball after Scott, Fabian Monge and Mohamed Adam linked up on the edge of the penalty area.

The Red & Black opened the scoring in the 18th minute with Scott finding the net for the fourth game in a row, intercepting the ball before slotting it past Spartans goalkeeper Domenic Nascimben.

Five minutes later it was 2-0.

Daniel Wilmering started the move with a smart ball to Majok, who ran at the defence before calmly finding the

bottom corner.

The Spartans responded, winning a couple of set pieces in dangerous positions, but the Wanderers defence stood firm and goalkeeper Nicholas Suman was not called into action.

Mark Tokich was the next to threaten with a set piece and Nascimben had to

be alert to parry the ball to safety.

With five minutes left in the first half, the Spartans had a chance to get back into the game after winning a penalty. However, Suman was up to the task, diving low to his right to save the shot from Matias Da Silva Santos.

The Wanderers continued to push after the interval and a swift counterattack ended with Wilmering shooting over the crossbar.

Soon it was 3-0, as Wanderers substitute John Roberts played a fantastic through ball with Majok finishing expertly.

The Red & Black were dominant, and moments later Grozos hit the woodwork for the second time when his curling shot rebounded off the post.

Roberts continued to make an impact off the bench and forced a good save from Nascimben after being set-up by Tokich and Scott.

Grozos also had two more opportunities, shooting wide from Majok’s cutback before going close with a stoppage-time free kick.

The result sees the Wanderers move into sixth place on the NPL 2 ladder.

Earlier games saw the U18s squad also victorious winning 2-0 whilst the U20s went down 3-1.

Next Saturday, the Wanderers travel to North Turramurra Recreation Area to face Northern Tigers. Kick-off is at 7:00pm.