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Holy smoke!
Labor Members of Parliament and local councillors ramp up their campaign against the proposed incinerator site at Eastern Creek. Story by Keegan Thomson page 3
Photos: Kaleidoscope Moments Photography
Greater Blacktown Business Chamber held their March After 5 event in the impressive foyer of the newly upgraded Blacktown Hospital. Blacktown and Mount Druitt Hospitals (BMDH) vision is to be a leading tertiary care hospital, renowned internationally for its excellence in patient care, training of health-care professionals, research and innovation. Our major expansion project is delivering state-of-the-art new facilities to both locations to meet the future healthcare needs of our growing community. They are expanding existing services to meet increasing demand and creating new services to reduce the need to travel out of the area for treatment. BMDH are improving the hospital experience. Guest Speaker: Dr Andy Marks
As Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Strategy and Projects), Dr Andy Marks drives Western Sydney University’s collaborations with government, industry and the community.
Incinerator inquiry ignites By Keegan Thomson
THE long running battle over the proposed incinerator at Eastern Creek was ramped up with state and local representatives of the Labor Party joining forces to stop the development. Labor Members of Parliament and local Councillors from both Penrith City and Blacktown City Councils came together to discuss a growing list of concerns about the project and to push for a parliamentary inquiry into waste disposal in NSW. MP for Londonderry and staunch proponent of the incinerator, Prue Car, wrote on Facebook about the protest at the site. “This morning Shadow Minister Penny Sharpe MLC joined Labor MPs and Councillors to push for a Parliamentary Inquiry into ‘energy from waste’ technology - on the back of the groundswell of opposition to the proposal to put a toxic incinerator at Eastern Creek. “Don’t just take our word for it - the Department of Health and the Environment Protection Authority have already raised significant concerns about this proposal,” she wrote. The current proposal for the incinerator in western Sydney will potentially burn more than one million tonnes of waste a year to power electricity generators, with the technology generating power using the heat and gas from burning waste products. A growing list of concerns have been raised by residents across western Sydney, but the number one concern with locals is that the emissions from the
(Centre) Penny Sharpe MP, Edmond Atalla MP, (Right) Prue Car MP. Photo: Supplied.
incinerator could be potentially harmful. Other big concerns for locals include the environmental affects, the fact that the facility will run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and that the current regime of planning and environmental standards do not reflect world’s best practice. There is even concern from within state government agencies that the facility isn’t up to scratch. The Department of Health and the Environment Protection Authority have raised significant concerns about the potential health and environmental impacts of the site. The proposed facility would be the largest in Australia, and has been reported as the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere, so the State Opposition Party
is seeking a parliamentary inquiry to investigate the potential outcomes and the concerns that have been raised about something that would be a first in New South Wales. The aim of the inquiry will be focused on reviewing the current provision of waste disposal and recycling in NSW, assessing the role of ‘energy from waste’ technology and investigate the risks of future monopolisation in markets for waste disposal. Other Members who attended the protest and discussion include Edmond Atalla the MP for Mount Druitt, Mayor of Blacktown Cr Stephen Bali, John Robertson the MP for Blacktown, Shadow Environment Minister Penny Sharpe and a slew of other representatives.
Prue Car MP Member for Londonderry
Ph: 9833 1122 12/82 Victoria St Werrington Mail: PO Box 4001 Werrington NSW 2747 londonderry@parliament.nsw.gov.au
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4 Western News 31 March 2017 Issue 31
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From the Editor’s Desk by Kerrie Davies Politicians, emergency service members, group leaders and editors (myself included) have been calling for harsher penalties to be handed down in our courts for horrific crimes. If you haven’t heard the story already, while babysitting this innocent seven-month old baby, a loathsome individual inflicted upon him the most disgraceful injuries you could ever imagine - multiple skull and vertebrae fractures, broke his ankles, bit him and bruised his genitals. And yet in just a few years this sickening mongrel could be living in your street. Yes. That’s the reality when our courts persist in handing down lenient sentences for abhorrent crimes - in this case Nolan was given a fraction of the 25 year maximum available. It makes you sick to the stomach, doesn’t it? Little Bobby from Glenmore Park survived the unimaginable against all odds. But he can’t walk. He is severely brain damaged. He has lost the quality of life he had before that monster got his hands on him. Yet Nolan won’t be paying for it with his life. Not even close. Perpetrators of the most horrific crimes can’t keep getting let back out in the streets so quickly. There are loads of murder cases where the abuser had been previously convicted of other crimes yet was back out on the streets far too early, costing lives. What kind of message does it send if a piece of garbage like Nolan can cause such horrendous injuries to this innocent little darling, ruin his life, and be back among the public before his victim even starts high school? I’m ashamed our courts could let Bobby and his family down so badly. The system needs an overhaul - NOW. We owe it to this little fella to protect him - and lock creatures like Nolan away from society for a very long time. If you agree with me, please sign the petition to get justice for Bobby: go to http://bit.ly/2o7KLpZ
Increasing awareness and encouraging breast checks A new BreastScreen campaign, recently launched at Mount Druitt and Blacktown train stations, aims to encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to get their breasts checked. Three billboards, erected in prominent locations at the train stations, aim to remind commuters to make time for vital breast screening. The Westmead Breast Cancer Institute (BCI) and BreastScreen NSW – who set up the billboards – have been working hard to increase awareness of breast screening, especially among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, where screening rates are particularly low. The organisations have arranged community sessions on the BreastScreen program, along with a morning tea, to be held at the Baabayn Aboriginal Corporation in Mount Druitt in May. The corporation’s chairperson Aunty Margaret Farrell said she was delighted to see a focus on Aboriginal health. “It is important for ladies to look after their health and have regular mammograms,” she said. “Early detection can save your life. “We’re really hopeful that a lot of women will come along to the
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Breast cancer survivor Aunty Daisy Parker with Baabayn Aboriginal Corporation chairperson Aunty Margaret Farrell.
morning tea – it’s a chance for women to learn more about breast cancer awareness and the BreastScreen program before visiting the clinic at Mount Druitt Hospital for a screen.” Presently across NSW, only half of women aged 50 to 74 are having regular mammograms, despite the benefits of breast screening. Westmead BCI director Associate Professor Nirmala Pathmanathan said it was critical for all women over the age of 50 to have a mammogram every two years.
“Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Australian women - one in eight women will develop breast cancer by the time they turn 85,” she said. “Breast cancers are best treated in their earliest stages and mammograms are the best way of finding breast cancer early before symptoms develop.” The billboards will be on display until mid-May. Breast screening clinics are located across western Sydney, including at
Mount Druitt Hospital and in MYER at Westpoint, Blacktown. To book an appointment, contact BreastScreen NSW on 13 20 50. Westmead BCI is also keen to visit Aboriginal women’s groups based in western Sydney, including yarning circles and community bodies, who want to learn more about breast cancer awareness and the BreastScreen program. For more information or to register your interest, contact the marketing team on 9845 9482.
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Western News 31 March 2017 Issue 31
Western Sydney residents get slugged with tolls By Keegan Thomson
WESTERN Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) has welcomed a parliamentary inquiry into road toll fees across Sydney after the group highlighted inequities across the motorway network. WSROC President and Mayor of Blacktown City Council, Cr Stephen Bali, said the tolls around Sydney aren’t fair on all users. “There is no reason why motorists travelling along the M2 should pay three or four times more than someone travelling the same distance along the M5. “This review is sorely needed,” he said. According to the RMS website the tolls across the M2 and the M5 are dramatically different. The Hills M2 Motorway charges a point to point fee, meaning you’ll pay more depending on how long you’re on the motorway for, which can cost up to $6.89 each way. This is different to the M5 South-West Motorway which charges a flat rate of $4.57 each way. When the tolls come into force on the M4, they’re scheduled to be activated in the later part of 2017, motorists could be slugged a whopping $7.95. With these toll charges it means some commuters will soon be paying more than $2,000 a year to use Sydney’s toll roads. Cr Bali says this tolling model means western
road operating and maintenance costs simply because we have no other choice,” said Cr Bali. With the current tolling system setting up an unfair disparity between western Sydney commuters and inner city motorists, Cr Bali has come up with some ideas about how the tolling system can be fairer. “Tolling technology now exists where the system can apply different charges based on the origin and destination of trips so that long distance road users, with poor access to public transport pay less than those from well-serviced areas. “Time of day tolling is another option that could be considered President of WESROC, Cr Stephen Bali. Photo: Supplied. to incentivise travel outside of the peaks that would benefit Sydney motorists and commuters are the ones everyone,” he said. who’re paying for the majority of the new tolls and Currently the only tolls across Sydney offering motorways. time of day discounts is the Sydney Harbour Bridge “Most tolling regimes put the greatest burden toll and the Sydney Harbour Tunnel toll. on long-distance commuters who have little to no According to Cr Bali, if the Parliamentary inquiry public transport alternative; such as residents of wants to get the best results it needs to consider all outer western Sydney. the ways in which Sydneysiders commute. “We all understand there is a need to fund transport “This inquiry is an opportunity to drive a smarter infrastructure, but there must be a fairer solution. transport network for Greater Sydney. One that “Western Sydney residents have been subsidising considers the interaction between various modes of the provision of public transport in inner-Sydney for transport, and reflects the way commuters actually years. We are now bearing the brunt of our city’s use the system,” he said.
Council unveils library mural Seven Hills High School students Rhiannon Arcaba, Jasmine Clarke, Phonix Galistan, Holly Holmes, Holly Brookland and Jai Jang with Blacktown Mayor Stephen Bali, Manager Library Services Laurence McDonnell and artist Danielle RG. Artist Danielle RG was commissioned by Council to paint the mural. Blacktown Council unveils colourful library mural Blacktown City Council has unveiled a new, colourful mural at Lalor Park Library, designed to combat graffiti and bring the community together. The mural was painted by Lalor Park artist Danielle RG (RawnsleyGalistan), with help from Creative Groundz volunteers and local residents. Designed by Seven Hills High School art students, it is based on the Blacktown City Libraries motto: A connected place for ideas, imagination and inspiration. “I congratulate Danielle RG, the students and artists from Creative Groundz on the wonderful work they have done – it was truly a team effort,” said Mayor of Blacktown City, Stephen Bali. “The results are amazing and a
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Artist Danielle RG and Blacktown Mayor Stephen Bali cut the ribbon
testament to the artistic talent we have here in Blacktown City.” The new $17,500 mural replaces one that was created in 2011 by the same artist to combat graffiti and vandalism around the library. “Once the mural was painted, the graffiti stopped almost overnight,” said Mayor Bali. “The mural was obviously greatly respected by the community and
admired by the vandals. “That was six years ago and Council thought it was time for the mural to have a facelift.” Danielle RG once again won a commission for the replacement mural project. She began painting the mural in January after holding workshops with the Seven Hills High School art students.
Creative Groundz artists and local residents volunteered their time to help with the painting. “The idea was to use art as a tool to engage our community so that the community took ownership of the project,” she said. “I thank everyone who joined us to create this mural and I thank Council for giving us the opportunity to do this important work.”
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Western News 31 March 2017 Issue 31
Getting to know....
Calling all budding dental assistants
Alison Zell
Digital Media Producer and AFLW Media Manager at the GWS GIANTS with Conner Lowe
1. What was your first paid job? Working at my local movie cinema when I was 15 2. What is your guilty pleasure? Watching footy for fun, when I don’t have to work 3. What is your biggest fear/phobia and why? Snakes – I almost stepped on one at my grandparent’s farm during a water fight at Christmas 4. What is your worst habit? Talking too much 5. Best advice you have ever been given? Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game 6. If you only had $50 left in the bank, how would you spend it? Probably food – it’s where the rest of my money goes! 7. Favourite holiday destination and why? My grandparents’ farm 8. Do you have a favourite sporting team? Obviously, the GIANTS 9. Name one reason that you love Western Sydney? The community and how quickly and willingly most have embraced the newest AFL club 10. In three words, describe your perfect Sunday? Friends, footy, fun
Budding dental assistants looking to kick-start their careers are encouraged to attend Westmead Hospital’s Centre for Oral Health’s free information session on April 11 from 10am to 12pm. The two-hour session will provide details on Westmead Hospital’s popular 12-month, full-time traineeship in dental assisting, which commences in August 2017. The traineeship, which is run in partnership with the Dental Assistants Professional Association, will see the successful applicants undertaking a Certificate III in Dental Assisting. Alison Webb, WSLHD Oral Health Network Education Co-ordinator said the session will provide information to help job seekers decide whether they’d like to pursue a traineeship. “Come along and find out everything the
traineeship involves - you’ll find out if you’re eligible to apply, the hours, pay and how to apply,” she said. “This year, we’ll be selecting 12 applicants to conduct the traineeship.” Westmead Hospital’s Centre for Oral Health provides general dental services to the population of Western Sydney Local Health District and is a state-wide specialist oral health provider for NSW. To read more about the Westmead Centre for Oral Health, visit: http://www.wslhd.health.nsw. gov.au/Oral-Health To register for the event contact Alison Webb – Alison.webb@health.nsw.gov.au or phone 9845 7535. Registration for the event commences at 9.30am. Facebook event can be found here: fb.com/events/745491965617535/
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RACE project: helping older patients get home sooner
Western News 31 March 2017 Issue 31
A new Westmead Hospital program has helped more than 100 elderly patients avoid a hospital stay and get better in their own homes. The three-month pilot program, which ran from the hospital’s emergency department, aimed to offer elderly patients an alternative to hospital admission, enabling suitable candidates to be discharged for inhome treatment. The results of the Rapid Access to Care and Evaluation (RACE) project, which wrapped up earlier this year, are now in - and they show a significant reduction in hospital stays for RACE patients. Westmead Hospital geriatric medicine head Dr Ray Cabela said of the 114 patients treated under RACE, 100 were diverted from admission, allowing them to be treated in their own home. He noted many patients were also discharged in less than five hours, freeing up vital emergency beds quicker and allowing patients to get home sooner for treatment. The project ran from the hospital’s newly renovated Healthcare for Older People Earlier (HOPE) unit, which was refurbished as part of the Westmead Redevelopment. Patients treated in the unit were assessed for RACE – if their injury was deemed manageable from home, they were discharged. A multi-disciplinary team, including Westmead Hospital’s occupational therapists, physiotherapists, social workers and doctors, along with community nursing and home support services, would then visit the patient once they arrived home from hospital, offering them treatment and support, along with access to in-home mobility devices. Dr Cabela said RACE offered a
different approach to patient care. “The program really focused on offering a more person-centered model of healthcare for older patients,” he said. “Many patients treated under RACE would have had to be admitted to hospital if it wasn’t for the program; this way, we’ve been able to treat them in their home, where they are comfortable, and offer them follow-up in-home support.” RACE also proved a hit with patients - of the people surveyed, 80 per cent rated it highly. Patient Subramaniam Rajaratnam came into HOPE after falling in his bathroom. The 83-year-old was discharged
under the RACE program and treated at home. Mr Rajaratnam’s daughter Kiri Thabapalan said the program was fantastic. “This treatment process is just so much better,” she said. “If he was in hospital, it would have been harder on everyone – he’s in his own house, his own environment, where he feels comfortable. “He had so many staff coming to see him, everybody was great; I couldn’t take time off to be there all the time but the RACE team kept me regularly informed.” The Westmead Redevelopment is transforming health infrastructure
and services across the Westmead precinct, including the spaces and services used by elderly patients. Members of project user groups (PUGs), including a HOPE PUG, have been involved in planning a 12unit bed for older people for the new hospital building. “We are using the Westmead Redevelopment planning process as a prism through which we look at everything we do and how to improve experiences and care of patients,” Dr Cabela said. “There is much more to the redevelopment than just a shiny new hospital and renovated spaces.”
Young people to be celebrated during Youth Week As Youth Week celebrations kick off, Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) is inviting young people to attend events across western Sydney. • Youth Week Launch at Village Green, Blacktown: 30th March, 4:30pm – 7:30pm • Youth Week Finale at Dawson Mall, Mouth Druitt: 6th April, 3:30pm – 6:30pm • Futsal tournament at Emerton Leisure Centre: 19th April, all day • Distribution of resource kits to 10
local youth services Youth Week is also an opportunity for WLSHD to educate young people about the importance of sexual health. Ashley Ubrihien, Manager at the HIV and Related Programs Unit said sexual health is an essential but sometimes overlooked part of being a healthy young person. “The rates of the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) chlamydia are high among young people. Youth Week provides an
opportunity to join people, talk openly about the importance of sexual health and where they can get confidential advice and sexual health check-up in their local area,” Mr Ubrihien said. STIs are prevented by practicing safe sex, using condoms and waterbased lube. For those who haven’t always had safe sex, testing and treatment is available - contact your local GP or the NSW Sexual Health Infolink www.shil.nsw.gov.au on: 1800 451
624 for information about your local Sexual Health Clinic. Youth Week is a partnership between NSW Health and Family and Community Services. For everything you need to know about safe sex, condoms, STI treatment and testing go to: Play Safe www.playsafe.health.nsw.gov.au. Activities for Youth Week 2017 can also be found on local Council websites or at: www.youthweek.nsw. gov.au
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Legends of the West By Garion Thain
Dr Rohitas Batta and his family have been residents of Sydney’s Greater West since 1998. Working, teaching, volunteering in the area, watching his children grow
Dr Rohitas Batta’s family when they arrived in 1998
up in local schools and just recently receiving an award from the United Indian Associations for his community involvement are aspects of Dr Batta’s life that he relishes every day. After being recognised for his community involvement, Dr Batta met with me at Panthers Penrith to talk about what his Excellence in Community award means and his further commendation of “Jewel of the Indian Community,” from the Ghandi Peace Centre. Dr Batta, who has lived in Kingswood, St Clair and now close to Cranebrook since coming to Australia as a skilled migrant, says he feels relentlessly lucky to live in a country of opportunity for himself, other migrants and his children. “The Greater West and Nepean we love – we are attached to it. People are very friendly, we’ve been able to have the best life in this area,” said Dr Batta. Dr Batta says the result of this is his passion to assist migrant communities, saying his aim to help migrants assimilate has been supported from all levels of government and other organisations. “I’ve served in Penrith courts, and offered migrant domestic violence victims legal advice,” said Dr Batta.
“A part of this assistance is choosing to involve yourself in proud traditions. I have helped organise ANZAC events in Penrith,” he continued. Dr Batta is President of the local Lions Club which endeavours to provide local and foreign assistance to the less fortunate. “Our motto is to serve, we try to serve the community,” he said. “This takes many forms, one aspect is annual campaigns, for diabetes awareness or organ donation awareness.” Dr Batta’s awards from the United Indians associations and Ghandi Peace Centre, Australia, are reflective of his broad involvement in IndianAustralian and migrant causes. Choosing to embrace his roots is a role he believes helps migrants integrate and enjoy their new home. The list of said organisations is staggering, in just 19 years becoming involved heavily with Ethnic Communities Council of NSW, Technocrats’ Association of Australia (TAA), an ambassador for The Follow Your Dreams Foundation Australia and a member of NSW Ministerial Consultative Committee. Dr Batta’s heavy focus on bridging communities has seen him enjoy
relationships with local and state government, even speaking to the Premier as an invitee to the Premier’s roundtable meeting. Dr Batta says he is grateful to the region that took him, his children and his father in. He lauds the treatment his father has received, saying his spritely father has only recently needed aged care in his old age. He is proud of his son and daughter for their placements in Penrith High School. They have both since graduated and began their careers. Dr Batta reaffirms the community’s role in their quality of life, further observing that Western Sydney is undergoing a period of intense growth, saying times like this are an example of the prosperity he mentioned. He said cities like Parramatta are an example of a city which has grasped an opportunity to have a working CBD and envisions similar outcomes for cities like Blacktown and Penrith if the opportunity is handled correctly. He said he believes Penrith council has an unprecedented bi-partisanship on key issues related to the prosperity of the city which has given him confidence. “The region needs more,” said Dr Batta.
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Dr Rohitas Batta
“Let us have more jobs, declare a CBD, put the people on that front. People here are had workers,” he continued. “In the wake of an airport, corporate offices could be moved to the west.” Dr Batta said his recent recognition by the Indian-Australian community
has emboldened him to stand up and speak about topics like innovation, safety and aged care, of which he has “first-hand experience.” Conveying an urgency not to sell health short, Dr Batta said that the present is a golden opportunity to “cut across party lines,” or so he is
hopeful. At the end of the day, as Dr Batta and I talked about the region we live in, a place he has devoted his family, professional and volunteer life to, Dr Batta summed up the importance of having a go where you live; “This is our home.”
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Dr Batta and I met at Panthers in Penrith to talk about his love of Sydney’s west and his city of Penrith over a beer.
Dr Rohitas Batta was nominated as a Legend of the West by Greg Davies. If you know a local legend, send us a nomination at nepeannews@aol.com
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Western News 31 March 2017 Issue 31
Former Mayor posthumously honoured By Keegan Thomson
Surviving Suicide ‘A safe and therapeutic support group for people whose lives have been impacted by suicide’ Fortnightly FREE Support group at Hawkesbury House partnering with Western Sydney Suicide Prevention and Support Network Time 9.30am to 11.30am Hawkesbury House www.hawkesburyhouse.com 6 Christie Street Windsor The groups will meet on the following dates: 4th April 18th April 2nd May 16th May 30th May 13th June 27th June RSVP is appreciated on 02 4577 6454. Readers requiring support or information about suicide prevention can call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
of the late Charlie Lowles on his induction to the EMERITUS Mayor Multicultural Honour Roll. and former Councillor, “The Moving Forward Charlie Lowles OAM, Together Association is run has been posthumously by volunteers who devote recognised for his contribution to their lives to promoting promoting harmony across Blacktown fairness, harmony and City and the whole state of NSW. respect, and the annual The late Mr Lowles was inducted Harmony Walk brings into the NSW Multicultural Honour people from all walks of life Roll at the 2017 Premier’s Harmony together in spirit of unity Dinner earlier this month at Rosehill and solidarity. Gardens Racecourse. “I also congratulate The Multicultural Honour Roll pays all recipients of tonight’s tribute to people who work behind the Multicultural Community scenes to promote social cohesion and Medals for their dedicated harmony across the state. work towards making our Mayor of Blacktown City, society more peaceful, Councillor Stephen Bali congratulated tolerant and inclusive,” Ms Mr Lowles’ family, particularly his Berejiklian said. wife Alma, on his induction to the Mr Lowles passed away Multicultural Honour Roll. in October last year after a Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Alma Lowles, wife of “Affectionately known as the long battle with illness. the late Charlie Lowles OAM. Photo: Supplied Mayor for Mt Druitt, Charlie was a A Councillor for 27 years, fierce advocate for the people of Ward 5 – a richly diverse from 1989 until his retirement, he served as Mayor six and multicultural area. times between 1995 and 2010 and was also Deputy Mayor “He was a man of incredible commitment and six times. compassion who constantly promoted inclusiveness. The status of Emeritus Mayor was conferred in 2005 and “An immigrant himself, he deeply understood the he received the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2013. challenges faced by new arrivals to Australia and in A Blackett resident since 1970, he was deeply involved in particular helped the Filipino community to establish itself his local community, the city and the state; as a passionate in Western Sydney,” Mayor Bali said. and committed voice continually seeking the best possible Premier Gladys Berejiklian congratulated the the family outcome for Western Sydney.
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Bailey reunited with his family thanks to micro-chipping Guilford pet owner Claudio Baseotto is singing the praises of Blacktown’s Animal Holding Facility after being reunited with his lost dog. Mr Baseotto and his 18-year-old Pomeranian Chihuahua cross “Bailey” were brought back together thanks to microchipping and the enterprising efforts of AHF staff. “Bailey went missing last Thursday and I got the call on Friday night, so it was quite quick,” he said. “I’m so relieved the AHF picked him up and checked his chip. “If I hadn’t microchipped him all those years ago he wouldn’t have got back to me.” Mayor of Blacktown City, Stephen Bali, said the fact Bailey was returned to his owner just one day after he arrived at the AHF shows that microchipping works. “It also shows our dedicated animal re-homing team is prepared to do what it takes to reunite pets with their families,” said Mayor Bali. “In this case it took a lot of work to track down the owner; there had been telephone number changes and address changes to work out.” Mayor Bali urges all pet owners to make sure their animals are microchipped and the information is up to date.
Alex Soncini
“There will be a microchipping day at Blacktown City Council’s Animal Holding Facility, Flushcombe Road, Prospect, on Saturday 1 April from 9.00am to 12:30pm,” he said. Blacktown City residents get the first two animals per household chipped for free, with a $15 charge for each additional pet. Mayor Bali said microchipping is a permanent record of animal ownership that enables Council to quickly and easily reunite lost pets with their owners. “Each year, our Animal Holding Facility reunites hundreds of animals with their owners, mostly because they have been micro chipped, and I encourage all pet owners to take advantage of our free microchipping service.” The details: What: Animal Holding Facility Free Microchipping Day When: Saturday 1st April, 9.00am 12.30pm Where: Animal Holding Facility, 415 Flushcombe Rd Blacktown NSW, Cnr Great Western Highway Contact: AHF on 9839 6161 for more information. No bookings required, just turn up.
Claudio Baseotto and his partner Angela Mellimo with “Bailey”
SHARING PROPERTY OWNERSHIP
SYDNEY house prices have grown more 2 per cent in 2016 (Core Logic data) and this trend is expected to continue this year with prices in Western Sydney to climb rapidly as a result of major public infrastructure spending where billions are being injected into transport, education and medical facilities in key locations such as Parramatta, Blacktown, Westmead, Mt Druitt, Badgerys Creek, the Northwest and Southwest regions which will bring jobs in these areas. There are billions more in residential and commercial construction projects under way which will boost ¬demand for local housing and drive up ¬prices making the entry into the property market not an easy one with the prospects of ever owning a home slowly slipping away. A strategy to enter the market is to cut the cost of property ownership in half by buying with a family member or friend. Save only half a deposit, pay only half the mortgage and cover only half of the bills. Sounds tempting, doesn’t it? Property co-ownership is a great way to get a foot in the door at a reduced price but when it comes to mixing money and friendship, there’s plenty that can go wrong unless you take these important steps to forge a successful partnership. Agree on the big picture Talk together about your reasons for wanting to buy, your goals for owning a property and your timeframe for selling. You should both have similar mindsets and objectives. Put it in writing Have a legal ‘co-ownership’ agreement prepared that outlines the rights and obligations of each
person with a share in the property. It should provide a formula for either of the co-owners to exit the investment - for example, they may have a change in financial circumstance or want to purchase a property with their new partner. The agreement should also include a mediation clause that outlines how disagreements should be resolved. Know your group finance options A joint mortgage is one way a group of property buyers can apply for a mortgage as it allows them to combine their incomes in order to qualify for a higher loan amount than they would individually. As co-borrowers, you and your partner are held equally liable for repayment of the loan - so if one person stops making payments or makes late payments, the financial variable rate# responsibility will fall to the others listed on the mortgage to make up for these payments. ‘Tenants in common’ is another way variable rate˜ to consider structuring your lending. It allows you to have equal or unequal shares in the property, so one of you could own 40 percent and the other 60 percent. As co-ownership introduces more complexity than a typical individual owner-occupier or investor purchase, you should ensure you choose a borrowing arrangement that protects your investment. Seek advice Structure your lending to be as flexible as possible to consider future changes in personal or financial circumstance. We can sit down with you to discuss some ‘what if’ scenarios, such as what to do if your
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partner suffers a reduction in income or is made redundant. What to do Talk to a Wealthwiz Wealth Manager who can help you understand what your home loan options, borrowing capacity as well as guiding you through the process. We do all the work for you and have the expertise to handle all your financial needs, not just your mortgage. To arrange a free home loan review contact Alex Soncini on 0419 600 177 or email at alex.soncini@ wealthwiz.com.au. Home Loan Deals
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POLICE FILES
Man dies following two-vehicle crash – Ropes Crossing Police are investigating a fatal collision between a truck and a motorcycle in Sydney’s west on Monday morning. Just before 4am on Monday, March 27, emergency services were called to the intersection of Palmyra Avenue and Forrester Road, Ropes Crossing, following reports of a crash. The rider of the motorbike, a 35-year-old man, was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics, but died at the scene. The man driving the truck was treated by emergency services for shock and taken to Nepean Hospital for mandatory testing. Officers from Mount Druitt Local Area Command with assistance from the Crash Investigation Unit established a crime scene and commenced an investigation.
Teenager charged after allegedly wielding knives – Mt Druitt A teenager has been charged after allegedly threatening a taxi driver with knives at Mt Druitt. Just before 5pm on Tuesday March 21, police were called to a taxi rank on North Parade following reports a teen was allegedly wielding knives and threatening a taxi driver. Officers from Mt Druitt Local Area Command attended and saw the teen walking into a nearby mall. They attempted to stop the teen who ran towards Mt Druitt Railway Station and then towards the entrance of a shopping centre. The officers caught up with the teen who was allegedly carrying two kitchen knives in his hands. The officers called on the teen to drop the knives and were forced to draw their service pistols before he complied. A 17-year-old teen was arrested and taken to Mt Druitt Police Station where he was charged with several offences including: - Custody of knife in a public place; - Wield knife in a public place; - Armed with intent to commit indictable offence; and - Affray (in relation to an alleged earlier incident).
Investigations underway after shots fired – Glenwood Police are investigating after a public place shooting in Sydney’s north-west. Just after 9pm on Wednesday, March 22, police were called to a house in Meurants Lane, Glenwood, following reports a number of shots had been fired into a home. Three men and a child who were in the home at the time were not injured. A black vehicle was seen driving from the scene after the incident. Officers attached to Quakers Hill Local Area Command established a crime scene and have commenced an investigation. Initial inquiries suggest the shooting is targeted. Investigations are continuing.
Man dies in unit fire - Whalan Police will prepare a report for the Coroner following the death of a man in a fire in Sydney’s west last Wednesday. Just before 11pm on Wednesday night, March 23, emergency services were called to Torres Crescent, Whalan, where they found a unit wellalight. The fire was extinguished; however, the unit was extensively damaged. The body of a man, believed to aged in his 80s, was located during a search of the premises. A post mortem examination was be conducted to formally identify the man and determine cause of death. Officers from Mount Druitt Local Area Command attended and established a crime scene. An investigation into the circumstances of the fire is underway, and it is not yet known if the fire is suspicious.
A day in the life of... Prue Car MP By Keegan Thomson
DEPENDING on the news cycle, politicians tend to make up around 80 per cent of the nightly television news coverage. Whether they’re arguing with other politicians, spraying rhetoric, rebutting comments, kissing babies or spinning some policy you can almost guarantee that they’ll be on the boob tube. One politician who is constantly in front of the media’s cameras and microphones is local state MP for Londonderry Prue Car. She’s a self declared activist for all Westies, a force to be reckoned with in the Opposition, and a mum. Ms Car is a face that many western Sydney locals would have seen across the last few years. Starting her political career in Penrith Council she moved onto state politics after feeling the call to action. “State government should be about the equitable distribution of services,” Ms Car said. “That means you should be able to go to a good school no matter where you come from. You should have access to quality health care, you should be able to get a roof over your head. “Western Sydney should get all those services and they should all be equal to
the services you can get in any other part of the state. “Fighting for those things, that is why I decided to run for state parliament,” she said. As a member of the Opposition and as Shadow Minister for Skills and Shadow Minister for Education, Ms Car has battled the Government on a number of tough fronts. She’s fought the Government on local issues such as health funding for Nepean Hospital, a school for Kemps Creek and most recently on the matter of the western Sydney incinerator. “Our job as Opposition is not to simply fight against the Government. We are here to keep the Government accountable to the voters of New South Wales. “I’m also personally here to fight for the people of western Sydney,” she said.
The day’s activities of a state MP in the Opposition Party can vary dramatically from day to day. When Ms Car is based in her local office at Werrington she said no day is ever the same but there is always a community theme to all her work. “Today I started at 6am at Werrington train station. I was doing a mobile office, a place I can talk to locals and let them know the things that we’re fighting for and I can get some feedback from people as to what is on their minds. “After that I might be off to a meeting. I’ll usually hold or attend meetings with community groups so that I can then listen to whatever is on their minds. “I’ll do media interviews as well. Media is a big thing. I’ll use the media to help communicate the issues I’m fighting for and local media is really
important for that. “But also I’ll just have a chat with constituents in my office as well,” Ms Car said. When she’s in Parliament House in Sydney she’ll be playing a completely different ball game. “The parliamentary day is determined by the Government. So as a member of the Opposition we’ll hold the Government to account on what they say. “For me I will spend my time talking to the chamber about issues and events in the area. “Last week I gave a speech about something the local RSL was doing, I made a speech against the incinerator proposal, there was the Australia Day honours and recently I spoke about the Men’s Shed opening. “As a member of the Shadow Cabinet I’ll attend Shadow Cabinet meetings and we’ll discuss what we can do for the community,” she said. Without a doubt being a proud Penrith local has shaped the way Ms Car works as a politician. She is a proud Westie who vouches that western Sydney is the best place in the country. “We fight for our fair share, we’re proud of our accomplishments and we’re a very community-minded place. In western Sydney we believe in our area and that is what makes us the best.”
Missing Doonside woman Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a woman missing from Doonside since last week. Brigid King, 45, was last seen at her Doonside home on the morning of Tuesday 21 March 2017.
There are serious concerns for her welfare and police are asking anyone who sees her to contact them immediately. Ms King is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 165cm tall with a medium build and long, dark-coloured hair. Police are urging anyone with information in relation to this incident to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: https://nsw. crimestoppers.com.au/ Information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. We remind people they should not report crime information via our Facebook and Twitter pages.
Breast screen while shopping! Stanhope Garden’s marketing manager Lisa Curtin with Westmead BCI health promotion officer Melissa Mackay and the BreastScreen van.
Westmead’s Breast Cancer Institute (BCI) is continuing its efforts to offer free breast screening to busy women, setting up its mobile van at Stanhope Village Shopping Centre this month. The BreastScreen van, staffed by female breast screening specialists, will be stationed at the shopping centre until Friday, April 7, giving eligible women the chance to have a free breast check. It is recommended that women aged 50-74 have regular mammograms every two years. A mammogram only takes around 15 minutes and is vital, given 1 in 8 women in NSW will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. Nine out of 10 women who develop breast cancer do not have a family history of the disease. Associate Professor Nirmala Pathmanathan, Director of the BCI, encouraged women to make time for their health and ensure regular screens were undertaken. “Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Australian women, with almost 16,000 women diagnosed with cancer every year,” she said. “Yet only half of all women in the target age
group are being screened regularly in western Sydney. Finding breast cancers in their early stages will save lives, so we need to raise awareness about the importance of screening.” Stanhope Village for Mirvac Retail marketing manager Lisa Curtin said the shopping centre was thrilled to host the van. “Stanhope Village Shopping Centre is a community-based centre,” she said. “We want to support the women in our community in the early detection of breast cancer by providing this service to our customers”. Westmead BCI manages the BreastScreen program in western Sydney. Melissa Mackay, Health Promotion Officer for BreastScreen Sydney West, said she was also delighted to have the service available at Stanhope Village: “it’s important that this service becomes available to new and emerging populations in greater western Sydney” To book a free mammogram at the van or a BreastScreen clinic, contact BreastScreen on 13 20 50. Stanhope Village Shopping Centre is located at 2 Sentry Drive, Stanhope Gardens.
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SUDEP: More awareness needed about a killer taking young lives By Kerrie Davies
WHEN local residents Bert and Rosemary Bronkhorst received a phone call back in May 2009 to say that their eldest daughter Alexis had collapsed and been rushed to hospital, they were extremely worried, but had no way of knowing that every parent’s worst nightmare was about to unfold. A young mother expecting her second child, Alexis had always been happy and healthy. It was an exciting time in their lives; Alexis and her husband Kurt were over the moon about the impending birth of their second child, and three-year-old Bryce was excited to become a big brother. Little sister Ashleigh was to become an aunty again and Bert and Rosemary proud grandparents. In the week prior to presenting at Nepean Hospital, Alexis had been suffering from headaches and had been off-colour. It was over two months before Alexis was finally released from hospital. In that time she’d been transferred to Westmead, had spent five weeks in intensive care where she’d been placed in an induced coma. She had also undergone numerous tests, spent three weeks in the High Dependency Unit, and had been pumped full of medication to try to stop her seizures. Her diagnosis at discharge was Epilepsy. Weekly follow-up visits were prescribed, along with medication to control her condition, but epilepsy soon became part of every day life for Alexis, who was by now having between one and 10 seizures a day. But she didn’t complain; just took it in her stride, as she had done with all challenges in her life. “The seizures did become part of her life, and as a father I found it hard to witness them,” Bert said. “Rosemary was amazing though, as was Kurt. And Alexis herself - on
Bert and Rosemary Bronkhorst with Mark “MG” Geyer, holding a framed photo of beautiful Alexis who had the world at her feet before being taken far too soon.
the rare occasion that she had a prewarning from her body, she would try to place herself somewhere where she could not hurt herself.” Despite these new challenges, later that year healthy baby boy Zaine was born via C Section and life for the the young family resumed. But many changes had to be made to best cope with the cruel hand that Alexis had been dealt; she was unable to drive nor be left alone. Kurt had to become full time Dad and carer for his wife. Providing for his young family had become quite a challenge for young Kurt as the following couple of years went by, and occasionally he was working late into the night on his laptop after the family had all gone to bed. Just before 3am on November 22, 2012, Kurt finished up and decided to take a shower before climbing into bed next to Alexis. He walked past her sleeping frame to the bathroom, and as he returned he noticed that she was face down on the bed. Sensing something was amiss, he attempted to wake her, and his worst fears were realised as he discovered she was
A sisterly bond: Alexis and Ashleigh
unconscious. He performed CPR while waiting for the paramedics to arrive. Bert and Rosemary were woken by a 3am call from their daughter’s neighbour; there was ambulance at the house. Flying out the door with a feeling of dread, it was sadly to become the worst day of their lives; forever etched in their hearts. Alexis could not be revived. She had lost the battle she had fought so hard to conquer, and one of life’s most valued treasures was taken away in an instant. But her memory lives on, loved and sadly missed by the many hearts she touched during her short life of just under 26 years. The kind-hearted, happy go-lucky girl with the stunning smile who loved to sing and dance and reveled in the role of being a mother will be treasured forever. “She passed three weeks before her 26th birthday,” Rosemary said, emotional and tearful after going over the traumatic events in order to share Alexis’ journey. “We all miss her so much.” “We hope that it can help explain the risks in epilepsy, and help prevent other families from suffering the same loss as we have.” I’d like to thank the Bronkhorsts for opening their hearts full of memories of their beautiful daughter with me, in order to bring awareness to this very important issue. Not many people realise that Epilepsy can be fatal. Awareness of SUDEP - Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy - is being promoted this month, and March 24 was Purple Day in an effort to raise awareness. The condition also needs to be high on the political radar to ensure it receives the research attention it needs to prevent the fatal risks. It is a cause that is also close to heart for local legend Mark Geyer. Two of MG’s daughters have been diagnosed with epilepsy.
“Epilepsy needs to be tagged for research funding,” MG said. “Bert and Rosemary have lost a beautiful daughter in very traumatic circumstances, yet they are leading the charge in an effort to help others.” Epilepsy Australia states that the risk of SUDEP nationally is one in 3000 persons over a one-year period. For persons with poorly controlled seizures the risk is one in 100 persons over one year. In children, SUDEP is an even rarer occurrence with the risk as low as one to two in 10, 000 over one year. “One of the very important challenges for Epilepsy Australia is to raise awareness and understanding of possible risks related to living with epilepsy,” A spokesperson from Epilepsy Australia said. “While this is a difficult topic for all concerned it is essential that we use research and community education to clearly identify where risks exist and what strategies can be developed to reduce them. “This includes the question of epilepsy-related death. While modest progress has been made in understanding epilepsy-related risks, there is still much work to be done, especially in the area of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP). “Life is precious, and while the risk of SUDEP is low, all factors that may lead to injury or loss of life should be included in any risk management discussion. Informed decisions about treatment and lifestyle can only be made if all the information is provided and consequences discussed.” Epilepsy Australia’s SUDEP Research & Education Fund receives donations from families, friends and colleagues who have lost a loved one to epilepsy, and donations dedicated to epilepsy research. Donations to this fund can be made online atwww.epilepsyaustralia.net or for more information, emailsudep@ epilepsyaustralia.net Turn to MG on the mark, page 30 for more editorial comment.
Alexis had always been a happy and healthy child
The G Spot
I was sitting on the lounge, late one night , in my attractive onesie, seriously girls if you want to give the vibes of “not tonight” the onesies the way to say “Hell no, this shop is closed for business.” I am so attractive in my onesie that Greenpeace were banging on the door screaming “throw water and uncover the blow hole, we may be able to save it!” Mine is glow in the dark, which means I have to wear sunnies to bed. It’s really good for freaking the cat out too, it’s like it is on a bad LSD trip. (But don’t tell the RSPCA). Anyway, I was sitting on the lounge having a few well-earned bevvies just to make sure my kidneys and liver are getting the workout they crave, and on comes Gilligan’s island. Now I am no brain child, but here’s a deserted island and the professor built everything from the kitchen sink; 5 star luxury cabins with ensuite to a restaurant, but he could not build
a crappy raft and get them off the island? And how the hell did Ginger keep her make-up so perfect? She was on a deserted island…….just sayn. Which then led me to Flight 370 that has now been missing for two years, yep that plane, where the hell is it? I have read more theories than an Agatha Christie novel, including aliens have taken it, but where is it? How the hell do you lose an entire big mother of a plane? I mean I lose my car keys all the time, however! Let’s not worry our little cotton socks about that right now, where’s…. da plane? Da plane? We have heated toilet seats that vibrate with relaxation music and automatic wipers (with forward or back option at the press of a button), but we can’t track a plane? We have the technology to put GPS trackers on dog collars, and look at the dog’s location on our smart phone - but we can’t track a plane? We can google
With Gina Field, Nepean Regional Security
earth a house location (with picture), but we can’t track a plane? So what are trackers? Satellite Navigation or Global Positioning thingies and how can they be useful to us mere mortals? I have tracking on the security patrol cars, it’s a great system. You can track just about anything (except a plane of course), car, boat, cat, dog, mother in law - and these bad boys are so advanced you can see exactly where your asset is. How, I hear you say with eagerness in your voice (I mean eyes because you’re reading this) Well my avid readers, there are so many systems available, and parents are now placing tracking in their kid’s car to track speed, braking, and of course, where the hell your little Johnny is ( after he said he is going to Aunt Maple’s for apple pie..cough cough). If on a car, these devices show the opening and closing of the doors,
speed , gear changes, fuel and oil levels, replay an entire day, route , stopping times, ignition on and off and of course, the location of your beast ( not the wife - your car). Great, if the car is stolen you can even set up what they call a “Geofence” which means placing a border around an address (so to speak) and when the car enters that “Geofence” it will sms or email your smartphone. I do ask that you don’t get red paint and paint around an address, it’s in the virtual thingy on the navvie thingy on your computer. So there you have it folks, we can track kids, cars, boats, truck, dogs , cats, elderly people, phones, bags, car keys BUT WE CAN’T TRACK A PLANE!!!!!!!!!! Oh and the cat rang, he is actually on LSD and is seeking help as I type this! My toilet seat is on backorder and wish I had tracking on my favourite jacket that is M.I.A!
17 Western News 31 March 2017 Issue 31
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Western News 31 March 2017 Issue 31
How thirsty can you be?! with TP “Slurp ahh, slurp ahh” followed by the gurgling of liquid in a bottle. Arrgghhh get me a pair of ear plugs for gods sake!! Im angry because why should I have to listen to those sounds whilst you are hydrating?! I mean it’s a bit like tummy time 50 yrs ago, not everyone did it but few people ended up dragging themselves prostrate along the ground because their mothers didn’t put their infants on their stomachs for periods of time. Same can be said of the phenomenon of every man, woman and his dog carrying a garish plastic bottle containing what I can only assume to be a life saving elixir or else why the need to cart the thing around 24/7?! Carrying a bottle of H2O was not necessary 20 years ago so why is it now? In the old days we would pour water into a thing called a glass and sip it like a normal human being. Let me assure you it is not a great look rocking up to an interview or
corporate meeting with your bottle clutched in your hand. You look more like a thirsty miner swigging it like a long neck wrapped in paper after a bloody hard days work! Which is absolutely fine, almost compulsory when you’ve been sweating after a days labour but not if it’s just a general day in the office. I do worry about the cleanliness of said bottles and know that if they aren’t properly cleaned or even sanitised all kinds of microbes are laying in wait for the next “lip to bottle” encounter. Yes I’ve read all of the hype about the need to consume large amounts of water in order to maximise health and improve skin elasticity and even add to ones longevity, but surely I don’t have to be privy to the sucky sucky, gurgle noises that come along with that crappy little bacteria infested bottle that you traipse into public spaces because you don’t have leave of mind to have a few sips before leaving home.
Opinion: The Greens up to their usual dodgy claims By Bart Bassett
Whilst Cyclone Debbie was building in intensity and bearing down on the people of North Queensland The “looney” Greens were up to their usual rhetoric of blaming Climate Change for the event. This week Andrew Bolt from the Herald Sun quoted the UN Intergovernmental Panel of Climate change which said “In summary, confidence in large scale changes in intensity of extreme extra tropical cyclones since 1900 is low. Over periods of a century or more, evidence suggests slight decreases in the frequency of tropical cyclones making landfall in the North Atlantic and the South Pacific, once uncertainties in observing methods have been considered. Little evidence exists of any long-term trend in other ocean basins...Several studies suggest an increase in intensity, but data sampling issues hamper these assessments...Callaghan and Power (2011) find a statistically significant decrease in Eastern Australia land-falling tropical cyclones since the late 19th century although including 2010/2011 season data this trend becomes non-significant.” The Australian Bureau of Meteorology also state “Trends in tropical cyclone activity in the Australian region show that the total number of cyclones appears to have decreased to the mid 1980s, and remained nearly stable since.” To be clear just because you don’t believe that cyclones are a new phenomenon, like The Greens would have us all believe, doesn’t mean most clear thinking people don’t want to see reductions in green house gas emissions so that we are a responsible civilisation. We do need to look after the planet but we have to be realistic and sensible with how we achieve that outcome. Having the lights go out like they did in South Australia because the political push for renewables was greater than the ability for current renewable technology to provide the necessary baseload power was unacceptable. As is usual in politics nobody would take the blame for the mistake; instead the very people who made
the bad decision in the first place decided to throw money at fixing the problem by using gas and battery technology at a time when gas is in short supply and the price of gas is rising. The Australian public including the business community have seen energy prices skyrocket because of the way our cheapest form of energy, that being coal, has been demonised by The Greens and their supporting cohort. What should have happened was to use advanced technology in coal fire power stations whilst at the same time support the renewable energy industry whilst it improved rather than trying to rely on an immature technology. We as a nation export high quality black coal to many countries including Japan which is building 45 new coal fired power stations using the latest technology of high energy, low emissions (HELE) generators to reduce emissions to the lowest levels
ever seen in coal fire power stations. Japan is investing in their future energy needs while at the same time here in Australia, including in recent weeks in South Australia, we are shutting down coal fire power stations and using much more expensive gas fired power stations and renewables which in the end feeds into every increasing energy prices for all of us. Just for once could our politicians make informed sensible decisions which take into consideration all factors including cost, environment and energy security rather than being lead by the nose down a Greens philosophical path - which in my view will have us all living in a society with expensive power and dwindling jobs as more manufacturers move off shore as energy costs become so exorbitant they can no longer compete on the world stage if they remain in Australia.
2017 Blacktown Show DESPITE the wet weather the Blacktown Show was still a lot of fun. Punters still came out to see the local flavours, sites and colours of Blacktown and the western Sydney region. Alyssa Manalo was crowned the 2017 Blacktown Showgirl with Nicole Watts named the runner up.
Runner-up Nicole Watts & Showgirl winner Alyssa Manalo
Social Butterfly
Photos courtesy of Nick Tree
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Exploring Islands: Volcanoes in Vanuatu
By Ben Cranney
I went to the bathroom early in the morning. Bleary eyed and half asleep, I almost didn’t notice the rat casually sitting in the toilet bowl. The rat would have been glad I noticed before going, I’m sure, at least until I flushed it. We were on Tanna, Vanuatu, in a hut looking out to the Pacific. Nestled into the bottom of a cliff face, on secluded, black sand beach, surrounded by dense forest, all I could think of was what if there was a tsunami? We’d be in more trouble than a rat in a toilet. The highlight was heading up Mt
Yassur volcano and seeing the bubbling lava in the crater. To get there, we crossed an eerily lifeless plane of red and brown sand. But evidence for life was there. Dry riverbeds looked like they’d been carved out by flooding rains, probably disappearing as fast as they arrived, and the fellow driving explained that the football sized rocks around the place were volcanic bombs. Only a month ago, the volcano had been launching them onto the plains, keeping the tourists well back. I decided I’d need to come back and see that one day. I wondered if existential threats
of tsunamis and volcanoes helped create the culture of ‘island time’, a more relaxed approach to life where schedules didn’t always seem to mean much, such as when we waited a couple of hours for our transfer. Once on the road, we bought freshly dug up peanuts, drove past kids playing soccer in forest clearings, spotted wooden villages nestled in amongst the trees, and tried not to bump our heads on the car roof as we hit pot-hole after pothole. We also visited Resolution Bay, where Captain Cook pulled in, and learnt that the island’s name came
from Cook asking how to say ‘grass’ in the local language (‘Tanna’). We could see why he’d choose the bay: big and wide, it was a perfect safe harbour aside from a couple of underwater geyser like eruptions of boiling water. On the other side of the island were the fancy hotels, too expensive for us, but on the way to the Blue Cave. This was a secret cave only accessible with a duck dive of faith through an underwater rocky entrance in the open sea. Surfacing on the calm inside sounded magical, and when I go back to see the volcano bombs, I’ll visit the cave and tell you what it’s like.
The Unintentional Medium By Suzi Samuel The other side of the coin
In my last column, I told you about my experiences helping to rid a friend of a very unwelcome presence. Well, this time I want to tell you about what happened when I myself was the subject of the same thing. I think the first time I became aware of something strange was about eight years ago. This was before we had actually moved to Australia but, with the intention of spending a few months a year here, we had bought a flat in Sydney’s CBD. It was quite an unexpected development in our lives as, due to my over zealous shopping, we went out one day to buy an extra suitcase and, en route for David Jones, discovered these apartments for sale, so we did a little more shopping than expected. I was so excited when we moved in as it was a beautiful flat. One evening, I was in this amazing bathroom, all black granite and smoked glass, cleaning my teeth when I looked in the mirror and had the shock of my life. The eyes looking back at me were not mine. They were the same shape and the same funny browny-green colour, but they definitely did not belong to me. The only way to describe it was that the expression was pure evil. I was petrified. I shot into the sitting room where poor David was watching the television, grabbed his hands and
said, “Quick. Say the Lord’s Prayer with me.” Bless his heart, he didn’t hesitate and prayed with me until I had calmed down. When I explained what had happened, he was understandably sceptical. “It was a trick of the light” he said, or “It was the extra glass of wine with dinner”, but I knew what I had seen. I thought the prayers had done the trick, but the trouble with entities is that they can lurk quietly waiting for an opportunity and there is nothing they like more than a bit of misery to
latch on to. Last October I went through a rather bad time and had obviously let my guard slip a bit. Now normally I don’t harbour evil thoughts, but I found myself with so many negative emotions - anger, jealously, even hatred - all of which are quite alien to me and, much worse, I was ill-wishing people dear to me. Time to call in the troops or, in other words, my good friends and fellow psychics Angelina and Lisa. When we started, Angelina sat
me down and sprayed me with sage. Well, something inside me didn’t like that very much and once Lisa started to read from the Bible, it got very annoyed. I could hear myself saying, “I am stronger than you. You will never defeat me.” And, “It didn’t work last time and it won’t work this time.” It didn’t bargain for our local ghost busters. Ange had her hands on my head and I could hear her saying “Sprinkle her with more Holy Water” and the prayers got louder and louder and I got wetter and wetter. I began to sway in the chair and I could feel whatever it was struggling to stay put. Suddenly I visualised a beautiful golden pathway going from the top of my head straight up to Heaven. “Take your hands away,” I said to Ange. I could feel whatever it was whoosh away towards the light. I felt such a feeling of peace and freedom. Since then, I feel I am back to my normal self, but rest assured, I shall always make sure I am well protected when I do any psychic work. Meanwhile, if you feel at all threatened, who are you going to call? Why our beautiful local ghost busters Angelina and Lisa - oh and me when it’s not personal. The Unintentional Medium is available online or at all good book stores.
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SAMURAI SUDOKU INSTRUCTIONS
Western News 31 March 2017 Issue 31
21
Within each of the five 9x9 squares, each digit from 1-9 occurs once within each row, column and 3x3 block. There is only one solution, and you can find it without guessing SOLUTION: 17th March
CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Deal (7) 5 Rod-shaped bacteria (7) 9 Reproduced (9) 10 The sharp edge at the junction of 2 surfaces (5) 11 Voter (7) 12 Ceded (7) 13 Lead (9) 15 Show someone to their seats (5) 17 Mongrels (5) 19 Child (9) 22 Biting (7) 25 In an unspecified manner (7) 26 Father of Methuselah (5) 27 Disturbance (9) 28 Smiled contemptuously (7) 29 Baby cats (7)
solution 17/3/17
down 1 Boundaries (7) 2 Be a delegate for (9) 3 Flyer (7) 4 Infamy (9) 5 In a poor fashion (5) 6 French country house (7) 7 Horrible in savagery (5) 8 A personal with confidential information (7) 14 The lower joint of the leg of a fowl (9) 16 Bum rides (9) 17 Social deportment (7) 18 How a snake moves (7) 20 Acrobat or tumbler (7) 21 Reverses the tape to the beginning (7) 23 Writing style (5) 24 Secretes a hormone (5)
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22 Western News 31 March 2017 Issue 31
Fernhill Estate treats Bobby’s parents to a night of Barnesy By Kerrie Davies
IF you read “From The Editor’s Desk” on page 4 of this edition, or previous stories in this publication, you’d know all about the western Sydney’s favourite little champion, Bobby the Brave. Bobby, who is now three, has come along way since he suffered horrendous abuse at the hands of his non-biological uncle in 2014. At just seven months old, Bobby endured multiple skull fractures caused by blunt force trauma, blood pooling in his eyes from being violently shaken, carpet burn marks on his forehead, fractured vertebrae, shattered ankles, bruised genitalia, bite marks on his little body among other atrocities too graphic to disclose. He was not expected to live through the catastrophic injuries inflicted on his tiny baby body. But our little hero is a fighter, and he defied the odds that were stacked against him. Sadly, Bobby will never fully recover from the lifechanging injuries he suffered. He has been left with brain damage and many other medical conditions that will require lifetime full-time care. The Penrith community was united in their instant love for the innocent little boy from Glenmore Park, and they opened their kind hearts to raise funds to help give Bobby the best possible future. It has been a heartbreaking journey for Bobby’s parents, Elise and Barry. Big-hearted Mark MG Geyer, who will be MC at the upcoming Jimmy Barnes concert on May 7, along with Fernhill Estate representative, Rachel Nikolic, recently met with Bobby, Elise and Barry at Penrith
Rachel from Fernhill, Elise and Barry Webber and Mark Geyer with Bobby. Photo: Kennedi Geyer
Paceway to see how Bobby was doing. Little Bobby took an instant like to MG, who I might add is exceptionally great with kids. He scooped little Bobby into his massive arms, covered his face and neck in kisses and the big smiles on Bobby’s face were priceless to witness. In return Bobby gave MG a huge hug and nestled into his shoulder as if he’d known him all his life. I do believe I saw a tear or two form in big MG’s eyes. The team from Fernhill Estate had heard that Elise was a major Barnesy fan, so they were armed with a nice surprise for Mum and Dad, who have gone through more heartache than any parent should ever have to endure; free tickets to the show! “On behalf of Fernhill Estate we are so pleased to
be able to treat this family who have been through so very much, to a night of singing along with Jimmy Barnes, a bit of a break from the routine,” said Rachel from Fernhill. Elise and Barry were over the moon. “Oh wow, how lucky are we?” Elise beamed. “Barry and I don’t often get to take time out for ourselves to enjoy each other’s company. “I am so touched by this, that the people from Fernhill thought of us, this has made us so happy!” Jimmy Barnes will be playing live in concert at Fernhill Estate, Mulgoa on May 7. Tickets are on sale though ticketek If you’d like to contribute to Bobby’s future, you can donate by visiting https://www.gofundme.com/ bobby-the-brave
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24 Western News 31 March 2017 Issue 31
WORD SEARCH
EASTER BASKET
EGGS
BUNNY
MARSHMALLOW
CHICK
PAINTING
CHOCOLATE
PASTEL
CRACKING
QUACK
CUDDLY
RABBIT
DUCKY
SPRING
DYED
TREATS
EASTER
YUMMY
Smurf In Wanderland By Garion Thain
S Y D N E Y FC fan David Williams brings his take on being an outsider in the Western Sydney Wanderers’ RBB to an interesting medium, with his theatre production Smurf in Wanderland playing at Riverside Theatres from April 20-27. For those not following, ‘Smurf’ is the nickname given to a Sydney Football Club Fan and ‘Wanderland’ is the home ground of the Western Sydney Wanderers. Williams is a self-described “long-suffering Sydney FC fan,” who frequented Western Sydney Wanderers’ games on their home turf in Parramatta. Kitted out in his Sydney FC sky-blue jersey, Williams-the-Smurf stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the sea of red and black. Instead of fearing for his life, Williams says he found a beautiful and profound unity amongst the ritual and fierce loyalty of the Wanderers fans. Directed by Griffin Theatre
David Williams is a Sydney FC fan who has devoted a stage production to the fans of his club’s biggest rival.
Company’s Artistic Director Lee Lewis, Smurf in Wanderland is a must-see for both theatre-lovers and football fans alike across Western Sydney and beyond. This is a story that breaks down the barriers of geography and debunks the myths of hooliganism at the football. It tells a tale of loyalty and unity integral and familiar to all football fans. In conjunction with the production,
National Theatre of Parramatta will present a photographic exhibition ‘Wanderland’ by award-winning photographer and die-hard Western Sydney Wanderers fan, Eric Berry (2015 Photographer of the Year, FourFourTwo). The exhibition will feature stunning images from Western Sydney Wanderers matches and a unique insight into the magic of football.
Barnsey uses his strong vocal chords against domestic violence By Kerrie Davies
AS an Australian icon, Jimmy Barnes is so well-known that he is part of the fabric of who
we are. He has been belting out songs in his unique style, as Cold Chisel’s singer and as a solo artist, for many decades. His voice is unmistakable, and his stage presence commanding. But there’s a lot more to the lad who, as a young child left his home in Glasgow, Scotland, with his family and sailed to Australia for a new life. Last week at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, a packed audience was treated to the story of Jimmy’s life, told by the man himself, both in words and in song. “Working Class Boy” details the life of Barnsey from birth to present; and it’s a raw, sad, and at times, truly horrific story. It is a story that some might be ashamed of telling: full of poverty, struggle, abandonment and family violence. Inspired by Rosie Batty, who has become a warrior against domestic violence following the very public murder of her son by his estranged father at a sporting field, Jimmy saw
the importance in using his strong voice for more than just belting out Khe Sahn. It’s a heartbreaking yarn about a boy who just wanted love, nurture and safe place to call home. But he instead was dealt a life of scratching around bare cupboards for food, wearing strips of cardboard in his shoes to stop the mud getting through all the holes, and, hiding in cupboards to escape the violent fighting between his parents.
The audience was transfixed as Jimmy shared his memories, many times becoming emotional, all of the time driving the message about the harmful environment domestic violence creates for kids. An extremely powerful stage show, Working Class Boy also gave the audience the chance to see that Jimmy Barnes can still bring the house down with that incredible voice. Accompanied in some songs by his daughter Mahalia, the apple doesn’t
fall far from the tree; her voice is also incredible. If you missed the show, I hate to tell you missed a great one. But you can still see Barnsey rock out a gig, locally. Barnsey is set to take the stage at Fernhill Estate in Mulgoa on May 7. Tickets are on sale now, and the details are on page 23. This is a western Sydney concert that will be talked about for years afterwards; you definitely don’t want to miss it!
WIN tickets to Barnsey!
Nepean News & Western News in conjunction with Fernhil Estate are giving away 2 double passes to the May 7 concert at Fernhill Estate. Visit Fernhill Estate’s facebook page for more details.
Another spin on the turn table
East - Cold Chisel By Keegan Thomson
BY the late 1970s the hype surrounding Cold Chisel, an emerging, energetic and unapologetic Australian pub rock band, was reaching a pinnacle. They’d just come off the back of a number of highly successful tours and they’d released a number of hit singles, but the full enormity of their legacy had yet to be made. In the early months of 1980 the band started work on what would become their third studio album, East. The work was continuous with the producer Mark Opitz booking out the Paradise Studio in Sydney. From the get-go the band wanted to make something more commercially viable, what they got was a smash hit album which still stands the test of time. At the forefront of the album stands
staple Aussie rock tracks like Standing On The Outside, My Baby and Rising Sun, with anthems like Cheap Wine and Choirgirl added in for good measure. From the first track off the album Chisel were making a statement. They wanted the world to know that they were a force to be reckoned with. Standing On The Outside launches the album into the world of traditional, fast paced, no BS rock n roll, something that Chuck Berry would be proud of. My Baby, is another track that drives home the 1950s rock n roll roots of Cold Chisel. Breaking down for a little bit, the band have a breather on Choirgirl, a track with a heavy political subtext. Written by Don Walker the song was one of the band’s biggest hits, even though the context of the song is extremely heavy. Without holding much back, the song
is about abortion and the loneliness in terminating a pregnancy. The real driving power from the track comes from the chanting chorus, “Looking
like a choir girl, crying like a refugee.” Go to any pub on karaoke night and without a doubt you’ll hear a ripping version of Choirgirl.
25 Western News 31 March 2017 Issue 31
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26 Western News 31 March 2017 Issue 31
Come Celebrate Easter With St Marys. It Will Be HUGE!
The St Marys Easter Egg Hunt is bigger and better than ever. With locations all around St Marys CBD this year’s hunt is going to be hours of fun for the families of St Marys. The Easter eggs will be hiding up and down Queen St on Saturday 8th April as part of the St Marys Easter Egg Hunt. Kids will have the opportunity to dress up and search for the bunnies that will be hiding out in their favourite Queen St businesses.
Best of all, the hidden bunnies will be rewarding the kids that find them. This Easter event is all about free family fun. It’s our way of thanking the shoppers who support us all year round by giving them the opportunity to get out as a family and enjoy themselves. There will be lots of free entertainment such as a face painting, roving characters, a jumping castle, animal farm, kids shows and more.
MARKETING COORDINATOR PENRITH PERFORMING & VISUAL ARTS FULL-TIME 12 MONTH CONTRACT (Maternity Leave Cover) LGA Level 7 Penrith Location Here’s a great local opportunity to advance your career in arts management and marketing. Penrith Performing & Visual Arts comprises two of Western Sydney’s leading cultural institutions, the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre and Penrith Regional Gallery and The Lewers Bequest. We are currently seeking a motivated and enthusiastic self-starter with a passion for arts marketing to join our team as our full-time Marketing Coordinator. This position underpins the day-to-day marketing activities across the visual and performing arts in an organisation with exciting growth potential at the heart of the burgeoning Western Sydney region. The Marketing Coordinator will work across a range of activities including publicity, promotion, distribution, communication, social media, content development, advertising, design, writing, editing, website updates, customer relationship management, general administration, database management and reporting. If you love the arts and thrive on a fast-paced and dynamic work program then this is the job for you. You will need top-notch organisational skills, a solid grounding in marketing principles and the ability to work across multiple campaigns with competing deadlines whilst maintaining a good sense of humour and a commitment to creativity. Position Description and more information: http://thejoan.com.au/?p=396 Closing Tuesday 18 April
Beat the queues, get prepared and attend the pre-registration session on Saturday 1st April from 11am till 1pm in Coachmans Park, St Marys. Rego forms are available on St Marys Town Centre’s Facebook and website. Check it out, print it, fill it in and bring it with you to exchange it for your St Marys Easter Egg Hunt kit.
Adam Hughes from Harcourts Your Place Annastacias Hair Design Baldo’s Hair Care Centre Big G’s Pizza Catch Hair Design Cath’s Cakes Chimes City Country Pets Define Hair Design and Beauty
Doves Jewellers Jonelles Hair and Beauty Beat the queues, getMobile prepared and attend the Elders St Marys Kidabout Enchanted Hair and Beauty pre-registration Leesession Nova Craft on Saturday 1st April from Fernz Cafe Cash 11am till 1pmMega in Coachmans Park, St Marys. Rego Hair Options By Mary Mooney on Financial Services forms are available St Marys Town Centre’s Harry’s Café & Restaurant Party Pit Stop Facebook and website. Check it out, print it, fill it Hobby Pro Polynesian Wave in and bring itReal withEstate you toOne exchange it for your St Jamjo Home & Gifts
Marys Easter Egg Hunt kit
Skin Essentials Skye’s The Limit For Hair St Marys Library St Marys Pharmacy St Marys Professionals Real Estate Super Tools Australia - St Marys Untamed Flowers Workplace Safety Centre
westernhistory
28 Western News 31 March 2017 Issue 31
RIVERSTONE BUS SERVICE
Clarrie Neal
A
reference to Riverstone in the Daily Telegraph Insearch column led Gordon Burn to contacting the Historical Society with information on the origin of the Riverstone Bus Service. Gordon Burn, aged 25, came to Riverstone from Manly in 1946 to form the Riverstone Bus Service in a partnership with Noel LakemanFidler. who had started the bus service a few months earlier in March. Prior to that, Noel Fidler had owned two 1929 La Salle hire cars that he sold to Norm Heather so as he could then concentrate on the new bus service. He was also the local Estate Agent leasing the shop in Parrington Terrace and sold this business to Ambrose Driscoll. Noel and Gordon agreed that each would receive a weekly wage of seven pounds. Their first buses were: - a 1928 Reo with a malthoid roof and capable of seating 20 passengers. (Gordon recalled this was the first bus he ever drove.) - a 1935 Bedford seating 27 passengers. - a 1942 Chev bought from the Glenorie Bus Company capable of seating 31 passengers. There were three main bus runs, the Township, Marsden Park, and Rouse Hill/Box Hill. All the bus runs commenced from Garfield Road, opposite the Riverstone Parade junction. There were no designated bus stops, the stop was decided where the most passengers congregated. The Township run travelled along Riverstone Parade, Crown Road, Hamilton Street, McCulloch Street, Riverstone Road, James Street, Oxford Street and Garfield Road. There were four services a day and the fare was sixpence. The Marsden Park run extended along Garfield Road West, Marsden Park school, Richmond Road, Vine Street, Fermoy Street, Carnarvon Road and Garfield Road. There were three services a day through the week for the workers and shoppers and two services on Sundays for visitors to the area. Through the week this bus service also delivered the mail to the Berkshire Park Post Office and Gordon well remembers the times crossing the South Creek bridge during floods. The Rouse Hill run extended from Garfield Road, Terry Road, Old Pitt Town Road, Edwards Road, Annangrove Road, Withers Road, Mile End Road, Windsor Road, and Garfield Road back to Riverstone. Gordon recalled the rainy days they had problems crossing the creek on Withers Road, often having to continue on along Annangrove Road to the Windsor Road to get access to Mile End Road. He also recalled the days with the bus running late and missing the connection with the train at Riverstone. The bus would then race the train to Schofields, and sometimes with the co-operation of the train driver, get there in time for the passengers to catch their train. The bus company bought a 1926 Essex tourer from Wally Cornwell to use as their company car; if the bus was unavailable, this car was used to pick up the passengers on the Rouse Hill run. Gordon has fond memories of this Box Hill run, picking up old Mrs Terry, Mrs Turnbull and others and taking them into Riverstone to do their shopping. Gordon recalled their special runs, the buses to Richmond for the Thursday and Saturday night dance and pictures. Also another bus on
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Saturday night carried patrons to the Rivoli theatre at Vineyard, and the run to Castle Hill on their Show days. In the afternoon they made four to five trips with a shuttle service from the meat works to the railway station and the fare was tuppence. Gordon recalled the workers would not pay the fare to travel to work in the morning, but when they finished their day’s work they were glad to pay tuppence to get a ride to the station. In 1947 they bought a 1938 Reo from the Punchbowl Bus Company to carry workers to and from Riverstone to the factories at St. Marys. It was a 42 seater and Noel Fidler was the driver for this run. Casual drivers who drove the buses for the company in these days included Norm Powe, Jack Keogh, Doug Turnbull, Stan Harris and Archie Beasley. The bus depot was located in Garfield Road opposite the Parrington Terraces and attached to the depot was a small room that served as their office. In one of the four bays a pit was dug for the mechanic to service the vehicles, Gordon and Noel doing most of their own mechanical repairs. The 1938 Reo and the 1942 Chev had Perkins diesel engines that were difficult to start and were replaced with Chevrolet petrol engines. Major repairs were carried out at both Nichols and Knights garages but Vic Knight was the only mechanic who could service the brakes on the 1937 Bedford. Gordon recalled this bus after turning from McCulloch Street into Riverstone Road always had problems when required to stop going down that hill. The brakes on this vehicle required attention every month. Transport inspectors came out every month to do a mechanical check and a brake test on each bus. Gordon recalled petrol ration coupons were still being issued several years after the war had finished. He had to go to Sydney every month to get their quota of ration coupons, and also had to get a permit for each special trip made to such places as Richmond dances and Vineyard pictures. To be continued next issue...... This article appeared in the Riverstone and District Historical Society Inc. Journal 2006.
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Sydney Thunder appoint Lee Germon as General Manager future. The Thunder already has sell-out crowds and impressive television ratings and Lee intends to make it the most-loved club in Australia.” Lee Germon said the Thunder had built a strong relationship with Canterbury over the past two years through preseason tours “From my first-hand experience with the Sydney Thunder what really appeals to me is the culture of the club and the positive change from where it has come from over the past four years,” he said. “Knowing the role that it plays in the community is something that really impresses me and makes me want to be part of the organisation. “At Canterbury we’ve established a community engagement program that’s been successful and I’d really like to develop that further with the Thunder. “Cricket is my passion. I love cricket and I want to make as big a difference as I can through cricket as a sport. “As a player and administrator I’ve seen what a positive impact the game can have on people and I know T20 provides the best opportunity to do that. “The Big Bash has been phenomenal. It’s been put up in lights in New Zealand and my son is a big Sydney Thunder fan. He watches every game on TV and I think he wears his Thunder shirt more than his Canterbury one.”
In a major recruiting coup former New Zealand captain and current Canterbury Cricket CEO Lee Germon has been appointed General Manager of the Sydney Thunder. Mr Germon replaces Nick Cummins, who joins Cricket Tasmania as CEO after rebuilding the Thunder from a basket case to men’s and women’s Big Bash League champions last year. Appointed New Zealand captain in 1995 before he had played a Test, Germon will be best remembered by Australians for his 89 against Australia in the 1996 World Cup batting at number three. The wicket-keeper batsman played 12 Tests, 37 one-day internationals and 103 first class matches. After three years as CEO of the Tasman Rugby Union, in 2008 Mr Germon was appointed CEO of Canterbury Cricket, where he had been captain. Andrew Jones, Cricket NSW CEO said Mr Germon had beaten a high quality field of local and overseas candidates. “Cricket NSW is delighted to announce Lee Germon as General Manager of the Sydney Thunder,” he said. “As a former international cricketer with proven leadership skills and a strong background in administration Lee has a great feel for the game on and off the field. “More than that Lee has a strong vision for the
Wanderers set sights on A-League finals By Conner Lowe
THE Western Sydney Wanderers face a tough Newcastle Jets on Saturday as the Jets look to improve on their poor performance last week. The game will be played on Saturday 1st April at McDonald Jones Stadium. The Wanderers are on a three game winning streak after beating FC Seoul in the Asian Champions League and had two more impressive performances to defeat Wellington Phoenix and Melbourne City in the Hyundai A-League. The Wanderers now have a solid five-point gap between themselves and Wellington Phoenix with only three games left to play in the Hyundai A-League. A win will all but confirm a top six place for the Wanderers with Wellington having to play three of the top four sides currently in the A-League. The Wanderers know that the Newcastle Jets will be no easy task at home and after copping a huge 5-0 defeat against the Wellington Phoenix last weekend, the Newcastle Jets will come out and look to improve on last week’s dismal performance. The Wanderers now look a team capable of challenging for the Hyundai A-League with a good string of impressive performances and especially the victory over Melbourne City last Sunday. The Melbourne side have performed well all season and took an early lead against the Wanderers. However, the Wanderers showed great mentality and composure to win the game 3-1, with striker Brendon Santalab securing his first A-League hat-trick only a week after becoming the Western Sydney Wanderers top club scorer.
Scott Neville, Western Sydney Wanderers defender spoke about the team spirit against Melbourne Victory and his ability to get forward with the ball. “It was a huge win, I think we started off pretty poorly in the first 15-20 minutes and we gave them a pretty cheap goal, but the way we came back was fantastic and it just shows the spirit and the fight that we have in the team. I think the style of play that we have been playing all year is really starting to flourish and we are capitalising on the chances that we are creating,” he said. “I love getting forward, I think me and Jack
(Clisby) have the licence to get forward at this club and as long as we do it at the right time, we look to be a valuable asset to the team, so it was good that I grabbed an assists and so did Jack, but as long as we are winning it doesn’t matter who is getting the assists or goals,” he said. The Western Sydney Wanderers will hope to maintain their good run of form against the Newcastle Jets and look ahead to the finals and their opportunity to try and get to a 4th grand final in five years. The Wanderers still have Melbourne Victory and Adelaide United to play after this weekend’s game and will hope to end the season with maximum points from these remaining games.
29 Western News 31 March 2017 Issue 31
sport
30 Western News 31 March 2017 Issue 31
my words with MARK GEYER
A bet is a bet, so now I’ve been inked! It’s been a rocky couple of weeks as a Penrith Panther fan. When they ran on to Pepper Stadium to take on the Sydney Roosters there was more at stake then two competition points. My fellow co-worker on the morning radio show I do for Triple M Sydney < known as the Grill Team > Gus Worland is a fanatical Chook supporter. So as we did a few years back, we decided to have a little bet on the outcome of the game. The loser of the bet would have the rival team’s mascot tattooed on their rump. Last time a Jamie Soward field goal saw me escape with out a marking. This time I wasn’t so lucky. Even with a litany of decisions going against us, including a pass so forward for the winning try it wasn’t funny, it was my turn to man up. With the last bet my then seven-year-old daughter Raff designed Gus’s tat. This time renowned cartoonist Boo Bailey had the honours. As you can see in the above drawing to say it was intricate would be an understatement. In turn 90 mins of pain. Oh well, a bet is a bet. Last weekend there was no such bet with my other co-host on the Grill Team, Matty Johns when the Panthers turned their fortunes around big time in dissecting Matty’s Newcastle Knights. The night was even more sweeter watching it with a bunch of my mates and their sons in what Rod from KSR Auto described as a “Dads n Lads” night. Big thanks to ‘Hot Rod’ for hosting us all. Looking forward to your “Ladies n Lasses’ night in the Woman in League Round. And another thing...... In the time that I have been a columnist with this particular publication I have yet to see two separate stories affect me in the way that two in this week’s edition have. The story on Bert and Rosemary Bronkhorst and the passing of their daughter Alexis through SUDEP, Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy,
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personally hit home. Two of my daughters were diagnosed with Epilepsy a few years back, junior mychlonic epilepsy to be precise. There are lots of ‘strains’ of it. Seeing your child have a seizure due to an illness is shocking enough, to have one of them passing away to it is unbearable to think. Bert and Rosemary are incredibly stoic in their resolve. Because epilepsy IS NOT funded in any way shape or form from the government, it’s people like the Bronkhorsts who warm my heart with their effort in helping others after their own tragic loss. The other story that had my blood curdling is the attack on then seven-month-old Bobby Webber. Because this case is still the subject of an ongoing legal battle comments pertaining to it must
be somewhat guarded. All I can say after meeting Bobby’s mum and dad Elise and Barry recently and having the full extent of young Bobby’s attack spelled out for me, I can only call the attacker a gutless coward who should well and truly pay for such a despicable act on one so young. The Bronkhorst and Webber families are shells of their former selves due to two different events that have affected their individual families profoundly forever. If you can help in any way please do. They will be eternal grateful. If you’d like to help Bobby live his life to the best of his potential following the most horrendous start he has had, please donate by visiting https://www. gofundme.com/3mquxafg For more info on Epilepsy visit www. epilepsyaustralia.net See you at the game.
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Giants name Barr as final rising star By Conner Lowe
THE Number one draft pick Nicola Barr has been named one of the final NAB AFL Women’s Rising Star nominees of the AFL Women’s season. Barr collected 12 possessions playing off half-back in the GIANTS’ 32-point loss against the Western Bulldogs at UNSW Canberra Oval. Despite the GIANTS falling short of posting their second win of the AFLW season, Barr led the resistance, displaying the consistency that has her seen her regularly feature in her side’s best players. Tim Schmidt, Coach of the Giants AFLW team said it was exciting to see the development of one of his most promising young players over the inaugural season. “Nicola’s move to the half back line over the last three games has been exactly what we as a team have been after,” he said. “Her defensive side has improved out of sight while giving us plenty
of offensive attack from her elite running ability and penetrating kicks on the run. “She is still learning the game, but her willingness to ask questions and implement the advice given to her is helping her become one of the most dangerous half-backs in the competition.” The first pick in the historic NAB AFL Women’s Draft, Barr was awarded the 2016 Mostyn Medal as the best and fairest player in the AFL Sydney Women’s Competition
and represented New South Wales at the 2014 National Under-18 Championships. At 20-years-old, Barr was drafted to the GIANTS from Sydney University in the AFL Sydney Women’s Premier Division. She also played soccer at an elite level as a junior. Barr said she was surprised to receive the accolade after an up-anddown season for the club. “It’s really nice when your hard work pays off and I’m very lucky to be in a team that’s helped me develop
31 Western News 31 March 2017 Issue 31
sport
over these last few weeks, I couldn’t have done it without the girls,” she said. “There’s some really good experience in our team with the likes of Jess Dal Pos and Emma Swanson and the coaches have been fantastic. “I think I’ve taken my time to work into the competition but it’s nice to be able to finish on a good note.” Barr follows in the footsteps of ruck Erin McKinnon who was the club’s first NAB AFL Women’s Rising Star nominee in round three.
CelebrityTIPSTERS
Round BUL SYD NQC CRO CAN MEL NZW WES BRI new PAN MAN GCT NQC NZW MEL
5& 6
BRI MAN SOU NEW PAR PAN GCT STG SYD bul SOU STG CAN WES PAR CRO
March 30 March 31 March 31 April 1 8.05pm 6.00pm 8.05pm 3.00pm
April 1 5.30pm
April 1 7.30pm
April 2 2.00pm
April 2 4.00pm
April 6 7.50pm
April 7 6.00pm
April 7 7.50pm
April 8 3.00pm
April 8 5.30pm
April 8 7.30pm
April 9 2.00pm
April 9 4.00pm
SCORE
Clr Stephen Bali Mayor - Blacktown City Council
34 Matthew Bennett - Bennett Western Sydney
30 Alex Soncini - WealthWiz Wealth Management
44 Paul Maher - Loxley on Bellbird
46 Troy - Urban City Consulting
44 Barry Locock - Turtle Landscape Supplies
30 Kimberley Talbot - CEO Richmond Club
42
Western News Friday, 31 March 2017
sport
Shady sporting spots at Whalan Reserve By Conner Lowe
THE new development at Whalan Reserve means spectators will be left in the shade by a massive tree planting project. Some 320 trees will be planted as part of the major sporting facilities upgrade currently underway that will give the area national-standard playing fields, said the Mayor of Blacktown City, Councillor Stephen Bali. Mayor Bali, revealed 50 new trees that form the first planting, which includes 23 large Port Jackson Figs around the two shared cricket / AFL ovals. “Another 270 trees are currently being grown at a local nursery and will be planted next month,” he said. “These will provide shade for the cricket user groups and the broader community using the reserve for recreation. The tree planting is part of Council’s ongoing commitment to implement the $5.8 million Master Plan for Whalan Reserve. Also on show was the partially-completed $1.8M amenities building – suitable for larger regional events. “Construction on this block is well passed the halfway mark,” he said. “Completion is expected within the next two months.” The building includes: four change rooms (to
allow for large carnivals as well as for male and female athletics simultaneously), female and male toilets, an officials’ change room, disabled and ambulant toilets, storage for summer and winter club sport equipment, canteen, meeting room, first aid station and a mezzanine level for administration, a competition office, scorer and timekeeper stations, as well as box functions for regional carnivals. “This is a larger building than Council usually provides, and it can service activities that run across eight fields for numerous Council partners including NSW Rugby League and the National Rugby League,” Mayor Bali said. The amenities building will be home for
the Rooty Hill RSL Dragons and will also accommodate regional carnivals, schools and sporting events. The first stage was an investment of $2.2m and included the new avenue and car parking. Other work in the $3.6m Stage two includes turf cricket practice wickets, added storage to the shared Cricket/ AFL amenities building for grounds maintenance vehicles and covers, extension to the existing concrete path system, additional car parking and major tree planting around the fields. All grounds work will benefit the sporting community as well as the local community that use the reserve regularly.